/newsplus/ -News +

By: Jim McCool

https://floridianpress.com/author/james-mccool/

As Attorney General Ashley Moody (R-FL) continues her crusade to protect Florida against fraud, the Attorney General's office announced that a Florida man was arrested in a $400,000 Medicaid fraud case.

After an investigation from Moody's office, Cabrera worked for Angels on Earth PPEC. This business provided continual care for children with medically-complex conditions in a nonresidential setting. Cabrera, the person responsible for all Medicaid PPEC billing, billed a nearly 100% attendance rate to get the maximum payment per patient despite knowing that not everyone attended every day.

MFCU charged Carlos Cabrera with Medicaid provider fraud. Cabrera ran Angels on Earth, a prescribed pediatric extended care business, and submitted fraudulent claims for services that should have been provided to children with medically-complex conditions, bilking Florida Medicaid out of more than $400,000.

>>AG Moody said, "This defendant used vulnerable children and their families for his own financial gain by overbilling and stealing from a taxpayer funded program. My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit uncovered this devious scheme and will now ensure this defendant faces justice."

https://floridianpress.com/2023/03/ag-moody-busts-400k-medicaid-fraud-case/

By: Haisten Willis

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/haisten-willis

With Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) making more campaign-like statements every day, friends and enemies alike are wondering how much longer he can wait to declare a run for the White House.

Hot on the heels of riling up former President Donald Trump earlier this week, DeSantis told Piers Morgan he thinks he can beat President Joe Biden in 2024.

>>"I think so," DeSantis answered when asked if he thinks he can beat Biden, according to an account Morgan wrote for the New York Post. "If I were to run, I’m running against Biden … the guy I’m gonna focus on is Biden because I think he’s failed the country. I think the country wants a change. I think they want a fresh start and a new direction, and so we’ll be very vocal about that."

It was perhaps the most obvious indication, yet that DeSantis is going to run for president.

Craig Shirley . A conservative historian and Ronald Reagan biographer, Shirley said DeSantis has the best of both worlds right now.

>>"You can campaign without actually campaigning," he said. "DeSantis has the advantage of focusing on the good things he's done as governor and going after the bad things Biden has done. He can stay above it all without actually getting his hand soiled by running for president."

Shirley points to Reagan as a model to follow. The Gipper waited until November of 1979 to declare for the 1980 cycle. But Reagan spent the year making speeches, doing radio commentary, testifying before Congress, and generally acting like a candidate without being one, Shirley added.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/how-much-longer-can-ron-desantis-wait

By: Christine Queally

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/christine-queally

Members of Congress and the White House have spoken out about data privacy concerns related to the short-form video app TikTok, even threatening an all-out ban of the platform in the U.S. last week. In response, TikTok creators and several Democratic lawmakers gathered outside the Capitol on Wednesday evening to protest that possibility.

Many held signs with the words, “My _ thrives on TikTok,” with the blank space filled in with their choice of noun, alluding to the fact that the app is a major source of exposure for many creators.

The possibility of a ban on TikTok first emerged last week when the Biden administration reportedly told Chinese internet company ByteDance, which created TikTok, to sell its shares in the app or face losing the entire U.S. market.

>>Months ago, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said, “I want to ban TikTok for a very simple reason. They allow the Chinese Communist party to gain access to all of the private data on any device in America that’s using TikTok. That’s our kids, that’s phones connected to our kids’ phones, and that’s a national security threat.”

Now, TikTokers are mobilizing in support of the app, and they were joined by a few Democratic representatives outside of the Capitol.

>>“What happens is, a certain party, usually Republicans, whip something like this into hysteria, and we move way too rapidly in the wrong direction,” a TikTok spokesperson at the demonstration said.

Most of the TikTok creators that staged the demonstration in front of the Capitol agreed on one thing: banning the app would rob them of the community they’ve built.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/videos/-democrats-creators-protest-tiktok-ban-us-cPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

By: Brady Knox

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/brady-knox

Matthew Graves, the United States attorney in Washington D.C., sent a letter to the chief judge of the Washington D.C. federal court, warning that the Department of Justice could charge another 700 to 1,200 new defendants in connection with the Jan. 6 riot, Bloomberg reported. So far, the Department of Justice said it has arrested at least 999 people in connection with the riot, meaning that the department could more than double its current number of arrests.

>>“We expect the pace of bringing new cases will increase, in an orderly fashion, over the course of the next few months,” Graves wrote. Despite the estimated total of new prosecutions given, he added that the total could change, as the Justice Department continues to “evaluate changing resources and circumstances.”

Arrests have been made in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in connection with the riot, according to the Justice Department. Approximately 420 defendants have been sentenced.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/courts/prosecutors-1000-arrested-jan-6

By: Heather Hamilton

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/heather-hamilton

While hosting a reception in honor of Women’s History Month at the White House on Wednesday, President Joe Biden explained that first lady Jill Biden writes messages on his bathroom mirror for him to read while he shaves.

Biden shared one odd note while veering away from his prepared remarks.

>>“One [message that] was put in about a year ago was: ‘Stop trying to make me love you,’” Biden said while sharing a laugh with those in attendance.

>>“What the hell?” he continued. “I’m still trying like hell.”

As the laughter subsided, Biden returned to read off the teleprompter, thanking women from both chambers of Congress for their help in passing legislation and touting how they are “changing the world.”

The president also jokingly introduced himself as “Jill Biden’s husband” before setting out to compliment his wife’s accomplishments.

>>“This is a time for celebrating extraordinary women who have made their mark in history and strengthened our nation, and like Jill, the first lady, who’s the first full-time lady,” Biden said before pausing. “The first lady who works full time in addition to being the first lady as a professor,” Biden restated, noting Jill’s community college teaching load.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/joe-biden-jill-notes-stop-make-me-love-you

By: Samantha-Jo Roth

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/samantha-jo-roth

Freshman Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), who campaigned on conducting oversight of the Biden administration, said the GOP has managed to make good on that promise in the minority by scuttling President Joe Biden's nominees.

The Senate Commerce Committee, on which Schmitt serves, abruptly delayed a vote scheduled for Wednesday to consider Biden’s pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, Phil Washington. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the committee chairwoman, announced the vote is “moving to a future date pending information that members have been seeking.”

Schmitt said Washington, the current CEO of Denver International Airport, is in more peril than Democrats want to admit. Republicans have strongly resisted his nomination over possible legal entanglements and his lack of experience in the aviation sector, with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) now reportedly raising doubts.

>>“Just look at the Commerce Committee, for example — Gigi Sohn was a terrible pick to be an FCC commissioner. We were able to kind of conduct that sort of oversight, ask tough questions, and she’s not moving forward,” Schmitt said in an interview Wednesday with the Washington Examiner. “Look at Phil Washington. I do not support his nomination. I don’t think he’s qualified, and I think it looks like his nomination is in trouble.”

>>“If you’re examining the right sort of things and conducting oversight, people are persuadable on these things, especially on the nomination front,” Schmitt said. “That is how we are getting the oversight work done.”

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/schmitt-senate-gop-oversight-sinking-biden-nominations

By: Brady Knox

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/brady-knox

Former President Donald Trump's head lawyer was ordered to testify Wednesday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit concerning the special counsel's investigation into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents.

A three-judge panel overruled an appeal by Trump's lawyers of a motion telling Evan Corcoran “to comply with the district court’s March 17, 2023, order to produce documents.”

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled Friday that special counsel Jack Smith's office had made a "prima facie showing that the former president had committed criminal violations," allowing for the disregarding of attorney-client privilege.

Corcoran will now be made to testify about six subjects for which he had previously claimed attorney-client privilege.

The six subjects were revealed to ABC News by an inside source.

Here are the six topics that the special counsel is requesting Corcoran to testify on.

1. Trump's response to a May 11 subpoena

2. Zeroing in on the subpoena response

3. Details of Corcoran's search

4. Mar-a-Lago's storage room

5. Who was involved in choosing Bobb as custodian of the documents?

6. June 24 phone call

Trump's team has fervently denied the basis of the special counsel's case against Trump, accusing it of weaponizing the justice system against him.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/courts/six-trumps-attorney-testify

By: Julia Mueller

https://thehill.com/author/julia-mueller/

The Biden administration on Wednesday announced it aims to overhaul and modernize the organ transplant system in the U.S. with a plan that includes breaking up the monopoly power that has run the system for decades.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, released a set of actions it plans to take as part of a broader modernization effort for the organ transplant system. As part of the plan, HRSA says it will solicit multiple contracts to manage the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) “in order to foster competition.”

Right now, the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the only group contracted by the government to run the system, and it has come under criticism over its management of the massive system that allocates organs to patients.

UNOS on Wednesday said in a statement that it supports the HRSA’s plan to revamp the organ transplant system and is committed to working with the HHS and HRSA on the efforts.

The HRSA plan also includes rolling out data dashboards to provide more information on organ donation and transplant and modernizing the agency’s IT system.

President Biden’s budget proposal for the fiscal 2024 suggested more than doubling the funding for organ procurement and transplantation to $67 million next year, according to the release, and requested that Congress make updates the National Organ Transplant Act.

https://www.myhighplains.com/hill-politics/biden-administration-plans-to-break-up-monopoly-power-of-u-s-organ-transplant-system/

By: Cami Mondeaux

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/cami-mondeaux

A small coalition of Democratic lawmakers is banding together to fight a proposed ban on TikTok, arguing the social media platform is critical to court young voters ahead of a crucial election cycle.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) is leading the charge to fight a possible ban as he appeared alongside content creators on Wednesday to defend the app and argue for its protection. The New York Democrat denounced efforts to ban the social media platform, rejecting arguments that the app poses national security risks as “fearmongering.”

>>"Why the hysteria and panic and the targeting of TikTok? As we know, Republicans in particular have been sounding the alarm, creating a Red Scare around China," Bowman said during a press conference on Wednesday surrounded by dozens of content creators. "It poses about the same threat that companies like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and Twitter. So let's not marginalize and target TikTok."

Bowman has become one of the first lawmakers to come out in support of the Chinese-owned app, which has prompted concerns among lawmakers on Capitol Hill about possible spying and data collection. Bowman opposed those accusations, arguing there isn’t enough evidence to suggest China is using the platform for espionage.

>>"Let's have a comprehensive conversation about legislation … to make sure people who use social media platforms are safe and your information is secure," he said. "So let's not have a dishonest conversation. Let's not be racist towards China and express our xenophobia when it comes to TikTok because American companies have done tremendous harm to American people."

Instead, a ban on TikTok would not only harm teenagers who enjoy the app but also local businesses and educators, Bowman said.

https://www.washingtonexamPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

By: John Hudson and Missy Ryan

https://muckrack.com/johnhudsonfp

https://muckrack.com/missy-ryan

European countries should detain Vladimir Putin and turn him over to the International Criminal Court if the Russian president visits their countries, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers Wednesday.

Blinken's remarks, made in response to a line of questioning, follow the court's decision last week to issue an arrest warrant for Putin that accuses him of being personally responsible for the abductions of children from Ukraine - the first time the global court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

>>"Would you encourage our European allies to turn him over?" Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) asked Blinken during a budget hearing.

>>"Anyone who is a party to the court and has obligations should fulfill their obligations," Blinken said.

Putin is unlikely to visit hostile European countries anytime soon, especially in light of the ICC arrest warrant - a decision that garnered the court both praise for standing up against Putin and criticism for potentially closing diplomatic pathways for reaching a political resolution that ends his war in Ukraine.

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/europe-should-detain-putin-give-him-to-icc-if-he-17853896.php

By: Charlotte Hazard

https://justthenews.com/charlotte-hazard

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to send a piece of former GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake's election lawsuit back to trial court to examine whether or not Maricopa County followed signature verification policies in 2022.

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to send a piece of former GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake's election lawsuit back to trial court to examine whether or not Maricopa County followed signature verification policies in 2022.

The order states: "IT IS FURTHER ORDERED remanding to the trial court to determine whether the claim that Maricopa County failed to comply with A.R.S. § 16-550(A) fails to state a claim pursuant to Ariz. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) for reasons other than laches, or, whether Petitioner can prove her claim as alleged pursuant to A.R.S. § 16-672 and establish that 'votes [were] affected "in sufficient numbers to alter the outcome of the election"' based on a 'competent mathematical basis to conclude that the outcome would plausibly have been different, not simply an untethered assertion of uncertainty.'"

The Arizona Supreme Court declined to review the rest of the appeal.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/arizona-supreme-court-sends-piece-kari-lakes-election-lawsuit-back-trial

By: Rachel Schilke

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/rachel-schilke

Two more GOP congressional candidates have been identified in a leak of military records to a Democratic-aligned research group less than a week after the House Judiciary Committee opened an investigation into the records' disclosure.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall wrote a letter to House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) explaining that an audit discovered 11 people's records were leaked in total, nine of them "without authority," to Due Diligence Group between Jan. 1, 2021, and Jan. 3, 2023.

Of the 11 people, seven were candidates for Congress or elected to Congress, and all were leaked to Due Diligence. The two candidates' names most recently released are Republican J.R. Majewski of Ohio and Republican Robert "Eli" Bremer of Colorado. The five others were already known: Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Zach Nunn (R-IA), Kevin Dellicker, Jennifer-Ruth Green, and Samuel Peters.

Two noncandidates had their records released to Due Diligence Group, and two had theirs released to a different party.

Payton said the records were required for employment records. According to the Air Force, Payton already had obtained the Social Security numbers of 11 people.

>>"Department of the Air Force employees did not follow proper procedures requiring the member's authorizing signature consenting to the release of information. There was no evidence of political motivation or malicious intent on the part of any employee," Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told the Washington Examiner. "Through ongoing monthly audits, we are committed to preventing any such unauthorized disclosure of private information from occurring again."

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/air-fPost too long. Click here to view the full text.

By: Samantha-Jo Roth

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/author/samantha-jo-roth

A criminal indictment won't be grounds for Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) to pull his endorsement of Donald Trump's third White House bid.

As a Manhattan grand jury weighs charges related to a $130,000 hush money payment to a porn star, Trump could make history as the first former president to be criminally charged. Schmitt, one of five senators to have already pledged support for Trump's reelection, downplayed any looming indictment as a political attack with little merit.

>>“This is a political prosecution in search of a crime that won’t affect my support of President Trump,” Schmitt told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday in an interview from his temporary office in the basement of the Russell Senate Office Building. “I think this is a very, very dangerous road to go down."

Schmitt, who was endorsed by Trump in his Senate race, defended the former president while condemning Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is leading the investigation. Like other prominent Republicans, Schmitt sought to discredit Bragg by connecting him to Democratic donor and businessman George Soros. Bragg did receive financial support from Soros during his campaign in 2021.

The latest drama surrounding Trump is once again threatening to divide the Republican Party and overshadow their messaging plans. Some Republicans have expressed frustration privately that the former president continues to distract from their legislative agenda and that it’s time to move on. Schmitt, however, does not share that opinion.

>>“People can make their own decisions. But, you know, I’ve made my position very clear,” Schmitt said.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/eric-schmitt-trump-endorsement-potential-indictment

By: Mark Crispin Miller

Paul Grant, an actor who appeared in the Star Wars and Harry Potter films, has died aged 56 after being found collapsed outside a train station. Grant was found outside King’s Cross station in north London on Thursday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at 3.49 am on Monday but had been declared brain dead before that following his collapse. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Grant, who played an Ewok in Return of the Jedi and a goblin in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, appeared as one of the Goblin Corps in the cult 1986 classic Labyrinth alongside David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.

https://markcrispinmiller.substack.com/p/in-memory-of-those-who-died-suddenly-3bb

By: Mark Crispin Miller

Edilberto Regalado, a tenor originally from Juchitán Zaragoza, Oaxaca, died suddenly of a heart attack while performing a song during the celebration Mass of San José, in his homeland, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region. The artist of Zapotec origin, in his youth emigrated to Mexico City to study singing at the National Conservatory of Music, later applied to enter the Opera House in Zurich, Switzerland. During his prolific professional career he collaborated for prominent German opera houses, including Schwerin, Koblenz, and Rudolstadt. Until 2005 he was principal tenor at the Opera House in Eisenach, Germany, where he lived with his wife and daughter.

https://markcrispinmiller.substack.com/p/in-memory-of-those-who-died-suddenly-cbd