slot game online free credit Manmohan Singh, India’s eye witnessBathinda: Dera Beas head meets Giani Harpreet Singh, RakhraAs the news of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s passing was confirmed by AIIMS, Delhi, tributes began pouring in on X, formerly known as Twitter. For many, the loss was not only of a leader but also of a cherished mentor, while others reflected on the transformative era of Singh’s economic revolution that reshaped India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered his day when he used to met Singh. “Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji and I interacted regularly when he was PM and I was the CM of Gujarat. We would have extensive deliberations on various subjects relating to governance. His wisdom and humility were always visible. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the family of Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji, his friends and countless admirers. Om Shanti.” said PM on X. India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic... pic.twitter.com/clW00Yv6oP “India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years. His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives.” he added. Robert Vadra also remembered about Singh’s economic revolution. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji. My deepest condolences for his family and loved ones. Thank you for your service to our Nation. You will always be remembered for your Economic revolution and progressive changes you brought to the country.” he said on X. I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of frmr Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji. My deepest condolences for his family and loved ones. Thank you for your service to our Nation. You will always be remembered for your Economic revolution and progressive changes, you brought... pic.twitter.com/4vaUvzzdeg Leader of opposition, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says he lost a mentor and guide. “Manmohan Singh Ji led India with immense wisdom and integrity. His humility and deep understanding of economics inspired the nation. My heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Kaur and the family. I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride.” he said. Manmohan Singh Ji led India with immense wisdom and integrity. His humility and deep understanding of economics inspired the nation. My heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Kaur and the family. I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the... pic.twitter.com/bYT5o1ZN2R on the other hand, Omar Abdullah described Manmohan Singh as an “intellectual giant”, and said he got to learn a lot from the veteran leader. “Very sorry to hear about the demise of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. I had many occasions to interact & learn from him. He was truly an intellectual giant, an accomplished economist but above all he was a thorough gentleman, a giant among pygmies,” Omar wrote, adding that India has lost its son, and thanking the former PM for his contributions. Very sorry to hear about the demise of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. I had many occasions to interact & learn from him. He was truly an intellectual giant, an accomplished economist but above all he was a thorough gentleman, a giant among pygmies. India has lost a great son with... President Droupadi Murmu remarked that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was one of the “exceptional politicians who seamlessly navigated both academia and administration.” Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Ji was one of those rare politicians who also straddled the worlds of academia and administration with equal ease. In his various roles in public offices, he made critical contributions to reforming Indian economy. He will always be... West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her deep respect for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, stating, “I had the privilege of working closely with him in the Union Cabinet. His intellect and wisdom were undeniable, and the significant financial reforms he introduced in our country are widely recognized. The nation will truly miss his leadership, and I will miss his warmth and affection,” she shared on X. Profoundly stunned and saddened by the sudden demise of our former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji. I had worked with him and saw him from very close quarters in the Union Cabinet. His erudition and wisdom were unquestionable, and the depth of the financial reforms ushered in... Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tribute to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, stating, “The news of Dr. Manmohan Singh’s passing is profoundly saddening. From his role as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India to serving as Finance Minister and then Prime Minister, he made significant contributions to the governance of our country. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and supporters during this difficult time. May Waheguru grant peace to his soul and provide strength to his loved ones.” पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह जी के निधन की सूचना अत्यंत दुःखद है। भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक में गवर्नर से लेकर देश के वित्त मंत्री और प्रधानमंत्री के रूप में डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह जी ने देश की शासन व्यवस्था में महत्त्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई। दुःख की इस घड़ी में उनके परिजनों व समर्थकों के... In a post on X, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was “held in high regard by everyone.” Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is no more. He had served as the Governor of RBI and as Finance Minister of India. Presented the milestone budget of 1991 which liberalised the Indian economy. Respected by all, he was soft-spoken and gentle. Condolences to his family... pic.twitter.com/akxQOYrMPl Written By Priyanka Negi Updated By Priyanka NegiThe All Progressives Congress on Monday slammed the Peoples Democratic Party for allegedly politicising the recent stampedes that claimed many lives in Ibadan, Oyo State; Abuja; and Anambra during food distribution events. The warning was issued in a statement in Abuja by the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka. Morka was responding to Sunday’s accusation by the opposition PDP, which described the tragic incidents as a “testament to the alarming level of misery, poverty, starvation, and desperation for survival” under President Bola Tinubu’s APC-led government. In its reaction, the ruling party expressed astonishment that, during a time of national mourning, the PDP chose to engage in what it termed “callous political chicanery.” The APC spokesman further noted that Nigerians have not forgotten the tragic stampede during the Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment exercise at the Abuja stadium in 2014, under the PDP’s administration, which left many job seekers dead and scores injured. Related News Tinubu deserves support from Ijaw groups, says Ogbuku Dangote Refinery partners MRS to sell petrol at N935 50% salary cut: Reps to return N704m to Tinubu “Rather than genuinely commiserating with the victims and their families, the PDP has chosen to politicise the grief of the victims by blaming the stampedes on the APC-led administration of President Bola Tinubu. “The tragedies have united well-meaning Nigerians in mourning and sober reflection on how such incidents might have been avoided through better planning and organisation by all involved. “The PDP’s allegations only remind us of its sordid record of maladministration and utter incompetence in 2014. It is either mischievous or entirely out of touch with reality to suggest that the APC-led administration has not shown commitment to Nigerians’ welfare. Laughably, the PDP claimed that APC policies ruptured a ‘once-thriving economy.’ “For years, successive PDP administrations operated a phantom economy riddled with complex distortions and suffocating corruption while deluding Nigerians into thinking that the economy was healthy. Changing course from the lies and deception of the PDP, the economy is now rebounding steadily as reforms continue to yield wholesome dividends,” Morka stated.

In a message to the American people, the King expressed “great sadness” at the news of Mr Carter’s death, describing him as “a committed public servant” who “devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights”. He added: “His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977. “My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter’s family and the American people at this time.” Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981 and spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Carter had “lived his values in the service of others to the very end” through “decades of selfless public service”. Praising a “lifelong dedication to peace” that saw him win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Sir Keir added: “Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad.” Tributes to Mr Carter followed the announcement of his death by his family on Sunday, more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love.” Very sorry to hear of President Carter’s passing. I pay tribute to his decades of selfless public service. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. pic.twitter.com/IaKmZcteb1 — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) December 29, 2024 US President Joe Biden, one of the first elected politicians to endorse Mr Carter’s bid for the presidency in 1976, said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”. He said: “Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. “With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us.” Vice President Kamala Harris said Mr Carter “reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion”. “His life and legacy continue to inspire me — and will inspire generations to come,” she said. “Our world is a better place because of President Carter.” Other UK politicians also paid tribute to Mr Carter. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he was “an inspiration” who “led a truly remarkable life dedicated to public service with a genuine care for people”. Scottish First Minister John Swinney described the former president as “a good, decent, honest man who strove for peace in all that he did”, while Welsh First Minister said he was “a remarkable man” and “a humanitarian and scholar”. Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair said Mr Carter’s “life was a testament to public service”. He added: “I always had the greatest respect for him, his spirit and his dedication. He fundamentally cared and consistently toiled to help those in need.” Gordon Brown, another former prime minister, said it was a “privilege” to have known Mr Carter, who “will be mourned, not just in America, but in every continent where human rights are valued”. Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington DC before being buried in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and, finally, the White House, where he took office as 39th president in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked more than four decades leading The Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Under his leadership, the Carter Center virtually eliminated Guinea Worm disease, which has gone from affecting 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia in 1986 to just 14 in 2023. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public serviceFor the past three decades, Maharashtra has seen continuous fragmentation of various caste groups, but notably the Maratha-Kunbi caste cluster. The idea of ‘vote bank’ is always employed in discussing the close connection between the Maratha community and the Congress. That vote bank was practically dissolved in the 1995 Assembly election. As the Congress in the State went on declining, its base among Other Backward Classes (OBCs) too became invisible. Since then, the BJP and the Shiv Sena together and separately kept trying to win a larger share of both the Maratha and the OBC vote. In 2014, the BJP emerged as a major player in State politics and began attracting both the Marathas and the OBCs. In the latest election, the process of coming together of the Marathas and OBCs as supporters of the BJP has gone one step further. In the Lokniti survey, almost three of every 10 Marathas (including the Kunbis) and a little less than four of every 10 OBCs have indicated their preference for the BJP. The rest of the Marathas and OBCs were divided among the Congress, and the Shiv Sena and NCP factions. With one-fourth of the Adivasi respondents and one-fifth of the Scheduled Caste (SC) respondents supporting the BJP, the party has managed to craft an invincible Hindu umbrella. In the process, these social sections have also supported the other two partners of the Mahayuti, making its community-based support quite wide — except among Muslims and somewhat among the SCs and Adivasis (Table 1). With most social sections turning to the Mahayuti, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was left with only skeletal support across social sections. Even among SCs, the larger share went to ‘Others’ rather than the MVA. In particular, almost half of the Buddhists and former Mahar respondents among SCs vote non-MVA and non-Mahayuti parties. Trends of caste-community voting in this election are in a sense a continuation of the process that started with the election of 2014 — a consolidation of upper castes, Marathas, and OBCs behind BJP, and a somewhat divided political support of SCs, Adivasis and Muslims, who vote less for the BJP but do not necessarily operate as a vote bank supporting any single party. Suhas Palshikar taught political science and is chief editor of Studies in Indian Politics; Nitin Birmal is Lokniti’s State Coordinator, Maharashtra and a retired professor of Political Science based in Pune Published - November 25, 2024 02:51 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 / MaharashtraAs open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an October CMS news release . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story published by Insurance News Net on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.” Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.

Sky Labs Inc., BrainU Co., Ltd., and ANDOPEN Co., Ltd. will be recognized as Innovation Award Winners SEOUL, South Korea , Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its successful participation last year, Seongnam City will participate in CES 2025, the world's largest consumer electronics and information technology exhibition. The event will take place from January 7 to 10, 2025 , in Las Vegas , USA . Seongnam City will operate the "Seongnam Pavilion," which will support 25 local startups from the Seongnam region and highlight their innovative technologies and products. CES 2025 will attract approximately 4,400 companies and over 130,000 attendees worldwide. At CES 2024, Seongnam City garnered significant attention from domestic and international investors and buyers by showcasing startups with outstanding technological capabilities. This effort established valuable global networks and expanded market opportunities, achieving a total contract value of KRW 145.5 billion . These tangible outcomes highlighted the high level of satisfaction among participating companies. This year, Seongnam City, a leading innovative hub in South Korea , aims to actively support local startups in expanding into overseas markets and building global networks through its participation in CES 2025. The Seongnam Pavilion will feature cutting-edge technologies and products across advanced industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), healthcare, smart cities, and mobility. Through these efforts, Seongnam City seeks to further solidify its position as a "Global Innovation City." Notably, three companies from Seongnam were honored with CES Innovation Awards, demonstrating their technological excellence and global competitiveness on the world stage: Seongnam City stated, "By participating in CES 2025, we aim to showcase Seongnam's innovative technologies to the global stage and provide a launchpad for our startups to expand into international markets." Meanwhile, the Seongnam Pavilion will feature 25 companies, including BRYTN Co., Ltd., NTL HEALTHCARE Co., Ltd., EMTAKE Inc., AWESOME LAB Co., Ltd., JNL Co. Ltd., Linkface Co., Ltd., Emma Healthcare Co.,Ltd., NC& Co.,Ltd, Becon Co.,Ltd, LITBIG, Inc., GeodeSound., Inc, MEDIAIPLUS, INC, BoS Semiconductors, Sky Labs Inc., STRATIO, INC., BrainU Co., Ltd., analogue plus Co.,Ltd., EX Healthcare Inc., Mangoslab, Littleone, Bluefeel Co., Ltd., Aram Huvis Co., Ltd., Real Design Tech Co.,Ltd., Crescom Co., Ltd., ANDOPEN Co., Ltd. These companies are set to unveil their groundbreaking technologies at the exhibition. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seongnam-city-to-participate-in-ces-2025-paving-the-way-as-a-global-innovation-hub-302339453.html SOURCE Seongnam CityNvidia shares decline 3.5%, hit 3-week low as rotation into cyclicals continue

Canada coach Dave Cameron shuffles the deck at hyped-up World JuniorsLions HC has authentic response to resting starters based on Vikings-Packers result | Sporting News

A former US lawmaker who was Donald Trump's first pick to run the Justice Department regularly paid for lurid sex sessions at drug-fueled parties, including with a 17-year-old school girl, according to a scathing congressional report released Monday. Matt Gaetz also regularly used cocaine and ecstasy, and bought marijuana from his Capitol Hill office, said the 37-page document, the culmination of a long-running probe by the House Ethics Committee. "The committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress," panel investigators wrote. Gaetz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing -- pointing to the Justice Department's decision not to bring charges against him in 2023 after a criminal probe -- and the report came out as his lawsuit to block its release was denied. Congressional investigators found that the 42-year-old Republican broke multiple Florida laws on sexual misconduct, although they cleared him of federal sex trafficking violations. The report listed payments by Gaetz totaling more than $90,000 to 12 women "likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use" between 2017 and 2020. They focused on a 2018 trip to the Bahamas during which Gaetz is alleged to have had sex with four women and to have taken party drug ecstasy, a Schedule I substance in the same legal category as heroin. The ex-congressman is an incendiary figure with few friends on Capitol Hill, but was a staunch Trump loyalist and a favorite of the president-elect's ardent supporters. Tech billionaire Elon Musk -- who is Trump's incoming "efficiency czar" but has inserted himself into all manner of decision-making in the presidential transition process and in congressional politics -- lauded Gaetz as America's "Hammer of Justice" when he was nominated. "Matt Gaetz has 3 critical assets that are needed for the AG role: a big brain, a spine of steel and an axe to grind," Musk posted on his social media platform, X. "He is the Judge Dredd America needs to clean up a corrupt system and put powerful bad actors in prison." Gaetz resigned from Congress in November after Trump nominated him for US attorney general -- but that was after he had just been reelected for the session beginning in January and there is nothing to stop him taking up his seat. The allegations against Gaetz had been openly discussed for years before he was tapped by Trump, and he withdrew from consideration when it became clear he lacked the backing from Republicans to win Senate confirmation. Gaetz posted a series of tweets refuting some of the report's allegations, including that he paid for sex. "Giving funds to someone you are dating -- that they didn't ask for -- and that isn't 'charged' for sex is now prostitution?!?" he posted on X. "There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses." Women told congressional investigators they were paid for sex at parties and other events by Gaetz and his friend Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector in Florida who was jailed for 11 years. One encounter allegedly involved a 17-year-old, who told the committee she had sex with Gaetz twice at a July 2017 party. "Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex. At the time, she had just completed her junior year of high school," the report says. All the women who testified said the sexual encounters with Gaetz were consensual. Gaetz denied having sex with a minor in written responses to the committee. ft/mlm

Craft, Suter score 18 as Miami (OH) knocks off Siena 70-58Chelsea’s surprise defeat at home to Fulham earlier in the day had been an unexpected gift for Arne Slot’s side and they drove home their advantage by outclassing the struggling Foxes. Having overcome the early setback of conceding to Jordan Ayew, with even the travelling fans expressing their surprise they were winning away after taking just five points on the road this season, the home team had too much quality. That was personified by the excellent Cody Gakpo, whose eighth goal in his last 14 appearances produced the equaliser in first-half added time with the Netherlands international unlucky to have a second ruled out for offside by VAR. Further goals from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah, with his 19th of the season, stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 22 matches. For Leicester, who had slipped into the bottom three after Wolves’ win over Manchester United, it is now one win from the last 10 in the league and Ruud van Nistelrooy has plenty of work to do, although he was not helped here by the absence of leading scorer Jamie Vardy through injury. It looked liked Liverpool meant business from the off with Salah’s volley from Gakpo’s far-post cross just being kept out by Jakub Stolarczyk, making his league debut after former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward was omitted from the squad having struggled in the defeat to Wolves. But if the hosts thought that had set the tone they were badly mistaken after being opened up with such simplicity in only the sixth minute. Stephy Mavididi broke down the left and his low cross picked out Ayew, who turned Andy Robertson far too easily, with his shot deflecting off Virgil van Dijk to take it just out of Alisson Becker’s reach. With a surprise lead to cling to Leicester knew they had to quell the storm heading their way and they began by trying to take as much time out of the game as they could, much to Anfield’s frustration. It took a further 18 minutes for Liverpool to threaten with Gakpo cutting in from the left to fire over, a precursor for what was to follow just before half-time. That was the prompt for the attacks to rain down on the Foxes goal, with Salah’s shot looping up off Victor Kristiansen and landing on the roof of the net and Robertson heading against a post. Gakpo’s inclination to come in off the left was proving a problem for the visitors, doing their utmost to resist the pressure, but when Salah curled a shot onto the crossbar on the stroke of half-time it appeared they had survived. However, Gakpo once again drifted in off the flank to collect an Alexis Mac Allister pass before curling what is fast becoming his trademark effort over Stolarczyk and inside the far post. Early the second half Darwin Nunez fired over Ryan Gravenberch’s cross before Jones side-footed home Mac Allister’s cross after an intricate passing move inside the penalty area involving Nunez, Salah and the Argentina international. Leicester’s ambition remained limited but Patson Daka should have done better from a two-on-one counter attack with Mavididi but completely missed his kick with the goal looming. Nunez forced a save out of the goalkeeper before Gakpo blasted home what he thought was his second only for VAR to rule Nunez was offside in the build-up. But Liverpool’s third was eventually delivered by the left foot of Salah, who curled the ball outside Kristiansen, inside Jannick Vestergaard and past Stolarczyk inside the far post.Google’s Online Ad Antitrust Trial In The US Draws To Close

Late kickoff return TDs by Turpin and Thomas spark the Cowboys as they end their 5-game skid

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ICE plans to bulk up detection facilities in N.J., ACLU learns. Congresswoman is ‘furious.’Customers who don’t update their energy plans are paying about $317 more a year than those who shop around, according to an electricity price report released by the competition watchdog on Monday. Energy bills have been reduced nationwide, chiefly through federal and state subsidies, but the annual survey from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found that households prepared to switch providers were saving 17 per cent more than their loyal counterparts. ACCC commissioner Anna Brakey says customers who have not changed electricity plans in the past 12 months are probably paying more than they need to. Credit: Oscar Colman The gap was biggest in Victoria, where loyal customers paid about 19 per cent, or $291, more on their annual energy bills than those who switched providers. In NSW, the difference was 15 per cent, or $297, while South Australians saw the largest dollar-value difference at $334. Flat-rate offers in these states and South East Queensland dropped in the year to August, sliding 4 per cent on average. The cost of “time-of-use” offers, which charge different rates based on when customers use electricity, decreased by 5.5 per cent, while those on demand offers – pricing plans that charge customers based on the maximum amount of power they use during peak times – saw the least benefit. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) commissioner Anna Brakey urged customers to contact their electricity provider to ask if a cheaper electricity plan was available. “If you haven’t changed electricity plans in the past 12 months, chances are you are paying more for your electricity than you need to,” she said. Loading Federal energy bill relief and rebates in Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania also cut power bills. Electricity prices dropped 17 per cent in the three months to September, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The reduction in power bills, along with lower fuel prices, were major reasons for the fall in overall inflation to 2.8 per cent in the September quarter . Excluding the rebates, electricity prices would have risen by 0.7 per cent.

On the surface, Boeing ( BA 4.10% ) looks as though it has all the ingredients of a potential millionaire-maker investment. The aircraft market is growing, competition is minimal, and government contracts are plentiful. But despite its many advantages, this aerospace leader has lost 60% of its value in half a decade. Has that decline created a buying opportunity for this once-stellar business, or should it be viewed as a warning to investors to stay far away? A spectacular economic moat The phrase " economic moat " -- popularized by investing legend Warren Buffett -- refers to certain types of durable competitive advantages a company can possess that make it difficult for potential rivals to make inroads against it. Boeing's moat is as deep as they come. In the large passenger aircraft market, it competes in a duopoly with European rival Airbus , with a market share of around 40% for large passenger aircraft (compared to Airbus's 60%). It also plays a notable role in U.S. defense contracting, supplying weapons systems like the iconic Apache helicopter. Investors shouldn't expect the duopoly to end anytime soon. The large passenger jet manufacturing industry has an incredibly high barrier to entry because of the capital investments require d, intense regulatory oversight, and the business relationships between manufacturers and major airlines that may be unwilling to experiment with new suppliers . Over the very long term, a Chinese rival like COMAC could leverage lower labor costs and support from the Beijing government to claw its way into the industry. But the International Bureau of Aviation (IBA) expects the upstart to capture only around 1% of the opportunity by 2030. With industry disruption potentially decades away, Boeing's biggest threat might be itself. Could cost-cutting turn things around? In the third quarter, Boeing's revenue dipped by around 1% year over year to $17.8 billion, with results dragged down by its commercial airplane segment, where sales dropped by 5% to $7.44 billion. This core business was grappling with a host of problems, including a seven-week labor strike by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) that ended this month. The new contract stipulates a 38% pay rise for workers over the next four years , along with more generous retirement benefits, putting even more pressure on this loss-making business. For context, Boeing's commercial Airplane segment generated a third-quarter operating loss of $4 billion, so higher labor costs are likely the last thing shareholders want to see right now. Just weeks after the new IAM contract, federal filings revealed Boeing will lay off 2,200 workers across the U.S. This move will likely be the first salvo in its plan to cut 10% of its global workforce (17,000 jobs) announced during the strike in October. As a mature and slow-growing company, aggressive cost-cutting will help Boeing to maximize long-term shareholder value. More importantly, the company will have to increase production volume to take advantage of economies of scale. But this might be easier said than done because Boeing is already struggling with quality control issues according to the FAA. Stay far away from Boeing In the best-case scenario, Boeing will successfully cut costs and streamline its way into operating profitability while avoiding future labor-related disruptions in its production lines. But even if the company manages to pull this off, it will have to reckon with the $53.2 billion mountain of long-term debt on its balance sheet. Retiring those liabilities will drain its cash flow, limiting potential investor returns. In the third quarter alone, Boeing's interest expenses totaled around $2 billion. And as an aircraft maker, it also faces massive outflows for research and development (about $3 billion in the first three quarters of this year alone). I t will be difficult to cut that development spending without putting the company at risk of falling behind technologically. With all this in mind, Boeing looks to be far from a potential millionaire-maker stock . Instead, it will likely underperform the S&P 500 for the foreseeable future.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State is leaving Saturday on a diplomatic trip to Europe that includes a meeting of foreign ministers from the leading industrialized nations that will focus on the wars in and the . The State Department said Blinken will participate in and bilateral meetings outside Rome on Monday and Tuesday as the Biden administration winds down amid concerns that may substantially alter U.S. foreign policy. The G7 — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — has been at the forefront of providing military and economic support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and Democratic President Joe Biden is looking to ensure that . G7 members are particularly concerned about how Trump will change the U.S. approach. Trump has criticized the billions of dollars that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments ad has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies. On the Middle East, Trump has announced a number of officials who are staunchly pro-Israel. He is expected to pursue a policy that strongly favors Israel over the aspirations of the Palestinians and others for a two-state resolution to the long-running conflict that has been focused on Gaza for the past 13 months since Hamas launched attacks inside Israel. Several Arab foreign ministers are expected to join the G7 in Italy for urgent discussions on ending the war in Gaza and setting up a mechanism for governance, reconstruction and security for the heavily damaged territory once the fighting is over. U.S. officials are rushing to complete the formation of that structure before Biden leaves office in January, but there have been numerous complications. Efforts were most recently jolted by the for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and top Hamas officials. Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah will also feature in the G7 discussions. US officials say they are hopeful that a recent flurry of diplomatic activity may yield a cease-fire agreement. Related Articles G7 relations with China will figure in Blinken’s discussions. There are increasing concerns about Beijing’s aggressiveness toward Taiwan and in the South China Sea, as well as trade disputes that Trump has threatened to address by imposing massive tariffs on Chinese products. Blinken will meet with Pope Francis and several of his top aides in Vatican City on Wednesday before returning to Washington.Penn State vs. Boise State: How to watch, picks, odds for College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Fiesta Bowl