Latest news with #Bledsoe
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lexington state senator ends speculation, says she won't run for Congress
State Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe is not running for Congress after all. After months of speculation about the Lexington Republican's potential candidacy for the 6th Congressional District — which is set to become vacant with Rep. Andy Barr running for U.S. Senate — Bledsoe closed the door on a run for the district in a Monday interview with the Herald-Leader. The former member of Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council told the Herald-Leader that her decision was informed by a desire to be present for her kids finishing high school and a need for further surgeries to recover from a 2023 accident where a horse kicked her in the face. 'This was not an easy decision, but I know it's the right one. I had every confidence in my ability to win and to serve, but ultimately the timing is just not right for me and my family,' Bledsoe wrote in a statement. 'As I imagined what it would take to fully commit to a campaign and to service in Washington, I kept coming back to Friday night games, school events, and everyday moments I don't want to miss.' On the Republican side, only state Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, has declared for the office. However, Bledsoe hinted in her statement that she would support someone who has yet to enter the race. 'A great candidate for this seat will be announcing in the coming days, and I'm going to be all-in with him,' Bledsoe wrote. Moments after Bledsoe's announcement, former GOP state senator and current Tennessee health department commissioner Ralph Alvarado hinted that he'd run for the seat. 'With my dear friend Amanda Mays Bledsoe announcing she's not running for Congress in KY-6, I wanted to let everyone know that my wife, Dawn, and I are strongly considering this race,' Alvarado wrote. 'Both as a doctor and in public service, my passion has always been in helping as many people as possible.' Two prominent Democrats have declared for the 6th Congressional District. Cherlynn Stevenson, a former member of Democratic House leadership, and David Kloiber, a former Lexington city councilman and mayoral candidate, are both vying for the nomination. Since her election to the state Senate in 2022, Bledsoe has risen the ranks to become vice chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committee and has been assigned roles covering weighty issues like artificial intelligence. Bledsoe's state Senate district covers a swath of South Lexington as well as Woodford, Mercer and Boyle counties. Some Republicans saw her as the prohibitive favorite in the race for the 6th Congressional District nomination. Former state representative Killian Timoney called her the 'class entry' that would scare Democrats because of her bipartisan and policy bona fides. 'There are a lot of really good potential candidates, but if you're asking my opinion of who the class entry is on that one, it's definitely Amanda. I don't think there's a Democrat out there that could beat her,' Timoney said in April. Now, some politicos believe Bledsoe's deferral changes the calculus. 'Sen. Bledsoe was the clear frontrunner in the field with her high name ID in Fayette County combined with strong fundraising ability, support from a wide cross-section of the party, and vast policy skills,' T.J. Litafik, a Lexington-based GOP consultant, said. 'Her decision not to run throws the nomination wide open and could very well make for an especially competitive and interesting primary next May.'
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
How Operation Gold Rush was planned and executed, which busted the largest health care fraud in US history
How did the fraud take place? Live Events How the operation was planned and executed Tactical execution and surveillance (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel US federal agents launched Operation Gold Rush in the early months of 2023, a top-secret crackdown that would ultimately dismantle the largest health care fraud scheme in American history. Over two years of silent tracking and coordinated stings culminated in the exposure of a $10.6 billion conspiracy, one so vast that it touched over a million Medicare beneficiaries, impersonated thousands of doctors, and manipulated America's largest health care safety net with chilling individuals have been charged, and more are expected. But the real legacy of Operation Gold Rush may be its playbook for how the government stopped fraud in its tracks, before the damage was criminal playbook was clear: purchase small, legitimate medical supply companies already enrolled in Medicare, then use them as shells to submit floods of fake claims for durable medical equipment, especially urinary catheters and glucose acquiring over 30 such companies across the US, the perpetrators didn't need to build a fraud operation from scratch. They bought one pre-approved, already inside the primarily from Estonia, Russia, and Kazakhstan, submitted claims for inexpensive, low-scrutiny medical items. In one instance, over 1 billion urinary catheters were billed to Medicare, far more than the US could manufacture in that time.'I don't even know if [the United States] has the ability to manufacture 1 billion catheters in such a short time,' said Isaac Bledsoe, director of strategic projects and initiatives at the Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general's office, which helped lead the investigation along with the Justice Department and FBI . 'The absurdity, the brazenness of these actors is really just astounding.'The fraud ring didn't just invent fake patients. Instead, they stole the identities of more than 1.2 million real Americans, often buying Medicare numbers on illicit marketplaces like Craigslist and LinkedIn. With those, they forged claims under real names, often using doctors' identities without the heart of Operation Gold Rush's success was a fundamental shift in Medicare's fraud defense the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) followed a 'pay and chase' model: pay the claim, then investigate. But in early 2023, as anomalies in catheter billing volumes surged, CMS teamed up with the HHS Inspector General, the FBI, and the Justice Department, building real-time flagging systems and placing suspicious claims in escrow before Bledsoe, director of strategic projects at HHS-OIG, called it a 'massive pivot.''We didn't just catch them. We stopped the money before it moved. That's the real win here,' he fraud teams used artificial intelligence, virtual private server tracing, subpoenaed bank trails, and even airport surveillance. Several conspirators were caught as they attempted to flee the US, while others were arrested abroad in cooperation with Estonian executed undercover inspections, documented the interiors of supposed businesses, and found empty shelves, no supplies, no patients, just paperwork and billing terminals. One Kentucky office had billed Medicare for $667 million while visibly housing no medical prosecutors later said some companies were run entirely by overseas actors who had never set foot in the United States. US-based office managers, hired online, were instructed only to collect mail and deposit 400,000 Medicare beneficiaries filed complaints about being charged for products they never received. Over 7,000 physicians found their identities stolen to legitimize false despite the scale, federal agents froze over $5.5 billion in payments, allowing only a fraction to be Justice Department unveiled the full extent of Operation Gold Rush on June 30, 2025, calling it a watershed moment in fraud enforcement. A new Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center is now under development, designed to use AI and cloud analytics to detect fraud in real time, mirroring the success of this operation.'As the criminals get smarter, we get smarter,' said Chris Schrank, HHS Deputy Inspector General. 'Operation Gold Rush wasn't just about stopping one scheme. It's a new model for everything that comes next.'
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Time of India
Ex-NBA star Eric Bledsoe arrested at Los Angeles gas station after allegedly striking woman in domestic violence case
Former point guard Eric Bledsoe, a 2010 first-round draft pick and 12-year league veteran, was arrested early Wednesday morning in California following a troubling domestic violence allegation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to reports from TMZ Sports and the California Highway Patrol (CHP), officers responded to a 2:30 a.m. call about a domestic dispute that had occurred on a freeway outside Los Angeles. The investigation led them to a nearby gas station off US-101, where Bledsoe was located with a woman who appeared to have suffered facial injuries. Eric Bledsoe's alleged violent outburst leads to arrest Authorities say the woman at the scene showed 'bruising and swelling to her face' and informed officers that Eric Bledsoe had hit her. After reportedly refusing to provide a statement to law enforcement, Bledsoe was taken into custody and booked on a felony domestic violence charge. He was held on $50,000 bail. This arrest marks Bledsoe's second brush with domestic violence allegations. In 2022, he was previously arrested after his girlfriend, Briona Mae, accused him of abuse in a now-deleted Instagram post. The post, which included images of her injuries, read: 'Domestic violence is real! This wasn't the first time but I sat here and stayed so it's my fault! ERIC BLEDSOE really is a monster.' That case was later dropped due to 'inconsistent statements' and lack of sufficient evidence, according to authorities. Bledsoe's name again surfaced just two months ago when police responded to a call from his Los Angeles neighbors reporting a domestic disturbance. Though officers confirmed a dispute had taken place at his residence with Mae, no arrests were made, and there were no visible signs of physical violence (via Daily Mail). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The identity of the woman involved in Wednesday's incident has not yet been confirmed, but law enforcement has not ruled out a connection to Mae. TMZ reports Bledsoe and Mae share twin daughters and have been in an on-and-off relationship since 2020. Despite his off-court troubles, Bledsoe enjoyed a productive NBA career. He played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, and New Orleans Pelicans. He averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 45.2% from the field. Bledsoe was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2018–19 and the Second Team the following season. His last NBA appearance was during the 2021–22 campaign. Following his NBA stint, Bledsoe played professionally overseas in China with the Shanghai Sharks and recently reemerged on the court with La Familia, the University of Kentucky alumni team, in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), where they reached the Final Four. Also Read: While Bledsoe's future on the court remains uncertain, his legal situation off the court is now front and center. As investigations continue, the basketball community watches closely, and for many, the focus now shifts to whether accountability will follow the charges laid against him.
New York Post
19-06-2025
- New York Post
Former NBA star Eric Bledsoe arrested after allegedly striking woman in the face
Former NBA star Eric Bledsoe was arrested Wednesday and booked on a felony domestic violence charge after allegedly striking a woman in the face, TMZ reported. According to the outlet, Bledsoe, 35, was taken into custody by the California Highway Patrol around 2:30 a.m. and the domestic violence incident was said to have occurred on a Los Angeles-area freeway. He was being held on $50,000 bail. 3 Eric Bledsoe has spent his first four NBA seasons with the Clippers. Getty Images The highway patrol's investigation into the report of domestic violence brought them to a gas station near U.S. 101, where Bledsoe was allegedly found with a woman who was dealing with 'bruising and swelling to her face.' The woman alleged that Bledsoe hit her and was the reason for the bruising and swelling, but he refused to speak and was then handcuffed and thrown in jail, police reportedly said. The former point guard also had the police called to his Los Angeles home just two months ago after his neighbors reported an alleged domestic dispute, TMZ reported. Bledsoe and his girlfriend, Briona Mae, were reportedly uncooperative when police arrived. An investigation reportedly concluded that some dispute did take place, but there were no signs of domestic violence. No arrests were made, per TMZ. 3 Eric Bledsoe's top scoring seasons of his career were with the Suns. AP Bledsoe was, however, arrested in a similar incident three years ago involving Mae when he was booked for a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. That case was ultimately dropped after she gave 'inconsistent statements about whether there was a physical altercation.' It's unclear who the woman involved in Wednesday's incident is. 3 Bledsoe made two All-Defensive teams in his three seasons with the Bucks. Corey Sipkin Bledsoe played 12 seasons in the NBA after being drafted with the 18th pick in 2010 out of Kentucky, and he was an All-Defensive Team selection twice. He last played for the Clippers during the 2021-22 season.
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Where the Money Goes: Map, Charts Show Migrant Remittance Payments
A provision in President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" making its way through the United States Congress would place additional taxes on money immigrants want to send back to their home countries. In 2023, the last full year of data available, over $650 billion was received in remittances by countries worldwide. Roughly a third of that comes from the U.S., with countries with high levels of immigration to American benefitting most from the payments. Republicans in Congress want to recoup some of the money migrant workers in America are sending home, arguing the money should remain circulating within the U.S. economy. Those opposing the move, and some who have studied remittances for years, argue that a remittance tax could drive up immigration to the U.S. rather than hinder it. "Undocumented migrants play a huge role in the U.S. economy, not only as they participate in the labor force, and part of this is that they do send money back home, but a large number of them actually do pay taxes," Rubi Bledsoe, a research associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) told Newsweek. "They also participate in supporting social programs that Americans get access to, without necessarily being able to access them themselves." Bledsoe argued that if remittances aren't being sent back to family and friends, or if the funds are reduced, then those who depend on them may look to come to the U.S. for work as well. Remittances from the U.S. to Mexico in 2023 were around $63.3 billion, or about 3.5 percent of Mexico's total GDP. Most of that money makes it way to some of the poorest regions of Mexico, Bledsoe said, which research from the non-partisan Migration Policy Institute (MPI) think tank supports. "For families in low- to middle-income countries who receive remittances from the United States, for instance, remittances are a lifeline that allows people to pay for utilities, services, and everyday expenses that they would otherwise not be able to afford," Ariel G Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst at MPI, told Newsweek. "Remittances can also be turned into investments that benefit not just individual families but also communities through shared projects, like building hospitals, schools, or buying necessary supplies to improve infrastructure." Among the biggest recipients of all global remittances in 2023 were India ($120 billion), Mexico ($66.2 billion), the Philippines ($39 billion), France ($36.9 billion), China ($29.1 billion), and Pakistan ($26.5 billion), according to the World Bank. The data from the World Bank covers worldwide payments, meaning not all that money came from the U.S. — though in cases like Mexico, remittances from the U.S. make up the vast bulk of the total. Americans living overseas who send back money home also count in the data. The U.S. received around $7.7 billion in remittances in 2023. CSIS estimates Mexican workers are sending $300 a month back home in remittances, on average, meaning most of their paycheck is still being spent within the U.S. That means their money is going towards housing, goods and services in their communities, and often state and federal taxes. There has been a steady rise in the amount of money heading to certain countries in recent years, as migration levels and access to jobs in the U.S. have increased. This has caused concern among some on the right who want to see stricter regulations on remittances. "It is kind of a double-edged sword," Ira Mehlman, media director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) told Newsweek. FAIR advocates for a more restrictionist immigration policy. "Yes, it does send money back to people in the home countries, but it also becomes a dependency. If you're going to be sending your best workers out of the country to work in another country and then wait for the money to come back, it impedes the development that needs to happen in those countries." Mehlman said FAIR also has concerns that payments are making their way back to cartels and other organized crime groups, while American companies are getting away with employing those without legal status, enabling a cheaper workforce that is detrimental to U.S. citizens as well as immigrants with work authorization. While there is widespread agreement that stopping payments to criminal organizations is necessary, both Bledsoe and Ruiz Soto cautioned against introducing tougher rules on remittance payments. They say this could have an adverse effect on illegal immigration, predicting that, should remittances be cut off from low- and medium-income countries, then more people may look to make the journey to the U.S. "Because the migrant is already here, sending money back, it means that the family of that migrant isn't in the United States," Bledose said. "So it is preventing migration on some level." Ruiz Soto added that "by filling the void of government investment and development, remittances reduce the economic pressures for many people to emigrate irregularly over the long term." Mehlman said Congress could act to introduce stricter measures, as it is looking to do with the tax on remittances, while Ruiz Soto said more security measures to track the funds being sent abroad could be introduced in an attempt to root out abuse. Related Articles Migrants From Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela Told To Self-DeportLA Taco Chain Closes 15 Locations Amid ICE CrackdownWorld Cup Boat Party Canceled After DHS, Coast Guard OperationNew Jersey ICE Escapees: What We Know 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
