Latest news with #U.S.DepartmentofJustice
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Who is Thomas Pham LeGro and what did Washington Post editor do? Details on pornography charges
Thomas Pham LeGro, an award-winning journalist with The Washington Post, was charged Friday with possession of child pornography, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Washington Post editor Thomas Pham LeGro is facing child pornography charges(X) The 48-year-old journalist was the subject of an FBI investigation, which led to the execution of a search warrant at his home on June 26. During the search, federal agents seized several electronic devices. 'A review of LeGro's work laptop revealed a folder that contained 11 videos depicting child sexual abuse material,' the press release stated. 'During the execution of the search warrant agents observed what appeared to be fractured pieces of a hard drive in the hallway outside the room where LeGro's work laptop was found.' Read More: Donald Trump says terminating trade talks with Canada over digital services tax, warns of new tariff 'This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking,' it added. Who is Thomas Pham LeGro? According to Fox5DC,Thomas Pham LeGro joined The Washington Post in 2013 as a video editor on the breaking news desk. By 2015, he had been promoted to senior producer, overseeing the International, Style, and Technology teams. In 2017, LeGro was part of the Post team that received a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Senate candidacy of Roy Moore. In 2021, he was named executive producer, leading the outlet's Politics, National, International, and Technology video teams. His accolades include a Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting in 2018 (as part of a team) and an Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative journalism.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump Administration Lawsuit: The Trump administration is suing Minnesota over breaks in higher education for immigrant students, ET Education
Advt Advt Minnesota became the latest state Wednesday to face a lawsuit from the Trump administration seeking to force it to give its high school graduates who entered the U.S. illegally as immigrants the same lower tuition rates reserved for in-state U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit also seeks to strike down a law that allows the same immigrant students to receive scholarships covering part or all of their tuition under the state's North Star Promise program . The department filed its case in federal district court in Minnesota, naming Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic state Attorney General Keith Ellison as defendants, along with the state's Office of Higher Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits this month against policies in Kentucky and Texas. Last week, a federal judge in Texas blocked that state's law giving a tuition break to students living in the U.S. illegally after the state's Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, said he supported the legal office said it is reviewing the lawsuit "to better understand what this means for the state."Justice Department says state discriminates against US citizens The lawsuit argued that Minnesota is "flagrantly violating" a federal law that prevents states from providing a benefit in higher education to resident students living in the U.S. illegally if U.S. citizens cannot receive the same benefits. States generally set higher tuition rates for out-of-state President Donald Trump issued executive orders in February directing federal agencies to see that public benefits do not go to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and to challenge state and local policies seen as favoring those immigrants over some citizens. The lawsuit argues that the Republican president's orders enforce federal immigration lawsuit also argues that Minnesota's policies discriminate against U.S. citizens."No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens," U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a lawsuits could be coming The Justice Department's lawsuit in Minnesota noted the cases filed earlier this month in Kentucky and Texas but did not mention any other states as potential targets of litigation. However, in discussing the Texas case, Bondi has suggested more lawsuits might be year, Florida ended its tuition break for students living there illegally, but at least 21 states have laws or policies granting them, in addition to the University of Michigan system, according to the National Immigration Law Center, which favors them. Those states include Democratic-leaning ones such as California and New York, but also GOP-leaning ones like Kansas and to the center, at least 16 states allow the immigrant students to receive scholarships or other aid to go to deny discrimination against US citizens Supporters of the state tuition breaks argue that they don't violate federal law if they provide the same rates to U.S. citizens in the same circumstances - meaning they are residents of the state and graduates of one of its high states have imposed other requirements. For example, Minnesota requires male students to have registered with the U.S. Selective Service System and all students to be seeking legal resident status if that's of the laws also argue that the students generally were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, often when they were far younger, and are as much a part of their local communities as U.S.-born students. Also, they contend that such immigrants tend to be motivated high achievers.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
What Industry Leaders Can Do To Combat Healthcare Fraud
Paulina Wierzbicka | Executive Director of SNAH Healthcare Software Management. The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into UnitedHealth Group, the nation's largest health insurance provider, over allegations of Medicare fraud. According to an article from The Wall Street Journal (registration required), the investigation focuses on suspicions that UnitedHealth engaged in upcoding. This is a practice in which insurers record diagnoses that allow them to collect larger reimbursements from Medicare. While UnitedHealth has denied any wrongdoing, the implications of a probe like this stretch far beyond one corporation's reputation. It brings attention to what I see as a deeply flawed healthcare system, one that is riddled with loopholes, obscured by bureaucracy and increasingly out of reach for the average American. This system has the potential to leave patients behind and inflate the cost of care for everyone. The Real Price Of Upcoding Medicare Advantage, a program originally designed to offer a cost-effective and flexible alternative to traditional Medicare, can be exploited. Through upcoding, insurers can extract billions in overpayments from the government. In fact, while the billing codes may make patients look sicker on paper, the services they receive likely remain unchanged. The U.S. Department of Justice has said that healthcare fraud, waste and abuse could cost over $100 billion annually. A study from RAND (via Axios) also suggested than billions of dollars of hospital payments in 2019 were made due to an increase in upcoding. Money lost to fraud could be going toward better treatments, staffing or innovation. The Costs To Patients Statistics like these underscore to me how broken the U.S. healthcare system has become, especially for those who need it most. Patients are drowning in complexity. They must navigate multiple apps just to schedule appointments, understand their coverage or check medical records. Each insurance company seems to have its own labyrinth of portals and billing procedures. Transparency is another issue: Pricing for procedures varies wildly and is often hidden until the bill arrives. Meanwhile, insured individuals may be hesitant to seek care due to expensive co-pays, high deductibles, unpredictable out-of-pocket charges, surprise bills and bureaucratic hurdles. The system isn't just failing—it's actively discouraging people from getting the care they need. The Relationship Between Fraud And Healthcare Costs In 2024, medical inflation rose to 3.3%, outpacing general consumer inflation. Fraud like upcoding doesn't just skim money off the top—it sets inflated benchmarks that could drive future cost increases. When insurers game the system, they can distort payment models and inflate the entire marketplace. Every fraudulent claim becomes part of the data used to set next year's rates, creating a feedback loop where today's deceit has the potential to become tomorrow's financial burden. I believe this is one reason why healthcare in America continues to grow more expensive and less accessible, especially for vulnerable populations. Resistance To Reform There are solutions. A number of tools and platforms are available that can help streamline administrative processes, integrate billing systems and improve transparency. (Full disclaimer: My company offers a platform like this, as do others.) These tools have the potential to reduce inefficiencies and curb fraudulent practices. But real change is hard to achieve. Why? The U.S. healthcare system was worth trillions of dollars (by spending) as of 2023 and in my experience, is affected by a mix of corporate power, slow-moving politics and rules, as well as a focus on making money. Even the best new ideas often struggle to make progress in Washington or with major insurance companies. What Industry Leaders Can Do If wrongdoing in this case is proven, I believe it could lead not only to fines and stricter oversight, but also to a shift in how Medicare Advantage is monitored and paid. Regardless of the outcome, industry players can take a few important steps to support change: • Strengthen oversight. Fraud shouldn't take years to detect. If you're building tech in this space, partner with regulators and integrate real-time fraud detection into your infrastructure. AI, automation, pattern recognition—use the tools we already have to flag abuse before it spirals. This isn't about compliance. It's about responsibility. • Reform payment models. I think we need to stop paying for codes and start paying for care. This shift starts at the top. If you're leading a hospital system, an insurer or a healthtech platform, ask yourself: Are we rewarding results or rewarding manipulation? Build systems that measure outcomes. Incentivize recovery. The future belongs to leaders who put value over volume—and mean it. • Enhance transparency. Patients shouldn't have to play a guessing game. They should know what care costs, what's covered and what to expect. Leaders should stop hiding behind complexity and start leading with clarity. Publish your pricing. Share your audit data. Make it simple. Trust isn't something you demand. It's something you earn. • Protect whistleblowers. Fraud isn't usually uncovered by audits—it's exposed by people. However, those people won't speak up unless you make it safe for them to do so. If you lead a healthcare company or tech platform, your culture should encourage integrity, not fear. Protect your whistleblowers. Back them. Because the real signals that something's wrong rarely come from the outside—they come from within. • Support innovation. We don't need more apps. We need real solutions. Innovation has to scale. It has to simplify care, close gaps and put patients first. If you're in a position to build or fund the next generation of healthcare tools, focus on what actually reduces friction and improves access. Anything else is noise. Healthcare fraud isn't just a financial crime—it's a betrayal of public trust. It can jeopardize care that the elderly have earned, inflate premiums for working families and drain critical resources from an already strained system. We have a rare opportunity to examine the dark corners of a healthcare system that too often prioritizes profits over patients. Whether lawmakers, regulators and industry leaders seize this moment or squander it could help determine whether the U.S. healthcare system sinks further or finally begins to heal. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Trump administration is suing Minnesota over breaks in higher education for immigrant students
Minnesota became the latest state Wednesday to face a lawsuit from the Trump administration seeking to force it to give its high school graduates who entered the U.S. illegally as immigrants the same lower tuition rates reserved for in-state citizens. The U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit also seeks to strike down a law that allows the same immigrant students to receive scholarships covering part or all of their tuition under the state's North Star Promise program. The department filed its case in federal district court in Minnesota, naming Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic state Attorney General Keith Ellison as defendants, along with the state's Office of Higher Education. The Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits this month against policies in Kentucky and Texas. Last week, a federal judge in Texas blocked that state's law giving a tuition break to students living in the U.S. illegally after the state's Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, said he supported the legal challenge. Walz's office said it is reviewing the lawsuit 'to better understand what this means for the state.' Justice Department says state discriminates against US citizens The lawsuit argued that Minnesota is 'flagrantly violating' a federal law that prevents states from providing a benefit in higher education to resident students living in the U.S. illegally if U.S. citizens cannot receive the same benefits. States generally set higher tuition rates for out-of-state students. Also, President Donald Trump issued executive orders in February directing federal agencies to see that public benefits do not go to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and to challenge state and local policies seen as favoring those immigrants over some citizens. The lawsuit argues that the Republican president's orders enforce federal immigration laws. The lawsuit also argues that Minnesota's policies discriminate against U.S. citizens. "No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,' U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. More lawsuits could be coming The Justice Department's lawsuit in Minnesota noted the cases filed earlier this month in Kentucky and Texas but did not mention any other states as potential targets of litigation. However, in discussing the Texas case, Bondi has suggested more lawsuits might be coming. Last year, Florida ended its tuition break for students living there illegally, but at least 21 states have laws or policies granting them, in addition to the University of Michigan system, according to the National Immigration Law Center, which favors them. Those states include Democratic-leaning ones such as California and New York, but also GOP-leaning ones like Kansas and Nebraska. According to the center, at least 16 states allow the immigrant students to receive scholarships or other aid to go to college. States deny discrimination against US citizens Supporters of the state tuition breaks argue that they don't violate federal law if they provide the same rates to U.S. citizens in the same circumstances — meaning they are residents of the state and graduates of one of its high schools. Generally states have imposed other requirements. For example, Minnesota requires male students to have registered with the U.S. Selective Service System and all students to be seeking legal resident status if that's possible. Backers of the laws also argue that the students generally were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, often when they were far younger, and are as much a part of their local communities as U.S.-born students. Also, they contend that such immigrants tend to be motivated high achievers.
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Justice Department closes investigation into Muslim-centered community near Dallas
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice has closed a federal civil rights investigation into a Muslim-centered planned community around one of the state's largest mosques near Dallas without filing any charges or lawsuits. The Justice Department had opened the investigation after U.S. Sen. John Cornyn called for it, arguing that the development could discriminate against Christian and Jews.
