A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee returned an indictment yesterday charging 10 individuals for their roles in schemes to defraud the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), federal stimulus programs authorized as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. According to […]
Category: National News
States are trying to prop up the child care industry. It isn’t enough
(Missouri Independent) – State efforts to prop up childcare might spare some providers from the worst effects of last month’s expiration of pandemic-related aid — at least temporarily. But the unraveling of a system plagued by a lack of affordability and access, low wages, staffing turnover, and burnout will continue, experts say. “The basic business […]
As migrants arrive, some schools need more buses, books and bilingual teachers
(Missouri Independent) – On a pretty fall day in Massachusetts last week, Morad Majjad began work by checking in with a middle school nurse to see if he was needed as a translator. By the time the day was over, Majjad — whose title is family liaison for the West Springfield school district but who […]
Utah sues TikTok, alleging negative mental-health impacts on children
On Tuesday, the state of Utah announced that it is suing TikTok, claiming the social media platform “baits children into addictive and unhealthy use.” Gov. Spencer Cox stated in a news conference that the platform encourages children to stay online for hours at a time. Recent research indicates that adolescents who spend more than three […]
Man convicted in $67 million “Doctor Chase” genetic testing fraud scheme
A federal jury in Fort Pierce, Florida, convicted a Florida man on Oct. 6 for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare of over $67 million by tricking physicians into authorizing thousands of genetic tests that were completely unnecessary and not used in the treatment of the Medicare beneficiaries who took them. According to […]
Abortion rights advocates say consequences dire if SCOTUS declines to hear pill case
(Missouri Independent) – More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided states could set their own abortion laws, including bans, the nation’s highest court now could cut off access in states where it is still legal. The Supreme Court began its new term this week and has yet to announce whether it will […]
Texas man gets hefty sentence after selling controlled substances via Facebook
A 38-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for drug trafficking and weapons charges, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Raul Cedillo Jr. pleaded guilty on Jan. 3, 2022, to possessing meth with intent to distribute and possessing […]
Woman pleads guilty to $359 million fraud involving claims for unnecessary respiratory tests submitted with COVID-19 tests
A California woman pleaded guilty to fraudulently submitting claims to governmental and private insurance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic for expensive and medically unnecessary respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) tests. According to court documents, from June 2020 to April 2022, Lourdes Navarro, 64, of Glendale, conspired with Imran Shams to obtain nasal swab specimens from residents […]
States hope finding jobs for migrants will help clear shelter overload
(Missouri Independent) – States and cities are taking advantage of expedited work authorizations for a flood of new migrants, seeking to match them with jobs so they can support their families while they wait for asylum hearings. Allowing migrants to work might enable many of them to leave shelters in cities that were already strained by […]
Woman pleads guilty in $1.6M counterfeit U.S. savings bond scheme
A woman pleaded guilty yesterday to her role in a counterfeit savings bond scheme. According to court documents, Summer Marie Creech, 45, of Fontana, California, conspired with others to create, pass, and transfer counterfeit Department of the Treasury Series I savings bonds at financial institutions in the Southern District of Texas and elsewhere. Creech forged […]
FAFSA opening date delayed to December due to updates
The Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development has launched a FAFSA website to help keep students informed while the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filing period is delayed. The new website includes information about what individuals can do now to prepare, how to file, and what to review for the […]
Hawley challenges Biden’s immigration policies with new “State Border Defense Act”
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has introduced the State Border Defense Act to empower states to counteract President Biden’s immigration policies, which critics argue have led to an influx of narcotics on American streets and an increase in child trafficking. Senator Hawley’s legislation emerges in response to the Biden Administration’s actions that some believe undermine […]
White House provides another $9 billion in student loan debt relief as pandemic pause ends
(Missouri Independent) – As federal student loan repayments restart, the Biden administration Wednesday announced an additional $9 billion in student loan forgiveness for 125,000 borrowers. “For years, millions of eligible borrowers were unable to access the student debt relief they qualified for, but that’s all changed thanks to President Biden and this Administration’s relentless efforts […]
Next battle in Congress over Ukraine aid, as Biden presses House speaker for vote
(Missouri Independent) – Republican and Democratic lawmakers are searching for a way to clear more aid for Ukraine, after Congress approved a short-term spending bill that didn’t include any additional money for the country. President Joe Biden on Sunday said that U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to find the votes needed to pass a […]
Congress clears bill to avert shutdown, with vote promised later on Ukraine aid
(Missouri Independent) – Congress approved a bill Saturday night that would stave off a government shutdown until at least mid-November, though the measure doesn’t include Ukraine aid backed by both Republicans and Democrats. The bipartisan 88-9 vote in the U.S. Senate, just hours before a midnight deadline, took place after the U.S. House earlier in […]
Over 40 pounds of fentanyl seized near daycare where 1-year-old child died after fentanyl exposure
As part of an ongoing investigation into fentanyl trafficking in New York City, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers recovered over 40 pounds of suspected fentanyl, carrying an estimated street value of $1.5 million, in the Bronx on Tuesday evening. This seizure occurred six blocks away from DaNino Nino Day Care, where a one-year-old […]
Hospice medical director sentenced to 4 years in prison for $150 million hospice fraud scheme
A hospice medical director was sentenced Thursday to four years and two months in prison for his role in a scheme that involved the submission of over $150 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice and other health care services. According to court documents, from 2009 to 2018, Jesus Virlar-Cadena, 52, served […]
Owner of home health company convicted of $2.8 million Medicare fraud scheme
A federal jury in the Eastern District of Michigan convicted an Indian national for orchestrating a $2.8 million health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy and engaging in money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and witness tampering. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Yogesh Pancholi, 43, of Northville, Michigan, owned and operated Shring […]
Physician and two pharmacists charged in 13-count indictment for $170 million fraud scheme
A 13-count indictment was unsealed charging two pharmacists and a physician for their roles in a multimillion-dollar health care fraud, kickback, and money laundering scheme. According to court documents, Shalondria Simpson, 45, of Houston, is a pharmacist who owned and operated two pharmacies in Houston: Advance Pharmacy (Advance) and TruCare Pharmacy (TruCare). Simpson’s twin sister, […]
Shaken by post-pandemic disruptions, some states take a harder line on school discipline
(Missouri Independent) – Parents in Boone County, Kentucky, were outraged this past January when a ninth grader who had been suspended a year earlier for threatening violence against his fellow students returned to class as soon as his punishment time was up. The parents packed a school board meeting, excoriating the county superintendent and other […]