The trial of the 51 men accused of raping Gisele Pelicot in France has entered its final phase. A report from the courtroom where the rape survivor declared war on a society that trivializes rape and shames survivors. Warning: This text contains descriptions of sexual violence. At first glance, with its medieval city walls and charming alleyways, the French town of Avignon seems like normal French municipality. But the closer one draws to the courthouse, the more the fresh graffiti and posters demand attention: "Gisele, our sun," "Gisele, our icon," "Symbol of dignity and courage." Opposite the court, a banner that reads "Rape is rape" flutters in the wind. Gisele Pelicot 's decision to make the rape trial against her ex-husband Dominique Pelicot and 50 other alleged perpetrators public has rocked France, sparking protests and debate about violence against women — it has also made her a feminist icon far beyond Avignon. Investigators have counted around 200 instances of rape in the case, most of them by Gisele Pelicot's ex-husband and more than 90 by strangers after he secretly drugged her. She has said that for years she suffered unexplained memory and health problems, only discovering what had happened after her then-husband was arrested for filming up the skirts of women in a supermarket. The last defendant takes the stand Though filled to capacity, the courtroom is silent on Tuesday, November 19. So many people want to witness the victim's final testimony that a second room has been opened for a video broadcast. Five judges sit on black chairs. Opposite the president of the Vaucluse Criminal Court in Avignon, Roger Arata, is the last defendant, Philippe L., a 62-year-old gardener. Philippe L. rocks back and forth nervously. He doesn't seem to know where to put his hands. From above, his bald spot shines through the crown of his hair. He denies having had any intention of raping Gisele Pelicot. He "only" penetrated her with his fingers, he says in a deep smoker's voice. He illustrates the act with his hands and hips, moving his pelvis back and forth. Listening to this account, one could get the impression that Philippe L. had merely arranged to meet Dominique Pelicot for a coffee date. He says he was looking for a "kinky woman" on the internet portal Coco, where he was contacted by Dominique Pelicot for a "trio." They arranged to meet on the afternoon of June 7, 2018. First, they had coffee and water, then Dominique Pelicot and Philippe L. watched videos in which Gisele is raped by her ex-husband and other men. Dominique Pelicot filmed all of the rapes In the bedroom of the couple's home in Mazan in southwestern France , Pelicot told Philippe L. that his wife had taken sleeping pills and that the whole thing was part of a game. Philippe L. says that Pelicot then insisted that he penetrate his motionless wife. The court president reads out a description of the video of the alleged rape, a detailed account of what was done to Gisele Pelicot while she lay unconscious on her stomach. She can be heard snoring in the video. "Out of politeness," he then dressed himself and waited for Pelicot to finish raping his wife. "You have a strange understanding of politeness," says Stephane Babonneau, Gisele Pelicot's lawyer. "You wait for Mr. Pelicot, yet can't keep yourself in check?" Pelicot trial inspires rape survivor to speak To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'There is no right to be mistaken' He did not act "as a man should act," Philippe L. says. He didn't think with his brain but with his penis. He didn't know that Gisele Pelicot was unconscious and could not give her consent. Philippe L. says this even though the chat room where the husband recruited him and the other men is called "à son insu," meaning "without her knowledge." The lawyer wants to know whether it didn't bother him that Gisele Pelicot was lying there motionless. Philippe L. rambles. He can neither be still nor formulate a clear sentence. He speaks in idioms: "Voilá, ehhh, je sais pas...comme ci, comme ça." With his hand in his pocket, bobbing up and down, he finally says that he is sorry that things have unfortunately turned out this way. Like most of the 50 co-defendants, Philippe L. pleads not guilty. He was not a rapist but rather a victim of Dominique Pelicot's system, according to the defense. So the around 200 rapes documented on video between 2011 and 2020 were all just mistakes made by men who didn't know any better? "If a man comes across an unconscious woman and decides to perform sexual acts on her without her consent, there is no right to be mistaken," Gisele Pelicot's lawyer says later in closing argument about this strategy. 'They are all guilty' Then Gisele Pelicot takes the witness stand for the last time since the trial began in September. She stands up straight with her head held high, her hands folded on the lectern. She says in a composed voice that she is tired today. She has heard things here that are unacceptable, men who deny raping her despite video evidence. She wants to say to these men: "At what point did Mrs. Pelicot give you her consent when you entered the room?" Each of these men had the opportunity to go to the police. Even an anonymous tip could have saved her, she says. Dominique Pelicot and the men sitting behind her in the dock made a conscious decision to rape her, she says. Gisele Pelicot does not believe that the codefendants were merely manipulated into committing these crimes. Even her ex-husband, who has confessed to the rapes, says that the codefendants are claiming this "to save themselves." But will such a strategy even be worth trying? In France, rape is defined as "any form of sexual penetration committed against another person using force, coercion, threat or surprise." With the verdict expected by the end of December, many hope that it will not only bring about social change but also a change in the law. French Minister of Justice Didier Migaud could initiate such a change. He told the press that he was open to including "consent” in the legal definition of rape. Yet early this year, France, along with 14 member states that included Germany, rejected a European Union directive that would have introduced a standard definition of rape as sex without consent without those affected having to prove violence or coercion, as is currently the case in France. 'I want my grandchildren to be proud' Gisele Pelicot hopes her trial will bring about social change. It is high time that France's "patriarchal, macho society that trivializes rape" changes, the 71-year-old said in her final testimony. In court, she has not called the man to whom she was married for over 50 years "Dominique" but "Monsieur Pelicot." Her children, she says, are now ashamed of this name. Her daughter, who has even assumed the pen name Caroline Darian, believes she was also assaulted by her father. During the cross-examination, one of the lawyers asks Gisele Pelicot why she has kept her husband's surname. There is silence in the courtroom as she answers calmly: "My name is now known worldwide. They should not be ashamed to bear this name. Today, I want my grandchildren to be proud of their grandma. Today, we remember Gisele Pelicot." This article was originally written in German.Brock Purdy participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers but the San Francisco starting quarterback was not on the field for the majority of the workout, casting doubt over his availability to play Sunday at Green Bay. Purdy is dealing with a right shoulder injury and the 49ers are also potentially without left tackle Trent Williams and Nick Bosa due to injuries. Bosa was listed as out of Thursday's practice with an oblique injury. Williams also didn't suit up Thursday. He played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable. Purdy's typical Thursday post-practice media session was scrapped until Friday as the 49ers did not make any quarterback available. Kyle Allen would step in for Purdy as the starter if he can't play against the Packers. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level Media
Residents and relatives say at least nine people were killed during an attack in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia region of Ethiopia on Thursday. Adebebu Workineh is a resident of the Shirka Woreda — or district — in the Arsi Zone, about 250 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa. He told VOA his younger brother, Haile Workineh, was among the nine victims. "The perpetrators called him from his house and later killed him at a nearby river alongside others," Workineh said in Amharic. Among the dead were women and elders, he added. "During the raid I heard [about] the abduction by phone, but I thought they would ask for ransom as usual. They were carrying rifles, and we were afraid to confront them at the time," he said in Amharic. A second resident of Shirka, who would not give his name because of fear for his safety, said most of the victims were Christians. The whereabouts of four other people who were abducted are not known, he told VOA. Social media sites published purported video of nine bodies wrapped in white clothes being buried together. VOA was not able to independently verify the video. The Arsi Zone, a region known for agriculture, is now marred by violence and killing. Residents blamed the Oromo Liberation Army, an outlawed rebel group fighting against the Ethiopian government army, for the killings. Jiregna Gudeta, an adviser to the OLA commander, told VOA he has no detailed information about the incident and denied OLA was involved. Residents say local authorities do little to protect civilians. The ENAT Party, one of the opposition political parties in Ethiopia, has condemned the attack. "Our concern is not the dead ones, we [are] reaching out to the state officers for the people who are about to be the victim of such killing, we immediately call for the state to act," said Getnet Worku, secretary-general of the party. Oromia regional authorities declined to comment on the attack. Peace rallies were held in six zones in the Oromia region in mid-November. Participants of the demonstrations said the aim was to condemn OLA and demand peace in the region. Oromia region spokesperson Hailu Adugna said at the time that the rallies were organized by the local communities and that government officials had no role. But some witnesses told VOA that government officials were urging people to participate in the demonstrations. Jiregna, reacting to the demonstrations in mid-November, said their group is ready to resolve conflicts peacefully. He said it is doubtful whether the people or the government organized the rally for peace. A previous round of peace talks last year between Ethiopia's federal government and the OLA in Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar — has failed to end the violence. The two sides blamed each other for the failure of the talks. The government cited "unrealistic demands" by the armed group while OLA accused the government of failing to address "fundamental problems" facing the country, according to Reuters. This story originated in VOA's Horn of Africa Service.Results also indicate that 34 percent of those surveyed side with Canada Post, while 29 percent support the unionized workers. Respondents who said they supported neither side polled at 23 percent, while 14 percent said they weren’t sure. The poll was drawn from a randomized sample of 3,003 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. Canadians shared mixed opinions when posed the question: “Even if you don’t agree with either side entirely, whose argument do agree with more?” While sympathies for both parties were spread fairly evenly, several correlations related to demographics emerged. Canadians under age 45 were more likely to support the workers’ call for higher wages amid inflation and greater job security. Those 45 and older agreed more with Canada Post’s position as it navigates a new business model in a changing world. Older Canadians, who tend to rely more on traditional paper mail, are often hit hard by postal strikes, the Angus Reid report noted. Yet, Canadians aged 35 to 44 professed the highest level of disruption from the postal strike. Along political lines, Canadians who said they would vote Conservative in the next election favoured Canada Post more (45 percent) than would-be Liberal voters (34 percent) or NDP voters (18 percent). Only the NDP supporters polled a majority (53 percent) in support of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). CUPW has demanded a 24 percent wage increase spread over four years, while Canada Post has offered 11 percent. The crown corporation lost close to half a billion dollars in the first half of this year and has been looking at expanding parcel delivery to boost revenue. Its plan was to hire contract workers, though CUPW has pushed for its members to do the work with overtime pay. “The parties are still very far apart,“ he said. ”And that is, in my view ... highly disrespectful of Canadians who are suffering through this work stoppage; small businesses, people in rural and remote communities who rely on Canada Post’s services, and these parties have to knuckle down and get the work done,” MacKinnon said.
WASHINGTON — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies , as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China's hacking sophistication. The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of what officials have said is a a limited number of individuals. Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Neuberger said Friday that officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but that a “large number" were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are "primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. In addition, she said, the government was planning additional actions in coming weeks in response to the hacking campaign, though she did not say what they were. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking.
Trump begins efforts to end Ukraine, Russian war
The Washington Commanders have parted ways with a former first-round draft pick just over 18 months after making him their top selection in 2023. The Commanders waived cornerback Emmanuel Forbes on Saturday, the team announced. Forbes was selected with the No. 16 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but did not even make it through two full seasons with the organization. The #Commanders are waiving former first-round CB Emmanuel Forbes, as his time in Washington is done. In addition, RB Austin Ekeler goes to Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/d6fefVcZ2B — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 30, 2024 Forbes was a highly-touted prospect coming out of Mississippi State, and he did have one interception in 14 games as a rookie. However, he has only played in six games this season, and had largely lost his role to rookie second-rounder Mike Sainristil , among others. Forbes also went viral before the season when people were shocked by his relatively small stature in a photo that spread online. Forbes’ release means that outside of Jayden Daniels in 2024, one has to go all the way back to 2018 top pick Daron Payne to find a Commanders first-rounder who remains on the roster. The fact that they are 7-5 and firmly in the playoff hunt despite whiffing on so many recent first-round selections is pretty remarkable. This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.Weekly Horoscope, December 1 to December 7, 2024: Read weekly astrological predictionsPulitzer Prize winning columnist for the Wall Street Journal and former speechwriter for President Reagan, Peggy Noonan, joins Michael Smerconish to discuss Trump's latest cabinet picks and her predictions for his presidency.
Swiss National Bank trimmed its position in shares of Meritage Homes Co. ( NYSE:MTH – Free Report ) by 0.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 70,900 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 300 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Meritage Homes were worth $14,539,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MTH. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC boosted its stake in shares of Meritage Homes by 734.4% during the third quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 272,122 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $55,804,000 after purchasing an additional 239,511 shares in the last quarter. Swedbank AB bought a new position in shares of Meritage Homes during the first quarter worth about $25,495,000. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC bought a new position in shares of Meritage Homes during the second quarter worth about $22,887,000. Boston Partners bought a new position in shares of Meritage Homes during the first quarter worth about $23,106,000. Finally, Blackstone Inc. raised its position in shares of Meritage Homes by 216.7% during the first quarter. Blackstone Inc. now owns 190,000 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $33,337,000 after acquiring an additional 130,000 shares during the last quarter. 98.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Meritage Homes Trading Up 3.8 % Shares of MTH stock opened at $184.44 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a current ratio of 1.75. Meritage Homes Co. has a fifty-two week low of $137.70 and a fifty-two week high of $213.98. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $192.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $184.26. The company has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.35 and a beta of 1.82. Meritage Homes Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 17th will be paid a $0.75 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 17th. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.63%. Meritage Homes’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.58%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth MTH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Meritage Homes from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $205.00 to $235.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 31st. Wolfe Research upgraded Meritage Homes from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $230.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Wedbush upgraded Meritage Homes from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $160.00 to $195.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on Meritage Homes from $210.00 to $198.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Raymond James downgraded Meritage Homes from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Meritage Homes currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $218.17. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Meritage Homes Meritage Homes Company Profile ( Free Report ) Meritage Homes Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs and builds single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Homebuilding and Financial Services. It acquires and develops land; and constructs, markets, and sells homes for entry-level and first move-up buyers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MTH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Meritage Homes Co. ( NYSE:MTH – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Meritage Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Meritage Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Michigan, Ohio State fight broken up with police pepper spray after Wolverines stun Buckeyes 13-10 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 as Wolverines players attempted to plant their flag and were met by Buckeyes who confronted them. Police had to use pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves in the melee that overshadowed the rivalry game on Saturday. Ohio State police said in a statement “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.” Ohio State police will investigate the fight. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he understood the actions of his players. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said everybody needs to do better. Sellers' 20-yard TD run with 1:08 to go lifts No. 16 South Carolina to 17-14 win over No. 12 Clemson CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — LaNorris Sellers' 20-yard TD run with 1:08 to play lifted No. 16 South Carolina to a 17-14 victory over No. 12 Clemson. The Gamecocks won their sixth straight game, including four over ranked opponents, and may have played themselves into the College Football Playoff's 12-team field. They wouldn't have done it without Sellers, who spun away from a defender in the backfield, broke through the line and cut left on his way to the winning score. Sellers rushed for 166 yards and threw for 164 in South Carolina's second straight win at Clemson. Gus Malzahn is leaving UCF to become Florida State's offensive coordinator, AP source says Gus Malzahn is resigning as Central Florida’s head coach to become Florida State’s offensive coordinator. That's according to a person familiar with the hire who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday because the Seminoles have not confirmed Malzahn’s move, which is pending a background check. The Knights made official that Malzahn is leaving in a statement released a day after UCF concluded its season with a 28-14 loss to Utah. Malzahn finished with a 28-24 mark in four years at UCF, the last two ending with losing records. He coached at Auburn for eight seasons before being fired in 2020. Mikaela Shiffrin suffers abrasion on hip during crash on final run of World Cup giant slalom KILLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — American skier Mikaela Shiffrin says she suffered an abrasion on her left hip when crashing during her second run of a World Cup giant slalom race. Shiffrin was going for her 100th World Cup win when she crashed, did a flip and slid into the protective fencing. The 29-year-old was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. She said later in a video posted on social media that there wasn't “too much cause for concern at this point.” She plans to skip the slalom race Sunday, writing on Instagram she will be “cheering from the sideline.” Andrew Luck returns to Stanford as the GM of the football program STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford in hopes of turning around a struggling football program that he once helped become a national power. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced that Luck has been hired as the general manager of the Stanford football team and tasked with overseeing all aspects of the program that just finished its fourth straight 3-9 season. Luck will work with coach Troy Taylor on recruiting and roster management, and with athletic department and university leadership on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience. Luck has kept a low profile since his surprise retirement from the NFL at age 29 in 2019. Saka stars in Arsenal rout at West Ham as Van Nistelrooy watches new team Leicester lose Arsenal was inspired by Bukayo Saka in scoring five goals in a wild first half before settling for a 5-2 win over West Ham that lifted the team into second place in the Premier League. Arsenal is attempting to chase down Liverpool and is now six points behind the leader. Saka was one of five different scorers for Arsenal at the Olympic Stadium and also had a hand in three goals, by Gabriel, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard. Ruud van Nistelrooy witnessed at first hand the scale of his task to keep Leicester in the league. Leicester was beaten at Brentford 4-1 in front of Van Nistelrooy, who watched from the stands after being hired on Friday. Michigan upsets No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 for Wolverines' 4th straight win over bitter rival COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dominic Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left and Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10, likely ending the Buckeyes’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game next week. Late in the game, Kalel Mullings broke away for a 27-yard run, setting up the Wolverines at Ohio State’s 17-yard line with two minutes remaining. The drive stalled at the 3, and Zvada came on for the chip shot. Ohio State got the ball back but couldn’t move it, with Will Howard throwing incomplete on fourth down to seal the Wolverines’ fourth straight win over their bitter rival. US and England women draw 0-0 in Emma Hayes' homecoming LONDON (AP) — Emma Hayes witnessed a dominant display from her players at a packed Wembley stadium, but the U.S. coach could not taste victory on her return to England. Hayes, who led the U.S. women team to the Olympic gold medal this summer after winning 14 major trophies at Chelsea, came back to her home country on Saturday for a friendly against England. The U.S had the best chances but the game ended in a goalless draw. Jared Porter acknowledges he sent inappropriate text message to reporter, leading Mets to fire him Jared Porter acknowledged he sent an inappropriate text message to a reporter while he was a Chicago Cubs executive in 2016, which led to the New York Mets firing him as general manager in 2021 after just 38 days. Porter made his first public comments on his firing during an episode of the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast released Friday. Porter was hired by the Mets on Dec. 13, 2020, and fired on Jan. 19, 2021, about nine hours after an ESPN report detailing that he sent sexually explicit, uninvited text messages and images to a female reporter. Norris defies orders to help Piastri and Verstappen loses the Qatar pole to Russell LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lando Norris ignored team orders as he handed his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri the win the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix in a one-two finish for the team. Norris started on pole position and kept the lead at the start as Piastri squeezed past the Mercedes of George Russell for second. Norris gave the lead to Piastri with the finish line in sight, paying back Piastri for gifting him a win in a sprint race in Brazil when Norris was still fighting Max Verstappen for the drivers’ title. Champion Max Verstappen was fastest in qualifying but was penalized, elevating Russell to first on the grid.
(The Center Square) – Legislators in Washington, D.C., have taken a number of steps over the past few days to push for insurance and pharmaceutical reforms to be passed before the end of the year. On Wednesday, a bicameral group of Republican and Democrat lawmakers held a press conference discussing the need for pharmacy benefit manager reform to protect small pharmacies across the country and “save lives.” “Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or an independent, we all want the same thing. We want accessible, affordable, quality health care,” said Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga. “We’re not here today to just discuss one bill or to discuss just one patient’s story. We're here because there's broad, bipartisan pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, reform that is needed to save lives.” Pharmacy benefit managers are the middlemen responsible for managing the drug prices covered by health insurance plans. According to the Harvard Political Review , the problem with pharmacy benefit managers is that they “have vertically integrated with pharmacy chains and health insurers through massive conglomerates.” That then allows them to abuse their power to cut out small pharmacies and increase prices. Carter also signed a letter that was released last week calling on the Department of Justice to dig into the role pharmacy benefit managers played in the opioid epidemic. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Deborah Ross, D-N.C., and Cliff Benz, R-Ore., all joined him in signing that letter. “The opioid crisis has devastated communities in North Carolina and across the country, and PBMs may have fueled it by prioritizing profits over people,” Ross said on social media . “That’s why I joined a letter calling on the DOJ to investigate their role and hold these bad actors accountable.” The letter looked at recent reports on the largest pharmacy benefit managers, CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx which state that they “colluded and conspired to steer patients towards OxyContin in exchange for $400 million.” OxyContin is a trade name for the narcotic oxycodone hydrochloride, a painkiller available by prescription only. This and the general “lack of transparency” is just one of the many complaints that legislators aired on Wednesday. “My colleagues who are joining me today, Democrats and Republicans ... all recognize that PBMs are decreasing the accessibility, the affordability, and therefore the quality of health care in America,” Carter said. “We have an opportunity, right now, to advance bipartisan legislation that increases reporting requirements, which would heighten transparency and shine a light on the opaque practices of these PBMs.” Carter was also joined by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who is leading the effort to get legislation passed in the U.S. Senate. “This year, we're losing about one pharmacy a day in America,” Lankford said. “We want leadership to be able to take this up and to bring it up in the end-of-year package ... Stop holding up legislation that is bipartisan, bicameral, and solving a problem that Americans need solved.”GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Princely Umanmielen's return to the Swamp ended with a police escort . Umanmielen, who spent three years at Florida before transferring to Ole Miss, left the stadium with a number of officers surrounding him. And the defensive end still tried to get at heckling fans. Recommended Videos It started when Umanmielen left the sideline in the waning seconds of a 24-17 loss to the Gators . He was walking toward the visiting locker room when at least one fan yelled at him from the stands. Umanmielen clearly didn't like what he heard and made his way toward the seats. Officers quickly stepped in and escorted Umanmielen back toward the locker room. They then walked him directly to the team's waiting busses, but more fans were in the path and shouted at him again. Umanmielen turned and started toward the fans before officers stepped in and stopped him. It was the latest bit of oddness for Umanmielen, who wore an orange Gators ski mask through Ole Miss' practice facility late in the week. He finished the game with seven tackles, including a sack. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballHow major US stock indexes fared Friday, 12/6/2024
The NZFFI Manukau All Stars have earned their spot in the Flick Hygiene Pacific Community Cup final after a 2-0 win over the USA All Stars in the second semi-final at Churchill Park, Lautoka. Aaron O’Discoll opened the scoring in the 40th minute with a well-timed strike, giving Manukau the lead just before halftime. Garbhan Coughlan doubled the advantage in the 59th minute, securing their place in the final with a confident finish. Manukau’s disciplined defense and clinical finishing proved too much for the USA All Stars, who struggled to break through despite moments of pressure. Now, the stage is set for a thrilling final match against defending champions NZFFI Auckland All Stars at 3 PM.ATLANTA — Georgia Republicans can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis about her romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the outside attorney she hired to lead her 2020 election interference case against former and future President Donald Trump and his allies, a judge has ruled. The decision by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram was published Monday. It is the latest blow to Willis in regard to her prosecution of Trump. On Nov. 19, the Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis and her office from the case due to her relationship with Wade. Ingram rejected Willis’ arguments that GOP leaders of a state Senate committee didn’t have the authority to issue a pair of subpoenas in August seeking documents and her testimony. But the judge gave Willis until Jan. 13 to explain why the subpoenas shouldn’t be enforced. “(Willis) claims that the subpoenas are overbroad and seek privileged and/or confidential information,” the judge said in her order. “This may very well be true, but this court needs more details on the basis for these objections from (Willis) before ruling on (committee members’) application for enforcement.” Representatives for Willis did not immediately respond Friday to questions about the ruling. Sen. Greg Dolezal, one of the committee members, mentioned the ruling in a social media post Friday. “We’ll see you soon, Madam D.A.,” he wrote. Dolezal, R-Cumming, has unveiled plans to extend the life of the committee into 2025. He said Ingram’s ruling “follows the plain reading of the law as outlined in our committee.” “From open records laws to lawfully issued subpoenas, D.A. Willis seems to think she is above the law,” Dolezal said. “Once again, the courts ruled otherwise.” Ingram heard arguments from both sides during a Dec. 3 hearing in Atlanta. Willis claimed the subpoenas from the Senate’s Special Committee on Investigations were void because the committee and its members lacked legislative subpoena power, issued the subpoenas while the Senate was adjourned and violated part of the Georgia Constitution. Ingram disagreed. “It is undisputed that the General Assembly has the unenumerated and implied constitutional power to conduct investigations and the statutory authority to issue subpoenas for the purposes of such investigations,” she said. “Here, the Senate, as a chamber, empowered itself to issue subpoenas, which it was authorized to do.” The judge further said Willis failed to identify any authority to support her theory that the subpoenas could not be issued after the Legislature adjourned its regular session on March 28. Ingram also said the Georgia Constitution allows members of one branch of government to investigate members of another branch. The committee members offered to narrow the scope of the subpoenas, the judge noted. She gave them until Jan. 31 to respond to any objections Willis raises about enforcement of the subpoenas. Senators created the committee in January, just weeks after news surfaced that Willis had been in a romantic relationship with Wade. Members sought years worth of communications between Willis and Wade as well as information about his hiring and pay, the DA office’s federal grant funding and interactions with the White House, Justice Department and members of Congress regarding the elections case. They also sought to compel Willis’ attendance at a September hearing, which she declined to attend as she fought her summons in court.