Watchdog faults Bureau of Prisons for failing to screen inmates for colorectal cancer
The report from Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz comes after one of the government's most high-profile inmates, former FBI Agent Robert Hanssen, died of colon cancer in June 2023.
Hanssen was serving a life sentence after he pleaded guilty to spying for the Soviet Union and later for Russia.
According to Horowitz's report, Hanssen had multiple positive results on a stool test commonly used to screen for colorectal cancer, but was never given a diagnosis or offered a follow-up colonoscopy.
Tuesday's report from Horowitz also cited concerns about a second inmate - Frederick Bardell - who also died of colon cancer in June 2023 shortly after leaving prison on compassionate release.
A judge previously scolded the BOP for repeatedly rejecting his requests for release due to his cancer diagnosis, and Horowitz's report found that Bardell faced a 6-month delay in getting a colonoscopy after he first noticed blood in his stool.
"Our evaluation identified several serious operational and managerial deficiencies that the BOP must address to ensure that inmates receive proper screening and treatment for colorectal cancer," Horowitz wrote.
Based on his review, he said his office found that less than two-thirds of average risk inmates between ages 45 and 74 received a colorectal cancer screening as of April 2024.
The review also found that about 10% of a sampling of 327 inmates had no documented medical follow-up after receiving a positive result in colorectal cancer screening.
In a written response to Horowitz's report, BOP Director William Marshall said he concurred with the report's recommendations for improving cancer screenings for inmates, and blamed "longstanding staffing issues" for compromising efforts to screen inmates for colorectal cancer in certain facilities.
"If detected early, colorectal cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 90%, with survival declining steeply the later it is caught," he wrote. "The Bureau is fully committed to its ongoing efforts to improve in these areas."
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The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
I married the man of my dreams 42 hours after meeting – then he beat me for four hours and plunged a knife into me
SWIPING through the dating app, Kasey Wolfe's heart fluttered as she spotted a message from a handsome stranger. His name was Charles Bates and he was almost seven years Kasey's junior. 7 7 Typically dating older men, Bates wasn't Kasey's normal type and the 41-year-old hesitated before she agreed to go on a first date. Just 42 hours later, the couple were married in a whirlwind romance. But in the months that followed Kasey, who lives in Kentucky, desperately wished she had listened to her early niggles. Jealous Bates, now 35, became increasingly violent over their relationship before eventually leaving Kasey fighting for her life in a brutal four-hour attack. 'Enough time has passed for me now to look back and see how crazy it was to marry a man just 42 hours after he messaged me on a dating site,' she says. 'Having to ask Charles his surname when we collected our marriage licence should have been a red flag, but I ignored it." But Kasey could have never anticipated Bates' violent side - he had been highly affectionate from his very first message. 'His first message said 'You're absolutely gorgeous. I have to meet you',' Kasey recalls. 'Because of his age I joked about getting his dad's number but he pleaded with me to give him a chance and I wavered. 'But after what I had been through I deserved some happiness and agreed.' Just a few years earlier Kasey had been a lorry driver, before she was diagnosed with the auto-immune condition Lupus. The blood disorder complication led to a pulmonary embolism in her lungs and repeated deep vein thrombosis in her legs. 'I'd had to give up a job I loved,' she says. 'I'd always been big but the weight crept on and I hit 29st, I was on oxygen and I needed a walker. 'So I was lonely and vulnerable when I met Charles.' In September 2014, Bates struck up a conversation and after they chatted for hours the pair agreed to meet for lunch the following day. 'He told me he'd never felt this way about anyone and my heart skipped a beat,' Kasey says. 'After lunch I said I had to get home to clean my flat and Charles offered to come and help. 'He was so persistent I let him come back and he really did help. 7 7 'There's nothing sexier than a man who does the dishes.' The pair ended up in bed together and the following morning Bates cooked Kasey breakfast before making an unexpected suggestion. 'He told me we should get married that day and I couldn't think of a good reason not to,' Kasey says. 'I couldn't get through to my parents beforehand but I reached my brother Tommy who called me a 'dumb a**.'' At 3pm on that Monday morning Kasey said 'I do' to Charles Bates, less than two days after they had their first conversation. 'I put the news on Facebook and my mum called me yelling,' Kasey says. 'The whole family thought I'd gone crazy but I reassured them that when they met Charles they would realise it was true love.' Kasey says that their first 20 days of marriage were blissful. 'He was sweet and attentive and neither my health nor my weight bothered him,' she recalls. 'He told me he loved me the way I was and encouraged me to eat what I wanted. 'On one occasion he brought me ten waffles after I told him how much I like them.' On their 21st day of marriage, Kasey went to use Bates' phone while he was out where she made a shocking discovery. 'I spotted another Facebook profile and it said he was in a relationship with a woman called Jessica,' she says. 'I called her number and told her I was his wife. 'She told me he was his girlfriend and that they'd been together two weeks and were planning to get married and have kids. 'That hurt, I couldn't have kids and Charles knew that. 'Jessica hadn't known about me and said she didn't want Charles if he was married.' Kasey called Bates and minutes later he came home in the hope of salvaging their relationship. 'He threw himself on his knees, begging forgiveness but I told him it was over,' Kasey says. Kasey called a lawyer in the hope of annulling the marriage but because they had consummated their vows they couldn't. She says: 'My middle brother Koty was getting married. 'I didn't want to go to the wedding single and hear 'told you so' from everyone. 'Charles was heartbroken at the thought of losing me so I gave him another chance.' Life remained blissful for a while, but when the pair had been married eight months thing took a dark turn when Bates first hit Kasey. 'I had giggled just as we were getting intimate,' Kasey says. 'Charles thought I was giggling at him and punched me in the right jaw. 'Afterwards, he told me that he'd never do it again claiming that our finances were stressing him. 'Our finances were bad because he kept getting fired or quitting factory jobs. 'I was beginning to regret marrying him.' While Kasey warned that should Bates hit her again the relationship would be over, it didn't take long for things to turn violent again. Five months later, in October 2015 Bates arrived home from work early after quitting another job. 'He screamed at me for not doing any cleaning,' Kasey says. 'I ignored him as I was still on oxygen and using the walker so hadn't been able to do much. 'Charles clipped me on the back of the head and flipped our coffee table over. 'He accused me of cheating because I was scrolling on my phone. 'The accusation was so ridiculous, something snapped in me.' Kasey calmly requested a divorce but Bates wasn't quite as calm. 'He told me we would have to split everything in half before snapping a picture in half and throwing it at me,' she recalls. 'When I didn't react, he got even angrier and suddenly punched me in the face, it exploded in pain. 'He'd been doing maintenance work on our home and there were 2x6 lengths of timber stacked in the living room. 'He slammed one across my head, then my neck, ear and side. 'I screamed for help, nobody came.' Bates continued to rain punches down on Kasey's face in a horrific attack that she claims lasted for hours. 'He hit me so hard and for so long he wore himself out and had to rest,' she says. 'Then he yelled at me before starting up again. Kasey was trapped on the couch with her dachshund-corgi cross Yoda. 'Charles went into the kitchen and returned with a 12-inch carving knife,' she recalls. 'I thought he didn't have it in him to stab me to death but he's stupid enough to end up beating me to death. Domestic abuse - how to get help DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence. Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship: Emotional abuse - Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse - gaslighting - being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to Threats and intimidation - Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you Physical abuse - This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten. Sexual abuse - Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent. If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers: Remember, you are not alone. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime. Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse. 'I told him that if he continued I'd die and for a moment he paused, then just got a smaller knife. 'He thrust it into my right side and slashed at my body, my weight saved me as the blade only went in an inch.' It was then that Bates grabbed Yoda, putting the knife to the dog's throat. 'I loved that little dog, It was the last straw,' Kasey says. 'I'd been beaten and abused for four-and-half hours.' Kasey launched herself at Bates, using her weight to her advantage and removing the knife out of his hands. 'He'd recently had surgery to repair tendons in his right arm and knee and I put all my weight on them,' Kasey says. 'He screamed that I broke his leg and his arm. 'I told him that if he drove us both to the hospital I would lie for him.' Kasey drifted in and out of consciousness as they made the journey to the hospital. 'Charles told me to say I was jumped by a group of men but the ER nurses suspected the story,' she says. 'When the nurses told him to go and make a call to the police, I confessed everything.' Police arrested Bates at the hospital. Kasey had been left with a fractured nose and eye sockets, a minor stab wound, lacerations, and numerous bruises. Bates was held in custody and charged with serious domestic violence assault, unlawful imprisonment, and other charges. 'I told the prosecutor that I was OK with lesser charges if he got mental health treatment,' she says. I'd been beaten and abused for four-and-half hours Kasey Wolfe In May 2016, after seven months in custody, Bates admitted lower-level assault, threats, unlawful imprisonment, and wanton endangerment. He was released on 10 years' probation, five years closely supervised. In September he stopped going to probation appointments. For three-and-half years he dodged the authorities before he was caught in January 2020. He'd broken probation but was released after just six days. Covid hit in March that year, closing the courts, and then Bates was diagnosed with testicular cancer. No further action was taken against him. Kasey has since channelled her anger into becoming a campaigner against domestic violence. 'I've been interviewed on a podcast, given a speech at a rally and help victims flee violent men,' she says. 'Though I've lost weight, at 26 stone I'm still big enough to make most men think twice when I turn up and help an abused partner flee. 'Enough time has passed that I can even see the funny side about our speedy marriage, and my dream is to be a stand-up comedian, using my own love life as inspiration. 'Through comedy I'll ridicule those inadequate men like Charles who beat women.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
A record number of Americans see moderate drinking as harmful, a new Gallup poll shows
Fewer Americans are reporting that they drink alcohol amid a growing belief that even moderate alcohol consumption is a health risk, according to a new Gallup poll released Wednesday. A record high percentage of U.S. adults, 53%, now say moderate drinking is bad for their health, up from 28% in 2015. The uptick in doubt about alcohol's benefits is largely driven by young adults — the age group that is most likely to believe drinking 'one or two drinks a day' can cause health hazards — but older adults are also now increasingly likely to think moderate drinking carries risks. As concerns about health impacts rise, fewer Americans are reporting that they drink. The survey finds that 54% of U.S. adults say they drink alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer. That's lower than at any other point in the past three decades. The findings of the poll, which was conducted in July, indicate that after years of many believing that moderate drinking was harmless — or even beneficial — worries about alcohol consumption are taking hold. According to Gallup's data, even those who consume alcohol are drinking less. The federal government is updating new dietary guidelines, including those around alcohol. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed U.S. alcohol consumption was trending up. But other government surveys have shown a decline in certain types of drinking, particularly among teenagers and young adults. This comes alongside a new drumbeat of information about alcohol's risks. While moderate drinking was once thought to have benefits for heart health, health professionals in recent years have pointed to overwhelming evidence that alcohol consumption leads to negative health outcomes and is a leading cause of cancer. Growing skepticism about alcohol's benefits Younger adults have been quicker than older Americans to accept that drinking is harmful, but older adults are coming around to the same view. About two-thirds of 18- to 34-year-olds believe moderate drinking is unhealthy, according to the new poll, up from about 4 in 10 in 2015. Older adults are less likely to see alcohol as harmful — about half of Americans age 55 or older believe this — but that's a substantial increase, too. In 2015, only about 2 in 10 adults age 55 or older thought alcohol was bad for their health. In the past, moderate drinking was thought to have some benefits. That idea came from imperfect studies that largely didn't include younger people and couldn't prove cause and effect. Now the scientific consensus has shifted, and several countries recently lowered their alcohol consumption recommendations. Earlier this year, the outgoing U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, recommended a label on bottles of beer, wine and liquor that would clearly outline the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. The federal government's current dietary guidelines recommend Americans not drink or, if they do consume alcohol, men should limit themselves to two drinks a day or fewer while women should stick to one or fewer. Gallup's director of U.S. social research, Lydia Saad, said shifting health advice throughout older Americans' lives may be a reason why they have been more gradual than young adults to recognize alcohol as harmful. 'Older folks may be a little more hardened in terms of the whiplash that they get with recommendations,' Saad said. 'It may take them a little longer to absorb or accept the information. Whereas, for young folks, this is the environment that they've grown up in ... in many cases, it would be the first thing young adults would have heard as they were coming into adulthood.' The government is expected to release new guidelines later this year, under the directive of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promised big changes. Kennedy has not hinted at how the alcohol recommendations may shift. Drinking rates fall to decade low Slightly more than half of Americans, 54%, report that they drink alcohol — a low in Gallup's data that is especially pronounced among women and young adults. Young Americans' alcohol consumption has been trending downward for years, accelerating the overall decline in alcohol consumption. In sharp contrast with Gallup's findings two decades ago, when young adults were likeliest to report drinking, young adults' drinking rate is now slightly below middle-aged and older adults. Americans' reported drinking is among the lowest since the question was first asked in 1939. For most of the last few decades, at least 6 in 10 Americans have reported drinking alcoholic beverages, only dipping below that point a few times in the question's history. Americans who drink alcohol are consuming less Even if concerns about health risks aren't causing some adults to give up alcohol entirely, these worries could be influencing how often they drink. The survey found that adults who think moderate drinking is bad for one's health are just as likely as people who don't share those concerns to report that they drink, but fewer of the people with health worries had consumed alcohol recently. About half of those who worry moderate drinking is unhealthy said they had a drink in the previous week, compared with about 7 in 10 who did not think drinking was bad for their health. Overall, only about one-quarter of Americans who drink said they had consumed alcohol in the prior 24 hours, a record low in the survey. Roughly 4 in 10 said that it had been more than a week since they had poured a drink. ___
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Focus: To stay on weight-loss drugs, US patients cut doses and maybe vacations
Aug 13 (Reuters) - Doctors advise most patients on GLP-1 obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound to stay on them to keep the weight off, but as more U.S. insurers restrict coverage people are trimming costs by stretching doses or forgoing expenditures like vacations to pay for the medication out of pocket. A half dozen doctors who spoke with Reuters said insurance coverage has tightened in 2025 as many employers drop it for the expensive GLP-1 drugs. While patients on these medications are counseled on proper diet and exercise, clinical trials show that people who stop taking these drugs are apt to regain weight, opens new tab. Novo Nordisk's ( opens new tab Wegovy and Eli Lilly's (LLY.N), opens new tab Zepbound are weekly injections with U.S. insurer list prices of more than $1,000 a month. For customers willing to pay cash, both drugmakers will ship directly for $499 a month if refills are purchased at fixed intervals. "A significant number of my patients now pay cash," said Dr. Nidhi Kansal, an obesity specialist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. "People find a way to scrounge up $6,000 a year, which sucks, because that's a vacation or two." More than a billion people worldwide are obese, according to the U.N. World Health Organization, which has said the GLP-1 drugs could help end the obesity pandemic. A tech industry job change for Yelena Kibasova, a 40-year-old who lives in the Minneapolis area, meant loss of coverage for her Zepbound prescription that helped her achieve and maintain a 150-pound (68-kg) weight loss. "My new company does not cover GLP-1s, so now I am in a kind of purgatory," Kibasova said. "I stopped doing my nails. I stopped doing my hair. Those things are not as important as me staying at a healthy weight." The doctors interviewed by Reuters said patients once leery about long-term obesity treatment are now more comfortable staying on a drug. The doctors said that conversations about temporary use happen only when a patient is trying to lose a certain amount of weight for issues such as fertility treatment or an organ transplant. These obesity specialists said they are hopeful that competition will help bring down prices as new weight-loss options emerge, including new oral drugs that may be available next year. Lilly last week announced trial results for its easier-to-manufacture pill, which was shown to cut patient weight by 12.4%, a few percentage points less than injected drugs. The company hopes to launch it in August 2026. Kenneth Custer, Lilly's head of cardiometabolic health, told Reuters the pill is being tested in several settings, including as a maintenance therapy. Custer declined to comment on how it might be priced. Dr. Anne Peters, an endocrinologist at Keck Medicine USC in Los Angeles, said it is important that patients who reach their weight-loss goal not stop a prescription "cold turkey," so the dose can be tapered down over several months. Peters said about a third of her patients are able to reduce their dose and maintain weight loss, while the rest need to stay on the medication. An analysis of U.S. pharmacy insurance claims found that nearly two-thirds of patients who started on Wegovy or Zepbound in 2024 were still on the medications a year later. Peters said she uses "every technique in the book" to secure insurance coverage for patients, but noted that a growing number of plans no longer pay for the treatments, and patients have to pay out-of-pocket. U.S. pharmacies supply self-injection pens pre-loaded with doses of Wegovy or Zepbound. Lilly's direct-to-consumer service also offers vials. "Some patients can stretch out the vials longer. Get 15 mg, and then give a 10 mg dose for instance," Dr. Peters said, noting that the drug's instructions advise that such an approach should not be taken. Doses of 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg are recommended for weight-loss maintenance. Patients also are turning to lower-cost compounded versions of the GLP-1 drugs, or are even mixing them at home with raw ingredients, both of which Peters and other doctors advise against due to safety concerns. Dr. Angela Fitch, former president of the Centennial, Colorado-based Obesity Medicine Association and chief medical officer at online primary care provider Knownwell, said nobody wants to be on a medication, but patients who respond to a GLP-1 drug "really don't want to go off of it when they recognize that it has such a value to them." Both Wegovy and Zepbound were first launched, under the brand names Ozempic and Mounjaro, as diabetes treatments. The class has been linked to a range of benefits, including improved heart health and less sleep apnea. Fitch said the most common reason for her patients to stop taking a GLP-1 drug is loss of insurance coverage. She said her experience is that about 10% of patients are able to reach a target weight and maintain it without further treatment. "We are in a dip where people are dropping coverage," Fitch said, adding that the direct-to-consumer options are an "upper-ish middle-class thing."
