Latest news with #JennyKane
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Hundreds of Anti-ICE Protesters Storm Facility
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said that 250 anti-ICE activists stormed an ICE field office in Portland after protesters squared off against federal agents. "Last night, Portland rioters violently targeted federal law enforcement—250 rioters launched fireworks, shined lasers in officers' eyes to temporarily blind them, and stormed an ICE field office," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detain a man outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs building during a protest Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Portland, Ore. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detain a man outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs building during a protest Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Portland, Ore. Jenny Kane/AP Photo Why It Matters Protesters have maintained a steady presence outside the ICE facility since last week. More than 20 arrests have been made, local media reports. There has been growing opposition to President Donald Trump's mass deportation policies. What To Know DHS said that five people were arrested on multiple charges, including assault on a federal law officer. "We won't sit idly by and watch these cowards," McLaughlin said. According to KOIN, some individuals were seen setting off fireworks and pushing what appeared to be a dumpster toward the facility, prompting federal agents to respond with flashbang devices. This happened yesterday in Portland. Violent mob of 250 rioters attacked federal law enforcement—launching fireworks, aiming lasers into officers' eyes to blind them, and storming an ICE field office. This wasn't a protest. It was an orchestrated assault on federal agents—and… — I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) June 19, 2025 Footage shared on social media showed armed agents at the scene, while police officers in gas masks escorted people away as canisters lay scattered on the ground. Eduardo Diaz, 22, was taken into custody around 11:14 p.m. after officers identified him as the individual suspected of pointing a laser at federal officers earlier in the evening, according to a Portland Police Bureau press release. At the time of his arrest, Diaz was wearing a ballistic vest and a gas mask. He was cited for Unlawful Directing of Light from a Laser Pointer, a misdemeanor under Oregon law, and was held on a U.S. Marshals Service detainer. At approximately 12:30 a.m., a second individual was arrested for allegedly trespassing in a restricted area on the east side of the ICE facility, police said. Mariana M. Rivera-Loza, 19, of Portland, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on a charge of Second-Degree Criminal Trespass. Police noted that a shield was found in her possession at the time of the arrest. One arrest was made for trespassing and the other for pointing a laser at federal officers, according to the Portland Police Bureau. What People Are Saying McLaughlin told Newsweek: Our officers are facing a 413 percent increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, and gang members. Secretary Noem's message to the rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Red flags to look for with phone scams: LaSalle police
A man uses a cell phone in New Orleans on Aug. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File) LaSalle Police Service is telling the public about some red flags to look for when receiving a call from your 'bank' or any phone number to avoid scams. 'The caller may have accurate information about your name, address, birthdate, Social Insurance Number, but that does not validate who's calling, say police in a social media post. With technology, the caller can duplicate your bank's phone number in a method called 'spoofing'. Look for these Red Flags when speaking to the caller: Asked to give money or purchased gift cards Unsolicited phone calls/emails Asked for personal information (PIN number, address etc) Sense of urgency/secrecy If you're suspicious, hang up immediately then call or attend your bank to validate if the information given was accurate.
Japan Today
01-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
U.S. states rolling out red carpets for data centers, but some lawmakers are pushing back
Construction is seen at an Amazon Web Services data center on Aug. 22, 2024, in Boardman, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) By MARC LEVY The explosive growth of the data centers needed to power America's fast-rising demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing platforms has spurred states to dangle incentives in hopes of landing an economic bonanza, but it's also eliciting pushback from lawmakers and communities. Activity in state legislatures — and competition for data centers — has been brisk in recent months, amid an intensifying buildout of the energy-hungry data centers and a search for new sites that was ignited by the late 2022 debut of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Many states are offering financial incentives worth tens of millions of dollars. In some cases, those incentives are winning approval, but only after a fight or efforts to require data centers to pay for their own electricity or meet energy efficiency standards. Some state lawmakers have contested the incentives in places where a heavy influx of massive data centers has caused friction with neighboring communities. In large part, the fights revolve around the things that tech companies and data center developers seem to most want: large tracts of land, tax breaks and huge volumes of electricity and water. And their needs are exploding in size: from dozens of megawatts to hundreds of megawatts and from dozens of acres up to hundreds of acres for large-scale data centers sometimes called a hyperscaler. While critics say data centers employ relatively few people and pack little long-term job-creation punch, their advocates say they require a huge number of construction jobs to build, spend enormous sums on goods and local vendors and generate strong tax revenues for local governments. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are writing legislation to fast-track permitting for data centers. The state is viewed as an up-and-coming data center destination, but there is also a sense that Pennsylvania is missing out on billions of dollars in investment that's landing in other states. 'Pennsylvania has companies that are interested, we have a labor force that is capable and we have a lot of water and natural gas,' said state Rep. Eric Nelson. "That's the winning combination. We just have a bureaucratic process that won't open its doors.' Kansas approved a new sales tax exemption on goods to build and equip data centers, while Kentucky and Arkansas expanded pre-existing exemptions so that more projects will qualify. Michigan approved one that carries some protections, including requirements to use municipal utility water and clean energy, meet energy-efficiency measures and ensure that it pays for its own electricity. Such tax exemptions are now so widespread — about three dozen states have some version of it — that it is viewed as a must-have for a state to compete. 'It's often a nonstarter if you don't have them, for at least the hyperscalers,' said Andy Cvengros, who helps lead the data center practice at commercial real estate giant JLL. 'It's just such a massive impact on the overall spend of the data center.' In West Virginia, lawmakers approved a bill to create 'microgrid' districts free from local zoning and electric rate regulations where data centers can procure power from standalone power plants. Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Republican, called the bill his 'landmark policy proposal' for 2025 to put West Virginia 'in a class of its own to attract new data centers and information technology companies.' Utah and Oklahoma passed laws to make it easier for data center developers to procure their own power supply without going through the grid while Mississippi rolled out tens of millions of dollars in incentives last year to land a pair of Amazon data centers. In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation earlier this month that eased regulations to speed up power plant construction to meet demand from data centers, including a massive Facebook facility. The final bill was fought by some lawmakers who say they worried about data centers using disproportionate amounts of water, taking up large tracts of land and forcing regular ratepayers to finance the cost of new power plants. 'I do not like that we're making customers pay for two power plants when they only need one,' Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told colleagues during floor debate. Still, state Sen. Russell Ott suggested that data centers should be viewed like any other electricity customer because they reflect a society that is 'addicted' to electricity and are 'filling that need and that desire of what we all want. And we're all guilty of it. We're all responsible for it.' In data center hotspots, some lawmakers are pushing back. Lawmakers in Oregon are advancing legislation to order utility regulators to ensure data centers pay the cost of power plants and power lines necessary to serve them. Georgia lawmakers are debating a similar bill. In Virginia, the most heavily developed data center zone in the U.S., Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have forced more disclosures from data center developers about their site's noise pollution and water use. In Texas, which endured a deadly winter blackout in 2021, lawmakers are wrestling with how to protect the state's electric grid from fast-growing data center demand. Lawmakers still want to attract data centers, but a bill that would speed up direct hookups between data centers and power plants has provisions that are drawing protests from business groups. Those provisions would give utility regulators new authority to approve those agreements and order big electric users such as data centers to switch to backup generators in a power emergency. Walt Baum, the CEO of Powering Texans, which represents competitive power plant owners, warned lawmakers that those provisions might be making data center developers hesitant to do business in Texas. 'You've seen a lot of new announcements in other states and over the last several months and not as much here in Texas," Baum told House members during a May 7 committee hearing. "I think everybody right now is in a waiting pattern and I worry that we could be losing to other states while that waiting pattern is happening.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Toronto Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Equifax report says 1.4M consumers missed a credit payment in Q1
Published May 27, 2025 • 1 minute read Missed credit payments grew by four per cent in the first quarter of 2025, compared with last year, a report by Equifax shows. A Visa card is seen in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Photo by Jenny Kane / THE CANADIAN PRESS A new Equifax report says there's a deepening divide between consumers in the face of economic uncertainty as those missing payments rose compared with a year ago. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The report finds one in 22 consumers, or 1.4 million people, missed at least one credit payment during the first quarter, even as the average monthly credit card spend fell by $107 per cardholder. However, it says consumer-level delinquency rates among non-mortgage holders rose 8.9 per cent year-over-year, compared with 6.5 per cent for mortgage holders. Equifax says younger Canadians were hit hardest, with a 15.1 per cent increase in delinquency rates for the 18-to-25 age group. The report says total consumer debt grew to $2.55 trillion in the first three months of 2025, up four per cent year-over-year, but down more than $6 billion from the end of 2024. Equifax Canada vice-president of advanced analytics Rebecca Oakes says despite a slowdown in demand for non-mortgage debt, overall balances remained fairly flat, an indication that consumer payment levels may be falling. Ontario Columnists Other Sports Relationships Sunshine Girls
Newsweek
22-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Trump Administration to Tackle Billions in Medicare Overpayments
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new initiative under President Donald Trump's administration that seeks to recover billions of dollars in improper payments made to Medicare Advantage plans. The strategy represents an "aggressive" escalation in the federal government's overview of the privately run plans, which serve more than 32 million Americans. Newsweek has contacted CMS outside regular hours for comment via email. Why It Matters Medicare Advantage plans are risk-adjusted payments based on the diagnoses of enrollees, so those with more serious or chronic conditions receive higher payments. Medicare Advantage has expanded significantly over the past decade, and between 2023 and 2024, total Medicare Advantage enrollment grew by about 7 percent, KFF reported. The Congressional Budget Office projected that the share of all Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans would rise to 64 percent by 2034, up from 54 percent in 2024. The program has also drawn criticism for oversight gaps that can lead to overbilling. CMS has said it is "years behind" completing audits for Medicare Advantage plans. A stock image of a Medicare card. A stock image of a Medicare card. Jenny Kane/AP What To Know The revised protocol allows CMS to extrapolate audit findings to recover payments on a broader scale. The last effort to recover overpayments was in 2007. Alongside overseeing all Medicare Advantage contracts for each payment year in all newly initiated audits, CMS is set to invest additional resources to expedite the completion of audits for the payment years between 2018 and 2024. To check the accuracy of patient claims of diagnoses on Medicare Advantage plans, CMS said it would conduct risk adjustment data validation audits to "confirm that diagnoses used for payment are supported by medical records." According to CMS, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission estimated that Medicare Advantage plans could overbill the government by about $43 billion per year. To bring about its new plan, CMS said it would deploy advanced systems to "efficiently review medical records and flag unsupported diagnoses." It also plans to increase the number of staff working on the audits, who manually verify flagged diagnoses, from 40 to about 2,000 by September 1. CMS said it would also up its audits from about 60 Medicare Advantage plans a year to all eligible Medicare Advantage plans each year in all newly initiated audits, which is about 550 plans. What People Are Saying Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a news release: "We are committed to crushing fraud, waste and abuse across all federal healthcare programs. While the Administration values the work that Medicare Advantage plans do, it is time CMS faithfully executes its duty to audit these plans and ensure they are billing the government accurately for the coverage they provide to Medicare patients." What Happens Next The Trump administration plans to complete all audits of health claims for Medicare Advantage plans between the payment years of 2018 and 2024 by early 2026.
