Latest news with #JimCosta
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Republicans Are (Almost) Ready for Maximum Pressure on Russia
The epiphany of common sense came late in an otherwise tedious congressional subcommittee hearing, and from a Democrat, Representative Jim Costa. He gets that Republicans and the administration of Donald Trump take pride in exerting 'maximum pressure' on Iran, Costa made clear. But at this 'seminal moment in American and world history,' he asked, 'what about maximum pressure on Russia?' What about it indeed? The greatest puzzle (among many) about MAGA foreign policy is why Trump refuses to get tough with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who shows no interest in good-faith peace negotiations and is cynically stringing Trump along — 'playing this president like a fiddle,' in the words of Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Grotesque.' How Fresno leaders are reacting to alleged hospital kickback scheme
In the Spotlight is a Fresno Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email tips@ Fresno area elected officials are demanding more transparency and accountability after an alleged kickback scheme orchestrated by a group of executives from the region's largest healthcare system came to light. Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that Community Health System (CHS) and healthcare technology affiliate Physician Network Advantage Inc. (PNA) agreed to pay a $31 million fine to settle allegations that they violated the False Claim Act. Some of the region's public leaders told The Bee they are disappointed in the healthcare system's previous leadership and would push for increased accountability. They expressed bewilderment that the executives were able to carry out the fraud scheme, undetected, for more than a decade. An unsealed whistleblower lawsuit filed by former PNA Controller Michael Terpening detailed the alleged scheme and listed more than a dozen gifts and donations provided to a select group of medical leaders. The gifts included access to a state-of-the-art wine and cigar lounge, expensive trips to Europe, Napa Valley and Las Vegas, trips to strip clubs, and nepotism hires. Representative Jim Costa, D-Fresno, said the complaints in this case are serious and need to be addressed. 'Clearly, there is a need for strong oversight and transparency in our healthcare system,' Costa said. 'We must ensure that public trust and taxpayer dollars are never compromised by improper financial incentives. The people of the San Joaquin Valley deserve the best possible healthcare system that operates with integrity.' Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula, a Democrat from Fresno and physician, said in a statement that 'these revelations are grotesque, to say the least.' 'These episodes, brought to light only because a whistleblower did so, clearly stemmed from a warped sense of entitlement. My hope is that the new leadership of CHS will right this ship and reflect the true heroes of CHS — the dedicated and compassionate workers who every day in CHS hospitals and clinics care for and heal the people of our Valley,' Arambula said. Community Health System (CHS), Fresno's largest healthcare group, owns downtown Fresno's Community Regional Medical Center and the Clovis Community Medical Center, as well as a health plan and physician network. Community Medical Centers (CMC) is the name of the group that includes the hospitals and clinics under the CHS umbrella. CHS is the the leading healthcare provider in the central San Joaquin Valley and owns the only level one trauma center in the region. Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria, whose district includes west Fresno County, Madera and Merced, called the lawsuit and settlement 'unfortunate' and stressed the impact on patients receiving federally subsidized care and whose healthcare access is jeopardized by significant federal funding cuts. 'The other loser in this settlement is Medi-Cal and Medicaid patients, who are already suffering from the federal government's proposed cuts to these programs. Moving forward, I hope leadership and boards for both CHS and PNA make serious changes in their approach to regain the community's trust and putting patients first above all else,' Soria said. In a statement on the settlement, CHS Board Chair Roger Sturdevant said the current board and leadership team recognizes they are accountable to assuring compliance that is consistent with regulatory requirements and their own standards. CHS leadership has cooperated with the U.S. Attorneys' Office in its review, Sturdevant said. 'Based on both our own internal assessment and external findings, we have identified and addressed areas for improvement. We are confident that our policies and procedures today address all areas of concern. It is important to note, that at no time were patients inappropriately billed and this issue had no impact on our clinicians' ability to provide outstanding care,' he said. As part of the settlement, CHS has entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General that requires a risk assessment and internal review process designed to identify and address evolving compliance risks. The agreement also requires an independent review organization to annually assess the policies and systems to track arrangements with some referral sources. Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter centered around Latino issues in California. Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig, whose district includes part of Fresno, Clovis and the rural foothill communities, said he's looked into the case that focuses on Community's implementation of electronic health record system, and the associated vendor relationship. 'This is a difficult time for hospitals across the nation, which is why the settlement is particularly disheartening. But I'm confident in Community's current leadership,' Magsig said. 'They have identified and addressed the government's concerns and I believe Community's leadership and board will do everything they can to assure its approach to vendor relationships, and reporting practices are solid to avoid this ever happening again.' Fresno County Supervisor and Vice Chairman Garry Bredefeld called the conduct by CHS and affiliate PNA 'disgraceful and shameful.' 'They violated the trust of their patients by providing extravagant benefits and kickbacks to executives and some physicians in order to entice them to refer their patients to Community,' he said. Bredefeld, a retired clinical psychologist, said the medical community already lost confidence and trust of the public with their 'mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic.' 'Now this corruption has been exposed which will further diminish the trust. I applaud the (Department of Justice) for their work and ensuring that there now will be greater oversight of these institutions, so this corruption never occurs again,' he said. Fresno County District 3 Supervisor Luis Chavez, said he was 'deeply disappointed' by the details that have come to light in the settlement and wanted to see concrete change to restore trust. 'I've met directly with the new CEO and had frank, honest conversations about the urgent need to rebuild community trust,' Chavez said. 'I made it clear that restoring confidence in our healthcare system requires more than words, it requires action. The new leadership team has assured me of their commitment to downtown Fresno and to delivering care that puts patients first. But assurances alone won't move the needle.' 'We need to see real, measurable improvements, starting with transparency, reducing emergency room wait times and ensuring that life-saving services are readily available to every corner of our city. I will continue to hold this hospital system accountable and remain steadfast in advocating for the health, safety, and dignity of every Fresno resident,' he said.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California lawmakers work to reduce wildfire risk
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Months after wildfires devastated southern California, lawmakers from the Golden State are trying to pass legislation to reduce the risk of it happening again. 'Devastating damage was done, lives were lost,' Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) said. California Congressman Jim Costa is cosponsoring a bill that would speed up the process of removing hazardous trees near power lines on federal lands. 'These major 250k powerlines unfortunately are the cause of some of these fires,' Costa said. Currently, utilities can remove dead trees near power lines, but Congressman David Valadao says it takes a lengthy process that involves selling the timber. 'They've got to get bids. They've got to get permitting. They've got an entire process that can really slow down getting a fire hazard out of the way,' Valadao (R-Calif.) said. Valadao's bipartisan bill would let the U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management approve the removal of hazardous trees near powerlines without a timber sale. 'We know that powerlines have caused some of the fires, and we want to make sure we address that one as quickly as possible,' Valadao said. Valadao said it'll take more than just this one bill to improve forest management in the US, but he says it's a step in the right direction. The House has passed a broader bill aimed at reducing wildfire risks called the 'Fix Our Forests Act.' 'I just don't know if we can get bipartisan support on that and get it across the House and Senate, so that's why we take these little pieces and try to get those across the desk and try to get at least some of the problems cleared up as quickly as possible,' Valadao said. Valadao said he expects the bill to become law by the end of the year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
07-02-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
KSEE: Armenian Aid In Jeopardy
ARMENIAN AID IN JEOPARDY-PK_CAFREOF1WKS839_JSaul_20250206_164407.mxf[TAKE PKG] L3:Rep. Jim Costa (D) Fresno New at 6 No None L3:Aram Hamparian EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA New at 6 ...{***PK***} "to indicate that they no longer are needed, I think is a grave mistake." PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP PUTTING ALMOST ALL US FOREIGN AID ON HOLD… IT'S A MOVE THAT STOPS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN INTERNATIONAL FUNDING.. "This U.S. aid is an important part of our presence around the world.//When we have parts of the world in which children are starving and all of a sudden do without any notice, pull out, I don't know what they're thinking." AS A RESULT OF TRUMPS ACTION-- REPRESENTATIVE JIM COSTA PENNED A LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO ON WEDNESDAY…URGING HIM TO CONVINCE THE PRESIDENT TO REVERSE COURSE. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA SAYS THIS IS A SEVERE BLOW TO ARMENIAN REFUGEES. "There are many refugees, well over 100,000 Armenian refugees, who were ethnically cleansed within the last 18 months, who need assistance, humanitarian aid." REPRESENTATIVE COSTA UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING US-AID ALIVE.. ARMENIA RECEIVED FORTY MILLON DOLLARS IN AID LAST YEAR. THE MOVE BY THE PRESIDENT REVERBERATING IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. "There are many of our folks in the valley and in other parts of California where they still have relatives in Armenia.//since 1991, when Armenia broke away from the Soviet Union, U.S. aid has been an important effort to maintain Armenians ability to promote their own economic development and their own democratic institutions." HOWEVER, HAMPARIAN SAYS USAID HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN CONSISTENT FOR ARMENIA. "USAID has a mixed record in Armenia. They've met, you know, some very desperate humanitarian needs that help us in development work.." HAMPARIAN BELIEVES U-S AID SHOULD BE CURTAILED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. "We're looking forward to sort of a more transparent process where we can take a look, let's say, under the hood and see which of that assistance has been good and which has not been good."
