Latest news with #Ricks
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As dust begins to settle on prison chaos, reformers hold somber hearing
ALBANY — 'I hate coming here,' Robert Ricks said. Ricks sat at the focal point of a hearing room in the New York state legislative office building. He'd traveled to Albany last Wednesday to testify for a second time about his son, Robert Brooks, whom prison guards beat to death in December at the Central New York prison where he was incarcerated. Video of the gruesome killing sparked nationwide outcry and calls to reform New York's state prison system. Prison reform was the topic of last week's all-day hearing, which took place as the state legislature approaches its final weeks of the annual legislative session. Amid emotional testimony, Ricks outlined the Robert Brooks Agenda for Justice, a suite of legislation to expand prison oversight and make it easier to hold abusive officers to account. If lawmakers don't pass the bills before the session ends in less than a month, they'll have to wait until next year to try again. Earlier in the hearing, the head of the state prison system had touted reforms he implemented after Brooks was killed. Ricks, seated next to two other loved ones of Black men who recently died after beatings by prison guards, expressed skepticism at the state's willingness to curb the violence. 'From the moment I step in this building, I want to cry,' he said. 'And I don't want to cry because my son is dead. I want to cry because there's an eerie feeling in the African American community that's often unspoken that nothing's going to change.' 'I come here feeling like I'm getting ready to fight the wind,' he said. During the nearly seven-hour hearing on Wednesday, advocates, union representatives, and family members of incarcerated people testified about conditions in New York's state prisons, particularly corrections officer violence. Despite the somber subject matter, the hearing kicked off with optimistic testimony from Daniel Martuscello, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's earnest commissioner. For an hour and a half, he fielded questions from lawmakers and advocates about how his prison system is handling its worst year in recent memory. Just weeks after Brooks's killing — and hours after a special prosecutor announced the impending arrest of the guards who killed him — corrections officers across DOCCS's 42 facilities launched a wildcat strike to protest what they called unsafe working conditions. The three-week strike resulted in 2,000 guards losing their jobs and saw the deployment of thousands of National Guard personnel to staff the prisons, many of which remain on partial lockdown. During the strike, corrections officers allegedly killed another incarcerated man — 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi, whose mentor also testified Wednesday — at a prison across the street from where guards beat Brooks to death. With the dust from the strike and killings still settling (3,000 National Guard troops remain in the prisons, Martuscello testified), the prison chief is fielding flak from all sides. He's juggling reformers' calls for accountability, demands from officers for new solitary confinement and staffing policies, and a massive hit to his prisons' already under-capacity staffing levels. At the hearing, legislators grilled him over progress on measures he's promised to curb abuse. Martuscello was confident about 'improving prison culture.' The agency is contracting with a law firm and two nonprofit organizations to evaluate every aspect of how staff and incarcerated people interact, he explained. The law firm will issue publicly available recommendations late in the summer. DOCCS can also change its culture through recruitment, Martuscello said. He touted a new state policy, passed earlier this month in the budget, that lowers the minimum age for corrections officers from 21 to 18, as well as an aggressive recruitment campaign DOCCS has launched to fill 4,500 guard positions. New personnel can bring a new attitude, he said: 'That's an opportunity you don't often get.' To address demands for more direct reform, Martuscello outlined a series of initiatives he launched with Governor Kathy Hochul in recent months. None will fundamentally alter DOCCS's structure or the way it conducts oversight, and they've left others who testified at the hearing unimpressed. DOCCS has embedded its internal accountability unit, the Office of Special Investigations, in every prison, Martuscello explained, and is getting over $7 million to expand the unit. Lawyers who represent incarcerated people are skeptical that that will improve accountability. At the hearing, they characterized the office as a black box and said that DOCCS's internal mechanisms for investigating abuse more often than not let guards off the hook. 'DOCCS's internal investigations through the Office of Special Investigations are opaque, slow, and default to weighing staff credibility over incarcerated voices, regardless of the facts,' said Antony Gemmell, supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Society's Prisoners' Rights Project. Martuscello also touted whistleblower policies he revamped after Brooks's killing. DOCCS now has an anonymous tipline for staff to report their colleagues' malfeasance or abuse, he said. Representatives for DOCCS staff said they thought little of the effort. 'It's toilet paper,' Wayne Spence, president of the union that represents DOCCS civilian staff, like nurses, testified at the hearing. The efforts do little to discourage retaliation against whistleblowers, he said. There was one effort the commissioner highlighted that everyone who testified seemed to support: more body-worn cameras. DOCCS has long promised to equip all of its officers with body cameras, but the rollout has taken years. Spurred by the Brooks and Nantwi killings, the state fast-tracked the effort with $18 million in additional funding. All facilities should have body cameras by mid-summer, Martuscello said, and officers will be required to have them turned on when they're interacting with incarcerated people. Martuscello's reforms aren't enough to fix the embattled agency, according to its critics. Reform-minded lawmakers have this session introduced legislation — part of the Robert Brooks Agenda — to expand prison oversight and officer accountability, as well as to give incarcerated people opportunities to earn time off their sentences. One bill would expand the powers of the Correctional Association of New York, the 180-year-old nonprofit organization tasked by the legislature with overseeing prison conditions. Another would add commissioner slots to the State Commission of Correction, which has oversight power over all carceral facilities in New York state. SCOC rarely uses its full authority to hold jails and prisons accountable, as New York Focus has reported. It also dodges scrutiny: SCOC representatives declined to attend last week's hearing, legislators said. (When asked why, a spokesperson simply said that 'SCOC submitted written testimony for the hearing.') The SCOC bill would triple the number of commissioners and require that they come from diverse backgrounds, including criminal defense and public health. Yet another bill would allow the DOCCS commissioner to discipline officers for serious misconduct without having to go through mandatory arbitration. A 2023 Marshall Project investigation showed that, over a 12-year period, arbitrators reinstated three out of every four DOCCS corrections officers who were fired for abusing incarcerated people or covering up abuse. Whether any of these bills make it to the Assembly or Senate floors before the end of the legislative session is an open question — subject to a complex process largely controlled by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Brooks's father, Ricks, isn't optimistic. Nor, it seems, are some of the legislators calling for reforms. 'Will they listen to us or will they continue to play politics with Black and brown men's lives?' Eddie Gibbs, the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the state Assembly, wondered at the hearing. He told the story of his own beatdown by guards at Midstate Correctional Facility, where Nantwi was allegedly murdered, in the late 1980s. 'They play politics with people's lives,' he said of legislators unwilling to support the reforms. 'Their reelection is more important than your sons' lives.'
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Eagles star calls Ivanka Trump 'beautiful,' and she responds with a special locker room message
Ivanka Trump leaves a surprise note for young Eagles player who admired her beauty (Credit: Getty Images) What began as a casual, candid compliment online quickly blossomed into a charming and unexpected exchange between Ivanka Trump and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks . The viral buzz around Ricks' admiration for the first daughter took an amusing and classy turn when Ivanka responded in person—well, almost. Ivanka Trump surprises Eagles locker room with special note for 23-year-old who called her "beautiful" During a visit to the Eagles' training facility with her children, Ivanka left behind a handwritten note for Ricks inside the team's locker room. 'Stopped by to say hi! Sorry to miss you! Go Birds!' she penned sweetly. The message was later shared on her official X account as a nod to Ricks' now-famous post from April 28, when he openly admired her during the Eagles' celebratory trip to the White House following their Super Bowl appearance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cost Of Amusement Park Equipment From Mexico Might Surprise You - See Tips Amusement Park Equipment | search ads Click Here Undo Ricks' original post had sparked a tidal wave of attention online. 'Donald trump daughter is beautiful damn,' he had written. 'After seeing her in person Ivanka is exactly my type.' The statement, raw and spontaneous, made headlines across both sports and entertainment circles. He even reposted several photos of Ivanka along with a selfie of himself sitting near a portrait depicting the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. Rather than shy away from the attention, Ivanka leaned into the moment with warmth and wit, showing she's no stranger to handling public spotlight with poise. Her surprise note didn't go unnoticed—Ricks responded with a playful repost on X, saying, 'My apologies, I owe you a glass of wine now xx!' A lighthearted remark that only added to the fun narrative unfolding between the high-profile businesswoman and the young NFL star. Ivanka, who has been married to Jared Kushner since 2009 and is a mother to three, also shared adorable clips and photos from the visit, including her son Theodore tossing a football around the Eagles' practice field with his flag football team. The visit was personal and joyful, yet it effortlessly stirred a media moment thanks to the earlier connection with Ricks. Ricks, a California native who played college ball at LSU and Alabama, signed with the Eagles in 2023 as an undrafted free agent. Though he primarily saw action on special teams in his rookie season, his online candor has unexpectedly added a spark of off-field popularity. Also Read: "We talking more about Jordon Hudson": Cam Newton blames Bill Belichick's downfall on alleged distraction from Jordon Hudson romance Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Newsweek
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Ivanka Trump's Locker Room Note to Philadelphia Eagles Player Goes Viral
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. An X post by Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter, showing a note she left in the Philadelphia Eagles' locker room for cornerback Eli Ricks has gone viral, attracting more than 5.6 million views. Newsweek contacted the Philadelphia Eagles' for comment on Saturday via telephone and voicemail message outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters Ivanka Trump served as a senior advisor to her father Donald Trump during his first White House administration, but maintained a much lower profile during the 2024 presidential election campaign and his subsequent return to the presidency. The viral post shows the immense public interest around the Trump family, with ongoing speculation that one or more of the president's children could seek to launch their own political careers. What To Know On Friday, Ivanka Trump toured the Philadelphia Eagles' training base along with her son Theodore Kushner who played flag football on the team's practice field. The Philadelphia Eagles' squad visited the White House on April 28 to celebrate their Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, with President Trump welcoming the team personally. Ivanka Trump looking on during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Draw at Telemundo Studios on December 05, 2024 in Miami, Florida (left) and Eli Ricks #23 of the Philadelphia Eagles playing against the Carolina... Ivanka Trump looking on during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Draw at Telemundo Studios on December 05, 2024 in Miami, Florida (left) and Eli Ricks #23 of the Philadelphia Eagles playing against the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field on December 8, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (right). More Brennan Asplen/Mitchell Leff/GETTY Following the visit, cornerback Ricks posted "Donald trump daughter is beautiful d***" on X, followed by "After seeing her in person Ivanka is exactly my type." During her visit on Friday, Ivanka Trump left a handwritten note in the Eagles' locker room for Ricks, which said: "Stopped by to say hi! Sorry to miss you! Go Birds! Ivanka." She posted two photographs of this on X in response to Ricks' post describing her as "beautiful," receiving more than 18,000 likes and 5.6 million views on the social media platform. Ricks swiftly responded with an X post of his own, in which he said: "My apologies [woman facepalming emoji], I owe you a glass of wine now xx!" My apologies🤦♀️, I owe you a glass of wine now xx! 🍷 — Eli (@eliasricks) May 16, 2025 This post also went viral accumulating over 19,000 likes and 2.3 million views. Following his White House visit, Ricks also posted a photograph of him sitting in front of a painting depicting Trump's survival of an assassination attempt on July 13, 2024. In 2023, Ricks joined the Eagles as an undrafted free agent after playing college football at LSU and Alabama. Ivanka Trump has been married to business tycoon Jared Kushner since 2009 and the couple have three children together. What People Are Saying NFL insider Jordan Schultz shared screenshots of Ricks and Ivanka's messages adding: "Ivanka Trump... Elias Ricks. Yes, this is real. [Flushed face emoji, Loudly crying face emoji]." New Jersey-based David Nevil, a self-described "Philly Sports Watcher," commented: "Eli Ricks and Ivanka Trump are the power couple I never knew we needed."
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eli Lilly CEO waves off CVS-Novo Nordisk deal: 'It feels a little like last decade'
Eli Lilly (LLY) has enjoyed a successful run the past several quarters as the company's blockbuster GLP-1 weight-loss drug Wegovy gains steam in the obesity space. But Wall Street wiped out more than $90 billion in the company's market cap during trading Thursday after competitor Novo Nordisk (NVO) locked in a deal to have its GLP-1 listed on CVS's (CVS) formulary as the preferred weight-loss drug for patients. Wegovy was first to market but has been losing ground to Eli Lilly's Zepbound in recent months, according to the latest prescription data. This month, Novo Nordisk has been busy securing deals to provide more access and visibility for Wegovy. It has announced deals with telehealth companies like Hims & Hers (HIMS), specialty pharmacy deals like the one with Humana's (HUM) CenterWell, as well as Thursday's CVS deal. Read more about Eli Lilly's stock moves and today's market action. But Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks waved off the deal Thursday, telling Yahoo Finance in an interview that the company is focused more on upcoming obesity drugs in its pipeline and sees exclusive deals as an older way of doing business. "We're not interested in exclusive deals. We think innovation and choice is very important. And we're well into the product replacement cycle, and there's more coming," Ricks said, referring to the highly anticipated oral form of Eli Lilly's GLP-1 orforglipron, which is expected to hit the markets mid-next year. "It's in some ways a little disappointing to see this. It feels a little bit like last decade, these sort of lock-up deals," Ricks added. Ricks said he is confident in Zepbound's product profile and the consumer preference reflected in the weekly prescription data. "We'll see if it performs. I mean, they're going to have to switch people off the market-leading product onto an inferior product. And that's hard to do," Ricks said of the CVS deal. He also noted that the company's direct-to-consumer platform, which ties in telehealth providers to help give patients a chance to buy Zepbound directly from Eli Lilly, was doing better than expected — but declined to provide numbers. "We built this not really for this purpose, we built this more as a backstop, based on the overall condition of retail pharmacy," Ricks said, referring to store closures across the country in the past few years. But Ricks isn't focused on that. He said he has to stay focused on the company's future rather than single-day stock moves. "I'm focused on adding value. So, in five years, this company is worth a lot more than it is today," Ricks said. Eli Lilly has been on investors' watch list as its GLP-1 business boomed to potentially make it the first trillion-dollar healthcare company by market cap. UnitedHealth Group (UNH) had previously been the leading contender, but multiple headwinds in the past couple of years have pummeled the insurance giant's stock. Red Brook Advisors managing partner Syed Husain told Yahoo Finance that the market reaction to the CVS deal — a more than 10% decline in Eli Lilly's stock — was "a bit of an overreaction." "I think we need to take a step back and really see what the broader impact is on everything going on for this company," Husain said. Anjalee Khemlani is the senior health reporter at Yahoo Finance, covering all things pharma, insurance, care services, digital health, PBMs, and health policy and politics. That includes GLP-1s, of course. Follow Anjalee as AnjKhem on social media platforms X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky @AnjKhem. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lilly's Q1 2025 revenue jumps 45%, but CVS shift boosts Novo's Wegovy
Eli Lilly has reported $12.73bn in Q1 2025 revenue, a 45% increase from the prior year, driven largely by demand for its diabetes and obesity drugs, Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide), respectively. But the announcement was quickly overshadowed by news from rival Novo Nordisk, which disclosed that CVS Caremark – the largest US pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) – will make its weight loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) the preferred glucagon-like receptor 1 agonist (GLP-1RA) treatment on its template formularies starting 1 July. CVS's decision is expected to expand access to Novo's weight-loss therapy, whilst limiting coverage for Lilly's Zepbound, potentially complicating the rollout of one of Lilly's fastest-growing products. CVS said the change aims to offer members 'a more affordable price'. Lilly's stock fell 6% when markets opened following the announcement on 1 May, despite its strong revenue performance. Zepbound brought in $2.31bn during the quarter, up from $517m a year ago. Meanwhile, Novo shares rose 3.6% after the CVS news. Lilly's CEO David Ricks downplayed the impact of the CVS decision to investors during the company's earnings call. 'We're not surprised that this kind of thing was announced,' Ricks said. 'Most of the growth in the category is happening with our medicine…We're not interested at all in one of the deals of reducing access and choice for doctors and patients. We want to expand it.' Ricks suggested the impact of the CVS deal may be limited, referencing the relatively low opt-in rates from employers using template formularies. 'We'll work through it. Our job will be to continue to drive [the] share and preference for our brand,' Ricks added. According to GlobalData analyst Costanza Alciati, the competitive dynamic between Wegovy and Zepbound comes down to pricing: 'Wegovy and Zepbound have similar efficacy and tolerability profiles, which means that the cost is the main determinant when it comes to competitiveness,' she said, noting that physicians tend to prescribe the more affordable option due to the high prices of GLP-1RA therapies. Alciati also pointed to regulatory and pricing pressures from US authorities as a key factor influencing these coverage deals. 'Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have received a lot of pressure, especially from the US government, to reduce obesity drugs prices, thus these deals with pharmacies and healthcare authorities are a way to offer discounts to patients and gain some competitive edge over each others.' Still, she noted that Eli Lilly may be playing the long game. 'It may be that Eli Lilly is not concerned as it has strong candidates in the pipeline,' she said. Among them are its oral GLP-1RA drug orforglipron and retatrutide, which have shown strong clinical results, while Novo's once-promising CagriSema underperformed in recent trials. Last month, Lilly shared positive data from the Phase III trial of orforglipron. The drugmaker expects to file for the drug's approval in obesity by the end of 2025 and type 2 diabetes in 2026. If it gains market approval, GlobalData projects sales of orforglipron to reach $11.8bn in 2030. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. Lilly reaffirmed its full-year 2025 revenue guidance of $58bn to $61bn, which does not yet reflect proposed tariffs on pharmaceutical imports. "Lilly's Q1 2025 revenue jumps 45%, but CVS shift boosts Novo's Wegovy" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
