Latest news with #RobDavidson
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Thousand Oaks man avoids carjacking attempt while kids were in vehicle, more news
A man in Thousand Oaks reportedly escaped a carjacking attempt while his two young children were in the vehicle on April 29, authorities said. The incident was reported shortly after 3:10 p.m. in the 2000 block of Moss Court, according to Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. Rob Davidson. The block is in a residential area on the north side of Avenida De Las Flores, east of Highway 23. The victim told deputies he was approached by three or four male suspects as he got out of his vehicle and was going to the mailbox. The suspects reportedly demanded the car, which had the victim's children inside, Davidson said. The victim pleaded with them not to take the vehicle. The suspects then allegedly robbed the man of his wallet and fled, the captain said. As of the morning of April 30, the suspects had not been apprehended, a sheriff's official said. A jury found an Oxnard man guilty of multiple counts of child molestation in a case involving two victims, authorities said. John Edward Kalil, 28, was convicted of six felony counts of lewd act upon a child on April 28, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. Jurors also found true special allegations that there were multiple victims and there had been substantial sexual contact. The special allegations can bring a heavier sentence. Kalil molested two victims who were younger than 14 between 2014 and 2020, the DA's office said in a news release. The incidents took place in the home they shared, where Kalil had gained access through a familial relationship. Both victims reported the abuse after the arrests of another family member who was also allegedly molesting them, according to prosecutors. The case against the other family member is pending. "While I respect the jury process, my client maintains his innocence, and there will be an appeal," said Kalil's attorney, Encino-based Gregory Rubel, in a text message. Senior Deputy DA Stuart Gardner prosecuted the case. Sentencing is scheduled for the morning of June 6 in room 26 of Ventura County Superior Court. Kalil, who remains in custody without bail in the county's main jail, faces 150 years to life in state prison, prosecutors said. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks man avoids carjacking while kids were in car, more news
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Michigan lawmakers working to cap rising prescription prices
The Brief Concern is rising about the prices of prescription drugs, and lawmakers say they are working to find a stop to it. Democrats hope to pass a bill to limit how much companies can charge. Roughly a dozen states currently have a drug affordability board. DETROIT (FOX 2) - There is real concern when it comes to the cost of prescription drugs, and state lawmakers say they are working on solutions. What they're saying The solution, they say, is a group of five people hand-picked by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who would essentially look over the price of prescription drugs and set a limit on how much they can charge. It's a bill that has been tried before but never made it to the governor's desk. Now some Democrats are trying again. Inside a packed senior home in Saint Clair Shores, were stories about the rising cost of drugs. Representative Denise Mentzer says she met a man who used to pay $80 for a three-month supply of his diabetes medication, and then his employer switched insurance plans. She said a 90-day supply of the same drug, same dosage, increased to $450. It's a tale that resonates with Berdie Nash, who also has diabetes. "I'm concerned about the price going up, and I have family in a similar type of situation where they need their medication, and are concerned about it too," Nash said. Which is why talk of a state-run drug affordability board piqued her interest. "They are there to hold big pharma accountable because, right now, pharma can just say this is what it costs because research and development and all the costs, but they don't have to show anyone their books," said Dr. Rob Davidson. Dig deeper Here's how Senate Bills 3, 4, and 5 would work; The governor would appoint five people, unaffiliated with the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies, to set price limits in the state, in theory curbing profits for the prescription drug industry. It's a set of laws that Senator Kevin Hertel has supported in the past. "Someone is just making a lot of money while someone who needs that medicine to stay alive is suffering," he said. But it also has not made it out of the House by a vote. Those on this panel say it's because the drug lobby pours hundreds of millions into stopping this law before it can get to a vote. The other side out of Virginia is a national group opposed to an advisory board. On its website, it argues the board will lead to insurance denials and coverage costs, and setting price limits could impact mom-and-pop pharmacies in terms of reimbursement. Roughly a dozen states currently have a drug affordability board. In Michigan, the bills were introduced in January and are in committee before heading to the floor for a vote. The Source FOX 2 talked with Representative Denise Mentzer and Dr. Rob Davidson for information used in this report.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
HOW TO WATCH: KTAB's ‘Change a Child's Story' special & forum featuring volunteers
ABILENE, Texas () – When children are removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect, they face an uncertain journey through the child welfare system. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are trained volunteers appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of these children. Our 'Change a Child's Story' special will highlight the impact of Big Country CASA volunteers through powerful testimonials, real-life legal resolutions, and an inside look at the dedicated individuals who give children a voice. KTAB's 'Change a Child's Story' special will air at 6:30 p.m. on March 26, offering valuable insights into Big Country CASA's role in the community. The panelists for the special include: Kasey Leavell – A one-year volunteer and member of the CASA Board of Directors. Rob Davidson – A volunteer since 2019, Air Force veteran, and active member of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps. Jonathon Leverton – Recently sworn in as a volunteer; has experience in foster care. Lee Ann Millender – Executive Director of Big Country CASA. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Michigan physicians and health care providers underscore concerns on federal cuts to Medicaid
Dr. Rob Davidson, executive director of the Committee to Protect Health Care, at a Lansing press conference discussing the Trump administration's proposed Medicaid cuts. March 20, 2025. Photo by Kyle Davidson. A sea of white coats filled the Senate appropriations room on Thursday as members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of Health and Human Services heard testimony on the dire threat federal cuts to Medicaid could pose to Michigan residents and health care providers. As President Donald Trump, alongside billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, seek to free up funding for tax cuts and action on border security, House Republicans have eyed programs including Medicaid for potential cuts, while lawmakers, physicians and hospital administrators warn these cuts could bring catastrophic consequences. Medicaid is the largest insurance program in the U.S., said Meghan Groen, the senior deputy Director of the Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration for the DHHS, noting that the program provides coverage for low-income children and families, elderly and disabled individuals and pregnant women. One in four Michiganders is enrolled in Medicaid, Groen noted, for a total of 2.6 million individuals, including 1 million children, 300,000 people with disabilities and 168,000 seniors. Additionally, Medicaid provides health coverage for 40% of the population in Michigan's rural areas Groen said, later noting that if rural health care providers are forced to close due to dramatic cuts to Medicare, those facilities would close for everyone in those areas, marking the loss of a major employer within these communities. She later explained that Medicaid is a major payer in the healthcare system, accounting for one fifth of all health care spending, with over half of that funding going toward long-term care, she said. Medicaid funding makes up 34% of the state's overall budget with more than 70% of that funding coming from federal sources, Groen said. Groen explained that Medicaid is jointly funded through both the state and federal government, with the federal government matching payments made at the state level. Michigan receives a 65% match rate and the state covers the remaining 35%. 'Every dollar you're putting in, you're getting $2 back, which is giving us $3 to spend on those beneficiaries that we were just talking about,' Groen said. The state also receives a 90% match rate for its expanded Medicaid program, which includes individuals at or below 133% of the federal poverty level, according to the DHHS's presentation, with the federal government similarly matching administrative costs at a 50%, 75% or 90% rate. If lawmakers opt to lower the 90% federal match rate to a proposed 65%, the state would lose $1.1 billion annually. Without an investment to cover that, 30% of Michigan's expanded Medicaid enrollees — or 750,000 people — would lose their coverage, Groen said. Proposals to limit Medicaid provider taxes would also be detrimental to the program, Groen said, noting that these are used to fund the program. Groen also addressed federal proposals to impose work requirements on Medicaid, noting that 64% of Michigan's expanded Medicaid population is employed. 'We have a little experience with work requirements in the state here, it cost us about $30 million previously when we were looking at implementing those. And that's an increase to those administrative costs,' Groen said. 'We did have some concerns about coverage losses. I believe it was around 100,000 individuals that we thought whose coverage would be terminated at that time. And we did believe that some of those individuals were certainly working, but had not gone through that process to verify their employment with the state of Michigan,' Groen said. Ending the enhanced federal match for administrative costs would similarly burden the state, leaving the state short $115 million for information technology projects needed to maintain current operations, Groen said. While MDHHS has not received any details on proposed caps to federal funding or block grants to support Michigan's Medicaid program over time, the national landscape and modeling show the state would lose $16 billion in federal funds between Fiscal Year 2025 and Fiscal Year 2034. Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint) noted that Michigan was among the better states in leveraging federal funding, in reference to data from the Kaiser Foundation, and that it was one of the lowest rated states for spending. 'Those two combinations, bringing in a lot of federal dollars and already being extremely efficient and lean means we are particularly vulnerable to cuts. Because when we're cutting, we're not cutting fat, we're cutting people. You know, there comes a point, you know, people like to do more with less. We do more with less. At some point, you just end up doing less with less,' Cherry said. Groen later emphasized there's only three ways to cut Medicaid. 'You can cut the people who are on it so that they no longer have that care. You can cut the rates that we pay to provide some of these services, like nursing homes and things like that. Or you can cut the services we provide. And as we kind of talk just briefly about, like, what optional services are in Medicaid… they're things that, again, I wouldn't, probably biased here but I don't think are optional,' she said. Alongside testimony from the MDHHS the committee also heard from representatives of various health care associations and providers detailing how they would be impacted by Medicaid cuts. Farhan Bhatti, CEO of Care Free Medical, which provided nearly 13,000 office visits to 3,800 patients mostly from Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties, said U.S. House Republican's resolution to cut $880 billion in spending over the next decade would likely force his clinic to close its doors. Federally-qualified health centers like Care Free Medical, along with clinics and hospitals across Michigan, rely on Medicaid reimbursement to pay their overhead, Bhatti said. If large numbers of Medicaid patients suddenly become uninsured, many clinics and hospitals simply won't be able to make ends meet and will cease service for all patients, not just the ones on Medicaid, Bhatti said. 'Closing Care Free would mean 2,100 patients who rely on Medicaid, and another 1,700 additional patients who pay for care or receive discounted care would lose their health access completely. They would have nowhere else to go. And I would venture to guess that at least half of my patients voted for President Trump, and believed him when he said that cuts to Medicaid would be off the table,' Bhatti said. During a press conference held after the hearing, Aisha Harris, a family physician from Flint, said most people don't realize they're getting Medicaid just because their personal insurance doesn't say Medicaid. 'I don't know if they understand what this cut will do. And if they're in nursing homes, doing other assistance programs, they're not really realizing the major impact,' Harris said. 'A lot of community programs are benefiting from Medicaid benefits, and if patients and people in the community don't realize that impact, it's going to be really devastating, and most of them are just going to go without any type of insurance,' Harris said, warning that this could lead to a widespread increase of individuals facing medical debt. Additionally the government does not make payments quickly, Harris said, with people just now getting payments for appointments they made in January. 'So the idea that these cuts may happen at any point, they don't know if that's going to delay their money that they're going to get, and that's going to impact their overhead, which will impact people's payroll. It's going to have this, like, ripple effect. And so if it happens, it's going to be another crisis.' 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