NewzIntel.com

Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI Security: Urine Drug Testing Laboratory and Owner Agree to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

    Source: US FBI

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that LabXperior Corporation (LabXperior) and owner Tina Ball (Ball) have paid $235,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the Federal False Claims Act and North Carolina False Claims Act by knowingly billing North Carolina Medicaid (Medicaid) for urine drug tests that were medically unnecessary and resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute.

    The United States and State of North Carolina alleged that from September 28, 2016, through December 20, 2017, LabXperior submitted claims to Medicaid for urine drug tests that were false. The claims were false because they were the result of an illegal kickback arrangement between LabXperior and BPolloni Consulting, LLC (BPolloni), an entity that referred urine drug tests to LabXperior. Under the arrangement, LabXperior paid BPolloni a percentage of the revenue or profit from the Medicaid reimbursement for each urine drug test that BPolloni arranged for another entity, Do It 4 the Hood Corporation (D4H), to send to LabXperior. The Chief Executive Officer of BPolloni and other individuals who operated D4H previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and Anti-Kickback Statute violations arising from D4H’s illegal kickback arrangements with urine drug testing laboratories.

    In addition to being tainted by illegal kickbacks, the United States and State of North Carolina alleged that claims for drug tests that LabXperior submitted to Medicaid were false because the tests were medically unnecessary. Specifically, the orders for the tests were not patient-specific and did not reflect a qualified medical provider’s determination of the patient’s need for the testing.

    The civil settlement and resolution of claims obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI in Charlotte, with assistance from the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.

    Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Fatal traffic accident in Tsing Yi

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident happened in Tsing Yi in the small hours today (May 23) in which a man died.

    At 0.40am, a private car driven by a 40-year-old man was travelling along Tsing Sha Highway towards Kowloon. When approaching the entrance of Nam Wan Tunnel, the private car reportedly knocked down a 61-year-old male tunnel staff.

    Sustaining serious leg injuries, the man was rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 2.17am.

    The driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and is being detained for enquiries.

    Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories South is underway.

    Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 1446.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Oneonta Man and Former Health Care Executive Convicted of Mail Fraud for Stealing from his Employer

    Source: US FBI

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Kevin Harrington, age 50, of Oneonta, New York, pled guilty to a federal indictment charging him with two counts of mail fraud, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced.

    At his change of plea, Harrington admitted that he was the former executive director at First Community Care of Bassett, LLC (an affiliate of Bassett Healthcare Network). During his employment, Harrington submitted fraudulent expense reports seeking reimbursement for the purchase of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. As part of the scheme, Harrington provided invoices to his employer that falsely claimed he had paid thousands of dollars for medical equipment when no such equipment was ever purchased. Unaware that the invoices were fraudulent, First Community Care of Bassett issued and mailed checks to Harrington for reimbursement.  In total, Harrington admitted to stealing over $150,000 from his former employer.

    At sentencing on November 21, 2024, Harrington faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

    FBI is investigating the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 5.22.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    May 22, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

    Tala Khalaf, of San Carlos, has been appointed to the Physical Therapy Board of California. Khalaf has been a Senior Physical Therapist at the Stanford Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Physical Therapy Clinic since 2008, Faculty Member of the Physical Therapy Residency Program at Stanford Health Care since 2014, a Self-Employed Concierge Physical Therapist since 2017, and the Co-Founder of PhysioHand since 2020. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association. Khalaf earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Massachusetts General Hospital and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Ohio State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Khalaf is a Democrat. 

    Donna DeBerry, of San Diego, has been appointed to the 22nd District Agricultural Association San Diego County Fair Board. DeBerry has been Chief Executive Officer of Donna Deberry & Associates since 2025. DeBerry was the President and Chief Executive Officer for the County of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce from 2020 to 2025. She was the Vice President of Global Inclusion at Seismic from 2021 to 2022. She was the Director of Global Inclusion and Diversity at Indeed from 2016 to 2018. She was the Global Manager Inclusion & Diversity at Starbucks from 2014 to 2016. She was a Global Diversity & Inclusion Executive Consultant at Brand Inclusion from 2007 to 2014. She was a consultant and Vice President of Global Diversity at Nike from 2004 to 2006. DeBerry was the Executive Vice President of Global Diversity at Wyndham Worldwide from 2000 to 2004. DeBerry earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from Thomas Edison State College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. DeBerry is registered without party preference.

    Kartikeya “KK” Jha, of Fresno, has been reappointed to the State Board of Pharmacy, where he has served since 2022. Jha has been District Director of Operations at Omnicare, a CVS Health Company since 2019. He was Director of Operations at Nimble Rx from 2018 to 2019. Jha earned a Master of Science degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Long Island University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Jha is a Democrat.

    Nicholas Hardeman, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Housing and Finance Agency Board of Directors. Hardeman has been Principal at Hardeman Strategies and Consulting since 2024. He was Chief of Staff to Senate President pro Tempore Emeritus Toni G. Atkins in the California State Senate from 2016 to 2024. Hardeman held several positions in the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2016, including Chief of Staff to Speaker pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, Special Assistant to Speaker pro Tempore John Pérez, and Chief of Staff to Speaker pro Tempore Fiona Ma. He was a Policy Consultant in the California State Senate from 2003 to 2006. Hardeman is a Board Member on the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors, Brightline Defense Project, and The California Storm. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Government in Politics from Saint Mary’s College of California. This position requires Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Hardeman is a Democrat.

    Jason Newell, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the State Board of Pharmacy, where he has served since 2024. Newell has been Principal and Co-Founder at System2Solutions since 2020. He was Co-Founder and Program Director of the Leveraging Equal Access Program from 2015 to 2024. Newell earned a Master of Social Work degree in Community Mental Health from California State University, East Bay, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising Design from Academy of Art College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Newell is a Democrat.

    Nicole Thibeau, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the State Board of Pharmacy, where she has served since 2021. Thibeau has been Director of Pharmacy Services at the Los Angeles LGBT Center since 2013. She was the Pharmacist in Charge at Target Pharmacy from 2012 to 2013. Thibeau was the Pharmacist in Charge at CVS Pharmacy from 2009 to 2012. She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Thibeau is a Democrat.

    Daniel Lee, of South Sacramento, has been reappointed to the Podiatric Medical Board of California, where he has served since 2020. Lee has been a Foot and Ankle Surgeon for The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente since 2011, Clinical Professor at the California Northstate University, College of Medicine since 2013, Clinical Professor at the California School of Podiatric Medicine since 2021 and Associate Clinical Professor at Western University College of Podiatric Medicine since 2021. He is a Member of the American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons. Lee earned a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedical Sciences from Chulalongkorn University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lee is registered without party preference.

    Maria Preciosa Solacito, of Palmdale, has been reappointed to the California Veterinary Medical Board, where she has served since 2020. Solacito has been a Practice Owner in Antelope Valley since 2023. She held multiple positions at the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control from 2008 to 2023, including Deputy Director, Senior Veterinarian, and Shelter Veterinarian. Solacito is a member of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, Southern California Filipino Veterinary Medical Association, Association for Animal Welfare Advancement, California Animal Welfare Association, and the Philippine Veterinary Medical Association. She earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines College of Veterinary Medicine. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Solacito is a Democrat.

    Cheryl Williams, of San Diego has been reappointed to the Respiratory Care Board, where she has served since 2021. Williams has been an Insurance Consultant for the American Family Life Assurance Company since 2015. She was a Community Relations Coordinator at the San Ysidro Health Center from 2010 to 2015. Williams was a Constituent Service Manager in the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2010. She was an Assistant Campaign Field Manager for Mary Salas for State Assembly from 2005 to 2006. Williams was a Community Development Consultant at the Jacobs Foundation in San Diego from 2001 to 2004. She was President and Chief Executive Officer at the San Diego Circuit Board Service from 1981 to 2000. Williams was a Hearing and Placement Assistant for the San Diego Unified School District from 1977 to 1981. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and San Diego Delta Foundation Inc. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Williams is a Democrat.

    Carel Mountain, of Fair Oaks, has been reappointed to the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, where she has served since 2018. Mountain has been an Assistant Professor of Nursing at California State University, Sacramento since 2022. She was an Adjunct Faculty Member at Pacific Union College from 1997 to 2023. Mountain was Director of Nursing at Sacramento City College from 2016 to 2022. She was an On-Line Instructor for the University of Phoenix from 2006 to 2019. Mountain was a Professor at Shasta College from 1997 to 2016. She is a member of the National League of Nursing and California Organization of Associate Degree Nursing Educators. Mountain earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from California State University, Fresno, a Master of Science degree in Nursing Administration and Education from California State University, Sonoma, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from Pacific Union College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Mountain is a Democrat.

    Gloria Gregoria Guzman, of Bakersfield, has been reappointed to the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, where she has been serving since 2023. Guzman has been a Licensed Vocational Nurse at Kaiser Permanente since 1989. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Guzman is a Democrat.

    Aleta Carpenter, of Redding, has been reappointed to the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, where she has served since 2016. Carpenter has been a Consultant at ACE Communications since 2013. She was a Community Education Specialist II for the Public Health Department at the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency from 2007 to 2012. Carpenter was a Lobbyist and Partner at Carpenter, Snodgrass and Associates from 1982 to 2003. She is the Chair of the Youth Violence Prevention Council/Youth Options Shasta and Shasta County Tobacco Education Coalition, School Board Member for the California Heritage YouthBuild Academy, and Member of the Shasta Environmental Alliance and the Redding Community Grant Advisory Committee. Carpenter earned a Master of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Carpenter is a Democrat.

    Seyron Foo, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the Board of Psychology, where he has served since 2017. Foo has been Senior Program Officer at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation since 2022, where he was previously Senior Advocacy Officer from 2020 to 2022. He held several positions at Southern California Grantmakers from 2016 to 2020, including Vice President of Public Policy and Government Relations, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, and Senior Manager of Public Policy and Government Relations. Foo was a Senior Policy Analyst for the Director’s Office at the City of Long Beach Public Works Department from 2015 to 2016. He was a David M. Wodynski Memorial Fellow at the Long Beach City Manager’s Office from 2014 to 2015. Foo held multiple positions for Senate Majority Leader Ellen M. Corbett in the California State Senate from 2009 to 2012, including Legislative Aide and Senate Fellow. Foo earned a Master in Public Affairs degree from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Rhetoric and Political Science from University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Foo is a Democrat.

    Mary Harb Sheets, of San Diego, has been reappointed to the Board of Psychology, where she has served since 2018. Harb Sheets has been a Self-Employed Clinical Psychologist since 1994. She was a Senior Consultant and Staff Psychologist at Workplace Guardians, Inc. from 2000 to 2023. Harb Sheets was an Adjunct Faculty Member in Advanced Law and Ethics at Alliant University from 2012 to 2018. She was a Counseling Psychologist and Adjunct Faculty Member at California State University, San Diego from 1990 to 1998. Harb Sheets was a Registered Psychological Assistant for Gary De Voss, Ph.D. from 1992 to 1994. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, San Diego. Harb Sheets is a member of the American Psychological Association, California Psychological Association, National Register of Health Services Psychologists, and San Diego Psychological Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Harb Sheets is a Democrat.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    May 22, 2025

    News What you need to know: The state today began restoring shallow water habitats in the Salton Sea as part of California’s first major habitat restoration project in the region – a key step for improving local wildlife conditions and suppressing dust to improve air…

    May 22, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced California will fight the U.S. Senate’s illegal vote aiming to undo key parts of the state’s clean vehicles program in court. SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced today the…

    May 22, 2025

    News What you need to know: The Pacific Coast Highway, which was closed following the Palisades Fire, will reopen to public travel ahead of schedule this Friday in advance of Memorial Day Holiday.  LOS ANGELES – Following through on his commitment to reopen a critical…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arizona Man Sentenced to 49 Months in Prison for $4.4 Million Conspiracy to Defraud IRS

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Arizona man was sentenced today to 49 months in prison for conspiring to obtain over $4.4 million by defrauding the IRS, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Walid Khater, 38, of Mesa, Arizona, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Walid Khater’s conspirator, Omar Khater, 33, of Fairfield, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced on June 12, 2024, to 57 months in prison.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Walid and Omar Khater were relatives who worked together and with others to steal victims’ identities, which they used to file false tax returns and fraudulently receive tax refunds from the IRS. They electronically submitted tax documents to the IRS falsely claiming that the individual taxpayers listed on those documents had earned certain income or won thousands – and in some cases millions – of dollars in gambling and lottery winnings. The false filings also claimed tax withholdings on the purported income or gambling winnings that entitled the tax filer to refund payments from the IRS.

    The Khaters and others typically submitted these fraudulent tax filings using the names and personal identifying information of individual taxpayers without their knowledge or permission. The fraudulent filings caused the IRS to pay lucrative tax refunds, totaling $4.49 million, which the Khaters and others directed to various bank accounts that they controlled.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Walid Khater to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $4.49 million.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of FBI-Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the NJ Transit Police.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Essex County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

    Lamar McCullough, 30, of Essex County, was convicted by a federal jury on June 7, 2024, of unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon following a trial before U.S. District Judge Katherine Hayden, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    On March 5, 2021, members of the Newark Police Department responded to a report of a shooting victim at University Hospital. Surveillance video recorded at 7:22 p.m. showed McCullough shoot a victim four times at close range in the middle of Isabella Avenue in Newark. Four 9-millimeter shell casings were recovered from the area where McCullough discharged the firearm.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced McCullough to three years of supervised release.

    U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation.

    The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Ecker of the Healthcare Fraud Unit and Katherine Calle of the Special Prosecutions Division.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Owner of Garfield Counseling Center Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Orchestrating Health Care Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    NEWARK, N.J. – The owner of a New Jersey counseling center was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for her role in a health care fraud scheme involving hundreds of false claims, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

    Maria P. Cosentino, 61, of Garfield, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging her with participating in a health care fraud scheme. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court,

    According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

    Cosentino owned Bergen Alliance Counseling Services, which provided counseling services and mental health treatment to children, families, couples, and adults. She admitted that for years she submitted false claims to private health insurance plans for counseling sessions that she never provided. Cosentino falsely claimed that various individuals had received counseling at the center when in fact they had been out of the country, had ceased attending the practice, or had never visited the counseling center at all. The false claims caused insurance plans to issue reimbursement checks to the center even though the individuals had never received any treatment. Cosentino kept the illicit profits, which totaled more than $700,000.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Cosentino to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay restitution of $708,038.

    U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney DeNae Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Indian Citizen Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    Owned lab in Everett, WA that billed Medicare $8.7 million for COVID tests that were never legitimately ordered or performed

    Seattle – An Indian national indicted for health care fraud will make his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Mohammed Asif, 34, was arrested on April 10, 2025, at Chicago O’Hare International Airport while attempting to board an international flight. Asif is charged with health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with the operation of American Labworks LLC, a diagnostic testing laboratory in Everett, Washington. The indictment alleges that Asif conspired with others to bill Medicare for COVID-19 tests and other respiratory illness tests that had not been ordered or performed.

    “Medicare provides critical funding for senior citizens’ health care needs, which makes this type of fraud all the more reprehensible,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This case stands as an example of how federal law enforcement is working diligently to protect those critical tax dollars from fraud schemes.”

    According to the indictment and an earlier-filed criminal complaint, the Washington Secretary of State has American Labworks being formed in October 2021 and dissolved in March 2025. Washington Department of Health records indicate that its license as a Medical Test Site expired in December 2023. Asif is listed in filings with the state and with Medicare as the owner and director of American Labworks.

    Claims data from April 2024 to December 2024 show that American Labworks billed Medicare more than $8.7 million for laboratory testing services, including for COVID-19 testing. Medicare paid out over $1.1 million to the lab.

    Between June 2024 and March 2025, Medicare received more than 200 complaints from enrollees and others about American Labworks. Many of these complainants reported that Medicare was billed for testing that was never received. For example, one Medicare enrollee noted that Medicare paid American Labworks $545 for COVID-19 tests in August 2023 and March 2024. But the beneficiary had never had any COVID-19 tests on those dates. Multiple Medicare beneficiaries said they too had seen bills for tests that never occurred. Physicians who had allegedly ordered the tests said they had not sent patients to American Labworks, and many patients said they had never heard of the referring physician listed in the records.

    In some instances, the billing records indicated a beneficiary’s testing date of service occurred after other records indicated the beneficiary was dead. And in other instances, the physician who allegedly referred the patient for testing was dead at the time of the date of service.

    Financial records indicate Mohammed Asif received multiple checks and made withdrawals from the American Labworks bank account, which he controlled. In May 2024, he withdrew $260,000 from the American Labworks checking account. Soon after that Asif, who had been in the U.S. on a student visa, retuned to India. He came back to the U.S. in March 2025 as investigators were unraveling the fraud. Prosecutors and special agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) moved quickly to draft the criminal complaint and take Asif into custody. A grand jury then returned the indictment of Asif on April 23.

    Asif is alleged to have conspired with other people to accomplish the fraud. Those coconspirators are not named in the criminal complaint or indictment. The government’s investigation is ongoing.

    “By all appearances, there is nothing legitimate about Mr. Asif’s company.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Mr. Asif, along with his co-conspirators, used this apparently illegitimate company to fraudulently bill Medicare almost $9 million for tests that were never done. When we receive allegations such as these, the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate potential fraud against the US taxpayer.”

    “Through this scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare for laboratory testing services never furnished, the defendant diverted taxpayer money that was meant to pay for legitimate medical services,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robb Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who exploit federal health care programs for their own personal gain.”

    Health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud are punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

    The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: The Grand Health Care System and 12 Affiliated Skilled Nursing Facilities to Pay $21.3 Million for Allegedly Providing and Billing for Fraudulent Rehabilitation Therapy Services

    Source: US FBI

    Company Admits that Supervisory Officials Falsified Information in Medical Records

    ALBANY, NEW YORK – Strauss Ventures LLC doing business as The Grand Health Care System and 12 affiliated skilled nursing facilities (collectively, the Grand), have agreed to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for therapy services that were unreasonable, unnecessary, unskilled, or that simply did not occur as billed. Many of the settling facilities are located in upstate and central New York, including in Albany, Oneida, Madison, Columbia, and Herkimer counties.

    “Today’s settlement protects patients and taxpayers by ensuring that medical treatment is dictated by patient need and not by financial motive,” said United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman.  “Skilled nursing facilities provide important services to a vulnerable population, and we will continue to hold them accountable when they provide patients with unnecessary services and falsify records.”

    The settlement resolves allegations that from as early as January 1, 2014 to September 30, 2019, the Grand knowingly submitted false claims for rehabilitation therapy for residents at 12 facilities Strauss Ventures owned and operated. During this period, Medicare Part A (Medicare’s hospital insurance, which also pays for care in a skilled nursing facility in some circumstances) and TRICARE (the federal health care program for the Department of Defense) paid for such services at rates that varied based on the number of minutes of skilled rehabilitation therapy provided. The Grand allegedly submitted bills where the reimbursement claimed was based on providing more therapy than was reasonable and necessary, or in some cases where the therapists did not provide the amount of therapy reported. 

    As part of the settlement, the Grand admitted that certain now-former Grand management level employees implemented quotas that each of the 12 facilities was expected to reach, including quotas relating to beneficiaries’ lengths of stay and to the percentage of beneficiaries billed at the highest reimbursement level. To meet these quotas, facilities often scheduled patients to receive therapy without consideration of what was reasonable and necessary based on the individual patients’ clinical condition. In addition, the Grand directed that no more than three patients be discharged from any facility per week and instructed that no Medicare Part A patients should be discharged from rehabilitation therapy unless it had been discussed with corporate officials. The Grand admitted that this resulted in some Medicare beneficiaries “staying on therapy longer than was reasonable and medically necessary.” 

    The Grand acknowledged that there were various instances where supervisory officials, who did not personally evaluate or treat patients, set or adjusted the number of minutes of therapy that a Medicare patient would receive. The Grand also acknowledged that there were instances where supervisory personnel falsified the number of therapy minutes in the Grand’s electronic recordkeeping system or instructed subordinates to do so, well after the therapy was allegedly rendered.

    “We expect nursing facilities to provide only reasonable and appropriate amounts of skilled rehabilitation therapy service to their residents and to bill government healthcare programs only for the services actually provided,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting both vulnerable nursing home patients and taxpayers against fraudulent conduct by unscrupulous actors.” 

    The settlement also resolves federal allegations that the Grand submitted false claims to Medicaid for services rendered at its Pawling, New York nursing home between January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2021. These claims were allegedly false because the reimbursement rate was inflated by data inaccurately reflecting the degree of care, including rehabilitation therapy services, needed by Medicaid patients there. 

    The Grand has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) that requires an independent review organization to annually assess the medical necessity and appropriateness of therapy services billed to Medicare.

    “Violations of the False Claims Act are absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the FBI and its partners,” said Executive Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch. “We will continue our work of protecting the American taxpayer by relentlessly pursuing businesses that do not comply with the rule of law. If you bill federal health care programs in an unnecessary manner, there will be consequences.”

    “The Grand admitted to providing unnecessary care to our most vulnerable, to include knowingly keeping patients in their facilities and away from their loved ones when they needed them most,” said Craig Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albay Field Office. “This settlement illustrates the FBI’s commitment to working with our partners to protect federally funded healthcare programs from abuse by companies looking to line their pockets with taxpayer dollars.”

    “As a part of this settlement, the defendants acknowledged that they obtained funds from the Medicare program to which they were not entitled,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of HHS-OIG. “Individuals and entities that participate in the federal health care system are required to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients.”

    “Protecting the integrity of the healthcare system for our military members and their families is a top priority of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Solecki of DCIS Northeast Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work with its law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to hold DoD contractors accountable for their fraudulent activity and ensure America’s service members are not subject to unnecessary risk.”

    The settlement resolves a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act by two former providers of rehabilitation therapy at the Grand. The Act allows private persons to file civil actions on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. Under the settlement, the whistleblowers will receive approximately $4,047,000 of the settlement proceeds. The case is docketed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York under number 1:19-cv-1311.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York; the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; HHS-OIG’s New York Region; the FBI, Albany Field Office; DCIS, Syracuse Resident Agency, and the New York State Attorney General’s Office investigated the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam J. Katz and Senior Trial Counsel Christelle Klovers represented the United States.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Employee of Eye for Change Youth and Family Services Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulent Medicaid Billing Practices

    Source: US FBI

    CLEVELAND – Eric King, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker, U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko announced today. King was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, $1,800 in special assessments, and restitution of $483,165.38.

    King, a former employee of Eye For Change Youth and Family Services, Inc., a non-profit corporation in Cleveland, was previously found guilty after a jury trial of 13 counts of health care fraud, one count of false statement relating to health care matters, and five counts of aggravated identity theft.

    According to court documents, trial testimony, and today’s sentencing hearing, from June 2018 through May 2021, King defrauded Medicaid by causing Medicaid to be billed for services not actually performed or for services that were not actually performed for the amount of time the billing codes reflected; for falsifying progress notes into Medicaid beneficiary electronic records; for creating false progress notes; and for using the identities of clients without authorization to bill Medicaid. As a result of King’s conduct, Medicaid paid over $483,000 for fraudulent billings.

    The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Cleveland Division of the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services — Office of the Inspector General and the Ohio Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Section. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward D. Brydle and Brian M. McDonough, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Metzler.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ferocity, fitness and fast bowling: how Virat Kohli revolutionised Indian cricket

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania

    Virat Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on Monday.

    While his Instagram message just said this was the “right time”, his poor recent Test form, mental fatigue and desire to spend more time with his family, charity foundation and expanding business empire have been suggested as other influential factors.

    During his 14-year Test career “King Kohli” has been the backbone of the Indian batting line-up, and his absence is a huge blow as the Indians prepare to tour England next month.

    The megastar scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries.

    These numbers put him in the top five Indian test batsmen of all time, but his legacy extends far beyond his batting achievements.

    Kohli, 36, quit Twenty20 Internationals last year (after India won its second world title). He may continue to play one-day internationals.

    Rising to the top of Test cricket

    Kohli has been the greatest Indian batsman of his generation.

    He made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies and played his final match against Australia in January.

    He scored centuries against every country he played against, with more than half of these coming overseas.

    His seven Test centuries in Australia is the second most by an overseas batsman.

    He was at his peak between 2014 and 2019, when he averaged more than 60 in Test cricket and became one of the “fab four” (the world’s best Test batsmen) alongside Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root.



    Read more:
    Is Steve Smith set to become the best? What data says about Test cricket’s elite 10,000+ run club

    This period also included six double-hundreds in 18 months, and 13 months as the number one ranked Test batsman in the world.

    Kohli the leader

    Kohli is India’s greatest ever Test captain.

    His tenure from 2014 to 2022 was a golden age for Indian Test cricket.

    India won 40 of 68 Tests (59%) in this period and did not lose a Test series at home. India was the number one ranked Test team in the world from 2016–20 and won its first Test series in Australia in 2018–19.

    These statistics make Kohli one of the most successful Test captains of all time.

    Beyond these numbers, he was a charismatic and aggressive captain who redefined India’s approach to Test cricket by bringing a more competitive edge to the team.

    He drove higher expectations around fitness, training intensity and fast bowling that continue to shape Indian cricket.

    Mandatory fitness testing and improved dieting and recovery practices, which redefined the team’s standards, are attributed to Kohli’s leadership.

    Similarly, Indian success was strongly contributed to by Kohli encouraging the development of a world-class pace bowling attack, which marked a significant shift from the spin-heavy approach of Indian cricket.

    Controversies

    While Kohli’s energy, passion and intensity contributed to his success as batsman and captain, they also led to numerous confrontations with opposition players, which some believed to be disrespectful and arrogant.

    His intense celebrations and assertive body language also drew criticism from conservative cricketing audiences.

    Kohli’s collision with Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test versus Australia.

    Many of these controversies have occurred in Australia, where Kohli enjoyed a love-hate relationship with Australian players and crowds.

    Examples include flipping the bird to the crowd, making sandpaper gestures (in reference to the 2018 Australian ball tampering scandal, also known as Sandpapergate) and shoulder-barging young Australian batsman Sam Konstas.

    What will his Test legacy be?

    For more than a decade, Kohli has been the heartbeat of the Indian Test team, and his retirement marks the end of an era.

    He reshaped the mindset of Indian cricket and cultivated a faster, fitter, fiercer, more successful team.

    Kohli was also one of the greatest ambassadors of Test cricket, and has played a significant role in ensuring the game remains relevant in an era increasingly dominated by T20 cricket.

    He made Test cricket aspirational again because he wanted it to thrive. He knew India needed to dominate the hardest format to be respected.

    His social media reach (272 million followers on Instagram and 67.8 million on X) is more than Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Tom Brady combined, and was even referred to by LA2028 Olympics organisers when they announced cricket’s entry into the games.

    In recent days, Kohli has been described as “a modern-day giant”, a “provocateur in chief”, and “his generation’s most profound figure”.

    Love him or hate him, he elevated the spectacle of Test cricket. His electric energy brought the best out of India and its opponents and made him impossible to ignore when batting or fielding.

    As respected cricket writer Peter Lalor noted recently:

    Nobody is irreplaceable, but nobody can replace Virat.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Ferocity, fitness and fast bowling: how Virat Kohli revolutionised Indian cricket – https://theconversation.com/ferocity-fitness-and-fast-bowling-how-virat-kohli-revolutionised-indian-cricket-256560

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA)

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) is an organisation of medical professionals in Australia solely focused on protecting health through care of the environment.

    DEA is composed of GPs, surgeons, physicians, anaesthetists, psychiatrists, paediatricians, public health specialists, academics, medical students and researchers. DEA brings together an extraordinary level of leadership and expertise drawn from every branch of medicine.

    All its members are volunteers who strongly support the objectives of DEA. Since forming in 2001, DEA has been guided by our vision ‘Healthy Planet, Healthy People’. DEA uses compelling scientific evidence to demonstrate the important health benefits of clean air and water, biodiverse natural places, stable climates and sustainable health care systems.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • Stock markets rally nearly 1% backed by strong domestic indicators

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian equity markets ended the week on a positive note, with key indices registering sharp gains on Friday amid firm global cues and robust domestic macroeconomic indicators.

    The BSE Sensex surged 769.09 points, or 0.95 per cent, to close at 81,721.08. The index touched an intraday high of 81,905.17 and a low of 80,897.00 during the session. The NSE Nifty also saw notable gains, climbing 243.45 points, or 0.99 per cent, to settle at 24,853.15.

    Market analysts attributed the uptrend to buying in IT, FMCG, banking and financial stocks, as well as renewed optimism over India’s fiscal outlook.

    “The index has moved higher after finding support at the 21-day exponential moving average (EMA). Broadly, the Nifty appears to be consolidating within the 24,700 to 25,000 range,” said Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities. He added that the short-term trend remains positive and momentum could pick up further if the index crosses the 25,000 mark.

    The broader markets also mirrored the upbeat sentiment. The Nifty Midcap100 rose by 0.64 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap100 gained 0.80 per cent—indicating strength across the board.

    On the Sensex, 29 of the 30 constituents ended in the green. Sun Pharma was the sole laggard, falling 2.14 per cent after the company reported a dip in net profit for the fourth quarter.

    Among the top gainers were shares of Eternal, Power Grid, ITC, Bajaj Finserv, and Nestle India, which advanced between 1.83 per cent and 3.6 per cent.

    Sector-wise, Nifty FMCG and Nifty Private Bank led the gains, rising 1.63 per cent and 1.08 per cent, respectively. Other sectors including IT, financial services, metal, PSU bank, oil & gas, and realty also closed in positive territory with gains of up to 0.95 per cent.

    On the other hand, Nifty Pharma and Nifty Healthcare were the only two indices that ended in the red, with marginal declines of 0.41 per cent and 0.01 per cent, respectively.

    Experts said investor sentiment was supported by optimism over ongoing US-India trade negotiations and expectations of a record-high dividend payout by the Reserve Bank of India, which could aid fiscal consolidation efforts.

    “Investor attention is revolving around US-India trade talks and the strength of domestic economic indicators,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: MHRA approves polihexanide to treat acanthamoeba keratitis

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    MHRA approves polihexanide to treat acanthamoeba keratitis

    As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of polihexanide under close review. 

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved polihexanide (Akantior) to treat acanthamoeba keratitis. 

    Acanthamoeba keratitis is an infection of the cornea, the clear ‘window’ at the front of the eye, that can be very painful.  

    This medicine has been approved through the International Recognition Procedure (IRP). The IRP allows the MHRA to take into account the expertise and decision-making of trusted regulatory partners for the benefit of UK patients.   

    Polihexanide is administered as an eye drop solution, directly into the eye.    

    The MHRA conducts a targeted assessment of IRP applications and retains the authority to reject applications if the evidence provided is not considered sufficiently robust.  

    A full list of side effects can be found in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) or the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), available on the MHRA website within 7 days of approval.   

    As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of polihexanide under close review.   

    Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine is encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, either through the website (https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) or by searching the Google Play or Apple App stores for MHRA Yellow Card.

    Notes to editors      

    • The approval was granted on 15 June 2025 to SIFI S.P.A. 

    • This product was submitted and approved via International Recognition Procedure.    

    • More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.    

    • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.    

    • The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.    

    • For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 23 May 2025 Departmental update The World Health Assembly endorses the extension of the Global Strategy on Digital Health to 2027 and approves the next phase for 2028–2033

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Digital health is not about applications, platforms, or devices. It’s about transforming how health systems serve people—more equitably, more effectively, and with greater attention to individual needs.

    Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus / WHO Director-General

    Originally endorsed at the Seventy-third World Health Assembly (WHA73) in 2020, the strategy has catalyzed significant progress in equitable digital health implementation across all WHO regions. Key advancements include advancement in the development of national digital health strategies, strengthened collaboration through regional frameworks, enhanced cross-border interoperability, the establishment of guidance and governance on artificial intelligence, and improvements in health information systems. Digital health has also gained sustained global attention, having been included in the agendas of five consecutive G20 presidencies.

    Since the Strategy’s launch, countries and partners have made substantial progress:

    • 129 countries have established national digital health strategies.
    • Over 1,600 government officials from more than 100 countries have received training in digital health and artificial intelligence.
    • Transformative initiatives such as the Global Digital Health Certification Network have been launched, benefiting 1.8 billion people across 80 countries.
    • Critical guidance on artificial intelligence in health has been issued, including the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence for Health, with global workshops supporting Member States in ethical AI implementation.
    • 130 Member States have conducted digital health maturity assessments using the Global Digital Health Monitor.
    • Government-to-government collaboration on digital health has been established in four WHO regions, with 40 Member States joining the Global Digital Health Partnership.
    • Global collaboration has been strengthened through the Global Initiative on Digital Health, the WHO Innovation Hub and regional frameworks led by WHO, ITU, the African Union, PAHO and other key partners.

    “This extension is not just about adding two more years—it’s about accelerating action. With a renewed mandate extending from 2028 to 2033, we are entering a critical phase where digital health must be purposefully scaled and equitably integrated into every health system. From AI to telehealth, we have the tools; now we must ensure they reach and benefit everyone,” Dr Alain Labrique, Director of WHO’s Department of Digital Health and Innovation.

    With digital health set to play an increasingly central role in universal health coverage, pandemic preparedness, and climate-resilient systems, this extension reaffirms the shared commitment of WHO and its Member States for inclusive, ethical and sustainable digital transformation.

    “,”datePublished”:”2025-05-23T07:48:42.0000000+00:00″,”image”:”https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/topics/health-systems-and-interventions/digital-health/wha-assembly.jpg?sfvrsn=2b149a22_4″,”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”World Health Organization: WHO”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://www.who.int/Images/SchemaOrg/schemaOrgLogo.jpg”,”width”:250,”height”:60}},”dateModified”:”2025-05-23T07:48:42.0000000+00:00″,”mainEntityOfPage”:”https://www.who.int/news/item/23-05-2025-world-health-assembly-endorses-extension-of-the-global-digital-health-strategy-to-2027″,”@context”:”http://schema.org”,”@type”:”NewsArticle”};
    ]]>

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: Phunware Showcases Next-Gen Guest Experience Technology at HITEC 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Phunware to Debut Hospitality AI Features to Streamline Mobile Interactions; Joins Industry Leaders in Discussing How Next-Gen Apps Are Redefining Guest Engagement

    AUSTIN, Texas, May 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Phunware, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHUN), a leading provider of mobile-first engagement solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced its participation in the 2025 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), taking place June 16–19 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

    At Booth #2233, Phunware will showcase its mobile hospitality solution and unveil its newest AI features. Executives and product experts will be on-site to demonstrate how Phunware’s solution is transforming guest experiences while unlocking new revenue opportunities for hospitality leaders.

    Phunware’s team will also join a discussion about next-generation mobile apps at the Exhibit Hall on Tutorial Stage A on Wednesday, June 18. Phunware will demonstrate how intuitive UX, in-app services, real-time wayfinding, and AI-driven features enhance guest discovery across the resort experience—driving deeper engagement, increased revenue, and greater adoption of ancillary services. More details to follow.

    Phunware’s mobile hospitality solution empowers hoteliers to deliver seamless, intuitive, and personalized guest experiences. With features like property-wide navigation, real-time offers, and targeted messaging, it helps brands boost operational efficiency and drive ancillary revenue, all while staying aligned with brand standards and existing systems.

    Attendees can explore Phunware’s hospitality solution, test-drive the new AI features, and learn how top properties are transforming mobile engagement into revenue-generating, 5-star experiences.

    Book a meeting here to connect with Phunware’s team during the event.

    For additional information on HITEC program, visit here.

    About Phunware

    Phunware Inc. (NASDAQ: PHUN) envisions a world where every organization can deliver immersive, personalized mobile experiences that drive real-world action, loyalty, and growth. We aim to be the leading provider of integrated software solutions enabling smarter engagement through data-driven insights and seamless mobile platforms. We are bridging digital and physical touchpoints to shape the future of mobile engagement.

    Phunware’s mission is to achieve unparalleled connectivity and monetization through the widespread adoption of Phunware mobile technologies, leveraging brands, consumers, partners, digital asset holders, and market participants. Phunware is poised to expand its software products and services audience so customers can drive deeper engagement, automate key functions, and deliver compelling, on-brand experiences.

    For more information on Phunware, please visit www.phunware.com.

    Safe Harbor / Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business strategy and plans, and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. For example, Phunware is using forward-looking statements when it discusses the adoption and impact of emerging technologies and their use across mobile engagement platforms.

    The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

    By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

    Investor Relations Contact:

    Chris Tyson, Executive Vice President
    MZ Group – MZ North America
    949-491-8235
    PHUN@mzgroup.us
    www.mzgroup.us

    Phunware Media Contact:

    Joe McGurk, Managing Director
    917-259-6895
    PHUN@mzgroup.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Bayer AG to OTCQX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, May 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Bayer AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: BAYN; OTCQX: BAYRY, BAYZF), a life science company with three divisions – Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health and Crop Science, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Bayer AG upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink® market.

    Bayer AG begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbols “BAYRY” and “BAYZF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

    Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Bayer to OTCQX,” said Jason Paltrowitz, OTC Markets EVP of Corporate Services. “This milestone highlights the continued interplay between the European capital markets and U.S. investors seeking new investment opportunities.” 

    About Bayer
    Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2024, the Group employed around 93,000 people and had sales of 46.6 billion euros. R&D expenses amounted to 6.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

    About OTC Markets Group Inc.

    OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market, and Pink® Open Market.

    Our OTC Link® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

    OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN, OTC Link NQB, and MOON ATSTM are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

    To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

    Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

    Media Contact:
    OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Imperial Valley Doctor Sentenced for Years-Long Use of Unapproved Cosmetic Drugs

    Source: US FBI

    NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 20, 2023

    SAN DIEGO – Tien Tan Vo, a doctor practicing in Imperial Valley, was sentenced in federal court yesterday for crimes related to his years-long use of foreign unapproved and misbranded cosmetic drugs.  According to his plea and court records, Vo injected as many as 178 patients with unapproved drugs that had been smuggled into the United States from Mexico. 

    Magistrate Judge Allison H. Goddard sentenced Vo to three years of probation and ordered him to pay a $201,534 fine and forfeit the $100,767 in proceeds he made from his use of unlawful cosmetic drugs.  A restitution hearing is set for December 7, 2023, to finalize an order for restitution to potential victims.

    In August, Vo pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts: receipt of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce and being an accessory after the fact to Flor Cham, who smuggled the unapproved drugs into the United States from Mexico.  Cham is charged in case number 23-cr-01926-JLS.

    In his plea agreement, Vo admitted that none of the injectable botulinum toxin or lip fillers used by his clinics between November 2016 and October 2020 were approved for use in the United States. This specifically included a botulinum toxin product called “Xeomeen” and an injectable lip filler called Probcel—both products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

    According to court papers, Vo used these unapproved drugs on approximately 178 patients over about four years.  Many were never told that they received unapproved drugs as part of their treatment. 

    “The public faith in the FDA approval process relies on medical providers adhering to those rules,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “By side-stepping the safety and approval protocols of the FDA, Dr. Vo compromised care and put profits before patients. But thanks to the hard work of the agencies and our federal restitution process, those ill-gained profits will be recovered in this case.”

    “Today’s sentencing serves as our promise to use every tool to investigate and hold accountable those who deliberately smuggle and administer products that pose a significant public health threat,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI, together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work together to prosecute those individuals who deceive and threaten our communities.”

    “The FDA’s requirements help ensure that patients receive safe and effective medical treatments. Evading the FDA process and distributing unapproved drugs to U.S. consumers will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office.  “We will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who traffic in unapproved drugs.”

    A restitution hearing is set for December 7, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Allison H. Goddard. 

    Potential victims related to this case may provide or request information by emailing USACAS.Cosmetic.Case@usdoj.gov.  Individuals may submit written statements including information about potential losses or requests for refunds that may be included as part of the restitution ordered on December 7, 2023. 

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 23cr1700-AHG                                      

    Tien Tan Vo                                                    Age: 47                                   El Centro, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Accessory After the Fact to Entry of Goods by Means of False Statement – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 542 and 3

    Maximum penalty: one year in prison, fine of $100,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss

    Receipt in Interstate Commerce of Misbranded Drugs and Delivery for Pay or Otherwise – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 331(c) and 333(a)(1)

    Maximum penalty: one year in prison, fine of $1,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss

    AGENCIES

    Homeland Security Investigations

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Woman Sentenced in Multi-Million-Dollar Medicare Fraud Scheme

    Source: US FBI

    BOSTON – A California woman was sentenced yesterday for her role in a multi-million-dollar Medicare fraud scheme.

    Stefanie Hirsch, 51, of Los Angeles, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to three years of probation. Hirsch was also ordered to pay a fine of $2,500. On Feb. 24, 2021, Hirsch pleaded guilty to violating the HIPAA statute.

    Hirsch sold access to a Medicare eligibility tool that allowed Juan C. Perez Buitrago and Nathan LaParl to improperly access patients’ detailed personal, demographic, medical and insurance information. Hirsch owned EI Medical, Inc., a Medicare-enrolled wheelchair and scooter repair company that qualified for access to a health care clearinghouse that contains Medicare patients’ personal, medical and insurance information. Hirsch improperly gave Perez Buitrago and LaParl access to that clearinghouse and charged them about $0.25 per patient eligibility check. Using Hirsch’s credentials, LaParl accessed the personal and medical data of more than 350,000 patients and Perez Buitrago’s credentials were used for 150,000 patients. 

    Perez Buitrago and LaParl pleaded guilty to federal health care crimes in October 2020 and January 2021, respectively.

    Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Johnnie Sharp Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Birmingham Field Division; Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Boston Division; and Joshua McCallister, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Q. Wan of Mendell’s Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Imperial County Dentist and Former Office Manager Plead Guilty in Multimillion-Dollar Medicare Fraud

    Source: US FBI

    SAN DIEGO – Dr. Javad Aghaloo, an Imperial County dentist, and Theresa Flores, his office manager, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday, admitting that they conspired to defraud Medicare and cover it up. 

    Aghaloo entered a guilty plea to conspiring to commit health care fraud by billing Medicare for procedures that were not covered, not performed, or otherwise not necessary. As part of his plea, Aghaloo agreed to forfeit more than $1 million in property and pay restitution to Medicare in the amount of $8,476,466.23.  Flores entered a guilty plea to obstructing a Medicare audit.

    According to court records, Aghaloo and others recruited Medicare beneficiaries to get dental work done at one of Aghaloo’s offices. To recruit Medicare patients, Aghaloo and Flores marketed dental services to individuals in Imperial County as being covered by Medicare. Aghaloo and Flores knew this was untrue since Medicare does not cover dental services.

    Once a Medicare beneficiary was in one of Aghaloo’s offices, Aghaloo and others performed some type of procedure (usually a tooth extraction) and submitted false claims to Medicare using the person’s Medicare beneficiary number. Since tooth extractions are not covered by Medicare, Aghaloo’s offices instead submitted false claims for procedures like bone grafts that were never performed. 

    Between March 1, 2016, and October 18, 2018, Aghaloo and Flores caused Aghaloo’s dental offices to submit over 7,000 false claims to Medicare, totaling over $18 million for which Aghaloo’s offices were paid $8,476,466.23 by Medicare. 

    To conceal the fraud, between April of 2017 and October of 2018, Flores and Rosas caused false documents to be submitted to Noridian Healthcare Solutions, LLC. (“NHS”), a Federal auditor for the Medicare program.

    Sentencing is set for January 12, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Alexander. 

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 23cr0616-JO                                     

    Javad Aghaloo                                                Age: 50                                   San Diego, CA

    Theresa Flores                                                 Age: 45                                   San Diego, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.

    Maximum Penalty:  Five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. 

    Obstructing a Federal Audit, a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1516.

    Maximum Penalty:  Five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. 

    AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: NHC minister meets with multiple health ministers during 78th World Health Assembly

    Source: People’s Republic of China Ministry of Health

    Lei Haichao, minister of China’s National Health Commission who led a delegation to the 78th World Health Assembly, held separate meetings with health ministers of various countries on the sidelines of the assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 17 to 20.

    The health ministers meeting with Lei included Philippine Health Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa, Cuban Minister of Public Health José Angel Portal Miranda, Pakistan’s Minister of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal, Moroccan Minister of Health and Social Protection Amine Tahraoui, Brazilian Federal Minister of Health Alexandre Padilha, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, South African Health Minister Pakishe Aaron Motsoaledi, and Tunisian Minister of Health Mustapha Ferjani. They engaged in in-depth discussions on advancing bilateral and multilateral health cooperation.

    Lei commended the progress made in health collaboration with these countries, noting that China is ready to promote policy communication and coordination between health departments. China is willing to provide support for further practical cooperation in areas such as universal health coverage, traditional medicine, infectious disease prevention and control, growth of the pharmaceutical industry and talent development, so as to jointly address global health challenges and promote the building of a global community of health for all, Lei added.

    Health ministers of these countries highly praised China’s achievements in the health sector. They expressed a willingness to further deepen cooperation with China in key areas and strengthen coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the World Health Organization, BRICS, G20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to enhance bilateral coordination and benefit the health of their populations.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DH investigates illegal online sale of slimming product containing banned and controlled drug ingredients (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    DH investigates illegal online sale of slimming product containing banned and controlled drug ingredients (with photo) 
    Acting upon intelligence, the DH purchased a slimming product from a social media platform for analysis. Laboratory test results revealed that the sample of the product contained sibutramine and frusemide, which are Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) (PPO).
     
    Sibutramine was once used as an appetite suppressant. Since November 2010, pharmaceutical products containing sibutramine have been banned for use and sale in Hong Kong due to an increased cardiovascular risk. Frusemide is used for the treatment of heart diseases, and its side effects include low blood pressure and electrolyte imbalance. Medicines containing frusemide should be used under a doctor’s direction and be supplied on the premises of an Authorized Seller of Poisons (i.e. pharmacy) under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor’s prescription.    
     
    The package of the product is labelled with the words “Good health is over wealth” but did not have a product name. It is suspected to be an unregistered pharmaceutical product. The DH will continue to follow up and investigate the case.    
     
    According to the PPO, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
     
    The DH strongly urged members of the public not to buy or consume products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of “HK-XXXXX”. The safety, quality and efficacy of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.    
     
    People who have purchased the products concerned should stop consuming them immediately and consult healthcare professionals if in doubt or if they feel unwell after consumption. They may submit the products to the Drug Office of the DH at Room 1804-06, 18/F, Wing On Kowloon Centre, 345 Nathan Road, Kowloon, during office hours for disposal.     
     
    Weight control should be achieved through a balanced diet and appropriate exercise. The public should consult healthcare professionals before consuming any medication for weight control. They may visit the website of the Drug Office of the DH for “Health message on overweight problem and slimming productsIssued at HKT 19:15

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lame Deer Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison for Rape on Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

    Source: US FBI

    BILLINGS – A Lame Deer man who raped a woman on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 188 months in prison to be followed by15 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Adriano Sparkxxx LeBeaux, 21, was found guilty at trial in October 2024 of aggravated sexual abuse as charged in an indictment.

    U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

    In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on March 8, 2023, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, met up with LeBeaux at a residence in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. LeBeaux told Doe the police were on their way to search the house and that they needed to hide in the basement. Jane Doe had been drinking and did not want to be arrested because Northern Cheyenne is a dry reservation. Hiding in the basement seemed like a good idea to Jane Doe.

    While in the basement, LeBeaux told Jane Doe to lie down in a corner on the floor, and she fell asleep or passed out. At some point, Jane Doe awoke to LeBeaux holding a knife to her throat and then he raped her. Jane Doe left the residence and went to the Indian Health Service Clinic where she underwent a sexual assault exam. An analysis of DNA indicated LeBeaux was the contributor to male DNA identified in the sexual assault exam.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Suek and Paul Vestal prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the FBI, BIA and Northern Cheyenne Investigative Services.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Obstetrician charged by police

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Obstetrician charged by police

    Friday, 23 May 2025 – 5:16 pm.

    Detectives from the Family and Sexual Violence Division of Tasmania Police have today charged a southern-based obstetrician with sexual offences.
    The man has been charged with one count of indecent assault and one count of assault with indecent intent.
    The offences are alleged to have occurred in 2022 and 2025 in the Hobart area. Other alleged sexual related offences are currently under investigation.
    The man has been stood down by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) prior to today’s charges.
    Following charges being laid, the man is scheduled to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on September 1.
    It is acknowledged that alleged offences of this nature are deeply disturbing, and Tasmania Police encourages anyone with information about sexual abuse to come forward and report, regardless of the passage of time.
    Reports can be made directly to police on 131 444, by visiting a police station or Arch (http://arch.tas.gov.au/). If your report relates directly to a medical practitioner, you can also report to AHPRA.
    Anonymous information can be provided to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 22 May 2025 Departmental update Millions lack access to basic eyeglasses

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The findings, published in The Lancet Global Health, reveal that progress towards the global target of a 40% increase in eyeglasses coverage by 2030 set at the World Health Assembly in 2021 needs to be accelerated. 

    “Universal access to vision care is entirely achievable but only if we act with urgency and unity,” said Dr Stuart Keel, WHO Technical Officer. “Eyeglasses are among the most cost-effective tools in global health. It is unacceptable that millions still live with poor vision when a simple, affordable solution is within reach. We cannot allow another generation to be left behind.” 

     

    Uneven access to eyeglasses  

    The newly released data reveals that the burden of uncorrected vision loss is not equally shared — it weighs far more heavily on low-income countries, women, and older adults. 

    In low-income countries, two out of every three people who need eyeglasses are unable to get them — a crisis that directly undermines their ability to learn, work, stay safe, and live with dignity. This widespread lack of access to such a simple solution continues to limit opportunities and deepen cycles of poverty and exclusion.  

    Women and older people are consistently less likely to receive the vision correction they need, often sidelined by systemic barriers to access and affordability. 

    The situation is particularly severe in the African region, where around 70% of people with refractive errors do not have access to eyeglasses, leaving millions with avoidable vision impairment that impacts their education, livelihoods, and quality of life.  

    “In 2024, WHO included effective refractive error coverage in its monitoring framework for the 14th General Programme of Work, a clear signal that the world is beginning to recognize the critical importance of accessible, high-quality vision care,” said Professor Rupert Bourne, Principal Investigator from the Vision Loss Expert Group. 

    “Data from over 815 000 people across 76 countries shows that we are off track. Urgent global action is needed to reach the goal of a 40% increase in eyeglasses coverage by 2030,” added Professor Bourne. 

     

    Evidence of progress amidst persistent gaps 

    Despite the challenges, the data shows some encouraging trends. Between 2000 and 2023, there was a 50% improvement in the number of people receiving the correct prescription for eyeglasses — a meaningful step toward reducing avoidable vision loss. 

    While the global burden of refractive error has surged over the past two decades — largely driven by lifestyle-related risk factors, for example increased screen time and reduced outdoor activities during childhood — eyeglasses coverage has still risen by an average of 5% per decade, demonstrating steady progress despite the challenges. 

    Dr Keel added “These improvements demonstrate that progress is possible when vision care is prioritized. Meeting global vision targets will require coordinated action across governments, global organizations, donors, and the private sector. WHO calls on all actors to join forces to ensure that everyone, everywhere, gets the vision care they need.” 

     

    Note to Editors 
    In response to the continued unmet need, WHO launched SPECS 2030 in 2024. This initiative aims at supporting countries to meet the 2030 target by scaling up access to affordable and quality refractive error services  focused on five key strategic pillars: Service design, Personnel development, public Education, Costing, Surveillance and research. 

    “,”datePublished”:”2025-05-22T22:00:00.0000000+00:00″,”image”:”https://cdn.who.int/media/images/default-source/topics/health-and-well-being/disability/blindness-and-vision-impairment/refractive-errorbba5b62c44eb47259668cec45976df40.jpg?sfvrsn=e27c9f_3″,”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”World Health Organization: WHO”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://www.who.int/Images/SchemaOrg/schemaOrgLogo.jpg”,”width”:250,”height”:60}},”dateModified”:”2025-05-22T22:00:00.0000000+00:00″,”mainEntityOfPage”:”https://www.who.int/news/item/22-05-2025-millions-lack-access-to-basic-eyeglasses”,”@context”:”http://schema.org”,”@type”:”NewsArticle”};
    ]]>

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/KENYA – Bishop of Nyahururu on the death of Father Maina: “We await the results of the investigation”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) – “There is an ongoing investigation. Once the investigators have completed their investigation into Father Maina’s death, they will shed light on the matter and answer the questions we have all been asking ourselves over the past week,” said Joseph Ndembu Mbatia, Bishop of Nyahururu, on the death of Father John Ndegwa Maina, parish priest of St. Louis church in Igwamiti.The funeral ceremony took place yesterday, May 22, at the Catholic Priests’ Cemetery on Tabor Hill in Ol Joro Orok, in Nyandarua County, in the presence of hundreds of people. “I saw in the media that our priest had been killed, and I wondered where this information came from. We are still in contact with the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to find out what actually happened. There is no reason for speculation. We want to know the truth, and that is why we are cooperating with investigators. We must be patient,” said Bishop Mbatia. On May 15, Father Maina was found with severe head injuries on the highway between Gilgil and Nairobi. He later died at St. Joseph’s Mission Hospital. The priest reportedly told the taxi driver who found him that he had been kidnapped in Nyahururu. According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, Father Maina may have been attacked by thieves demanding part of a donation the priest received from former Vice President Rigathi Gachagua during a church service on April 27. The priest had reportedly expressed concern about the threats to his safety but had not officially reported them to the authorities.Father Maina, the fourth son in a family of eleven, was born on March 13, 1982, and ordained a priest on March 25, 2017. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 23/5/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How abortion laws focusing on fetal viability miss the mark on women’s experiences

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Katrina Kimport, Professor of Sociology, University of California, San Francisco

    Abortion policy in the U.S. often focuses on fetal viability and fails to address the concerns of actual pregnant people. John Fedele/Tetra Images via GettyImages

    During the 2024 presidential campaign, politicians and their surrogates repeatedly raised concerns about abortion later in pregnancy. The topic grabbed media attention and continues to inspire strong emotions, but most of the discussions include numerous misunderstandings.

    These debates tend to focus almost exclusively on the status of a presumed healthy fetus: Does it have a heartbeat? Can it feel pain? Can it survive outside of the pregnant person’s body? Laws in the U.S. routinely use these fetal development markers to restrict abortion rights.

    The problem with this framing, however, is that the preoccupation with these fetal development markers originated in law and politics, not in science or medicine. And, most importantly, not from the lives, needs and experiences of pregnant people.

    We are medical sociologists who specialize in research on abortion. We noticed that fetal development markers shape the experience of pregnant patients. But that doesn’t mean these markers feel meaningful to people who get abortions.

    We wanted to understand how patients who have abortions later in pregnancy, including from states with laws banning abortion after specified markers like “viability,” thought about their pregnancy and abortion. Do they think about abortion in terms of the development of their fetus? We analyzed interviews with 30 women who obtained abortions later in pregnancy to answer this question.

    A history of limitations

    Long before the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned the constitutional right to abortion, thousands of people each year in the U.S. were denied abortion services. Often, this was because they were beyond the pregnancy gestational limit imposed by their state’s abortion laws.

    These limits were rooted in fetal development markers. For instance, some states such as Maine and Washington allow abortion until a particular developmental point, such as presumed fetal viability. This is the point in pregnancy when the fetus might survive outside the uterus. Even in states considered supportive of abortion rights, such as California and Illinois, limits based on fetal development are still in force today.

    Since the Dobbs ruling, more abortion seekers are being denied the chance to get the procedure or facing long delays because of laws based on ideas about fetal development markers. But in fact, laws focused on fetal markers often end up jeopardizing the life and health of pregnant patients and furthering suffering, our study shows.

    Fetal development markers explained

    Fetal development markers sound like they are established clinical terms, but they aren’t. Some, like “potential fetal viability,” are concepts that started in legal thinking in the early 1970s. Then, when they were incorporated into limits on legal abortion, clinicians had to figure out how to apply them in a health care setting.

    Laws premised on fetal development markers around the U.S. have led to a host of lawsuits and general confusion among medical practitioners, as the language they use often doesn’t translate into medical contexts.

    It’s worth noting that common shorthand is to assign a specific gestation to a particular marker – for example, saying that viability starts at 24 weeks. But this ignores the fact that fetal viability depends on many factors, including fetal weight, sex, genetics and availability of neonatal intensive care resources.

    Only about half of infants born at 24 weeks of gestation will even survive long enough to be discharged from the hospital. Among infants born at 28 weeks, that rises to more than 90%. And of course, just looking at whether a baby was discharged from the hospital does not capture the acute impairments that babies born this prematurely experience and ongoing medical care they will require for much, if not all, of their lives.

    Focusing on the fetus’s viability overlooks the baby’s viability

    When we interviewed women who had abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy, it became evident that these legal definitions were entirely irrelevant to the realities of their fetuses’ health.

    Some described carrying a fetus with a serious health issue that doctors told them would lead to its death soon after birth, just not during pregnancy. For instance, one woman we interviewed learned that a child with her fetus’s diagnosis would be born alive but would have regular seizures, cognitive disabilities and an inability to control its own movement.

    “I couldn’t imagine bringing a child into this world who would suffer and not have cognition of why, or be able to understand a good day from a bad day,” she said. To her, having an abortion was a way to protect her son: “I can’t give him that life of pain if I have a choice.”

    Women in similar situations struggled with the way their states’ laws focused on fetal viability but ignored the fact that the life their baby would have would be very brief and characterized by deep, sometimes constant pain. To them, the law reduced “viability” to the ability to survive birth, without consideration of the quality of their child’s life and the degree of its suffering.

    Overlooking women’s health

    Research and journalism have documented harrowing obstetric emergencies and their physical consequences in states where abortion has been banned. These traumatic events are often directly linked to laws that, in effect, leave little to no room to protect the pregnant patient’s life and health. The women in our study repeatedly highlighted that when a state’s law emphasizes “fetal viability” at the time an abortion is sought, the pregnant patient’s future health – both emotional and physical – takes a back seat.

    One woman we interviewed explained that she was so desperate not to be pregnant that she considered suicide because the fetal development-based law in her state meant she would not have access to a needed abortion. She had to travel out of state for her abortion. In her interview, she said the staff at the abortion clinic “saved my life. They definitely did. If it wasn’t for them, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

    We also interviewed a woman who had a medical condition that made pregnancy and laboring very dangerous for her, but she decided to take that risk to start a family. Once it was clear that her fetus had a serious health issue and would die in utero or shortly after birth, she no longer wanted to risk her own health.

    “Never mind the suffering, like needless suffering for the baby — I would also have to go through a cesarean surgery for that,” she said. But in her state, a fetal development-based law prohibited her from receiving an abortion. She, too, had to travel in order to get one.

    Ultimately, the women we interviewed found the laws based in fetal development markers to be nonsensical and cruel when applied to their pregnancies. One woman we interviewed, whose fetus’s severe medical condition was only diagnosable by doctors after her state’s 24-week viability cutoff, put the issue in stark terms.

    She was denied an abortion even after multiple specialists told her there was “100% certainty” her baby would have a bad outcome – an outcome that one specialist gently told her “no parent wants.” She had to fly halfway across the country to get the abortion she needed, far away from her support system.

    She said, “What sense does that make? I can’t imagine anybody looking at that and saying, ‘Yes, that was the desired outcome of this policy.’”

    Katrina Kimport receives funding from the Society of Family Planning and an anonymous private foundation.

    Tracy A. Weitz receives funding from the Society of Family Planning, Education Foundation of America, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. She is affiliated with Cambridge Reproductive Health Consultants, Fund Access Forward, Democracy Forward, Abortion Bridge Collaborative (Women’s Donors Network), Breast Cancer Action.

    – ref. How abortion laws focusing on fetal viability miss the mark on women’s experiences – https://theconversation.com/how-abortion-laws-focusing-on-fetal-viability-miss-the-mark-on-womens-experiences-245998

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: West Nile virus found in the UK for the first time – what you need to know

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Paul Hunter, Professor of Medicine, University of East Anglia

    Kwangmoozaa/Shutterstock.com

    For the first time, traces of the West Nile virus have been found in mosquitoes in the UK, according to a report published this week by the UK Health Security Agency.

    Here’s what you need to know about the virus and the disease it causes.

    What is West Nile virus?

    West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus first identified in Uganda in 1937. It belongs to the same viral family as dengue and yellow fever. The virus is most commonly transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, particularly the species Culex pipiens, which mainly feeds on birds.

    Birds are the primary host for West Nile virus, and the virus spreads in a cycle from infected birds to mosquitoes and then back to birds. Occasionally, mosquitoes can transmit the virus to humans or other animals.

    Most human infections – around 80% – cause no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they are usually mild: fever, fatigue, headaches, body aches and sometimes nausea. But in rare cases, around one in 150 infections, the virus can cause severe illness, including encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis. Older adults, especially those over 50, are most at risk of serious complications.

    The virus cannot normally be spread from person to person, though rare cases of transmission have occurred through blood transfusions or from mother to baby during pregnancy.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    How did it get to the UK?

    Although the exact route isn’t known, experts believe the virus may have arrived in the UK via migratory birds infected elsewhere. The mosquitoes probably picked up the virus after feeding on these birds during their northward journey.

    The detection was made as part of a routine mosquito surveillance programme run by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Mosquitoes collected from marshlands in south-east England tested positive in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, which detect fragments of the virus’s genetic material.

    It’s important to note that a positive PCR test doesn’t necessarily mean the virus is infectious. After a mosquito becomes infected, the virus needs time – several days – to multiply inside the mosquito before it can be transmitted. And this process is highly temperature dependent.

    Can the virus spread in the UK?

    The UK’s relatively cool climate has, until now, helped keep mosquito-borne diseases at bay. At summer temperatures of around 15°C, it can take up to 100 days for the virus to develop inside a mosquito – longer than the insect’s lifespan. In contrast, in hotter climates (above 30°C), this process can take just a few days.

    For a local outbreak to occur, there would need to be a critical mass of infected birds and mosquitoes, with enough warm weather to sustain multiple cycles of transmission. So far, that hasn’t happened in the UK.

    But climate change could alter the equation. With rising global temperatures and longer, hotter summers, the conditions that allow viruses such as West Nile to spread may become more common in the UK.

    What’s happening elsewhere?

    West Nile virus was once limited to Africa and the Middle East but has spread significantly in recent decades. Large outbreaks have been recorded in countries including Greece, Romania, Israel, Russia and the US.

    The US outbreak began in New York City in 1999 when an unusual number of birds were found dead in a city zoo. A veterinary pathologist at the Bronx Zoo, Tracey McNamara, helped link the bird deaths to the human illnesses being reported.

    Since then, the virus has spread across most of the US, Canada and parts of South America, resulting in over 60,000 reported human cases, 28,000 hospitalisations and more than 3,000 deaths.

    In 2024, 19 European countries reported a total of 1,436 local cases, most in men over 65, with 125 deaths. Most were in Italy, Greece and Spain – countries with hot, mosquito-friendly summers.

    Outbreaks were also reported in birds and horses, which are both susceptible to the virus.

    Should UK residents be concerned?

    While the detection of West Nile virus in UK mosquitoes is noteworthy, experts emphasise that the public health risk remains very low. No human cases have been reported in the UK to date, and current summer temperatures are not yet conducive to sustained transmission.

    The greater risk for most British people probably comes from travel – particularly to southern Europe, where cases are rising.

    Travellers are advised to take standard mosquito precautions: wear light-coloured clothing, long sleeves and trousers, and use insect repellent, especially in the evening when mosquitoes are most active.

    For now, the virus is unlikely to spread widely in the UK. But as climate patterns shift, continued surveillance and public awareness will be key to staying ahead of the risk.

    Paul Hunter consults for the World Health Organization. He receives funding from National Institute for Health Research and has received funding from the World Health Organization and the European Regional Development Fund.

    – ref. West Nile virus found in the UK for the first time – what you need to know – https://theconversation.com/west-nile-virus-found-in-the-uk-for-the-first-time-what-you-need-to-know-257295

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company Sentenced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Martin Elling to Serve Six Months in Federal Prison for Obstructing Justice Related to his Work with Purdue Pharma

    ABINGDON, Va. – A former senior partner at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm based in New York, N.Y., that agreed in 2024 to pay $650 million to resolve criminal and civil investigations into the firm’s consulting work with opioids manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma, L.P., was sentenced yesterday to six months in federal prison for obstructing justice related to his work on Purdue matters. In addition, Elling was ordered to serve two years of supervised release following his incarceration, which includes a requirement that he perform 1,000 hours of community service. The court also imposed a $40,000 fine.

    Martin Elling, 60, a U.S. citizen most recently residing in Bangkok, Thailand, pled guilty in January 2025 to a one-count Information charging him with knowingly destroying records with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper administration of a matter within the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice.

    “Martin Elling willfully destroyed records in order to obstruct a Department of Justice investigation related to the actions of McKinsey & Company, Purdue Pharma and the opioid crisis that has devastated communities in this region. He will now have six months to fully comprehend the consequences of those actions,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “This sentence should be an example to all individuals considering similar actions – if you destroy records, if you impeded a Department of Justice investigation, you will go to jail.”

    “Today’s sentencing sends a resounding message: those who attempt to obstruct justice and conceal the truth – no matter how senior, sophisticated, or well-connected – will be held accountable,” said Leah B. Foley, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. “Mr. Elling’s efforts to erase evidence tied to McKinsey’s work with Purdue Pharma were not just a breach of corporate integrity – they were a calculated effort to hinder a federal investigation into one of the most devastating public health crises in our nation’s history. Justice requires the truth, and our office will continue to pursue it wherever the facts lead.”

    “Knowingly destroying records and documents to impede a government investigation into the unlawful prescribing of opioids impairs the ability of law enforcement to do its job and endangers the public health,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who attempt to thwart these important investigations and whose actions put profits over patient safety.”

    “The opioid epidemic has left a trail of heartbreak across Virginia and the nation,” said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. “I commend both the US Department of Justice and my office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their exemplary efforts and partnership to ensure justice is served.”

    According to court documents, in May 2013, Purdue engaged McKinsey to recover lost OxyContin sales. Purdue retained McKinsey to conduct a rapid assessment of the underlying drivers of OxyContin performance, identify key opportunities to increase near-term OxyContin revenue and develop plans to capture priority opportunities. This 2013 effort was called Evolve to Excellence, or “E2E,” and included McKinsey advising Purdue on how to “turbocharge” the sales pipeline for OxyContin by, among other strategies, intensifying marketing to High Value Prescribers.

    Elling served as the director of the client services team for approximately 30 of McKinsey’s engagements with Purdue. He had a senior, relationship-focused role with respect to the E2E engagement and was involved in securing the engagement for McKinsey.

    On July 4, 2018, Elling emailed another senior partner: “Just saw in the FT that [Purdue board member] is being sued by states attorneys general for her role on the [Purdue] Board. It probably makes sense to have a quick conversation with the risk committee to see if we should be doing anything other [than] eliminating all our documents and emails. Suspect not but as things get tougher there someone might turn to us.”

    According to court documents, forensic analysis of Elling’s McKinsey-issued laptop found that Elling in fact deleted materials related to McKinsey’s work for Purdue from the laptop, as well as a Purdue-related folder from his Outlook email account. On August 22, 2018, Elling emailed himself an apparent to-do list, with the subject line, “When home.” The items listed included: “delete old pur [Purdue Pharma] documents from laptop[.]” Forensic analysis of Elling’s laptop by the Department of Justice’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section determined that between approximately April 2018 and September 2018, Elling removed a folder titled “Purdue” (which included a subfolder entitled “Strategy”) from his Windows operating system that contained more than 100 items for whom the filenames indicate they were from as far back as 2004 and included the name of the Purdue Pharma CEO at the time of the origination of the Purdue Pharma engagements with McKinsey. The CEO was among the former Purdue Pharma executives who, in 2007, pled guilty and was convicted of misbranding in United States District Court in Abingdon.

    On August 25, 2018, Elling emailed himself the following, “Remove Pur[due] folder from garbage[.]” Elling was aware of the investigations into Purdue Pharma’s conduct and knowingly deleted folders, documents, and emails from his McKinsey-issued laptop knowing these documents would be pertinent to those investigations.

    The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia; Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda P. Masselam Strachan and William B. Brady of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Senior Trial Counsel Kristen M. Echemendia of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section); Trial Attorneys Jessica Harvey and Steven R. Scott of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch; and Special Assistant United States Attorneys and Assistant Attorneys General Kristin Gray and Kimberly Bolton of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

    The matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Offices of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Office of Personnel Management, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 22 May 2025 Departmental update African Nations unite to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis and boost cross-border collaboration for NTDs

    Source: World Health Organisation

    In a powerful demonstration of country-driven leadership and cross-border solidarity, Ministry of Health representatives from various African countries pledged to intensify action to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

    At a side event held on the margins of the 78th World Health Assembly on Wednesday, 21 May 2025, under the leadership of the African Union Commission, several countries signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and endorsed a Call for Action to promote cross-border collaboration and accelerate progress towards elimination targets set for NTDs.

    Eliminating visceral leishmaniasis in eastern Africa

    With this MoU, the ministers or their representatives of Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan agreed to invest resources, develop effective policies and collaborate closely to achieve the ambitious targets outlined in the VL strategic framework launched in June 2024.Additional eastern African countries are expected to sign the MoU in the near future. 

    “As the global community reaches the half-way point towards the road map targets and almost one year after we launched a strategic framework for the elimination of visceral leishmaniasis, the critical role of country-led efforts and cross-border collaboration in accelerating elimination cannot be over emphasized,” said Dr Ibrahima Socé Fall, Director of the

    WHO Global Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme  in his opening remarks.

    Of all the NTDs, VL is among the deadliest and most outbreak-prone diseases and is endemic in all six WHO regions, with 74% of its global burden in the eastern African epidemiological subregion. Half of the cases occur in children aged under 15 years. Also known as kala-azar, VL is a lethal parasitic disease that causes fever, weight loss, spleen and liver enlargement, and — if untreated — death.

    Ministers and delegates of Chad, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and Djibouti (left to right) holding the Memorandum of Understanding on elimination of visceral leishmaniasis in eastern Africa /© Orbisswiss Photos & Press

    Accelerating elimination of NTDs through cross-border collaboration

    Like VL, many NTDs are vector-borne or waterborne, making them easily transmissible across borders. The movement of people and animals  further facilitates this spread, posing a barrier to  national elimination goals and progress towards

    road map targets.

    This was the focus of the second significant moment of the event in which a Call for Action on NTD cross-border collaboration was issued by the Ministers of Health of Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. They urged countries to share experiences in developing collaboration agreements and workplans and take collective action.

    To address this challenge, Member States are encouraged to coordinate efforts and endorse joint MoUs to enable synchronized interventions, surveillance and data-sharing across borders. Regional and multilateral agencies, along with international development partners, should advocate for increased financing, provide technical support and invest in data systems and innovation to strengthen cross-border initiatives towards elimination of all NTDs.

    Climate change adds urgency, as warming temperatures and extreme weather events create favourable conditions for the spread and re-emergence of diseases.  

    Strong cross-border coordination is therefore critical — not only to interrupt transmission in endemic areas but also to maintain elimination through effective post-elimination surveillance.

    “We know that diseases do not stop at borders — and neither should our response. More than 600 million people on our continent remain at risk of at least one of the NTDs,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC in a statement read by Dr Landry Tsague Dongmo, Africa CDC’s Director Center for Primary Health Care. “Africa CDC has been working to enhance cross-border surveillance platforms through the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response framework, in close collaboration with WHO,” he added.

    Towards an NTD-free world

    This crucial side event underscored that while individual country successes are vital, the interconnected nature of NTD transmission necessitates robust cross-border approaches, particularly in the face of challenges like climate change. The commitment of east African nations to tackle VL head-on through unified action sets a compelling precedent for accelerating the elimination of other devastating NTDs.

    These efforts build on significant advances in the fight against NTDs across Africa. As of May 2025, 56 countries have eliminated at least one NTD globally, including Togo (four NTDs) and Benin, Ghana (three NTDs). In 2024 and 2025, several other African countries have achieved this target for one or two NTDs: most recently Chad, Guinea, Mauritania and Niger were acknowledged by WHO for eliminating an NTD.

    “To reach elimination, we need more medical innovation. VL patients and their communities urgently need new, improved oral treatments. The recent successes of South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, in eliminating kala-azar show that global elimination of this dreadful disease is within our reach, and I would like to commend the inspiring leadership, unity, and commitment shown today by our African partners,” said Dr Luis Pizarro, Executive Director of the non-profit medical research organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi). 

    The event, themed “Accelerating NTD elimination through country-driven efforts and cross-border collaboration,” was spearheaded by the African Union Commission and the WHO-led Global Onchocerciasis Network for Elimination (GONE), and supported by The END Fund and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

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