The Florida Senate unanimously approved a comprehensive plan on Thursday aimed at enhancing healthcare access to address the state's growing population.
President Kathleen Passidomo and other proponents consider the plan, outlined in two bills, as a strategy to adapt to the evolving healthcare landscape.
The plan includes trying to increase the number of doctors in the state, shifting patients away from emergency rooms, creating new facilities for women to have babies and boosting health-innovation efforts.https://t.co/lbqeChSZOk
— CBS News Miami (@CBSMiami) January 18, 2024
The plan encompasses initiatives to increase the number of doctors in the state, reduce reliance on emergency rooms, establish new facilities for women's maternity care, and boost health innovation efforts.
Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Chairwoman Gayle Harrell, a Stuart Republican with a history of working on healthcare issues, called one of the bills (SB 7016) as "probably the most comprehensive healthcare bill I have ever seen."
Harrell emphasized that the plan aims to change the trajectory of healthcare, making it more accessible and open to the growing population in Florida. She highlighted the necessity of having an increased number of healthcare providers to meet the rising demand.
President Passidomo prioritized the plan for the current legislative session, with House versions of the bills advancing last week.
Both the House and Senate will need to reconcile differences to reach a final version of the plan.
One notable difference between the House and Senate versions lies in the projected costs. Senate Health Policy Chairwoman Colleen Burton noted that the initial version of SB 7016 had an estimated cost of around $800 million, but the Senate reduced it by about $70 million before passing the bill. The House version's cost is approximately $580 million.
The second Senate bill (SB 7018), sponsored by Harrell, proposes a revolving loan fund program for health innovation projects, initially allocating $75 million annually. However, a change on Thursday lowered the amount to $50 million.
Addressing shortages of doctors and healthcare providers in the state, Passidomo's plan aims to increase the number of doctors by expanding medical residency programs, using state funding. Passidomo highlighted the importance of retaining medical graduates in Florida by offering residency programs within the state.
The plan also seeks to shift patients away from emergency rooms for non-emergency conditions. Hospitals would be required to take measures, such as establishing collaborative partnerships with federally qualified health centers or other primary-care providers.
The plan proposes the creation of "advanced birth centers" that could perform cesarean-section deliveries for women with low-risk pregnancies. While Democrats raised concerns about safety precautions and the centers' location, Burton emphasized that decisions about advanced birth centers would be market-driven, with safety regulations enforced by the state Agency for Health Care Administration.
The multifaceted plan reflects an overarching strategy to adapt and enhance Florida's healthcare infrastructure, addressing various aspects of healthcare access, provider shortages, and innovative healthcare solutions.
Alec Baldwin is now facing trial in connection with the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who lost her life on the "Rust" film set in 2021 when a prop gun fired a live round.
The decision to indict Baldwin on one count of involuntary manslaughter was announced after a New Mexico grand jury reviewed evidence presented by special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis.
Alec Baldwin indicted on involuntary manslaughter charge in ‘Rust’ shooting https://t.co/DBfSbQxSV9
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 19, 2024
Baldwin's legal team, comprised of attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro from Quinn Emanuel, expressed their readiness for the upcoming legal proceedings, stating, "We look forward to our day in court."
Should Baldwin be convicted, he could potentially face a sentence of up to 18 months in prison, although a specific trial date has not yet been set.
Gloria Allred, the attorney representing the family of Halyna Hutchins, conveyed their anticipation for the criminal trial that will seek to determine Baldwin's responsibility in the untimely death of the cinematographer.
In November, NBC News obtained several videos showing Baldwin handling prop guns on the "Rust" set. The footage, totaling about seven minutes, depicted Baldwin preparing for scenes, firing the guns, and expressing safety concerns while interacting with the crew.
Notably, in two of the videos, he took steps to rearrange crew members. The production continued for two weeks before being halted.
Reports surfaced in October that Baldwin and the special prosecutors had engaged in discussions regarding a potential plea deal.
This arrangement was rescinded in the days leading up to the decision to present the case to a grand jury.
This recent indictment comes after the same New Mexico prosecutors dismissed involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin in April.
Throughout interviews with ABC News and CNN, Baldwin consistently asserted that he did not pull the trigger and emphasized that the gun had been declared "cold" by assistant director Dave Halls.
Halls had pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon and received a sentence of six months of unsupervised probation.
The trial is expected to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident on the "Rust" film set. It will also shed light on the conflicting narratives and perspectives surrounding Baldwin's role in the events leading to Halyna Hutchins' death.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the case continues to seek what really happened and hold those accountable responsible.
Donald Trump Jr. says that former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is on the short list of candidates to become his father's running mate.
Trump Jr. said as much during an appearance Thursday on Newsmax TV's Wake Up America.
During the interview, Trump Jr. was asked whether his father - former President Donald Trump - might pick Carlson to be his running mate. Actually, what Trump Jr. was specifically asked was whether a Trump/Carlson ticket is a "serious" possibility. Trump Jr. responded in the affirmative.
"That clearly would be on the table," Trump Jr. said.
Trump Jr. went on to explain, "I mean they’re very friendly, I think they agree on virtually all of these things. They certainly agree on stopping the never-ending wars."
Trump Jr. concluded by saying that he "would love to see" a Trump/Carlson ticket happen, and he insisted that Carlson is "certainly" a "contender."
The idea that Carlson could be Trump's running mate is not something that just came out of left field. The idea has garnered much attention thanks to a report that Axios published in early December 2023.
The report focused on running mate possibilities for Trump, specifically on possibilities that have - according to the outlet - been suggested by people close to Trump.
Axios reported:
But here's an interesting twist: Melania Trump is an advocate for picking Tucker Carlson, the booted Fox News star. She thinks Carlson would make a powerful onstage extension of her husband, a source close to Trump told us. The former first lady has made few campaign appearances this time around — but a Trump-Carlson ticket might encourage her to hit the trail.
If you have followed Carlson for any amount of time, then he responded to the rumor just the way you would expect him to.
Carlson said, "I haven’t led a life that prepares a person for politics . . . It’s just that that’s not how my brain works. I’ve never done anything like that. I can’t imagine spending time with politicians."
In other words, it would appear that Carlson would turn the running mate offer down, were Trump to make it.
Trump - the Republican party's clear frontrunner - has yet to reveal who his running mate is going to be. But, he has revealed that he has made his choice.
During a recent Town Hall in Iowa, Trump said, " I know who it's going to be."
Special Counsel Jack Smith and former President Donald Trump's lawyers seemingly trade legal blows every day.
Last year, Smith filed for the government to execute a search warrant related to Trump's Twitter activity at the time of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol protest and riot. The issue has bounced around in the legal realm since, but a judge this week gave Smith the upper hand.
According to the Washington Examiner, a "federal appeals court declined on Tuesday to reconsider its decision to allow the government to execute a search warrant for information related to former President Donald Trump‘s Twitter account.
Trump's request to quash the warrant was made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
While several Republican judges pushed back, a majority of the federal appeals court declined to take further action in reconsidering Smith's request for the warrant.
"Upon consideration of appellant’s petition for rehearing en banc, the response thereto, the amicus curiae brief filed by Electronic Frontier Foundation in support of rehearing en banc, and the absence of a request by any member of the court for a vote, it is ordered that the petition be denied," the court's decision read.
The Trump-appointed U.S. Judge Neomi Rao pushed back hard on the situation, saying, "The decisions in this case break with long-standing precedent and gut the constitutional protections for executive privilege."
She added that Smith's overall approach to securing the warrant "obscured and bypassed any assertion of executive privilege and dodged the careful balance Congress struck in the Presidential Records Act."
"The district court and this court permitted this arrangement without any consideration of the consequential executive privilege issues raised by this unprecedented search," Rao said.
"We should not have endorsed this gambit."
News of the decision to not reconsider the request to quash the warrant received mixed reactions across social media, with some not surprised and others saying it was the right move.
"Not a big deal. Rao is the most conservative. There was no vote to hear the case enbanc. Bottom line, Trump lost again," one X user wrote.
"In other words - they ruled against Trump, but feel better because they wrote a big opinion supporting Executive Privilege. Twitter did turn over the data, and Smith's had it for a long time," another X user wrote.
Only time will tell how Smith uses the Twitter data in the upcoming trial, whenever that will be.
Former President Donald Trump attorney Joe Tacopina has withdrawn from defending Trump on any legal matters, according to ABC News.
"I withdrew on all matters," Tacopina told the outlet on Monday.
Tacopina represented Trump in the Manhattan case alleging he made illegal hush money payments, and also was handling the appeal of the E. Jean Carroll defamation case in which she was awarded $5 million.
Tacopina wrote to Judge Juan Merchan in the Manhattan criminal case, "I write to respectfully inform the Court that my firm, Chad Seigel and I hereby withdraw as counsel for Defendant Donald J. Trump in this proceeding,"
He was not the lead counsel on the case but was an integral part of the legal team and had a lot of experience with high-profile cases, including representing Alex Rodriguez, Fox News host Sean Hannity and rapper A$AP Rocky.
Tacopina didn't say what caused him to withdraw from representing Trump.
Trump has plenty of other lawyers on his team, which he will need as he faces four criminal indictments totaling 91 charges along with several civil cases.
The largest and most serious civil case against him wrapped up arguments last week; Judge Arthur Engoron seems poised to levy a fine that could total hundreds of millions of dollars against Trump for supposedly inflating the values of his properties in order to get more loans and loans at lower interest rates. The decision should be made by January 31, Engoron said.
The state of New York argued that Trump got out of paying at least $370 million in interest on the loans because of his deception, but Trump argued that he put disclaimers on his financial statement and no one really believed the numbers were necessarily accurate.
All the loans were paid back fully and on time, he further argued. No harm, no foul, and he didn't do anything that many other business owners also did routinely, and were not prosecuted, he said.
Engoron started the trial on the first day by ruling Trump did engage in fraud, the trial has been to determine the extend of that fraud and the penalty.
In addition to a $370 million fine, the state is asking that Trump be barred from buying real estate there for five years and that he and his children be barred from running their own company or any other company in the state for at least five years, or maybe forever.
Trump can obviously use all the legal help he can get to fight all the charges against him, so losing a lawyer right now cannot be a positive for him.
However, he will surely have no trouble finding another one.
Stephen Laybutt, who played soccer for Australia in the 2000 Olympics and on the Socceroo professional team from 2000 to 2004, was found dead Sunday in the bushland at age 46 after a police search that lasted more than a day.
Laybutt was visiting friends on Friday in Cabarita on the New South Wales north coast, but they reported him missing Saturday morning when he didn't answer his phone and they couldn't locate him.
His car was found parked outside a store in Cabarita at around 11:30 a.m., and a search ensued that lasted until he was found around 7 p.m. on Sunday.
The Daily Mail reported Tuesday that police believe Laybutt took his own life in the bushland, but no other specifics were given. The death was not ruled suuspicious.
Laybutt's soccer career did not end when he left Socceroo. He played as a journeyman until he ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2008 playing for the Newcastle Jets in the A-League, after which he retired from the sport.
After leaving soccer, he came out as gay and entered a long term relationship in 2010.
He said that his sexuality had a big impact on his career in soccer, and that he didn't feel comfortable coming out until after he left the sport.
"There was no way that I was ever going to come out," he said.
He added, "Everyone says your mum knows, your best friend knows … Nobody knew."
After leaving soccer, Laybutt worked for the rehabilitation unit at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney.
He made national headlines in 2021 when he donated one of his kidneys to a patient in the rehab, Ian Pavey, who had been on dialysis for three years.
He said that he admired Pavey's positivity in the face of his disease and that he felt it was "the right thing to do."
If Laybutt did take his own life, he seems to have been leading the same kind of double life around his mental health that he previously did around his sexuality.
If you or a loved one struggle with depression or thoughts of suicide, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for non-judgemental help.
Actress Mia Goth has been hit with a lawsuit for allegedly kicking an extra in the head on purpose and then proceeding to verbally abuse him.
According to TMZ, which has seen the lawsuit, the alleged incident took place last year, in April 2023, during filming for an upcoming movie called MaXXXine.
The identity of the extra initially was not reported. But, Rolling Stone has since identified the extra as James Hunter.
The outlet also reports that, in addition to Goth, Hunter has also sued the film's director, Ti West, and the film's distributor, A24.
According to the court filing, Hunter claims not only that Goth physically assaulted him by kicking him in the head on purpose but also that Goth verbally assaulted him thereafter.
TMZ reports:
The background actor says the scene called for him to wear a robe and be covered in fake blood from head to toe . . . and he says he had to lay down in the dirt and play dead for several hours, 'enduring ants and mosquitoes.' Mia, who plays Maxine, was supposed to run past the actor, step over him and look at him, then keep running . . . but after a few takes, the actor claims Mia 'nearly stepped' on him.
It was at this point that Hunter claims that Goth "intentionally kicked" him in the head with her boot. Hunter claims that he was not given medical assistance on set for his injuries, but that he did see a doctor afterward and the doctor told him that the kick gave him a concussion.
Hunter, according to TMZ, is alleging both battery and wrongful termination.
Regarding the latter, Rolling Stone reports:
Hunter alleged that the casting agency told him the next day in an email that he was off the production. "Whatever happened, production does not want you back," the agency said, according to the lawsuit.
For his injuries, Hunter is requesting - at a minimum - $500,000 in damages. Hunter is also asking for punitive damages, which could significantly drive this figure up.
At the time of this writing, neither Goth nor A24 nor West has issued a statement on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit is taking place in Los Angeles, California.
Former President Donald Trump deployed a team of prominent surrogates to Iowa, aiming to secure votes while testing their potential as 2024 running mates.
Amid blizzard conditions, Trump's potential vice presidential candidates, including Gov. Kristi Noem and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, hosted events, fueling speculation about their inclusion on Trump's shortlist.
Trump road-tests potential vice presidential picks in Iowa https://t.co/sJ96Rg3K8y https://t.co/sJ96Rg3K8y
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 14, 2024
The extreme weather led to the cancellation of events for Gov. Sarah Sanders and Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake.
These surrogates, particularly Noem, Greene, and Lake, have been actively campaigning in Iowa, amplifying their national profiles.
While facing questions about their vice presidential prospects, they mostly maintain a coy stance, emphasizing their commitment to Trump's agenda.
Greene, confirming Trump's consideration of her for the vice presidency, deferred the decision to the former president, stating, "President Trump is going to choose his vice president, and I completely trust him to do that."
Kari Lake echoed this sentiment, expressing confidence in Trump's selection and emphasizing the importance of supporting whomever he picks.
Noem, who openly considers the vice presidency, criticized those suggesting Nikki Haley for the position, asserting her commitment to Trump's cause. She highlighted her support for Trump during a rally, emphasizing the large turnout as evidence of the people's love for both Trump and herself.
Trump, in a televised town hall, teased having made a decision on his understudy, ruling out former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
As these surrogates traverse Iowa, discussions among voters and party officials reveal varying opinions on potential vice presidential candidates, with no clear winner yet standing out among Iowa's voters just days ahead of the state's primary vote.
Kelley Koch, a Republican Party Chairwoman, praised Lake's problem-solving skills but cautioned about Noem's small-state background.
Sanders emerges as an early favorite for some voters due to her political pedigree and executive experience, with positive remarks about her performance as press secretary. Despite differing opinions, these surrogates are actively contributing to Trump's campaign in Iowa, further fueling speculation about the potential vice presidential pick.
Iowa voters will cast their ballots later this month as the first state in the nation to choose its GOP candidate for president. So far, polls seem to indicate that Trump holds a wide lead over Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis in the first matchup of the new presidential political year.
The Oregon Supreme Court has decided not to pursue a case challenging former President Donald Trump's eligibility to feature on the state's ballot in the 2024 presidential election.
The court, citing a lack of authority to address the issue at the primary stage, rejected the opportunity to review the challenge presented by five Oregon voters aiming to prevent Trump from being listed on the Republican primary and general election ballots.
Case challenging Trump ballot access dies at Oregon Supreme Court https://t.co/WN4zMDvtrA #FoxNews
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) January 13, 2024
Democrats in various states are currently pushing legal battles seeking to remove Trump's name from state ballots, asserting that his actions on January 6, 2021, violated the 14th Amendment.
The amendment prohibits individuals who have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the Constitution from holding political office.
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to deliberate on whether former President Trump should appear on the Colorado Republican presidential primary ballot.
The justices have fast-tracked the case, setting arguments for February 8.
The court granted the petition for a writ of certiorari and issued an administrative stay, instructing the Colorado Secretary of State to include Trump's name on the GOP primary ballot until a verdict is reached.
While the state supreme court in Oregon rejected the current petition without prejudice, it kept the door open for future petitions, contingent on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the 14th Amendment issue.
The Oregon court's media release articulated, "Because a decision by the United States Supreme Court regarding the Fourteenth Amendment issue may resolve one or more contentions that relators make in the Oregon proceeding, the Oregon Supreme Court denied their petition for mandamus, by order, but without prejudice to their ability to file a new petition seeking resolution of any issue that may remain following a decision by the United States Supreme Court."
The release reflects the court's acknowledgment that the outcome of the broader constitutional issue before the U.S. Supreme Court could influence the specific contentions presented in the Oregon case.
The legal landscape encompasses a dual scenario – the Oregon Supreme Court declining the current case due to its reliance on a forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision, and the impending U.S. Supreme Court proceedings on Trump's inclusion in the Colorado Republican presidential primary ballot, with arguments slated for early February.
The nature of these legal maneuvers underscores the issues of state and federal considerations regarding Trump's eligibility and the constitutional implications raised by the 14th Amendment.
Trump continues to battle state ballot bans as he leads national polls in his effort to win the GOP nomination and run against President Joe Biden in a rematch in November.
Hunter Biden has pled "not guilty" to criminal tax charges.
Fox News reports that Biden did so when he made his initial court appearance in the case on Thursday.
Biden has been indicted multiple times over the past year.
This particular case is the one that Special Counsel David Weiss brought back in December in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Weiss has accused Biden of three felonies and six misdemeanors. They are all tax crimes, and they stem from Biden's alleged failure to pay $1.4 million in taxes from the year 2016 to 2019.
"The indictment on tax charges from December alleges that the president's son earned millions of dollars from foreign entities in Ukraine, Romania, and China, and 'spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle at the same time he chose not to pay his taxes,'" ABC News reports.
The outlet continues, "The back taxes were eventually paid in 2020 by a third party, identified by ABC News as Hunter Biden's attorney and confidant Kevin Morris."
As stated at the outset, Biden made his initial court appearance on Thursday, and, during this appearance, he pled "not guilty."
Judge Mark Scarsi accepted Biden's not-guilty plea, and the judge has set the conditions for Biden's release.
Fox reports, "Those conditions include the requirement for the president's son to seek employment and communicate all international travel plans. Hunter also is prohibited from possessing a firearm and using alcohol and drugs, and he is required to get drug tested randomly and participate in a substance abuse counseling program."
After Biden's plea was entered and the conditions of his release were set, Biden was processed by court marshalls.
Next up in the case will be a motions hearing. The hearing is scheduled for March 27. The trial, should the case get that far, is currently scheduled for June 20.
Biden has also been indicted in Delaware on felony gun charges. He pled "not guilty" to these charges back in October, and the judge in this case set the same conditions for Biden's release as Judge Scarsi has set.
ABC News reports, "Hunter Biden subsequently pleaded not guilty in October to three felony gun charges as part of a separate indictment in Delaware that came after a diversion agreement on one of the gun charges fell apart alongside the initial plea deal. He has since moved to have those charges dismissed."