by Corinne Murdock | Sep 7, 2021 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) challenged the American Medical Association’s (AMA) recent take that ivermectin should no longer be prescribed for COVID-19.
In a letter to AMA President Gerald Harmon published Saturday, AAPS Executive Director and Tucson native Jane Orient argued that the AMA was contradicting the professional opinion of many respected physicians – those that are writing the average of 88,000 prescriptions a week for ivermectin. Orient cited 63 controlled studies that favor the use of ivermectin in treating COVID.
Orient also cited the Tokyo Medical Association (TMA), who issued a call to action in February for all their physicians to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID-19. She asked AMA if they could answer the following questions about their rationale for opposing ivermectin:
- What are the criteria for advocating that pharmacists override the judgment of fully qualified physicians who are responsible for individual patients?
- What are the criteria for forbidding off-label use of long-approved drugs, which constitute at least 20 percent of all prescriptions?
- On what basis does AMA demand use only within a clinical trial for ivermectin, but call for virtually universal vaccination outside of controlled trials, despite FDA warnings of potential cardiac damage in healthy young patients, and no information about long-term effects?
The AMA issued their recommendation in a joint statement with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) last week. The statement noted that they were alarmed by the 24-fold increase in ivermectin prescriptions over the course of the pandemic.
Recently, famed podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan was prescribed ivermectin as one of several treatments for his COVID-19. Rogan also reported using monoclonal antibodies, Z-Pack, and Prednisone. Within 5 days, Rogan went from fully symptomatic to testing negative.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Corinne Murdock | Sep 7, 2021 | Education, News
By Corinne Murdock |
The University of Arizona (UArizona) ranked high for its number of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) staff compared with 65 other universities. Arizona State University (ASU) ranked toward the bottom. This data was published in a study by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in D.C.
The data was organized into four categories: the total number of DEI personnel at the university, the ratio of DEI personnel to American Disability Act (ADA) personnel, the average number of DEI personnel per 100 faculty members, and the ratio of DEI personnel to history faculty.
Out of all 65 universities, UArizona ranked #13 for having 59 total DEI personnel, #54 for their nearly two-to-one DEI personnel per ADA faculty ratio, #19 for their average number of nearly 4 DEI personnel per 100 faculty members, and #7 for their over two-to-one DEI personnel/History faculty ratio.
By comparison, ASU ranked #49 for having 28 total DEI personnel, #63 for their one-to-one DEI/ADA personnel ratio, #58 for their average number of two DEI personnel per 100 faculty members, and #48 for their one-to-one DEI personnel/History faculty ratio.
The Heritage Foundation only catalogued the 65 universities within the Power 5 conferences – those athletic conferences with the nation’s top football programs – which is why they didn’t include Northern Arizona University (NAU).
In a summary report of the data, The Heritage Foundation found that the average university sampled had more than 45 people with formal DEI promotion goals, 4.2 times more DEI staff than student disability accommodation staff, 1.4 times more DEI staff than professors in corresponding history departments, and 3.4 people working to promote DEI for every 100 tenured or tenure-track faculty members.
Three schools nabbed the number-one ranking for their number of DEI personnel. The University of Michigan (UM) earned two number one slots for having 163 DEI personnel total, nearly 15 DEI personnel for every one ADA faculty member. New York’s Syracuse University (SU) earned a number one slot for having over 7 DEI personnel per 100 faculty members. Lastly, Georgia Tech (GT) earned a number one slot for having over 3 DEI personnel for every history faculty member.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Terri Jo Neff | Sep 7, 2021 | News
By Terri Jo Neff |
Those Arizonans interested in wagering on Thursday night’s NFL opening season game between Super Bowl champs Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys will be able to legally do so, courtesy of a court order issued Monday.
Maricopa County Judge James Smith denied a request by the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe for a temporary restraining order (TRO) which would have postponed the Sept. 9 start of mobile sports betting within the state of Arizona. An attorney for the Arizona Department of Gaming argued that postponement had the potential to result in “millions per month” of financial losses to several businesses involved in the new gaming opportunities allowed under Arizona’s 2021 Indian Gaming Compact negotiated by Gov. Doug Ducey.
In its request for the TRO, the tribe argued that allowing the new 2021 gaming compact negotiated by to go into effect would result in “direct, substantial and uncertain injury” for its members. Such results would reduce the amount of revenues available for tribal operations and programs, the lawsuit alleged.
The tribe also argued that Proposition 202 which was approved by voters in 2002 to create gaming compacts with Native American tribes, so state lawmakers can only amend the initiative if it furthers” the purpose of the original proposition.
However, Smith ruled the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe was unlikely to prevail in its lawsuit, which still remains in play against Ducey as well as Ted Vogt, the director of the Department of Gaming. But it’s clear the odds are not in favor of the tribe securing an order invalidating the 2021 Compact or House Bill 2772 signed by Ducey which changed parts of state law related to gaming.
Supporters of expanded gaming in Arizona welcomed Smith’s ruling, as the Sept. 9 start date for the new betting options is the same day the NFL begins its regular season. One of those supporters is Rep. Jeff Weninger (R-LD17) who helped ensure passage of HB2772 and worked with Ducey to amend the nearly 20-year-old compacts.
“Thrilled to hear this decision and I am excited for event wagering to start on Thursday,” Weninger tweeted Monday evening. “Today was a good day.”
Some Arizona sports teams are even promoting the new gaming opportunities to their fans, such as the Phoenix Suns’ sweepstakes offered for those who preregister with FanDuel. The prize is an opening night suite and $1,000 in team shop credit.
By not signing on to Ducey’s 2021 Compact, Yavapai-Prescott will likely lose out even more than most, because its two casinos are limited to games allowed under its 2003 Compact, which does not permit games such as craps and baccarat included under the new compact.
During Monday’s special court hearing, Smith learned that the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe had been in settlement discussions with the Department of Gaming until late August. Whether those negotiations will continue is unclear, nor is it certain what options would be available under current law and the 2021 Compact.
Another question will be whether the new gaming options increase overall betting activity across the state or simply pull revenue away from the 17 tribes which currently operate casinos across the state.
In addition to the new games which can be offered at tribal casinos, the 2021 Compact allows 10 of the 22 tribes in Arizona to be licensed to engage in off-reservation mobile sports betting. Those licenses have been awarded to the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Navajo Nation, San Carlos Apache Tribe, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Tohono O’odham Nation, and Tonto Apache Tribe.
The 2021 Compact also allows 10 professional sports teams to be licensed for off-reservation mobile sports betting along with offering books at select sports venues. Those licenses were issued to the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Coyotes, Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Rattlers, Phoenix Mercury, Phoenix Speedway, Phoenix Suns, and TPC Scottsdale.
There is one other active lawsuit against the Department of Gaming related to new sports betting opportunities, but its claims are not going to stymie the start of mobile sports betting.
Turf Paradise contends its Phoenix-area horse track qualifies for one of the professional sports licenses and that the decision to deny its application was incorrect. The lawsuit was filed even though the owners of Turf Paradise have administratively appealed the denial to Vogt.
by Corinne Murdock | Sep 6, 2021 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), David Schweikert (R-AZ-06), and Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) are original cosponsors on legislation to award Congressional Gold Medals to the 13 service members killed in Kabul last week. The Congressional Gold Medal is widely considered the highest congressional expression of appreciation on behalf of the nation.
The 13 service members were Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Nicole Gee, Darin Hoover, Hunter Lopez, Daegan Page, Humberto Sanchez, David Espinoza, Jared M. Schmitz, Rylee Mccollum, Dylan Merola, Kareem Nikoui, Maxton Soviak, and Ryan Knauss.
Representative Lisa McClain (R-MI-10) introduced the legislation on Tuesday. As McClain noted in her legislation, the 13 service members’ deaths marked the single deadliest day in the Afghanistan war in over 10 years.
“The American service members went above and beyond the call of duty to protect citizens of the United States and our allies to ensure they are brought to safety in an extremely dangerous situation as the Taliban regained control over Afghanistan,” read the legislation. “The American service members exemplified extreme bravery and valor against armed enemy combatants. The American service members dedicated their lives and their heroism deserves great honor.”
If awarded, the medals would be given to the Smithsonian Institution to memorialize the service members and the day of the Kabul attack: August 26.
A total of 150 other representatives have signed onto the legislation: 129 Republicans, and 21 Democrats.
The representatives to sign on were Don Young (R-AK), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Jerry Carl (R-AL), Gary Palmer (R-AL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Bruce Westermann (R-AR), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Young Kim (R-CA), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Mike Garcia (R-CA), David Valadao (R-CA), Mike Levin (D-CA), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Greg Steube (R-FL), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Al Lawson (D-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Jody Hice (R-GA), Rick Allen (R-GA), Drew Ferguson (R-GA), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Mike Bost (R-IL), Jim Banks (R-IN-), Larry Buschon (R-IN-), Andre Carson (D-IN), Russ Fulcher (R-IN), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Victoria Spartz (R-IN), Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN), Greg Pence (R-IN), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Jake LaTurner (R-KS), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Garret Graves (R-LA), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Bill Keating (D-MA), Andy Harris (R-MD), Jared Golden (D-ME), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Peter Meijer (R-MI), Tim Walberg (R-MI), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Elise Slotkin (D-MI), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Jason Smith (R-MO), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Michael Guest (R-MS), Don Bacon (R-NE-), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Greg Murphy (R-NC), David Rouzer (R-NC), Ted Budd (R-NC), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Yvette Herrell (R-NM), Mark Amodei (R-NV), Ruben Gallego (D-NV), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Chris Jacobs (R-NY), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Bob Latta (R-OH), Dave Joyce (R-OH), Mike Turner (R-OH), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), Stephanie Bice (R-OK-), Tom Cole (R-OK), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), G.T. Thompson (R-PA), Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Dusty Johnson (R- SD), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), David Kustoff (R-TN), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Lance Gooden (R-TX), August Pfluger (R-TX), Randy Weber (R-TX), Roger Williams (R-TX), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Filemon Vela (D-TX), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Pat Fallon (R-TX), Blake Moore (R-UT), Burgess Owens (R-UT), John Curtis (R-UT), Bob Good (R-VA), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Rob Wittman (R-VA), Ben Cline (R-VA), Elaine Luria (D-VA), Jaime Herrera-Beutler (R-WA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), David McKinley (R-WV), Carol Miller (R-WV), Alex Mooney (R-WV), and Liz Cheney (R-WY).
Read the legislation in its entirety here.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Terri Jo Neff | Sep 6, 2021 | News
By Terri Jo Neff |
The former CEO of one of Arizona’s largest healthcare companies must pay nearly $774.500 before Nov. 19 to ensure his plea deal on fraudulent schemes charges stays in place, and give himself a better chance to avoid a prison sentence.
William J. Timmons, former head of Hacienda Inc, and various nursing care and health supply businesses is set to be sentenced in the Maricopa County Superior Court after pleading guilty in June to two Class 2 felonies stemming an elaborate scheme that bilked Arizona taxpayers out of millions of dollars through improper billing for services.
Timmons, 74, will have an opportunity to argue mitigating factors to Judge Timothy Ryan in an attempt to get probation instead of prison. But first, he must pay $500,000 in restitution to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and $274,500 in fines to the Arizona Attorney General’s anti-racketeering revolving fund.
Failure to make the payments could lead Ryan to reconsider the plea deal.
Meanwhile, Timmons’ co-defendant Joseph O’Malley will be back in court Sept. 24 for a case management conference in advance of his March 2022 trial on similar charges. O’Malley,58, remains out of custody pending trial.
In August 2020, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced that a grand jury had indicted Timmons and O’Malley following an investigation into allegations the two intentionally misallocated funds from AHCCCS as well as the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Division of Developmental Disabilities.
The schemes involved manipulating costs for services; the excess funds were then used by the men to pay themselves and others inflated salaries and bonuses.
Timmons, who had been with Hacienda for nearly 30 years until 2019, faces up to 12.5 years in state prison on each of the counts. However, his plea deal did not contain a prison-mandatory stipulation, so Timmons can argue for probation. If Ryan does impose a prison sentence, the minimum would be three years.
Hacienda has already agreed to repay AHCCCS nearly $11 million in overpayments. A repayment plan calls for an initial payment of $7 million followed by monthly payments of $50,000.
In addition, the company has consented to a $1 million fine which will be allocated between the AHCCCS Inspector General and the Attorney General’s Office. In exchange, the State has agreed to not pursue criminal or civil action against Hacienda provided the company complies with the consent agreement.
The Attorney General’s Office initiated a criminal investigation into Hacienda’s finances in early January 2019 after learning the company failed to comply with its contract terms. Among the allegations is that the company engaged in improper billing from 2013-2018.
The investigation also revealed that the Hacienda board of directors did not receive accurate financial data from Timmons and O’Malley, nor had the directors inquired as to the company’s performance. A new administrative team was put into place in March 2019.
by AZ Free News | Sep 6, 2021 | News
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is warning Arizonans to watch out for Hurricane Ida charity scams. According to the AGO, there are already reports of fake organizations popping up asking people for money to help victims in Louisiana.
Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana on Sunday and has caused widespread catastrophic damage. While many are eager to help those in need, Attorney General Brnovich wants consumers to do their homework before donating.
The AGO offers the following tips to avoid scams:
- Never give on impulse. Don’t give in to high-pressure requests for contributions or donations. Legitimate charities will not pressure you for an immediate donation and are happy to provide information about their charity for you to review.
- Do your research about the organization and ask questions. For example, how will the funds reach those in need?
- Obtain written information (including annual reports) about a charity before you donate. Always know how much of your donation will actually go to the charity itself versus administrative costs. You can find out more about a charity through Charity Navigator‘s website or the Better Business Bureau’s www.give.org.
- Do not give donations in cash or by wire transfer.
- Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on a third-party.
- Watch out for charities with names that sound similar to well-known organizations. Oftentimes, these sound-alike names are scams.
- Be cautious of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims of a disaster or as government officials asking for donations.
- Do not give unsolicited callers your credit card number or bank account information over the phone, even if the call appears to be legitimate.
- Do not click on links in unsolicited emails and text messages asking you to donate. Even if a message seems legitimate, it could be a phishing attempt. If you want to donate, contact the charity at a website or phone number you know to be valid.
- Be cautious when donating to a GoFundMe fundraiser. It is common for scammers to set up GoFundMe fundraisers after highly publicized events and then disappear with the money.
“It’s disgusting how fraudsters waste no time after a natural disaster to capitalize on people’s goodwill,” said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. “Arizonans are very generous, and I want to make sure they are donating to a legitimate charity that has experience helping victims quickly.”
The AGO advises consumers who believe they have been a victim of consumer fraud, to contact the Arizona Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the metro areas at 1(800) 352-8431.
