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Sens. Warren, Markey propose bill that would lead to prison time for 'corporate greed' in health care

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Sens. Warren, Markey propose bill that would lead to prison time for 'corporate greed' in health care

Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, both Democrats, introduced legislation Tuesday that would result in prison time for violators of “corporate greed” in health care.

The Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act would also offer state attorneys general and the U.S. Justice Department more tools to go after health care executives accused of corporate exploitation for endangering patient safety and access to health care, according to a press release.

Warren delivered remarks in front of Steward’s St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, taking issue with the financial management of Steward under CEO Ralph de la Torre. In 2016, Steward sold the land where its eight Massachusetts hospitals are located to Medical Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust. The transaction resulted in the hospitals struggling with massive debt that ultimately forced Steward into bankruptcy.

“My Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act would prevent what happened with Steward from ever happening again,” Warren said in a statement. “When private equity gets hold of health care systems, it is literally a matter of life and death, so if you drive a hospital like Steward into bankruptcy, putting patients and communities at risk, you should face real consequences.”

CALIFORNIA AGREES TO REPAY FEDS $52M IN ‘IMPROPERLY CLAIMED’ IMMIGRANT MEDICAID DISBURSEMENTS

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Sen. Warren delivered remarks in front of Steward’s St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

The bill would create a new criminal penalty to put executives in prison for up to six years if they loot health care entities, including nursing homes and hospitals, if the looting leads to a patient’s death.

It would authorize state attorneys general and the U.S. Justice Department to claw back all compensation, including salaries, to private equity and portfolio company executives within a 10-year period before or after an acquired health care firm experiences serious, avoidable financial difficulties due to that looting.

Additionally, the legislation would authorize an associated civil penalty of up to fives times the clawback amount and require health care providers receiving federal funding to publicly report mergers, acquisitions, changes in ownership and control and financial data, including debt and debt-to-earnings ratios.

There would also be a requirement for a Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General report to be sent to Congress detailing the “harms of corporatization” in health care.

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“What Dr. de la Torre, Cerberus Capital Management and Medical Properties Trust did to Steward-owned hospitals in Massachusetts and across the country is unforgivable,” Markey said in a statement. “They promised to improve health care, but instead traded lives and livelihoods for profit. Private equity firms and their enablers will continue to steal from America’s health care system to feed their corporate greed unless we stop them. We need guardrails now to guarantee CEO wealth doesn’t come before the public’s health.”

SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES IN HEALTH CARE FUNDING DISPUTE WITH GOVERNMENT

Sen. Markey said there need to be guardrails to “guarantee CEO wealth doesn’t come before the public’s health.” (Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Private Equity Stakeholder Project policy director Chris Noble said in a statement that private equity firms have “made a killing out of looting vulnerable hospitals and putting patients and healthcare systems at risk.”

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“Grounded in the common-sense idea that U.S. healthcare systems should prioritize safeguarding our long-term health over short-term profits, this legislation is a necessary and timely solution to that problem,” he said.

Massachusetts Nurses Association president Katie Murphy also praised the Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act.

“As an organization representing frontline nurses and health professionals working in facilities owned and operated by private equity firms and other for profit  providers, we have witnessed how the commodification of health care and the strive for profit taking by these firms has undermined the safety of the patients and communities served by those facilities, and as such, we applaud and support Senator Warren’s legislation that will hold these firms accountable for their misdeeds and corporate malfeasance, to claw back those resources taken from our patients and our communities to ensure those resources go to the care of patients and not their exploitation,” Murphy said in a statement.

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Northeast

Brown University shooting: Timeline of terror that left 2 dead, 9 injured

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Brown University shooting: Timeline of terror that left 2 dead, 9 injured

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Police in Rhode Island spent days searching for the individual who shot and killed two students and injured nine others at Brown University.

The shooting happened around 4 p.m. Saturday at Brown University’s Barus and Holley engineering building. While a person of interest was taken into custody early Sunday morning, that individual was later released.

Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov died in the shooting. Cook, 19, was the president of the Brown University College Republicans.

The manhunt ended with the discovery of suspect Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente. Here’s a timeline of the investigation.

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Timeline of the Brown University shooting:

Saturday at 2 p.m.: The person of interest was seen on surveillance camera wearing dark clothing and a mask while walking on Manning Street before going onto Cooke Street.

2:08 p.m.: The person of interest was seen walking on Benevolent Street and paused when walking by the Aldrich House.

2:16 p.m.: The person of interest turned west down George Street.

2:20 p.m. The person of interest was seen running east on Benevolent Street toward Cooke Street, away from the campus.

2:51 p.m.: The individual was seen on Manning Street turning onto Hope Street toward a parking lot that’s near the Barus and Holley engineering building, where the shooting happened.

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4:03 p.m.: The person of interest was seen walking through Lot 42 to Hope Street.

4:22 p.m.: Brown University notifies the campus community of an active shooter.

A shooter entered the Barus and Holley engineering building and began firing, killing two people and injuring nine other students.

A shelter-in-place order was issued for the entire Brown University campus, which was later lifted as police searched for the shooter. Brown University President Christina H. Paxson described the shooting as a “tragic day” for the institution.

“There are truly no words that can express the deep sorrow we are feeling for the victims of the shooting that took place today at the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building,” Paxson said.

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The outer doors to the campus building were unlocked because of final exams, authorities said.

The suspect was described as a man dressed in black leaving the building by foot, according to Providence Police Deputy Chief Tim O’Hara.

4:50 p.m.: Brown University Department of Public Safety says a person of interest is in custody. The shelter in place was still in effect.

6:35 p.m.: Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said during a press conference that two people were killed in the shooting and another eight other individuals were injured.

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11:04 p.m.: Police release video showing a person of interest.

Authorities late Saturday released surveillance footage of a person of interest following a deadly shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. (Providence Police Department)

A map showing the Barus and Holley Building at Brown University, where a gunman killed two and wounded nine Saturday, as well as the intersection where a dark-clad person of interest was seen on surveillance video. (Google Maps, Fox News Digital)

PATRIOTS ‘HEARTBROKEN’ AS DEADLY SHOOTING OCCURS AT BROWN UNIVERSITY

Sunday at 5:42 a.m.: After over 12 hours, Brown University lifted the shelter in place and allowed students to leave. Law enforcement officials had been evacuating students throughout Saturday night and Sunday morning.

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3:45 a.m.: Authorities early Sunday morning announced a person of interest had been detained. Providence Chief of Police Colonel Oscar Perez Jr. didn’t mention if the individual was affiliated with the university.

PERSON OF INTEREST IN CUSTODY FOLLOWING DEADLY SHOOTING AT BROWN UNIVERSITY

11 p.m.: Officials in Providence released the person of interest that was previously in custody, saying there was a lack of evidence.

BROWN UNIVERSITY SHOOTING VICTIM IDENTIFIED AS ELLA COOK: ‘AN INCREDIBLE LIGHT’

“Yeah, look, I think it’s fair to say that, ah, there is no basis to consider him a person of interest. So that’s why he’s being released,” Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said.

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In a post on X, the Providence Police wrote, “Tonight, we announced that the person of interest is being released. The investigation has been ongoing and remains fully active between all agencies. Since the first call to 911, we have not received any specific threats to our community.”

Monday at 2:30 p.m.: Police release additional surveillance footage of a person of interest:

5:15 p.m.: The FBI and Providence Police released new images and video of a person of interest, showing someone wearing dark clothing, captured from surveillance cameras.

The images were retrieved around 2 p.m. Saturday, two hours before the shooting, authorities said at a news conference on Monday. The person of interest was described as a male, approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall with a stocky build.

Authorities added during the news conference that the shooter used a 9mm handgun.

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File photo of Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, who is reportedly one of the victims in the mass shooting incident at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, Dec. 13, 2025.  (GoFundMe)

Tuesday at 11:54 a.m.: Norfolk District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced that Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro had been killed at his home on Monday night. He was found with an apparent gunshot wound.

MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro who was killed in his home on Tuesday, Dec. 16. (Jake Belcher)

Wednesday at 12:36 p.m.: The Providence Police Department released pictures of an individual who was “in proximity” to the person of interest, who they want to speak with.

Thursday at 9:45 p.m.: Authorities in Rhode Island identified Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente as the suspect in the Brown University shooting. A source told Fox News that the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

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A split image shows Claudio Neves-Valente, identified as the Brown University gunman, wearing the same jacket as a man identified earlier as a person of interest in the case. (Providence Police Department)

Police said Neves-Valente used his real name on a rental car agreement, which helped officials locate the suspect. Neves-Valente rented a Nissan Sentra with Florida plates from Alamo Rent A Car in Boston, Massachusetts, on Dec. 1.

10:48 p.m.: U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said Neves-Valente was also responsible for the murder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro, who died after suffering “apparent gunshot wounds” on Monday evening.

Retired FBI Supervisory Agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital “people want answers,” noting there’s an intense amount of pressure on law enforcement.

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“Parents want to know their kids are safe. Students want to know if they can move freely on campus. Families of the victims want justice, and they deserve it,” Pack said. “There is also pressure. Investigators feel it. Prosecutors feel it. University officials feel it. Families of the victims carry it every hour of every day. Pressure, however, does not solve cases. Evidence does.”

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Michael Ruiz, Andrea Margolis and Greg Norman contributed to this report.

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Boston, MA

City officials suspend license of Boston nightclub where woman suffered fatal medical episode – The Boston Globe

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City officials suspend license of Boston nightclub where woman suffered fatal medical episode – The Boston Globe


City officials said Wednesday they had suspended the entertainment license for Icon, a Boston nightclub, after a woman suffered a medical emergency there over the weekend and later died.

The city’s licensing board is expected to hold a hearing on the future of Icon’s liquor license “in the coming weeks,” according to a statement from the mayor’s office.

Police arrived at the Warrenton Street venue, in the Theater District, just before 12:30 a.m. on Sunday and found a person lying on the dance floor, unresponsive and without a pulse, according to an incident report. Family members on social media identified the woman as Anastaiya Colon and said she had been celebrating her sister’s birthday when she collapsed.

Emergency medical personnel performed chest compressions and took Colon to Tufts Medical Center, according to the report. Family members said Tuesday that she had died.

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“Any loss of life in our community is a horrible tragedy and our condolences go out to the family and loved ones,” Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement Wednesday.

Family members have accused the nightclub of negligence, alleging that, once alerted to the medical emergency, Icon staff failed immediately to call 911, only stopped the dance music for a few minutes, and did not clear the way for emergency personnel once they arrived.

“Their negligence and incompetence to control and clear a crowd for professionals ensured it was too late to save her,” Bonnell Stackhouse, Colon’s former partner, alleged in a social media post.

Boston police detectives are investigating the incident, according to Officer Mark Marron, a department spokesperson. A spokesperson for the Suffolk district attorney’s office said Wednesday morning that there are “no indications of criminality.”

In a statement to the Globe on Wednesday, the club said its staff had acted appropriately.

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Club management said it conducted interviews with employees and reviewed security footage that showed CPR was administered “within a minute” of staff being notified of the medical emergency.

EMS was contacted within two minutes, and Boston police arrived within six minutes, the club said.

“We hope the family finds some comfort knowing that Boston Police, Boston EMS, and the Club Staff worked diligently and efficiently in responding to this unfortunate situation,” club management said.

According to the police report, however, the first officers to arrive on the scene were on a routine patrol outside the nightclub when they were flagged down by one of Colon’s friends.

Police also said in the report that the large crowd inside the club did not comply with orders to give space to emergency medical personnel, forcing them to shut down the club and order the patrons to leave.

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Icon had planned to hold a New Year’s Eve event, headlined by DJs JayRoc and Roniflee, according to its social media accounts. It was unclear Wednesday whether that event would take place.

Colon, known as “Nena,” leaves behind two children, one aged 9 and the other 6 months old, according to a fund-raiser in her name.

Anastaiya Colon collapsed Sunday at Icon, a nightclub in Boston’s Theater District, and later died.GoFundMe

Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.





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Pittsburg, PA

Obituary for Marilyn Sue Heitz

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Obituary for Marilyn Sue Heitz


Marilyn Sue Heitz, 69, a resident of Celebration Villa Assisted Living in Topeka, Kansas, passed away December 23, 2025 at the KU Medical Center in Olathe, Kansas.

Marilyn was born April 10, 1956 to Joe and Hazel (Waggoner) Heitz in Pittsburg, Kansas. She attended public school in Pittsburg and graduated from Pittsburg High School and then from Pittsburg State University with a degree in Education. Marilyn worked for K.W. Brock Directories for many years in Pittsburg and then moved to Topeka, Kansas as an Education and Training Specialist for Valeo Behavioral Health Care and then at the Topeka Correctional Facility.

Marilyn is survived by her brother, Mark Heitz (Lisa) of Topeka, Kansas; her sister Carol Murphy of Leavenworth, Kansas; Nephews, Kyle Murphy (Bridget) of Bellevue, Nebraska; and Kristopher Murphy (Barb) of Topeka, Kansas; Nieces, Kara Heitz (David Sylvester) of Mission Hills, Kansas; Dr. Kim Murphy of Moline, Illinois and Kristina Murphy of West Liberty, Iowa; Great Nephews and Nieces; Joe and Kendall Murphy; Cabot and Claudia Sylvester; and Hazel and Thomas Murphy. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Cremation and burial have taken place and a Graveside Memorial Service will be held at a later date at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Pittsburg, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, her family suggests memorials be made to Helping Hands Humane Society, Inc., 5720 SW 21st St., Topeka, Kansas 66604 and can also be left in care of Brenner Mortuary. Friends and family may leave condolences online at www.brennermortuary.com .” target=”_blank”>http://www.brennermortuary.com/>. Services are under the direction of Brenner Mortuary, 114 E. Fourth Street, Pittsburg, Kansas 66762

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