Northeast
'You are culpable': Stefanik demands Cuomo apologize for COVID nursing home deaths in heated exchange
Lawmakers grilled former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo regarding his handling of controversial COVID-era nursing home policies, demanding he apologize to families who lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cuomo testified before the House select committee investigating coronavirus on Tuesday regarding elderly deaths after patients were being admitted into nursing homes without COVID-19 testing.
On March 25, 2020, the New York State Department of Health issued an advisory under Cuomo’s leadership stating nursing homes “are prohibited from requiring a hospitalized resident who is determined medically stable to be tested for COVID-19 prior to admission or readmission.”
Cuomo claimed during the hearing that it was ultimately up to the nursing homes to decide whether they could take care of the patients, but lawmakers counterclaimed that the advisory prevented nursing homes from denying COVID positive patient admission.
TAXPAYERS LOST MORE THAN $100B TO COVID UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FRAUD, COMMITTEE FINDS
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 10: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo arrives to testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Rayburn House Office Building at the U.S. Capitol on September 10, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura)
“After months of inquiry and investigation, we now know irrefutable what New Yorkers have known for years that Governor Cuomo himself and his most senior aides ordered, directed and executed this deadly executive order counter to CMS and CDC guidance,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said.
“You are culpable for this,” Stefanik told the former governor. “There are families sitting here. I want you to turn around, look them in the eye, and apologize, which you have failed to do. How do you do it?”
The former New York governor also testified during the hearing that he did not speak to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) before or after the advisory was sent.
ANDREW CUOMO WILL FINALLY FACE QUESTIONS OVER COVID DEATHS. WILL MY FAMILY AND OTHERS LEARN THE TRUTH?
“And they never called me after. You would think if they had a problem with the directive, they would have called if it was so outrageous you didn’t even call it.” Cuomo told the committee, adding that the advisory was “in total compliance with federal guidelines.”
Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York, grilled Cuomo during the hearing. (Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg)
Cuomo was blamed for thousands of COVID-related deaths that occurred in nursing homes, which a 2023 report from the NYS Department of Health calculated to be 826 in Suffolk County, 813 in Erie County – which includes Buffalo – and 623 in Queens County.
The former governor directed blame to former President Donald Trump during the hearing, saying that the investigation is part of “old diversions to blame New York and other states for the culpability of the federal response, which was malpractice.”
Republican members on the committee railed Cuomo for shifting the blame on the issue.
“I was hoping that we would see a Governor Cuomo that was less defensive and that was remorseful over what happened in New York. But I see that that person has not shown up today,” Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, said.
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 10: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is sworn in to testify before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Rayburn House Office Building at the U.S. Capitol on September 10, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura)
In closing, Chairman Wenstrup added that he was “deeply skeptical of the abdication of responsibility on to others that we’ve witnessed, not only here, but publicly.”
“It appears there’s to be no soul-searching from you, governor. I’m sorry. No self- critique of what could have been done better and improved upon. Just doubling down, blaming others,” Wenstrup said.
Fox News’ Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
People turning to ChatGPT for mental health help
A growing number of people are turning to ChatGPT for help with their mental health.
Fox – 5 Atlanta
I was diagnosed with anorexia when I was 17 years old. My extreme fear of gaining weight instilled a steely resolve to overexercise and pick at meals – no matter how hungry I felt. Eventually, I got too thin to be healthy.
My doctor recommended residential treatment. Only one local residential treatment center specialized in eating disorders. My mother and I toured the center, which was designed to be a warm, home-like environment, rather than a clinical ward. At that time, it accepted only women and girls, and I recall feeling relieved that I would be among people like myself, struggling with similar fears, fighting the same urges.
Then we learned our insurance wouldn’t cover it.
Instead, I was approved for four weeks at a generalized, institutional residential treatment center, where teens with a wide range of conditions – addiction, self-harm and behavioral issues – were treated together. There was no specialized care for eating disorders. No individualized treatment. I attended AA and NA meetings that weren’t relevant to my illness and did my best to make the most of them.
I stabilized and began eating again – not because the care was right, but because I was desperate to go home. After discharge, insurance covered four weeks of step-down care and outpatient therapy.
Anorexia has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric illness. I was fortunate: I recovered. But many others are not as lucky.
The care I received was dictated by my health insurance. Someone else could receive far less care, simply because they have a different plan. This is the inequity baked into our health care system: two people can present with the same illness, severity and clinical needs – and receive different treatment plans. Not because their doctors disagree, but because their insurance plans differ. When coverage determines care, recovery becomes a matter of luck.
Rhode Island has an opportunity to change that.
State lawmakers are considering legislation (S2564 and H7945) which would require insurers to use the same standards providers rely on when determining whether behavioral health treatment is medically necessary. These clinical guidelines are developed by nonprofit professional associations, grounded in medical research, and reflect consensus across the field. Currently, insurers may rely on internal guidelines that can vary, lack transparency, or fall short of generally accepted standards of care.
Many Rhode Islanders face barriers to behavioral health care: higher costs, delays and limited provider networks. Additional state reforms can help improve access.
- Bills S2687 and J7946 would codify federal parity regulations into state law. Parity requires insurers to cover behavioral health services on the same terms as medical services, including comparable limits, costs and access to services. In 2024, new federal rules strengthened these requirements, but a recent legal challenge from a group of employers has left them uncertain. The administration has stopped enforcing key provisions and has urged states to pause their own enforcement efforts. Rhode Island does not have to stand by and accept reduced access to behavioral health care – we can enshrine these critical protections in state law.
- Bills S2467 and H7943 would eliminate prior authorization for in-network behavioral health care, removing one of the most common sources of delay. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island has had this policy in effect for years.
One in four Rhode Islanders lives with a mental health condition. Access to timely, appropriate care should not depend on an insurance plan.
When my doctor recommended care, he was guided by clinical expertise and clear standards of what I needed to recover. Our laws should require insurers to follow those same standards.
Because when it comes to behavioral health care, the stakes are too high to leave treatment up to chance.
Laurie-Marie Pisciotta is executive director of Mental Health Association of Rhode Island.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.
Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.
Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.
Here’s a look at May 16, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 16 drawing
08-37-40-44-65, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 16 drawing
Day: 4-6-6
Evening: 0-9-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 16 drawing
Day: 7-9-5-2
Evening: 9-9-8-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from May 16 drawing
02-06-08-18-26, Megaball: 02
Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 16 drawing
07-17-24-38-45, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.
For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.
All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.
Vermont Lottery Headquarters
1311 US Route 302, Suite 100
Barre, VT
05641
When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
- Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily
What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?
Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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