Jason Whitlock claims Colorado players rented out a strip club TWICE before heavy Alamo Bowl defeatDarius Tahir | (TNS) KFF Health News President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to run the sprawling government agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act marketplace — celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz — recently held broad investments in health care, tech, and food companies that would pose significant conflicts of interest. Oz’s holdings, some shared with family, included a stake in UnitedHealth Group worth as much as $600,000, as well as shares of pharmaceutical firms and tech companies with business in the health care sector, such as Amazon. Collectively, Oz’s investments total tens of millions of dollars, according to financial disclosures he filed during his failed 2022 run for a Pennsylvania U.S. Senate seat. Trump said Tuesday he would nominate Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The agency’s scope is huge: CMS oversees coverage for more than 160 million Americans, nearly half the population. Medicare alone accounts for approximately $1 trillion in annual spending, with over 67 million enrollees. UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest health care companies in the nation and arguably the most important business partner of CMS, through which it is the leading provider of commercial health plans available to Medicare beneficiaries. UnitedHealth also offers managed-care plans under Medicaid, the joint state-federal program for low-income people, and sells plans on government-run marketplaces set up via the Affordable Care Act. Oz also had smaller stakes in CVS Health, which now includes the insurer Aetna, and in the insurer Cigna. It’s not clear if Oz, a heart surgeon by training, still holds investments in health care companies, or if he would divest his shares or otherwise seek to mitigate conflicts of interest should he be confirmed by the Senate. Reached by phone on Wednesday, he said he was in a Zoom meeting and declined to comment. An assistant did not reply to an email message with detailed questions. “It’s obvious that over the years he’s cultivated an interest in the pharmaceutical industry and the insurance industry,” said Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a watchdog group. “That raises a question of whether he can be trusted to act on behalf of the American people.” (The publisher of KFF Health News, David Rousseau, is on the CSPI board .) Oz used his TikTok page on multiple occasions in November to praise Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including their efforts to take on the “illness-industrial complex,” and he slammed “so-called experts like the big medical societies” for dishing out what he called bad nutritional advice. Oz’s positions on health policy have been chameleonic; in 2010, he cut an ad urging Californians to sign up for insurance under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, telling viewers they had a “historic opportunity.” Oz’s 2022 financial disclosures show that the television star invested a substantial part of his wealth in health care and food firms. Were he confirmed to run CMS, his job would involve interacting with giants of the industry that have contributed to his wealth. Given the breadth of his investments, it would be difficult for Oz to recuse himself from matters affecting his assets, if he still holds them. “He could spend his time in a rocking chair” if that happened, Lurie said. In the past, nominees for government positions with similar potential conflicts of interest have chosen to sell the assets or otherwise divest themselves. For instance, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Attorney General Merrick Garland agreed to divest their holdings in relevant, publicly traded companies when they joined the Biden administration. Trump, however, declined in his first term to relinquish control of his own companies and other assets while in office, and he isn’t expected to do so in his second term. He has not publicly indicated concern about his subordinates’ financial holdings. CMS’ main job is to administer Medicare. About half of new enrollees now choose Medicare Advantage, in which commercial insurers provide their health coverage, instead of the traditional, government-run program, according to an analysis from KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. Proponents of Medicare Advantage say the private plans offer more compelling services than the government and better manage the costs of care. Critics note that Medicare Advantage plans have a long history of costing taxpayers more than the traditional program. UnitedHealth, CVS, and Cigna are all substantial players in the Medicare Advantage market. It’s not always a good relationship with the government. The Department of Justice filed a 2017 complaint against UnitedHealth alleging the company used false information to inflate charges to the government. The case is ongoing. Oz is an enthusiastic proponent of Medicare Advantage. In 2020, he proposed offering Medicare Advantage to all; during his Senate run, he offered a more general pledge to expand those plans. After Trump announced Oz’s nomination for CMS, Jeffrey Singer, a senior fellow at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute, said he was “uncertain about Dr. Oz’s familiarity with health care financing and economics.” Singer said Oz’s Medicare Advantage proposal could require large new taxes — perhaps a 20% payroll tax — to implement. Oz has gotten a mixed reception from elsewhere in Washington. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, the Democrat who defeated Oz in 2022, signaled he’d potentially support his appointment to CMS. “If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,” he said on the social platform X. Oz’s investments in companies doing business with the federal government don’t end with big insurers. He and his family also hold hospital stocks, according to his 2022 disclosure, as well as a stake in Amazon worth as much as nearly $2.4 million. (Candidates for federal office are required to disclose a broad range of values for their holdings, not a specific figure.) Amazon operates an internet pharmacy, and the company announced in June that its subscription service is available to Medicare enrollees. It also owns a primary care service , One Medical, that accepts Medicare and “select” Medicare Advantage plans. Oz was also directly invested in several large pharmaceutical companies and, through investments in venture capital funds, indirectly invested in other biotech and vaccine firms. Big Pharma has been a frequent target of criticism and sometimes conspiracy theories from Trump and his allies. Kennedy, whom Trump has said he’ll nominate to be Health and Human Services secretary, is a longtime anti-vaccine activist. During the Biden administration, Congress gave Medicare authority to negotiate with drug companies over their prices. CMS initially selected 10 drugs. Those drugs collectively accounted for $50.5 billion in spending between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023, under Medicare’s Part D prescription drug benefit. At least four of those 10 medications are manufactured by companies in which Oz held stock, worth as much as about $50,000. 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In his TikTok videos from earlier in November, Oz echoed attacks on the food industry by Kennedy and other figures in his “Make America Healthy Again” movement. They blame processed foods and underregulation of the industry for the poor health of many Americans, concerns shared by many Democrats and more mainstream experts. But in 2022, Oz owned stakes worth as much as $80,000 in Domino’s Pizza, Pepsi, and US Foods, as well as more substantial investments in other parts of the food chain, including cattle; Oz reported investments worth as much as $5.5 million in a farm and livestock, as well as a stake in a dairy-free milk startup. He was also indirectly invested in the restaurant chain Epic Burger. One of his largest investments was in the Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain Wawa, which sells fast food and all manner of ultra-processed snacks. Oz and his wife reported a stake in the company, beloved by many Pennsylvanians, worth as much as $30 million. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The lost another one-score game -- this one a 30-27 overtime loss to the (9-2) Sunday at Soldier Field. The Bears had a strong first quarter, holding the Vikings without any points and scoring for the first time in a game for the first time this season on a 1-yard rushing touchdown by running back Roschon Johnson. But Chicago wouldn't have the lead again in this game, where Minnesota outscored them 24-3 between the second and third quarters. But the Bears had a sensational fourth quarter, where they scored 17 unanswered points to extend the game. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had another impressive outing, throwing for nearly 350 yards, protecting the football and making some sensational throws that bode well for his career. He even led the Bears back from down 11 points, which included a 1-yard touchdown to Keenan Allen and a 48-yard game-tying field goal by Cairo Santos to force overtime. But, as bad teams do, the Bears found a way to lose as their defense just collapsed in overtime. There were plenty of standout performances, that were wasted, in this overtime defeat. We’re taking a look at the studs and duds from the Bears' loss vs. Minnesota: The Bears might not win another game this season, but at least they've found their franchise quarterback. Williams had another sensational game against a top Vikings defense. He completed 32-of-47 passes (68.1%) for 340 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 103.1 passer rating. He added six carries for 33 yards. Williams also became the Bears' rookie single-season passing yards leader, as he now has 2,356 yards through 11 games. He made some impressive throws that show he's going to be a special talent once the right coaching staff is in place. Moore had his best game of the season, where he led the Bears with seven catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. He almost nearly had a passing touchdown on a trick play to rookie Rome Odunze in the end zone that was broken up. Moore excelled in the screen game, where he had some big pickups and conversions. But his biggest play was a 27-yard reception from Caleb Williams to set up the game-tying, overtime-forcing field goal in the final seconds of the game. Allen's dominance against this Vikings defense continued with the Bears, and he was a big part of the team's early offensive success, where his chemistry with Caleb Williams was on full display. Allen had his best game with Chicago, hauling in a team-high nine receptions for 86 yards (second to only DJ Moore) and a touchdown. He was also one toe away from hauling in another impressive reception that likely would've set up another touchdown. This was the Keenan Allen the Bears signed to help their rookie quarterback, and the veteran came up clutch. Gordon has been a stud for this Bears defense when healthy, and he had another impressive outing against this Vikings defense while primarily covering All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson. Gordon had two tackles and two pass breakups, including one on Jefferson in the first quarter on fourth down that gave Chicago the ball in prime field position. Gordon has thrived at the nickel cornerback position, and he was flying all over the field against the Vikings. He's established himself as a core piece of this defense and was one of the bright spots in a disappointing defensive effort. Walker had an impressive outing along the defensive line, where he had several key plays that led to big stops. He finished with five tackles, including one tackle for loss, one sack and two QB hits. Walker played a key role on Jonathan Owens' forced fumble and recovery, stuffing running back Aaron Jones to allow Owens to make the play. Walker now has 3.5 sacks on the season, which matches his total from the 2023 season. The self-inflicted mistakes continued for the Bears, where Carter called for a fair catch on a punt and let it bounce into him and it was then recovered by the Vikings at the Chicago 14-yard line. Carter should've been benched as a result -- like how the team handled Velus Jones Jr. in the past -- but the coaching staff doesn't understand accountability, so he was right back out there. Carter later redeemed himself with an impressive 55-yard kickoff return that set the Bears up on the Minnesota 40-yard line. But that doesn't excuse his actions in what was a costly turnover at a critical point of the game. Special teams lost this game for the Bears, and Hightower deserves plenty of blame for not having his unit prepared. Whether it was Cairo Santos having another field goal blocked due to his low trajectory -- something that supposedly a focal point this week but happened on his first field goal attempt in this game -- or in-game mistakes, most notably DeAndre Carter's mishap in letting a punt bounce into him that resulted in a turnover that set the Vikings up for a touchdown. The Bears defense surrendered the most points they have this season (30), but the biggest reason they lost is because they couldn't get off the field -- particularly on third and long situations. That included in overtime on third-and-9, when Vikings receiver Jordan Addison hauled in a 12-yard reception to keep the drive moving, which ended in the game-winning field goal. Chicago had chances to win the game, but ultimately the defense just made too many mistakes and couldn't come through when it mattered most.Courtland Sutton's surge is helping rookie Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos make a playoff push

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FROM Tencent Holdings to Alibaba Group Holding, China’s tech leaders delivered underwhelming numbers for a quarter beset by economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Whether or not they can win back investors may increasingly hinge on Beijing’s actions. In call after call with investors, China’s Internet pioneers described how the uneven economy was undermining their business and clouding the future. Most offered cautious optimism for how the unprecedented government stimulus unleashed late in the summer would help grease the wheels and pleaded for patience. But the group that once defied Silicon Valley and defined the country’s private economy was short on new ideas and ambitious goals. Just over the past week, the five biggest tech firms erased US$41 billion in market value, while a gauge of sector stocks listed in Hong Kong has fallen into bear market territory. On Friday (Nov 22), a sell-off in Chinese stocks deepened as concerns over Donald Trump’s imminent return mingled with growing frustration over the pace of Beijing’s fiscal stimulus rollout. For investors that were looking to major tech earnings to revive market euphoria, this season now looks like a flop. The business environment “is not only much worse than five years ago, it’s worse than even when China started the Covid Zero policy in 2022”, said Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Natixis. “This sector is obviously supported by China’s industrial policies and intent on winning the tech race with the US, but at the same time, it’s a problematic sector.” PDD Holdings executives boasted about their cheap hairy crabs instead of offering reassurance for disappointing earnings. Tencent went through its usual pitch about building and sustaining “evergreen” games, without promising any imminent new blockbusters. Alibaba executives spent their time justifying elevated spending to ward off intense competition. Even Baidu, the frontrunner in artificial intelligence development, failed to wow with any exciting new projects. “We have not observed a notable improvement in advertisers’ spending patterns, and consumer spending remains subdued,” Baidu’s head of mobile ecosystem Luo Rong told analysts on a call on Thursday, dulling expectations for the current quarter. “Having said that, we are particularly encouraged by the strength and timeliness of recent stimulus policies which continue to be rolled out.” Pressure is building for Beijing to offer further measures, as late September’s market rally on the stimulus campaign fizzles. The parade of ho-hum numbers, vague comments about fiscal policy and warnings contrasted sharply with the pre-Covid era, when Alibaba and Tencent each approached US$1 trillion in market value and analysts talked about the threat they posed to US rivals. Alibaba once fought directly with Amazon.com’s AWS for cloud customers around the world, as it and JD.com talked openly about carving up international markets. Tencent once sketched out ambitions of marrying content with social media and online finance in an unparalleled fintech and Internet empire. That swagger has vanished since Beijing’s 2020 crackdown on a sector it deemed too powerful. Having once commanded enviable growth rates off the back of China’s burgeoning economy, these companies now face prolonged consumer malaise at home, a lack of obvious growth engines and costly ventures to expand overseas. “October retail sales were boosted by earlier Singles’ Day promotions, so it’s not indicative of the real consumption environment – which companies I spoke to are still cautious about,” said Xin-Yao Ng, investment manager for Asian equities at abrdn. “Generally, I hear of a weaker November.” PDD’s US-listed stock plunged 11 per cent after the company gave a downbeat outlook due to intensifying competition in China. The stock, once an investor darling, now trades at 7.7 times forward earnings, about a third of its three-year average. Along with Alibaba, which eked out just 1 per cent growth in domestic commerce, PDD is fighting a defensive action against upstarts like closely held ByteDance. “I don’t think they will drop back to the pre-rally levels in September, more of trading sideways due to a lack of catalysts,” Ng said. There are some bright spots. PDD’s Temu shopping platform has proven to be a hit in the US and other overseas markets. Alibaba’s international e-commerce division delivered strong growth rates for several quarters in a row, prompting the company to unify all online retail operations under the leadership of that division’s chief, Jiang Fan. Meituan – which is next on the slate of companies whose earnings will be studied for signs of domestic consumer appetites – is following the trend and bringing its takeout service to the Middle East. In the realm of games, Tencent and NetEase enjoyed a string of hit releases over the summer that revived domestic sales. Tencent-backed Black Myth: Wukong was an unexpected smash hit on PCs, tapping Chinese history and folklore and potentially opening more opportunities for similarly ambitious titles. But that growth spurt may already be petering out. “The sector is no longer considered as driving structural growth like it once did, which means that it is a lot more cyclical than before,” said Daiwa Capital Markets Hong Kong analyst John Choi. “Policy stimulus will likely play an important role for these companies to see some level of growth acceleration. I am not sure if investors will lose patience, but I do see that the fundamentals are improving going forward.” There remain questions about the full extent and timing of China’s support, which is rolling out in stages, leaving the macroeconomic outlook uncertain. One of the sharper comments this earnings season came from PDD co-chief executive officer Jiazhen Zhao on Thursday. Disillusioned with the competition, the executive appeared to find fault within his own ranks. “Our team of staff is now limited by their past experience and suffers from a lack of certain capabilities,” Zhao told analysts. BLOOMBERGWA’s Liberal party leader has thrown down the gauntlet to challengers after polling predicted the “immediate appointment” of Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas as leader would allow the flailing party to gain back five seats at the election. Libby Mettam has labelled the polling, commissioned by a mystery Perth business person with links to the party, as ‘flawed and clearly biased’, and has challenged anyone who wishes to be leader to move a no confidence motion against her during a meeting today. “Constant undermining of leaders, especially from the shadows within, is a sad reality in politics today,” she said. “But rather than weaken me it has made me stronger and more determined to succeed - not for myself - but for the people of Western Australia who deserve better. “I’m not a quitter, I’m a fighter.” The polling, published in today, suggested another catastrophic election for the Liberals come election day in March. The party currently holds just three out of 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly, with the polling predicting the party has gone backwards since the 2021 election bloodbath, losing ground in 14 key metropolitan seats. Under Mettam, the party is predicted to suffer a 4 per cent drop, with the Liberal primary vote falling to 31 per cent in blue-ribbon seats like Churchlands and Nedlands. On the flip-side, the polling suggests a 3 per cent swing towards the Liberal party under Zempilas’ leadership, and a 38 per cent primary vote. The research, carried out by Sodali and Co, said Zempilas’ leadership could deliver wins in Churchlands, Nedlands, Carine, Bateman and Scarborough. Here’s what’s making news this morning. Mostly sunny today with a top of 25 degrees. Good morning readers, and welcome to our live news blog for Tuesday, November 26. Making headlines this morning, Perth is tipped to outperform the rest of the country in property price growth with forecasts in 2025. Meanwhile, cast your mind back to your school days – or, rather, the very end of your school days and the next step you took. Did you get a high score to enrol in the university degree of your choice? Did you decide to bypass the ATAR exams – or the equivalent of the era, for those older readers – and go straight into an apprenticeship? What about if you got a high ATAR score, but decided to go down the vocational pathway? That’s the situation Ellie Wotherspoon found herself in, having graduated from school with an impressive ATAR of 91. With an ATAR like that, Wotherspoon could have studied law, or medicine, or molecular science. But currently, she’s an electrician working on one of oil and gas giant Woodside’s offshore rigs. And regular readers of this blog – and more broadly – would know we’ve got our fingers on the pulse of this great state’s dining scene. And today, food writer Max Veenhuyzen fills you in on the latest happenings in the world of pastry cases with, er, fillings. From creative fillings to stocking choc milk and ginger beer in the fridge, a cosy nostalgia-fuelled takeaway in Leederville celebrates both the past and the future. Always on the lookout for a great pie? Thanks again for joining us today, stay with us as we bring you all the news you need to know.