Scandal, Controversy, and Fire: A Look at Current Events
- Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and faces a gun possession charge
- Prosecutors are recommending no prison time, which Republicans are criticizing
- A federal judge sets a trial date in the classified documents case against Donald Trump
- Alarming allegations against the country’s largest for-profit hospital chain of pressuring doctors to move patients into hospices and keep death numbers low
- A fire breaks out at an ebike shop, raising concerns about safety of lithium ion batteries.
Hunter Biden Plea Deal Criticized as Republicans Vow to Continue Investigation
- Hunter Biden has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and may avoid prison
- Republicans are criticizing the plea deal, alleging a double standard
- US attorney leading the Hunter Biden investigation was appointed by former President Trump and not interfered with by Attorney General Marick Arland
- IRS agent requested whistleblower protection, alleging Hunter Biden received special treatment in the investigation
- Investigation originally focused on Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings
- House Republicans are vowing to continue their investigation into the Biden family finances
- Former President Trump has pleaded not guilty in his own federal trial and is previewing his defense.
HCA Healthcare Under Fire: Investigation Reveals Potential Profiteering off Patient Care
- In an investigation into the largest hospital chain, HCA Health Care, NBC News discovered that some doctors say that the system may put patients into hospices in order to keep death counts low and potentially boost profits
- Maricel Puez was admitted to an HCA hospital with a severe case of Covid-19 and pneumonia and was later pressured by hospital staff to transfer her to end-of-life care
- Six nurses and 27 doctors spoke out about the pressure they experience at 16 HCA facilities across seven states
- Hospitals are incentivized not necessarily for patient care but rather improvement in performance metrics
- This includes a key factor called mortality statistics which is used by those who rate hospital quality, as if a patient dies in hospice even if its at the same hospital their death will not be counted in this statistic
- Dr. Gesantabel practices at an HCA hospital in Southern California and described how he was threatened with loss of privileges to get patients out of hospitals quickly due to fear of costs associated with insurance running out, as well as how executive compensation is tied to keeping the death rates low at their hospitals.
Deadly E-Bike Fire in Manhattan Caused by Lithium Ion Batteries
- At least four people are dead after an e-bike repair shop in Manhattan caught fire
- The fire was caused by lithium ion batteries
- One hundred eight fires have been linked to these batteries this year and thirteen deaths have occurred as a result
- Faulty designs and overcharging of lithium ion batteries can cause explosions, and surveillance video from February shows how quickly those fires can spread
- Last year, the repair shop was cited for safety violations related to battery charging
- The owner of the shop denied there were any e-bike batteries being charged at the time.