Business News

Mon. Ted Cruz’s Telling Call With Fox Business Host Caught On Newly Released Tape

In a November 2020 call between Sen. Ted Cruz and Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, the Texas Republican said Donald Trump’s allies needed “actual evidence” to support the then-president’s election fraud claims if they wanted their challenges to hold up in court.

“They can’t just be, you know, ‘Somebody tweeted that.’ There’s got to be demonstrable facts that can be laid out with evidence because that’s what a court of law is going to look to ― not just an allegation but actual facts,” he said in a recording of the Nov. 7, 2020, call obtained by MSNBC.

Cruz added that he was “hopeful” that Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who led the legal push to overturn the 2020 presidential results, “comes on the show tomorrow and he has some of those facts,” and he added, “I hope the the legal team continues to lay out the specific evidence because that’s what it’s going to take to prevail in court.”

Even though no such evidence was produced, Cruz went on to lead an effort to block the certification of President Joe Biden’s win, pushing Trump’s lie that the election had been rife with fraud.

The recording was taken by a former Fox News producer who is singing the network. Abby Grossberg, who worked as a producer for Bartiromo and Tucker Carlson, has accused the network of harassment and alleged it pressured her into giving misleading testimony as part of the $1.6 billion Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit.

Recordings she made of off-air conversations between Fox hosts and their guests, as well as her testimony in the case, reportedly helped spur the network to reach its $787.5 million settlement deal with Dominion. Fox News has denied that account.

Dominion sued Fox News over its coverage of the 2020 election, accusing it of amplifying damaging and false claims that the voting technology company was part of a conspiracy to rig the vote against Trump.

Related…

Can You Prevent a Whistleblower Lawsuit?

When a whistleblower suit is brought against a company or practice, there are usually many warnings that were ignored or not dealt with appropriately. Many times, wrongdoings are brought to light internally first and properly addressing concerns can prevent a lawsuit.

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Often, the employee who becomes the whistleblower tries to raise the issue internally before going outside the company.

There are also fears of retaliation by many whistleblowers. Fear of retaliation can lead an employee to report wrongdoing to an outside board or entity.

So how do you avoid a whistleblower issue?

While it’s impossible to ensure that you will never have a whistleblower suit on your hands, you can take steps to make sure your employees’ concerns are acknowledged.

First, make sure your employees have a variety of ways to raise their concerns, including an anonymous option.

As part of your regular compliance training, make sure your employees know all the ways to raise issues and let them know that you are want them to come forward with concerns. If your employees bring their concerns forward, it can help you improve your practice, patient care and working relationships.

Let employees know that you take concerns seriously and will fully investigate, and where necessary, remediate concerns.

When we work with practices and companies on their compliance plans, policies and procedures, or employee handbooks, we make sure to put in place robust internal reporting methods.

Stress the importance of open communication to your employees and then follow through. You can’t expect your employees to believe you, if you don’t take the time to actually listen and address concerns.

Busy practices will often have an attorney investigate and address employee concerns, to have impartiality and attorney client privilege. This also lets your employees know you take their concerns seriously, when an outsider is brought in to investigate.

Having open communication with your employees will lead to better working relationships and a better overall company.

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Do you need help updating your Business Associate Agreement or negotiating contracts with third-party vendors? We can help. To contact us about your Business Associate Agreement, your vendor contracts or your other legal needs, call us today.

Fast Retailing, Trading Houses Lift Japan’s Nikkei to 33-Year High

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Nikkei index extended its climb to a near 33-year high on Tuesday, with trading houses and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing leading the gains on technical support for heavyweight shares ahead of the fixing of special quotation prices.

The Nikkei recovered from early losses to close nearly 1% higher at 32,506.78. The index ended at its highest level since July 1990.

The broader Topix rose 0.74% to 2,236.28.

Ahead of the June 9 setting of special quotation prices used to set values on index options and futures, “stocks with a large contribution to the index were speculatively bought, supporting the market,” said Takashi Nakamura, a senior strategist at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute .

Shares of Fast Retailing climbed 1.73%, contributing the most to the Nikkei’s advance, while trading company Mitsui & Co jumped 3.86%.

Mizuho Financial Group slipped 0.49%, leading the losses among lenders on reports the US regulators may have tougher capital requirements following recent bank failures. Advantest slid 2.18% after chip-related peers declined in US trading.

The Nikkei has surged 15% in the past three months, outpacing major global indexes. A technical indicator, known as the 14-day relative strength index (RSI), for the gauge stood at 79, above the 70-mark indicating an overheated market.

“The last few days feel like generally broader buying compared to the last couple of weeks of May,” said Mio Kato, the founder of LightStream Research. “Maybe investors are more familiar with are Japan rotating a little out of the AI theme, for example, to get broader exposure.”

Trading houses and mining companies led to gains among the 33 industry sub-indexes on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, rising 2.5%. Banks led losses, sagging 0.78%.

Nitto Denko, a maker of protective films that supplies Apple, climbed 0.9% after the iPhone maker unveiled a costly new augmented-reality headset.

(Reporting by Rocky Swift and Nobuyo Saito in Tokyo; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

How Can You Protect Your Children?

Many of our estate planning clients have children and want to protect their children.

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While concerns vary, protecting children is a huge part of estate planning.

When parents have minor children, estate planning is essential. It allows parents to pick guardians for their children. This will ensure that they have peace of mind knowing who will care for their minor children.

This will also prevent court fights over guardianship.

Parents with minor children can also set aside money in trust to help care for their children.

Estate planning also prevents children from getting large sums of money at age 18.

We always say the quickest way to ruin a good kid is to leave them with a big sum of money when they are young.

Putting money in trust so that disbursements are made at various ages helps to offset this risk. It also allows your trustee to give money for certain purposes such as college or trade school.

Finally, we have clients with married children. Sometimes, they are concerned that their child will get divorced and their inheritance will go to the ex-spouse.

Estate planning can help.

We can put tools into place to schedule distributions and put protections in place.

No matter your concern for your children, estate planning is a great tool to protect them.

If you need help with your estate plan, contact us today.

Contact us today to help you get the right documents in place or to update your current estate plan.

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Bank regulator action on climate change ‘overdue and now urgent’ – Business News

Climate action ‘over due’

The Canadian Press – Apr 21, 2023 / 6:13 am | Stories: 422543

Bank regulator action on climate change ‘overdue and now urgent’ – Business News

Photo: The Canadian Press

Canada’s environment commissioner says action by the federal banking regulator on climate change is overdue and now urgent.

Commissioner Jerry DeMarco said in an audit released Thursday that it’s encouraging that the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OFSI) both recognizes the risks of climate change to banks and the financial system, and is taking action on the challenge.

But he notes that since climate change has only recently become a priority of the regulator, the full implementation of the strategy is still years away.

DeMarco also said that OFSI’s plan to improve the resilience to climate change of banks and other financial institutions stops short of actually encouraging the transition to a net-zero emissions economy.

Among the auditor’s recommendations are that OFSI set clearer guidance about the information banks need to report in their transition plans as a way to avoid greenwashing.

The agency agreed with all five of the auditor’s main recommendations, noting that it expects to issue heightened disclosure rules on climate change this year and that it will continue to refine its disclosure expectations.

What You Need to Know About Licensing and Credentialing

Many of our clients have had questions or issues regarding their license or credentialing. New physicians and physicians who have been practicing for years can all encounter issues with their medical licenses. We help our clients work to get the answers and results they need.

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Depending on the issues that you may be having, there are different approaches to take in dealing with the Bureau of Professional Licensing and the Board regarding your medical license.

However, no matter what stage you are at, there are certain steps you can take to improve your interactions.

First, make sure that you have all your documents in order. When dealing with licensing, it is likely that no matter the reason, they will require proof and written records. Depending on the nature of your interaction, you may need complete records of the following:

Continuing education credits,
Community service/volunteer work,
Letters of recommendation,
Proof of various trainings related to human trafficking, opioids, etc.,
education,
and more.

Second, know the statutes that apply. Various statute will likely apply to your situation and it is important that you are familiar with the laws. The statutes will impose certain requirements.

Third, dot your i’s and cross your t’s. Make sure that you are following the required formats for all submissions. Double check that no records are missing and that all of your explanations are in order. Know what needs to be notarized, and ensure that your notary follows the required format. It may be wise to have a third party review your documents prior to submission.

Fourth, follow up. If you can find a contact, following up on your documents can ensure that you have accurately submitted all requirements and are not missing any supporting information.

Finally, know when to call the experts. When problems with your medical license arise, it is essential you take it seriously. Find a healthcare attorney who is familiar with licensing and credentialing to help you from start to finish. At Rickard & Associates, we help make the process as easy as possible for our clients and work with them every step of the way.

If you need help, let us know. Having an advocate familiar with the process can make a big difference when it comes to your license.

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Why Shouldn’t I Use an Online Will?

Online will often do more harm than good. Many people look to the internet when preparing estate planning documents, like wills and trusts, but this can set you up for disaster.

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Online will often ‘one size fits all’ documents that don’t account for your particular situation. Sometimes, they don’t account for the current laws in your state.

These documents may not even be legitimate and can lead to issues and misunderstandings among family members, tax losses, expensive probate proceedings, and disputes that last years after death.

By their nature, wills have to go through the probate system. This is costly and does not guarantee that your wishes will be followed.

Meeting with expert estate planners is the only way to protect your interests and have the best documents tailored to your needs.

Online estate planning may not even offer the correct document or documents. A website may direct you to use the wrong documents, or may not offer an extensive package of the complete documents you need for your situation.

Online documents are also often limited in their scope. This means that you can’t adequately plan for your needs.

When your future is at stake, you need to have the correct documents in place to protect your wishes. Your powers of attorney need to be complete and accurate.

If you have children, it is essential that you have appointed their guardian and planned for their future.

Online estate planning can have a preset language that is in opposition to your wishes.

If you’ve utilized online estate planning, contact our office today so that we can revise your documents and make sure that your family, assets, and wishes are planned for and protected.

Contact us today to help you get the right documents in place or to update your current estate plan.

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What Does the End of the Public Health Emergency Mean?

The national Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 ends on May 11, 2023.

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The end of the public health emergency brings a variety of changes to the healthcare system.

Most of the remaining federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements will end for federal workers, contractors and foreign air travelers.

The government is also lifting requirements for Head Start educators and healthcare workers.

Free COVID-19 vaccines and tests will no longer be provided and will now be covered under traditional health insurance.

The end of the PHE also means that many of the waivers who were in place will no longer exist. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) waived many requirements during the pandemic to allow for flexibility, including Stark Law waivers, 1135 waivers, and telehealth coverage changes.

However, HHS announced that many of the telehealth flexibilities will remain in place for some time.

It is essential for you to make sure that your healthcare practice is compliant with all regulations, especially those who were waived during the PHE.

It is likely that they will face increased scrutiny in future government audits.

We recommend that you review your compliance plan and make sure it is up to date. Now is also a good time to perform an audit with your healthcare attorney.

If you need help with your compliance plan or audit, we can help. Contact Rickard & Associates today.

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We publish vital information on health law topics and news every Wednesday and Friday. To get this important information delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe today!