President Trump has filed an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to pause his sentencing in the New York hush money case. On Tuesday, a New York appeals court judge denied Trump’s request to halt the sentencing. The sentencing for the case is scheduled for Friday, January 10th. According to NBC News, the court has asked New York prosecutors to respond to Trump’s request by Thursday morning. “This Court should enter an immediate stay of further proceedings in the New York trial court to prevent grave injustice and harm to the institution of the Presidency and the operations of the federal government,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in the filing, according to the outlet. JUST IN – Trump files an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent sentencing in NY v. Trump on Friday. pic.twitter.com/5ZL70llhEn — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) January 8, 2025 Per NBC News: They argue that the case should not go forward because Trump was protected by presidential immunity, as recognized by the Supreme Court earlier this year. “The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the Constitution, and established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. The Manhattan district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment. On Tuesday, a New York appeals court judge declined to block the sentencing. Trump was convicted in May of falsifying records related to hush money that his then-attorney Michael Cohen paid adult film star Stormy Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 presidential election. Daniels testified she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, a claim he has denied. Trump Asks Supreme Court To Halt Sentencing In New York 'Hush Money' Case https://t.co/IlEGuN8zgq — zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 8, 2025 Fox News reports: Trump’s attorneys also argued that New York prosecutors erroneously admitted extensive evidence relating to official presidential acts during trial, ignoring the high court’s ruling on presidential immunity. The Supreme Court, earlier this year, ruled that presidents are immune from prosecution related to official presidential acts. Trump’s legal team is arguing Merchan should not be permitted to move any further and said their appeal of the ruling “will ultimately result in the dismissal of the District Attorney’s politically motivated prosecution that was flawed from the very beginning, centered around the wrongful actions and false claims of a disgraced, disbarred serial-liar former attorney, violated President Trump’s due process rights, and had no merit.” “In the meantime, the New York trial court lacks authority to impose sentence and judgment on President Trump—or conduct any further criminal proceedings against him—until the resolution of his underlying appeal raising substantial claims of Presidential immunity, including by review in this Court if necessary,” the filing states. “As discussed herein, this Court should order an immediate stay of criminal proceedings against President Trump in the New York trial court, including but not limited to the criminal sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.” New York has to file a written response by Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

Fierce, fast-moving fires ripped through Southern California on Tuesday, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. The Pacific Palisades inferno burned approximately 3,000 acres by Tuesday evening. “California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as the Palisades Fire threatens more than 13,000 structures and displaces approximately 30,000 people, prompting expanded evacuations across Los Angeles County,” Rawsalerts wrote. #BREAKING: California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency as the Palisades Fire threatens more than 13,000 structures and displaces approximately 30,000 people, prompting expanded evacuations across Los Angeles County. pic.twitter.com/TvnPkqfuhl — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 8, 2025 Fires also erupted in Altadena, Pasadena, and Sylmar. “At least three named fires – the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires – erupted Tuesday amid intense winds that have amplified the devastation of the blazes. Two more fires erupted early Wednesday,” the Los Angeles Times wrote. WATCH: @ABC7 Fire in Sylmar above the 210 and Yarnell St #SaddleRidge pic.twitter.com/047oBZ4y1H — IAR Nick Krall aka Prof Rockstar-Invest in You (@njckrall) January 8, 2025 #BREAKING: Yet ANOTHER fire has broken out in Los Angeles County — this time near Sun Valley This is NOT connected to the Palisades or Eaton Fires in the area The fire has grown to over 50 ACRES in just the last ten minutes, per scanner traffic. pic.twitter.com/4lmOswAH0B — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 8, 2025 This is what’s left of the Pacific Palisades. The mall survived. Most everything else is gone. Homes, apartment complexes… businesses. pic.twitter.com/Vfz721V48J — Jonathan Vigliotti (@JonVigliotti) January 8, 2025 From the Los Angeles Times: The “life-threatening, destructive, widespread windstorm” was expected to be strongest overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Wind gusts of up to 99 mph were recorded in the region Tuesday night. Weather service officials issued red flag warnings for large swaths of L.A. and Ventura counties, warning Southern California residents to expect power outages. Combine the strong winds with the fact that this year’s wet season has so far not lived up to that title and it’s clear that the region is primed for devastating fire. Much of the Southland is now considered in moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. “Current forecasts show little hope that a needed storm could develop in the next few weeks,” Times reporter Grace Toohey wrote last week. “And the Southern California landscape — ripe for wildfire and never far from chronic water shortages — is paying the price.” “California secured Fire Management Assistance Grants from @FEMA to help further ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the #HurstFire, #EatonFire, & #PalisadesFire. Firefighters are working through the night to save lives & battle these aggressive fires,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. NEW: California secured Fire Management Assistance Grants from @FEMA to help further ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the #HurstFire, #EatonFire, & #PalisadesFire. Firefighters are working through the night to save lives & battle these aggressive fires. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 8, 2025 The Los Angeles Times reports that the Hurst fire erupted Tuesday night and burned more than 500 acres by 2 a.m., threatening areas of Sylmar. “The fast-moving blaze broke out Tuesday night in the hills above Altadena near Eaton Canyon, burning more than 400 acres and resulting in mandatory evacuations in parts of Pasadena, eastern Glendale, all of La Cañada Flintridge and northern Monrovia,” the outlet added. Los Angeles skyline from an airplane shows how massive the Palisades fires is pic.twitter.com/aTn6rXFlQ6 — TaraBull (@TaraBull808) January 8, 2025 Per NBC Los Angeles: As the strong Santa Ana winds continue Wednesday morning, a red flag warning remains in effect until Thursday afternoon. The strongest wind gusts are expected through the first half of the day Wednesday. There are extreme fire conditions over Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to the combination of strong winds and very low relative humidity and dry vegetation. Through sunrise, the winds may get stronger in a few locations. Around noon, the winds will slow down just a bit for a few locations. The red flag warning will remain in effect through Thursday afternoon and a high wind warning will remain in effect through Wednesday evening. Due to the smoke and poor air quality in some areas, it is recommended to keep windows and doors closed. Elevated fire danger will continue to the weekend.

After serving in Congress and being nominated to head the Department of Justice in President Donald Trump’s second term, Matt Gaetz is now considering a significant political pursuit. Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for the attorney general position amid ethics allegations, going on to land a job as the host of his own show on One America News. Now, as The Hill reported, he is gearing up for a potential gubernatorial bid: Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said in a new interview that he’s “starting to think about” running for governor of Florida in 2026. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, the former congressman-turned-television host said his chief concern would be handling the insurance crisis. “I have a compelling vision for the state,” Gaetz said in the interview. “I understand how to fix the insurance problem, and it’s not to hand the keys to the state over to the insurance industry.” “If I run, I would be the most proconsumer candidate on the Republican side,” he added. Gaetz told the Tampa Bay Times he needs more time to pray about his decision and discuss the matter with his wife. Speculation about Gaetz running to succeed current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have been swirling around on social media for a while. In the wake of his latest interview, many X users weighed in to express their support: GOVERNOR MATT GAETZ Is inevitable LEEETTTSSSSS GOOOOOO!!!!!@mattgaetz pic.twitter.com/JVa6Wd5WO9 — Anthony Sabatini (@AnthonySabatini) January 8, 2025 BREAKING: Matt Gaetz is contemplating on a possible run for Florida Governor next year MATT GAETZ WOULD WIN BY A LANDSLIDE LET’S DO IT pic.twitter.com/Swvjp7L4iE — MAGA Voice (@MAGAVoice) January 8, 2025 I support it, even though I’m not in Florida. — Ryan (@UMuskBeMistaken) January 8, 2025 In November, the Tallahassee Democrat reported that Gaetz had emerged as a potential DeSantis successor: Gaetz, 42, served as U.S. House representative in Florida’s 1st congressional district from 2017 until his resignation in 2024. He has made a name for himself by aligning with Trump and promoting MAGA-esque legislation and heightened his profile last year in leading the charge to oust then-house speaker Kevin McCarthy. So is governor his desired next step after not returning to Congress? Former Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini said in a tweet on Saturday that Gaetz will be the next governor of Florida. Gaetz responded with an image of the Florida state flag. He also retweeted a meme about Florida’s cold front and wrote “If I run for Florida Governor, it will be on a platform to outlaw frost.” Here’s some coverage of his previous remarks on the topic:

Although Joe Biden initially indicated that he intended his presidency to be a transition of sorts, fueling speculation that he would decline to run for a second term, he ultimately threw his hat in the ring only to be forced out by his own party. Looking back on his compelled decision to drop out and endorse Kamala Harris, Biden recently told one reporter that he believes he would have been able to emerge victorious if he’d only stayed in the race. According to The Hill: “It’s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes,” the president said when reporter Susan Page asked if he could have won. Biden added that he based that view on polling he reviewed but didn’t elaborate on where the data came from. When the president dropped out of the 2024 race in late July, he was behind Trump in national and battleground polls and Vice President Harris was able to perform better against the president-elect just after taking over the ticket. Biden withdrew his reelection bid amid pressure from Democrats to do so, following a dismal debate performance against Trump that raised questions over his age and fitness. The president said in the interview that he wasn’t sure he would have the stamina to serve for another four years, telling Page, “I don’t know,” when she asked about if he had the vigor. “So far, so good… but who knows what I’m going to be when I’m 86 years old?” Biden said in the interview. The statement was seen by many as another sign of a rift between the Biden and Harris camps: TENSION: President Biden obviously hasn’t forgiven Kamala Harris for her participation in the coup to oust him as the Democrat nominee. Here he is snapping at Secretary Granholm when she tries to give Kamala Harris a chance to talk. h/t @SprinterFamily pic.twitter.com/PvyCoq5cKK — @amuse (@amuse) October 13, 2024 Biden reportedly working to undermine Kamala Harris’ campaign, aggrieved after being pushed out of presidential race. Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/lvTk99oZhu — AF Post (@AFpost) October 14, 2024 Jill Biden’s ‘frosty’ feud with Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff takes new bitter turn https://t.co/6XyYl5UPMF pic.twitter.com/CS2c2buM7a — Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) December 31, 2024 USA Today provided full coverage of the interview, including how Biden hopes future Americans will remember his widely panned term in office: As he prepares to leave the White House after four years ‒ and end a political career that spanned five decades ‒ Biden said he hopes to leave a presidential legacy defined by two fronts. “I hope that history says that I came in and I had a plan how to restore the economy and reestablish America’s leadership in the world,” said Biden, who came into office in January 2021 during a historic pandemic and amid straining relations with traditional U.S. allies. “That was my hope.” “And I hope it records that I did it with honesty and integrity, that I said what was on my mind,” he said. On the foreign policy front, Biden touted his record “reestablishing our alliances.” And he called for continued U.S. leadership on the global stage as many hardline Republicans close to Trump embrace isolationism from international conflicts. “I think America is desperately needed to lead the world,” Biden said. “Let me put it in this context. Who leads the world if we don’t? Not a joke. Who leads and tries to put together the kinds of coalitions and policies that are international in scope? I mean, it’s all cliché. The world’s really getting small, man.” Reports surfaced prior to Biden’s latest interview that he had been saying in private that he would’ve had a better shot of beating Trump than Harris did, as discussed in this segment of a recent episode of Fox News Channel’s “The Five.”

The FDA underneath the Biden administration is moving forward with a new regulation that would effectively ban all cigarettes currently on the market. The new rule would lower the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products, presumably to keep Americans from getting addicted to cigarettes. However, many are blasting the proposed rule, saying that it could bolster cartels and lead to Americans smoking more, not less, in order to compensate for the lower amounts of nicotine. BREAKING The Biden administration is working to BAN traditional cigarettes. pic.twitter.com/LGYSTgY68A — American AF (@iAnonPatriot) January 7, 2025 The FDA is moving forward with a new rule in the final days of the Biden administration that would ban most cigarettes currently on the market in favor of products with lower nicotine levels. Critics warn the move could fuel black-market operations and benefit organized crime.… pic.twitter.com/IFaVnRcTmA — Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) January 7, 2025 For instance, former ATF assistant director Rich Marianos is calling the ban on traditional cigarettes, “a gift with a bow and balloons to organized crime cartels with it, whether it’s cartels, Chinese organized crime, or Russian mafia.” From Fox News: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving forward with a regulatory rule in the final days of the Biden administration that would effectively ban cigarettes currently on the market in favor of products with lower nicotine levels, which could end up boosting business for cartels operating on the black market, an expert tells Fox News Digital. “Biden’s ban is a gift with a bow and balloons to organized crime cartels with it, whether it’s cartels, Chinese organized crime, or Russian mafia. It’s going to keep America smoking, and it’s going to make the streets more violent,” Rich Marianos, former assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the current chair of the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network, told Fox News Digital of the proposal. The FDA confirmed to Fox Digital on Monday that as of Jan. 3, the Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Level of Certain Tobacco Products had completed a regulatory review, but that the proposed rule has not yet been finalized. “The proposed rule, ‘Tobacco Product Standard for Nicotine Level of Certain Tobacco Products,’ is displaying in the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) ROCIS system as having completed regulatory review on January 3,” an FDA spokesman told Fox Digital. “As the FDA has previously said, a proposed product standard to establish a maximum nicotine level to reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products, when finalized, is estimated to be among the most impactful population-level actions in the history of U.S. tobacco product regulation. At this time, the FDA cannot provide any further comment until it is published.” The New York Post added: he Biden administration is moving forward with plans to mandate lower nicotine levels in cigarettes in the final days of President Biden’s term, according to a new report, which critics say could cause Americans to smoke more and fuel organized crime cartels. The plan, which is touted as a way to reduce the ability of cigarettes to hook casual users, cleared a regulatory review last week by the Food and Drug Administration, the agency told Fox News. But opponents argue that the change could cause current smokers to use more cigarettes to compensate for the lower nicotine levels, negatively impacting their health, and that the plan could open an opportunity for black-market sales of standard-strength cigarettes. “Biden’s ban is a gift with a bow and balloons to organized crime cartels with it, whether it’s cartels, Chinese organized crime, or Russian mafia,” Rich Marianos, a former assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told Fox News. “It’s going to keep America smoking, and it’s going to make the streets more violent,” Marianos said. It’s unclear if the FDA will issue a proposed rule outlining the looming regulation before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20. Plans for the reform were announced in 2022 and the formal proposed rule had been expected in 2023. It’s unclear what accounts for the delay, though the FDA similarly has been slow to implement a ban on menthol cigarettes, which also was unveiled in 2022.

Apparently, expressing your faith through tattoos is ‘extremist’ these days — at least according to Elizabeth Warren. In a letter penned to Secretary of Defense nominee and Army veteran Pete Hegseth, Elizabeth Warren took issue with his tattoos. Namely, one that read Deus Vult, which is Latin for ‘God’s will.’ According to Elizabeth Warren, this is “a Christian expression associated with right-wing extremism.” Read for yourself: BREAKING: Elizabeth Warren has called out Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, claiming his Deus Vult tattoo—Latin for “God’s will” and linked to the First Crusade—makes him a “potential insider threat.” Lmao what? pic.twitter.com/9uxp7aUmgB — Jack (@jackunheard) January 7, 2025 Senator Elizabeth Warren, better known as Pocahontas, just sent a letter to Pete Hegseth claiming that his Deus Vult tattoo, Latin for “God’s will,” makes him a “potential insider threat.” “You were also removed from President Biden’s inauguration because of concerns that you… pic.twitter.com/T3V2DwQZeK — George (@BehizyTweets) January 7, 2025 Here’s more of the letter Warren wrote to Hegseth: Elizabeth Warren has sent a letter to Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth in which she claims that having a Deus Vult tattoo, Latin for “God’s will” and a Christian motto that dates back to the First Crusade, makes him a “potential insider threat.” pic.twitter.com/4lySEYI9vn — Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 7, 2025 For reference, here’s a photo of the tattoo Elizabeth Warren was referring to: In the letter, Elizabeth Warren also expressed fear that Pete Hegseth would abolish DEI policies: New letter from Elizabeth Warren to Pete Hegseth shows she is very upset that, as SecDef, Hegseth might actually work to depoliticize the DoD by ending radical DEI & woke policies and that he might actually hold the military brass accountable for its share of the Afghan debacle. pic.twitter.com/J4jqEMKmAL — Jerry Dunleavy IV (@JerryDunleavy) January 7, 2025   More from The New York Post: Sen. Elizabeth Warren strongly suggested that there are concerns that Army veteran Pete Hegseth could be an “insider threat” due to his Christian tattoo and seethed over his crusade against woke military policies in a blistering missive to the defense secretary designee. While outlining over 70 questions to Hegseth and giving him four days to reply, Warren made clear that she sees him as “unfit” to helm the Pentagon and teased a fiery showdown when he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee next week. “I am deeply concerned by the many ways in which your behavior and rhetoric indicates that you are unfit to lead the Department of Defense,” Warren, 75, wrote in the 33-page letter to Hegseth sent late Monday. “Your confirmation as Secretary of Defense would be detrimental to our national security and disrespect a diverse array of servicemembers who are willing to sacrifice for our country.” Strikingly, the Massachusetts Democrat latched onto dubious concerns about a Deus Vult tattoo on Hegseth’s bicep, a Latin phrase that translates to “God wills it.” Warren pointed to a Reuters article recounting how a National Guard master sergeant believed the former Fox News host could be an “insider threat.” That master sergeant had done a quick internet search and determined that the tattoo had links to right-wing extremism and had been a battle cry for the Crusaders. National Guard leadership then pushed Hegseth out from serving during President Biden’s inauguration day. Notably, top brass had been on high alert at the time in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Despite religious scholars later countering that the Deus Vult is often considered a common Christian symbol, Warren contended that the fact that his superiors were concerned about the tattoo raises questions about whether he could be the Pentagon chief. “You were also removed from President Biden’s inauguration because of concerns that you were an insider threat after reports that your ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo ‘was a Christian expression associated with right-wing extremism,’” she wrote to Hegseth. Whether you like tattoos or not, they are pretty frequent among members of the U.S. Army, like Pete Hegseth. To label his an ‘extremist’ over this is a huge stretch… Almost as big of a stretch as Elizabeth Warren’s supposed Native American ancestry.

Earlier today during an emergency press conference, President Trump was asked to shut down the idea of using military or economic force in order to secure Greenland and the Panama Canal. Here was his response: BREAKING: President Trump just signaled that he is prepared to use the U.S. military to obtain Greenland and retake the Panama Canal Reporter: “Can you assure the world that as you try to get control of these areas, you are not going to use military or economic coercion?”… pic.twitter.com/MhAq6CJTvg — George (@BehizyTweets) January 7, 2025 One thing is clear: President Trump is absolutely serious about taking back the Panama Canal and making Greenland part of the great USA! AP reported: President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security. Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on Jan. 20 and as a delegation of aides and advisers that includes Donald Trump Jr. is in Greenland, Trump left open the use of the American military to secure both territories. Trump’s intention marks a rejection of decades of U.S. policy that has prioritized self-determination over territorial expansion. “I’m not going to commit to that,” Trump said, when asked if he would rule out the use of the military. “It might be that you’ll have to do something. The Panama Canal is vital to our country.” He added, “We need Greenland for national security purposes.” After this press conference, Panama issued a statement in response, calling the canal’s sovereignty “non-negotiable.” Take a look: Panama asserts its canal sovereignty as “non-negotiable” after Trump hints at possible military action to reclaim it. Follow: @AFpost pic.twitter.com/aoXdIwrfi2 — AF Post (@AFpost) January 8, 2025 #BREAKING Panama says the sovereignty of its canal was non-negotiable, after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out military action to regain control. “The sovereignty of our canal is not negotiable and is part of our history of struggle,” Foreign Minister Javier… pic.twitter.com/Wqq2s0q9q5 — AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 8, 2025 From The Global Times: Panama said on Tuesday that the sovereignty of its interoceanic canal was non-negotiable, while Denmark said Greenland is not for sale, after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out military or economic coercion to gain control. “The sovereignty of our canal is not negotiable and is part of our history of struggle,” Panama Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha said, noting that President Jose Raul Mulino had made his stance clear. Asked at a press conference at his Florida resort whether he could assure the world he would not use military or economic coercion as he tries to gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, Trump said, “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this, we need them for economic security,” according to Reuters. Similarly, the Prime Minister of Denmark also recently responded to President Trump sending a delegation, including Don Jr., to Greenland by asserting that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.” JUST IN: The Prime Minister of Denmark has issued a new statement after Trump sends a delegation to Greenland amid wanting to bring it into the U.S. “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.” pic.twitter.com/qFRWQxDcag — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 7, 2025 I guess we will certainly see..

The View co-host Sunny Hostin’s New Year is off to a bad start. Her husband, an orthopedic surgeon, is facing allegations of insurance fraud. Dr. Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Hostin has been named as one of the defendants in one of the biggest RICO lawsuits ever filed in New York. The lawsuit alleges that Dr. Hostin as well as about 200 others participated in a scheme to perform surgery then fraudulently bill the insurance firm American Transit, which insures taxis and rideshare drivers, in exchange for kickbacks. Take a look at the breaking news: WOKETARD SUNNY HOSTIN EXPOSED: The View co-host’s husband, Dr. Manny Hostin, caught in a massive RICO insurance fraud case. Prosecutors claim the orthopedic surgeon profited from kickbacks for surgeries billed to taxi and rideshare insurers. pic.twitter.com/jHaUD5DqPD — Irrelevant News (@IrrelevantFeed) January 7, 2025   Sunny Hostin’s husband has just been accused of insurance fraud in a RICO case filed in New York. The lawsuit alleges ‘Hostin knowingly provided fraudulent medical and other healthcare services including arthroscopic surgeries.’ His legal team has denied all allegations. pic.twitter.com/ntFnmoX12F — Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) January 7, 2025 Sunny Hostin might have let slip some of her husband’s illegal activity back on an episode of The View last month… Sunny Hostin’s husband has been named in a massive insurance fraud RICO case. WACTH: Hostin implicates her husband in such a scheme: “[He] operates on someone even though they don’t have insurance and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work…” pic.twitter.com/P2ZvLdmhzt — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 7, 2025 Whoops. Fox News has more details on the allegations Dr. Hostin is facing: The husband of “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin has been accused of insurance fraud in a sweeping federal lawsuit filed last month. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Emmanuel “Manny” Hostin and his practice, Hostin Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, were named among more than 180 defendants in a major RICO case filed in New York on Dec. 17. According to The Daily Mail, Hostin and the other defendants were allegedly receiving “kickbacks” for performing surgeries and fraudulently billing the insurance company that provides for Uber, Lyft and other taxi companies. “Hostin knowingly provided fraudulent medical and other healthcare services including arthroscopic surgeries,” the lawsuit claims, per The Daily Mail, adding that the American Transit Insurance Company, which filed the lawsuit, was billed “in exchange for kickbacks and/or other compensation which were disguised as dividends or other cash distributions.” In a press release announcing the $450 million lawsuit, American Transit said, “The federal court complaint, filed in the Eastern District of New York, alleges that the defendants sought to take advantage of New York’s no-fault auto insurance laws, which require insurance companies to reimburse their policyholders for the cost of necessary and documented medical care up to $50,000 for personal or private passenger vehicles ($200,000 for taxis and for-hire vehicles in New York City) for injuries arising out of an accident regardless of fault. These substantial possible no-fault recoveries can incentivize providers with ill intent to over-diagnose, over-treat, and over-bill to recover the most money for themselves.” The Daily Mail also reported: The long-time husband of The View co-host Sunny Hostin is starting the New Year under a cloud after being accused of federal insurance fraud. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Hostin is among nearly 200 defendants named in one of the largest RICO cases ever filed in New York. He and many of the others are accused or getting kickbacks by performing surgery and fraudulently billing a company that insures taxi companies and Uber and Lyft drivers. ‘Hostin knowingly provided fraudulent medical and other healthcare services including arthroscopic surgeries,’ the lawsuit, filed on December 17, claims. The insurance firm American Transit was then billed ‘in exchange for kickbacks and/or other compensation which were disguised as dividends or other cash distributions.’ Hostin’s attorney Daniel Thwaites told DailyMail.com his client ‘denies each and every allegation’ and called the lawsuit a ‘blanket, scattershot, meritless lawsuit by a near-bankrupt insurance carrier’. ‘It is meant to intimidate and harass doctors from collecting for care given to American Transit insureds and their passengers,’ Thwaites said. He said Hostin has an ‘impeccable’ record, adding: ‘American Transit has rushed into the lawsuit without ever conducting an examination of Dr. Hostin or expressing any concerns to his lawyers. ‘The real story here is about an insurance carrier abusing the legal system to limit and restrict health care benefits to its insureds and their passengers, and write off its proper obligations,’ Thwaites said. Sunny Hostin, 56, has been married to the doctor for nearly quarter of a century. They tied the knot in 1998 and have two children and live in a palatial 10-bed, 10-bath estate in Purchase, New York.  

Former Nightwish bassist and singer Marko Hietala will release new album Roses From The Deep in February