Taxpayers spent at least $4.3 billion over a three-year period covering the same Medicaid patients twice, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.  Medicaid paid health insurance companies for hundreds of thousands of patients who signed up for the program in two or more separate states. This happened when a patient moved to a different state but Medicaid continued paying the insurance company in the state where the resident previously lived.  Medicaid is a joint state and federal health insurance program for the poor. Medicaid pays private insurance companies for each person covered. However, a person isn’t supposed to be covered in a state after moving out. The Journal reported that from 2019 to 2021—which included the COVID-19 pandemic—duplicative payments for an average of about 660,000 patients per year totaled $4.3 billion, and more than 270 Medicaid insurers collected duplicate payments.  Medicaid paid Centene $620 million in duplicative payments between 2019 and 2021. Elevance Health collected $346 million from duplicate Medicaid payments, the newspaper added. Medicaid paid UnitedHealth Group $298 million. “Paying for a beneficiary’s Medicaid coverage in one state when that individual is already enrolled in a different state is a prime example of taxpayer dollars being mismanaged,” a spokeswoman for the federal Centers Medicare and Medicaid Services told the Journal.  The spokeswoman added the agency will work with states to address the matter. President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the federal agency, Mehmet Oz, previoulsy said he would rein in large payments to private insurers. An insurance industry group said it’s up to states to verify eligibility.  “It’s a heavily regulated industry,” said Craig Kennedy, chief executive of Medicaid Health Plans of America, told the Journal. “Following rules and regulations is the No. 1 priority here.” The post Report: Medicaid Misspent $4.3 Billion in Duplicate Payments appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Learn how to show chickens. Do you have a type of show chicken that you want to present at the next poultry show? You are reading Chapter 7 of our Homestead Handbook: Raising Backyard Chickens Chapter 7: How to Show Chickens   Exhibits can be something that is fun to do; it certainly is for the enthusiasts. For many it is not all about the winning, it is more about the experience, bonding, and learning new things. Fanciers are people who exhibit their chicken and continue to do it because it is a fun hobby to do in their spare time. Most fanciers are older people though it ranges from all ages and is a great experience for families to do together. You will likely come across people who have the same breed you do, and it is interesting to exchange knowledge you might not have learned otherwise. Serious fanciers look forward to getting feedback from the judges to improve their flock and showing abilities. There are some shows that allow and promote selling birds or sell their own for those who are interested. How well your chicken will rank on a show is dependent on their physical health, how close they meet the standard description of their breed, how they compare with other breeds of its kind and how skilled they are. There are people who enjoy listening to music, collect books or sew clothes because it is fun to them. Chicken exhibits are there for people who just like chicken and are happy to be in an environment where there are other people who feel the same. If you want to do more than raise your chicken for food, I recommend this.   7.1 – Choosing what breed to show   As you have come to realize, chicken come in a variety of unique breeds, shapes, colors, sizes and personalities. For newcomers, it can be pretty challenging to pick one and may pick several. From initial lack of knowledge, they often do not compete well and come with the mistaken idea that the more they enter, the higher their chances are at winning. Exhibitions base winners from skill and specialization. Exhibitors who win trophies are wise in the genetic background of their breed. If you are curious about exhibiting or are thinking about trying it out, grab a copy of the American Bantam Association’s “Bantam Standard” or the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection”. Most shows have bantams over larger breeds since they are easier to take care of and transport, less costly to feed and are better with confinement. You would be away of what qualifications shows are looking for but understand that no chicken is perfect, and there will never be a perfect score of 100 in a show. A point scale is assigned to every feature a chicken possess such as their comb, eyes, size, condition, wings, legs, face and earlobes. A process, known as cutting, is used to deduct points from these features where there is any defect. When defects are serious, it does result in automatic disqualification from a significant lack or a deformity of a particular characteristic – Crooked breastbone, floppy tail, crooked feet or a hunchback. Type and color are also two important factors used. The type is observed more than the ladder as it defines the breed by looking at their weight and size; they even check the shape of the birds head or the quality of its feathers. These qualities are set and contrast between each and every breed. Proper color is what defines the variety of a chicken and is associated with their comb, skin encircling their eye and earlobes aside from the outer appearance of their feathers and the skin beneath it. When you are deciding what chicken you want to show, try and select those that have the least defects, are vigorous and clear of disease, an adult and well developed, at or near the ideal body type and weight for the breed and one that would lack any chance of automatic disqualification.     Before you attempt set foot at an exhibition, you need to map out and know where and how you will train and condition them. You will also want to have the premium list that state that class and variety are accepted in shows to be fully aware and prepared. The premium will also provide you with the date, time and location of the show; the fee and deadline to join; prizes offered; health requirements and methods accepted to identify the birds. Most shows have four classes they will show: pullet, hen, cockerel and cock. Cock and hen are birds of at least a year in age and pullets, and cockerels are those under a year of age.   7.2 – Training and Conditioning   Training your bird before a show will give you more of an upper handed because you will get them used the surroundings so they aren’t disorients, and they will become used to being handled by unfamiliar faces. It would not work in your favor if your chicken behaves awkwardly or retreats to the nearest corner because it is frightened. There will be some who will train their bird right before an upcoming show and those who train them around the clock. It is the easiest to start them young so they can better adapt to it though there may be some who will have none of it. If it is a constant struggle with no sign of progress, it will save you time, energy and money to not enter them in a show. Most of the time, all that is required to get them cooperative is a little hard work and patience. Who am I kidding? You’re going to need a lot of it, buddy.  About a week before the exhibition, keep your bird in a separate wired cage. Go-hard exhibitors take the extra mile and invest in show coops for training reasons. They can put quite a hole in your wallet but if you can find a way to get it used or at a discount price at a fair, it may not be all too bad. If you have more than one chicken, you plan on taking with you, train them separately when they are calm and keep the sessions brief, so they do not drop interest. You first want to train them to learn how to strike poses and learn which style is most suitable for your breed. You can train them using a judge’s stick and show them where they should set up. You can use your hands to raise their tail and head where you want it until they understand the directions you give them. Make sure you get them used to strangers, so they do not flap around, run away or struggle. You want to start by gently opening and moving the chicken until it faces sideways. Then, reach across their back, placing your hand over the opposite wing. Have a firm handle to prevent the wings from moving and move the bird to face you. Place your other hand beneath the breast while one of its legs rests on your pointer and index finger is between its legs. Retain a gentle, yet firm grip on the legs to lift the bird outside the coot and hold it for a while. If the chicken remains calm, release your hand from its wings and let it latch onto your arm freely. It takes a while to reach this point with your bird so segment everything piece by piece until it is comfortable enough to do the full routine.   Conditioning your bird allows it to be at its highest level of level health and cleanliness. A bird will not always be in a constant state of bloom and aren’t suitable for multiple showings as it causes them stress. Switch the birds that will condition and take on exhibitions. Washing, grooming and drying all go hand in hand before a show. Light-feathered chicken should be clean prior to a show, and the dark colored birds require a good cleaning only when their feathers are dirty. They should be washed no more than 2-3 days before a show to allow their feathers to lift back into shape. You can watch them in your laundry room if you have a sink, your tub or outside, whichever best suits you. You will need to use three tubs of water where one is to wash the bird and the other two tubs to rinse it off. If you have soft water available, use it and keep water at a warm temperature. Slowly dip them into the water and add enough mild soap where you can see some suds. You can use either a sponge or non-abrasive brush to wash them and rinse them off twice when you are done. The first rinse should be plain water and the second should have a hint of lemon or vinegar in it to ensure any soapy residue is removed. After the bath is over, wrap it firmly in a towel while being delicate with the feathers. You can take some time to clean their comb with rubbing alcohol and follow up with some oil. You can use a toothpick to remove any debris from the nostrils and dust their earlobes with baby powder to keep it clean. When you are looking at their feet, see if they require any nail trimming and move on to drying them. It’s easier to let them air dry outside if the weather is favorable and not too cold or windy. A temperature of at least seventy degrees Fahrenheit is ideal if you choose to. You could also use a hair dryer that is set on warm. You will be amazed at the difference in appearance a simple bath can do. It is a fun and rewarding experience to be around an animal you enjoy taking care of.       That was Chapter 7: How to Show Chickens from our Homestead Handbook: Raising Backyard Chickens Click Here to Read The Next Chapter >> << Click Here to Go Back to the Table of Contents

Buh-Buh-Buh-Billions: CA High Speed Boondoggle Needs at Least Seven More

Some medics have reported liver damage in kids given massive doses of vitamin A.

“Watching this cuttlefish hunting with the passing-stripe display is like being mesmerised by the tricks of a skilled illusionist.”

Whatever you do, don't call them an insect.

PBS and NPR each faced the difficulty on Wednesday night of covering their own bosses taking tough questions from Republicans at the Capitol in a hearing on Wednesday. PBS actually aired a Republican citing us -- just as a "conservative media watchdog group." NPR didn't want to seriously engage in anything. PBS correspondent William Brangham included plenty of Republican and Democrat soundbites from the hearing. He also aired PBS boss Paula Kerger claiming that the drag queen singing to children "The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish Swish Swish" were never broadcast on TV. Subcommittee chairman challenged that, saying WNET in New York aired it on April 20, 2021. The video is available across the country at the PBS website. Here's where the studies on PBS tilt were mentioned:  Rep. PAT FALLON (R-TX): Propaganda wing of the Democratic Party. WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The PBS News Hour was criticized as well. Representative Pat Fallon, Republican of Texas, cited a conservative media watchdog group that says it analyzed the News Hour's coverage of the 2024 presidential conventions. FALLON: Seventy-two percent of the coverage of the GOP convention was negative; 88 percent of the coverage of Democratic Convention was positive. Rep. ROBERT GARCIA (D-CA): A large majority of Americans say they trust PBS. And that's exactly why extremists are trying to tear it down. As usual, Brangham claimed their funding was a tiny percentage of the enormous federal budget, and cost about $1.50 a day per American...as if the issue was merely fiscal, and not about all their horrendous daily "news" product.  NPR media reporter David Folkenflik always arrives with the disclaimer that no NPR executive has reviewed his copy, but it still sounds like tinny self-defense. Online, he huffed:  The hearing, entitled "Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the Heads of NPR and PBS Accountable," appears arranged more to score points than to find facts.  He's not looking in the mirror to see if this applies to NPR "news." Worse, he claimed the hearing represented the "anti-press posture" of Republicans. Folkenflik routinely writes negative stories about Fox News -- is that an "anti-press posture"? Liberals think only the liberal media is real journalism, even when their news is fake.  On All Things Considered, Folkenflik didn't really feature the bosses responding to aggressive Republican questions about bias -- denying it exists. There was 20 seconds of Rep. William Timmons pressing on former NPR editor Uri Berliner's research on the party registrations in D.C. of NPR journalists -- 87 registered Democrats,  zero Republicans. But Folkenflik said NPR has "many hundreds of journalists," so those numbers NPR "doesn't necessarily affirm." See? Doesn't that sound like it was whitewashed by executives?  Folkenflik vaguely noted Maher "yielded ground"  on "how the network responded to the Hunter Biden laptop story," but didn't explain they dismissed it as a "pure distraction."  

Amateur sleuths, politicos, and others hoping to glean new insights from the latest trove of unredacted John F. Kennedy files were likely frustrated if they dove into the archives in search of names that might satisfy the lingering questions of who — if not Lee Harvey Oswald — actually assassinated the president and who else may have been involved in the murder plot. Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck underscored in his "Glenn TV" Wednesday Night Special that while the JFK files are disappointing if approached with questions of who, questions about what — "What has been going down? What are they trying to protect? What is the source of most of this mess?" — yield illuminating answers. Beck and his team, aided in part by artificial intelligence, parsed through the JFK files with the "what?" type of questions in mind, testing long-standing theories, highlighting patterns of institutional abuse, and identifying the significance of certain previously unreleased files. Over the course of the special, Beck zeroed in on what-centric documents that should put to bed any remaining doubts that the CIA is (or at least until recently has been) an unchecked, meddlesome, and dangerous organization willing to interfere in American elections, businesses, and media reports. Going beyond the archives, Beck handily demonstrated with a replica of the rifle Oswald supposedly used in 1963, along with the appropriate "CIA bullets," that the single-shooter narrative is plausible. Beck also spoke to Shane Stevens, the grandson of Billie Sol Estes — a Texas businessman with alleged ties to Lyndon B. Johnson — about an expert-authenticated recording in which an alleged associate of LBJ accused him of hiring a hit man to take out Kennedy. — (@) While the audio recording and Stevens' commentary fuel more who-questions, Beck made clear that the contents of the JFK files, the substance of which is not always readily apparent, nevertheless reveal much about the intelligence community of Kennedy's time — one that proved capable of routine wrongdoing, was familiar with Oswald, and grew more brazen in the months following the president's slaying — as well as the practices they wanted to keep hidden. Off the reservation Beck covered a lot of ground in his Wednesday special, discussing, for instance: new evidence of the bad blood between JFK and the CIA that was brought to a boil after the 1961 Bay of Pigs fiasco; the parallels between Kennedy's counter-moves against the CIA in the early 1960s and President Donald Trump's moves against the U.S. Agency for International Development in recent months; indications that the CIA was tracking Lee Harvey Oswald from the moment he departed the Soviet Union; the agency's connections to the establishment that sold Oswald the rifle that shot Kennedy, as well as to the ammunition used in the assassination; the CIA's infiltration of the American media and businesses and its apparent attempted wiretap of then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; and former CIA asset John Garrett Underhill Jr.'s allegation that elements of the agency killed the sitting president because he caught wind that they were "carrying on a lucrative racket in gun-running, narcotics and other contraband, and manipulating political intrigue" for their own ends. Beck also touched on the CIA's surveillance of Barry Goldwater, citing it as another damning example of precisely how "out of control" the agency had become around the time of Kennedy's assassination. — (@) President Donald Trump was hardly the first Republican whose presidential campaign was infiltrated by politically motivated elements of the deep state on behalf of an incumbent Democratic president. Barry Goldwater, a major general in the Air Force Reserve who long served as a senator for Arizona, was similarly surveilled when he ran for president against Lyndon Johnson following the Kennedy assassination. Whereas the FBI spied on Trump, in Goldwater's case, the CIA, which is prohibited by law from operating stateside, did most of the legwork. Much has been said and written about the CIA's infiltration of Goldwater's 1964 campaign. The agency's infiltration of the Goldwater campaign has been public knowledge for roughly 50 years. Everette Howard Hunt Jr., a 20-year veteran of the CIA who was a major agency player in the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba and ended up serving prison time for his role in the Watergate burglary, told Senate investigators in 1973 that he directed a spying campaign on Goldwater's 1964 campaign. According to Hunt, the instructions concerning this espionage came down from his CIA superiors and in turn allegedly came "down from the White House." Hunt told investigators that he "dispatched a couple of people to the Goldwater headquarters to see what was going on." The spies apparently obtained advance campaign schedules, news releases, and "any other information they could get," said Hunt. This information ultimately made its way up the chain at the CIA, including to a superior allegedly stationed at the Johnson White House. In the special, Beck highlighted a 46-page document consisting of numerous memos — some marked "secret" and written by Scott Dudley Breckinridge Jr., the former deputy inspector general of the CIA — regarding Hunt. 'The audio sounds convincing.' Breckinridge noted in a Dec. 20, 1973, memo marked "secret" that agency files showed that during the fall of 1964, when Hunt "was alleged to have been engaged in surveillance activities of Barry Goldwater," Hunt was in the CIA's Directorate of Operations, which is also known as the Clandestine Service. "Our files showed Hunt was in DO Division ... and in August 1964 was assigned to the Washington field office," wrote Breckinridge. Again, the what was telling: the CIA was running clandestine operations in the nation's capital with the apparent aim of keeping Johnson in power. Haunting tape In a portion of the special, Beck explored the theory of Lyndon B. Johnson's involvement with the assassination with former Nixon administration staffer Roger Stone. Beck proved more willing to entertain this particular theory on account of a haunting audiotape played in full for BlazeTV subscribers and in excerpted form on YouTube. In January, Alex Jones of Infowars hosted Shane Stevens and played never-heard-before digital audio of Clifton Carter, the former executive director of the Democratic National Committee and an apparently close associate of LBJ, claiming in conversation with Stevens' grandfather, convicted fraudster Billie Sol Estes, that Johnson hired a man named Malcolm "Mac" Wallace to kill JFK. "The audio sounds convincing," said Beck. "I didn't want to take anyone's word for it." 'I do believe it helps confirm the LBJ and Mac Wallace involvement.' In addition to speaking directly to Shane Stevens about the audio and listening to the actual analog tape live, Beck indicated that his team "had a JFK assassination expert examine the original tape," whose input left him "convinced that it is an authentic recording." Dory Wiley, JFK assassination expert and CEO of Commerce Street Holdings LLC, told the program in a statement, "I've known about these tapes for years. Estes made several copies and gave them to some of his closest friends." "I believe them to be genuine," continued Wiley. "The voices sound like the Billie Sol Estes and Cliff Carter from other sources I have heard." Wiley added, "I believe them to be correctly dated and recorded at the time Shane has declared, and I believe the accusations. This does not mean there wasn't involvement by the CIA, the Secret Service, FBI, Mafia, or others, but I do believe it helps confirm the LBJ and Mac Wallace involvement." Clifton Carter appears to say in the audio, "Well, Sol, it's been a pretty touch-and-go situation. Lyndon and I have had quite a few unpleasant words here lately over the deal that he hired Mac Wallace to assassinate the president." "It's been hectic in every way, but we've lived through it this far and I guess we'll continue to do so," Carter appears to say. "Lyndon should have never issued that order to Mac. But we've had our differences and I'm true blue to Lyndon, as I've always been and tried to carry out every order that he's ever given me. But this is one I'll probably never be able to forget." When pressed about his delay in releasing the audio, Stevens told Beck his grandfather tried on more than one occasion to "release the truth" but came to fear for his life. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A federal appeals court on Wednesday blocked a lower court's order seeking records from the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency regarding its plans to significantly reduce the size of the federal government.Earlier this month, United States District Judge Tanya Chutkan directed the DOGE to turn over the documents in response to a lawsuit filed by 14 Democratic-led states, headed by New Mexico. Additional plaintiffs included Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.'That should be the end of this ill-conceived challenge.'The states' lawsuit claimed that the DOGE and Elon Musk violated the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause and separation of powers, arguing that Musk was not confirmed by the Senate. The states aimed to block the DOGE from accessing several government systems and terminating federal employees. The complaint requested records from the department as part of the discovery process."Defendants argue that the 'inner workings of government' are immaterial to an Appointments Clause claim," Chutkan wrote in her decision. "The court is not convinced, but that is a legal issue appropriate for resolution after fulsome briefing. At this stage, it is sufficient that Plaintiffs' discovery requests intend to reveal the scope of DOGE's and Musk's authority."She noted that the plaintiffs' requested materials "seek to identify DOGE personnel and the parameters of DOGE's and Musk's authority—a question central to Plaintiffs' claims."Chutkan ordered the DOGE to produce recordings concerning "agencies, employees, legal agreements, or data management systems" pertaining to the states. The judge gave Musk and the DOGE until April 2 to comply.On Wednesday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit temporarily blocked Chutkan's order, suggesting she first rule on the Trump administration's motion to dismiss before moving to discovery. Chutkan canceled a Thursday status hearing following the appeals court's ruling.The administration's motion to dismiss argued, "By the Complaint's own terms, the States agree that Elon Musk 'does not occupy an office of the United States'; they allege only that he wields 'de facto power.'""That should be the end of this ill-conceived challenge," it read. "The States' contrary view rests on conflating influence and authority."The White House has insisted that Musk is not the head of the DOGE but a senior adviser to President Donald Trump.Despite facing an onslaught of litigation, the DOGE has not slowed its cost-cutting efforts. On Wednesday, the DOGE applauded the Department of Labor for terminating $557 million in "America Last" grants, totaling $237 million in savings. According to the department, the wasteful awards included $10 million for "gender equity in the Mexican workplace," over $12 million for "worker empowerment in South America," $5 million for "elevating women's participation in the workplace" in West Africa, more than $4 million for "assisting foreign migrant workers" in Malaysia, $3 million for "enhanc[ing] social security access and worker protections for internal migrant workers" in Bangladesh, another $3 million for "safe and inclusive work environments" in Lesotho, and $6.25 million for "improving respect for Worker's rights in agricultural supply chains" in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In Episode 389 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger investigate the haunted Nathanael Greene Homestead in Coventry, Rhode Island. Built in 1770, the stately Colonial home was a castle that oversaw the Greene’s iron forge empire. Many triumphs and tragedies graced this home over the centuries, and today they say the places is haunted by unexplained sites, sounds, and even smells. BECOME A LEGENDARY PATRON: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends CREDITS: Produced and hosted by: Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger Edited by: Ray Auger Theme Music by: John Judd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST FOR FREE: Apple Podcasts/iTunes | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Podcasts | TuneIn | iHeartRadio JOIN OUR SUPER-SECRET: New England Legends Facebook Group