Veeva Announces Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter ResultsMacKenzie Scott continues to make medical debt relief a priority in her mysterious giving. This week, Undue Medical Debt, formerly RIP Medical Debt, announced it had received a rare third gift — $50 million — from the billionaire philanthropist, signaling her satisfaction with the group’s efforts to purchase medical debt in bulk from hospitals and debt collectors. Scott has donated a total of $130 million to the organization since 2020. Medical debt is increasing despite most of the U.S. population having some form of medical insurance. Nearly 100 million people are unable to pay their medical bills, according to Third Way, a left-leaning national think tank. Overall, Americans owe about $220 billion in medical debt, with historically disadvantaged groups shouldering the bulk of the burden. Lower-income people, people with disabilities, middle-aged adults, Black people, the uninsured, and people living in rural areas are among the groups most likely to be affected by medical debt, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation . Undue Medical Debt buys debt at a discounted price, estimating that it erases about $100 in debt for each $1 donated. The group also collaborates with policymakers to encourage the adoption of measures to curb what people owe for medical care. Scott first gave Undue Medical Debt a $50 million donation in 2020, followed by a $30 million donation in 2022. With that money, the group has relieved nearly $15 billion in debt for more than 9 million people, CEO Allison Sesso said. That’s a significant leap from the $1 billion in debt relieved from 2014 to 2019, she noted. “I’m frankly astounded by this most recent gift from MacKenzie Scott and feel proud to be a steward of these funds as we continue the essential work of dismantling the yoke of medical debt that’s burdening far too many families in this country,” said Sesso. The continued funding has allowed Sesso “to not have to worry about my next dollar,” she said, and “think more strategically about the narrative around medical debt — she has helped us push that conversation.” Undue Medical Debt was started in 2014 by two former debt collection executives, Jerry Ashton and Craig Antico, who were inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement’s advocacy for debt relief. Growth initially was slow. But with Scott’s gifts, the nonprofit has been able to staff up, produce more research, and develop relationships with policymakers who have pushed for changes to hospital billing practices to relieve debt and prevent people from accumulating it in the first place, Sesso said. Undue Medical Debt’s public policy arm has worked with lawmakers in North Carolina, which in July became the first state to offer additional Medicaid payments to hospitals that agree to adopt debt relief measures, she said. The policy change followed the publication of a 2023 report from Duke University, which found that one in five families in the state had been forced into collections proceedings because of medical debt. Since 2020, the organization’s staff has grown from three to about 40, Sesso said. Those hires included an anthropologist who collects stories from people set back by medical debt to inform the group’s research and advocacy work. Scott’s gifts also have helped improve Undue Medical Debt’s technology to identify people eligible for debt relief and to find hospitals from which it can purchase medical debt, among other things, Sesso said. “This coming year, because of this MacKenzie Scott grant, we’ll be able to add more people, making sure that we can support that growth on an ongoing basis,” Sesso said. Few organizations have received more than one gift from Scott. Other multi-grant recipients include Blue Meridian, an intermediary group that has directed billions of dollars to nonprofits around the world, and GiveDirectly, which provides no-strings-attached cash payments to low-income people globally. GiveDirectly has received $125 million from Scott since 2020. Blue Meridian has not disclosed amounts for the four gifts it’s received since 2019. Scott’s contributions to those two organizations were for specific causes like GiveDirectly’s U.S. poverty relief fund, said Christina Im, a senior research analyst at the Center for Effective Philanthropy. In the case of Undue Medical Debt, the timing of Scott’s first gifts in 2020 and 2022 seemed to correspond with COVID-relief efforts, she said. Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is worth an estimated $32 billion but provides few details about her grantmaking decisions. Without further information, it’s hard to know what prompted this third donation to Undue Medical Debt, but Scott has said in public statements that she wants to help those who are most in need and bear the brunt of societal ills, said Elisha Smith Arrillaga, the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s vice president for research. “I have not seen a lot of other folks funding in this area,” Smith Arrillaga added. Scott’s latest gift to Undue Medical Debt comes amid national debates about medical insurance and the cost of medical treatments. The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 in Midtown Manhattan has heightened these conversations, with some lionizing the man who allegedly committed the crime. “That’s no way to get change, full stop,” Sesso said in reference to Thompson’s murder. “But I think the anger around insurance companies and having access to care is very clear.” The U.S. has one of the most expensive health care systems in the world. And the amount of medical debt carried by individuals seems to be increasing, noted Adam Searing, a public interest attorney and associate professor at Georgetown University, where he focuses on Medicaid and other health coverage programs. Searing previously served for 17 years as director of the Health Access Coalition at the nonprofit North Carolina Justice Center, advocating for the uninsured and underinsured. During that time, he heard from people losing their homes due to liens from hospitals. Sometimes those liens could be delayed, but it still meant that the debtors couldn’t pass those homes along to their children or grandchildren, he said. “Those stories stuck with me,” he said. “It really has an impact on families.” Relieving debt allows people to get their lives back on track and become financially secure after a major illness or series of expensive bills, Searing said. For philanthropists, it’s also a cause that is largely nonpartisan. Scott shining a spotlight on the issue is undoubtedly “a good thing,” he said. “I think it will have a big effect.” Stephanie Beasley is a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment Inc. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy .Why Trump wants his convicted former trade adviser back at his side

Pornhub to yank site access in Florida to protest age verification lawPhoto: The Canadian Press B.C. Premier David Eby holds a press conference at the legislature in Victoria, Nov. 13. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito British Columbia Premier David Eby says Canada's premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan over possible U.S. tariffs, where Conservative premiers lobby their Republican counterparts and left-leaning leaders court the Democrats, while the federal government focuses on president-elect Donald Trump. Eby says the premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talked about using their political diversity and connections to approach politicians and business leaders in the United States, as talks over Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico ramp up. He says it has been discussed that Conservative premiers Danielle Smith in Alberta, Doug Ford in Ontario and Nova Scotia's Tim Houston are well-placed to lobby their contacts with Republican governors and business leaders. In a year-end interview, Eby says as a New Democrat leader he will likely have more in common speaking with Democrat governors and business leaders from the West Coast states. He says Canada's diversity of representation, ranging from the right and left sides of the political spectrum, can bring leverage and advantages in tariff talks. Eby also says — if it is deemed helpful — he is prepared to appear on American's right-leaning Fox News TV network as did premiers Ford and Smith.

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NoneBiden's broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and pardon his son Hunter wasn't all that surprising to those who are familiar with the president's devotion to his family. But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president has raised new questions about his legacy. Biden has held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns. It was part of an effort to draw a deliberate contrast with Republican Donald Trump. Now, both his broken promise and his act of clemency are a political lightning rod. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

To drill or not to drillMacKenzie Scott continues to make medical debt relief a priority in her mysterious giving. This week, Undue Medical Debt , formerly RIP Medical Debt, announced it had received a rare third gift — $50 million — from the billionaire philanthropist, signaling her satisfaction with the group’s efforts to purchase medical debt in bulk from hospitals and debt collectors. Scott has donated a total of $130 million to the organization since 2020. Medical debt is increasing despite most of the U.S. population having some form of medical insurance. Nearly 100 million people are unable to pay their medical bills, according to Third Way, a left-leaning national think tank. Overall, Americans owe about $220 billion in medical debt, with historically disadvantaged groups shouldering the bulk of the burden. Lower-income people, people with disabilities, middle-aged adults, Black people, the uninsured, and people living in rural areas are among the groups most likely to be affected by medical debt, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Undue Medical Debt buys debt at a discounted price, estimating that it erases about $100 in debt for each $1 donated. The group also collaborates with policymakers to encourage the adoption of measures to curb what people owe for medical care. Scott first gave Undue Medical Debt a $50 million donation in 2020, followed by a $30 million donation in 2022. With that money, the group has relieved nearly $15 billion in debt for more than 9 million people, CEO Allison Sesso said. That’s a significant leap from the $1 billion in debt relieved from 2014 to 2019, she noted. “I’m frankly astounded by this most recent gift from MacKenzie Scott and feel proud to be a steward of these funds as we continue the essential work of dismantling the yoke of medical debt that’s burdening far too many families in this country,” said Sesso. The continued funding has allowed Sesso “to not have to worry about my next dollar,” she said, and “think more strategically about the narrative around medical debt — she has helped us push that conversation.” Undue Medical Debt was started in 2014 by two former debt collection executives, Jerry Ashton and Craig Antico, who were inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement’s advocacy for debt relief. Growth initially was slow. But with Scott’s gifts, the nonprofit has been able to staff up, produce more research, and develop relationships with policymakers who have pushed for changes to hospital billing practices to relieve debt and prevent people from accumulating it in the first place, Sesso said. Undue Medical Debt’s public policy arm has worked with lawmakers in North Carolina, which in July became the first state to offer additional Medicaid payments to hospitals that agree to adopt debt relief measures, she said. The policy change followed the publication of a 2023 report from Duke University , which found that one in five families in the state had been forced into collections proceedings because of medical debt. Since 2020, the organization’s staff has grown from three to about 40, Sesso said. Those hires included an anthropologist who collects stories from people set back by medical debt to inform the group’s research and advocacy work. Scott’s gifts also have helped improve Undue Medical Debt’s technology to identify people eligible for debt relief and to find hospitals from which it can purchase medical debt, among other things, Sesso said. “This coming year, because of this MacKenzie Scott grant, we’ll be able to add more people, making sure that we can support that growth on an ongoing basis,” Sesso said. Few repeat grantees Few organizations have received more than one gift from Scott. Other multi-grant recipients include Blue Meridian, an intermediary group that has directed billions of dollars to nonprofits around the world, and GiveDirectly, which provides no-strings-attached cash payments to low-income people globally. GiveDirectly has received $125 million from Scott since 2020. Blue Meridian has not disclosed amounts for the four gifts it’s received since 2019. Scott’s contributions to those two organizations were for specific causes like GiveDirectly’s U.S. poverty relief fund, said Christina Im, a senior research analyst at the Center for Effective Philanthropy. In the case of Undue Medical Debt, the timing of Scott’s first gifts in 2020 and 2022 seemed to correspond with COVID-relief efforts, she said. Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is worth an estimated $32 billion but provides few details about her grantmaking decisions. Without further information, it’s hard to know what prompted this third donation to Undue Medical Debt, but Scott has said in public statements that she wants to help those who are most in need and bear the brunt of societal ills, said Elisha Smith Arrillaga, the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s vice president for research. “I have not seen a lot of other folks funding in this area,” Smith Arrillaga added. Anger over health care costs Scott’s latest gift to Undue Medical Debt comes amid national debates about medical insurance and the cost of medical treatments. The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4 in Midtown Manhattan has heightened these conversations, with some lionizing the man who allegedly committed the crime. “That’s no way to get change, full stop,” Sesso said in reference to Thompson’s murder. “But I think the anger around insurance companies and having access to care is very clear.” The U.S. has one of the most expensive health care systems in the world. And the amount of medical debt carried by individuals seems to be increasing, noted Adam Searing, a public interest attorney and associate professor at Georgetown University, where he focuses on Medicaid and other health coverage programs. Searing previously served for 17 years as director of the Health Access Coalition at the nonprofit North Carolina Justice Center, advocating for the uninsured and underinsured. During that time, he heard from people losing their homes due to liens from hospitals. Sometimes those liens could be delayed, but it still meant that the debtors couldn’t pass those homes along to their children or grandchildren, he said. “Those stories stuck with me,” he said. “It really has an impact on families.” Relieving debt allows people to get their lives back on track and become financially secure after a major illness or series of expensive bills, Searing said. For philanthropists, it’s also a cause that is largely nonpartisan. Scott shining a spotlight on the issue is undoubtedly “a good thing,” he said. “I think it will have a big effect.” _____ Stephanie Beasley is a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment Inc. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.Vanquishing Bears, Thanksgiving losing streak tops Lions' holiday list

FARGO — For the third year in a row the West Fargo Sheyenne Mustangs are headed to the North Dakota Class A volleyball state championship. The East Region No. 1-seeded Mustangs defeated the East Region No. 3 Fargo Shanley 25-11, 25-17, 15-25 and 26-24 in the Class A semifinals Friday at the Fargodome. ADVERTISEMENT "It's so special to me," said Sheyenne senior outside hitter Alexa Killoran. "Coming back as a senior, it just means so much more." The two-time defending state champion Mustangs will battle West Region No. 1 Bismarck Century in the title match at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. Century defeated West Region No. 3 Bismarck Legacy in three sets in Friday's other semifinal. Century is a nine-time state champion and was going for its own three-peat in 2022 when Sheyenne defeated the Patriots in five sets for the Mustangs' first state title. Sheyenne head coach Leah Newton said that, as with the Mustangs' other state title-appearing teams, it's been rewarding to see the growth of this team's players throughout the season. "You want it so bad for them," Newton said. "The fact they were able to fight and make that happen is pretty cool." The Mustangs fended off a fourth-set push from the Deacons, who were trying to force a fifth set. Both teams never led by more than two points. Tied at 24-24, Sheyenne scored back-to-back points, with right-side hitter Cora Metcalf delivering the match-winning kill. ADVERTISEMENT Killoran said the team focused on remaining calm, but needed to be ready for whatever was thrown its way. "We said, 'Just pretend the score is 0-0,' " Killoran said. "We wanted to come out aggressive every single time the ball was served or touched. We wanted to have that same intensity." The Mustangs erupted offensively in the first set to lead 13-1. Libero Baylor Dinger served three straight aces en route to Killoran's set-sealing kill. Sheyenne trailed throughout the first half of the second set, but a seven-point run turned the tides and the Mustangs gained control at 19-13. Sheyenne closed out the set with a 4-0 run, capped by outside hitter Abby Smithoff's kill. Shanley countered in the third set. Already leading by five, the Deacons rattled off eight-straight points to go ahead 18-6. Outside hitter Katelyn Ommen had multiple kills and an ace in the set. Mustangs middle hitter Reilly Bryant notched a team-high seven kills. Metcalf had five kills and seven blocks, and Dinger aced five serves. Makayla Amundson ended with 19 set assists and Marley Budeau had 18 assists. "We came out with a fiery attitude," Newton said. ADVERTISEMENT Ommen led the the Deacons with nine kills, three blocks and 22 digs. Clara Robin and Megan Dietz both had six kills. Ella Stimpson had 26 set assists and 18 digs, and Carly Hulstein had four kills and three blocks. Shanley will face off against Bismarck Legacy in the third-place contest at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. "We're going to go hard (Saturday) and we're going to finish strong," said Deacons head coach Taylor Preston. The Mustangs remain poised for what the championship match will bring, Newton said. "We're going to have to play tough team ball and be ready," Newton said. "(The team we play) is going to be wanting it just as bad as us." Killoran added: "We need to come out confident and aggressive. Serve the ball super aggressive and just have faith in ourselves and our teammates."Orioles to non-tender reliever Jacob Webb; decisions loom ahead of deadline

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