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Source: Houston Chronicle — https://www.chron.com/news/article/houston-methodist-lawsuit-insurance-21171404.php

Houston Methodist, one of Texas’ largest and most influential hospital systems, has officially joined a sweeping national lawsuit that accuses several major health-insurance companies and a data-analytics firm, Claritev (formerly known as MultiPlan), of unlawfully manipulating how out-of-network medical claims are priced. According to the lawsuit, these insurers and Claritev allegedly used proprietary algorithms and reimbursement-pricing tools to artificially suppress the rates paid to hospitals and healthcare providers when patients received care outside of their insurer’s preferred network. The filing argues that this system created a hidden, coordinated pricing structure that benefited insurers financially by keeping payouts low while providers absorbed the financial strain of being under-reimbursed for the same medical services.

The lawsuit paints a detailed picture of how this alleged arrangement worked behind the scenes. Hospitals claim that insurers would feed patient data and billing information into Claritev’s platform, which would then generate…

Houston is entering a pivotal moment in its approach to homelessness and public space management. Newly released data from Houston Public Media shows a dramatic rise in citations issued to homeless individuals following expansions of the city’s “civility ordinance.” As city officials consider extending restrictions into the Greater East End, a growing debate has emerged about whether enforcement is solving the problem—or deepening the crisis for Houston’s unhoused residents.

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A Major Spike in Enforcement Since July 2025

After Houston expanded its civility ordinance in July 2025, enforcement increased at unprecedented levels—not only within designated civility zones, but citywide.

Cybercrime isn’t slowing down—if anything, it's evolving faster than ever. Here are three real-world attacks that show just how devastating digital threats have become, even for big brands with deep pockets:

🔒 MGM Resorts (2023): A ransomware gang brought down casinos, hotel bookings, and slot machines across the country using a simple vishing (voice phishing) trick. Millions in revenue lost, and weeks of disruption.👉 Read the full story

🧴 Clorox (2023): Hackers crippled Clorox’s operations, forcing them into manual order processing and leading to product shortages. The company is still recovering months later.👉 See how it unfolded

📧 Reddit BEC Scam (2023): Attackers used a compromised email to send fake invoices to Reddit’s advertisers. Known as Business Email Compromise (BEC), these scams are targeting small businesses daily.👉 Find out more

💡 Bottom line: If they can get hit, so can you. Cyber insurance isn’t just smart—it’s essential. It helps cover ransom demands, legal costs, lost…

Bamboos are fast-growing, woody grasses known for their versatility, strength, and eco-friendly nature. Found predominantly in Asia, Africa, and South America, bamboo species range from small ground cover to towering varieties over 30 meters tall. Due to their rapid growth and minimal resource requirements, bamboos are increasingly recognized as a sustainable alternative to wood, plastic, and even steel in certain applications.

Key Characteristics:

• Rapid Growth: Some species grow up to 91 cm (36 inches) in a day.

• Self-regenerating: Bamboo can regrow from its roots without replanting.

• High Strength-to-Weight Ratio: Stronger than many hardwoods and comparable to mild steel.

• Carbon Sequestration: Bamboo absorbs more CO₂ and releases more oxygen than most plants.