qstarz bt-q1000xt Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. RB Gus Edwards will move up as the lead back for Los Angeles after J.K Dobbins (knee) was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Edwards was activated from IR earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers' run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Besides Dobbins, the Chargers also placed S Alohi Gilman (hamstring) on injured reserve. CB Cam Hart (ankle) and LB Denzel Perryman (groin) also have been ruled out. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. The Falcons will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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A lady has successfully graduated with a higher national diploma (HND) from the Federal Polytechnic, Oko Esther said she was the first graduate in her family and that her husband paid her school fees until she graduated Esther, who signed out from Okopoly in style, also revealed that she was the last born of her family Don't miss out! Join Legit.ng's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now! A Nigerian lady became a graduate after completing her studies at the polytechnic. She successfully graduated with a higher national diploma (HND). According to a post made by Esther , she studied at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra state . In her post, Esther said she was the last born in her father's house. PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! She said she became the first in her family to be a graduate. Esther noted that it was her husband who paid her school fees at Okopoly. She captioned her post: "Last born, first family graduate, sponsored by hubby." Read also LAUTECH lady who looks beautiful graduates with 2nd class upper division in mechanical engineering Reactions as lady graduates from Federal Polytechnic, Oko @Excel said: "Congratulations momma. I tap your grace." @Preciousbabe said: "Congratulations, sweetheart. I claim your blessings to me ooo." @pretty diamond said: "May God bless him." @Nurse Mary said: "Congratulations, momma. Soon you will congratulate me too." @mhizhumble34 said: "Congratulations nne. I tap from your grace." "@baby ®ni¢k said: "Congratulation. May God keep your hubby. And bless him." @Favour said: "Congratulations to you pretty. More congratulations ahead." @omotolani 123 said: "Congratulations dear I tap from your grace. Mmake I see hubby way go sponsored me." @olowubilions said: "Congratulations my dear friend." @Omalicha - 321 said: "More congratulations. I wished to be a graduate but no way." @SOMMYLISTIC said: "Congratulations to you! Please are they offering law?" @Chiezie Wisdom said: "Congratulations dear. Go and prosper, excel and achieve your goals." @Hani🫶baeb said: "Congratulations dear. Proud of we last borns." @oladejioluwatosin08 said: "I am always happy anytime I come online and see people sign out in school because I know it is not easy." Read also Lady becomes qualified nurse after graduating from Nigerian Army College of Nursing Sciences, Yaba Lady bags degree in engineering In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a Nigerian lady graduated with a degree from the university . She studied at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology , Ogbomoso. The lady said she graduated with a second-class upper division in mechanical engineering. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ng

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Catch senior receiver Talyn Taylor in action on the football field for Geneva, and there’s a temptation to call the Georgia recruit a natural. He makes it look easy. It’s apparent the 6-foot-1 Taylor has plenty of inherited or God-given ability, smoothly reaching out to make a one-handed catch without breaking stride, winning a 50-50 battle for the ball or leaving a would-be tackler grasping for nothing but air with an elusive move after a catch. Add to that, Taylor has a strong work ethic that has helped him develop and refine those skills. “When he came in to take part in our summer program and what not, we all said, ‘This kid could end up being the best who has ever walked these halls,’” said Geneva coach Boone Thorgesen , who succeed Rob Wicinski in 2021, shortly before Taylor started his freshman year. “You could just tell he had that ‘it’ factor. “Obviously, he went above and beyond what we told him he could be. He made it come true.” That he has. Taylor, the 2024 Beacon-News/Courier-News Football Player of the Year, capped his high school career at Hancock Stadium in Normal by catching eight passes for 116 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings in a 48-28 loss to East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship game. Sixty two of those yards came after the catch. Overall, Taylor finished the season with 84 receptions for 1,617 yards and 24 TDs, adding two more scores on kick returns. Geneva’s Talyn Taylor (1) turns up the field after a catch against East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship game at Hancock Stadium in Normal on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Vincent D. Johnson / The Beacon-News) Four days later, the Class 8A all-state selection by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association and the DuKane Conference’s offensive player of the year signed with powerhouse Georgia, winner of two of the last three NCAA championships. Talyn will graduate early from high school and start the spring semester at Georgia to take part in spring practice. His mother, Venus , is the head softball coach at North Central College. It’s been this way for Taylor from the very beginning. “I was pretty much always a wide receiver because of my speed,” he said. “I can throw the ball but never played quarterback. I really like running with the ball. Reverses and jet sweeps are fun. “It’s definitely an exciting position, involved in all aspects of the offense.” Geneva’s Talyn Taylor (1) catches a TD pass against Amundsen during a Class 6A first-round playoff game in Geneva on Saturday, Nov 2, 2024. (Sean King / The Beacon-News) While he’s aware of the criticism of 7-on-7 offseason leagues and events, Taylor is a believer. It may not be a be-all, end-all but he thinks it helped him. “I definitely thought it could be a big contribution to my success,” Taylor said of his travel team that draws players from the Chicago area. “You’re going up against other kids who want to compete. “We went to national events in states like Florida and Texas, definitely states they say are football states, and you faced really stacked teams with four and five-star recruits.” Lifting with teammates, a fitness class at school and summer workouts on their own helped his connection this season with senior quarterback Tony Chahino and previously Nate Stempowski . As a sophomore, Taylor totaled 801 yards receiving but that dropped to 512 yards last season when he was sidelined for over a month with a knee injury. He ended up with 2,930 career yards. Geneva’s Talyn Taylor (1) secures a pass as Cary-Groves Preston Walsh (3) and Oliver Antonelli (33) defend of a Class 6A state semifinal game in Geneva on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News) “What separates him from even other high-level kids is he can play anywhere on the field,” Thorgesen said. “Even big colleges recruiting him said that. We see it on a daily basis. He can play inside as a slot receiver or as an outside receiver. “He has a big enough frame, good wingspan, and his route running is superb. His athleticism and ball skills are elite as well. He’s the total package, and it showed on film and when he went to showcase events. It makes him one of the best receivers in the nation.” It made him the focus of opposing defenses, but that opened up windows for fellow receivers in senior Finnegan Weppner and sophomore Bennett Konkey , who had 1,037 yards and 548 yards, respectively. “The great thing about Talyn is not only that any time he touches the ball it can go for a score,” Thorgesen said. “But just what it opens up for everyone else when defenses try to take him away.”

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Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Albany International Corp. ( NYSE:AIN – Free Report ) by 72.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,114 shares of the textile maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,827 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Albany International were worth $810,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Albany International by 5,971.5% in the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 683,895 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $57,755,000 after purchasing an additional 672,631 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in Albany International by 60.5% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 161,340 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $14,335,000 after acquiring an additional 60,812 shares during the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC raised its holdings in Albany International by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 2,592,787 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $218,961,000 after acquiring an additional 53,743 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Albany International by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,091,660 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $92,192,000 after acquiring an additional 52,909 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC lifted its stake in shares of Albany International by 176.9% during the 2nd quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 66,900 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $5,650,000 after purchasing an additional 42,740 shares during the period. 97.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Insider Activity at Albany International In related news, SVP Robert Alan Hansen bought 1,050 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 5th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $71.26 per share, for a total transaction of $74,823.00. Following the acquisition, the senior vice president now owns 8,387 shares in the company, valued at $597,657.62. This represents a 14.31 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, VP Joseph M. Gaug purchased 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $71.24 per share, with a total value of $71,240.00. Following the acquisition, the vice president now owns 6,811 shares in the company, valued at $485,215.64. This trade represents a 17.21 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . In the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 3,450 shares of company stock worth $245,813. 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Albany International Stock Performance Albany International ( NYSE:AIN – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The textile maker reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.35. Albany International had a net margin of 7.92% and a return on equity of 12.20%. The firm had revenue of $298.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $304.51 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.02 earnings per share. Albany International’s revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Albany International Corp. will post 3.23 earnings per share for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms recently weighed in on AIN. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Albany International from $91.00 to $85.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Albany International from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 15th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Albany International from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Albany International from $95.00 to $81.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $85.50. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on AIN Albany International Company Profile ( Free Report ) Albany International Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the machine clothing and engineered composites businesses. The company operates in two segments, Machine Clothing (MC) and Albany Engineered Composites (AEC). The MC segment designs, manufactures, and markets paper machine clothing for use in the manufacturing of papers, paperboards, tissues, towels, pulps, nonwovens, building products, tannery, and textiles, as well as fiber cement and several other industrial applications. See Also Five stocks we like better than Albany International What is Insider Trading? What You Can Learn from Insider Trading The Latest 13F Filings Are In: See Where Big Money Is Flowing Should You Add These Warren Buffett Stocks to Your Portfolio? 3 Penny Stocks Ready to Break Out in 2025 Why Understanding Call Option Volume is Essential to Successful Options Trading FMC, Mosaic, Nutrien: Top Agricultural Stocks With Big Potential Receive News & Ratings for Albany International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Albany International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .PARIS, Dec 15 — Apps infused with AI are being marketed to schools across the world and governments are rushing to embrace the technology, despite experts raising serious doubts. The sector known as Ed Tech exploded during the Covid pandemic as schools closed to stop the spread of infection and millions of children were forced to learn in front of screens at home. As demand dried up after schools reopened, Ed Tech startups tried to win back investment by adding AI to their products and marketing. Tech titans like Microsoft, Meta and OpenAI have also spied an opportunity, promoting their AI products to schools or partnering with startups. While many education ministries have announced plans to deploy AI apps, there are plenty of dissenting voices. The UN’s education body Unesco last year eviscerated the record of online learning during Covid, saying the rapid rollout of tech solutions was a “tragedy” that had increased inequality and worsened learning outcomes. Unesco’s Manos Antoninis told AFP that AI might have some utility in education but right now it “seems to be creating more problems than it is solving”. He cited concerns that companies were using data for commercial purposes, deployed biased algorithms and overall were less concerned with educational outcomes than with their bottom line. “I think the unfortunate thing is that education has been used as a bit of a Trojan horse to access future consumers,” he said. ‘Ease the pressure’ During the pandemic boom in 2021, venture capitalists pumped more than US$17 billion (RM75 billion) into Ed Tech. But that has slumped to US$3 billion this year, about the same as last year, according to analysts PitchBook. But from North Carolina to South Korea it is a different story, where education officials have been encouraging teachers to use generative AI. Britain has already rolled out a homework app called Sparx Maths that uses algorithms to tailor children’s learning. It recently announced a further multimillion-dollar outlay on AI programmes to “ease the pressure” on hard-working teachers by helping with lesson plans, marking and assessment. The European Union supports several learning apps, and several EU countries have experimented with them. China is a huge booster of AI in the classroom and has a national strategy for digitising education — its centrepiece being a national education platform of tools and online courses. Yet the on-the-ground reality is often messy. India boasted one of the liveliest startup scenes in the sector during the pandemic, including a firm called BYJU’s which was once the world’s most valuable Ed Tech startup. Yet when schools in New Delhi were forced to close because of smog last month, there were no flashy apps to help. “It is not feasible for them to take online classes,” 29-year-old teacher Vandana Pandey told AFP, saying many of her pupils had no smartphones or connectivity at home. BYJU’s has faced allegations of financial misconduct and only narrowly avoided bankruptcy in a recent court hearing. In richer countries, the arrival of AI has received a tepid reception. Only six per cent of US secondary school teachers polled by Pew Research Center in May thought using AI in education would do more good than harm. France announced it would roll out an AI-powered homework app called MIA in secondary schools earlier this year, but quietly dropped the project as a political crisis rumbled on. Many British parents are also not keen on Sparx Maths. “Don’t know a single child that likes it,” said one user on the popular Mumsnet forum. Another said the app “ruins any enjoyment of the subject” while a flood of other parents said their children “hated” the app. ‘More like isolation’ Aside from grievances over individual apps, educators doubt whether many of these firms are aiming at the right target. Almost all Ed Tech products promise to “personalise” education, often deploying AI to monitor a child’s work and tailor workplans to suit their needs. Officials from Britain to Beijing have lauded this goal. But Antoninis said the rhetoric around personalisation “risks making us forget that a lot of learning is actually social, and children learn from interaction with each other”. Leon Furze, a former teacher who now works as a consultant focusing on generative AI in education, was also wary about personalisation. “AI is touted as a solution to personalised learning, but it’s a very specific kind of ‘personal’ which I think seems more like isolation,” he told AFP. Both Antoninis and Furze warned that technology was no panacea, rather it was a tool that could help in some limited situations. The hard work, as ever, would be done by humans. “Tech solutions aren’t going to solve the bigger socio-economic, cultural, and political challenges being faced by teachers and students,” said Furze. — AFPBRIEFLYAtria Investments Inc reduced its stake in shares of Hyatt Hotels Co. ( NYSE:H – Free Report ) by 16.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,219 shares of the company’s stock after selling 452 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc’s holdings in Hyatt Hotels were worth $338,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 4,242 shares of the company’s stock worth $646,000 after buying an additional 287 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 162.2% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 49,041 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,464,000 after purchasing an additional 30,339 shares during the last quarter. Malaga Cove Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 37.9% in the third quarter. Malaga Cove Capital LLC now owns 4,241 shares of the company’s stock valued at $645,000 after purchasing an additional 1,165 shares during the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 0.4% in the third quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 15,539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,365,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hyatt Hotels by 7.7% in the third quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 19,080 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,904,000 after purchasing an additional 1,368 shares during the last quarter. 71.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Analyst Ratings Changes H has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Hyatt Hotels from $178.00 to $172.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Hyatt Hotels in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $151.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Hyatt Hotels from $160.00 to $153.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on shares of Hyatt Hotels from $185.00 to $178.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 29th. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of Hyatt Hotels from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $151.57. Insider Transactions at Hyatt Hotels In related news, insider Mark Samuel Hoplamazian sold 51,388 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.77, for a total value of $7,696,380.76. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 623,556 shares in the company, valued at $93,389,982.12. This represents a 7.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Company insiders own 23.50% of the company’s stock. Hyatt Hotels Stock Up 0.2 % H stock opened at $156.23 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The company has a market cap of $15.00 billion, a PE ratio of 11.77 and a beta of 1.50. Hyatt Hotels Co. has a 52 week low of $112.85 and a 52 week high of $162.24. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $152.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $149.34. Hyatt Hotels ( NYSE:H – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. Hyatt Hotels had a return on equity of 10.74% and a net margin of 20.55%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.70 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Hyatt Hotels Co. will post 3.91 EPS for the current fiscal year. Hyatt Hotels Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.38%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 22nd. Hyatt Hotels’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.52%. Hyatt Hotels Profile ( Free Report ) Hyatt Hotels Corporation operates as a hospitality company in the United States and internationally. It operates through Owned and Leased Hotels, Americas Management and Franchising, ASPAC Management and Franchising, EAME Management and Franchising, and Apple Leisure Group segments. The company manages, franchises, licenses, owns, and leases portfolio of properties, consisting of full-service hotels and resorts, select service hotels, and other properties, including timeshare, fractional, residential, vacation, and condominium units. See Also Five stocks we like better than Hyatt Hotels What is the FTSE 100 index? Tesla Investors Continue to Profit From the Trump Trade How is Compound Interest Calculated? MicroStrategy’s Stock Dip vs. Coinbase’s Potential Rally How to Invest in the Best Canadian Stocks Netflix Ventures Into Live Sports, Driving Stock Momentum Want to see what other hedge funds are holding H? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Hyatt Hotels Co. ( NYSE:H – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Hyatt Hotels Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hyatt Hotels and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

India under Trump 2.0 could bolster its position in global supply chainsBy Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts, KFF Health News (TNS) Tescha Hawley learned that hospital bills from her son’s birth had been sent to debt collectors only when she checked her credit score while attending a home-buying class. The new mom’s plans to buy a house stalled. Hawley said she didn’t owe those thousands of dollars in debts. The federal government did. Hawley, a citizen of the Gros Ventre Tribe, lives on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. The Indian Health Service is a federal agency that provides free health care to Native Americans, but its services are limited by a chronic shortage of funding and staff. Hawley’s local Indian Health Service hospital wasn’t equipped to deliver babies. But she said staff there agreed that the agency would pay for her care at a privately owned hospital more than an hour away. That arrangement came through the Purchased/Referred Care program, which pays for services Native Americans can’t get through an agency-funded clinic or hospital. Federal law stresses that patients approved for the program aren’t responsible for any of the costs. But tribal leaders, health officials, and a new federal report say patients are routinely billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the Indian Health Service, financial middlemen, hospitals, and clinics. The financial consequences for patients can last years. Those sent to collections can face damaged credit scores, which can prevent them from securing loans or require them to pay higher interest rates. The December report , by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, found these long-standing problems contribute to people in Native American-majority communities being nearly twice as likely to have medical debt in collections compared with the national average. And their amount of medical debt is significantly higher. The report found the program is often late to pay bills. In some cases, hospitals or collection agencies hound tribal citizens for more money after bills are paid. Hawley’s son was born in 2003. She had to wait another year to buy a home, as she struggled to pay off the debt. It took seven years for it to drop from her credit report. “I don’t think a person ever recovers from debt,” Hawley said. Hawley, a cancer survivor, still must navigate the referral program. In 2024 alone, she received two notices from clinics about overdue bills. Frank White Clay, chairman of the Crow Tribe in Montana, testified about the impact of wrongful billing during a U.S. House committee hearing in April. He shared stories of veterans rejected for home loans, elders whose Social Security benefits were reduced, and students denied college loans and federal aid. “Some of the most vulnerable people are being harassed daily by debt collectors,” White Clay said. No one is immune from the risk. A high-ranking Indian Health Service official learned during her job’s background check that her credit report contained referred-care debt, the federal report found. Native Americans face disproportionately high rates of poverty and disease , which researchers link to limited access to health care and the ongoing impact of racist federal policies . White Clay is among many who say problems with the referred-care program are an example of the U.S. government violating treaties that promised to provide for the health and welfare of tribes in return for their land. The chairman’s testimony came during a hearing on the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act, which would require the Indian Health Service to create a reimbursement process for patients who were wrongfully billed. Committee members approved the bill in November and sent it for consideration by the full House. A second federal bill, the Protecting Native Americans’ Credit Act , would prevent debt like Hawley’s from affecting patients’ credit scores. The bipartisan bill hadn’t had a hearing by mid-December. The exact number of people wrongfully billed isn’t clear, but the Indian Health Service has acknowledged it has work to do. The agency is developing a dashboard to help workers track referrals and to speed up bill processing, spokesperson Brendan White said. It’s also trying to hire more referred-care staff, to address vacancy rates of more than 30%. Officials say problems with the program also stem from outside health providers that don’t follow the rules. Melanie Egorin, an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said at the hearing that the proposed legislation doesn’t include consequences for “bad actors” — health facilities that repeatedly bill patients when they shouldn’t. “The lack of enforcement is definitely a challenge,” she said. But tribal leaders warned that penalties could backfire. Related Articles Health | Most medical debt can no longer hurt your credit score under new California law Health | How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic Health | Oregon house cat died after eating pet food that tested positive for bird flu Health | 5 health bills impacting California patients in 2025 Health | Whooping cough cases in the US are the highest they’ve been in a decade White Clay told lawmakers that some clinics already refuse to see patients if the Indian Health Service hasn’t paid for their previous appointments. He’s worried the threat of penalties would lead to more refusals. If that happens, White Clay said, Crow tribal members who already travel hours to access specialty treatment would have to go even farther. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report found clinics are already refusing to see any referred-care patients due to the program’s payment problems. The bureau and the Indian Health Service also recently published a letter urging health care providers and debt collectors not to hold patients accountable for program-approved care. White, the Indian Health Service spokesperson, said the agency recently updated the referred-care forms sent to outside hospitals and clinics to include billing instructions and to stress that patients aren’t liable for any out-of-pocket costs. And he said the staff can help patients get reimbursed if they have already paid for services that were supposed to be covered. Joe Bryant, an Indian Health Service official who oversees efforts to improve the referral program, said patients can ask credit bureaus to remove debt from their reports if the agency should have covered their bills. Leaders with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington state helped shape the proposed legislation after their citizens were repeatedly harmed by wrongful billing. Tribal Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson said problems began in 2017, when a regional Indian Health Service office took over the referred-care program from local staff. It “created a domino effect of negative outcomes,” Erickson wrote in a letter to Congress. He said some tribal members whose finances were damaged stopped using the Indian Health Service. Others avoided health care altogether. Responsibility for the Colville Reservation program transferred back to local staff in 2022. Staffers found the billing process hadn’t been completed for thousands of cases, worth an estimated $24 million in medical care, Erickson told lawmakers . Workers are making progress on the backlog and they have explained the rules to outside hospitals and clinics, Erickson said. But he said there are still cases of wrongful billing, such as a tribal member who was sent to collections after receiving a $17,000 bill for chemotherapy that the agency was supposed to pay for. Erickson said the tribe is in the process of taking over its health care facilities instead of having the Indian Health Service run them. He and others who work in Native American health said tribally managed units — which are still funded by the federal agency — tend to have fewer problems with their referred-care programs. For example, they have more oversight over staff and flexibility to create their own payment tracking systems. But some Native Americans oppose tribal management because they feel it releases the federal government from its obligations. Beyond wrongful billing, access to the referred-care program is limited because of underfunding from Congress. The $1 billion budget this year is $9 billion short of the need, according to a committee report by tribal health and government leaders. Donald Warne, a physician and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, called the proposed legislation a “band-aid.” He said the ultimate solution is for Congress to fully fund the Indian Health Service, which would reduce the need for the referred-care program. Back in Montana, Hawley said she braces for a fight each time she gets a bill that the referral program was supposed to cover. “I’ve learned not to trust the process,” Hawley said. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.