Mom Takes Dad To Court, But It Backfires So Badly It Goes Viral

When the relationship between Barnett Jenkins and Shaniquia Nichols hit an impasse, they went their separate ways. Jenkins, who is a content creator, was voluntarily paying Nichols $300 a week, despite not being under a formal child support order. However, there came a time when Jenkins “hit a rough patch” and needed a couple of months to get back on his feet. He asked Nichols if he could pay her $150 a week for 2-3 months. Nichols, however, wasn’t okay with the decrease in child support and instead filed for formal child support through the court system. When Jenkins’ case came before the court, the presiding judge considered not only his income but also the amount of time he spends caring for his daughter and the expenses he already covers directly. Jenkins has his daughter three days a week, transports her to and from school every day, and fully covers her daycare expenses. The judge ultimately ordered Jenkins to pay Nichols just $13.49 a month. Apparently, the plan Nichols had in mind backfired, but perhaps she learned a valuable lesson about greed.

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How Medical Upcoding Made People Look Sick and What It’s Costing Taxpayers

Medicare Advantage is a super-popular alternative to traditional Medicare, but some experts say it has a hidden flaw that could break the system. People love the program because many of its plans have zero-dollar premiums, lower out-of-pocket spending, and benefits that traditional Medicare doesn’t offer. There is, however, a catch……and it’s a big one. A series of lawsuits by the Department of Justice has exposed a problem that cost taxpayers $7.5 billion in a single year. Simply put, health insurance companies get paid more for enrolling sicker people into Medicare Advantage. That gives them a perverse incentive to identify diseases without treating them. By adding diagnoses to a patient’s record that no doctor has ever found, an insurance company can increase its revenue, even though the patient may never have sought treatment. It’s called “upcoding” and it’s illegal. Four large insurers have settled lawsuits with the Department of Justice over this issue, with two cases remaining open. Federal administrators are considering reforms that would make it more difficult to upcode. In the meantime, the DOJ is using data-mining to flag upcoding and are launching automated investigations.

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Your Refrigerator May Soon Know Your Food Is Spoiled Before You Do

Humans rely on sight and smell to decide whether food has gone bad, but spoilage often begins long before either of those senses notices a problem. Researchers at the University of California think they have a solution: an electronic nose that can detect food spoilage more accurately than humans can. The electronic nose uses 16 miniature gas sensors that react to different airborne compounds. Think of them as “digital taste buds” that convert chemical reactions into electrical signals, allowing them to identify a food’s unique gas fingerprint. Scientists trained the electronic nose to recognize a variety of foods, including strawberries, blueberries, bananas, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts, raw chicken, milk and eggs. They also taught the device to distinguish between fresh eggs and those left at room temperature for 24 and 48 hours. More complex dishes, such as salads containing multiple ingredients, will require additional testing before the technology can move closer to real-world use. Researchers believe smart refrigerators would be a great application for this kind of technology.

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Navy To Investigate Blue Angels Flyover That Sent Umbrellas and Chairs Airborne

Chaos briefly erupted on a Florida beach when a flyover by the Blue Angels squadron resulted in umbrellas, chairs and tents being sent airborne. The video below captured beachgoers at Pensacola Beach scrambling for cover as the planes flew low over the sand and banked hard to the side, creating a powerful gust of wind. The group was performing at a “Breakfast with the Blues” airshow. No injuries were reported, but beachgoers were clearly frightened. The U.S. Navy released a statement confirming that the jets "flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas.” An investigation into the incident has been opened. 

 

 

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