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Monument Health Vendor Data Breach Potentially Impacts 26,000 Patients
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Monument Health was informed that one of its vendors, Change Healthcare, had a data breach that could affect approximately 26,000 Monument Health patients. Change Healthcare (CHC) is a healthcare technology company that connects patients, providers and payers in the US healthcare system. They offer products for revenue cycle management, payment management, and health information exchange. CHC informed Monument Health on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 that some of its patients were impacted. CHC is sending notices via mail to patients whose information was affected.
U.S. Senate Approves $282 Million for Ellsworth Air Force Base B-21 Raider Preparations
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. – The National Defense Authorization Act passed Wednesday by the U.S. Senate includes $282 million for construction at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City. The construction will prepare the base for B-21 Raiders, aircraft meant to serve as replacements for the B-1 bombers that were designed in the 1970s. The B-21 bombers are expected to arrive in South Dakota at some point before 2030, alongside thousands more military members and families. The $282 million for Ellsworth in Wednesday’s defense authorization bill is only part of what’s expected to be $1.5 billion in B-21-related construction at the base.
Trump wants debt ceiling in the budget deal. If not, he says let the government shutdown start now
WASHINGTON — Hours before the start of a federal government shutdown, President-elect Donald Trump doubled-down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal. And if not, he says, let the closures “start now.” Trump, who is not yet sworn into the White House, issued his latest demand as House Speaker Mike Johnson arrived early Friday at the Capitol, instantly holing up with some of the most conservative Republicans who helped sink Trump’s bill in a spectacular Thursday evening flop. The clock is now racing toward the midnight deadline to fund government operations.
Official says Wisconsin shooter was new student at Christian school where her victims had deep ties
MADISON, Wis. — An official at the Wisconsin school where a student shot and killed a teacher and a fellow student says the 15-year-old was in her first semester there. Families of the two victims, meanwhile, made funeral arrangements public and describe them as people of deep faith. Funerals for 14-year-old Rubi Patricia Vergara and 42-year-old Erin West were announced in obituaries published Wednesday and Thursday. Vergara’s funeral is set for Saturday and West’s is Monday. Police are investigating what motivated the shooter. Investigators say Abundant Life Christian School student Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow killed herself. Two injured students remain hospitalized.
Amazon workers are striking at multiple delivery hubs. Here’s what you should know
Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union are holding a strike at seven of the company’s delivery hubs less than a week before Christmas. The Teamsters said the workers joined picket lines on Thursday after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations. The company says it doesn’t expect the strike to impact holiday shipments. Amazon has a couple hundred employees at each delivery station. The Teamsters union has focused on organizing delivery drivers who work for the contractors that handle package deliveries for the company. The union hasn’t said how many workers are participating in the strike, nor how long it will go on. The president of a local Teamsters union in New York says the walkout will continue “as long as it takes.”
Frito-Lay Recalls Lay’s Classic Potato Chips Over Undeclared Milk
Frito-Lay is recalling certain 13-ounce bags of Lay’s Classic Potato Chips due to the potential presence of undeclared milk. The affected bags have a “guaranteed fresh” date of February 11, 2025, and were sold in stores and online in Oregon and Washington. While no health issues have been reported, individuals with a milk allergy or severe sensitivity risk a serious reaction if they consume the product. Frito-Lay advises customers to discard the affected chips immediately. No other Lay’s products are included in the recall.