A top advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon has beenfiredafter an undercover investigation caught him on camera admitting he's working with generals on a 'stop-Trump' effort.
“I’ve been in conversation with a couple of retired generals to explore what we can do,” Jamie Mannina, advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, former FBI Special Agent, and self-proclaimed “spy hunter,” disclosed to an undercover OMG Journalist his plans to utilize irregular strategies to undermine Donald Trump’s presidency.
Mannina also described his “ghost writing” with a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, National Security Leaders for America, saying, “What we were doing was we were trying to explain to the American people the national security consequences of another Trump presidency.” He elaborated on his recent activities, saying, “Since the spring, I was working with these retired generals, retired ambassadors,” adding, “They’re like one, two, or three-star generals and admirals. You probably know maybe four stars.” He acknowledged the organization’s ultimate goal, emphasizing, “This organization tried to defeat Donald Trump.”
Mannina further revealed that he was participating in a “huge meeting with military leaders; in a very secure room called ‘The Tank.’” The Tank is a nickname for the Joint Chiefs of Staff Conference room which is a (SCIF), a Compartmentalized Information Facility. Discussing the focus of these meetings, Mannina shared that “the United States has specialized in artificial intelligence and emerging technology, quantum, [and] cybersecurity.” He elaborated on the potential of quantum technology, stating, “Quantum is incredibly fast, super-computing. That doesn’t yet exist, but will soon exist, and when it does, it will change everything.”
On Tuesday, O'Keefe revealed that Mannina was fired...
See below the email response @OKeefeMedia received from Joint Staff Public Affairs Spokesman Joseph Holstead regarding Jamie Mannina's termination: pic.twitter.com/vCzgCwRWl7
Areportreleased by the House Oversight and Accountability Committee on Wednesday paints a damning picture of federal telework policies, accusing the Biden administration of prioritizing union demands over taxpayer interests and wasting billions of dollars on underutilized office space.
The 30-page report, released ahead of a hearing led by Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY), slams the continuation of widespread work-from-home arrangements that surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings indicate that many federal employees remain remote or telework regularly, leaving federal office buildings largely empty.
“The Biden-Harris administration has ceded too much authority to the federal union bosses, allowing their preference to work from home to take precedence over fulfilling agencies’ missions and serving the American people,” the report states.
Telework Trends Since the Pandemic
The committee’s analysis revealed that of the 2.28 million federal civilian employees, roughly 228,000 are never required to report to the office. The remaining 1.1 million employees eligible for telework spend an average of only three days per week in the office.
According to the report, teleworking feds "must report to the office on occasion," whereas "remote employees never need to show up to work," Just the News reports.
Federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the General Services Administration (GSA) have seen dramatic increases in remote work since 2019. According to the report:
HHS’s remote workforce grew from 2% in 2019 to 29% in 2024.
The GSA saw its remote workforce jump from 6% to 50%.
The Department of Education went from 2% to 55%.
The report also highlights an alarming trend of unused office space. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study from July 2023 "found that 17 of the 24 federal agencies used on average an estimated 25 percent or less of the capacity of their headquarter buildings," with some agencies reporting occupancy rates as low as 9%. Despite this, the federal government spends approximately $7 billion annually to lease and maintain office spaces.
The Cost of an Empty Bureaucracy
During the hearing, Comer criticized federal agencies for spending $3.3 billion on furniturefor offices that remain mostly empty. He singled out GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, noting that she had worked from the agency’s Washington, D.C. headquarters for only 64 days over a 12-month period, opting instead to telework from Missouri.
The report also accuses the Biden administration of locking in long-term collective bargaining agreements that cement telework arrangements for years to come. In November, Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Martin O’Malley approved a deal ensuring telework eligibility for 42,000 SSA employees through 2029, shortly before stepping down to pursue a role as Democratic National Committee chair.
"The outgoing Biden-Harris Administration entered into long-term [collective bargaining agreements] with federal employee unions that limit management authority through unprecedented concessions, including guaranteeing telework for federal bureaucrats," reads the report.
Telework vs. Public Service
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, issued a sharp rebuke of the report ahead of the committee’s hearing:
"As a preliminary matter, AFGE is compelled to note that the title of today’s hearing unfortunately distorts how telework fits into larger work practices and protocols at federal agencies in order to unjustly criticize federal employees. Hardworking, dedicated federal employees should not be derided as ‘stay-at-home workers.’ Our members perform vital roles in public safety, law enforcement, and health care – including providing care for active-duty military and millions of veterans. The majority of our members were ineligible for telework even when the pandemic was at its worst and no vaccines or treatments were available. Many members died of COVID during this period, likely contracted while performing their work for the American people. For many thousands of our members, it is thus bitterly ironic to now castigate the ‘stay-at-home federal workforce."
The union further noted that many telework-eligible roles have continued to meet or exceed performance goals, arguing that flexible work arrangements can help recruit and retain top talent.
Trump Administration’s Next Steps
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to bring federal employees back to their offices and overhaul telework policies. The House Oversight Committee report outlines nine recommendations to rein in remote work, including (via Just the News):
Base telework and remote work policies on achievement of mission outcomes, not employee preferences or union demands.
Establish automated systems for tracking the use of telework and remote work, and create clear, measurable metrics to evaluate its costs and benefits.
Impose more frequent and timely reporting requirements on agency-level telework, to better inform Executive Branch leaders, Congress and the public.
Use the White House and central management agencies to implement an enterprise-wide approach to telework and remote work that prioritizes the public interest. Do not permit a telework bidding war among agencies looking to attract federal workers that transfer between them based on which will let them stay home the most.
Align the federal property footprint with the government’s office space needs. Dispose of unneeded property and terminate unnecessary leases, while optimizing use of the space that remains.
Introduce and enact a new version of the SHOW Up Act, restoring agency telework to no more than pre- pandemic levels. Only permit higher levels at agencies that make a convincing, measurable case for doing so.
Consider legislation disallowing collective bargaining over federal employee telework.
Consider legislation that would open to renegotiation at the start of each new Presidential term all existing collective bargaining agreements with federal employees.
Consider legislation to pay all remote federal employees at the rest of United States' locality pay rate, to encourage a broader geographic dispersion of the federal workforce, and to reduce cost to taxpayers.
Comer emphasized that these reforms are crucial to restoring public trust in government.
“The lights may be on in federal buildings, but too many federal bureaucrats continue to work from home,” Comer said. “
"President Trump was elected in a landslide to bring accountability to Washington," Comer continued.
"Our report not only identifies the many problems with massive federal telework but also proposes solutions to get federal employees back to their offices, dispose of unused and vacant federal property, and prioritize the needs of the American people over the wants of federal bureaucrats. We look forward to working with President Trump and his administration to ensure the federal bureaucracy is fully accountable to the American people."
Fourth quarter 2024 worldwide da Vinci procedures grew approximately 18% compared with the fourth quarter of 2023.
Full year 2024 worldwide da Vinci procedures grew approximately 17% compared with 2023. The Company expects worldwide da Vinci procedures to increase approximately 13% to 16% in 2025 as compared to 2024.
The Company placed 493 da Vinci surgical systems, of which 174 were da Vinci 5 systems, in the fourth quarter of 2024, an increase of 19% compared with 415 in the fourth quarter of 2023. During 2024, the Company placed 1,526 da Vinci surgical systems, of which 362 were da Vinci 5 systems, an increase of 11% compared with 1,370 systems in 2023.
Preliminary fourth quarter 2024 revenue of approximately $2.41 billion increased by 25% compared with $1.93 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023. Preliminary 2024 revenue of approximately $8.35 billion increased by 17% compared with $7.12 billion in 2023.
Fourth quarter 2024 expenses included a $45 million contribution to the Intuitive Foundation compared to a $40 million contribution to the Intuitive Foundation in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Preliminary Results
The Company expects fourth quarter 2024 revenue of approximately $2.41 billion, an increase of 25% compared with $1.93 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023. The Company expects 2024 revenue of approximately $8.35 billion, an increase of 17% compared with $7.12 billion in 2023. The unaudited results in this press release are preliminary and subject to the completion of the Company’s final closing procedures and annual independent audit and, therefore, are subject to adjustment.
Preliminary fourth quarter 2024 instruments and accessories revenue increased by 23% to approximately $1.41 billion, compared with $1.14 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023, primarily driven by growth in da Vinci and Ion procedure volume and customer buying patterns. Preliminary full year 2024 instruments and accessories revenue increased by 19% to approximately $5.08 billion, compared with $4.28 billion for 2023, primarily driven by growth in da Vinci and Ion procedure volume.
Fourth quarter 2024 da Vinci procedures increased approximately 18% compared with the fourth quarter of 2023. In 2024, approximately 2,683,000 surgical procedures were performed with da Vinci surgical systems, an increase of approximately 17% compared with approximately 2,286,000 surgical procedures performed with da Vinci surgical systems in 2023. The growth in the Company’s overall procedure volume in 2024 was largely attributable to 19% growth in United States (“U.S.”) general surgery procedures as well as 23% growth in outside of the U.S. total procedures, primarily driven by cancer procedures. The Company expects worldwide da Vinci procedures to increase approximately 13% to 16% in 2025.
Preliminary fourth quarter 2024 systems revenue increased by 36% to approximately $655 million, compared with $480 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Higher systems revenue, in part, reflected a lower mix of leased systems relative to previous periods as well as higher da Vinci system average selling prices compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. Preliminary full year 2024 systems revenue increased by 17% to approximately $1.97 billion, compared with $1.68 billion for 2023.
The Company placed 493 da Vinci surgical systems, of which 174 were da Vinci 5 systems, in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared with 415 systems in the fourth quarter of 2023. The fourth quarter 2024 da Vinci surgical system placements included 222 systems placed under operating lease arrangements, of which 140 systems were placed under usage-based operating lease arrangements, compared with 201 systems placed under operating lease arrangements, of which 109 systems were placed under usage-based operating lease arrangements in the fourth quarter of 2023.
The Company placed 1,526 da Vinci surgical systems, of which 362 were da Vinci 5 systems, in 2024, compared with 1,370 systems in 2023. The 2024 da Vinci surgical system placements included 776 systems placed under operating lease arrangements, of which 467 systems were placed under usage-based operating lease arrangements, compared with 659 systems placed under operating lease arrangements, of which 355 systems were placed under usage-based operating lease arrangements in 2023.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
During 2024, the Company did not experience noticeable procedure volume disruptions due to COVID-19. During the first quarter of 2023, in January, the Company saw COVID-19 resurgences impact da Vinci procedure volumes in China, with a recovery during February and March. The Company also believes that a large portion of the patients in the backlog that required treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic have now been treated. Therefore, the Company believes that the impact of patient backlogs was immaterial to procedure volumes in 2024.
Commenting on the announcement, Intuitive CEO Gary Guthart said, “We are pleased with customer adoption of da Vinci 5, Ion, and SP during the quarter and full year. We remain focused on delivering the goals we share with our customers, centered on improving patient outcomes.”
Additional unaudited preliminary revenue and procedure information has been posted to the Investor Relations section of the Intuitive website at: https://isrg.gcs-web.com/.
Myriad Genetics (NASDAQ: MYGN)has released preliminary financial results for Q4 and full year 2024, along with 2025 guidance. The company expects Q4 2024 revenues between$209-211 million, representing a 6-7% increase year-over-year, and full-year 2024 revenues of$836-838 million, up 11% from 2023.
Q4 2024 is expected to show a GAAP diluted loss per share of $(0.72)-$(0.62) and adjusted EPS of $0.03-$0.04. Full-year 2024 GAAP loss per share is projected at $(1.66)-$(1.56) with adjusted EPS of $0.14-$0.15. The company anticipates Q4 GAAP net loss between $(65.7)-$(56.8) million and adjusted EBITDA of $10-11 million.
Cash and cash equivalents stood at approximately $102 million as of December 31, 2024, showing a $2 million increase from Q3 2024. Final audited results will be released during the February 2025 earnings call.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a new rule on Wednesday limiting nicotine levels in cigarettes and other tobacco products.
The FDA says the move could reduce the addictiveness of tobacco products and make it easier to quit. If the rule is finalized, the U.S. would be the first country to impose such a limit, the federal health agency said.
"Multiple administrations have acknowledged the immense opportunity that a proposal of this kind offers to address the burden of tobacco-related disease," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said in a statement. "Today's proposal envisions a future where it would be less likely for young people to use cigarettes and more individuals who currently smoke could quit or switch to less harmful products."
He went on, "This action, if finalized, could save many lives and dramatically reduce the burden of severe illness and disability, while also saving huge amounts of money. I hope we can all agree that significantly reducing the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S. is an admirable goal we should all work toward."
