DOJ probe also scrutinizing Optum Rx, doctor payments
UnitedHealth says it has ‘full confidence’ in its practices
The US Justice Department’s criminal division is digging into UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s prescription management services as well as how it reimburses its own doctors under an ongoing probe into the firm’s operations, according to people familiar with the matter.
The previously unreported areas of the probe show the scrutiny is broader than was known and goes beyond an inquiry into possible Medicare fraud. Investigators are looking into business practices at the company’s pharmacy benefit manager Optum Rx, in addition to the physician payments, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing a confidential matter.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller told reporters Monday that the Trump administration has uncovered a “massive scandal” in Washington D.C. involving the doctoring of crime statistics.
He said the alleged corruption is currently under investigation and said details of the corruption will soon be brought to light.
Miller said D.C. already had the worst crime statistics in the United States when “honestly measured,” but those stats “dramatically understated how bad it was.”
The White House advisor told reporters that murders and homicides were allegedly being reported as accidents instead of murders.
“This is how severe the manipulation of the crime data has been in the city and it will all be uncovered and it will all be brought to light,” he said.
For the past two weeks—since the D.C. crime crackdown began—the city has not seen a single murder or homicide.
“No police officer working in the city can remember a time in their lives when there has been no murders," Miller asserted.
He said police officers have told him that members of the public have been thanking them for making D.C safe again.
“For the first time in their lives, they can use the parks, they can walk on the streets, you have people who can walk freely at night without worrying about being ribbed or mugged,” he said. “They’re wearing their watch again, they’re wearing jewelry again, they’re carrying purses again.”
Miller explained that D.C. residents had been forced to “change their who lives for fear of being murdered, mugged or carjacked.”
He added that Trump had freed the 700,000 residents of the city from “the rule of criminals and thugs.”
Miller credited Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Terrance C. Cole with discovering that street criminals in Washington D.C. have been “doing business directly with the transnational criminal cartels,” which are foreign terrorist organizations.
“So not only was the city being run by these criminal thugs, but they were working with some of the most dangerous terrorist organizations on the planet to traffic weapons and drugs into this city,” he explained.
“What we are uncovering every day is shocking to us and we look forward to sharing the results with all of you but President Trump, your leadership has uncovered some of the great public safety scandals of our life and now because of you, people are safe and free for the first time ever in this city,” he concluded.
Vice President JD Vance questioned why Democrats are so outraged over Trump’s efforts to reduce crime in the nation’s capital since the results have been so positive.
“I want to echo something the president said where you say there haven’t been murders in a couple of weeks in D.C., and it doesn’t sound good, but then you talk to local law enforcement, and I didn’t realize this, that this town averaged one murder every other day for the last 20, 30 years,” Vance began.
“Which means that in two short weeks, the president and the team have saved 6 or 7 lives. People who would have been killed on the streets of D.C., who are now living, breathing, spending time with their families because the president had the willpower to say no more,” he continued.
Vance took a shot at the Democrat governors who are fighting Trump’s D.C. crime crackdown.
“Look at Governor Pritzker in Illinois or Governor Newsom in Los Angeles, or Governor Moore in Maryland,” the Vice President said. “They are angrier about the fact that the president of the United States is offering to help them get their crime under control than they are about the fact that murderers are running roughshod over their cities and have been for decades.”
He added: “Why are Democrat governors angrier about federal law enforcement helping clean up their streets than they are about the fact that those streets need to be cleaned up to begin with?”
Vance diagnosed their twisted priorities as “a real sickness in the head.”
“I think most Democrats rank and file, nobody likes crime. Republicans don’t like crime. Democrats don’t like crime. Independents don’t like crime,” he told reporters, adding, “Why are Democratic governors doing everything in their power to make crime easier to do in their cities?”
Vance said it made no sense to him, but regardless, he appreciated Trump’s efforts to clean up America’s streets for its citizens.
Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, issued the following statement today supporting Trump’s executive orders addressing cashless bail:
“The National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) represents over 382,000 law enforcement officers across the United States as well as the major law enforcement agencies responding to the crime crisis in the District of Columbia, including the officers serving in Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Metro Transit Police Department, U.S. Capitol Police, and the U.S. Park Police.
“Today, we are proud to announce our full support for President Trump’s Executive Order addressing the dangers of cashless bail systems. Our officers understand the real-world consequences of policies that prioritize leniency over accountability, usually at the expense of community safety and the rule of law.
“This Executive Order is a critical step forward in restoring balance to D.C.’s criminal justice system by curbing the reckless implementation of cashless bail reforms that have allowed repeat offenders to evade any meaningful consequences for their criminality. We commend the Administration for recognizing the importance of deterrence in preventing crime and protecting our neighborhoods by ensuring that those who pose a genuine threat to public safety aren’t back on the street after completing a little paperwork.
“Law enforcement officers spend every single shift in harm’s way while protecting our communities. The citizens of D.C. cannot afford policies that undermine their efforts by releasing dangerous individuals back into society without sufficient safeguards. The FOP urges all D.C. stakeholders—legislators, judges, and community leaders—to join us in championing this Executive Order as a vital measure to help protect our nation’s capital.”
Yesterday, the market reacted only moderately to the publication of the interim results of the Chinese e-commerce group PDD, behind PinDuoDuo and Temu.
It should be remembered that the company has always raised a few eyebrows, both for its meteoric growth and its curious—and very secretive—organization. Coming out of nowhere, hidden behind an opaque structure and invisible shareholders, PDD has rapidly established itself as a global retail giant.
Founded ten years ago, the group has achieved nearly $60bn in revenue and $13bn in profits over the past twelve months. This extraordinary expansion has been achieved without investment, as is based entirely on a platform that acts as an intermediary between customers and merchants; even logistics are outsourced to third parties.
Almost too good to be true, this model, which is also found at Shein, generates margins that are incomparably higher than those of more integrated and diversified e-commerce players such as Amazon or Alibaba. This is despite the fact that sales prices are kept very low on both PinDuoDuo and Temu.
The savings thus achieved are massively redirected to advertising budgets, on which the group's growth depends. However, this strategy of online advertising bombardment is not always enough: earlier this year, in the wake of threats from the new US administration, the Temu app lost nearly half of its active users in the United States.
Curiously, PDD's stock has never particularly suffered from the Trump administration's threats to impose severe tariffs on products shipped by the Chinese e-commerce giant to the US—the latter benefit from a customs duty exemption as long as they are worth less than $800.
Despite successive reprieves granted to the Chinese authorities by Donald Trump, the situation has clearly worsened for PDD. In addition to the slowdown in Temu's expansion, President and Co-CEO Lei Chen yesterday announced that he was preparing a support plan worth nearly $15bn to support merchants affiliated with his platform—a sign that they are indeed struggling.
In this respect, Lei Chen has repeatedly hinted that PDD's previously stratospheric profitability is likely to "fluctuate." In this context, the group, which has an enterprise value of $130bn and has increased its revenue sixfold in five years, i.e., since the start of the pandemic, is trading at less than ten times its earnings on the stockmarket.
Yesterday, PDD's interim results showed the first decline in its history. Revenue reached $27.9bn in the first six months of 2025, compared with $28.8bn in H2 2024.
Microsoft has reportedly asked the FBI and local police to help track and contain a wave of Gaza-relatedprotests by its own employees— who over the weekend showed up on kayaks in front of the lakeside homes of the tech giant’s top executives.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to Lake Washington on Sunday, circling near the waterfront mansions of CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith with banners and chants accusing Microsoft of profiting from Israel’s war in Gaza, according to Bloomberg News.
The dramatic scene was the latest in the growing revolt inside the world’s largest software maker, where a group of workers calling itself “No Azure for Apartheid” has spent nearly a year demanding the company cut ties with Israel’s military.
They argue Microsoft’s Azure cloud service is helping fuel war crimes. Instead of bowing to pressure, the company turned to law enforcement.
Protesters in kayaks circle the lakeside homes of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith on Lake Washington on Sunday, chanting against the company’s ties to Israel’s military.Instagram / @noazureforapartheid
Internal emails reviewed by Bloomberg show Microsoft investigators contacted the FBI’s Seattle office, flagging employees and even relatives linked to protests while warning that demonstrations could disrupt major events.
“One of our former employees in particular, Hossam Nasr, has been quite active in his posts targeting Microsoft and that we are complicit in genocide,” a director of investigations told the bureau.
Nasr, a software engineer who remains active with “No Azure for Apartheid,” and another colleague were reportedly fired by Microsoft in October of last year for organizing a lunchtime vigil and fundraiser for Palestinians in Gaza at company headquarters in Redmond, Wash.
When reached by Bloomberg, the FBI declined to discuss its dealings with Microsoft but said it focuses on criminal threats while respecting free speech.
Protesters unfurl banners reading “Microsoft kills kids” during a Gaza-related demonstration against the company on Lake Washington on Sunday.Instagram / @noazureforapartheid
In preparation for its Build conference, Microsoft coordinated with city officials to restrict access to public areas, add airport-style checkpoints and bar activist insignia.
Those moves followed a string of high-profile disruptions.
In April, engineer Ibtihal Aboussad hurled a Palestinian keffiyeh onto the stage during a keynote speech by AI chief Mustafa Suleyman.
Hours later, colleague Vaniya Agrawal interrupted a panel featuring Nadella, Gates and Ballmer. Both resigned in protest.
Weeks later, engineer Joe Lopez jumped on a chair during Nadella’s remarks, accusing him of “perpetuating war crimes.” He was fired that night.
And last week, police zip-tied and hauled off 20 protesters after they formed a “liberated zone” on a Redmond plaza and chanted executives’ names.
Smith defended the crackdown.
“To have them engaging in vandalism and destructive behavior obviously makes clear that this aspect of the issue is no longer about dialogue with employees,” Smith told Bloomberg.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks at a company event as employee dissent over Gaza ties escalates.AP
“It’s a matter for law enforcement, and that’s how we’re treating it.”
For Microsoft — which has largely avoided the scandals dogging its Big Tech peers — the controversy thrusts it into the center of one of the most polarizing issues in global politics.
The company insists it isn’t complicit in Israel’s war effort.
A prior internal probe found no evidence its cloud tools were used to harm civilians, though Microsoft is now investigating fresh reports that Israeli intelligence intercepted Palestinian calls and stored them on Microsoft servers.
Organizers estimate about 200 current and former staffers quietly back their cause — a small share of Microsoft’s 200,000-strong workforce, but enough to keep the pressure on.
“This isn’t just Microsoft Word with a little Clippy in the corner,” Agrawal said. “These are technological weapons. Cloud and AI are just as deadly as bombs and bullets.”
Microsoft’s Brad Smith has defended the crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests, saying disruptive actions are a matter for law enforcement.Boston Globe via Getty Images
For now, the revolt shows no sign of slowing. Protesters say the FBI’s involvement and firings will not silence them.
As Nasr, the Egyptian-born engineer Microsoft flagged to the feds, declared after a Redmond rally: “This isn’t the end.”
“No Azure for Apartheid is a campaign that will be steadfast in our determination to end Microsoft’s role in the genocide of Palestinians. We are unfazed by scare tactics,” the group said in a statement to The Post.
“The fact Microsoft is attempting to use law enforcement as a means of suppressing its own workforce who stand in opposition against genocide should be a wakeup call to all people who seek to organize in their workplace.”
The group added that “this news demonstrates Microsoft is feeling the pressure from its workers, the public and of the worldwide boycotts.”
The FBI Seattle field office has reportedly been contacted by Microsoft investigators seeking help to track Gaza-related protests.AP
An FBI spokesperson told The Post: “We routinely receive requests or information from the public concerned about threats of violence or violations of federal law. We dutifully review those and respond in accordance within our policy and the law.”
The agency rep added that the FBI “respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment and other Constitutional rights, and we can never open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity.”
“We focus on individuals who commit or intend to commit violence and criminal activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security.”
The Post has sought comment from Microsoft, Nasr, the FBI and “No Azure for Apartheid.”
Red light photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 10% aminolevulinic acid (ALA) tamed superficialbasal cell carcinoma(BCC) in a phase 3 trial with no new safety concerns.
METHODOLOGY:
Patients (N = 187) with superficial BCC were treated with red light PDT in a phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial at 21 US centers.
Participants were randomly assigned 4:1 to receive 10% ALA gel or vehicle control.
The primary endpoint was combined histological and clinical clearance of the main target lesion 12 weeks after the final PDT cycle.
TAKEAWAY:
Combined clinical and histological clearance rates of the main target lesions were significantly higher with 10% ALA gel compared with vehicle alone (65.5% vs 4.8%; P < .0001).
Complete clinical clearance was seen in 82.1% and 21.4% of participants treated with 10% ALA and vehicle, respectively (P < .0001), and 10% vs 4.8% showed complete combined clinical and histological clearance (P < .0001).
Noncleared lesions in the 10% ALA gel group showed a median size reduction of 41.9%, but vehicle-treated lesions showed no change in size.
Most patients (88.1%) rated outcomes as very good or good; no death or treatment discontinuation occurred; and adverse events were mild in 62.4% of patients, moderate in 31%, and severe in about 6.2%.
IN PRACTICE:
Significantly higher clearance rates were achieved with 10% ALA than vehicle, with favorable safety and positive esthetic outcome, the authors wrote. “The high efficacy, good tolerability, and cosmetic benefits demonstrated in our study reinforce the value of red light PDT with 10% ALA gel as a highly suitable alternative to surgical excision for the treatment of [superficial] BCC, especially for multiple or large lesions, in low risk areas, or where patients oppose surgery,” they said, adding that PDT has great potential “as an adjunctive therapy to surgical excision, as the burden for patients may be reduced due to removal of less tissue.”
SOURCE:
The study was led by Todd Schlesinger, MD, Clinical Research Center of the Carolinas, Charleston, South Carolina, and was published online on August 20 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
LIMITATIONS:
Few patients had lesions on the face or scalp. Long-term outcomes were not reported because the 60-month follow-up was ongoing.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was funded by Biofrontera Bioscience GmbH, Leverkusen, Germany. Schlesinger disclosed receiving consulting fees and serving as an investigator for AbbVie, Almirall, Biofrontera Bioscience GmbH, Feldan Therapeutics, Galderma, Apogee, Regeneron, SUN Pharma, and Verrica Pharmaceuticals. Other authors also reported receiving consulting, speaker, and investigator fees from various companies, including Biofrontera Bioscience GmbH. One author also reported having employment and stock options with Biofrontera Bioscience GmbH. Additional disclosures are noted in the original article.
