Hilton drops Minnesota hotel over DHS/ICE controversy

 Hilton is booting an independently franchised Minneapolis hotel from operating under its name after it banned immigration agents and then lied about reversing the policy.

The global hotel chain was swiftly denounced Monday after Homeland Security shared an email from the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Lakeville notifying the agency it was cancelling reservations made by agents ahead of an immigration enforcement deployment.

“The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this,” read a statement from Hilton posted on X Tuesday morning.

3

Hilton is booting the independently franchised Hampton Inn in Lakeville, Minneapolis, from operating under its name after it banned immigration agents and then lied about reversing the policy.Google Maps

“As such, we are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems.”

The statement also referenced a video shot by conservative influencer Nick Sortor in which he visited the property and was told by the front desk agent that reservations under DHS or ICE were not allowed, per management, despite the operator Everpeak Hospitality releasing a statement to the contrary just hours earlier.

“We’re not accepting people from immigration, ICE agents, DHS onto our property … it’s just policy,” the clerk told Sortor in the video on X viewed nearly 2 million times.

Immigration authorities have turned their attention to the Twin Cities in recent weeks amid a percolating billion-dollar human services fraud scandal involving Somali-run day care centers.

Some 2,000 federal workers, including up to 1,500 ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers and hundreds of Homeland Security Investigation agents were deployed to the Minneapolis area on Sunday, according to officials.

But the Lakeville Hampton Inn made it clear that immigration agents were not welcome.

3

ICE officers surround a vehicle during a traffic stop before leaving without detaining anyone in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 5, 2026.REUTERS

“We have noticed an influx of GOV reservations made today that have been for DHS, and we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property,” the email the hotel sent to agents with reservations read in part.

“If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation.”

After agents’ reservations were canceled, DHS slammed Hilton in a pointed statement on X.

“When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations. This is UNACCEPTABLE,” DHS said in a statement shared on X.

“Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?” the statement concluded.

In response, Hilton swiftly issued a statement of its own assuring that the hotel’s discriminatory policy was not in line with its values.

“This hotel is independently owned and operated, and these actions were not reflective of Hilton values. We have been in direct contact with the hotel, and they have apologized for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies,” a Hilton spokesperson said in a statement.

3

A clerk at the hotel told conservative influencer Nick Sortorm “We’re not accepting people from immigration, ICE agents, DHS onto our property … it’s just policy,”

“They have taken immediate action to resolve this matter and are contacting impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated. Hilton’s position is clear: Our properties are open to everyone and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.”

But Hilton’s assurances were proven unfounded the next day when Sortor visited the property and was told the hotel was not accepting reservations from DHS agents.

“I just talked to the owner of the building, and he didn’t say they had any changes, it’s just policy,” the Hilton franchisee told Sortor in the video.

In Hilton’s follow-up statement announcing it was severing ties with the Hampton Inn Lakeville, the company said it would also probe whether any other franchisees were enforcing similar anti-ICE policies.

“Hilton is – and has always been – a welcoming place for all.  We are also engaging with all of our franchisees to reinforce the standards we hold them to across our system to help ensure this does not happen again.”

https://nypost.com/2026/01/06/us-news/hilton-drops-minneapolis-hotel-that-lied-about-ice-agent-ban/

Cigna, CVS pare gains after Hunterbrook Media negative report

 Three major healthcare giants have been accused of creating secretive subsidiaries to divert billions of dollars from health plans and patients, according to an investigation published by Hunterbrook on Tuesday.

The report alleges that CVS Health, UnitedHealth Group, and Cigna Group established pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) "Group Purchasing Organizations" (GPOs) to retain rebate money that was supposed to be passed through to health plans.

These three entities - Zinc (CVS), Emisar (UnitedHealth), and Ascent (Cigna) - reportedly generate "astronomical revenue with skeleton staff," making them among the world’s most lucrative enterprises on paper despite having minimal physical presence, according to Hunterbrook’s findings.

The investigation claims these companies created these subsidiaries as a response to growing pressure to pass 100% of drug rebates to health plans. By establishing these GPOs, the companies could technically fulfill rebate pass-through promises while still retaining substantial funds.

Hunterbrook reports that their multinational investigation included interviews with executives and former staffers.

https://ca.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/cvs-unitedhealth-cigna-accused-of-diverting-billions-via-shell-firms-93CH-4388607

Jazz touts Ziihera as the new HER2 agent of choice in stomach cancer

 Forget about Herceptin. There’s a new HER2 agent that ought to be used in HER2-positive stomach cancer, and that’s Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ Ziihera.

Or at least that appears to be the consensus following the readout from Jazz’s Herizon-Gea-01 trial. 

The phase 3 study showed that compared with Herceptin plus chemotherapy, both a two-drug regimen of Ziihera plus chemo and a triplet combo of Ziihera, chemo and BeOne Medicines’ PD-1 inhibitor Tevimbra could extend progression-free survival (PFS) time when used as first-line treatment for patients with advanced HER2-positive gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA), including cancers of the stomach, gastroesophageal junction and esophagus.

The triplet slashed the risk of progression or death by 37% compared with Herceptin-chemo, while the Ziihera-chemo combo mounted a 35% PFS improvement, according to data that were prematurely released ahead of the 2026 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.

The median PFS time came in at 12.4 months for the two Ziihera arms, separately versus 8.1 months for the control group.

The triplet also delivered a statistically significant overall survival (OS) showing, paring down the risk of death by 28% over Herceptin and chemo. The new combo extended patients’ median OS length by 7.2 months to 26.4 months, the longest reported in a phase 3 trial in GEA, according to Jazz. However, the 26.4-month median OS was a notable step down from the 36.5 months recorded in a phase 2 of Ziihera and chemo, without Tevimbra.

While the doublet has not yet met the OS goal at the first interim analysis, it showed a favorable trend marked by a preliminary 20% death risk reduction, with a p-value of 0.0564. Although the number hasn’t yet reached statistical significance, the trial has power left to potentially meet the bar in the future, Herizon-Gea-01 presenter Elena Elimova, M.D., from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Canada, said during a press briefing ahead of the official presentation at the conference.

In addition, while the objective response rates were roughly similar among the three trial arms, ranging between 65.7% and 70.7%, the median duration of response (DOR) was longer for the Ziihera-based regimens. For the triplet, the median DOR reached an unprecedented 20.7 months, Elimova noted.

On the safety side, the rate of grade 3 or above treatment-related adverse events (TREAs) was 71.8% in the triplet arm, 59% for Ziihera-chemo and 59.6% for control. Discontinuation of either Ziihera or Herceptin due to TREAs happened in 11.9%, 8.5% and 2.3% of patients, respectively. 

“I believe, definitely, this shows that Ziihera is superior to Herceptin, and Ziihera should be the HER2 treatment of choice for front-line GEA,” Jazz’s global head of R&D and chief medical officer, Rob Iannone, M.D., said in an interview with Fierce Pharma.

“I really do think that this will be something that impacts clinical practice pretty quickly,” Rachna Shroff, M.D., from the University of Arizona Cancer Center, an ASCO-invited GI cancer expert, commented during the press briefing.

“What is clear is that we have found a better way to target HER2,” Shroff later added, referring to Ziihera as better than Herceptin.

In the HER2 stomach cancer space, a combination of Merck & Co.’s Keytruda with Herceptin and chemo initially won an FDA accelerated approval in 2021, based on data from the phase 3 Keynote-811 trial. In both Merck’s and Jazz’s trials, the control arm of Herceptin-chemo posted a median PFS of 8.1 months at an interim analysis. While cross-trial comparisons should be made with caution, Iannone contended that the similar control arm PFS suggests that the two studies’ patient populations were highly comparable. One key difference is that Keynote-811 did not enroll patients with esophageal cancer, who make up about 9% of Herizon-Gea-01.

In Keynote-811, the Keytruda group’s median PFS was 10 months at an interim analysis, whereas the Tevimbra group’s median PFS reached 12.4 months in Herizon-Gea-01.

At the final analysis, patients who received the Keytruda-Herceptin-chemo regimen lived a median 20 months in Merck's study, whereas those who took the Tevimbra-Ziihera-chemo combo in Jazz’s trial went a median 26.4 months.

“Do I think there will be a comparison to look at different PD-1s? I, personally, don’t think there will be,” Elimova said. “But I think this study does answer that [Ziihera] is a better HER2-targeted agent.”

While the data position Ziihera as the new HER2 agent of choice in GEA, the question remains whether the addition of an immunotherapy, Tevimbra, is necessary. For now, only the Tevimbra-containing triplet boasts a definitive OS improvement.

“I think further overall survival analysis for the [Ziihera] and chemotherapy arm is important,” Shroff said.

Following the initial accelerated approval and an updated OS analysis from Keynote-811, Keytruda’s HER2 stomach cancer indication was narrowed to tumors that express PD-L1, as the regimen didn’t show a clear benefit in PD-L1-negative patients.

Then, last year, the FDA restricted the use of PD-1 inhibitors in HER2-negative GEA to only cover PD-L1-positive disease.

These past data bring to question the role of Tevimbra in Herizon-Gea-01 in PD-L1-negative GEA patients, who, according to Jazz’s Iannone, make up about a third of HER2-positive GEA cases.

Iannone argued that the latest data support the use of Ziihera and Tevimbra irrespective of the patient’s PD-L1 status. Subgroup analyses showed favorable results for Ziihera in all subpopulations by PD-L1 expression, he said.

From a mechanism perspective, Ziihera as a HER2 biparatopic antibody may lead to increased immune activation compared with Herceptin, creating more synergy with a PD-1 inhibitor, Iannone explained.

The Jazz exec declined to comment on the biopharma’s discussions with the FDA or whether the company will seek all-inclusive labels for the two Ziihera regimens.

The GEA trial win gives Jazz additional confidence in Ziihera and in other tumor settings. In what could be Ziihera’s largest indication, Jazz is running a phase 3 trial pitting Ziihera against Herceptin in their separate combinations with chemotherapy to treat HER2-positive breast cancer following AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s Enhertu.

Ziihera may have to compete with Enhertu in first-line stomach cancer in the future once the phase 3 Destiny-Gastric05 trial for the star antibody-drug conjugate reads out, which is expected after 2026.

Jazz may consider other indications, too, such as early-stage stomach cancer, Iannone added.

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/jazz-touts-ziihera-new-her2-agent-choice-stomach-cancer

Amgen upgraded to buy at UBS on potential of MariTide, olpasiran

 UBS has upgraded Amgen (AMGN) from neutral to buy, citing promising growth prospects from its late-stage developments, MariTide for obesity and olpasiran for cardiovascular risk reduction. The bank increased its price target for Amgen to $380, representing a 15% upside from Tuesday's close. Analyst Michael Yee highlighted MariTide's potential for monthly dosing and improved tolerability, projecting significant weight loss results. Additionally, olpasiran, a small interfering RNA, is expected to lower lipoprotein(a) for cardiovascular disease treatment.

https://www.gurufocus.com/news/4098427/ubs-upgrades-amgen-amgn-to-buy-raises-price-target-to-380

Moderna downgraded to neutral at UBS on questions over revenue growth

 

• UBS downgraded Moderna (MRNA) to neutral from buy saying that mostly flat revenues increase concerns that the biotech will struggle to break even or maintain profitability through the end of the decade.
• The Swiss bank cut its price target to $34 from $40 prior (~5% downside based on Tuesday's close).
• Analyst Michael Yee said Moderna "needs a new blockbuster product," adding, the "near-term catalyst to determine the direction will come with the Phase Ill adjuvant melanoma cancer vaccine data (partnered with MRK) estimated around Q4/26 but we are somewhat cautious on risk/reward...and the data is very binary for Phase Ill (and commercial opportunity somewhat limited)..."
• He gives the data a 60%-65% probability of success. If it is positive, the stock could pop 50% or more, but a negative outcome could lead to a drop of 50%. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/moderna-downgraded-to-neutral-at-ubs-on-questions-over-revenue-growth/ar-AA1THmjp

OnlyFans models, social media influencers claim half of coveted US visas meant for movie stars

 They came here with nothing but the clothes off their backs.

A shocking number of US visas reserved for artists of “extraordinary ability” are going to scantily-clad OnlyFans creators and other social media influencers.

It was once used to allow John Lennon stay in the country — but now is being used for the likes of “Bop House” stars who came to the US to make adult content.

Over half of clients seeking the coveted O-1B visa in recent years are either performers on the pornography platform or some other kind of online influencer, top immigration lawyers told the Florida Phoenix.

4

Mexican-born OnlyFans model Yanet Garcia recently became a permanent US citizen and lives in New York.Instagram / Yanet Garcia

“It’s not just cat videos anymore, it’s social media influencers making lots of money,” Miami attorney Joe Bovino told the outlet, estimating that as much of 65% of his clientele seeking the O-1B were online content creators.

Some of OnlyFans’ most prominent names are immigrants living in the US — including the Mexican-born, NYC-based Yanet Garcia, who celebrated obtaining her US residency in December.

It remains unclear what kind of visa Garcia, who is also an actress, obtained.

Other foreign-based influencers working steadily in the US include the Canadian-born Aishah Sofey, who is a member of the Florida “Bop House” where numerous prominent OnlyFans stars live together.

Joyy Mei, who was born in China and is formerly a member of the “Bop House,” is another prominent example.

These influencers command millions of followers on Instagram, TikTok and OnlyFans, the latter of which allows users to post hardcore pornography and sexually explicit content.

“If you can make money there, suddenly it becomes a basis for a potential visa application,” Bovino told the Florida Phoenix.

The US O-1B visa is one of most difficult to secure, and was first conceived around 1972 when Lennon was nearly deported and lawmakers realized there was no immigration policy that helped attract top artistic talent to the country.

4

Garcia is just one of numerous foreign-born social media influencers in the US with millions of followers.Instagram / Yanet Garcia

4

Garcia celebrated her residency issued in December. It is unclear what visa she obtained.Instagram / Yanet Garcia

By 1990 it was formally adopted, and was aimed to accommodate people “with an extraordinary ability in the arts or extraordinary achievement in motion picture or television industry.”

Qualifiers must meet certain criteria, which can include holding roles in prominent productions, national renown, a history of commercial and/or critical success, or high earnings from their field.

Though written to cover what are traditionally understood as artists — actors, musicians, painters and the like — social media influencers have been able to leverage their high paychecks, brand deals and follower counts 

“I knew the days of representing iconic names like Boy George and Sinéad O’Connor were over,” said New York attorney Michael Wildes, whose father helped represent Lennon in the case that birthed the O-1B.

Instead, Wildes told the Financial Times that “scroll kings and queens” have come to dominate the O-1B field since the pandemic in 2020.

The State Department has issued 125,351 O-1 visas since 2017, though it is unclear how many of those were O-1A visas, which cover “extraordinary” people from fields like science, education, business or athletics.

But O-1 visa issuances have skyrocketed since 2000 — including a nearly 50% increase from 2014 to 2024.

4

Canadian-born Aishah Sofey has millions of followers, and is part of the Florida “Bop House” for adult influencersInstagram / Aishah Sofey

Exactly how many of the recipients have been social media influencers is also unclear, but numerous attorneys have reported repping such clients from countries like China, Russia and Canada.

OnlyFans performers applying for O-1Bs have been somewhat declining since 2022 after some attorneys say the market became oversaturated, but others still fear the trend could be hurting the program that was intended for a very prestigious group of people who might otherwise not have a chance at coming to the US.

“We have scenarios where people who should never have been approved are getting approved for O-1s,” immigration lawyer Protima Daryanani of Daryanani Law Group told the FT.

“It’s been watered down because people are just meeting the categories.”

Others fear that measuring “extraordinary ability” by clicks and cash could be disastrous for artists.

“Officers are being handed petitions where value is framed almost entirely through algorithm-based metrics,” New York attorney Shervin Abachi told the newspaper.

“Once that becomes normalized, the system moves towards treating artistic merit like a scoreboard.”

https://nypost.com/2026/01/06/us-news/onlyfans-models-and-social-media-influencers-are-claiming-half-of-coveted-us-visas-meant-for-movie-stars/