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Saturday, December 21, 2024
Ascension cyberattack exposed personal data of 5.6 million people, including Wisconsin patients
From JSOnline:
Sarah Volpenhein
Sarah Volpenhein
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Nearly 5.6 million people were affected in the ransomware attack that hit Ascension in May, the national health system now says.
Until now, the health system had not publicly disclosed the total number of people affected by the May ransomware attack that compromised patient data and ultimately caused major disruptions to patient care for more than a month, including at Ascension hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin.
As recently as Thursday morning, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' online list of data breaches reported only 500 people as having been affected by the cyberattack on Ascension. But as of Friday, the number had been updated to nearly 5.6 million people.
A Catholic health system headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Ascension has hospitals across more than a dozen states, including 17 hospitals in Wisconsin, as well as many clinics and other health care sites.
In notices issued Thursday, the health system said that on May 7 and 8, an unidentified "cybercriminal" stole copies of files containing personal information of patients and employees. The notices did not specify the amount of data compromised in the attack.
The compromised files included patient names and other personal information, including:
- Medical information, such as medical record numbers, dates of service, types of lab tests or procedure codes;
- Payment information, including credit card information and bank account numbers;
- Insurance information, including Medicaid or Medicare IDs, policy numbers or insurance claims;
- Government identification, including Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers and passport numbers;
- Other personal information, such as dates of birth and addresses
The type of information involved varies from person to person, the notices say.
In addition, Ascension disclosed the hack occurred on Feb. 29, according to Maine's state attorney general. Earlier this year, Ascension said that hackers gained initial entry to its computer systems when a worker accidentally downloaded a file with malware.
The breach was not detected until May 8, when Ascension medical providers lost access to patient medical records and to computer systems necessary to do their jobs.
The disruptions lasted for weeks. Patient appointments were cancelled; treatments were delayed; and health care workers waited hours or days longer than usual to get lab and test results back. Hospital workers were forced to rely on paper and other manual processes to order medical procedures, communicate across departments and keep track of patients' rapidly evolving conditions.
Cyber attacks on health systems could seriously affect patients
The ultimate impact of the ransomware attack on Ascension and its patients is unknown.
The disruptions caused by cyberattacks on hospitals can have severe consequences for patients' safety and may lead to worse care and higher mortality rates for patients, according to academic studies.
In recent years, hospitals and other health care providers — whose data is particularly sensitive and whose operations are especially critical — have increasingly become a target of cyber criminals looking to cash in.
Cyber criminals use ransomware to paralyze computer networks and extort a payment. Many also steal data for added leverage.
CNN reported earlier this year that the cyberattack on Ascension involved a type of ransomware called Black Basta, also the name of a group of cyber criminals thought to be an offshoot of a now-defunct Russian hacker group.
An Ascension spokesperson did not respond to questions sent by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Thursday asking whether the health system paid a ransom and what its investigation found about the identity of the hackers.
Ascension is offering people affected by the cyberattack two years of credit and CyberScan monitoring, which searches the dark web for your personal information. Ascension also is offering ID theft recovery services through IDX.
For questions, people are directed to call a helpline for those affected by the ransomware attack at 866-724-3233, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those who wish to enroll in free online credit monitoring and identity theft protection services also are directed to call the helpline. The deadline to enroll is April 4.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Luigi Mangione supporters line up outside courthouse to back suspected CEO killer
I like how the talking heads of the news media complain about the culture that they've created and cultivated.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Wisconsin didn't move ahead on marijuana legalization in 2024. Will 2025 be different?
From JSOnline:
Hope Karnopp
Hope Karnopp
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is keeping the door open for another medical marijuana proposal in the state Legislature's upcoming session. But differences between Assembly and Senate Republicans that killed the bill last year may not change in 2025.
Vos said he still prefers a model with state-run instead of private dispensaries — an idea that many Republicans dismissed last year — in order to avoid recreational legalization in Wisconsin.
"A red line for us is that we do not want, like it has in almost every other state, medical marijuana to lead to recreational marijuana," Vos said Wednesday in a year-end interview with the Journal Sentinel. "I think there is a legitimate, compassionate purpose for medicinal, I don't really see any reason for recreational."
Senate President Mary Felzkowski, a Republican from Tomahawk, said this week she hoped both chambers could come to a consensus but indicated state-run dispensaries remain a non-starter for many Republicans.
Wisconsin is among a shrinking minority of states that do not have a recreational or medical-use marijuana program. About half of states have legalized small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, including neighboring Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan.
"I really hope that we see some real interest from our Republican colleagues in working on this issue," Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, a Democrat from Racine, told the Journal Sentinel in a year-end interview. "We know that both medical and recreational marijuana legalization are very popular."
Here are other notable developments on marijuana in Wisconsin this year, and a look ahead at what could happen when the Legislature convenes in January.
State-run dispensaries likely to remain a sticking point for medical bill
In early January, Vos introduced a bill that would have created a medical marijuana program — marking the first time an effort to legalize cannabis has been pushed by at least one Republican leader in the state Legislature.
The bill would have created five-state run dispensaries, rather than paving the way for private dispensaries. The proposal would have allowed forms like concentrates, pills and edibles, but users would not have been able to smoke marijuana.
Other lawmakers quickly rejected the idea, including Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, who said his caucus didn't want to grow the size of government. Democrats also criticized the bill as too restrictive. By mid-February, Vos said the bill was likely dead for the session given the opposing positions from Republicans.
The bill didn't receive a public hearing in 2024. Felzkowski — who is now in a leadership position as Senate president — previously authored a different medical marijuana bill that did get a hearing in 2022.
At a virtual WisPolitics forum Tuesday, Felzkowski said there's "really one person that has seemed to be an obstacle to the medical marijuana bill passing" who "has some pretty strict ideas on how that bill should be drafted."
Felzkowski confirmed she was referring to Vos. Felzkowski said "there were a lot of really good things" in the proposal from Vos and Assembly Republicans, but creating state-run dispensaries was a sticking point for Republicans in both chambers.
"We're hoping to have a conversation in early January to see if there isn't a way that we can come to a consensus between Assembly Republicans and Senate Republicans to negotiate a compromise, and maybe move a medical marijuana bill this session," Felzkowski said.
Vos told the Journal Sentinel he would "probably not" be willing to remove the state-run dispensaries idea from a future bill but is "open to listening" to other proposals that would still prevent opening the door to recreational marijuana.
"We spent almost 100 hours in this room with lawyers and legislators and activists, trying to find a consensus. And we found one," Vos said. "The Senate hasn't gone through that same process. They have not generated a consensus in their own caucus."
Marquette polling in January showed continued support for legalization
Democrats in Wisconsin have long pointed to polling that shows the majority of the state's population supports marijuana legalization, and some new numbers came out in 2024.
The Marquette University Law School poll most recently asked about the subject in January of this year and found 63% of respondents support legalizing marijuana. That level of support is similar to 2022, when Marquette asked the same question, but support reached as low as 42% in a 2014 poll.
In the January poll, 86% of those surveyed said medical marijuana should be legal in Wisconsin with a doctor's prescription. That's only the second time the question has been asked in the history of the poll. In 2019, support for medical marijuana was at 83%.
While the polling indicates majorities of Wisconsinites support marijuana legalization, Wisconsin does not have a process where voters can initiate putting the issue on the ballot.
Elsewhere in the country, voters in Nebraska approved legalizing both recreational and medical marijuana in November, while voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota rejected legalizing recreational marijuana.
Potential bipartisan movement on regulating delta-8, or banning it
Earlier this year, Vos told the Journal Sentinel he wanted to ban delta-8 and similar cannabis products and planned to take up the issue in the state Legislature in 2025.
"I think that's the wise move," Vos said at the time. "But I think it's super unlikely with Democrats wanting to go in the opposite direction and legalize recreational marijuana, so we're kind of in a quandary."
Two Democrats told the Journal Sentinel they oppose banning delta-8 but raised concerns about the lack of oversight of the fast-growing industry. They noted hemp producers and processors are looking for the government to step up with regulations.
The bipartisan interest followed an investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Examination and AL.com, which found chemical cousins to marijuana — known as delta-8, HHC, THCH and more — are causing a sharp rise in reports of children and adults getting sick, raising concern among doctors and public health officials.
"(It's) not a very regulated industry. We don't really know what's in it, and that's not a good thing. So I hope that we are able to have a really rigorous conversation," Neubauer told the Journal Sentinel.
In his year-end interview with the Journal Sentinel, Vos said he hopes lawmakers can "at least try to find a consensus."
"This idea that you would have cannabis-infused drinks for sale in every convenience store and grocery stores across the state, I don't think that's right. But I certainly don't think it's right for kids," Vos said.
More:'Don't get rid of it': Future of delta-8 in question as lawmakers and hemp industry square off
More:Those who opened doors for delta-8 in Wisconsin say they had 'no idea'
Democrats didn't flip control of Legislature, but GOP majority is narrower
Like in previous years, a large group of Democratic lawmakers pitched a sweeping bill in 2023 that would have legalized marijuana, regulated production and processing, and expunged or lowered past convictions related to marijuana.
However, Republicans who control the Legislature did not hold hearings for the bill in 2024. Democrats hoped to gain control in November under new legislative maps and pass policies like marijuana legalization. They picked up several seats, narrowing the Republican majority, but fell short of taking control of the Assembly or Senate.
"Under the gerrymander, we really only had a handful of folks that were truly accountable to their constituents in the Assembly, in the sense that if they voted a way their constituents didn't like, they could remove them," Neubauer said at the WisPolitics forum.
"We have a lot more people who are in that position now, and that's very good for democracy. And I think that that is going impact this (marijuana) conversation, in particular, in a real way," she said.
The Legislature has also lost one of its most active Democratic lawmakers on marijuana legalization. Former state Sen. Melissa Agard left the statehouse and is now the Dane County executive. Other Democrats — including newly-elected lawmakers and those who authored the legalization bill last year — could step up and become even more vocal on the issue.
Laura Schulte of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this story.
Robin Vos to create government efficiency committee inspired by Elon Musk's DOGE
From JSOnline:
Laura SchulteHope Karnopp
Laura SchulteHope Karnopp
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
MADISON - A new Assembly committee will focus in the next session on government efficiency, inspired by a similar federal department to be run in part by Elon Musk.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a Wednesday interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the new committee will be known as GOAT: Governmental Oversight, Accountability and Transparency Committee.
"That's going to focus on kind of returning to our roots. Republicans have always been reformers. We are the ones who invented workers compensation all the way up until school choice," he said. "But we have more work to do."
Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, will chair the new committee. Vos said using technology such as artificial intelligence, the committee will explore ways to improve services for Wisconsinites in more cost-effective ways.
"I think that we can look at a lot of ideas and try to find ways to make government do a better job than we currently are," he said. "I'm super excited that we're going to now kind of focus on, not just how do we layer more things on, but how do we make the things that we already have work better."
Trump Administration's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is to be led by Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Vos unworried about Democratic seats gained this year
Vos weighed in on several other topics in an interview recapping 2024 in Wisconsin, including the 10 seats Democrats gained in the Assembly in November.
Vos said he wasn't worried about the gains, and said the narrower majority may lead to more disagreements between Republicans and Democrats.
"I mean, the challenge that we see — and take Congress as an example — the narrower the margin, the less that gets accomplished. And I'm fearful that that's the way it'll be here," he said. "But the good news for Republicans is that we've had wide margins and narrow margins. We've always focused on generating consensus."
More:A more evenly split state Legislature will convene next year. Will it lead to compromise?
Vos said that while many of the newer Democratic members will need to get their feet under them and learn about how the Assembly works, Republicans will hit the ground running.
"Most of our people are returning. They've been here for a while. They know how the place works," he said. "So we're going to keep working on doing the good things for the state of Wisconsin."
Democrats see their gains in 2024 as putting them in a position to gain the Assembly majority in 2026. Vos said he doesn't see that happening.
Twelve seats are seen as competitive, evenly between the two parties, in 2026.
"In order to get the majority, they'd have to win five of the six. I don't think that's going to happen," he said.
In an interview with the Journal Sentinel earlier this month, Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer expressed confidence Democrats would pick up a majority in the Assembly in 2026.
"In a difficult year for Democrats, I think we did pretty well," Neubauer said. "We really built infrastructure in parts of the state where we had not had competitive legislative races in quite some time."
Tax cuts, especially for retirees, will be a focus for Republicans
When asked about top priorities for the Assembly in the upcoming year, Vos said finding ways to return the $4 billion surplus to taxpayers is No. 1.
Vos said Republicans would focus on passing tax cuts into law at the beginning of the session, before budget work begins. Vos indicated his party would again propose exempting up to $75,000 of retirees' income, which Evers vetoed last year.
"We're not going to begin spending money until we know how much is in the till," Vos said. "In my mind, all tax cuts are good. There's none that are bad. I think the one that would have the best, most positive impact would be that retiree income tax reduction."
Asked on WISN-TV's "Upfront" earlier this month if he'd consider signing a Republican tax cut plan, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said he's focused on crafting his state budget proposal. He said it's "hard to say" if he'd sign something similar to Republicans' tax cut bill that he vetoed last year.
"If (Republicans') idea is that we're going to send every dollar back and run a deficit, that's obviously stupid," Evers said when asked if the state's $4 billion surplus should be returned to taxpayers.
Neubauer expressed a similar stance, referencing a recent nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum report that found the state is in strong financial shape but cautioned lawmakers against big moves, especially large tax cuts or spending increases.
"(We) need to be thinking about the long-term and making sure that any decisions we make — for example, a tax cut — do not undermine our long-term ability as a state to fund essential services," Neubauer said.
At a virtual WisPolitics forum this week, Neubauer said Democrats are "very open to considering a tax cut that is targeted, that is focused on middle class and working families." But she said Democrats would oppose a plan that cuts taxes for the state's wealthiest residents.
New Senate President Mary Felzkowski, a Republican from Tomahawk, noted during the forum that Evers rejected Republicans' attempts to pass tax cuts for retirees and families making up to $150,000 per year.
"If Gov. Evers continues to move the needle on what middle class is, then we're kind of at a loss," Felzkowski said. "I'm hoping that that needle doesn't move again."
A few Democrats voted for the portion that would have exempted up to $75,000 in retirement income. Evers said the tax cut package would have likely forced the state to partially or fully drain its rainy day fund.
More:Has Evers vetoed multiple GOP middle-class tax cut proposals this year? Here’s what we found.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X @SchulteLaura.
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Monday, December 16, 2024
Catholic Charities says former employees stole at least $1.7 million in years-long scheme
From JSOnline:
Sophie Carson
Sophie Carson
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee social services agency Catholic Charities said it has fired employees who allegedly stole at least $1.7 million in a years-long scheme.
The Very Rev. David Reith, who leads Milwaukee's Catholic Charities as vicar, made the announcement Monday morning in an email.
Certain employees "engaged in unauthorized use of funds for their and others' personal benefit," Reith wrote. Internal investigations indicate that four employees were involved: two of them were working for Catholic Charities at the time the scheme was discovered, and two were former employees.
The nonprofit runs several programs, including adoption services, adult day services, counseling, case management, and refugee and immigration support. The employees were not affiliated with a specific program but were administrative staff members.
Reith said the scheme took place over several years but the employees "became bolder" in recent years. Final totals are not yet determined, but Catholic Charities leaders estimate $1.7 million was stolen in fiscal years 2023 and 2024, when "the fraud was most active."
More:Milwaukee family bringing relatives in Tanzania to U.S. through new refugee program
More:Milwaukee archbishop sounds alarm on visa change that could send 24 priests out of U.S.
Law enforcement officers are currently investigating the case, and no criminal charges had been filed as of Monday. And Catholic Charities' board of trustees has commissioned several independent investigations since the scheme was discovered around late spring or early summer.
"These investigations determined that no current employees were involved or aware of the fraud," Reith wrote.
Catholic Charities said it made several changes after discovering the alleged scheme:
- Hired an interim finance leader with a background in nonprofits and internal controls;
- Conducted an internal control assessment, "resulting in substantial improvements;"
- Changed auditing firms.
Programs were not affected by the financial loss, and a similar number of clients were served over the last two years, Reith said.
Catholic Charities leaders were not available for comment Monday.
"While we are far from the first to experience a violation like this, it nevertheless has been difficult to process given we serve the poorest of the poor," Reith said in the email. "We are heartbroken that this happened and to have to share this news with you."
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