John Windom, ex-VA official, charged with failing to disclose $16K in gifts from contractors.
Why this matters
This case highlights ongoing challenges and accountability in government contracting, particularly in critical healthcare modernization projects.
John Windom, a former official at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), has been indicted for allegedly failing to disclose over $16,000 in gifts from contractors. Windom, who previously led the transition to an electronic health records system, reportedly accepted cash, gift cards, and casino chips from contractors involved in the VA’s health records modernization project.
The indictment, filed by a grand jury in Washington, D.C., alleges Windom accepted valuables from those supporting the VA’s Cerner Oracle contract, holding meetings at a Maryland casino resort under the guise of mentorship. He allegedly received an $8,200 Louis Vuitton gift card and $2,000 in cash, among other gifts.
The VA’s health records project, initiated in 2017 with a $10 billion contract, has faced delays and usability issues, with only six out of more than 170 medical sites using the system as of April 2023. Plans to expand adoption to 13 additional sites were announced in March.
Windom served as executive director of the Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization from 2017 to 2022, later moving to the Federal Electronic Health Management Office. He’s charged with concealing material facts and making false statements.
In Kilpisjärvi, Finland, a group of underwater explorers, including biodiversity adviser Daan Jacobs from the Netherlands, is undertaking advanced training to study Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems. Participants are part of the Polar Scientific Diving class organized by the Finnish Scientific Diving Academy. This program trains divers in specialized techniques needed to research flora and fauna under polar ice.
As the Arctic warms at four times the global rate, with effects such as weather pattern shifts and habitat disruptions, scientists emphasize the need for urgent research. Erik Wurz, a marine biologist and diving instructor, highlights the necessity of rapid scientific deployment to understand these changes.
The program, initiated in 2024, holds sessions at a frozen lake near the University of Helsinki’s Kilpisjärvi Biological Station. Attendees include marine biologists, recreational divers, and filmmakers who undergo rigorous training, including safety procedures for extreme cold.
Simon Morley from the British Antarctic Survey underscores the importance of human divers, as robots can disturb habitats or collect specimens slowly. Trainees like Ruari Buijs, a student from the University of Plymouth, and Caroline Chen, a research assistant from Germany, seek to enhance their scientific careers through this experience.
Students dive through thick ice into near-freezing waters, facing challenges like finding surface holes in emergencies. However, many, including Jacobs, describe the underwater views as stunning.
Stock in Hims & Hers Health Inc. (HIMS) has declined roughly 70% since its peak, now trading below $21 per share. The company has shifted its business strategy following a deal with Novo Nordisk (NVO) and the close of an FDA shortage impacting supply chains. Hims is moving away from reliance on compounded supply and focusing on using branded, FDA-approved GLP-1 medications.
Hims operates as an online healthcare platform facilitating patient access to prescriptions and treatments without needing to visit a doctor’s office. The company generates revenue by pairing patients with licensed providers and offering subscription-based treatments across various sectors such as weight loss, dermatology, and mental health. Its competitive edge is derived from a strong brand presence, digital operations, and its role as an intermediary between patients and drugmakers.
On March 9, Hims’ collaboration with Novo Nordisk marked a significant transition from compounded semaglutide towards branded FDA-approved weight-loss drugs. This followed the FDA’s announcement that the semaglutide shortage had concluded.
A multi-agency operation in Nash County, North Carolina, led to the arrest of 16 individuals accused of online actions targeting minors, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) reported. The four-day operation occurred in February in Nashville and engaged more than 150 officers from 13 law enforcement agencies.
Authorities released the names and charges of those arrested. Among them are Aaron Reshon Murphy, 33, charged with solicitation of a child by computer, dissemination of obscenity to a minor, and solicitation of prostitution of a minor. Cody Blasiman, 24, faces charges including two counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of disseminating obscenity to a minor under 13.
Other suspects and their charges include Dawson Matthew Memmel, 21, for solicitation of a child by computer; Dennis Paul Corbett, 87, with two counts of solicitation; and Nezar Ghaleb Ghaleb, 29, facing multiple charges such as attempted statutory rape.
Nashville Police Chief Caleb Shockley emphasized the cooperative nature of the operation, stating, ‘Every one of these agencies came together with one goal — to protect children, and remove dangerous individuals from our communities.’
Participating agencies included local law enforcement from Nash, Edgecombe, Franklin, and Onslow counties, several police departments, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.
Officials noted that the operation is part of ongoing efforts to address online child exploitation proactively. They advise parents and guardians to monitor their children’s online activities closely and report any suspected exploitation.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may follow.
South Carolina’s Senate voted 35-2 to extend a law, originally applied to K-12 schools, requiring individuals to use bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex at birth to public colleges. Charleston County Democrats Ed Sutton and Deon Tedder were the only dissenters.
The Senate made changes, including removing a requirement for single-user restrooms in every building. Instead, temporary facilities can be used. This change raised concerns about accessibility, with Columbia Democrat Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine cautioning against making facilities inaccessible.
The Senate also broadened the scope for lawsuits, allowing anyone on campus to sue if they encounter someone of a different birth sex in a designated area. Schools can be sued for housing arrangement violations as well.
Senators must vote once more on the bill before it returns to the House. A similar rule has been part of the state budget for two years, initiated by Wes Climer of Rock Hill, and is currently being legally challenged by a transgender student’s case in Berkeley County. This challenge is on hold pending U.S. Supreme Court decisions related to similar cases.
A federal judge upheld North Carolina’s 2018 voter ID law on Thursday, dismissing claims from civil rights groups that the law violated the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act and was designed to discriminate against Black and Latino voters.
Judge Biggs found that the evidence suggested Black and Hispanic voters would face more burden obtaining IDs. As a result, more minority voters would likely be without the specified ID on Election Day, which could lead to their votes not counting.
However, citing federal court rulings, Biggs noted that these didn’t weigh historical discrimination heavily in her decision. Previously, Biggs had issued an injunction against the law’s enforcement, but the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed this decision.
Despite litigation, the 2018 voter ID law has been in effect statewide since 2023, after the North Carolina Supreme Court upheld it in a separate review. Elections have since been conducted under this law, including the March 3 primary.
Free voter ID cards are accessible at local election offices and the Division of Motor Vehicles. Voters without an ID can still vote by filling out an exception form or by bringing identification to officials before votes are finalized.
