FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE

Alleged 'ringleader' Robert McCune sentenced to 5 years in NFL health care fraud case

Tim Sullivan, Louisville Courier Journal -

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sentenced to five years imprisonment for his role in defrauding the National Football League’s Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan, former Louisville football captain and NFL linebacker Robert McCune took a seat on a wooden bench outside the courtroom Wednesday afternoon and acknowledged, “It could have been worse.”

Federal prosecutors had sought a sentence at the high end of a guideline range of 70 to 87 months, to be served consecutive to a 24-month sentence for identity theft. But though Judge Karen Caldwell departed from the guidelines, convinced “The court doesn’t need to protect the public from this defendant,” she decided the severity of McCune’s crimes and the need to deter others justified a total of 60 months of incarceration.

“I’m truly sorry for what I did,” McCune told Caldwell. “If there’s any leniency, I can promise you I can make it right.”

A fifth-round draft choice by the Washington Redskins, McCune would play for four NFL teams and two in the Canadian Football League, sustaining an extensive series of injuries and leaving the game feeling “lost.”

“I’m still not physically and mentally right,” he said. “But I know as long as I’ve got breath in my body, I can make this right. I want to make it right.”

Prosecutors portrayed McCune as the ringleader in an insurance fraud scheme that resulted in more than $2.3 million in bogus claims and brought the former linebacker at least $180,000 in kickbacks. The scheme involved 68 separate transactions involving 51 players, forged documents, altered prescriptions and calls placed while impersonating other players.

Fifteen former NFL players have pleaded guilty to charges, including running back Clinton Portis and wide receiver Joe Horn. The other former players who have pled guilty are Carlos Rogers, Correll Buckhalter, James Butler, Ceandris Brown, John Eubanks, Antwan Odom, Etric Pruitt, Darrell Reid, Anthony Montgomery, Frederick Bennett and Reche Caldwell.

Bruce Harvey, McCune’s attorney, had proposed a 36-month sentence – twice as long as Caldwell had sentenced any of the previous defendants in the case – but Caldwell imposed a three-year sentence for the fraud counts and declined to allow the two-year identity theft sentence to run concurrently.

She ordered that McCune report to a Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined on April 12, pending a possible appeal.

Nine character witnesses testified either in person, remotely or in recorded interviews that the felonies to which McCune pled guilty were a dramatic departure for a consistently upright character.

Three of those who attended the hearing and lauded McCune had coached him at the University of Louisville: former Cardinals head coach John L. Smith and assistants Greg Nord and Mike Summers.

The coaches described McCune as an extraordinary example who never caused them any trouble and rose from walk-on to team captain. Smith said he would trust McCune with his children and grandchildren.

“Never once did I have to call in for missing a class (or) a study table,” Smith said. “He did things the right way...

“I’m biased. I love him.”

Smith recalled meeting McCune at the urging of his cousin, former U of L receiver Tiger Jones, and asking him follow up the next morning at his office. When Smith arrived at the Cardinals’ football offices at 4:30 a.m., McCune was there waiting for him.

With the former coaches seated behind him, attorney Stephen Katz joked that “walking on is something else, even if it’s Louisville.” But his questions elicited unqualified praise.

“That guy did everything right,” Nord said. “Never an edge bent or rounded off. He’s as good or better as any guy I’ve been around.”

“We would hold him up to other players on the team on what you should be,” said Summers. “...I don’t know that I have known a player more committed to the team than he was.”

Contact Tim Sullivan by email at tsullivan@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter: @TimSullivan714

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Alleged 'ringleader' Robert McCune sentenced to 5 years in NFL health care fraud case

COACHING IS ABUSE

Report: Former NWSL coach accused of misconduct decades ago

Former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames has been accused of misconduct stretching back decades when he was a youth team coach, well before he joined the National Women's Soccer League team, according to a published report.

The accusations, which included verbal and emotional abuse and other inappropriate behavior, were detailed by The Washington Post in a story published Tuesday. An elite youth player, who was not named by the Post, also claimed that Dames groomed her for a sexual encounter once she turned 18.

Dames was investigated by police in Arlington Heights, Illinois, in 1998 after a former player said he inappropriately touched her when she was underage. The investigation was dropped because no formal complaint was filed.

A lawyer for the former coach denied the accusations leveled in the Post's story.

“Mr. Dames has a reputation as an excellent soccer coach over 25 years of coaching thousands of soccer players. With the exception of a few players disgruntled for one reason or another, the vast majority of players have thanked Mr. Dames for investing in them as players,” attorney Susan Bogart said.

Dames was one of five coaches in the NWSL who stepped down or were fired last season for misconduct.

Former North Carolina coach Paul Riley was fired after two players, Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim, accused him of sexual harassment and coercion. Those accusations prompted both the NWSL and U.S. Soccer to open investigations, and led to the resignation of NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird.

Dames abruptly resigned last November ahead of a report in the Post that said former players, including national team forward Christen Press, had gone to U.S. Soccer with complaints about Dames going back to 2014.

“The mission of U.S. Soccer’s new leadership, which has been in place since 2020, is to create a safe space for all athletes who love this sport to learn, grow and compete," U.S. Soccer said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We share the concerns about allegations of abusive behavior and sexual misconduct and have taken the important step of retaining former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Attorney General of the United States Sally Q. Yates to conduct an independent investigation. U.S. Soccer’s goals throughout this process are transparency, accountability and change. As Ms. Yates and her team continue their important work, they have been given full autonomy, access and necessary resources to follow the facts and evidence wherever they may lead.”

Sarah Spain, an ESPN reporter who has an ownership stake in the Red Stars, posted on social media: “It’s the same story, over & over again. Across different sports, leagues & countries. The power to change a life & career wielded over girls & boys. Control over a sport they love. A system built to shame & silence. This is sickening, and so many let it keep happening.”

Another former player, Megan Cnota, said Dames made comments of a sexual nature and degraded the players. She was among those who spoke to police at the time.

“We tried to make it come to light 25 years ago,” Cnota said, “and nobody believed those teenagers.”

In all, 14 former youth players told the Post that Dames was verbally and emotionally abusive toward them.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Associated Press

Players react to abuse allegations with letter to US Soccer

Alex Morgan, Christen Press and Megan Rapinoe were among players from the U.S. national team who signed a letter criticizing U.S. Soccer for its handling of complaints against former Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames.

Dames has been accused of misconduct stretching back decades when he was a youth team coach, well before he joined the National Women’s Soccer League team, according to a report The Washington Post published Tuesday.

The accusations included verbal and emotional abuse and other inappropriate behavior. An elite youth player, who was not named by the Post, also claimed that Dames groomed her for a sexual encounter once she turned 18. A lawyer for Dames denied the claims in the story.

The players' letter was sent Wednesday to U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone, as well as former president Carlos Cordeiro. Both are again candidates for the post, with the election set for March 5.

“Over the years, while we played on the USWNT and in the National Women’s Soccer League, many of us reported to USSF instances where, as adults, we experienced abusive conduct by our coaches,” the letter said. “Now we have learned that this abusive treatment also was repeatedly reported by minors and that USSF failed to respond to protect these young players. That is utterly disheartening.”

Dames was investigated by police in Arlington Heights, Illinois, in 1998 after a former player said he inappropriately touched her when she was underage. The investigation was dropped because no formal complaint was filed.

“Mr. Dames has a reputation as an excellent soccer coach over 25 years of coaching thousands of soccer players. With the exception of a few players disgruntled for one reason or another, the vast majority of players have thanked Mr. Dames for investing in them as players,” attorney Susan Bogart told the Post in response to the allegations.

Dames was one of five coaches in the NWSL who stepped down or were fired last season for misconduct.

North Carolina coach Paul Riley was fired after two of his former players, Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim, accused him of sexual harassment and coercion. Those accusations prompted both the NWSL and U.S. Soccer to open investigations, and led to the resignation of NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird.

Dames abruptly resigned last November ahead of another report in the Post that said former players, including Press, had gone to U.S. Soccer with complaints about Dames going back to 2014.

“The mission of U.S. Soccer’s new leadership, which has been in place since 2020, is to create a safe space for all athletes who love this sport to learn, grow and compete,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday night. “We share the concerns about allegations of abusive behavior and sexual misconduct and have taken the important step of retaining former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Attorney General of the United States Sally Q. Yates to conduct an independent investigation."

Yates' investigation is ongoing. In their letter, the players called for transparency and action.

“To rebuild the trust of players, fans, and sponsors — to move forward – USSF must show that it is serious about change. We demand that USSF release the full findings of its investigation in a timely manner and commit to enacting meaningful institutional reforms to protect players,” the letter said.

“We will not stop fighting until we can ensure that this sport is safe for ourselves, for our daughters, and for every little girl who cheers us on and dreams of one day playing the sport we all love," it continued. "We hope your immediate actions will demonstrate that you both share this goal.”

In all, 14 former youth players told the Post that Dames was verbally and emotionally abusive toward them.

In addition to Morgan, Press and Rapinoe, the letter was signed by Crystal Dunn, Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Sam Mewis, Kelley O’Hara and Becky Sauerbrunn.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press

'My work is not done': jailed Duterte critic runs for Senate

From behind bars, Philippine senator and human rights campaigner Leila de Lima is running for re-election in an against-the-odds campaign that gives her the chance to once again "go after" President Rodrigo Duterte.


© Charism SAYAT

She still works, but with no access to a mobile phone or internet, she cannot participate in Senate debates and hearings

De Lima was one of the most vocal and powerful local critics of Duterte after he took power in 2016 and launched a deadly drug war -- until he and his allies tried to stifle her.

But despite being forced from the Senate and into a jail cell for the past five years on drug trafficking charges she and human rights groups call a mockery of justice, de Lima has not been "destroyed" as Duterte vowed.

Instead, the 62-year-old is running again for the Senate in May's national elections, determined to continue her campaign against him.

"I am running because, to put it plainly, my work is not done," she told AFP in handwritten notes on Senate stationery sent from Manila's national police headquarters, where she is being held.

"I was jailed because I fought for truth and justice against tyranny and impunity. I was not wrong to do so and I will keep fighting to prove that what I have been fighting for is worth the sacrifice."

Before her arrest on February 24, 2017, de Lima had spent a decade investigating "death squad" killings allegedly orchestrated by Duterte during his time as Davao City mayor and then in the early days of his presidency.


© Ted ALJIBE

Philippine Senator Leila de Lima offering prayers during a 2016 mass offered for victims of extra-judicial killings, she said she has no regrets in seeking to shine a light on Duterte's administration

She conducted the probes while serving as the nation's human rights commissioner, then from 2010 to 2015 as justice secretary in the Benigno Aquino administration that preceded Duterte's rule.

De Lima won a Senate seat in 2016, becoming one of the few opposition voices as the populist enjoyed a landslide win.

But Duterte then accused her of running a drug trafficking ring with criminals inside the nation's biggest prison while she was justice secretary.

The charges were "an act of vengeance" by Duterte to silence her and warn others not to oppose him, said de Lima, who is not allowed bail.

But de Lima hopes she will soon get justice.

Duterte, constitutionally barred from seeking re-election and facing an international probe into his drug war, will lose protection from criminal charges when he leaves office.

"Justice for me is the dismissal of my cases and the prosecution of Duterte and all those who knowingly fabricated and filed fake charges against me," she said.

- 'I'm stronger than I thought' -

De Lima is being held in a compound for high-profile detainees, rather than one of the Philippines' notoriously overcrowded jails.

Her relatively comfortable conditions give her access to outdoor space where she can exercise, tend a small garden and feed more than 10 stray cats.

She is allowed newspapers, has a collection of books given to her by friends, and a Bible that she reads in the evening.

But it is a solitary life.

Before the pandemic she was allowed to see "almost anyone", she said. Now, she is largely limited to brief visits from her two sons, lawyers, doctors, priests and selected staff.

De Lima, whose marriage was annulled, has not seen her teenage grandchildren in two years, nor her ailing 89-year-old mother in more than three years.

She still works, but with no access to a mobile phone or internet, she cannot participate in Senate debates and hearings.

Instead, she handwrites messages, letters and other documents that her aides pick up.

Routine keeps her sane.

"I learned not to entertain negative thoughts and instead think of my family and the people who believe in me and are fighting with me," she said.

"I'm much stronger than I thought."

- 'Crimes against humanity' -

Since her arrest, one of the three charges against her has been dismissed and two prosecution witnesses have died.

That her court cases have dragged on for so long is not unusual in the Philippines, where even minor cases take years to work their way through the creaky justice system.

Covid-19 has made the process even slower.

De Lima said she is optimistic that no matter who succeeds Duterte, she will be freed soon afterwards.

The next justice secretary "will not have the motivation to continue fabricating evidence against me," she said.

And she said she had no regrets in seeking to shine a light on Duterte.

"A public official like him who has committed crimes against humanity should be brought to justice," she said.

At least 6,225 people have died in anti-drug operations since July 2016, according to the latest official Philippine data. Rights groups say the number is in the tens of thousands.

De Lima said her run for a second Senate term is driven by a desire to "help salvage" human rights, democracy and rule of the law in the country -- but also revenge.

"I also want to have the opportunity to go after Duterte and all those responsible for my fate, aside from making them accountable for the thousands of murders they have committed and the billions they have plundered," she said.

But de Lima conceded winning one of the 12 Senate seats would be hard, and polls show she is unlikely to succeed.

While she was allowed to record campaign videos in late December, she has to rely on proxies to attend rallies -- and whatever radio and television advertising she can afford.

Yet she remains characteristically defiant.

"I draw strength from the truth of my innocence," she said.

amj/kma/rbu

Health care workers face verbal and physical abuse amid COVID misinformation

Elise Preston -

CBS News

It's a far cry from the days when health care workers were hailed as heroes. Health care workers in Georgia say there's a flood of aggression directed at them with each COVID wave.

Empty room of closed quarantine room in hospital for supporting Covid-19 infected patients

Dr. Lily Henson, the CEO of Piedmont Henry Hospital near Atlanta, said she worries for the safety of her staff.

"Every day I read about reports in which my staff are either verbally or physically abused," Henson told CBS News. "We've ensured that we have public safety officers throughout the hospital."

Just 47% of Henry County residents are fully vaccinated, according to the Georgia Department of Health — much lower than the 64% who are fully vaccinated nationwide.

"There's a widespread perception in our community that COVID is a hoax, that it's being overblown by the media," respiratory therapist Steven Wasson told CBS News.

Dr. Gregory Evans said health care workers regularly have "emotionally tense" conversations with families. Verbal attacks toward them include "accusations of why we aren't giving certain medications that they may have researched on the internet," Evans told CBS News.

The spread of misinformation on social media about treatments for COVID has helped fuel the attacks.

"Day in and day out they ask for these therapies that have not even shown to be effective," such as ivermectin, Henson said.

When hospitals are full of patients that don't trust science, it's a dagger to morale, Henson added.

"We get this threat that says, you know, 'If my loved one dies, it's your fault.' That's really heartbreaking," she said.

Asked what she would say to those who promote the spread of misinformation, Henson replied: "They have on their conscience, the lives of these patients."

SHE SPEAKS AMERIKAN

German government picks Greenpeace chief, a US citizen, as its new climate envoy

By Ivana Kottasová, CNN - Yesterday 


The German government has appointed Jennifer Morgan, the long-time boss of Greenpeace International, as its new special envoy for climate, the country's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock announced on Wednesday, giving a boost to the green credentials of the country's coalition government.

The new appointment comes as the German government faces intense international pressure to hold off approving Nord Stream 2 -- a gas pipeline that has been built under the Baltic Sea to funnel natural gas from Russia to Germany and beyond -- as Russian troops remain camped at the Ukrainian border, raising concerns of a potential incursion.

Morgan's stance on Nord Stream 2 is unclear, but many climate campaigners oppose the project, which a study estimated would release 100 million tons of carbon-dioxide a year into the atmosphere.

Morgan, who is a US citizen, is fluent in German, lives in Berlin and has family in Germany. She does not, however, have German citizenship yet -- a point that was raised during the news conference announcing her appointment.

Baerbock said during a news conference on Wednesday that Morgan had applied for German citizenship, and added that while waiting for the naturalization process to finish, Morgan will formally serve as a special representative for climate.

After that she will take on the role of Secretary of State.

Questioned about her American citizenship, Morgan said her "political political heart beats for Germany."

"I've been living here since 2003, this is my home ... but I also have family in the US, my father is there, but my heart is here," she said.

Baerbock, who is from the Greens party, said Morgan was her "dream candidate" for the role.

"I don't know anyone in the world with her expertise," Baerbock told reporters during a news conference on Wednesday.

Morgan led Greenpeace International for nearly six years. She was previously the head of the climate program at the World Resources Institute, a think tank.

Baerbock said she was excited to have Morgan as "her new right hand" and stressed that tapping her for the role "sends a strong message to the world" about Germany's approach to the climate crisis.

Germany has come under criticism from climate campaigners not only for its heavy reliance on natural gas, which is a fossil fuel, but for lagging behind other western European nations for phasing out coal.

Baerbock was until recently one of the co-leaders of the Green Party, which has formed a coalition government with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the Free Democrats (FDP) following September's general election. As part of the coalition agreement, climate agenda has moved directly under the foreign ministry,

The climate crisis was a major topic during the election campaign last year, partly because the country experienced deadly floods, which scientists described as a one-in-500-year weather event. Parts of Germany experienced more rain in a day than they typically would in a whole month, and nearly 200 people were killed in the event, which also impacted Belgium.

U.N. Sudan mission to wrap up consultations, publish document


KHARTOUM (Reuters) - The United Nations special mission in Sudan is concluding consultations aimed at salvaging the country's democratic transition and will produce a summary document next week, a U.N. source told Reuters on Wednesday.

A military coup on Oct. 25 ended a two-year partnership with political parties. Since then, protesters have taken to the streets demanding a full handover of power to civilians and rejecting negotiations.

In January, the UNITAMS mission began individual meetings with political parties, armed groups, civil society and the military, aiming to draw out points of agreement and disagreement, which the document will outline in addition to setting priorities going forward, the U.N. source said.

At the launch, the United Nations had said the talks could lead to rounds of indirect or direct talks to resolve the crisis.

The resistance committees that have organised protests and other political groups have expressed apprehension in statements that the process is legitimising the military. Military leaders have also cautioned that the U.N. role should be that of a facilitator rather than mediator.

Thousands of Sudanese marched against military rule again on Monday in Khartoum and other cities, with some saying they were concerned about the return to government of members of the ousted regime of ex-president Omar al-Bashir.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, writing by Nafisa Eltahir; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Growth of Black immigrant population projected to outpace growth of U.S. born Black population

Claretta Bellamy - 
NBC News


One in 10 Black people living in the U.S. are immigrants, and the number is only expected to rise, according to new data.

A Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the University of Minnesota found that 4.6 million Black immigrants were living in the U.S. in 2019. That figure grew from about 800,000 in 1980. According to the report, 9.5 million Black immigrants are expected to live in the U.S. by 2060. The Black population represents all those who self-identify as Black.

The analysis also found that the Black immigrant population is projected to outpace the growth of the U.S.-born Black population. This growth is fueled by the influx of individuals migrating from Africa.

In 2000, approximately 560,000 African immigrants resided in the U.S., the report found. By 2019, that number had nearly tripled, to 1.9 million. Between 2010 and 2019, 43 percent of African-born Black immigrants settled in the U.S., which was the highest share compared to other U.S. immigrant groups.

Although the Black immigration population is growing, many still face challenges related to racism, criminalization and deportation. Abraham Paulos, deputy director of policy and communications for the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, said his organization focuses on these three challenges while making sure immigrant communities have financial resources, food and clothing.

These resources were greatly needed during the pandemic, as many Black immigrants worked as essential workers in health care. The organization’s efforts also focus on politically educating the Black immigrant community on the struggles related to being a Black person living in the U.S.

“We fight for two things: racial justice and migrant rights,” Paulos said. “We fight for Black people.”

Born in Sudan, Paulos migrated to the U.S. with his family as a youth in the 1980s. He said the challenges Black immigrants face tend to stem from the criminal justice system.

“I’ve had cousins that have gotten deported,” he said. “One cousin just got out of a detention center.”

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Black Alliance for Just Immigration advocates for temporary protected status, which is granted to foreign-born individuals unable to return to their country of origin because of circumstances such as civil war or environmental disasters. According to the National Immigration Forum, the U.S. provides temporary protected status to more than 400,000 foreign nationals from countries including Venezuela, Sudan and Haiti.

Challenges faced by U.S.-born Black Americans are also shared by Black immigrants. According to the Pew Research Center, Black immigrants were less likely than overall immigrants to own their own home, and 14 percent of Black immigrants lived below the poverty line in 2019, which is higher than the poverty rate among the greater U.S. population.

While African immigrants contribute to the growth of the Black immigrant population, the Pew Research Center’s report found that the Caribbean remains the most common region of birth for Black immigrants, with Jamaica and Haiti being the two largest origin countries.

Last year, thousands of Haitian immigrants fled to the U.S from Central and South America to seek asylum. Viral images taken of Haitians revealed harsh treatment by Border Patrol agents, including agents apparently carrying whips. According to The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, the U.S. consistently detained Haitians more than any other nationality in 2020.

Paulos said the situation in Del Rio, Texas, is emblematic of what Black immigrants face.

“By and large, the biggest difference between, sort of, us and other immigrants is, you know, one, we deal with Black America,” Paulos said. “Two is that we feel the full brunt of the force of Department of Homeland Security, the enforcement apparatus.”

While many Black immigrants face these challenges, living in the U.S. also provides opportunities for advancement. The Pew Research Center analysis found that 31 percent of Black immigrants ages 25 and over have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Atonya McClain, an immigration attorney based in Houston, said her clients, who mostly come from Nigeria and the Dominican Republic, journey to the U.S. for reasons relating to safety and greater access to better resources. She said one of her previous clients informed her that during the pandemic, his village in Nigeria only had electricity for one hour each day.

“If you’re here in the United States and you know how well you’re doing,” McClain said, “and you’re talking to your loved ones, you want them to have the same options that you have.”

In addition to advocating for temporary status, Black Alliance for Just Immigration monitors situations of Black immigrants in prison. Paulos said the organization has approximately eight Freedom of Information Act requests filed in multiple detention centers throughout the South. The organization would use that information to help fight for the immigrants’ release.

Paulos also said it’s difficult for Black immigrants to assimilate into the U.S. compared to other groups because of challenges related to having a Black identity. Misconceptions of being invisible and a false narrative of Black immigrants being divided with Black Americans are also misleading, he said.

“I just think that racism is so embedded in this society that if you’re Black, it’s like, you know, all people see is Black,” he said.

Follow NBCBLK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Brazil's Lula says he would tax rich more, change Petrobras fuel price policy



BRASILIA (Reuters) - Former Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is leading early polls ahead of October elections, said on Wednesday he would propose less taxation on the poor and more on the rich if he wins, and reduce fuel prices.

Speaking on radio interviews, Lula said he would propose raising the income tax exemption bracket to five times the minimum monthly wage, or 6,060 reais ($1,160), from 1,903 reais at present.

"This needs to be debated, because the rich pay less tax proportionally," he said on Radio Brasil of Campinas.

He would also back heavier taxes on profits and the adoption of a tax on dividends that does not exist in Brazil.

With fuel prices high at the pump, Lula said he would change the pricing policy of state-controlled oil company Petrobras, which refines products but also imports gasoline.

"We are going to take care of the price of gasoline and diesel," he said, criticizing pricing based on international levels.

Lula said Petrobras' strategy to sell refineries was wrong and the company should be investing more in refining capacity to become self-sufficient instead of paying such high dividends.

"Dollar-based gasoline prices makes no sense. We are going to change that. Petrobras will once again become an exporter of gasoline, diesel and refined products," he told a Pernambuco radio audience in a separate interview on Wednesday.

Lula said it was shameful that millions of Brazilians were going hungry in a country that is the world's third largest food producer and top meat exporter.

"We have to take resources from the richest and give them to the poorest. This is not Communism, this is Christianity," Lula said. "My cause is to see people eat again, study again, smile again."

($1 = 5.2232 reais)

(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu and Anthony Boadle; Editing by Richard Chang)

STATEHOOD OR INDEPENDENCE

Public employees in Puerto Rico protest over wages, pensions

Thousands of public employees from across Puerto Rico took to the streets Wednesday to demand higher salaries and better pensions.

The demonstration followed a protest by teachers on Friday demanding a temporary increase of $1,000 per month for public educators. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi announced this week that funds from the U.S. Department of Education would be used to provide the wage boost.

But at a press conference Monday, Pierluisi raised eyebrows when he said being a teacher, firefighter or any other public employee was not an obligation.


© Cristina Corujo/ABC NewsMultiple protesters feel insulted amid 

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi's comments regarding their calling as public employees.

“No one here is forced to be a police officer or a firefighter, but those who decide towards that calling will have to assume that huge responsibility and if for any reason they question if they should continue to do so amid the salary or work conditions, they are not obligated to remain in their role,” said Pierluisi.MORE: Puerto Rico may be nearing the end of bankruptcy. What does this mean?

The comment caused outrage among many public employees and other residents on the island.

“It’s disrespectful,” Spanish teacher Leny Colón told ABC News. Colón traveled to the protest from Coamo, located about 60 miles away from San Juan. She said she attended the protest because she is a teacher, but also supports other public employees.


© Cristina Corujo/ABC NewsThe Spanish teacher Leny Colón 

traveled from the southern area of the island to attend Wednesday's protest.

“We are here because we have a calling but this calling shouldn’t be punished… this is a community fight,” Colón said.

For Carlos Torres, a teacher from San Juan, the government’s comments were “insensible”.

“If we wouldn’t have pressured him and we wouldn’t have marched Friday he wouldn’t have done anything,” Torres told ABC News, referring to a new temporary salary increase that goes into effect on July 1.

“Our team has made the necessary calculations and has consulted the federal government, and we’ve been able to identify ESSER funds to provide incentives for teachers,” Pierluisi announced in a press release Feb. 7.


© Cristina Corujo/ABC NewsCarlos Torres is a teacher in Santurce, Puerto Rico who attended the protest to demand a fair salary and to complain against Gov. Pedro Pierluisi's comments.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) is part of the Education Stabilization budget. Congress allocated $13.2 billion from the $30.7 billion to address the COVID-19 impact on schools across the nation.

Although the raise was praised by many, the wave of negative response from Puerto Ricans in response to the governor's other comments keeps growing -- and the leader says he has nothing to apologize for.MORE: Thousands of Puerto Rico teachers protest for higher wages

“Apologize for what? I did a lot of comments in solidarity with all the claims being made by the people,” Pierluisi said at a press conference on Tuesday.

As for the dispute over salaries, work conditions and retirement plans, many public employees say they will not stop fighting until they see a change.

“Education, safety and health is very important," Colón said. “It’s time to make justice for all Puerto Ricans.”

Peru's leftist government will embrace free market, says new PM

LIMA (Reuters) - The latest prime minister picked by Peru's embattled president, Pedro Castillo, pledged to pursue free-market policies in his first public remarks on Wednesday, a day after a new Cabinet was unveiled that aims for stability in the Andean nation.

Peru's President Pedro Castillo and cabinet members pose for a photograph, in Lima

Speaking at a government news conference, Prime Minister Anibal Torres also emphasized that Castillo's leftist administration will promote a strong government that can prevent monopolies and other concentrations of economic power.

Torres, who previously served as justice minister, was tapped Tuesday night as the president's fourth prime minister since he took office last July.

"Our policy is the free market, free economic enterprise, free business, but with the participation of the state to control monopolies, oligopolies and (other) dominant positions," Torres said, as he was flanked by other ministers.


Peru's President Pedro Castillo and Anibal Torres shake hands

 after Torres was sworn in as Peru's new prime minister, in Lima

The Cabinet re-shuffle took place after the departure of the previous prime minister, who was heavily criticized for allegations of domestic violence, which he had denied.

Torres is seen as a Castillo loyalist and will be tasked with helping advance the president's agenda in a fragmented Congress dominated by conservative opposition parties.

Finance Minister Oscar Graham, a more centrist technocrat who previously worked at the central bank, was kept on in the new Cabinet, which was welcome news for investors and other business-friendly advocates.

"They won't be able to label us communists because we haven't carried out any actions that align with that political ideology," said Torres.

He emphasized that the new Cabinet will seek measures to improve security as well as the South American country's COVID-19 vaccination program, which he pitched as key to economic growth.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Leslie Adler)