Charming Shelter Dog Story In ‘Rescued by Ruby’ Trailer From Netflix

 My wife and I enjoyed an interesting film on Netflix last night. 

As we are both dog lovers, we thoroughly enjoyed Recued by Ruby. The film is about an incorrigible dog who is rescued from a shelter by a state trooper who dreams of joining the K-9 unit with his new dog.

 

The film is based on a true story.

 

Alex Billington at usatribunemedia.com offers the below commentary and a link to the film’s trailer.

 

“I have faith in you, you just need to have faith in yourself.” Netflix has revealed the first official trailer for a charming feel-good dog movie titled Rescued by Ruby, about a fluffy shelter dog finding its connection with a frigidity state trooper. How adorable. It’s actually based on a true story! Made for Netflix, this seems like the kind of stuff that Disney used to drop straight-to-VHS. Chasing his dream to join an elite K-9 unit, a state trooper named Dan partners with a fellow underdog: clever but naughty shelter pup Ruby. As you can see in the trailer, she seems to be a Border Collie – not the usual German Shepherd or Doberman K9 dogs, but that’s all good! She seems awesome enough anyway. This stars Grant Gustin, Scott Wolf, Kaylah Zander, Camille Sullivan, Tom McBeath, and Sharon Taylor. Who doesn’t like a dog movie?! At least the dog is real in this one, and it seems wholesome enough, though completely obvious in every single way.

 

You can read the rest of the piece and watch the film’s trailer via the below link:

Charming Shelter Dog Story in 'Rescued by Ruby' Trailer from Netflix - USA Tribune Media 

 

Note: Below is a photo of the real Ruby and her K-9 handler:

Lancaster, PA Company Agrees To Pay $820,000 For Improper Billing Of Defense Intelligence Agency

PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Reveal Global Consulting, LLC (“Reveal”) has agreed to pay $820,000 to the federal government to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by improperly billing time and expenses in its performance of a contract with the Defense Intelligence Agency (“DIA”). 

In 2017, Reveal entered into a Spearheading CIO Applied Research and Leading Edge Technologies (“SCARLET”) contract with DIA. The contract was a time-and-materials contract under which Reveal could bill the United States only for time it actually expended and materials it required to fulfill its contractual obligations. Instead, Reveal allegedly billed the DIA for one twelfth of the total contract even for months in which less than one twelfth of the total required effort was devoted to the contract; devoted fewer than the promised employees for multiple months; submitted inflated and misstated bills for work by subcontractors; and invoiced the DIA for work supposedly performed by Reveal employees who had already left the company. Throughout the contract, Reveal allegedly failed to establish and maintain an adequate, effective timekeeping system.

“There is no excuse for invoicing the United States for work that was not done,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “Companies that work for the United States have a moral and legal obligation to ensure that the United States receives the goods and services for which it is paying, and the United States Attorney’s Office is ready to investigate and punish contractors who flout this fundamental rule.”

“This case is a result of the stalwart, dedicated and collaborative work of investigators, DIA Office of the Inspector General (OIG), DOD OIG, Defense Criminal Investigations Services, the DCAA, and DOJ. The Office of the Inspector General, DIA, will continue to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in DIA processes while improving government funds stewardship from our civilian and contractor workforce,” said William Borden, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, DIA.

“Investigating allegations of cost mischarging on Department of Defense (DoD) contracts is a top priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “The settlement agreement announced today is the result of a joint investigative effort with the Defense Intelligence Agency Office of the Inspector General and demonstrates the DCIS’ ongoing commitment to protect the integrity of DoD procurement.”

This investigation was conducted as part of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Strike Force with investigators from the Defense Intelligence Agency Office of Inspector General and DCIS, with assistance the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul W. Kaufman handled the investigation and settlement.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability. 

A Complex Man: Irascible, Vain, And Hungry For Adulation. Gary Scharnhorst's Authoritative Portrait Of The Iconic And Iconoclastic Author And Humorist Mark Twain

 Kirkus offers a review of Gary Scharnhorst's The Life of Mark Twain: The Final Years, 1891-1910.   

You can read the review via the below link:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gary-scharnhorst/the-life-of-mark-twain-scharnhorst/ 

Freight Carriers Agree To Pay $6.85 Million To Resolve Allegations Of Knowingly Presenting False Claims To The Department of Defense

 The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:

YRC Freight Inc. (YRC), Roadway Express Inc. and Yellow Transportation Inc. (collectively the YRC defendants), have agreed to pay approximately $6.85 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that they knowingly presented false claims to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) by systematically overcharging for freight carrier services and making false statements to hide their misconduct.

The YRC defendants, transporters of industrial, commercial and retail goods, contracted with DOD to ship military freight across the country from September 2005 to October 2013. Under their contracts, the YRC defendants were paid based in part upon a shipment’s weight.

The United States alleged that the YRC defendants fraudulently billed the United States for delivery charges based on higher weights when, after reweighing the shipments, they knew that the actual weights were lower. For more than seven years, the YRC defendants allegedly reweighed many shipments before final delivery, and when the reweighs showed that a shipment weight was more than the original weight, the YRC defendants charged DOD for these higher weights. But when the reweighs showed that a shipment weight was less than the original weight, the YRC defendants allegedly concealed from DOD the lower weights and instead charged DOD for the original, inflated weights. To further hide the scheme, the YRC defendants allegedly made false statements assuring DOD that they would comply with the rules requiring them to correct discrepancies uncovered during any reweigh process.

“We expect companies to do business with the government honestly and fairly,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates the department’s continuing commitment to hold accountable those who defraud the government and, by extension, the American taxpayers.”

“The Defense Department entered into contracts with YRC, Roadway, and Yellow for shipping services,” said U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York. “These companies, which purposely overcharged for these services and then made false statements to cover up their actions, are now being held accountable for their behavior.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by James Hannum, an employee of Yellow Transportation. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Hannum v. YRC Freight, Inc., Roadway Express, Inc., and Yellow Transportation, Inc., Civil Action No. 08-0811 (W.D.N.Y.). Mr. Hannum will receive $1.3 million, plus interest, as his share of the settlement.

“Investigating schemes that undermine the integrity of Department of Defense (DoD) procurement is a top priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Today's announcement demonstrates our commitment to work with the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners to hold companies accountable for artificially inflating the cost of services provided to the DoD.”

“After working extensively on this case, DCAA is gratified the work of our auditors made a significant contribution to the outcome of this case,” said Lead Investigative Auditor John Manfredonia for the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). 

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, with assistance from DCIS; DCAA, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division Command.

The matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Benjamin Young and John F. Schifalacqua of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell for the Western District of New York.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

 

You can also read about a major Defense Department fraud and bribery case via the below link: 

Paul Davis On Crime: A Look Back At The Multi-Million Dollar Defense Contract Fraud and Bribery Case At The Philadelphia Quartermaster 

A Little Humor: Good Ole Navy Coffee

 

My Broad + Liberty Crime Beat Columns

Below are links to my Broad + Liberty Crime Beat columns:

Paul Davis On Crime: Burglary — The Silent Crime: A Retired New York Police Captain Advises Businesses On How To Prevent Burglary.

Paul Davis On Crime: My Broad + Liberty Crime Beat Column: Is There A War On Cops?

Paul Davis On Crime: Operation Overdrive: My Broad + Liberty Crime Beat Column On The DEA's Operation To Combat Drug-Related Crime And Overdose Deaths

Paul Davis On Crime: Senate Hopeful John Fetterman's Radical Views On Crime

Paul Davis On Crime: In Response To Gun Violence Philadelphia Mayor Keeney Offers A Futile And Stupid Gesture

Paul Davis On Crime: Remembering Political Satirist P.J. O’Rourke

Paul Davis On Crime: Philly's Loss Is Wichita's Gain As Former Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Sullivan Becomes Wichita's Chief Of Police

Paul Davis On Crime: It's Your Funeral: My Broad + Liberty Piece On The Major Kensington Drug Boss Sentenced To Prison For Distributing Narcotics Labeled ‘Funeral’

Paul Davis On Crime: Too Many Philly Cops Are Saying, “Exit, Stage Left!”

Paul Davis On Crime: DEA Seized 379 Million Doses Of Fentanyl In 2022

Operation Overdrive: My Broad + Liberty Crime Beat Column On The DEA's Operation To Combat Drug-Related Crime And Overdose Deaths

Broad + Liberty published my Crime Beat column on the DEA’s Operation Overdrive.

Years ago, a retired Philadelphia detective drove me through the mean streets of Kensington. I vividly recall my tour of “Ground Zero” of Philadelphia’s drug epidemic.

Driving along, I saw why this area has been called the largest open-air drug market on the East Coast. I saw scores of pathetic drug addicts sway and stagger up and down the streets near SEPTA’s Elevated Train Station. 

I spoke to that retired detective again recently about drug-related crime, and he pointed a finger squarely at Philadelphia drug street gangs. He said that in addition to causing overdose deaths, the drug street gangs in Philadelphia are the cause of much of the crime, mayhem, and shooting deaths in the city. He said that the gangs’ customers steal and commit armed robbery for money to pay for their drugs.

“These ruthless, violent street gangs corrupt neighborhood children by recruiting them at an early age for their street drug operations. The drug gangs fight and shoot each other over territory and drug markets, and they can’t shoot for shit. That’s why so many innocent people get caught in the crossfire of the gang shootouts.”

Although the retired detective lives in another part of the city, he has maintained contact with the scores of friends he made while working in Kensington. Like many Kensington residents, he blames Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner for turning a blind eye when it comes to drug dealers. The Philadelphia Police arrest the drug traffickers, he said, but the dealers are soon back on the street, and they are bolder than ever.  

“Not prosecuting a drug user is one thing, but allowing drug traffickers to continue to commit drug crimes is another thing altogether,” he said.

He went on to note that thankfully the DEA is stepping in, and apprehended drug dealers will be prosecuted by assistant US attorneys in federal court and not by Krasner. 

He was speaking of the DEA’s “Operation Overdrive.”  

You can read the rest of the column via the below link:

Paul Davis: DEA’s Operation Overdrive will combat drug-related crime and overdose deaths (broadandliberty.com)