PRIVATE EQUITY is under fire here at a Senate field hearing in Boston, amid Steward’s financial crisis.

CEO Ralph de la Torre was invited to, but didn’t show.

Ed Markey says “Dr. De La Torre’s promises are as empty as his chair here today.”

Elizabeth Warren calls him “a coward.”

Chair of Senate homeland security committee Senator Gary Peters says he’s concerned PE owned emergency room staffing companies “could put nation’s emergency preparedness at risk”

He singles out KKR, Blackstone and Apollo.

hsgac.senate.gov/media/dems/pet…

Hear more from the family of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett👇

John Barnett spent yrs fighting Boeing, alleging the company retaliated against him when he raised safety issues.

Last month, he was found dead after giving testimony in his whistleblower lawsuit.

Hear from his family for the 1st time in a CBS News exclusive👇

Our exclusive coming up at 630ET…

Great to see other nat'l media outlets building on our reporting about how patient care has suffered as a result of the deals struck by Steward Health Care and Medical Properties Trust.

cbsnews.com/news/texas-vis…

cbsnews.com/news/a-new-mom…

cbsnews.com/news/senators-…

FBI informant Alexander Smirnov was charged with making false statements about Pres. Biden and his son, Hunter. He has pleaded not guilty.

A criminal defense attorney told @macfarlanenews that this wasn’t the first time Smirnov has been accused of lying to federal officials.

Thanks Robert Reich for highlighting our story. It's just the latest in our CBS News series on the impact of Steward and other PE-backed companies on the community hospitals they own.

See all our reports here: cbsnews.com/feature/hospit…

Our story tonight...

A new mom died after giving birth at a Boston hospital. Was corporate greed to blame?

A must watch follow up from Michael Kaplan and Sheena Samu
cbsnews.com/news/a-new-mom… via CBS News

A crucial medical device was repossessed from a Boston St. Elizabeth's Medical Center owned by Steward Health weeks before Sungida Rashid gave birth.

Healthcare workers say it could have saved her life.

Our story this AM >>

w/ Jonathan LaPook, M.D, Sheena Samu, (h/t Jessica Bartlett)

Awed by Elizabeth Schulze's coverage of Alabama's IVF decision all week. She's been relentlessly pursuing the stories of women and families left in the lurch.

SCOOP: Credit card companies tell Congress they are moving ahead with a merchant code for firearm sellers in CA so banks could potentially track suspect purchases.

The merchant code is the latest front in the nation's gun debate.

w/ Clare Hymes

cbsnews.com/news/american-…

SCOOP from Daniel Klaidman: Fani Willis' draft court filing confirms romantic relationship with lawyer on Trump case but denies any conflict cbsnews.com/news/fani-will… via CBS News Politics

Our exclusive interview with Treasury Secretary Yellen today

Steward's financial problems were the subject of our CBS News investigation last spring.

We looked at how PE investors racked up debt by selling off hospital real estate to Medical Properties Trust.

The arrangement led to this TX hospital closure: shorturl.at/nEFKY

Our story this morning...

New details on the prominent Hollywood attorney who prosecutors say funded Hunter Biden's lavish lifestyle and who was at Hunter Biden's side yesterday on Capitol Hill.

The last time Trump went after Rep. Debbie Dingell, she became the target of a series of violent threats and her campaign office was vandalized >>>>

Important work here by Bo Erickson CBS ⬇️