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Seven months after Lahavah Wallaces weight loss operation, a New York bariatric surgery practice sued her, accusing her of intentionally failing to pay nearly $18,000 of her bill.

This story also ran on CBS News. It can be republished for free.

Long Island Minimally Invasive Surgery, which does business as the New York Bariatric Group, went on to accuse Wallace of embezzlement, alleging she kept insurance payments that should have been turned over to the practice.

Wallace denies the allegations, which the bariatric practice has leveled against patients in hundreds of debt-collection lawsuits filed over the past four years, court records in New York state show.

In about 60 cases, the lawsuits demanded $100,000 or more from patients. Some patients were found liable for tens of thousands of dollars in interest charges or wound up shackled with debt that could take a decade or more to shake. Others are facing the likely prospect of six-figure financial penalties, court records show.

Backed by a major private equity firm, the bariatric practice spends millions each year on advertisements featuring patients who have dropped 100 pounds or more after bariatric procedures, sometimes having had a portion of their stomachs removed. The ads have run on TV, online, and on New York City subway posters.

The online ads, often showcasing the slogan Stop obesity for life, appealed to Wallace, who lives in Brooklyn and works as a legal assistant for the state of New York. She said she turned over checks from her insurer to the bariatric group and was stunned when the medical practice hauled her into court citing an out-of-network payment agreement she had signed before her surgery.

I really didnt know what I was signing, Wallace told KFF Health News. I didnt pay enough attention.

Dr. Shawn Garber, a bariatric surgeon who founded the practice in 2000 on Long Island and serves as its CEO, said that prior to rendering services his office staff advises patients of the costs and their responsibility to pay the bill.

The bariatric group has cited these out-of-network payment agreements in at least 300 lawsuits filed against patients from January 2019 through 2022 demanding nearly $19 million to cover medical bills, interest charges, and attorneys fees, a KFF Health News review of New York state court records found.

Danny De Voe, a partner at Sahn Ward Braff Koblenz law firm in Uniondale, New York, who filed many of those suits, declined to comment, citing attorney-client privilege.

In most cases, the medical practice had agreed to accept an insurance companys out-of-network rate as full payment for its services with caveats, according to court filings.

In the agreements they signed, patients promised to pay any coinsurance, meeting any deductible, and pass on to the medical practice any reimbursement checks they received from their health plans within seven days.

Patients who fail to do so will be held responsible for the full amount charged for your surgery, plus the cost of legal fees, the agreement states.

That full amount can be thousands of dollars higher than what insurers would likely pay, KFF Health News found while legal fees and other costs can layer on thousands more.

Elisabeth Benjamin, a lawyer with the Community Service Society of New York, said conflicts can arise when insurers send checks to pay for out-of-network medical services to patients rather than reimbursing a medical provider directly.

We would prefer to see regulators step in and stop that practice, she said, adding it causes tension between providers and patients.

Thats certainly true for Wallace. The surgery practice sued her last August demanding $17,981 in fees it said remained unpaid after her January 2022 laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, an operation in which much of the stomach is removed to assist weight loss.

The lawsuit also tacked on a demand for $5,993 in attorneys fees, court records show.

The suit alleges Wallace signed the contract even though she had no intention of paying her bills. The complaint goes on to accuse her of committing embezzlement by willfully, intentionally, deliberately and maliciously depositing checks from her health plan into her personal account.

The suit doesnt include details to substantiate these claims, and Wallace said in her court response they are not true. Wallace said she turned over checks for the charges.

They billed the insurance for everything they possibly could, Wallace said.

In September, Wallace filed for bankruptcy, hoping to discharge the bariatric care debt along with about $4,700 in unrelated credit card charges.

The medical practice fired back in November by filing an adversary complaint in her Brooklyn bankruptcy court proceeding that argues her medical debt should not be forgiven because Wallace committed fraud.

The adversary complaint, which is pending in the bankruptcy case, accuses Wallace of fraudulently inducing the surgery center to perform elective medical procedures without requiring payment upfront.

Both the harsh wording and claims of wrongdoing have infuriated Wallace and her attorney, Jacob Silver, of Brooklyn.

Silver wants the medical practice to turn over records of the payments received from Wallace. There is no fraud here, he said. This is frivolous. We are taking a no-settlement position. A bariatric surgery practice sued Lahavah Wallace last August demanding $17,981 in fees it said remained unpaid after her January 2022 laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.(Jackie Molloy for KFF Health News)

Gaining Debt

Few patients sued by the bariatric practice mount a defense in court and those who do fight often lose, court records show.

The medical practice won default judgments totaling nearly $6 million in about 90 of the 300 cases in the sample reviewed by KFF Health News. Default judgments are entered when the defendant fails to respond.

Many cases either are pending, or it is not clear from court filings how they were resolved.

Some patients tried to argue that the fees were too high or that they didnt understand going in how much they could owe. One woman, trying to push back against a demand for more than $100,000, said in a legal filing that she was given numerous papers to sign without anyone of the staff members explaining to me what it actually meant. Another patient, who was sued for more than $40,000, wrote: I dont have the means to pay this bill.

Among the cases described in court records: A Westchester County, New York, woman was sued for $102,556 and settled for $72,000 in May 2021. She agreed to pay $7,500 upon signing the settlement and $500 a month from September 2021 through May 2032. A Peekskill, New York, woman in a December 2019 judgment was held liable for $384,092, which included $94,047 in interest. A Newburgh, New York, man was sued in 2021 for $252,309 in medical bills, 12% interest, and $84,103 in attorneys fees. The case is pending.

Robert Cohen, a longtime attorney for the bariatric practice, testified in a November 2021 hearing that the lawyers take a contingency fee of one-third of our recovery in these cases. In that case, Cohen had requested $13,578 based on his contingency fee arrangement. He testified that he spent 7.3 hours on the case and that his customary billing rate was $475 per hour, which came to $3,467.50. The judge awarded the lower amount, according to a transcript of the hearing.

Dr. Teresa LaMasters, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, said suing patients for large sums is not a common practice among bariatric surgeons.

This is not what the vast majority in the field would espouse, she said.

But Garber, the NYBGs chief executive, suggested patients deserve blame.

These lawsuits stem from these patients stealing the insurance money rather than forwarding it onto NYBG as they are morally and contractually obligated to do, Garber wrote in an email to KFF Health News.

Garber added: The issue is not with what we bill, but rather with the fact that the insurance companies refuse to sendpayment directly to us. Email Sign-Up

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A Kooky System

Defense attorneys argue that many patients dont fully comprehend the perils of failing to pay on time for whatever reason.

In a few cases, patients admitted pocketing checks they were obligated to turn over to the medical practice. But for the most part, court records dont specify how many such checks were issued and for what amounts or whether the patient improperly cashed them.

Its a kooky system, said Paul Brite, an attorney who has faced off against the bariatric practice in court.

You sign these documents that could cost you tons of money. It shouldnt be that way, he said. This can ruin their financial life.

New York lawmakers have acted to limit the damage from medical debt, including surprise bills.

In November, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that prohibits health care providers from slapping liens on a primary residence or garnishing wages.

But contracts with onerous repayment terms represent an evolving area of law and an alarming new twist on concerns over medical debt, said Benjamin, the community service society lawyer.

She said contract accelerator clauses that trigger severe penalties if patients miss payments should not be permitted for medical debt.

If you default, the full amount is due, she said. This is really a bummer. Online ads for bariatric surgery appealed to Lahavah Wallace. She said she turned over checks from her insurer to the New York Bariatric Group and was stunned when the medical practice hauled her into court citing an out-of-network payment agreement she had signed before her surgery.(Jackie Molloy for KFF Health News)

Fair Market Value

The debt collection lawsuits argue that weight loss patients had agreed to pay fair market value for services and the doctors are only trying to secure money they are due.

But some prices far exceed typical insurance payments for obesity treatments across the country, according to a medical billing data registry. Surgeons performed about 200,000 bariatric operations in 2020, according to the bariatric surgery society.

Wallace, the Brooklyn legal assistant, was billed $60,500 for her lap sleeve gastrectomy, though how much her insurance actually paid remains to be hashed out in court.

Michael Arrigo, a California medical billing expert at No World Borders, called the prices outrageous and unreasonable and, in fact, likely unconscionable.

I disagree that these are fair market charges, he said.

LaMasters, the bariatric society president, called the gastrectomy price billed to Wallace really expensive and a severe outlier. While charges vary by region, she quoted a typical price of around $22,000.

Garber said NYBG bills at usual and customary rates determined by Fair Health, a New York City-based repository of insurance claims data. Fair Health sets these rates based upon the acceptable price for our geographic location, he said.

But Rachel Kent, Fair Healths senior director of marketing, told KFF Health News that the group does not set rates, nor determine or take any position on what constitutes usual and customary rates. Instead, it reports the prices providers are charging in a given area.

Overall, Fair Health data shows huge price variations even in adjacent ZIP codes in the metro area. In Long Islands Roslyn Heights neighborhood, where NYBG is based, Fair Health lists the out-of-network price charged by providers in the area as $60,500, the figure Wallace was billed.

But in several other New York City-area ZIP codes the price charged for the gastrectomy procedure hovers around $20,000, according to the databank. The price in Manhattan is $17,500, for instance, according to Fair Health.

Nationwide, the average cost in 2021 for bariatric surgery done in a hospital was $32,868, according to a KFF analysis of health insurance claims.

Private Equity Arrives

Garber said in a court affidavit in May 2022 that he founded the bariatric practice with a singular focus: providing safe, effective care to patients suffering from obesity and its resulting complications.

Under his leadership, the practice has developed into New Yorks elite institution for obesity treatment, Garber said. He said the groups surgeons are highly sought after to train other bariatric surgeons throughout the country and are active in the development of new, cutting-edge bariatric surgery techniques.

In 2017, Garber and his partners agreed on a business plan to help spur growth and attract private equity investment, according to the affidavit.

They formed a separate company to handle the bariatric practices business side. Known as management services organizations, or MSOs, such companies provide a way for private equity investors to circumvent laws in some states that prohibit non-physicians from owning a stake in a medical practice.

In August 2019, the private equity firm Sentinel Capital Partners bought 65% of the MSO for $156.5 million, according to Garbers affidavit. The management company is now known as New You Bariatric Group. The private equity firm did not respond to requests for comment.

Garber, in a September 2021 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery webinar viewable online, said the weight loss practice spends $6 million a year on media and marketing directly to patients and is on a roll. Nationally, bariatric surgery is growing 6% annually, he said. NYBG boasts two dozen offices in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and is poised to expand into more states.

Since private equity, weve been growing at 30% to 40% year over year, Garber said.

Fred Schulte: fschulte@kff.org, @fredschulte Related Topics Health Care Costs Health Industry Insurance States New York Obesity Contact Us Submit a Story Tip

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NHL breakout tiers: From Nazar to Snuggerud to Peterka, players set to level up

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October 10, 2025

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NHL breakout tiers: From Nazar to Snuggerud to Peterka, players set to level up

  • Greg WyshynskiOct 10, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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      Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

Can a superstar still be a breakout player?

We ask because Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel looks like he’ll obliterate his career high in goals (36) while skating with Ivan Barbashev and the newly acquired Mitch Marner this season — a line with incredible chemistry already at the start of the season.

But ultimately, a superstar can’t be a breakout player. That’s reserved for players who are known but not yet household names. Or players we’ve been waiting to see blossom since their draft year. Or the rookies embarking on their first full season of service, ready to make an unexpected impact.

Here are 30 NHL players poised for a breakout in 2025-26, organized into tiers that explain the circumstances surrounding their potential emergence. Enjoy!

Jump to a tier:
New scenery
New linemates
Young star to superstar
The wait is over
Rookie sensations

Tier 1: New scenery

These players switched teams and could see their stock rise with new scenery.

Matias Maccelli is not Mitch Marner, nor is he expected to suddenly become a 100-point winger because he’s helping to replace Marner in Toronto.

But the 24-year-old former Utah forward, who was a frequent healthy scratch with the Mammoth last season, has a top-line role next to Auston Matthews. If he can be the playmaker he was two seasons ago in Arizona and retain this spot, Maccelli should clear his previous career high in points (57) even if he doesn’t reach the offensive heights of Marner’s years with the Leafs.

The Rangers didn’t want to pay Miller for potential, so they traded the restricted free agent to Carolina, where he signed an eight-year, $60 million deal.

Outside of Florida, no other NHL team has been as adept at leveling up acquired defensemen from other organizations — a credit to coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system and the work of assistant coach Tim Gleason, whose focus is on the blue line.

Miller’s offensive game dropped sharply over the past two seasons. He’ll be positioned to find it again in Carolina — and fulfill the rest of his potential.

Peterka landed on fans’ radars via NHL trade deadline boards, as the pending restricted free agent’s name was circulated last season. Now, fans know him as one of the most significant acquisitions of the nascent Utah Mammoth, who traded Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring to Buffalo for Peterka, 23, before signing him to a five-year, $38 million contract this offseason.

Peterka already had a plum gig in Buffalo, skating next to star center Tage Thompson. How much higher can Peterka’s numbers climb on a line with the explosive Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther on Utah’s top line?

GM Bill Zito has been fond of Tarasov’s potential since Zito’s time as an assistant general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Tarasov was the primary backup to Elvis Merzlikins for the past two seasons before his rights were traded to the Panthers in June.

The Stanley Cup champs lost Vítek Vanecek to Utah in free agency, and traded Spencer Knight to Chicago last season, creating a need to find a backup for and potential successor to Sergei Bobrovsky. Enter Tarasov, who goes from the 24th team in five-on-five defense to the fourth-best squad in the NHL.

If it’s ever going to happen for Tarasov, it’ll happen in Florida behind that system and with Roberto Luongo’s goaltending department to rely on.

When asked about what he wants people to say about him after Year 1 in Philly, Zegras told ESPN: “I want them to go from saying ‘he’s good at hockey’ to ‘he’s a hockey player.'”

Having the support and structure of coach Rick Tocchet should help. But Zegras said to recapture the magic he had when he started his career in Anaheim, he needs to have fun again.

Playing center on a line with Matvei Michkov would help him find his hockey joie de vivre.

Tier 2: New sidekicks

These players could thrive with new linemates.

Benson played a bit with Tage Thompson last season in Buffalo, but is expected to start the season with the Sabres’ top offensive player and Josh Norris, the center they acquired from the Ottawa Senators for Dylan Cozens last season.

The results last season were promising for Benson, 20, entering his third NHL season. If he earns the right to replace Peterka with Thompson, Benson could really pop offensively this season.

Carlsson appeared in this tier last season, but he is here again thanks to Chris Kreider, who was acquired from the New York Rangers in June, waiving his trade protection to join the Ducks. He had 326 goals and 256 points in 883 career games with the Blueshirts, but that output cratered last season because of injuries: just 22 goals and 8 assists in 68 games.

A relatively healthy Kreider, 34, could have an impact on both ends of the ice for Carsson, a 6-3 center who had 20 goals and 25 assists in 76 games for Anaheim last season, his second after being selected second overall in 2023.

Chris Kreider’s loss is Will Cuylle’s gain. Cuylle, 23, moved up to the Rangers’ top line this season with new captain J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, Kreider’s longtime linemate.

Cuylle had 20 goals and 25 assists in 82 games last season, playing the kind of blunt physical style that immediately endeared him to fans in his first two NHL seasons. That would seem to fit well with Miller’s production as a top-line center.

Not many players finished stronger than rookie Goncalves last season. The rookie had 18 points in his final 33 games in 2024-25, and then added four more points in five playoff games for Tampa Bay.

He has earned the right to see copious amounts of time with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel on the team’s second line this season. In limited minutes together last season, that trio generated a 63% expected goals rate.

With Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov out for considerable periods of time, the Panthers will look for some offensive solutions from within.

One of them will be Samoskevich, the 22-year-old winger drafted 24th in 2021.

He had 15 goals and 16 assists in 72 games last season for the Stanley Cup champions, skating 13:19 per game. Already, he had two assists on opening night for Florida.

Seeing him have an increased role — and more famous linemates — isn’t out of the question with the short-handed Panthers.

Tier 3: Young star to superstar

You might already know these names. Get ready to hear them a lot more.

Dorofeyev was already slated for this tier before his opening night hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings. But that effort underscored what the 24-year-old can bring to the Golden Knights this season after breaking out with 35 goals in 82 games during 2025-26.

He’s one of the purest shooters on the roster, with a 13.8% shooting percentage on 254 shots last season.

Gauthier goes from the rookie tier to closing in on stardom with the Ducks this season. He had 20 goals and 24 assists in 82 games last season, almost all of them at even strength.

With increased power-play time and a more effective man advantage — Anaheim was a league-worst 11.8% on the power play last season — those numbers could increase dramatically.

“Who is Jackson LaCombe?” was one of the most frequently asked questions from casual NHL fans in the past few months, after his surprise invite to the U.S. Olympic Hockey Orientation Camp and his signing an eight-year, $72 million contract extension earlier this month.

After this season, everyone might know his name: The 24-year-old defenseman had 12 goals and 29 assists in 75 games last season. Though he spent the majority of his time with bruising veteran Radko Gudas, it’d be fun to see him have more time next to fellow youngster Olen Zellweger this season.

Perfetti is our only holdover from last season’s third tier. His season was impressive, with 18 goals and 32 assists in 82 games for the NHL’s best regular-season team. But he hadn’t quite reached the ubiquity of a true breakout yet.

His season has gotten off to a bumpy start, as Perfetti opens the campaign on injured reserve because of an ankle injury. But when he returns, he should be on the Jets’ second scoring line.

Stankoven was the key player coming back to Carolina from Dallas in the Mikko Rantanen trade. Stankoven had shown to be a tenacious, if undersized, forward for the Stars after scoring 12 goals during his rookie season.

The Hurricanes are hoping he can fill a critical hole in their lineup at second-line center.

The addition of Nikolaj Ehlers on the Canes’ top line means that Andrei Svechnikov will shift down to the second line, likely across from promising winger Jackson Blake. If Stankoven clicks with them, it’s good news for Carolina and for those waiting for the 22-year-old forward’s true breakout.

Tier 4: The wait is over

Players we’ve been waiting to see break out that finally will.

At some point, Clarke is a going to force the Kings to take the training wheels off him. The 6-2 defenseman, drafted eighth overall in 2021, had 33 points in 78 games last season in 16:17 of average ice time.

He was on the plus side of shot attempts, shots created and expected goals percentage relative to his teammates last season. He’s always been the future of their blue line. Increasingly, that future is now.

Jackets fans have anticipated the moment when Jet Greaves takes flight and takes over the Columbus crease from incumbent Elvis Merzlikins. He was brilliant in 11 games last season, going 7-2-2 with a .938 save percentage and 14.5 (!) goals saved above expected.

He got the opening start for Columbus this week. It could be the first of many this season for the 24-year-old, who signed with the Jackets in 2022 as an undrafted free agent.

Kasper was set up for success in his rookie season, spending a good portion of his season (273 minutes) with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond on the team’s top line. For an encore, Kasper will be asked to drive his own line this season, potentially in the middle of Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane.

That line actually produced strong defensive results (1.2 goals against per 60 minutes) last season to go along with its offensive pop.

Blackhawks fans probably exhaled a bit — as did a certain Chicago center drafted first overall in 2023 — when Nazar rolled to nine points in his last eight games and then 12 points in Team USA’s history-making win at the IIHF world championships.

Connor Bedard needs all the help he can get. Nazar enters the 2025-26 season as the team’s No. 2 center, driving a line that can help take the pressure off the phenom in the Windy City.

Savoie was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in July 2024 in the Ryan McLeod trade, and percolated with the Bakersfield Condors last season.

As the Oilers seek low-cost, high-talent players to populate around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Savoie fits the template after a solid playmaking in the AHL.

He was drafted in 2022. This is finally the moment for the rookie make his mark after only playing five NHL games before this season.

Overlooked thanks to the Calder-nominated season from first overall pick Macklin Celebrini was an outstanding rookie campaign from his linemate Smith. The fourth overall pick in 2023, Smith had 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 74 games for the Sharks, skating to a minus-15.

They should pair up again on the Sharks’ top line. Given the expectations around Celebrini taking another leap in points production, Smith should jump right with him.

Tier 5: Rookie sensations

First-year players who aren’t waiting for their breakout.

Once the goalie of the future in Nashville, the Sharks acquired Askarov in August 2024 as their new hope between the pipes. The majority of his action was with the AHL Barracuda last season, but the 13 games he played in San Jose were sold: Askarov was the only Sharks goalie to finish on the positive side of goals saved above expected outside of Mackenzie Blackwood.

It’s expected that the 23-year-old rookie could get most of the starts for coach Ryan Warsofsky’s team this season.

The preseason favorite to win the Calder Trophy, Demidov arrived in the NHL late last season after having been a human highlight reel in the KHL.

A creative puck-handler and explosive offensive talent, the Canadiens are relying on him to provide goal-scoring spark for a team that was 17th in goals per game last season.

The 24-year-old made his NHL debut last postseason, appearing in four playoff games for the Hurricanes.

At 6-3 and around 220 pounds, he’s a ferocious hitter who could become one of the league’s best young defenseman if his offensive game blossoms.

A terrific puck-moving defenseman with a great hockey IQ. The anticipation is that Buium, 19, could become the Wild’s power-play quarterback before too long.

The Wild have him partnered up with steady veteran Jared Spurgeon to start.

If he sticks around rather than being sent back to the OHL, Parekh has the stuff to be one of the best young offensive defensemen in the NHL.

And one hopes he does stick around, because what does a defenseman who had 107 points in 61 games last season have left to prove?

Snuggerud gave the Blues a nice preview at the end of last season with four points in seven games after his career at the University of Minnesota was over.

The son of former NHLer Dave Snuggerud, the playmaking winger should bolster the Blues’ secondary scoring.

The 6-4 defenseman is going to have a big role this season in Chicago, playing top-pairing minutes and getting a chance to run the Blackhawks’ top power play.

The first overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft, Schaefer is an elite offense-driving defenseman with his passing and his skating. The fact that he’s going to bring a bit of charisma to the Islanders too is the cherry on top.

The 24-year-old earned a spot here not only for some tantalizing moments as a Canuck, but for his opening night shutout in Madison Square Garden.

Silovs was named one of Team Latvia’s first six players for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

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Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado named Nobel Peace Prize winner

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October 10, 2025

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Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado named Nobel Peace Prize winner

Venezuelan opposition leader and pro-democracy campaigner Maria Corina Machado has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The committee praised her for “tireless work promoting democratic rights… and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy”.

It said she had resisted death threats and been forced into hiding in her fight against President Nicolas Maduro – widely considered a dictator.

“When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,” Nobel added.

The committee said Ms Machado had stayed in Venezuela despite personal risk, calling it a “choice that has inspired millions of people”.

“Democracy depends on people who refuse to stay silent, who dare to step forward despite grave risk,” it said.

Maria Corina Machado at a protest in January - but she's now said to be in hiding. Pic: Reuters
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Maria Corina Machado at a protest in January – but she’s now said to be in hiding. Pic: Reuters

Nobel called her a 'key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided'. Pic: AP
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Nobel called her a ‘key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided’. Pic: AP

There was speculation Donald Trump had an outside chance despite nominations closing less then two weeks after he started his second term.

The president claims he has stopped seven wars since then – an assertion widely disputed – and last month said “everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also put the president’s name forward for the award in July.

The White House criticised the Nobel Prize committee’s decision on Friday.

“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will,” spokesman Steven Cheung said in a post on X.

“The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.”

Nina Graeger, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, told Sky News if Mr Trump’s Gaza peace deal leads to “a lasting and sustainable peace… the committee would almost certainly have to take that into serious consideration in next year’s deliberations”.

‘Extraordinary example of courage’

Ms Machado, 58, was lauded by the Nobel committee as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times”.

Her candidacy for last year’s election was blocked by the regime but she backed Edmundo Gonzalez, the leader of another party.

Opposition groups organised hundreds of thousands of volunteers to observe voting, despite risks to their safety, and ensured tallies were recorded “before the regime could destroy ballots and lie about the outcome”, added the Nobel committee.

President Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, claimed a third term despite exit polls pointing to a decisive opposition win.

He said his re-election was a triumph of peace and stability and claimed the electoral system was transparent.

President Maduro attended President Putin's Victory Day in Moscow this year. Pic: AP
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President Maduro attended President Putin’s Victory Day in Moscow this year. Pic: AP

Ms Machado disputed the result and said Edmundo Gonzalez had recorded an “overwhelming” victory.

The country’s highest court upheld the result but the UN said it wasn’t impartial or independent.

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state at the time, said America had “serious concerns”, while the UK said it was “concerned by allegations of serious irregularities in the counting”.

Nobel said Ms Machado first stood up for free and fair elections more than 20 years ago, when she called for “ballots over bullets”, and had campaigned on issues such as judicial independence and human rights.

Trump could be contender next year despite ‘divisive’ policies

As the announcement about who would win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize grew closer, one voice rose above the rest. Donald Trump has made no bones about the fact he would like to win the prize.

More than that, he’s said repeatedly that he deserves to win the accolade for the seven conflicts he claims to have ended. Ahead of today’s announcement, the White House said he had received seven nominations.

But as is so often the case, the spin ignores the facts. The deadline for nominations for this year’s award was at the end of January.

That meant Donald Trump had just 11 days in office to prove he was deserving.

Love him or hate him, that’s a challenge for anyone. In terms of the nominations he did receive, many of them were announced after the deadline.

Unfortunately, under Nobel Peace Prize rules we will have to wait 50 years to officially find out if he was among the 338 nominees.

In his will, founder Alfred Nobel stated the winner should be “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses”.

Trump’s critics point to the strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, the blowing up of “narco” boats in the Caribbean and even tariffs as doing more to sow division than unity.

His immigration raids and his deployment of National Guard troops onto some of the country’s streets have also been divisive domestically.

While Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado scooped the 2025 award, all is not lost for the US president; if his 20-point peace plan helps lead to a lasting ceasefire he could well be in the running next year.

Read more from Sky News:
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More than 450 drones attack Ukraine energy sites – Zelenskyy

The committee painted a bleak picture of Ms Machado’s home country, saying many in Venezuela – which has the world’s largest oil reserves – live in serious poverty after it went from a “relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal, authoritarian state”.

“The violent machinery of the state is directed against the country’s own citizens,” it said, noting about eight million people had left the country – many of them heading north to try to enter America.

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Heybike Ranger 3.0 Pro review: 28 MPH foldable fat-tire e-bike with full-suspension comfort

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October 10, 2025

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Heybike Ranger 3.0 Pro review: 28 MPH foldable fat-tire e-bike with full-suspension comfort


I’ve tested a lot of folding fat-tire e-bikes over the years, and while many start to blend together, the Heybike Ranger 3.0 Pro managed to stand out with a thoughtful combination of design, comfort, and surprising feature upgrades. This is a beefy, full-suspension folder that feels more like a mini-adventure bike than a commuter machine – and I mean that in a good way.

Heybike Ranger 3.0 Pro video review

Want to see what it’s like to take a spin on this fun, fully-suspended ride? Check out my video review below.

Heybike Ranger 3.0 Pro tech specs

  • Motor: 750W rear hub motor
  • Top speed: 28 mph (pedal assist), 20 mph (throttle)
  • Battery: 48V 15Ah (Samsung cells)
  • Range: 55 miles (claimed), ~40 miles real-world
  • Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes
  • Tires: 20” x 4.0” fat tires
  • Suspension: Front hydraulic fork + rear shock
  • Extras: Color LCD display, LED head & tail lights with turn signals, full-suspension, smartphone app connectivity, passcode and NFC chip theft protection, and included fenders & rear rack, UL 2849 certification, and IP65 water resistant
  • Price: $1,499

Built for comfort, ready for (almost) anything

Right off the bat, what struck me most was the comfort. The Ranger 3.0 Pro is rocking a dual suspension setup, with a hydraulic front fork and a rear shock that actually does its job – something I can’t say for all folding e-bikes. Combined with those big ol’ 20×4.0 inch fat tires, you’re looking at a ride that soaks up potholes, curbs, and trail bumps like a champ. In fact, I probably could have been fine with 20×3.0 inch tires for the extra agility, but the 4-inch tires do add even extra cushion.

Whether I was cruising around the city or taking a detour through a grassy park, I felt like I was nearly gliding, or at least as much as a modestly priced full-suspension e-bike can give you that feeling. The 750W rear hub motor had plenty of torque to get me up hills, and the 28 mph top speed on pedal assist (20 mph on throttle) made it feel more like a moped than a bicycle.

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Of course those are just the compliance numbers, and the real ‘peak’ power is 1,200W which helps explains why the bike feels more than powerful enough for the type of everday adventures most of us get up to.

Smart looks and smarter features

Design-wise, Heybike gets a thumbs up here. The frame is sleek and hides the wiring well, and the finish on my test unit looked just as good. The fold is solid – tight enough to toss in a trunk, but still robust enough to feel planted while riding.

Of course, the 75 lb (34 kg) bike doesn’t do you any favors with heft when it comes time to fold, and you’re still lifting half of that weight up to fold the bike in half. But at least the folding mechanisms are about as smooth as they can be.

Under the hood, the Samsung battery cells powering the 48V 15Ah battery give a real-world range of 40+ miles (65 km) with moderate pedaling, even if they claim a maximum range of 90 miles (145 km). The UL 2849 certification adds peace of mind, since UL-compliance is becoming increasingly important in the North American e-biek market.

Another big plus is the IP65 water resistance. That’s a step above the usual “don’t get it too wet” warnings you see on some budget folders. It’s not quite ready for powerwashing (That’d be IPX6), but at least riding through a typical rain shower shouldn’t fry your e-bike.

I also appreciated the hydraulic disc brakes and 8-speed Shimano drivetrain, which are nothing groundbreaking, but solid components that elevate the ride experience. They give you plenty of stopping and plenty of gears for us recreational riders and commuters that don’t necessarily need top shelf parts at top shelf prices.

Tech that might be too smart

The Ranger 3.0 Pro comes with some fun high-tech features, including NFC card unlocking and PIN code security via the built-in display. It’s kind of cool to feel like you’re unlocking a high-end scooter or an e-motorcycle. But after a few days of riding, I’ll admit, I just wanted to get on and go without needing to keep swiping my card.

These features aren’t bad – in fact, they’re great for people who park their bike in public places often. But for me, they felt like an extra step I had to go through each time I hopped on. I would’ve loved a simple toggle in the settings to disable them entirely if I wanted. Still, for those who value theft deterrence and geeky gadgets, they’re a win.

And speaking of the settings, there are a ton of options in there to play with, allowing you to dial in different aspects of the bike’s power delivery, speed, and other digital functions as well.

Final thoughts

At $1,499, the Heybike Ranger 3.0 Pro isn’t trying to be the cheapest fat-tire folder on the market, but it is trying to be one of the most affordable dual suspension folders in the market. And it largely succeeds, not just by scoring a low price, but by doing it while still providing decent parts and good performance. I was worried that we’d see too many corners cut, but there’s still definitely plenty of meat on these corners.

Between the dual suspension, hydraulic brakes, UL certification, and water resistance, it feels like a complete package for riders who want a comfortable, practical, and capable e-bike that folds up and fits in your life. It’s not ultra-light, and the smart security features might not be for everyone – but the overall execution makes this a strong contender in the fat-tire folding e-bike space.

Whether you’re commuting through town or heading out on weekend adventures, the Ranger 3.0 Pro delivers on comfort, performance, and peace of mind.


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