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On Wednesday, a bicameral group of Republican and Democrat lawmakers held a press conference discussing the need for pharmacy benefit manager reform to protect small pharmacies across the country and “save lives.” “Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or an independent, we all want the same thing. We want accessible, affordable, quality health care,” said Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga. “We’re not here today to just discuss one bill or to discuss just one patient’s story. We're here because there's broad, bipartisan pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, reform that is needed to save lives.” Pharmacy benefit managers are the middlemen responsible for managing the drug prices covered by health insurance plans. According to the Harvard Political Review , the problem with pharmacy benefit managers is that they “have vertically integrated with pharmacy chains and health insurers through massive conglomerates.” That then allows them to abuse their power to cut out small pharmacies and increase prices. Carter also signed a letter that was released last week calling on the Department of Justice to dig into the role pharmacy benefit managers played in the opioid epidemic. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Deborah Ross, D-N.C., and Cliff Benz, R-Ore., all joined him in signing that letter. “The opioid crisis has devastated communities in North Carolina and across the country, and PBMs may have fueled it by prioritizing profits over people,” Ross said on social media . “That’s why I joined a letter calling on the DOJ to investigate their role and hold these bad actors accountable.” The letter looked at recent reports on the largest pharmacy benefit managers, CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx which state that they “colluded and conspired to steer patients towards OxyContin in exchange for $400 million.” OxyContin is a trade name for the narcotic oxycodone hydrochloride, a painkiller available by prescription only. This and the general “lack of transparency” is just one of the many complaints that legislators aired on Wednesday. “My colleagues who are joining me today, Democrats and Republicans ... all recognize that PBMs are decreasing the accessibility, the affordability, and therefore the quality of health care in America,” Carter said. “We have an opportunity, right now, to advance bipartisan legislation that increases reporting requirements, which would heighten transparency and shine a light on the opaque practices of these PBMs.” Carter was also joined by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who is leading the effort to get legislation passed in the U.S. Senate. “This year, we're losing about one pharmacy a day in America,” Lankford said. “We want leadership to be able to take this up and to bring it up in the end-of-year package ... Stop holding up legislation that is bipartisan, bicameral, and solving a problem that Americans need solved.”
Congressional bicameral team pushes for insurance, pharmaceutical reform
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OpenAI, the AI model maker that , is partnering with Anduril, a military contractor, the two companies announced Wednesday. As part of the partnership, OpenAI will integrate its software into Anduril’s counterdrone systems, which detect and take down drones. It’s OpenAI’s first partnership with a defense contractor — and a significant reversal of its earlier stance towards the military. OpenAI’s terms of service once banned “military and warfare” use of its technology, but it softened its position on military use earlier this year, in January to remove the proscription. “OpenAI builds AI to benefit as many people as possible, and supports U.S.-led efforts to ensure the technology upholds democratic values,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a . “Our partnership with Anduril will help ensure OpenAI technology protects U.S. military personnel, and will help the national security community understand and responsibly use this technology to keep our citizens safe and free.” As the notes, Anduril — currently valued at $14 billion — has a $200 million counterdrone systems contract with the Marine Corps. But OpenAI won’t just benefit financially from its Anduril partnership; it also stands to gain political clout. Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey was an early supporter of president-elect Donald Trump, and also has ties to Elon Musk, one of the heads of the still-nebulous (and still nonexistent) . And the America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think-tank working closely with the Trump transition team, has proposed that to create a new “Manhattan Project” for defense. /‘None of these are radical’: Elisabeth Armitage delivers 35 recommendations following coronial inquest into DFSV deaths in the NT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three lawmakers are asking Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to consider re-grounding the military’s fleet of V-22 Ospreys until solutions can be put in place to address safety and design issues identified by The Associated Press in its recent in-depth investigation of the aircraft’s accident record. In a letter sent to the Pentagon on Monday, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and Rep. Richard Neal, all Democrats from Massachusetts, wrote to Austin that “given the current concerns about the safety of the V-22, the aircraft should be grounded, and should not be deployed again until the platform’s significant deficiencies are fully addressed." The Osprey, which flies like both a helicopter and an airplane, has been in more than 21 major accidents, many of which can be tied back to choices made in its design , the AP found. The whole fleet was grounded for three months this year following a deadly crash in Japan in November 2023 that killed eight service members, including one from Massachusetts. Ospreys, which are operated by the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps and used in the presidential fleet, have now returned to flight operations, with some restrictions. Osprey pilots have told the AP they do not want to see the aircraft grounded, despite safety concerns, because of its unique capabilities. Program officials have said they are working on fixes to improve the V-22s safety and reliability. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. The lawmakers also cited the AP's reporting that pilots are having to push the V-22's “interim power” feature to be able to land safely — but are advised against it because it can wear down parts. Interim power was a factor in the most recent accident in October when a Japanese self-defense forces Osprey violently tilted and struck the ground on takeoff. An investigation determined the pilots were to blame for not turning on the interim power during takeoff. “The reality for pilots is that they have to push the aircraft to its limits to stay safe,” the lawmakers wrote. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. READ:Second Lieutenant Madison Marsh was crowned Miss America in 2024. (USAF via SWNS) By Dean Murray Miss America Madison Marsh - also a U.S. Air Force 2nd lieutenant - has reflected on her year in the role. A potential Top Gun-style aviator, with a coveted place to train as a fighter pilot, the 23-year-old has had a busy 12 months since winning the title in January. The Arkansas native has spent months traveling the country inspiring women and advocating for military careers while pursuing her Master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University . However, in an interview this month, Madison has reaffirmed her heart is in the Air Force. Speaking about her early dream to be an astronaut, it was the positive influence of the Air Force that eventually enamored her to the military branch. (Miriam Thurber/USAF via SWNS) Madison said: "The thing that started it all was actually space camp. And I got to see the stars for the very first time, like without any light pollution and started talking to these people about space camp ended up going. "When I met these astronauts, I had heard so much about the military and how almost all of them were retired military fighter pilots, test pilots and I knew that was something that I wanted to do. "You know, my goals have kind of changed over the past couple of years because my entire path in entering the military started because I wanted to be an astronaut, and now I no longer want to be an astronaut. "So it always left me with the question of why am I staying? Because if that dream has changed, what am I here for? And ultimately, it was because of the people that I've gotten to have. "People are the most important thing in my entire life. And the fact that the Air Force, wherever I've gone, I have found family and friends and people that are going to take care of me. 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh, crowned Miss America 2024, poses at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Miriam Thurber/USAF via SWNS) "And to be honest, I don't really feel like that in any other job or role that I've gotten to have. The Air Force and the people in it are always going to have my back. And I think that's such a beautiful thing. "When looking at a mission that is so much bigger than yourself and also having that family component of people that are always going to have your back." From a young age, Madison had a love of science and a dream to be a pilot and astronaut. Her parents encouraged her dreams, sending her to Space Camp when she was 13 years old where she met astronauts and fighter pilots. Around that time, she learned about the United States Air Force Academy. At 15 years old, she started flying lessons earning her pilot’s license two years later and then began to work towards her goal of becoming a cadet. (Miriam Thurber/USAF via SWNS) Madison was crowned Miss Colorado in May 2023, just before graduating from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) and commissioning as an Air Force Officer. Currently, she is in a master’s degree program at the Harvard Kennedy School through the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Civilian Institution Programs. However, Miss America still has the option to attend undergraduate pilot training once she completes her studies. Madison also honors her mother Whitney, who died from pancreatic cancer in 2018, when Madison was just 17 years old. She dedicates her time in the spotlight to raising awareness about pancreatic cancer, both through the founding of the Whitney Marsh Foundation and through supporting the PanCAN charity's initiatives.NCino: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot