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Make medicines affordable — without going to court

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

Tom Buis is a medicines policy expert for the NGO Wemos. Wilbert Bannenberg is chairman of the Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation.Earlier this year, the Dutch Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation filed a lawsuit against big pharma company AbbVie. According to the foundation, AbbVie made excessive profits on a medicine, and by doing so put a strain on the health care system by generating unnecessary costs.Now, AbbVie is being held to account — but this case is also a clear message to governments around the world that, ultimately, it’s their responsibility to ensure access to affordable health care and medicines.Governments can and must take control to prevent extreme drug prices.The lawsuit against AbbVie focuses on the sale of the drug Humira, which is approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. From 2004 to 2018, the Dutch public health care system spent approximately €2.3 billion on this drug. This means that after subtracting rese...

Pete Alonso falls in Home Run Derby to historic Julio Rodriguez performance; Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wins it

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

Mets star Pete Alonso met the ultimate buzzsaw at Monday’s MLB Home Run Derby, where he was quickly eliminated after a historic performance by Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez.Swinging in front of his hometown crowd at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, Rodriguez slugged a whopping 41 home runs in the first round to defeat Alonso, who hit 21. The 41 homers set a new record for a single round, but that pace proved unsustainable, and Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ultimately won the derby.Guerrero hit 25 homers in the final to beat Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena, who hit 23. The younger Guerrero follows his father, former Expos and Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero, who won the event in 2007.It’s the second consecutive year Rodriguez eliminated Alonso, who won the Home Run Derby in 2019 and 2021. The annual contest didn’t take place during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Alonso, 28, had hoped to join Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to win three Home Run Der...

Vladimir Guerrero joins Vladimir Sr. as first father-son Home Run Derby winners

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined Vladimir Sr. to become the first father-son duo to win the All-Star Home Run Derby, beating Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena 25-23 in the final round on Monday night.Guerrero defeated Julio Rodríguez 21-20 in the semifinals after the Mariners star hit a record 41 in the first round in front of his hometown fans. Batting against Blue Jays manager John Schneider, Guerrero was the last semifinalist to swing and the first finalist, setting a final round record for homers to top the mark Pete Alonso set when he beat Guerrero 23-22 in 2019.Vladimir Guerrero Sr. won the 2007 derby in San Francisco while with the Los Angeles Angels, beating the Blue Jays’ Alex Rios 3-2 in the final.With Guerrero Jr. catching his breath while watching, Arozarena hit against Tampa Bay field coordinator Tomas Francisco. Arozarena started his final 30-second segment with 21 homers and had 23 with 7 seconds left before lining and popping up on his fina...

Authorities capture slaying suspect who escaped custody while being transported in Montana

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

THOMPSON FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Authorities in western Montana have captured a Michigan slaying suspect who escaped custody over the weekend by removing his handcuffs and shackles at a gas station while being transported to face charges.Chadwick Shane Mobley was taken into custody at about 6:10 p.m. Monday in the town of Plains, the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. Mobley, 42, escaped on Sunday while being moved by a private company under contract with the U.S. Marshals Service through Plains, the sheriff’s office said.The town of about 1,000 people along the Clark Fork river is surrounded by mountains and portions of the Lolo National Forest.Local residents had been advised to remove their keys and guns from their vehicles, lock their houses and report any suspicious activity. It had been unknown if Mobley remained in the area, according to Sanders County Undersheriff Jerry Johnson.Michigan’s attorney general announced last week that Mobley would be charge...

NATO summit boosted by deal to advance Sweden’s bid to join alliance

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — NATO’s summit will begin Tuesday with fresh momentum after Turkey withdrew its objections to Sweden joining the alliance, a step toward the unity that Western leaders have been eager to demonstrate in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a significant move toward Sweden’s membership and it will alleviate tension in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital.“This is a historic day,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said late Monday as he announced the agreement following days of intensive meetings. As part of the deal, Erdogan said he would ask Turkey’s parliament to approve Sweden joining NATO. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is expected to take a similar step. The outcome is a victory for U.S. President Joe Biden as well, who has touted NATO’s expansion as an example of how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has backfired on Moscow. Finland has already become the 3...

Growing widlfire in central Washington prompts evacuations and threatens homes and farms

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

QUINCY, Wash. (AP) — Authorities in central Washington told some people to leave their homes immediately as a new, growing wildfire sparked west of Quincy on Monday afternoon. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office issued the evacuation notices for areas near the unincorporated community of Trinidad and the resort area of Crescent Bar.Washington’s Fire Marshal’s Office said in the evening said that state mobilization had been authorized for the the Baird Springs Fire, which had burned about 1.4 square miles (3.6 square kilometers) of terrain containing sage brush and crops. It was also threatening homes, orchards and a processing warehouse. The fire started at about 2:30 p.m., and the cause was under investigation.It was moving south, and State Route 28 was closed in the area because fire had burned right up to it, according to the sheriff’s office.An American Red Cross shelter was opening in Quincy. In southwest Washington, officials said, the Tunnel 5 Fire, which star...

Former NU football player speaks out after head coach Pat Fitzgerald's ousting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — Following Northwestern University head football coach Pat Fitzgerald's ouster, a former Northwestern player spoke out Monday on the toxic culture he experienced while in the program. "I had Cinco de Mayo shaved into my head," said Ramon Diaz Jr, a former offensive lineman at Northwestern from 2005-08. "Specific statements were said to me like, 'I know you grew up on dirt floors but here we try to keep things clean.'"Diaz Jr. first spoke Monday to The Daily Northwestern — the university's student-run newspaper — in which, an article published by the paper described different examples of racism experienced by three former football players at the university. He was the only player to go on record with his name, while the two other players asked to remain anonymous.Diaz Jr. said racism, like the statements he mentioned, were commonplace during his time in the program, and that removing only Fitzgerald will do little to solve the problems that he and others experienced."...

Check your tickets: Winning numbers drawn for $680.8M Powerball jackpot

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - The Powerball jackpot has once again reached a record level, hitting an estimated $680.8 million ahead of Monday's drawing. If a ticket (or tickets) matches the numbers below, this will be the ninth-largest prize in the lottery game's history. The winning numbers drawn Monday were: 2, 24, 34, 53, 58, and red Powerball 13. The Power Play multiplier was 2X.Before the drawing, officials estimated the jackpot to be $675 million. It increased slightly during the day, reaching an estimated $680.8 million at the time of the drawing.The current jackpot has been growing since mid-April when someone in Ohio won the $252.6 million prize. Monday is the 35th consecutive drawing in this jackpot series. Real or fraud? How the winner of a large Powerball jackpot is confirmed Should there be a winner from Monday's drawing, the jackpot will rank as the ninth-largest in game history, coming in just behind a $687.8 million grand prize won in 2018. There were two winning tickets for that ...

Round Rock Express coach continuing diverse, meaningful baseball journey

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — When Demetre Kokoris attended the University of South Carolina, he thought a career in the front office of baseball may be in the future. He worked as a student manager for the Gamecocks baseball team and hasn't looked back from the coaching route since."I started right away like 22, 23 years old as a grad assistant at Cal State Fullerton. Now I'm 39, turning 40 this year. That's not scary at all," Kokoris said with a smile.MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like these, and sign up for our More than the Score sports newsletter at kxan.com/newslettersNow with the Round Rock Express as the bullpen coach, Kokoris is on his 17th stop of coaching and working in the sport he loves. From working in junior college baseball in Oregon to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, every stop has been valuable."Each stop along the way, there were opportunities to kind of master a different skillset," said Kokoris. "I think that's kind of what those levels...

'How did this happen?' Questions linger as to how Michael Burham escaped

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:30:30 GMT

WARREN, Pa. (WIVB) — It has been nearly five days since accused murderer and rapist Michael Burham escaped from the Warren County Jail. Although some evidence has been found, law enforcement leaders admitted on Monday they're no closer to knowing where he is.Pennsylvania State Police describe Burham as armed and dangerous days after he escaped from jail in Warren. A "self-taught survivalist", the search area in the manhunt has expanded significantly and other states are on alert. Authorities believe he is still in Warren. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "How did this happen? I heard that the Sheriff said that he was embarrassed. Well, he should be embarrassed," Bernie Tolbert, former special agent in charge with the FBI in Buffalo, told News 4.On Monday, the prison board in Warren held a meeting behind closed doors to figure out how Burham was able to get out. During his mandated recreational time, Burham escaped through th...