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Merck sues to head off Medicare ‘extortion’ 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

Merck is suing the federal government over a plan to negotiate Medicare drug prices, calling the program a sham equivalent to extortion.The drugmaker is seeking to halt the program, which was laid out in the Inflation Reduction Act and is expected to save taxpayers billions of dollars in the coming years.Merck said in a complaint filed Tuesday that the program does not involve genuine negotiation.Instead, it said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services selects drugs to be included and then dictates the price, threatening drugmakers with “a ruinous daily excise tax” if they decline to agree.“It is tantamount to extortion,” the drugmaker said in the complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.The Rahway, New Jersey-based drugmaker added that it expects its diabetes treatment Januvia to be part of “the IRA’s scheme” starting later this year.Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said i...

Sheriff probes self-defense claim of white woman who fatally shot Black neighbor in front of kids

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — Authorities came under intense pressure Tuesday to arrest and charge a white woman who killed a Black neighbor on her front doorstep in a case that has put Florida’s divisive stand your ground law back into the spotlight. About three dozen mostly Black protesters gathered outside the Marion County Judicial Center to demand that the shooter be arrested in the country’s latest flashpoint over race and gun violence.A 35-year-old mother of four, Ajike Owens, was killed in the Friday night shooting that Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said was the culmination of a 2 1/2-year feud between neighbors. The women lived in a neighborhood in north Florida, in the rolling hills south of Ocala, known as the state’s horse country. On Tuesday, a stuffed teddy bear and bouquets of flowers marked the area near where Owens was shot. Nearby, children were riding bikes and scooters, and playing basketball. Protesters chanted “No justice, no peace” and “A.J. A.J. A.J” using Owe...

Johnston decries ‘false’ claims, as hearings on foreign meddling to begin next month

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

OTTAWA — A rift continues to grow between federal opposition parties and former governor general David Johnston, who insists he will not let the politicization of foreign interference and what he described as false claims deter him from his work.He says reforms are urgently needed to address “serious shortcomings” in how the Liberal government deals with the flow of intelligence regarding bad foreign actors. Johnston, whom Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed to investigate alleged meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, appeared before a parliamentary committee Tuesday for a marathon three hours of testimony.He urged all parliamentarians to focus on facts to help improve democracy for Canadians.“We hope to devote ourselves to have as much light as possible on the key issue: how is our system working? From our report: not at all well,” Johnston said, citing his first report on foreign interference released last month. The second part of his mandat...

Judge rejects attempt to block new Washington state gun restrictions

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a request to block a new Washington state law banning the sale of certain semi-automatic rifles, one of three measures recently signed by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee in an effort to reduce gun violence.The law, which took effect immediately when Inslee signed it in April, prohibits the sale, distribution, manufacture and importation of more than 50 types of guns, including AR- and AK-style rifles. The measure does not bar the possession of such weapons by people who already have them.It drew a quick legal challenge from two gun-rights advocacy groups — the Second Amendment Foundation, based in Bellevue, and the Firearms Policy Coalition, based in Sacramento, California — as well as individual gun owners and a dealer. They sought a court order blocking the law pending a trial on the merits of their claim that it violated their constitutional right to bear arms.“Considering the exceptional dangerousness of these weapons, the public int...

Rogers hoping all telecommunication companies will sign on for TTC cell service

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

TTC riders may be one step closer to full underground cell service after Rogers took over the project a few months ago.The company said it has prepared a framework to reach agreements with all the major telecommunications companies, but so far, questions remain about whether Bell, Telus and Quebecor will play ball.Torontonians are very familiar with the frantic rush to make that final phone call before entering the subway tunnels. That is currently the case for everyone but Freedom Mobile users.Freedom was the only carrier to sign on with BAI communications, the company originally tapped to build the TTC cell network. Rogers is currently in the process of buying BAI and said it is confident it can be the one to convince all carriers to get on board.The company has proposed a “framework to reach agreements with all carriers in a timely manner to join the network under commercially reasonable terms,” and have shared it with the Federal Minister of Industry.“What Roge...

Prince Harry’s drug use cited in push to release visa records by conservative US group

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The past drug use that Prince Harry detailed in his explosive memoir should spark the release of his immigration paperwork, a conservative American think tank argued in a Washington court Tuesday as they appealed to a judge for a quicker response a records request the U.S. government has so far deemed private. The hearing played out, coincidently, as the Duke of Sussex himself testified London in another lawsuit he filed against British newspapers. In Washington, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols told the Heritage Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security to work on the speed of the response, and he would rule if they could not reach an agreement on their own. Harry moved to Southern California with his wife Meghan Markle and their young family in 2020 after they left royal life and embarked on new projects, including the release of his memoir “Spare” in January.The book’s myriad revelations included an exploration of Harry’s grief after the death of his mo...

More ‘Law & Order,’ less ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ for upcoming Citytv lineup

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

TORONTO — Citytv detailed a fall schedule heavy on reality, franchises and U.S. imports. A look:GRIP ON REALITYCitytv touted the lead-in strength of fall reality shows including ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” on Mondays and ABC’s “Bachelor in Paradise” on Tuesdays, and pumped up plans for its mid-season competition series, “Canada’s Got Talent,” which debuts a $1-million prize for its third outing.An executive for parent company Rogers Sports and Media said the bigger purse seems to have already elevated the quality of applicants.“The million dollar prize is huge. I think it’s the biggest prize in Canadian television history. It’s just a demonstration of how much we believe in the show,” TV boss Hayden Mindell said.Mindell also endorsed the addition of ABC’s “The Golden Bachelor” to its reality stable, an older-skewing spinoff described as a dating series for seniors.“Golden Bachelo...

London Irish becomes 3rd team banished from England’s top rugby league amid financial crisis

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The financial crisis gripping English club rugby claimed another victim Tuesday when London Irish was suspended from the entire league structure for missing its latest deadline to pay staff and players.Worcester Warriors and Wasps have already been banished from the English Premiership over the past years for financial reasons, meaning the top division is set to become a 10-team competition.The Rugby Football Union said neither the current owner of London Irish, Mick Crossan, nor an American consortium planning to buy the club were able to prove they had the finances to compete in the top flight for the 2023-24 campaign.The outstanding 50% of May’s payroll owed to staff and players was not paid before the final deadline set by the RFU of 4 p.m. UK time on Tuesday.Given the failure of the takeover and Crossan’s intent to stop bankrolling the club, London Irish’s prospects for survival as a professional outfit appear extremely bleak, with more than 100 staff member...

Judge rules Oakbrook Terrace must remove red light cameras near mall

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

DUPAGE COUNTY, Ill.  — A DuPage County judge has ruled that the red light cameras near Oak Brook Mall at the intersection of Route 83 and 22 Street, must be removed.  The Illinois Department of Transportation ordered the de-activation of the controversial cameras last summer due to fairness and safety complaints. The Village of Oakbrook Terrace sued, arguing that IDOT overstepped its authority, however. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Red light cameras at busy intersection in Oakbrook Terrace reactivatedOn May 26, the same judge that allowed the cameras to be re-activated until the case was decided ruled that IDOT did have the right to revoke the permit for the red light cameras on Oak Brook's border. Days later, on June 5, the same judge issued a ruling denying Oakbrook Terrace’s request to have the order stayed.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesOakbrook Terrace has accrued millions of dollars in ticket revenue since installing the cameras in 2017. The city will appeal.

Ex-Southwest Airlines agent charged with fraud in voucher-selling scheme at Midway

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:12:36 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — A former Southwest Airlines customer-service agent has been indicted and charged with fraud for allegedly making and selling travel vouchers worth nearly $1.9 million.Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that DaJuan Martin was working at Chicago’s Midway Airport when he filled out the vouchers with phony names, then sold them to others including a co-defendant, Ned Brooks, at less than face value.In an indictment handed down Monday, Martin, 36, of Bolingbrook, Illinois, was charged with 12 counts of wire fraud. Brooks, 46, of Chicago, was charged with four counts of wire fraud. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.Martin worked for Southwest between November 2018 and June 2022. As a customer service agent, he had authority to issue vouchers to customers who experienced service problems. Brooks and others would send Martin text messages when they wanted vouchers, according to the indictment.Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesProsecutors are seeking for...