Government

NPR reports: The Food and Drug Administration has fully approved the first drug shown to slow down Alzheimer’s disease. The action means that Leqembi, whose generic name is lecanemab, should be widely covered by the federal Medicare health insurance program, which primarily serves adults age 65 and older. So more people who are in the early stages of the disease …

The Washington Post reports: Fake reviews are ruining the web. But there’s some new hope to fight them. The Federal Trade Commission on Friday proposed new rules to take aim at businesses that buy, sell and manipulate online reviews. If the rules are approved, they’ll carry a big stick: a fine of up to $50,000 for each fake review, for …

CNBC reports: The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday sued Amazon, alleging the nation’s dominant online retailer intentionally duped millions of consumers into signing up for its mainstay Prime program and “sabotaged” their attempts to cancel. The agency claims Amazon violated the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act by using so-called dark patterns, or deceptive design tactics meant …

Roll Call reports: Lawmakers are beginning to consider ways in which artificial intelligence systems are involved in inventive processes like discovery of new drugs, and how the use of such technologies affects what is, and is not, patentable. The issue is fast becoming critical because U.S. law allows patents to be issued only to human inventors, whereas technologists and scientists …

CNN reports: A team of federal investigators has begun a probe into the tanker truck fire that led to the collapse of an Interstate 95 overpass in Philadelphia, leaving a portion of the East Coast’s primary highway with major damage that could take months to repair. Investigators are on scene monitoring the emergency response, as crews sift through rubble to …

The New York Times reports: After weeks of political impasse, tense negotiations and mounting economic anxiety, the Senate gave final approval on Thursday night to bipartisan legislation suspending the debt limit and imposing new spending caps, sending it to President Biden and ending the possibility of a calamitous government default. The approval by the Senate on a 63-to-36 vote brought …

CBS News reports: The House has passed legislation to suspend the debt ceiling and limit spending, as time runs short to avoid a catastrophic default. The bill will still need to pass the Senate. A majority of Democrats and a majority of Republicans voted “yes” on the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 on Wednesday night, for a final tally of …

Via press release from the FDA: A single mistake can prove fatal. We continue to receive reports of people dying or being severely injured after consuming poppers that resemble, and often mistaken for, popular energy shots. Drinking or inhaling poppers seriously jeopardizes your health. Health care providers are reporting increases in deaths and hospitalizations related to intentional ingestion or inhalation …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Treasury Department reiterated Monday it expects to be able to pay the U.S. government’s bills only through June 1 without a debt limit increase, leaving just 10 days for White House negotiators and congressional Republicans to reach a deal. In her third letter to Congress in three weeks, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said it was “highly …

NBC News reports: A bipartisan bill set to be unveiled Thursday by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., would block members of Congress from getting paid if the U.S. enters debt default or if the government shuts down. The No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act, shared in advance with NBC News, would withhold lawmakers’ pay …

The Associated reports: President Joe Biden and congressional leaders will likely resume talks on Tuesday at the White House over the debt limit, the President said Sunday, as the nation continues to edge closer to its legal borrowing authority with no agreement in sight. The meeting was initially supposed to be Friday, but was abruptly postponed so staff-level talks could …

Reuters reports: The United States will end its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for international travelers and federal workers on May 11, when the coronavirus public health emergency ends, the White House said on Monday. In February, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to lift the requirement that most foreign air travelers be vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the few remaining pandemic …

NBC News reports: Five environmental and cultural heritage groups are suing the Federal Aviation Administration, alleging that the agency violated the National Environment Policy Act when it allowed SpaceX to launch the largest rocket ever built from its Boca Chica, Texas facility without a comprehensive environmental review. SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy test flight on April 20 blew up the company’s …

New York City’s ABC affiliate reports: The MTA is the latest organization to take a step back from Twitter. Although the MTA will still be active on Twitter, it will no longer provide service alerts and information through the platform. “The MTA has terminated posting service information to Twitter, effective immediately, as the reliability of the platform can no longer …

Miami’s ABC affiliate reports: Good morning, Florida! Early Thursday morning, Florida residents were awoken by a loud alert on their phones. Across the state, Floridians’ phones sounded off around 4:45 a.m. The loud sound, which is usually associated with an Amber Alert or severe weather, woke millions. When residents looked at their phones, the screen read: “TEST – This is …

CNN reports: The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a nationwide ground stop for Southwest Airlines flights, citing “equipment issues.” “Southwest Airlines requested the FAA pause the airline’s departures,” the agency told CNN in a statement. Southwest Airlines reported technology issues Tuesday morning and said it would “hopefully be resuming our operation as soon as possible.” Southwest called the problem “intermittent …

CNN reports: The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the leaks of a trove of apparent US intelligence documents that were posted on social media in recent weeks. The investigation comes as new documents surfaced Friday covering everything from US support for Ukraine to information about key US allies like Israel, widening the fallout from the already alarming …

NBC News reports: The victims of the 2017 mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in which 26 were killed, have reached a “tentative agreement” with the Justice Department to settle a case against the federal government for $144.5 million. If given approval, which is expected, it would end a yearslong legal battle over a federal judge’s ruling …

Axios reports: After nearly 2,500 reports of unruly passengers on flights last year, Congress is considering a new no-fly list. Senate and House members proposed legislation Wednesday that would allow the Transportation Security Administration to ban people convicted or fined for assaulting or interfering with airline crews. The Protection from Abusive Passengers Act would prohibit individuals on the list from …

The New York Times reports: Narcan, a prescription nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses, can now be sold over the counter, the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday, authorizing a move long-sought by public health officials and treatment experts, who hope wider availability of the medicine will reduce the nation’s alarmingly high drug fatality rates. By late summer, over-the-counter …