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The Major Supreme Court Cases of 2024No Supreme Court term in recent memory has featured so many cases with the potential to transform American society. In 2015, the Supreme Court limited the sweep of the statute at issue in the case, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. In 2023, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked efforts to severely curb access to the pill, mifepristone, as an appeal moved forward. A series of Supreme Court decisions say that making race the predominant factor in drawing voting districts violates the Constitution. The difference matters because the Supreme Court has said that only racial gerrymandering may be challenged in federal court under the Constitution.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Anderson, Sotomayor Jackson Kagan, Roberts Kavanaugh Barrett Gorsuch Alito Thomas, Salmon, “, ”, Mr, Nixon, Richard M, privilege.But, Fitzgerald, Vance, John G, Roberts, Fischer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Clarence Thomas, Samuel A, Alito Jr, Alito, ’, Moyle, Wade, Roe, Johnson, Robinson, Moody, Paxton, Robins, Media Murthy, Sullivan, Murthy, Biden, Harrington, Sackler, Alexander, Jan, Raimondo, ” Paul D, Clement, Dodd, Frank, Homer, Cargill Organizations: Harvard, Stanford, University of Texas, Trump, Liberal, Sotomayor Jackson Kagan Conservative, Colorado, Former, Trump v . United, United, Sarbanes, Oxley, U.S, Capitol, Drug Administration, Alliance, Hippocratic, Jackson, Health, Supreme, Labor, New York, Homeless, Miami Herald, Media, Biden, National Rifle Association, Rifle Association of America, New York State, Purdue Pharma, . South Carolina State Conference of, Federal, Loper Bright Enterprises, . Department of Commerce, Chevron, Natural Resources Defense, ”, SCOTUSPoll, Consumer Financial, Community Financial Services Association of America, Securities, Exchange Commission, Exchange, Occupational Safety, Commission, Lucia v . Securities, Federal Trade Commission, Internal Revenue Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Social Security Administration, National Labor Relations Board, Air Pollution Ohio, Environmental, Guns Garland, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, National Firearms, Gun Control Locations: Colorado, Trump v . United States, United States, Nixon, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Dobbs v, Idaho, Roe, Texas, States, New, New York, Grants, Oregon, . California, Martin v, Boise, Boise , Idaho, Missouri, Parkland, Fla, Murthy v . Missouri, . Missouri, ., South Carolina, Alabama, SCOTUSPoll, Lucia v, Western

☆ National Sciences Academy Asks Court to Strip Sackler Name From Endowment
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Christina Jewett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The National Academy of Sciences is asking a court to allow it to repurpose about $30 million in donations from the wealthy Sackler family, who controlled the company at the center of the opioid epidemic, and to remove the family name from the endowment funds. The petition filed by the Academy in Superior Court in Washington, D.C., Thursday aims to modify the terms of the donations so the institution can use them for scientific studies, projects and educational activities. The move follows a report in The New York Times last year that examined donations from several Sackler members, including an executive of Purdue Pharma, which produced the painkiller OxyContin that has long been blamed for fueling the opioid crisis that has claimed thousands of lives. “The notoriety of the Sackler name has made it impossible for the Academy to carry out the purposes for which it originally accepted the funds,” Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences, said in a statement released on Thursday.

Persons: Sackler, ” Marcia McNutt Organizations: National Academy of Sciences, Academy, Washington , D.C, The New York Times, Sackler, Purdue Pharma Locations: Superior Court, Washington ,, The

☆ Acetaminophen use in pregnancy not linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, large study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Mira Cheng | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Using acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, during pregnancy was not associated with increased risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability in children, a new study found. “This is a very extensive and well-designed study that found no association between acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental impairment, including autism and ADHD,” he said. For example, the study found that parents who have neurodevelopmental disorders — which have strong heritability — are also more likely to use pain medications, like acetaminophen, during pregnancy. This relationship might make it seem like children who are exposed to acetaminophen during pregnancy are more likely to develop neurodevelopmental disorders, when, in fact, their increased risk is due to genetics, according to the study. The study found significant differences between birthing parents with higher acetaminophen use and those with lower or no use.

Persons: —, ” Dr, Eric Brenner, ” Brenner, ”, Brenner, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, judiciously, Yalda Afshar Organizations: CNN, Karolinska Institute, Drexel University, Duke University, Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, Get CNN, CNN Health, FDA, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Locations: Sweden

☆ Overdose or Poisoning? A New Debate Over What to Call a Drug Death.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jan Hoffman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The death certificate for Ryan Bagwell, a 19-year-old from Mission, Texas, states that he died from a fentanyl overdose. A federal law enforcement lab found that none of the pills from the bottle tested positive for Percocet. But they all tested positive for lethal quantities of fentanyl. As millions of fentanyl-tainted pills inundate the United States masquerading as common medications, grief-scarred families have been pressing for a change in the language used to describe drug deaths. They want public health leaders, prosecutors and politicians to use “poisoning” instead of “overdose.” In their view, “overdose” suggests that their loved ones were addicted and responsible for their own deaths, whereas “poisoning” shows they were victims.

Persons: Ryan Bagwell, Sandra Bagwell, “ Ryan, ” Mrs . Bagwell, ” Locations: Mission , Texas, United States

☆ The ‘Griselda’ Creator’s Miami
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Danielle Pergament | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The magic of Miami is that “you can still discover places,” said the writer and producer Eric Newman. There’s a healthy civic pride and gratitude.”Mr. Newman, who created the Netflix show “Narcos” and produced “Griselda,” starring Sofia Vergara, has, over the years, spent months at a time on location in Miami. “There’s an appreciation in Miami that you don’t see in other places,” he said. Maybe you came to escape East Coast winters, or you came to escape Castro, or you came to escape taxes. An after-hours salsa club, a Xanadu hiding in plain sight, the best Cuban sandwich around: These are the secrets that Miami has slowly revealed to him.

Persons: ”, Eric Newman, ” Mr, Newman, Griselda, Sofia Vergara, it’s, “, Castro, Mr Organizations: Netflix Locations: Miami, California, Florida, Mexico

☆ SAG Awards 2024: Winners list
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Saturday night’s winners were familiar to those who have been following awards season, as actors from “The Bear,” “Oppenheimer” and “Beef” took home statuettes as expected. Alan Ruck, center, and the cast of "Succession" photographed during the 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards in Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 24. The cast of “Succession” led the nominations among the television categories with five – nabbing the top honor for best ensemble. “Oppenheimer” reigned victorious with three of those awards, while “Barbie” was shut out. This is the first SAG Awards since last year’s prolonged actors’ strike in Hollywood – a fact that was brought up several times throughout the evening – and is also the last major entertainment awards event before next month’s Oscars ceremony.

Persons: ” “ Oppenheimer, ”, Lily Gladstone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “, Idris Elba, Billie Eilish, Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Robert Downey Jr, Fran Drescher, Jennifer Aniston, Barbra Streisand, ” Bradley Cooper, Alan Ruck, Robert Gauthier, Streisand, Wears, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt –, Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, David Cronenberg, “ Barbie ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, ’, Bradley Cooper, “ Maestro ” Colman Domingo, “ Rustin ” Paul Giamatti, ” Cillian Murphy, “ Oppenheimer, Jeffrey Wright, Annette Bening, Carey Mulligan, “ Maestro ” Margot Robbie, “ Barbie, Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer, Matt Winkelmeyer, Sterling K, Brown, ” Willem Dafoe, Robert De Niro, Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks, Penélope Cruz, “ Ferrari, Jodie Foster, Matt Bomer, Jon Hamm, David Oyelowo, Bass Reeves, Tony Shalhoub, Mr, Monk’s, Steven Yeun, Painkiller ” Kathryn Hahn, Brie Larson, Bel, Ali Wong, Brian Cox, Billy Crudup, Kieran Culkin, Matthew Macfadyen, Pedro Pascal, Elizabeth Debicki, Bella Ramsey, Keri Russell, Sarah Snook, Brett Goldstein, “ Ted Lasso, Bill Hader, “ Barry ” Ebon Moss, Bachrach, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Allen White, Alex Borstein, Maisel, Rachel Brosnahan, Maisel ” Quinta Brunson, “ Abbott, Hannah Waddingham, “ Ted Lasso ” Ayo Edebiri, Frazer Harrison, Abbott, ” “ Barry ”, Ted Lasso ”, Indiana Jones, John Wick Organizations: CNN, Actors Guild, Auditorium, Netflix, SAG, Los Angeles Times, Jewish, “, Getty, Guardians Locations: Los Angeles, “, America, Brooklyn, Europe, Hollywood

☆ Germany joins legal cannabis club
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Industrial hemp plants of the Futura 75 variety are kept in a specially secured room at the Hemp Museum. The law passed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ruling three-party coalition legalises cultivating up to three plants for private consumption and owning up to 25 grams of cannabis. Larger-scale, but still non-commercial, cannabis production will be allowed for members of so-called cannabis clubs with no more than 500 members, all of whom must be adults. Germany becomes the ninth country to legalise recreational use of the drug, which is also legal in some sub-national jurisdictions in the United States and Australia. Some legislators questioned whether the new regulations would have much impact on dealing, since those who are unwilling to grow their own cannabis or join a cannabis club may still prefer to buy the drug.

Persons: Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Karl Lauterbach, Tino Sorge, Lauterbach Organizations: Futura, Hemp Museum, Germany, Friday, Bundestag Locations: Germany, United States, Australia

NEW YORK (AP) — Smoking has surpassed injecting as the most common way of taking drugs in U.S. overdose deaths, a new government study suggests. CDC officials decided to study the topic after seeing reports from California suggesting that smoking fentanyl was becoming more common than injecting it. Potent, illicit versions of the painkiller are involved in more U.S. overdose deaths than any other drug. But “both injection and smoking carry a substantial overdose risk,” and it’s not yet clear if a shift toward smoking fentanyl reduces U.S. overdose deaths, said Tanz, a CDC scientist who studies overdoses. It’s complicated to map out exact percentages of deaths that occurred after smoking, injecting, snorting or swallowing drugs, experts say.

Persons: Lauren Tanz, Tanz, it's, Alex Karl, Kral, ‘, snorting, ” Organizations: Disease Control, CDC, RTI, District of Columbia, West, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: California, U.S, San Francisco, Northeast

☆ Vertex non-opioid painkiller shows positive results in critical late-stage trial on acute pain
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Acute pain is usually caused by injury, surgery, illness, trauma or painful medical procedures and is likely to ease with time. Around 80 million patients are prescribed a medicine for their moderate-to-severe acute pain every year in the U.S., Vertex said in a release. Last year, the company's painkiller produced positive results in a mid-stage trial in diabetes patients suffering from a chronic nerve condition. Those two procedures are commonly used in studies of people with acute pain. Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said the drug's failure to meet that goal is in line with expectations and that overall, the late-stage trial results released Tuesday are positive.

Persons: Reshma Kewalramani, painkiller, Michael Yee Organizations: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Food and Drug, Wall Street, CRISPR Therapeutics, Jefferies Locations: Boston, U.S

☆ Institutions Are (Quietly) Taking Sackler Money
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When arts organizations began shunning the Sackler family over its role in the U.S. opioid crisis, it wasn’t just American institutions that cut ties. Museums in Britain that had accepted Sackler largess were among the first to take action. After the National Portrait Gallery in London canceled a $1.3 million Sackler donation in 2019, the Tate museum group announced it would not seek any more of the family’s support. Other museums began discussing removing the Sackler name from their walls. According to the Sackler Trust’s latest accounts, which were published this month, the nonprofit committed around 5.2 million pounds, or $6.6 million, in 2022, comprising 66 grants to institutions.

Persons: Sackler, — Organizations: Museums, Tate, Sackler Trust —, Purdue Pharma, Sackler Locations: U.S, Britain, London, British

☆ Investors see a biotech comeback in 2024 as rates fall, deal-making picks up. Stocks to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-28 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Many biotech stocks struggled in 2023 despite a robust year for U.S. drug approvals. "We expect this environment to continue but look forward to the prospect of lower interest rates in 2024." When that happens, Canaccord Genuity said to expect a "strong rally across the biotech sector rewarding innovative, but riskier assets." Analysts have said the rich price reflects the opportunity for ImmunoGen's Elahere cancer treatment , which has quickly established itself as the standard of care for types of ovarian cancer. 'Oversold and cheap' In a research note Friday, Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said "a significant short squeeze" was helping biotech stocks in the fourth quarter.

Persons: Dan Lyons, Janus Henderson, John Newman, Canaccord Genuity, Janus, Lyons, Bristol Myers Squibb, Karuna, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, AbbVie, Jonathan Miller, Miller, bode, Jonathan Krinsky, Krinsky, BTIG's, Jefferies, Michael Yee, Yee, NASH, Madrigal, we're, David Risinger, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Drug, Federal, Bristol Myers, Karuna Therapeutics, CART, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cerevel Therapeutics, Securities and Exchange Commission, pharma, P Biotech, Nasdaq Biotech, Apogee Therapeutics, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Madrigal, resmetirom, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Leerink Partners Locations: ImmunoGen

☆ Matthew Perry's death means hard questions for the ketamine movement
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-20 | by ( Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

AdvertisementWhen Charles Patti read that ketamine had been a major factor in the "Friends" star Matthew Perry's death, his heart sank. AdvertisementMultiple researchers told Business Insider that labeling ketamine as the sole cause of Perry's death is misleading. "Matthew Perry's ketamine overdose should be a lesson in expanded use of the dangerous drug," declared The New York Post. There's no data on how many people go from receiving ketamine treatment in clinics to using it without a prescription. Herzberg, the historian, said he's not particularly worried about Perry's death causing a moral panic.

Persons: Matthew Perry, —, Charles Patti, Matthew Perry's, Patti, Perry, Matthew, Joanna Moncrieff, Ryan Marino, Marilyn Monroe's, David Herzberg, Len Bias, Gerard Sanacora, it's, Chrissy Teigen, Elon Musk, We've, Herzberg, wasn't, Sanacora, I've, Sandhya Prashad, wouldn't, Keith Trujillo, Trujillo, he's Organizations: Service, Los, Business, New York, University of Buffalo, Yale, FDA, American Society, Physicians, Psychotherapists Locations: Florida, Los Angeles County, British, Swiss

☆ Supreme Court Weighs Purdue Pharma’s $6 Billion Opioid Settlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Jess Bravin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Purdue Pharma headquarters in 2019; a Purdue lawyer said in court Monday that if a settlement with the company didn’t go forward, opioid-crisis victims might not see compensation. Photo: timothy a. clary/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON—Supreme Court justices wrestled Monday with the uncomfortable bargain struck between most victims of the opioid crisis and the Sackler family, whose Purdue Pharma promoted the addictive painkiller OxyContin: providing timely compensation for survivors in exchange for granting the wealthy family immunity from future civil lawsuits. That settlement was reached before a bankruptcy judge and approved in May by a federal appeals court in New York. It would see the Sacklers pay $6 billion to individual victims and state governments in exchange for eliminating potential liability for additional claims, such as fraud—even though they, unlike Purdue, haven’t sought bankruptcy protection. The deal was made under a catchall provision of federal law authorizing bankruptcy judges to issue orders and judgments that may be “necessary or appropriate” to resolve cases.

Persons: timothy, clary, Sackler, haven’t Organizations: Purdue Pharma, Purdue, Agence France, Getty, WASHINGTON Locations: New York

☆ Period poverty: How air pollution in Kenya could make periods heavier, more painful and more expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Elizabeth Wells | Eoin Mcsweeney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Studies have linked air pollution to an increased risk of endometriosis , a condition that causes tissue like what lines the womb to grow outside of the uterus. Compared with Kenya, women can more easily access anti-inflammatory drugs and birth control commonly used to manage painful periods. She believes that the new research on air pollution should be a major concern for the millions of women struggling to manage their periods in Nairobi. Kenyan Senator Gloria Orwoba is calling for more research on the link between air pollution and women's reproductive health. Now, she tells CNN, targeted government intervention is needed to address the possible effects of air pollution on menstrual cycles.

Persons: Alice Shikuku, Shikuku, Mercy, Audrey Gaskins, we've, Gaskins, Oscar Lee, Lee, Emmie Erondanga, Miss Koch, Erondanga, Wanjiru Kepha, Kepha, Wanjiru, Damaris Atieno, Atieno, Sen, Gloria Orwoba, Orwoba, William Ruto's, she's, I'm Organizations: CNN, US Agency for International Development, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, China Medical University, World Health Organization, Miss, Huru International, Kenya, Kenyan, William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Korogocho, United States, Taiwan, Taichung, Shikuku's, Dandora, Miss Koch Kenya, Mukuru, Miss, Wanjiru Kepha

At issue is whether U.S. bankruptcy law allows Purdue's restructuring to include legal protections for the members of the Sackler family, who have not filed for personal bankruptcy. Members of the Sackler family have denied wrongdoing but expressed regret that OxyContin "unexpectedly became part of an opioid crisis." They said in May that the bankruptcy settlement would provide "substantial resources for people and communities in need." The administration told the Supreme Court that Purdue's settlement is an abuse of bankruptcy protections meant for debtors in "financial distress," not people like the Sacklers. The administration has also alleged that the Sackler family members withdrew $11 billion from Purdue before agreeing to contribute $6 billion to its opioid settlement.

Persons: painkiller, George Frey, Joe Biden's, Sackler, Biden, OxyContin, John Kruzel, Andrew Chung, Will Dunham Organizations: Purdue Pharma L.D, REUTERS, Rights, Purdue Pharma, WASHINGTON, U.S, Supreme, Purdue, Circuit, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, Stamford , Connecticut, Manhattan

☆ Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Controversial Purdue Pharma Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Abbie Vansickle | More About Abbie Vansickle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Purdue Pharma and the wealthy family that controlled it are forever linked to the deadly opioid epidemic, which has left hundreds of thousands of people dead. But their role in the public health crisis is not the central question that the Supreme Court will wrestle with on Monday when it hears arguments over a bankruptcy settlement involving Purdue, the maker of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. Instead, the justices will focus on a narrower issue: whether the plan, devised to address the thousands of claims brought by state and local governments, tribes, hospitals and individual victims, can give wide-ranging legal protections to members of the Sackler family, the owners of the company. Under the deal, the Sacklers would pay up to $6 billion of their fortune toward settling those claims in exchange for immunity from all civil legal disputes related to the opioid crisis and Purdue.

Persons: Sackler Organizations: Purdue Pharma, Purdue

☆ US Supreme Court to scrutinize controversial opioid crisis settlement that would give Sackler family immunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Barring individual victims from pursuing their own lawsuits against the Sackler family “raises serious constitutional questions,” the department argued. OxyContin’s commercial success helped the Sackler family earn billions of dollars and the family became known for philanthropy around the world. As the country’s opioid crisis worsened, attention shifted to the role played by Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. Many of the suits allege that the Sackler family knew of OxyContin’s addictive properties but, nevertheless, continued to promote the drug. The Supreme Court hearing comes at a time of devastating losses due to drug overdoses in the US.

Persons: Los Angeles CNN —, Sackler, Mortimer, Raymond Sackler, “, George Frey, Elizabeth Prelogar, ” Anthony Casey, , –, Purdue Frederick, ” Lindsey Simon, ” Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, Purdue, New, US, US Justice Department, Purdue Pharma, Supreme, Knoa Pharma, Purdue Pharma L.P, Bloomberg, Sackler, ”, University of Chicago, school’s, Law, Finance, Guggenheim, Centers for Disease Control, “, Emory University Locations: New York, Purdue, Provo , Utah, U.S, United States, Paris

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing arguments over a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would shield members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids. The agreement hammered out with state and local governments and victims would provide billions of dollars to combat the opioid epidemic. Sackler family members no longer are on the company's board and they have not received payouts from it since before Purdue Pharma entered bankruptcy. In the decade before that, though, they were paid more than $10 billion, about half of which family members said went to pay taxes. A decision in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, 22-859, is expected by early summer.

Persons: Sackler, Biden, Trump, ” OxyContin Organizations: WASHINGTON, Purdue Pharma, U.S, Bankruptcy, Justice Department, Purdue Locations: Stamford , Connecticut, Harrington

☆ Supreme Court questions opioid liability protections for Sackler family
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Lawrence Hurley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — Members of the Supreme Court seemed conflicted on Monday over whether to allow the bankruptcy reorganization of opioid maker Purdue Pharma, which includes a provision that protects the Sackler family from liability from future lawsuits. During the oral argument, justices expressed skepticism that a bankruptcy court had legal authority to release the Sacklers from potential legal claims. No Sackler family member has had any involvement in the company since 2019. The company sought bankruptcy protection, but the Sackler family members did not. She added that it would be "an extraordinary thing" if the court allowed the family to "basically subvert" the bankruptcy process.

Persons: Sackler, Pharm, Biden, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Elena Kagan's, Kagan, Pratik Shah, Elizabeth Prelogar Organizations: WASHINGTON, Purdue Pharma, New York's Southern, Federal Court, Purdue Locations: New York's, White Plains

☆ At Core of Purdue Pharma Case: Who Can Get Immunity in Settlements?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Abbie Vansickle | More About Abbie Vansickle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For years, Purdue Pharma, the maker of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, had been entangled in lawsuits seeking to hold it to account for its role in the spiraling opioid crisis. A pathbreaking settlement reached last year appeared to signal the end to thousands of those cases, funneling billions of dollars toward fighting the epidemic in exchange for exempting members of the billionaire Sackler family, which once controlled the company, from civil lawsuits. But on Monday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether the agreement is a violation of federal law in a case that could have ramifications not just for Purdue but also for organizations that turn to bankruptcy court, as the company did, to resolve claims of mass injury. “There’s huge implications for all of corporate bankruptcy,” said Anthony J. Casey, a law professor at the University of Chicago. “I think this is probably the most important bankruptcy case before the court in 30, maybe 40 years.”

Persons: Sackler, “, ”, Anthony J, Casey Organizations: Purdue Pharma, Purdue, University of Chicago

☆ The oxycontin-peddling Sackler family has tried to get immunity from civil lawsuits by filing for bankruptcy. That might be illegal.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US Supreme Court will decide whether Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy settlement will stand. Officially referred to as third-party nonconsensual releases, the legal maneuver allows organizations to settle personal injury claims in bankruptcy court instead of civil court. Legal experts say companies are more often relying on bankruptcy court than civil court to settle claims, The New York Times reported. Opponents of the practice say it robs regular people of their day in civil court. The Sacklers' settlement deal did not require the Sacklers themselves to declare bankruptcy, just Purdue Pharma, according to the Times.

Persons: Sackler, — Organizations: Purdue, Service, Purdue Pharma, Reuters, The New York Times, Times

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Dec. 4 over whether the agreement, part of the resolution of Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy, violates federal law. She initially opposed the deal with Purdue Pharma but has come around. The Purdue Pharma settlement would be among the largest. But in the decade before that, they were paid more than $10 billion, about half of which family members said went to pay taxes. The department and Purdue Pharma forged a plea bargain in a criminal and civil case.

Persons: Sackler, Ellen Isaacs ’, Ryan Wroblewski, ”, Mike Quinn, ” Lynn Wencus, Jeff, ” Wencus, It's, General Merrick Garland, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Purdue Pharma’s, ” ___ Mulvihill Organizations: WASHINGTON, Purdue Pharma, Purdue, Sackler, Bankruptcy, Justice Department, Republican, Democrat, Congress, Boy Scouts of, Boy Scout, Catholic, “ Locations: Florida, Wrentham , Massachusetts, Stamford , Connecticut, ”, Boy Scouts of America, Cherry Hill , New Jersey

☆ China is helping the US deal with its massive fentanyl problem — sort of
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US says China is a main source of materials for fentanyl that later ends up in America. The deal, which both leaders settled at the Asian-Pacific Economic Committee summit in San Francisco, would see Beijing assist Washington by regulating fentanyl precursors in China. The Drug Enforcement Administration has warned in recent years that China is a primary source for key ingredients in fentanyl. Advertisement"Focusing on China as the source of the problem has been because it's such an easy country to criticize," Ross said. For the Biden administration, the fentanyl deal has been an issue repeatedly pushed by US officials, Liu said.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Zha Daojiong, Biden, Xi, Liu Zongyuan, Maurice R, Greenberg, Liu, Robert Ross, Ross, Eric Richardson, that's Organizations: Service, Pacific, Drug, Administration, Business, Peking University, pharma, of Foreign Relations, DEA, Boston College, UC Berkeley, INHR, United Nations, US, Bloomberg, Reuters, Forensic Public Security Institute Locations: China, America, San Francisco, Beijing, Washington, India, it's, Mexico, United, Europe, Xinjiang

☆ Is AI a Painkiller or a Vitamin?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Andy Kessler | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Editorial Report: The week’s best and worst from from Kyle Peterson, Mary O’Grady and Dan Henninger. Images: AP/Zuma Press/Reuters Composite: Mark KellyLast week, the White House issued an executive order for command and control of artificial intelligence, strangely invoking the Defense Production Act. Added to the order were a mishmash of unhelpful notions like “advancing equity” and collective bargaining. It feels longer, with so many new players and capabilities beyond text, including open-source large language models that run on PCs and maybe on phones. Will generative AI take our jobs?

Persons: Kyle Peterson, Mary O’Grady, Dan Henninger, Mark Kelly, Biden, It’s, OpenAI’s ChatGPT Organizations: Zuma Press, Reuters, White House

By then, county officials were seeing the area’s fatal opioid overdose toll tick up. “We were grossly underprepared, like I think many places across the country were, for the opioid epidemic,” Stuby said. Like hundreds of U.S. communities, it's launched a drug court where people can avoid jail if they work on recovery. They can lead to an entry-level certificate for work in the field — a partial answer to a recovery workforce crunch. His research has shown that recovery support services — such as housing, community centers and peer coaching — can help.

Persons: ”, Precia Stuby, “, Stuby, Jesse Johnson, Johnson, Anonymous, ” Stuby, didn’t, —, ” Johnson, it's, Kerri Kostic, Kostic, God, Meelee Kim, “ It’s, John F, Kelly, ____, haven't, Misty Weaver, Weaver, ___ Christina McCarver, ‘ Let’s, who's, McCarver, William Mull, Cory Kinn, “ That’s, they’ve, ___, she’s, I’ve, ” ___ Johnson, Patrick Orsagos Organizations: —, Findlay, Technology, University of Findlay, Brandeis University, Harvard Medical School, Family Resource, AP, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: FINDLAY , Ohio, Findlay, Hancock, drugmakers, Hancock County, U.S, Toledo, Mull, COVID, Washington

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