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[1/2] Ron Klain attends a meeting at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington October 22, 2014. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File PhotoREHOBOTH BEACH, De., Jan 21 (Reuters) - Ron Klain, President Joe Biden's White House chief of staff, plans to leave his post in the coming weeks, sources familiar with the matter said on Saturday, a major changing of the guard. Klain, 61, has a long history at the White House, having served as chief of staff to former Vice President Al Gore and to Biden when he was vice president under President Barack Obama. The chief of staff position is one of the most important at the White House, the senior political appointee responsible for driving the president's policy agenda and ensuring appropriate staff members are hired. Biden's predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, burned through four chiefs of staff in four years including his first, Reince Priebus, who lasted 192 days.

☆ Biden White House chief of staff Ron Klain set to step down in coming weeks: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

White House chief of staff Ron Klain is expected to depart his role in the coming weeks, per The New York Times. Klain worked as President Barack Obama's White House Ebola response coordinator and also previously served as chief of staff to former vice president Al Gore. He also was chief of staff to then-Vice President Joe Biden during the first two years of the Obama administration. Anita Dunn — who rejoined the White House last year after having previously served in the White House as a senior advisor from January 2021 to August 2021 — has been a name long rumored to be a contender upon a Klain departure. Other individuals thought to be under consideration include former Delaware governor Jack Markell, White House counselor Steve Ricchetti, and White House domestic policy director Susan Rice.

“Around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take on those bedrock freedoms,” Mr. Biden said, using Mr. Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan to describe the former president’s allies. While he had repeatedly and consistently said he intended to run, Mr. Biden stoked renewed speculation by delaying his kickoff for months. Mr. Biden tapped Julie Chávez Rodríguez, a senior White House adviser and granddaughter of the iconic labor leader Cesar Chávez, as his campaign manager. But the operation is expected to be overseen from the White House by top presidential aides. While polls show that most Democrats have favorable opinions about Mr. Biden, a majority of them would still rather he not run again.

☆ EQRx promised to deliver cutting-edge drugs at half the cost of rivals. A cofounder shares why the once buzzy biotech is walking away from that mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After years of touting the idea of radically lower drug prices, EQRx has walked away from that plan. Cofounder Alexis Borisy said it was due to the FDA not OK'ing drugs based only on Chinese data. EQRx suddenly sounded like a typical biotech company, talking of "market-based pricing" that would "maximize value for shareholders." EQRx's stock is down over 75% since its record-breaking SPACAlexis Borisy, EQRx Chairman, and CEO Melanie Nallicheri. An unclear future for 'radically lower drug prices'EQRx CEO Melanie Nallicheri EQRxIn November, EQRx said it wouldn't pursue radically lower pricing for its first two drug candidates, both cancer therapies.

☆ Former CEO says Biogen 'shot themselves in the foot' by deciding to charge $56,000 for its controversial Alzheimer's drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Former Biogen CEO George Scangos said the biotech priced its Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm too high. After the FDA approved the controversial treatment in 2021, Biogen set a $56,000 list price. "They shot themselves in the foot with the pricing," Scangos, now CEO of Vir Biotechnology, said. SAN FRANCISCO — The former CEO of Biogen told Insider the Massachusetts biotech priced its controversial Alzheimer's drug, Aduhelm, "way too high." "I think Aduhelm works.

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid leads streaking Oilers past Kraken
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] Jan 17, 2023; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) carries the puck up ice during the first period against the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY SportsJanuary 18 - Connor McDavid scored his NHL-leading 38th goal of the season as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the visiting Seattle Kraken 5-2 on Tuesday night. Derek Ryan, Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod and Zach Hyman also tallied for the Oilers, who extended their winning streak to four games. Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, who had a three-game win streak come to an end. Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell and Josh Mahura also scored goals for Florida.

☆ NHL roundup: Caps rally for OT win over Islanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Lightning 4, Kraken 1Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves as Tampa Bay put an end to visiting Seattle's franchise-record, eight-game winning streak. Penguins 4, Ducks 3 (OT)Jake Guentzel scored off a two-on-one with Sidney Crosby 33 seconds into overtime to give Pittsburgh a win over visiting Anaheim. Jamie Benn, Joel Kiviranta, Ryan Suter and Tyler Seguin scored goals for Dallas, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Flyers goalie Carter Hart was pulled in the second period as Philadelphia had a three-game win streak snapped. Ottawa is mired in a 1-4-0 rut and has scored six goals in its past four games.

☆ Novartis' CEO is charging ahead in cutting tens of thousands of workers to transform the $220 billion pharma giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Novartis is laying off thousands of workers, CEO Vasant Narasimhan told Insider. Through layoffs and spinoffs, the Swiss giant expects to trim its headcount by about 30% by 2024. SAN FRANCISCO — Thousands of layoffs are "happening now," Vasant Narasimhan, the CEO of Novartis, told Insider, as he hopes the $220 billion Swiss giant is entering the final steps of becoming a smaller, more-focused drug company. The Swiss giant had about 125,000 full-time employees at the time, and it has about 108,000 workers today. The restructuring will save Novartis about $1.5 billion annually, Narasimhan said during his Monday presentation at the JPMorgan conference.

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden departs the White House to board the Marine One helicopter for travel to Delaware from the White House in Washington, U.S. January 13, 2023. The White House has said the documents were "inadvertently misplaced" and that it is cooperating fully but has declined to respond to detailed questions on the investigation. While working as the Obama campaign's general counsel in 2008, Bauer helped vet Biden as Obama's pick for vice president. He is married to Anita Dunn, another Biden confidant and senior White House adviser. Bauer will now work with White House lawyers as Biden responds to the special counsel's investigation.

☆ Robert Hur: special counsel on Biden classified document probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Michael A. McCoyWASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday named Robert Hur as special counsel to investigate whether President Joe Biden had improperly handled sensitive government documents. Hur was the U.S. attorney in Maryland during the Trump administration and most recently served as litigation partner at law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. A graduate of Stanford Law School and Harvard College, Hur served as top aide to then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein before his appointment as the U.S. Attorney in Maryland. He knows what he is getting into," Rosenstein told CNN on Thursday after Hur's appointment as special counsel. "I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment," Hur said in a statement released after his appointment as special counsel.

☆ Here are 5 winners and 4 losers from the healthcare industry's most important event of the year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Andrew Dunn | Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The healthcare industry's most influential investor conference was held in person this week. The J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference helps set the tone for the year for biotech. Insider identified five winners and four losers from the week. Amid severe-weather warnings and rain, about 8,000 attendees came to see over 400 healthcare companies present at the 41st annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference this week, kicking off a chaotic week of networking, pitching investors, and striking deals. Insider pinpointed five winners and four losers from this year's event.

☆ Who is Robert Hur? Special Counsel looking into Biden’s classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Robert Hur, named Thursday by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the investigation into President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents, is a former federal prosecutor who has worked with many Republicans throughout his law enforcement career. Garland appointed Hur as special counsel on Thursday after the White House acknowledged that Obama administration documents with classified markings were found in one of Biden’s Delaware homes. On Monday, the White House said that similar documents had been found in a Washington office. Hur has served as a partner at the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher since April 2021 where he has focused on enforcement, investigations and litigation. In between his jobs at the Justice Department, Hur worked at another private law firm, King & Spalding.

☆ People with diabetes struggle to find Ozempic as it soars in popularity as a weight loss aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

For the past two years, she's managed the condition using a drug called Ozempic, which helps people with diabetes keep blood sugar levels in check. "It's been very frustrating," Largent-Phillips, of Florida, said of the shortage, adding that her blood sugar levels have been fluctuating as she's had to change medications. If the body doesn't use it well, that sugar stays in the blood, resulting in high blood sugar levels. His wife, Gerilynn, who is a nurse, said his blood sugar levels have gone back up since being off Ozempic. Largent-Phillips, of Florida — who has been documenting her experience on TikTok — said that for now, she has to be vigilant about monitoring her blood sugar levels.

☆ Merrick Garland appoints special counsel to probe Biden's mishandling of classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to probe Biden's mishandling of classified information. "Mr. Hur has a long and distinguished career as a prosecutor," Garland told reporters after announcing his decision. Garland added that US attorney John Lausch, a Trump appointee who has guided the preliminary investigation, told Garland that he could only lead the initial stages of the probe. Responding to Garland's announcement, Richard Sauber, special counsel to the president, called the mishandling of documents a "mistake." "As I said earlier this week, people know I take classified documents and classified material seriously," Biden told reporters.

☆ FDA approves Alzheimer's drug that slowed cognitive decline in clinical trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The FDA's approval comes after clinical trial results published in November indicated that lecanemab slows cognitive decline somewhat in people with mild impairment due to Alzheimer's disease, but the treatment also carries risks of brain swelling and bleeding. The decision on lecanameb comes after Congress issued a scathing report last week about how the FDA handled the controversial approval of another Alzheimer's drug developed by Biogen and Eisai, called Aduhelm. The congressional report said the "FDA must take swift action to ensure that its processes for reviewing future Alzheimer's disease treatments do not lead to the same doubts about the integrity of FDA's review." The FDA approved lecanemab based on the reduction of amyloid plaque observed in clinical trial participants who received the treatment, according to a statement from the agency. Nearly 1,800 people ages 50 to 90 years old with early Alzheimer's participated in the trial, about half of whom received lecanemab and half of whom did not.

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid hits milestone in Oilers' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Barzal is on a career-best, five-game goal streak, and he has six goals and two assists during that span. Vancouver goaltender Collin Delia made 30 saves, while Elias Pettersson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Ilya Mikheyev each collected two assists. Ty Smith also scored for Pittsburgh, which lost its sixth straight game, just one off matching its longest losing streak of the season. Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Martin Fehervary and Garnet Hathaway also scored, Dylan Strome had three assists, and Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves. Washington has won a franchise-record seven straight road games and is 7-0-2 in its past nine games overall and 12-2-3 in its past 17.

☆ A tiny biotech just suffered a safety scare in a gene-editing trial, raising 3 big questions for the entire CRISPR field
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The biotech halted the trial while it investigates the case, which may impact other CRISPR companies. The small biotech company Graphite Bio said Thursday afternoon that it paused a study testing an experimental gene-editing therapy after the first treated patient suffered a serious side effect. The safety scare raises more questions than answers as Graphite's scientists investigate what exactly may have caused the side effect. Lehrer said it's too early to say whether this safety scare could have implications for the broader gene-editing field. Its next-closest product, a gene-editing therapy for beta-thalassemia, isn't expected to start initial human testing until 2024 at the earliest.

☆ The FDA just approved a new Alzheimer's drug that's set to be a blockbuster
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The FDA just approved a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease from Eisai and Biogen. Alzheimer's disease affects roughly 6.5 million Americans and has no cure. The FDA granted an accelerated approval of the drug, meaning the companies will have to conduct additional follow-up studies. While the drug has been approved, questions about cost remainWhile Leqembi has been approved by the FDA, the drug will have to face other key hurdles before it becomes widely available to patients. Aduhelm, an Alzheimer's drug also developed by Biogen and Eisai and approved by the FDA in 2021, failed to garner support from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, even after it was approved by the FDA.

☆ Biden awards Presidential Citizens Medals on two-year anniversary of Jan. 6 Capitol riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

US President Joe Biden speaks during a ceremony at the White House marking the two-year anniversary of the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. The award ceremony at the White House was Biden's first time bestowing the Presidential Citizens Medal, which is given to Americans "who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens." Three of the medals were awarded posthumously to officers who had defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and died afterward by injuries or by suicide. "All of it was fueled by lies about the 2020 election," Biden said Friday, without mentioning Trump by name. The somber event at the White House was punctuated by a few moments of levity.

President Joe Biden on Friday will mark the second anniversary of the attack on the Capitol by awarding the Presidential Citizens Medal to a dozen election workers, officials and law-enforcement officers for "contributions to our democracy" before and during the riot, a White House official said. "These 12 heroes demonstrated courage and selflessness during a moment of peril for our nation," the official said. Other elected officials receiving the medal are Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Al Schmidt, the former vice chair of Philadelphia’s Board of Elections. Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, left, is comforted by her mother, Ruby Freeman, during a House select committee hearing on June 21, 2022. Biden is also posthumously awarding the medal to Brian Sicknick, the Capitol Police officer who died the day after the riot after suffering two strokes.

☆ U.S. targets non-compete clauses that block workers from getting better jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Noncompete agreements "block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand," said FTC Chair Lina Khan in a statement. The training repayment would be banned if it "is not reasonably related to the costs the employer incurred for training the worker," the proposed rule said. FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter said in 2020 that surveys have estimated that 16% to 18% of all U.S. workers are subject to noncompete provisions. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce indicated that it opposed the proposed rule. Ardagh Glass S.A. and O-I Glass Inc, the two largest U.S. glass container makers, had noncompete provisions that affected more than 1,700 workers.

Instead, this ketamine clinic feels like an oasis of zen, strewn with twinkle lights, lush greenery and comfy meditation pillows. Chere Scythes, right, listens to guided meditation during a ketamine session at Field Trip Health in New York City. “And so many of these clinics don’t have mental health professionals staffing them. When those mental health concerns pop up, they may not be equipped to respond appropriately.”Ketamine also isn’t a cure-all. “That deep dark depressive cloud started to lift.”In combination with her antidepressants, she has continued the ketamine treatments and now gets one every five weeks.

☆ Biotech investor Brad Loncar shares 10 predictions for 2023, including a hot new cancer target, Nobel Prize winners, and a biotech founder running for president
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Loncar shared his 2023 forecast, including new drugs, Nobel Prize winners, and more globalization. Brad Loncar isn't expecting a miraculous rebound for the biotech industry in 2023. In an interview with Insider, Loncar shared 10 predictions for biotech in 2023, ranging from Nobel Prize winners and presidential runs to hot cancer targets and bankruptcy worries. 2022 was a rough year for the biotech industry, which once again underperformed the stock market. The industry runs to the next super-hot cancer target: Claudin 18.2In cancer research, drug companies are always on the hunt for the next promising target.

A Louisiana officer was arrested and charged after a high-speed chase that led to the deaths of two teenage girls, officials said. Officials didn't clarify how fast Cauthron was going at the time of the crash in Brusly, a town about 10 miles southwest of Baton Rouge. His bond was set at $100,000, and as of Tuesday, he remained in the West Baton Rouge Parish Detention Center, online records show. He was arrested and charged with two counts of manslaughter by law enforcement in West Baton Rouge. Maggie and Caroline were both cheerleaders at Brusly High School in West Baton Rouge, according to the school.

The appearance with McConnell, R-Ky., and other regional leaders from both parties Wednesday signals a dual focus for a White House aiming to stay above the political fray in 2023. But the bipartisan infrastructure law will be front and center as the White House says 20,000 new projects funded by the law will be underway in the year ahead. On Thursday, White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu will visit San Francisco, one week after outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the city’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge will undergo a $400 million retrofit funded by the law. “I’ve never been more optimistic about America in my whole career,” Biden said during an appearance on ABC’s New Year’s Eve special. When asked Friday about whether the 2024 election has come up in discussions this week, Biden quipped: “There’s an election coming up?"

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