DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ North Carolina lawmakers intervene to defend abortion pill restrictions in case testing FDA power
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

North Carolina has divided government. Stein told North Carolina lawmakers the FDA determined that restrictions like those in North Carolina unduly burden patients' access to a safe and effective drug. A federal judge on Friday allowed North Carolina lawmakers to defend restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, after the state attorney general declined to do so. The abortion pill has become the central flashpoint in the battle over abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe. Democratic attorneys general have asked a federal judge in Washington state to declare the remaining FDA restrictions on mifepristone unconstitutional.

☆ Eli Lilly Alzheimer's treatment solanezumab failed to slow disease progression
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Eli Lilly on Wednesday said it will halt development of its Alzheimer's treatment candidate solanezumab after the antibody failed to slow disease progression. The study enrolled more than 1,000 seniors who had normal memory and thinking function, but showed signs of brain plaque that is associated with Alzheimer's. Lilly said it did not have that data because donanemab cleared brain plaque quickly in many patients. "We remain confident in the of potential donanemab as a new treatment for people with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease," Skovronsky said. The FDA approved Eisai's and Biogen's early Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi on an expedited basis in January.

☆ California will not renew $54 million contract with Walgreens over abortion pill policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

California will not renew a $54 million contract with Walgreens over the drug store chain's decision not to sell the abortion pill in some states due to legal restrictions. Walgreens said it will sell the abortion pill, mifepristone, in any state where it is "legally permissible to do so." Republican attorneys general in 21 states warned Walgreens in February that selling or distributing the abortion pill in their states would violate local laws. Walgreens is also not selling the abortion pill in states like Alaska, Kansas or Montana where abortion is protected as a right under the states' constitutions. The drug store will also not sell mifepristone in Iowa, where the state Supreme Court last year overturned state constitutional protections for abortion.

☆ Fact Check-Picture of misspelled ‘secede’ sign is not from CPAC 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photograph showing a group of people holding a misspelled “secede” sign was taken at a 2009 motorcycle rally in Texas, not during the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC 2023) as recent social media posts suggest. The image was taken at a Republic of Texas motorcycle rally in Austin on June 12, 2009, according to the caption information on Flickr. One user who shared the image on Twitter (bit.ly/3ZRqeqV) later labeled it “parody” in a separate post (bit.ly/3SXe65d). CPAC 2023 took place between March 1 and 4 in Maryland. A picture of people with a misspelled “secede” sign was taken at a Republic of Texas motorcycle rally in 2009, not during CPAC 2023.

☆ Fact Check-Elon Musk not offering homeowners $2,500 to test new solar panels
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk is not paying 100 homeowners $2,500 each to test a free solar panel technology, contrary to posts online that falsely claim this and take readers to a website that collects personal information from social media users. The text in one post (here) reads: “Homeowners In Your Location Are Getting Paid $2,591 For testing the newest technology of Solar Panels! Tesla does list on its website (here) the various electric vehicle and solar incentives some states offer to customers, some including a $2,500 rebate or similar. However, this is offered by states, not Tesla or Elon Musk. Posts saying Elon Musk or his company Tesla are offering social media users $2,500 to test out a new solar panel technology lead to a website that is not an official Tesla one.

☆ Fact Check-Trump did not post edited photo of Jan. 6 protesters with donuts and flowers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A screenshot of a satirical, fabricated post attributed to former U.S. President Donald Trump is being taken seriously by some social media users. The post includes an altered photo from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol where donuts and flowers have been edited into the hands of protesters. The screenshot appears to show a Truth Social post by Trump that reads, in part: “The PATRIOTS were perfect and tried to offer the capitol police donuts and flowers! Reuters found no credible news reports on any such post shared by Trump (bit.ly/3kUha5O). The post does not appear on Trump’s Truth Social page (here), (bit.ly/3yiY6kH).

☆ Fact Check-Video of river breaching bank shows 2011 Japan tsunami, not Cyclone Freddy making landfall in East Africa in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

However, some social media users are claiming it shows Cyclone Freddy making landfall over Madagascar and Mozambique in 2023. One Facebook user uploaded a version of the clip (here), which has since been viewed more than 130,000 times, alongside the caption: “Tropical cyclone Freddy... Affected countries we are praying for you..”Another claimed the footage shows Cyclone Freddy in Madagascar (here), while one said it captured a dam wall breaking in Mozambique (here). The video is therefore unrelated to Cyclone Freddy, which struck Madagascar (here) and Mozambique (here) in late February 2023. The video shows Japan’s 2011 tsunami, not Cyclone Freddy in 2023.

☆ Fact Check-Video purporting to show NBA Commissioner saying Ja Morant was suspended due to ‘thuggish and gangster activities’ is altered, stems from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A clip that purportedly shows NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announcing the suspension of Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant because of “thuggish and gangster activities” has been altered and was likely meant as satire. While Morant was indeed suspended for at least two games, this came after displaying what appeared to be a gun at a nightclub. I hope he learns during this time that his thuggish and gangster activities are prohibited by the NBA. Parody / Satire.”A Google search shows the clip was taken from Silver’s NBA All-Star press conference (here) in February 2023. A clip that purportedly shows Adam Silver announcing the suspension of Ja Morant because of his “thuggish and gangster activities” features an edited audio track and was likely meant as satire.

☆ Fact Check-Picture does not show Lori Lightfoot buying beer after losing re-election bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A months-old picture of Chicago’s incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot buying beer has been shared online as if taken in February 2023, after she lost her re-election bid. The image has been shared on Facebook (bit.ly/3yeNVxk) and Twitter (here) with captions such as: “Losing my election and immediately crushing 24 chilly ones.”In fact, the photo dates from at least October 2022, months before Lightfoot lost her election bid. One TikTok user shared it on Oct. 4, along with footage that shows Lightfoot shopping (bit.ly/3L9i34S). One of the users sharing the claim on Twitter seemingly acknowledged it was meant as a joke. A picture of Lori Lightfoot buying beer dates from at least October 2022.

☆ Republican states say the FDA doesn't have the authority to override state abortion pill bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Boxes of the medication Mifepristone used to induce a medical abortion are prepared for patients at Planned Parenthood health center in Birmingham, Alabama, March 14, 2022. The Food and Drug Administration's power to approve drugs does not override state bans on the abortion pill, a coalition of Republican attorneys general told a federal judge this week. The company has asked the court to overturn West Virginia's abortion ban, arguing that it conflicts with how the FDA regulates mifepristone under federal law. The GOP attorneys general said West Virginia's law does not completely ban the abortion pill. "A State's police power does not extend to functionally banning an article of interstate commerce — the Constitution leaves that to Congress," the company's lawyers wrote.

☆ Florida state lawmakers introduce bill that would ban abortion after six weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The legislation, introduced in Florida's House and Senate, would make performing an abortion after six weeks a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Florida state lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation that would ban abortion after six weeks, when many women don't know they are pregnant, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies and cases of rape and incest. The governor did not mention the legislation during his address, but said "we are proud to be pro-life in the state of Florida." The legislation introduced Tuesday also requires the abortion pill, mifepristone, to be dispensed by a physician to the patient during an in-person appointment. The legislation bans abortion pills from being sent by mail in the state through the U.S.

The six countries included in the bill are China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba, Warner said. "This competition with China around who dominates technology domains, that really is where the nexus of national security lies going forward," Warner said. Warner said the bill is not solely meant to address TikTok, and rather should create a "systemic approach" that prevents the need for one-off actions. "A U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide. We hope that Congress will explore solutions to their national security concerns that won't have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans."

☆ California governor says state won't do business with Walgreens over position on abortion pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gavin Newsom on Monday said the state would no longer do business with Walgreens , after the drugstore chain told 21 Republican attorneys general that it would not sell the abortion pill in their states. Newsom said on Twitter that the state is "done" doing business with Walgreens. Brandon Richards, a spokesperson for the governor, said California is reviewing all relationships between Walgreens and the state. Walgreens plans to become certified to sell mifepristone where it is legal to do so under state and federal law, the company has said. In February, 21 Republican attorneys general warned Walgreens against mailing mifepristone in their states.

☆ FDA will review Eisai and Biogen's Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi with decision on full approval expected in early July
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Food and Drug Administration will make a decision on whether to fully approve Eisai and Biogen 's Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi by July 6, the companies announced Monday. It is administered intravenously twice a month and slowed the progression of early Alzheimer's disease by 27% in clinical trials. Although the FDA approved Leqembi on an expedited basis in January, access to the treatment is virtually nonexistent right now. Learn more and register today: http://bit.ly/3DUNbRoThe Alzheimer's Association called on CMS in December to provide unrestricted coverage of treatments like Leqembi. "As defined in statute, to provide coverage nationally, CMS is required to examine whether a medication is reasonable and necessary," the agency said in its statement.

☆ Fact Check-Mother Theresa and Anthony Fauci are not related, and there is no evidence she trafficked children
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Claims that Anthony Fauci is the son of Mother Theresa are false, contrary to some posts on social media. Similarly, there is no evidence to support online suggestions that Mother Theresa was a child trafficker. Reuters, however, found no reports supporting the claim that she sold babies or was involved in child trafficking (bit.ly/3xuRIWY). Fauci did not respond to a request for comment when claims about his supposed relation to Mother Theresa were first debunked by Reuters in 2021. Claims that Anthony Fauci is the son of Mother Theresa, or that Mother Theresa was a child trafficker, are false.

☆ Fact Check-Video of ballot-stuffing predates the 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

“Rigging of presidential election in northern Nigeria on 25/02/2023” wrote one Facebook user sharing the video and which has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times (bit.ly/3ZhJoGC). The video is unrelated to Nigeria’s 2023 election, as Reuters could trace it back to as early as January 2021 (here). The original source, location and context of the video, however, have not been verified and are out of the scope of this fact check. The All Progressives Congress (APC) party candidate Bola Tinubu has been declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election, but the two main opposition challengers have said the result is fraudulent and have vowed to challenge it in court (here). The video can be traced back to 2021 and is unrelated to the 2023 general election in Nigeria.

☆ Fact Check-Video does not show UFO sighting in Afghanistan, was likely created with CGI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A video shared on social media does not show an unidentified flying object over Afghanistan, contrary to claims on Facebook. It was seemingly created by artists specialized in computer-generated imagery (CGI). One user commenting on the subreddit said the clip was originally shared by a YouTube channel called “Section 51” (bit.ly/3JdVuLn), managed by CGI artists. The video was seemingly created by CGI artists and does not show a real UFO sighting in Afghanistan. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

☆ Fact Check-Claims about a homeless couple living in a Walmart attic stem from debunked websites
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters found no evidence for claims on social media that a homeless couple was found living in the attic of a Walmart in Tennessee. They stem from a 2015 article by two websites that have been debunked in the past. Now8News does not describe itself as a satirical website either, although the articles on its home page appear to be satirical in nature (bit.ly/3SIOBVs). Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Reuters was unable to find contact information on the Now8News and Lansing Daily websites. These claims stem from two websites that have been debunked in the past.

☆ Fact Check-Arma 3 gameplay falsely captioned as downed helicopter in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Computer game footage of a downed helicopter has been falsely captioned on social media as showing authentic footage from the frontlines in Ukraine. Users shared the clip via social media falsely claiming that it showed downed NATO helicopters inside Ukraine. Examples of the clip erroneously shared online can be viewed (here) and (here). A side-by-side comparison between the YouTube video (L) (timestamp: 39s) and the clip circulating online (R) (timestamp: 25s) can be viewed (ibb.co/rm4F4Gg). Reuters has previously addressed miscaptioned clips shared online purporting to show footage from the war in Ukraine (here), (here).

☆ Fact Check-Clip of Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussing U.S. support to Ukraine taken out of context online
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A short clip of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussing U.S. support to Ukraine and repercussions should Russia invade a NATO member state has been taken out of context online with the false suggestion that he was calling for U.S. troops to fight on the ground in Ukraine. The 19-second clip shared online originates from a 2-hour news briefing delivered by Zelenskiy on Feb. 24, marking the first anniversary of the full-scale war. Thank you.”Zelenskiy, via the translator, responded by first thanking “all the American people that are supporting Ukraine” (timestamp: 1.37.59s). He subsequently states that the number of Americans who view that the U.S. is providing too much support for Ukraine is increasing. Zelenskiy was discussing the repercussions should Russia invade a NATO member state if Ukraine loses the war, not calling for U.S. troops to join the current war in Ukraine.

☆ Fact Check-Images of a ‘satanic fashion show’ were digitally created, not taken at New York Fashion Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The rumors have spread online with captions such as: “New York Fashion Week: Almost as if they're trying to tell us something” (here). He added that the series is purely a fantasy concept and not affiliated with New York Fashion Week, although he was inspired by it. Reuters reported that New York Fashion Week 2023 took place between Feb. 10 and Feb. 6 (here), (here), (here). New York Fashion Week representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The images were created by an artist and don’t portray a real show at New York Fashion Week.

☆ Fact Check-Photo of Kyle Rittenhouse with rosy cheeks is digitally altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Kyle Rittenhouse’s physical appearance has been digitally altered in a photograph circulating on social media, although some users have been duped into thinking it is real. The picture was shared on Twitter (here) and Facebook (bit.ly/3kxbjD7), (bit.ly/3SAy1qD) by users commenting on the way he looks. It was first posted by user @GaryPetersonUSA (twitter.com/GaryPetersonUSA), who seemingly edited himself into the photo, with the caption: “When Patriots like Kyle Rittenhouse and I get lost, we just follow the flag to safety, like the wisemen followed the wishing star” (here). Although the user frequently shares content that could be considered satirical, it is not clearly labeled as such. A reverse image search revealed the original picture was posted by Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of former U.S. President Donald Trump, in February 2023 (here).

☆ TikTok sets automatic one-hour screen time limit for teens
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TikTok said Wednesday it will implement an automatic 60-minute screen-time limit for all users under the age of 18. Teens will be able to opt out of the feature if they want, but TikTok said that the app will prompt teens to set a limit if they spend "more than 100 minutes on TikTok in a day." TikTok is taking steps to curb screen time for its younger users as it stares down growing scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over its security and the safety of children on the platform. A study from the Pew Research Center last August found 67% of American teenagers used TikTok, with 16% of all teens saying they used it "constantly." TikTok parent ByteDance faces a probe from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, also known as CFIUS, over national security concerns.

☆ Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap prices at $35 per month for people with private insurance
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Inflation Reduction Act capped insulin prices for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 per month but did not protect people with private insurance or who don't have coverage from higher prices. In President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech, he called on Congress to cap insulin prices at $35 a month for everyone. Lilly said it will cap out-of-pocket costs at $35 per month effectively immediately at certain retail pharmacies for people with private insurance. One in five people with diabetes who have private insurance pay more than $35 per month for insulin, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Democrats in Congress had pushed to cap insulin at $35 per month last summer for people with private insurance, but Senate Republicans killed the measure.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to advance a bill that would grant President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok, the Chinese social media app used by more than 100 million Americans. Yet even as Democrats objected, many of them said they did so regretfully, and they would have much preferred to support a version of McCaul's TikTok ban. "My bill empowers the administration to ban TikTok or any other software application that threatens U.S. national security." "It would be unfortunate if the House Foreign Affairs Committee were to censor millions of Americans," TikTok spokeswoman Brooke Oberwetter told CNBC in an email Monday. On Monday, the Biden administration released new implementation rules for a TikTok ban that applies only to federal government-owned devices, which was passed by Congress in December.

Search resuls for: "Ly"

25 mentions found