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Massachusetts Senate to press for prescription drug cost relief

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

Patients would pay no more than $25 for certain name-brand medications to treat some chronic illnesses and face no costs whatsoever for similar generic options under the latest prescription drug legislation set to emerge in the Senate.Senate Democrats plan to release a revived version of a drug pricing reform bill they have approved in two straight lawmaking sessions without securing passage in the House, the News Service has learned.This time around, the legislation will feature new language aimed at reducing or eliminating cost burdens for Bay Staters with conditions like heart disease, asthma and diabetes, a push Senate President Karen Spilka forecast when she signaled plans to bring the bill to the floor before Thanksgiving.Sen. Cindy Friedman, the architect of the bill, said the latest addition would cap out-of-pocket costs for some widely used medications at $25 for name-brand versions and at $0 for generic alternatives.“We don’t know the specific drug because we&#...

Div. 2 swimming: Wellesley girls dominate for another title

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

CAMBRIDGE — Depth has been the calling card for the Wellesley girls swimming and diving team over its recent stretch of dominance, but on the biggest stage, the stars made sure to leave their mark for yet another state title Saturday morning.The Raiders took gold in six events and silver in three more in the Div. 2 state championships at MIT, pacing 426 points they used to win a third straight state title — their fourth in five seasons. Runner-up Chelmsford finished with 229.5.Anna McGrew led the way as a double-winner in the 50-yard freestyle (23.58 seconds) and 100-yard freestyle (51.53) individual events, and competed on the 200-yard freestyle (1:40.44) and 400-yard freestyle (3:42.00) relay teams that also took gold. Add the 200-yard medley team’s winning time of 1:51.59 to mark a sweep in the relays for a second straight year, and Elena Dudkina’s win in the 200-yard individual medley (2:13.34) rounded out the program’s top finishes.Wakefield took third with 219 points, Belmont ...

Massachusetts rent control ballot campaign fails, organizer says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

A campaign to place a rent control question on the 2024 ballot has failed, as it faced a near impossible task of collecting the required amount of signatures within the next two weeks.The initiative had collected roughly 10,175 signatures over the past six weeks, far short of the 74,574 required by Nov. 22 for the question to advance in the process, according to state Rep. Mike Connolly, who organized the effort.The Cambridge Democrat announced the development on Friday night, much to the delight of groups who argued that the measure shouldn’t be placed on the ballot.The proposal looked to allow municipalities to regulate residential evictions, rents and fees, broker fees, and the removal of housing units from the rental market.Connolly said his group, of more than 500 elected officials, individuals and organizations, suggested it band together with Homes for All Massachusetts, a statewide housing justice coalition, to collect the required signatures and then decide how the question...

Ticker: US continuing jobless claims rise for 7th straight week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

Recurring applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose for a seventh straight week, adding to evidence that the labor market is cooling.Continuing jobless claims, a proxy for the number of people receiving unemployment benefits, increased to 1.83 million in the week ended Oct. 28, the highest since mid-April, according to Labor Department data out Thursday.Initial claims ticked lower to 217,000 in the week ending Nov. 4. The four-week moving average, which smooths out some of the volatility in the weekly data, rose to 212,250.The recent pickup in continuing claims suggests unemployed workers are increasingly having a harder time finding new jobs. Demand for workers is retreating from unprecedented pandemic levels and the unemployment rate now stands at the highest level in nearly two years.— Bloomberg NewsWalgreens prepares for 267 corporate layoffsWalgreens is preparing to lay off 5% of its Chicago-based corporate workforce, the company confirmed Thursday.The cuts amount to 267...

Without Jim Harbaugh, No. 2 Michigan grinds past No. 9 Penn State with 32 straight runs in 24-15 win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

With Jim Harbaugh banned by the Big Ten Conference, J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum and No. 2 Michigan played unfazed by a scandal that has hounded the program for weeks — and their toughest opponent yet — grinding past No. 9 Penn State 24-15 Saturday.Corum ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns, McCarthy made few key plays with his arms and legs and the Wolverines (10-0, 7-0, No. 3 CFP) improved to 3-0 since it was revealed the program was under NCAA investigation for a sign-stealing scheme.The struggles in big games continued for coach James Franklin and Penn State (8-2, 5-3, No. 10 CFP), which scored a combined 26 points in losses to Big Ten East rivals Ohio State and Michigan this season.In a game Harbaugh no doubt loved from afar, on what turned into a chilly and gray day in Happy Valley, the Wolverines ran the ball on 32 straight plays that counted, starting with the final two of the first half and ending with a couple of kneeldowns.The 27th run was Corum’s 30-yard touchdown to...

Hospitals have special protection under the rules of war. Why are they in the crosshairs in Gaza?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The head of surgery at Gaza’s largest and most advanced hospital held up his phone Saturday to the hammering of gunfire and artillery shelling. “Listen,” said Dr. Marwan Abu Sada as fighting raged around Shifa Hospital.Close quarters combat between the Israeli military and Hamas militants sent shells hissing through the hospital courtyard and crashing into wards. Doctor tried to help patients even as they ran for cover.Abu Sada described Shifa as a death trap for thousands of war-wounded, medical staff and displaced civilians sheltering there. The Israeli military denied it launched direct strikes or placed Shifa under siege.In this Israel-Hamas war, hospitals in the main combat zone of northern Gaza have increasingly ended up in the crosshairs as Israeli tanks crunch through the hollowed-out heart of Gaza City. They have also become flashpoints for warring narratives.Israel says Hamas militants are using hospitals as shields for fighters, while the Palestinians and...

Star safety Koi Perich reminded of commitment to Gophers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

Star high school football recruit Koi Perich was reminded of his commitment to the Gophers in a unique way on Saturday afternoon.A “Row The Boat” banner flew behind an airplane during the Class 3A state quarterfinal between Perich’s Esko team and Annandale in Brainerd, Minn.Jamie Broman, the sports director at KRWC Radio, posted two tweets about the message before the broadcast of the game.Perich committed to the Gophers in April, but received a scholarship offers from Ohio State on Monday, with Florida State and USC offering rides in October.The creative message is clear: Minnesota and its backers want the four-star safety recruit from northern Minnesota to remain home and be saying head coach P.J. Fleck’s mantra for years to come.In 2017, Fleck turned heads in recruiting by having a helicopter take him and receivers coach Matt Simon from Dinkytown to Apple Valley to watch Edina offensive lineman Quinn Carroll vs. Eastview in 2017. Fleck wore a Carroll jersey to the high school gam...

Eric Schmitt unfazed by special election results, expects Trump vs. Biden race in 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

WASHINGTON - Democrats claimed victory in several notable races during Tuesday's special elections, particularly ones in Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia. These wins come roughly one year before the next presidential election, and many were races centered on the national debate over abortion.What might this November election's voting trends mean for the next one? Turnout will be substantially higher in a presidential election cycle, so factors like public opinion, party strength, and key issues could look different from one year to the next. Man killed in south St. Louis County road-rage shooting Some elected officials, including Missouri U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, say it's hard to draw comparisons between election results in presidential and non-presidential voting years."I think it's hard to look at elections in years like 2023 or 2019 as any kind of precursor to what happens in a big presidential election," said Schmitt, speaking one-on-one virtually with FOX 2 earlier this week. "Ea...

Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen out “weeks” after scary collision with end boards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

Artturi Lehkonen is expected to miss “weeks” after crashing head-first into the end boards Thursday night, per Colorado coach Jared Bednar.Lehkonen collided with Seattle defenseman Jamie Oleksiak during the second period of a 4-3 loss to the Kraken at Ball Arena. He went to a local hospital as a precaution for further evaluation.“We’re still gathering information, but he’s going to miss weeks,” said Bednar, who reiterated upon further review that he didn’t believe Oleksiak’s hit deserved a penalty. “Can’t give you a timeline yet.”Bednar said it is not a head injury, but didn’t offer further details on the issue. It is the first significant blow to the Avalanche during the 2023-24 regular season. The Avs have had two players miss one game each from the opening-night roster because of injury.Lehkonen is a key secondary scorer for the Avs. He’s relied upon in all three phases of the game. Cale Makar called him “hard as nails” ...

These 8 habits may help you live longer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 11:05:01 GMT

Aging is inevitable, but you might be able to slow down the process with some healthy lifestyle changes. That's according to a new study presented Monday at the American Heart Society's Scientific Sessions 2023 in Philadelphia. Scientists pointed to eight healthy habits that can reduce your biological age and help you live longer. While everyone knows their chronological age (the number of years you've been alive), biological age refers to how old your cells are and the speed at which you're aging physically.  1 in 4 US medical students consider quitting, most don’t plan to treat patients: report For the study, researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York City calculated the phenotypic, or biological, age of 6,500 adults. The analysis found that good cardiovascular health can slow the pace of biological aging by up to six years and reduce the risk of developing age-related diseases.For example, the average actual ag...