Things To Do In SW Florida

The U.S. is rare among Western nations because it allows pharmaceutical advertising. But a new effort aims to stop it.

A bill was introduced in Congress recently that would ban pharmaceutical manufacturers from using direct-to-consumer advertising, from TV to social media, to promote their products.

Prescription drug advertising employs a lot of people, directly and indirectly. Billions are spent on advertising each year, employing advertising workers, and 24.4% of ad minutes were for prescription drugs across evening news programs on ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC this year through May, according to data from iSpot analyzed by The Wall Street Journal.

Proponents of the bill say advertising drives up the cost of prescription goods. Pharmaceutical trade groups have said advertisements serve public health by increasing disease awareness and educating consumers about treatment options.

Question: Should the U.S. ban drug advertising to consumers?

Economists

Alan Gin, University of San Diego

YES: Advertising is supposed to give consumers more information about products, but are consumers really in a position to make an informed decision about pharmaceuticals? Those decisions are best left to physicians, who probably have more knowledge about the effectiveness of medications. Consumers can be swayed by slick and repetitive ads into wanting products that might not be the best for them. The money spent on the ads will add to the already high price of the drugs. read more

By ADRIANA MORGA

NEW YORK (AP) — Recent layoffs from technology and media companies and government agencies might have you thinking about job security.

Related Articles

• 
  Musk’s ‘robotaxis’ draw regulatory scrutiny after video shows one driving in an opposing lane

• 
  Anthropic wins ruling on AI training in copyright lawsuit but must face trial on pirated books

• 
  No more McDoughnuts: McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme end partnership

• 
  Should the U.S. ban drug advertising to consumers?

• 
  With SLS rocket future uncertain, L3Harris still cranking out engines

Losing your job is a difficult thing to process and you might feel the impact in several parts of your life. But there are things you can do to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety.

If you’ve been laid off, experts recommend that you first take a moment to process and then move on with a plan for your job search.

“A layoff can feel so personal but it’s not a reflection of your value or what you contributed. Especially in the U.S., the work we do is so tied to our identity,” said Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a financial therapist. read more

While NASA’s Artemis program may ultimately abandon the Space Launch System rocket, for now, Melbourne-based L3Harris is pushing forward with the manufacture of the powerful rocket’s core stage engines.

The SLS core stage gets 2 million pounds of thrust from four RS-25 engines that for the first four Artemis missions are engines from the Space Shuttle Program refurbished by Aerojet Rocketdyne, which L3Harris acquired in 2023.

The first engine produced for the fifth mission, which was built from scratch after the depletion of the space shuttle supply, is now in NASA’s hands. On Friday, the engine, dubbed No. 20001, underwent an 8 1/2-minute hot fire on a test stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

That duration equals the time the engine would burn on launch if and when Artemis V gets off the ground. The engine was also cranked up to 111% power.

“This successful acceptance test shows that we’ve been able to replicate the RS-25’s performance and reliability, while incorporating modern manufacturing techniques and upgraded components such as the main combustion chamber, nozzle and pogo accumulator assembly,” said Kristin Houston, president of the company’s space propulsion and power systems division. read more

By JOSH FUNK

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said Tuesday that the heroic actions of the crew aboard Alaska Airlines flight 1282 ensured everyone survived the terrifying incident last year when the door plug panel flew off the plane shortly after takeoff in January of 2024.

But Homendy said “the crew shouldn’t have had to be heroes, because this accident never should have happened” if Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration had done enough to ensure the safety of the Boeing 737 Max plane.

She said the investigation over the past 17 months found bigger problems than just the revelation that bolts securing what is known as the door plug panel were removed and never replaced during a repair because “an accident like this only happens when there are multiple system failures.”

Homendy said Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, has made many improvements in safety since he took the job last summer but more needs to be done. The board is expected to approve several recommendations at Tuesday’s meeting to keep something similar from happening again. read more

By CALEIGH WELLS

TWINSBURG, Ohio (AP) — When Judy Sautner recently walked into Power Appliance, a store in a southeastern suburb of Cleveland, she had one goal in mind: replace her daughter’s broken dryer with something that worked and didn’t break the bank.

“I wasn’t really worried about all the bells and whistles,” said Sautner.

Jay Buchanan, the store’s owner, said many customers are like Sautner, and what they are looking for frequently ends up being an appliance with the Energy Star symbol.

The U.S.-based program claims that its blue seal of approval on efficient appliances saves households an average of $450 on their bills per year. Since its launch in 1992, Energy Star appliances have also prevented 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the main cause of climate change.

But the program’s future is unclear. The Environmental Protection Agency has announced an agency reorganization plan that would eliminate its Energy Star offices. That would make it more difficult for customers to find energy efficient appliances. Here is a look at Energy Star along with tips to find energy efficient appliances if the program goes away: read more