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Merck sues federal government, calling plan to negotiate Medicare drug prices ‘extortion’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

Merck is suing the federal government over a plan to negotiate Medicare drug prices, calling the program a sham equivalent to extortion.The drugmaker is seeking to halt the program, which was laid out in the Inflation Reduction Act and is expected to save taxpayers billions of dollars in the coming years.Merck said in a complaint filed Tuesday that the program does not involve genuine negotiation. Instead, it said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services selects drugs to be included and then dictates the price, threatening drugmakers with “a ruinous daily excise tax” if they decline to agree.“It is tantamount to extortion,” the drugmaker said in the complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.The drugmaker added that it expects its diabetes treatment Januvia to be part of “the IRA’s scheme” starting later this year.Representatives of the federal agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.The fed...

‘Jerry Maguire’ star Cuba Gooding Jr. settles civil sex abuse case, averting trial

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Just as a trial was to begin, it was revealed Tuesday that Cuba Gooding Jr. has settled accusations that he raped a woman in a New York City hotel a decade ago, according to court records. The actor had insisted through lawyers that his encounter with the woman was consensual after the two met at a nearby restaurant.The trial was to start with jury selection in New York federal court as the Oscar-winning “Jerry Maguire” star faced allegations that he met the woman in Manhattan, persuaded her to join him at a hotel, and convinced her to stop at his room so he could change clothing.The woman had proceeded anonymously until last week, when Judge Paul A. Crotty ruled that she would have to reveal her name at trial. She said in her lawsuit that Gooding raped her in his room. His lawyers, though, insisted that it was consensual sex and that she bragged afterward to others that she had sex with a celebrity.The lawsuit sought $6 million in damages. Attorney Gloria Allred, on...

Ex-Leverkusen coach Gerardo Seoane moves to Borussia Moenchengladbach

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany (AP) — Borussia Moenchengladbach appointed Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane on Tuesday in his first new job since a troubled end to his time with fellow Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.Seoane joined Gladbach on a three-year contract as the replacement for Daniel Farke, who left last week after a 10th-place finish following a season of inconsistent results. Gladbach beat title contenders Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund but failed to win back-to-back Bundesliga games all season.“Gerardo Seoane has been successful for several clubs over the past few years. He’s a young coach, but one with lots of experience. He plays the style of football we want to see here,” said Roland Virkus, Gladbach’s managing director for sport.Seoane won three Swiss titles with Young Boys before moving to Germany with Leverkusen, where he qualified for the Champions League in his first season with a third-place finish, the club’s best since 2016. However, Seoane was fired in...

Una mujer negra madre de cuatro hijos fue asesinada a tiros por una vecina, que no fue detenida

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

(CNN) — Una madre de cuatro hijos fue asesinada a tiros en Florida tras una larga disputa con una vecina que se había quejado de que los hijos de la víctima jugaban al aire libre, informaron las autoridades y un abogado de la familia.Los agentes respondieron a una llamada por allanamiento de morada el pasado viernes por la noche y encontraron a una mujer con una herida de bala, dijo el sheriff del condado de Marion, Florida, Billy Woods, en una conferencia de prensa este lunes.La víctima fue identificada por las autoridades como Ajike “AJ” Owens. Tenía 35 años.La atacante “se enfrentó” con los hijos de Owens y lanzó un par de patines, golpeando a los niños, dijo el sheriff. Un testigo le dijo a la Policía que había habido una disputa sobre el dispositivo electrónico de la tableta de un niño antes de que la atacante le lanzara los patines a los niños, según un informe del incidente de la oficina del sheriff.Tras esa interacción, uno de los niños volvió a...

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. settles lawsuit by woman who accused him of rape, avoiding trial set to begin in New York

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. settles lawsuit by woman who accused him of rape, avoiding trial set to begin in New York.Source

Intellipharmaceutics: Fiscal Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — TORONTO (AP) — Intellipharmaceutics International Inc. (IPCIF) on Tuesday reported a loss of $875,000 in its fiscal fourth quarter.The Toronto-based company said it had a loss of 9 cents per share.The extended-release drug developer posted revenue of $46,700 in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $47,000.For the year, the company reported a loss of $2.9 million, or 9 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $657,000._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on IPCIF at https://www.zacks.com/ap/IPCIFSource

Ex Formula One boss Ecclestone pleads not guilty to fraud charge

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone on Tuesday formally pleaded not guilty to a fraud charge over his alleged failure to declare millions of dollars held in a trust in Singapore to Britain’s government.The 92-year-old billionaire, who wore a dark suit and dark glasses, confirmed his name at London’s Southwark Crown Court before entering a not guilty plea to fraud between July 2013 and October 2016. He faces trial in November following a worldwide investigation by Britain’s tax office into his finances. Prosecutors allege he failed to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank account containing around $650 million when he was asked about any trusts abroad that he was involved in. They allege that Ecclestone claimed he had set up “only a single trust” in favor of his three daughters, and that he was “not the settler nor beneficiary of any trust in or outside the U.K.” Prosecutors say he acted “dishonestly” and intended to make a gain from the claim...

EU parliament criticized for slow pace of anti-corruption reform as offices searched over Qatargate

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Six months after a group of European Union lawmakers was swept up in a cash-for-influence scandal, no new anti-corruption rules are in place at the European Parliament and the ones that do exist are not being enforced anyway, anti-corruption officials and parliamentarians said Tuesday.The criticism came as the European Parliament offices of two lawmakers implicated in the scandal dubbed Qatargate were searched again on Tuesday. , Belgian federal prosecutors confirmed the searches to The Associated Press but declined to provide details.“In December last year the Parliament promised root-and-branch reform to prevent a recurrence of Qatargate. Instead, we’ve seen nothing but dither and delay and attempts to blame others for what happened,” said Michiel van Hulten, from the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International.The scandal came to light on Dec. 9 after police launched more than 20 raids, mostly in Belgium but also in Italy. Hundreds of thousands of euros we...

Colapso de importante represa en Ucrania provoca evacuaciones en toda la región

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

KIEV, Ucrania — El muro de una importante represa en una zona del sur de Ucrania controlada por Moscú se derrumbó el martes y provocó inundaciones, puso en peligro a la mayor central nuclear de Europa y amenazó el suministro de agua potable. Mientras, funcionarios de ambos bandos se apresuraban a evacuar a los residentes y se culpaban mutuamente del suceso.Ucrania acusó a las fuerzas rusas de volar la represa y central hidroeléctrica de Kakhovka, en el río Dniéper, mientras que los funcionarios rusos culparon a los ataques militares ucranianos en la región en disputa. No fue posible verificar las acusaciones.Las posibles consecuencias medioambientales y sociales de gran calado ocasionadas por el desastre quedaron claras pronto cuando las viviendas, las calles y los negocios empezaron a inundarse río abajo y los equipos de emergencias iniciaron los desalojos; los funcionarios se apresuraron a revisar el sistema de refrigeración de la central nuclear de Zaporiyia y las autoridades se ...

Bulgaria gets new government as former rivals enter uneasy alliance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:57:33 GMT

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s parliament on Tuesday formally approved the country’s new government proposed by the two main political rivals in a bid to end a 30-months-long political crisis, restore stability and spur economic development in the poorest EU member country.The GERB party of ex-Premier Boyko Borissov, which won the April general election, and the runner-up, the pro-European liberal coalition “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” have agreed to form the first-ever Bulgarian government where the post of prime minister will change hands halfway through. Lawmakers voted 132-69 to elect Nikolay Denkov, a 60-year-old chemistry professor and former education minister, as prime minister. Denkov is a founding member of the reformist “We Continue the Change” party.In a separate vote, legislators also approved the Cabinet, in which GERB’s Maria Gabriel, a former European Commissioner, will serve as deputy head of government and foreign minister. After nine months, D...