Settlement Deal of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler Family over the Misappropriate Marketing of Opioids in the U.S.
Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, who own the company, have reached a $7.4 billion settlement with all 50 states and U.S. territories over the company’s improper marketing of opioids. It will end a long legal battle if the settlement is approved. Legal documents revealed that under the Sackler family’s leadership, Purdue Pharma convinced regulators and the health care industry that OxyContin could be used more liberally without a big risk of addiction or overdose, which turned out not to be true. The company pleaded guilty to federal crimes for false marketing. Millions of people in the US have died from overdoses of prescription drugs.
The deal was filed with a federal bankruptcy court by Purdue Pharma officials in March after negotiations with state attorneys general and other stakeholders. If this plan is finalized, payouts will occur over the next 15 years.
This settlement will have to be approved by a federal bankruptcy court. Experts tell NPR, this version of the deal is likely to be accepted by the courts and by the U.S. Justice Department.
The executive committee of the National Prescription Opiate Litigation Plaintiffs’ said they are pleased that all 55 states have agreed to take on the litigation.
The Sacklers will not be forced to give up lawsuits against them if a major change is made to settlement deals.
The Sackler family’s “leading role in fueling the epidemic of opiate addiction and overdoses” will be held accountable according to a statement by New York’s Attorney General.
Vance Boelter faces federal charges in a U.S. high-spin murder case: a Thai university student interviewed by Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep
Millions more people are surviving cancer thanks to improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The population of U.S. cancer survivors has surged to 18.6 million people in recent decades, according to the American Cancer Society. With this rise comes the need for varied therapies to improve cancer survivors’ quality of life. Music therapy can help with that.
Unless an individual is a lawful permanent resident, they must not enter the U.S. if they are a visa holder under certain visa categories. The United States banned 12 countries for high visa overstays and non-cooperation with the government. Some people are worried that their plans of arriving to the U.S. could be ruined, despite the visa exceptions. One of them is a person from Thailand who was accepted to an Ivy League university. He speaks with Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep about his fascination with U.S. history and its freedoms, and whether it’s in the interest of the U.S. to admit international students for an education. Listen to their conversation, and read some of the quotes from his interview.
The man suspected of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and her spouse and wounding another lawmaker and his wife faces federal and state murder charges. Police apprehended the 57-year-old late Sunday in rural Minnesota. Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson for the district of Minnesota said Boelter’s alleged crimes were “the stuff of nightmares.”
Source: Trump leaves G7 to focus on Mideast conflict. And, Vance Boelter faces federal charges
Up First: A Primer for The Upcoming White House Summit on the Status of the G7 Security and Security Breakdowns (The Up First Podcast)
President Trump left the G7 summit one day early to focus on the rapidly escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. The White House immediately announced Trump’s departure from the summit after he posted a dire warning on social media urging Iranians to leave Tehran.
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