In mid-March the coup regime in Niger terminated a decade-long security agreement with the United States. The announcement led to the closure of a key U.S. military base where 1,000 troops were deployed on the edge of the Sahara Desert, deployed there to fight Islamic militants in north and west Africa. The coup leadership complained the security pact violated Niger’s constitution and objected to pressure from key US officials to commit to a democratic transition after the military overthrew the country’s elected government in late July 2023.
(“US Trained Niger Junta Kicks Out US Troops, Drone Base,” The Intercept, March 19, 2024)
In a key victory for the Biden administration, Big Pharma manufacturers agreed to cut prices by 75 percent on their insulin drugs after Biden and Congress changed Medicaid rebate policy. But one pharmaceutical giant, Denmark-based Novo Nordisk, which made huge profits with its new obesity drugs, decided to phase out its Levemir insulin drug by the end of this year. The drug was favored by young people and athletes who are unable to use an insulin pump.
(“Novo Nordisk Discontinues Insulin Medication After Cutting Its Price,” American Prospect, March 14, 2024)
The Federal Railroad Administration requires rail companies to report incidents involving equipment failures and on-the-job injuries because knowing about them allows officials to spot hazardous working conditions. The agency’s statistics are the main way the public can view the businesses’ safety records, for which they must answer to their employees’ unions and their shareholders.
(“What’s Missing From Railroad Safety Data? Dead Workers and Severed Limbs,” ProPublica, March 13, 2024)
This week’s News Summary was narrated by Anna Manzo.
