#Executive Order

[reasonsforhope]

"The Biden Administration last week [early December, 2023] announced it would be seizing patents for drugs and drug manufacturing procedures developed using government money.

A draft of the new law, seen by Reuters, said that the government will consider various factors including whether a medical situation is leading to increased prices of the drug at any given time, or whether only a small section of Americans can afford it.

The new executive order is the first exercise in what is called “march-in-rights” which allows relevant government agencies to redistribute patents if they were generated under government funding. The NIH has long maintained march-in-rights, but previous directors have been unwilling to use them, fearing consequences.

“We’ll make it clear that when drug companies won’t sell taxpayer funded drugs at reasonable prices, we will be prepared to allow other companies to provide those drugs for less,” White House adviser Lael Brainard said on a press call.

But just how much taxpayer money is going toward funding drugs? A research paper from the Insitute for New Economic Thought showed that “NIH funding contributed to research associated with every new drug approved from 2010-2019, totaling $230 billion.”

The authors of the paper continue, writing “NIH funding also produced 22 thousand patents, which provided marketing exclusivity for 27 (8.6%) of the drugs approved [between] 2010-2019.”

How we do drug discovery and production in America has a number of fundamental flaws that have created problems in the health service industry.

It costs billions of dollars and sometimes as many as 5 to 10 years to bring a drug to market in the US, which means that only companies with massive financial muscle can do so with any regularity, and that smaller, more innovative companies can’t compete with these pharma giants.

This also means that if a company can’t recoup that loss, a single failed drug can result in massive disruptions to business. To protect themselves, pharmaceutical companies establish piles of patents on drugs and drug manufacturing procedures. Especially if the drug in question treats a rare or obscure disease, these patents essentially ensure the company has monoselective pricing regimes.

However, if a company can convince the NIH that a particular drug should be considered a public health priority, they can be almost entirely funded by the government, as the research paper showed.

Some market participants, in this case the famous billionaire investor Mark Cuban, have attempted to remedy the issue of drug costs in America by manufacturing generic versions of patented drugs sold for common diseases."

-via Good News Network, December 11, 2023

[mysticfoxdesigns]

Texas Antisemitism Executive Order

PLEASE SHARE THIS AROUND!!

As many of y'all know by now, I am a Texan. Specifically a Texan in higher education, at a public university. Gov. Abbott's new executive order to have public universities crack down on Anti-Semitic speech directly impacts the students advocating for Palestine.

Phrases such as "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" can now be considered HATE SPEECH!

“Some radical organizations on our campuses engaged in acts that have no place in Texas,” Abbott said in a press release. “Now, we must work to ensure that our college campuses are safe spaces for members of the Jewish community.”

This was never about protecting Jewish people, but protecting Zionists. The order was issued after universities across Texas had issues after Oct. 7th's events. Pro-Palestine and Pro-Israel students were butting heads, and some broke out into fights according to some sources. As a uni student myself, I have seen these conflicting sides in person. Abbott's statement also makes no mention of the Anti-Islamic rhetoric that has also been spreading due to Israel's persecution of Palestinians.

This order calls for all public universities and colleges review their free speech policies, and to lay out in their policies the definition of antisemitism, and punishments for Anti-Semitic rhetoric. All within 90 days of the order's publishment.

Most of this appears to be banking on HB 3257, the bill that introduced Texas' Holocaust, Genocide, And Antisemitism Advisory Commission

Now, there has been some actual pushback on this, from the The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas) as well as students and administration from the universities and colleges effected.

“This order not only undermines the principles of free speech and academic freedom but also perpetuates a harmful narrative that equates criticism of Israeli policies with antisemitism,” CAIR-DFW Executive Director Mustafa Carroll said in a statement.

Taken from the Dallas Morning News article posted earlier in this post.

The wordage used by Abbott worries many people, due to the fact that it is so vague. To the point where criticizing Israel and it's government can be considered hate speech.

Please share this around. If it is happening here, it can happen to any state.

Don't stop speaking about Palestine. Don't stop supporting the Palestinian citizens who are displaced right now. Educate your peers, donate if you are able, and don't give up hope.

[braziliansource]

MEDIDA PROVISÓRIA / EXECUTIVE ORDER (2020) Taís Araújo and Alfred Enoch as 'Capitú' and 'Antonio'

[commonsensecommentary]

Another so-called emergency; another American right “temporarily” suspended by executive order. Democrats seem convinced our Constitution is an à la carte menu where you can just pick and choose as you please. These people cannot be trusted with power.

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Gold hoarders laden with bags, boxes, and suitcases enter and leave the Federal Reserve Bank to deposit their hidden currency, March 10, 1933. In one day, they deposited $30 million (worth around $700 million today), hoping to escape the penalties that the government would exact on hoarders effective May 1. The U.S. was still on the gold standard at the time, and President Roosevelt felt that hoarding the stuff prevented it from increasing the money supply.

Photo: Associated Press

[the-psudo]

So, Biden just signed Executive Order #14115, which puts sanctions on Israeli extremist settlers in the West Bank. Thursday, Feb 1st, 2024 he signed this order.

This is the first time the USA has ever issued sanctions against Israeli citizens. At least 4 Israelis have already had these sanctions enforced against them.

This doesn't help Gaza, but... it's the most any US President has ever done for Palestinians. I don't know what to think about it.

[antarseine]

[reasonsforhope]

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill Wednesday repealing the state's nearly century-old abortion ban.

Last month, the state's House and Senate passed HB 4006, a single-sentence bill, which revokes the 1931 law that criminalized abortion.

Specifically, the bill repealed Section 750.14, which makes it a felony -- punishable by up to four years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000 -- to administer drugs that induce a miscarriage unless the mother's life is in danger.

It also repealed Section 750.15, which makes it a misdemeanor to advertise, publish or sell "any pills, powder, drugs or combination of drugs" that can cause an abortion.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, questions remained about whether or not the 1931 law would be put back in place...

A Michigan state judge ruled in September that the ban is unconstitutional, barring any state prosecutors from enforcing it.

Two months later, in the November mid-term elections, Michiganders voted in favor of a constitutional amendment that would add protections for reproductive rights...

The amendment defines reproductive freedom as "the right to make and effectuate decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management and infertility care." ...

Whitmer has openly expressed her support for abortion access in and out of Michigan and signed an executive order in July refusing to extradite women who come to Michigan from other states seeking abortion and refusing to extradite providers for offering the procedure.

"In November, Michiganders sent a clear message: we deserve to make our own decisions about own bodies," Whitmer said in a statement provided to ABC News. "Today, we are coming together to repeal our extreme 1931 law banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest and criminalizing nurses and doctors for doing their jobs."

-via ABC News, 4/5/23

[environmentalwatch]

Climate Corps - The New New Deal

Climate Corps will create a new workforce for green jobs, in a New Deal-style arrangement set up by President Biden. On Wednesday, the White House announced the Climate Corps, a new jobs training program. It will employ more than 20,000 young adult in parks and state and federal land, building trails, installing solar power systems, planting trees, and other work to help conserve wild spaces and…

[gregor-samsung]

Medida Provisória [Executive Order] (Lázaro Ramos, 2020)

[hislop3]

Executive Order - Staffing and Medicare Implications Update

Yesterday I wrote a post regarding a significant (and large) Executive Order coming via the Biden Administration concerning long-term care, child care, staffing in nursing homes, expanded supports under Medicaid for long-term care and childcare, etc. The post is here: https://wp.me/ptUlY-uM . While I have yet to obtain the text of the order, I have watched and read various reports on the Order,…

[15billionyears]

What I’m watching (2022 Edition) || Medida Provisória (2022)

[aceduchessdragoness]

[img description: The picture is a tweet by Erin Reed that says "This is massive. Gov Tim Walz has just made Minnesota a trans refugee state with an EO! He will decline extradition requests. He will refuse subpoenas. No resource can be used to enforce bans. They will be the first state to upgrade to dark blue, safest states on my map."

Underneath is a picture of Governor Tim Walz's tweet, which says, "Today, I took executive action to protect access to gender-affirming health care in Minnesota. My message is clear: Here in Minnesota, our LGBTQ+ neighbors will not be denied or punished for seeking life-affirming and lifesaving medical care."

There is also a picture of the executive order, you can't read the whole thing in the screenshot, but it says:

State of Minnesota

Executive Department

Governor Tim Walz

Executive Order 23-03

Protecting and Supporting the Rights of Minnesota's LGBTQIA+ Community Members to Seek and Receive Gender Affirming Health Care Services

I, Tim Walz, Governor of the State of Minnesota, by the authority vested in my by the Constitution and applicable statues, issue the following Executive Order:

The Minnesota Constitution explains that "Government is instituted for the security, benefit, and protection of the people." All Minnesotans have the right to be free from discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. Minnesota strives to be a welcoming and supportive place for LGBTQIA+ community members. We uphold the essential values of One Minnesota when all people, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, are safe, celebrated, and able to live lives full of dignity and joy.

Throughout the course of their lives, transgender, gender diverse, non-binary, and gender queer individuals may decide to seek gender affirming health care services. This deeply personal decision is made with the guidance of medical professionals. Like all medical treatment, gender affirming care must align with standards that endure safe, appropriate, and well-established practices. The availability of gender affirming health care services is essential to health and wellness of LGBTQIA+ community members, and is supported by numerous major professional (The rest if cut off)]

You can read the whole thing HERE

[trendynewsnow]

Wave of Offensive Messages Targeting Minority Groups Emerges Post-Election

Wave of Offensive Messages Targets Minority Groups A disturbing trend of offensive text messages and emails has emerged in recent days, specifically targeting Hispanic and L.G.B.T.Q. individuals, as reported by the F.B.I. This wave of harassment follows a troubling barrage of racist texts directed at Black individuals shortly after the presidential election results were announced. The F.B.I.…

[antarseine]