Mes: junio 2024

Colombia’s peace agreement creates a birdwatching paradise

Colombia’s peace agreement creates a birdwatching paradise

The 2016 peace treaty, which ended decades of civil conflict in Colombia, has transformed the country into a birdwatcher's paradise. This agreement has liberated vast swathes of forests previously dominated by armed groups, making them accessible to both wildlife enthusiasts and researchers. For years, Colombia's rich biodiversity has been hidden behind the barriers of a long-running civil war. The nation's forests, home to an astonishing variety of bird species, were largely off-limits due to the presence of guerrillas and associated dangers. However, the peace agreement has made these once inaccessible areas accessible, revealing a treasure trove of avian diversity. Birdwatchers…
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Passenger restrained with duct tape during flight risks a fine

Passenger restrained with duct tape during flight risks a fine

An American Airlines passenger who kicked and spat at flight attendants and passengers and attempted to open a cabin door before being secured to a seat with duct tape has been sued by the Federal Aviation Administration for a fine of $81,950, the largest ever issued by the agency for unruly behavior. The passenger, Heather Wells, 34, of San Antonio, was traveling first class from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 7, 2021, when About an hour into the flight she ordered a Jack Daniel's and became agitated and…
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Julian Assange nears freedom after pleading guilty in leaked documents case

Julian Assange nears freedom after pleading guilty in leaked documents case

Concluding a years-long legal saga, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to return to Australia after pleading guilty to a single charge relating to the publication of classified US documents. The 52-year-old Australian citizen avoided a lengthy prison sentence by admitting guilt at a remote hearing in an American territory in the Pacific. This settlement marks a significant development in a case that has become a battleground for press freedom and national security concerns. From celebrity whistleblower to legal stalemate Assange rose to prominence in the 2010s when WikiLeaks published a series of sensitive documents exposing details about US military…
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EU targets Microsoft Teams bundling, saying it stifles competition

EU targets Microsoft Teams bundling, saying it stifles competition

The European Union (EU) accuses Microsoft of foul play after regulators accused the tech giant of unfairly bundling its popular Teams video conferencing software with its Office suite. This practice, the EU says, gives Teams an unfair advantage over competitors like Zoom and Slack. The issue centers on how Microsoft bundles Teams into its Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscriptions, which include programs like Word, Excel, and Outlook. Regulators say this bundling essentially forces companies to adopt Teams if they want Microsoft’s other widely used programs. That, they argue, hurts competition by limiting customer choice. This is just the latest…
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Rising Drug Costs: Are Pharmacy Benefits Managers to Blame?

Rising Drug Costs: Are Pharmacy Benefits Managers to Blame?

For many Americans, the rising tide of prescription drug prices seems like a relentless force, threatening to swamp family budgets and access to health care. While pharmaceutical companies often assume public responsibility, the web of influences on drug costs is much more intricate. Today we shine our spotlight on a critical, but typically hidden, player in this system: pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. Rebecca Robbins, a leading investigative journalist specializing in pharmaceuticals for the New York Times, will take us on a deep dive into the world of PBMs. We will explore their role as intermediaries between drug manufacturers, insurers,…
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