Antiviral pills to fight severe COVID available in Hawaii
HONOLULU — Hawaii doctors, like physicians elsewhere in the U.S., have been prescribing antiviral pills to COVID-19 patients with mild-to-moderate symptoms of the disease. But only those at high risk of developing severe illness are eligible to receive the drugs.
Letters to the Editor: April 26, 2022
Unmask our keiki
Commentary: It’s time to crack down on the middlemen that inflate the costs of drugs like insulin
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock recently introduced a bill that would cap Americans’ out-of-pocket spending on insulin at $35 a month. The legislation would be a godsend to patients battling diabetes. Many of them currently face hundreds of dollars in monthly out-of-pocket costs — an unaffordable burden for many low- and even middle-income Americans. These patients often skip injections and self-ration their insulin at enormous risk to their health, since untreated diabetes can lead to blindness, limb amputations and even death. Diabetes patients account for a quarter of all U.S. health care spending.
US promises more Ukraine aid, Biden announces veteran envoy
NEAR THE POLISH-UKRAINIAN BORDER — Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday after a secrecy-shrouded visit to Kyiv that Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy is committed to winning his country’s fight against Russia and that the United States will help him achieve that goal.
Elon Musk to buy Twitter for $44B and take it private
Elon Musk reached an agreement to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion on Monday, promising a more lenient touch to policing content on the platform where he promotes his interests, attacks critics and opines on a wide range of issues to more than 83 million followers. The outspoken Tesla CEO, who is also the world’s wealthiest person, has said he wanted to buy and privatize Twitter because he thinks it’s not living up to its potential as a platform for free speech. The risk is that Musk goes too far in his hands off approach, potentially alienating users and advertisers. Shares of Twitter Inc. rose 5% Monday to $51.70 per share, below the $54.20 he offered for the company.
