Money and Computing
Senator Amy Klobuchar Wants To Stop ‘Pay-For-Delay’ Deals That Keep Drug Prices High
"Washington’s recent fixation with lowering drug costs has introduced Americans to once-insider terms like 'pharmacy benefit managers' and 'list prices.' During an April 22 CNN town hall event for Democratic candidates, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) described a drugmaker practice that sounds a lot like bribery — drawing attention to yet another secretive process that lawmakers and experts say prevents patients from obtaining affordable prescription drugs. more »
Sitting Ducks ... Are Good Targets Only if They Stay in Place and Behave as Expected
Julia Sneden wrote: I had a small accident a couple of weeks ago, the third in almost 50 years of driving. It happened in my own driveway. That was probably my first experience in being a true victim. Until then I had accepted (sometimes grudgingly) a share of the blame for most of the unpleasant moments of my life. Blame is an unpleasant burden, but shouldering it acknowledges that one is, at least, an active participant in the situation, and not a passive victim. I find it much easier to deal with being held accountable than with feeling helpless in the hands of capricious Fate. more »
MFA Boston Exhibition Explores Relationship Between Fashion and Gender Tracing a Century of Style That Dares to Break the Rules
More than simply documenting styles and trends, Gender Bending Fashion also explores how the garments on view can speak broadly to societal shifts across the past century, including changing gender roles; ongoing efforts toward LGBTQIA+ rights and racial equality; and the rise of social media as a powerful tool for self-expression. Throughout the galleries, individual stories of designers and wearers — many of them celebrities, performers and fashion influencers — emerge, touching on issues of gender identity and expression, sexuality, race, class, pop culture, activism, social justice and more. more »
Individual Placement and Support (IPS) “holds promise ... for people with opioid use disorders” & The Changing Perceptions Through Art and Storytelling ’Opioid Project
Researchers suggest programs that help people find and keep jobs might help boost employment among people with substance use disorder. One such model is Individual Placement and Support (IPS), which was designed for people with serious mental illnesses. A 2017 pilot study of IPS among 45 people enrolled in an opioid treatment program found that 50 percent of those who were assisted in finding work through IPS attained competitive employment within six months, compared with 5 percent of the participants who were waitlisted for IPS. “The Opioid Project” exhibition demonstrates: “Behind every person who has lived with the complicated and fraught life of drug addiction and its many cofactors, there is a human being with lots of hopes and dreams.”
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