Category: Uncategorized

Get A Load Of Abbott’s Written Admissions: He’s Made The Rio Grande MORE Deadly!

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

In a grandstanding piece of lying partisan political chicanery, Greg Abbott made lots of admissions to President Biden, overnight. Admissions against interest. Here they are in full, and a bit of the worst of them:

…Two years before Texas deployed the [razor wire] barriers, and a year before it deployed concertina wire, a United Nations agency declared that the border between the United States and Mexico [Condor notes: that is a lie — those were NOT Rio Grande crossings — most were closer to California or New Mexico, overland] is the deadliest land crossing in the world, with 728 migrant deaths recorded in 2021….

Before Texas took the action about which you now complain, hundreds of migrants drowned in the Rio Grande River trying to cross the border illegally. [Confidential note to Abbott, from Condor: if they are asylum seekers, they possess a treaty GUARANTEED right — that their crossing is LAWFUL wherever it occurs, under long settled US law (on waterways, or overland) — so his razor wire is lacerating people, solely for exercising a right guaranteed by international law.]

Before Texas took the action about which you now complain, 53 migrants who illegally crossed [see above prior note to Abbot, again] the border died in the back of an 18-wheel tractor trailer near San Antonio.

Before Texas took the action about which you now complain, thousands of Americans lost their lives to the fentanyl that pours across our border daily [Confidential to Abbott: you cannot establish that the majority, or even a portion, of the fentanyl in the US is arriving from Mexico — — let alone that it is coming in via the Rio Grande.]….

So — Abbott preposterously says his razor wire “cares about life”?! Saves… lives?!

Who is… this idiot?! [And we should note that all the assertions about law, in Abbott’s earlier 2022 letters, that appear at the end of the current one… have been ruled to be errant. That is, courts have uniformly rejected Abbott’s claims about immigration law — even in the Supreme Court. So… yes, he’s a grandstanding idiot — maiming and killing people with a clearly treaty-guaranteed right to cross, by waterway.]

नमस्ते

The Feds Will Win Immediately Here: No State (Cough! — Texas) May Erect A Razor Wire Barrier On Federal Waterway…

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At least, not without official federal permission. And the actual floating razor wire barrier clearly violates our international treaties — on treatment of asylum seekers.

That asylum seekers are being lacerated by this inhumane garbage political stunt (Herr Guv. Abbott) is beyond dispute.

That he didn’t ask for approval: likewise beyond dispute — as it would never have been given.

And now, here is the complaint (brought in the name of the United States) in federal court, in West Texas, in full — and a bit:

…The Floating Barrier consists of a string of buoys [wrapped in razor wire] each of which is between 4 and 6 feet in diameter. According to a June 8, 2023, press statement by Governor Abbott, this string of buoys may stretch for at least 1,000 feet.

Defendants do not have authorization from the Corps pursuant to 33 U.S.C. § 403 or 33 C.F.R. § 322.3 for the Floating Barrier or for any associated infrastructure…. Defendants did not seek authorization from the Corps prior to installing the Floating Barrier…. Governor Abbott stated publicly on June 8, 2023, that Texas may seek to build
similar floating barriers within the Rio Grande along the United States-Mexico border in Texas in addition to the one then contemplated, and now constructed, in the vicinity of Eagle Pass, Texas.

Because Texas installed the Floating Barrier without seeking the Corps’ authorization, the Corps and other relevant federal agencies were deprived of the opportunity to evaluate risks the barrier poses to public safety and the environment, mitigate those risks as necessary through the permitting process, and otherwise evaluate whether the project is in the public interest.

Governor Abbott has stated publicly that the Floating Barrier is part of a broader effort called “Operation Lone Star”…. According to Governor Abbott, Operation Lone Star also includes the placement of concertina wire near the U.S.-Mexico border…. With respect to the placement of concertina wire, Governor Abbott has stated: “We aren’t asking for permission….”

This man is an immorally deplorable, cruel and embittered… loser. His MAGA agenda has utterly failed to win broader national support (his mentor, Tangerine, is well on his way to a federal prison), so — as all despots eventually do — he’s turned to human rights abuses, to foment anger and whip up fund-raising support — in his tiny, but apparently loyal to brown-shirts base.

What an ass.

Soon the people of Texas will have to pay for the injuries to asylum seekers, as well as pay the fees of the attorneys bringing suit against Abbott. Of course, he and AG Paxson only ever waste the taxpayers’ money on this garbage — not any of their own.

Damnation.

The German Merck Has Today Published Its FIRST EVER Diversity & Inclusion Report…

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It would be very easy to take up a snipers’ nest / perch here at the open — and ask why it has taken this multinational into the second decade of the 21st Century to even begin to report on progress, on this dimension. And that would be a fair critique. But not where I’ll focus, absent other evidence of bad-faith.

I’ll choose to celebrate the fact that a very old line German company is… trying to do… better:

…In 2021, we reflected — and then acted. We pledged to our people, partners, patients and communities to intensify our DE&I efforts, set bold aspirations, develop solid plans and hold ourselves accountable. In 2022, we completed the rollout of our new strategy and showed that we are on track to achieve our 2030 goals….

While we have always been a diverse organization — present in 66 countries with more than 64,000 employees from 139 nationalities — we recognize that our continued success depends on our ability to build a work environment that champions equity and inclusion worldwide….

“Our world is beautifully diverse — and so is our company. We believe that championing a diverse workforce helps us better understand the needs of our stakeholders, exceed our customers’ expectations, stay economically and socially sustainable and, most of all, drive the kind of groundbreaking innovation that advances human progress….”

— Belén Garijo

Chair of the Executive Board and CEO, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany….

So… overdue? Indeed — but good news, and kudos, just the same. Onward… to a sunny lake-side bike trek, now… smile.

नमस्ते

Now Continuing The Series… Here Are The Detailed Amgen Q2 Lobby Disclosures…

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This is the companion to last night’s, on Eli Lilly’s lobby spend.

Each of Lilly and Amgen are spending only a fraction of what each of Merck or Pfizer spends — and all of them are eclipsed by a fair distance by… Amazon and Jeff Bezos.

More on that later this week — but Amgen is just under $2 million this quarter. This compares to a slightly increased spend for Lilly over the first quarter. Here are those Amgen details, for Q2 2023:

…Issues related to drug pricing reform; Changes to Public law 117-1769 Inflation Reduction Act; Awareness of implications to patients and research and development of Public law 117-1769 Inflation Reduction Act; S. 113 Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2023; S. 127 Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act; HR 830 / S. 1375 HELP Copays Act; HR 485 Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act; HR 1613 to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to improve transparency and prevent the use of abusive spread pricing and related practices in the Medicaid program; HR 2534 PROTECT 340B Act of 2023; HR 3561 The PATIENT Act; S. 1542 DRUG Act; S. 1967 PBM Act; Issues related to cardiovascular disease awareness and treatment; Issues related to Federal Trade Commission; FDA issues; Issues related to clinical trial diversity; Issues related to patient affordability issues, including copay cards, copay accumulators, copay maximizers, National Benefit Payment Parameters; Biosimilars reimbursement issues, no specific bill; Supply Chain Issues, no specific bill; Issues related to 340B; Issues related to pharmacy benefit managers….

Issues related to drug pricing reform; Changes to Public law 117-1769 Inflation Reduction Act; Awareness of implications to patients and research and development of Public law 117-1769 Inflation Reduction Act; S. 113 Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2023; S. 127 Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act; HR 485 Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act; HR 1613 To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to improve transparency and prevent the use of abusive spread pricing and related practices in the Medicaid program; HR 2534 PROTECT 340B act of 2023; HR 3561 the PATIENT act; Issues related to cardiovascular disease awareness and treatment; Issues related to ESRD; Issues related to asthma and self-administered drug list; Issues related to reimbursement for biologics/biosimilars….

Issues related to corporate and international tax, including regarding Public Law 115-97, Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; Issues related to Puerto Rico; Issues related to OECD negotiations on the taxation of global income; HR 3938 Build it in America Act….

S. 79 Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2023; S. 113 Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2023; S. 127 Pharmacy Benefit Transparency Act; S. 150 Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act of 2023; S. 148 Stop STALLING Act; S. 142 Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars; Federal Trade Commission related issues, no specific bill; Issues related to the Patent Act, no specific bill; Issues related to March-In/Bayh Dole, WTO/TRIPS waiver, no specific bill; Issues related to False Claims Act; Issues related to FDA/PTO coordination; Issues related to patent thickets/product hopping….

We still owe you the Amazon disclosures, which may come later this week or early next. Smile…. See last quarter’s Lilly v. Amgen totals (updated the top graphic; it now contains Q1 to Q2 comparisons across all four, for 2023).

नमस्ते

The German Merck Has Today Published Its FIRST EVER Diversity & Inclusion Report…

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

It would be very easy to take up a snipers’ nest / perch here at the open — and ask why it has taken this multinational into the second decade of the 21st Century to even begin to report on progress, on this dimension. And that would be a fair critique. But not where I’ll focus, absent other evidence of bad-faith.

I’ll choose to celebrate the fact that a very old line German company is… trying to do… better:

…In 2021, we reflected — and then acted. We pledged to our people, partners, patients and communities to intensify our DE&I efforts, set bold aspirations, develop solid plans and hold ourselves accountable. In 2022, we completed the rollout of our new strategy and showed that we are on track to achieve our 2030 goals….

While we have always been a diverse organization — present in 66 countries with more than 64,000 employees from 139 nationalities — we recognize that our continued success depends on our ability to build a work environment that champions equity and inclusion worldwide….

“Our world is beautifully diverse — and so is our company. We believe that championing a diverse workforce helps us better understand the needs of our stakeholders, exceed our customers’ expectations, stay economically and socially sustainable and, most of all, drive the kind of groundbreaking innovation that advances human progress….”

— Belén Garijo

Chair of the Executive Board and CEO, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany….

So… overdue? Indeed — but good news, and kudos, just the same. Onward… to a sunny lake-side bike trek, now… smile.

नमस्ते

Lilly’s Lobby Spend — Vs. Amgen’s: Both Well Below… Each Of Merck And Pfizer.

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Here is the Lilly spend details, for Q2 2023. . . pretty unremarkable, overall.

We will cover Amgen’s — tomorrow, but this is the Indy firm:

…Issues related to intellectual property protection and market access within current trade negotiations. Canada IP; USMCA implementation; Mexico patent linkage; Special 301; Trade talks: US-Japan, US-China, US-EU, US-UK, US-India, and US-Brazil….

Patient protection; Drug supply chain and shortages; Drug pricing, coverage, value and access; Transparency; Intellectual property; Health insurance accessibility; Implementation of the “Inflation Reduction Act” (HR.5376); Prescription drug approval; Affordable Insulin Now Act (S.3700/HR.6833), The INSULIN Act….

Intellectual property; 340B Program; Medicare & Medicaid prescription drug reimbursement, coverage and value; Implementation of the “Inflation Reduction Act” (HR.5376); CMS National Coverage Determination on Alzheimer’s disease; The INSULIN Act….

Multi-lateral threats to IP and the biopharmaceutical industry; Drug importation; Prescription drug value and access….

Pharmaceutical intellectual property issues….

Implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; Domestic manufacturing tax incentives; Expensing of research and development costs; Global minimum tax….

Hospital discounts; 340B program….

Now you know. With last quarter’s Lilly spend, immediately above. Smile….

नमस्ते

Merck Is Spending Heavily In A Quarter That Larger Competitor Pfizer Decided… To Back Out Of, On Lobbying. Fascinating.

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Perhaps this will reverse in Qs 3 and 4, but it is odd that Merck as a much smaller by market cap entity is outspending the gorilla Pfizer, in a quarter when it is also actively litigating against the very payors who feed it: CMS and HHS. Odd, indeed.

In any event, here is what Merck spent its millions urging. [With analogous posts about Amgen and likely Lilly, tomorrow. Do see at bottom, for what the trend looked like, last quarter — almost a complete… inversion, in spending!]

…H.R. 3, (117th Cong.) Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act; H.R. 19, (117th Cong.) Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021; H.R. 830, Help Ensure Lower Patient (HELP) Copays Act; H.R. 1418/S. 1844, Animal Drug User Fee Amendments of 2023; H.R. 1503/S. 1844, Prescription Information Modernization Act of 2023; H.R. 1550, (117th Cong.) PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2021; H.R. 2679, Pharmacy Benefits Manager Accountability Act; H.R. 2691, Transparent Prices Required to Inform Consumer and Employers (Transparent PRICE) Act; H.R. 2816, Pharmacy Benefit Manager Sunshine and Accountability Act; H.R. 2880, Protecting Patients Against PBM Abuses Act; H.R. 2940/S. 1355, Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions To End Upsurging Resistance Act (PASTEUR) Act of 2023; H.R. 3290, To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to ensure transparency and oversight of the 340B drug discount program; H.R. 3285, Fairness for Patient Medications Act; H.R. 4368/S. 2131, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 S. 150, Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act of 2023; S. 2543 (116th Congress) Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019; S. 1895 (116th Congress) Lower Health Care Costs Act; S. 4348, (117th Cong) Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements (FDASLA) Act of 2022….

Issues relating to: 340B program integrity; 340B of the Public Health Services Act; 340B issues; 340B drug pricing program; Drug pricing; Anti-microbial Resistance; Vaccines; Cost and value of medicines; Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunization; Vaccines catch up; Vaccines issues; Package inserts, labeling issues, and E-Labeling authorization legislation; Pharmaceutical Supply Channel issues; Drug shortage issues; Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169), issues relating to drug pricing provisions; FY-2023 Budget and Appropriations Legislation; Intellectual property protection; WTO Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement; WTO IP Waiver for COVID therapeutics….

Animal Health; Animal Health Technology Issues; Animal Health Policy Issues: ADUFA and Funding for Electronic Animal Traceability; Animal Drug User Fee Reauthorization; One Health Issues….

General pharmaceutical issues; Farm Bill 2023; Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP); Step therapy requirements in commercial health plans; Diversity in clinical trials; Accelerated approval reform; Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) policy issues….

H.R. 1613, Drug Price Transparency in Medicaid Act of 2023; H.R. 2666, Medicaid VBPs for Patients (MVP) Act; H.R. 5376, (117th Cong.) Build Back Better Act; S. 476 (116th Congress) Creating Transparency to Have Drug Rebates Unlocked (C-THRU) Act of 2019….

Issues relating to: Medicare; Medicare Part B and D drug pricing issues; Prior authorization process under Medicare Advantage plans; 340B program integrity; 340B of the Public Health Services Act; 340B drug pricing program; Drug Pricing; FY-2023 Budget and Appropriations Legislation….

Issues related to: Tax reform and tax policy, generally; Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (P.L. 115-97); Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169), provisions relating to taxes….

Now you know. What a weird ride this has been — against a solid, two-decades-running… trend.

And just to make plain how off the grid this Q2 2023 was, look at Pfizer, last quarter (in my legacy graphic, immediate right) — it spent nearly double what it spent this quarter. Wow.

नमस्ते

And Twitter Has Fixed My Sidebar Feed [On The Longest Running Legacy Site]…

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I cannot confirm whether anyone at NASA mentioned this to him, but Musk has “unbroken” the feeds to non-paid users’ external websites (like this pne), at least for now.

True, it is all pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things, but it did seem unwise. . . to piss off the SpaceX partners at NASA, as we mentioned… over such petty nickel grabbing.

Now — hopefully — all is well that’s ended… well. Smile….

नमस्ते