Two Norwegian F-35s stationed in Poland were deployed on Wednesday in response to a "massive number of airborne Russian aircraft" entering Polish air space, NATO's air command said on Thursday on social media platform X.
It was the first time Norway's F35s had been used in Polish airspace after they were sent there last December.
Tax changes announced in the Budget will make it "harder for people to enter the workforce", according to the boss of retail giant Next.
Lord Wolfson told the BBC that a rise in National Insurance paid by business will hit the retail sector in particular and meant "the axe has fallen particularly hard" on entry-level jobs.
He called on the government to stagger the tax changes over time, rather than introduce them in April, otherwise, jobs or hours will have to be cut.
But a Treasury spokesperson said the Budgetary measures were to "wipe the slate clean" and deliver stability to businesses.
In last October's Budget, the government increased the rate of National Insurance (NI) paid by employers from April, and also reduced the threshold that employers start paying it at from £9,100 to £5,000.
Businesses are also facing a rise in the National Living Wage in April at double the rate of inflation.
Lord Wolfson, who is a Conservative peer, said these changes would hit those employers with large numbers of lower-paid or part-time workers hardest.
Next's wage bill is set to rise by £70m, and Lord Wolfson said this would lead to a cut in the number of employee hours worked – either through fewer workers or fewer hours per employee.
He called on the government to lower the NI threshold over time, rather than the few months' notice employers got in October's Budget.
He said that while the increase in tax on a £60,000-a-year job is around 2%, the increase for a part-time living wage worker is around 6.5%.
"So the axe has fallen particularly hard on those entry-level, National Living Wage jobs, and that's where the pain is going to be felt the most."
Lord Wolfson said it was not just a worry for retailers, but a concern for the economy as a whole. Next received 13 applications for every Christmas job vacancy this year – up 50% on last year.
"My worry is that it's going to be harder and harder for people to enter the workforce," he said.
"It's very difficult to see how such a big increase in the cost of entry-level work is going to result in anything other than a reduction in the number of opportunities available."
But a spokesperson for the Treasury said more than half of half employers will either see a cut or "no change" in their National Insurance bills.
They added they were they were "creating the conditions" for economic growth through measures including capping the rate of corporation tax and establishing a National Wealth Fund.
The NI and minimum wage measures have triggered criticism from UK companies, who argue the changes run counter to the government's aim to boost economic growth.
Earlier this month, the British Chambers of Commerce said confidence had "slumped", with more than half of companies planning to raise prices in the next three months in the face of a "pressure cooker of rising costs and taxes".
The letter said High Street job losses were "inevitable" and also warned that prices would rise and shops would close.
Next made over a billion pounds in profit last year, while other big retailers with large workforces - like Tesco and Sainsbury's also made bumper profits. Lord Wolfson accepts that they are the "broad shoulders" that the chancellor insisted must bear the brunt of tax rises needed to rebuild public services.
"Government did need to raise taxes. I've got nothing against lowering the threshold for NI in principle but the speed at which it is going to happen, the lack of consultation, that is the problem."
Lord Wolfson also has concerns about a new workers' rights bill.
This promises to give greater protection from unfair dismissal and "exploitative" zero-hours contracts, with employees able to request a guaranteed hours contract based on hours worked over a period. But that could pose a problem for retailers.
"We offer staff extra hours in the run-up to Christmas. If the legislation is going to mean that those hours have to be contractually binding forever then we just won't be able to do it at all, it would be impossible."
He has some advice for the chancellor in her attempts to boost growth and business confidence. Start in your own back yard.
"Over the last five years the government has employed 100,000 more civil servants.
"We can't go on spending over 40% of GDP on the public sector. It has to become more efficient and if the government can commit to doing that – and deliver it – then I think that will do more for business confidence than anything else."
In following the defamation trial against CNN by veteran Zachary Young, we have previously (here, here, and here) marveled at how bad things were going for the network.
It appears that they are getting even worse.
This has been a brutal week as CNN figures, including host Jake Tapper, took the stand.
If “this is CNN,” the judge (and possibly the jury) are not liking what they are seeing.The report at the heart of the case aired on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” on Nov. 11, 2021, and was shared on social media and (a different version on) CNN’s website.
In the segment, Tapper told his audience ominously how CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt discovered that “Afghans trying to get out of the country face a black market full of promises, demands of exorbitant fees, and no guarantee of safety or success.”
Marquardt piled on in the segment, claiming that “desperate Afghans are being exploited” and need to pay “exorbitant, often impossible amounts” to flee the country. He then named Young and his company as an example of that startling claim.The evidence included messages from Marquardt that he wanted to “nail this Zachary Young mf**ker” and thought the story would be Young’s “funeral.”
After promising to “nail” Young, CNN editor Matthew Philips responded: “gonna hold you to that cowboy!”
Likewise, CNN senior editor Fuzz Hogan described Young as “a shit.”
As is often done by media, CNN allegedly gave Young only two hours to respond before the story ran. It is a typical ploy of the press to claim that they waited for a response while giving the target the smallest possible window.
In this case, Young was able to respond in the short time and Marquardt messaged a colleague, “f**king Young just texted.”
In the last week, Tapper was seen on video by the jury and was mocked for claiming under oath that he “doesn’t pay attention to ratings,” a claim that would make him unique as a network host. Critics hammered Tapper by showing repeated clips where he discussed ratings.
However, the most damaging testimony may have come from top producers who told the jurors that they opposed the modest apology given to Young on air. Since Young seemed to do well before the jury, the testimony of senior editor Fuzz Hogan, CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt, CNN producer Michael Conte, CNN’s executive vice president of editorial Virginia Moseley, and CNN supervising producer Michael Callahan undermined any effort to portray the network as seeking to amend a wrong or reduce damage to Young.
Arguably, the worst moment came with an argument by CNN’s lead attorney, David Axelrod.
Axelrod introduced a document that he claimed was a smoking gun and showed that Young was a liar. Pointing dramatically at Young and waiving the document in the air, Axelrod declared that he had the proof:
“Plaintiff’s entire case, sitting right there, is that after the publications, he couldn’t get any work…Mr. Young knew, when he filed this lawsuit that he had entered into a new consulting agreement with a government contractor one month after CNN’s publication. This entire lawsuit was a fraud on this court. It was a fraud on CNN. This man knew it. I don’t know what they know. But when his came up in discovery, CNN’s counsel asked Mr. Young about the Helios connection, and he completely lied in his deposition. Over and over again, he made up some incredible ruse that Helios just had his security clearance because it was a company that held security clearances. It makes no sense. He knew at that time that he had a consulting agreement with Helios Global and he didn’t disclose it. It was an outright lie.”
However, it turned out that the document merely was Young’s application to maintain his security clearance.
Young’s attorney, Vel Freedman, later laid waste to CNN. He told the court that Young had lost his security clearance back in 2022 and that he hadn’t been aware of that until he double-checked after his testimony in the case. Freedman asked for the right to present a witness who would testify on the issue and Axelrod objected. Judge Henry had had enough and blew up at CNN.
He read back Axelrod’s comments and said “You called him a liar multiple times there.”
He told Axelrod that he owed an apology to the plaintiff.
After telling CNN that “this isn’t Kindergarten,” he added “Right now, your credibility with me, Mr. Axelrod, is about none.”
That is never a good thing to hear from a judge.
Axelrod apologized but the damage is clearly considerable.
The most chilling aspect from a litigation perspective? Axelrod replaced the earlier lead counsel who also imploded in court over ill-considered arguments.
None of this bodes well for the network. Alienating the judge is obviously never good, but it also could have a material impact if there is an award that CNN wants reduced by a order of remittitur. In addition, having top producers expressing a lack of regret and even opposition to the on-air apology could push such damages higher for a jury. Both sides are arguing that “this is CNN,” but these moments are building a more negative view of what that is.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/your-credibility-me-about-none-cnn-trial-goes-bad-worse
HHS and the Drug Enforcement Administration have finalized a rule that expands telemedicine prescribing of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, while also proposing a new special registration process for prescribing controlled substances remotely.
Here are five things to know:
Becton, Dickinson and Co. is increasing its U.S. manufacturing capacity for essential medical devices, including syringes, needles and IV catheters.
As part of a $10 million investment in 2024, new production lines for needles and syringes have been installed at BD's plants in Connecticut and Nebraska, with one line already operational, according to a Jan. 15 news release from the company.
BD is also investing $30 million in 2025 to expand IV catheter production at its Utah facility, following a $2 million investment in 2024 that increased output by 40 million IV catheters per year.
Optum saw 4 million less patients in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter as the company focuses on a broad strategy centered on integrated, value-based care.
"One area that we have diminished in terms of emphasis is urgent care," UnitedHealth Group CFO John Rex told investors on Jan. 16. "There was a time when standalone urgent care was an important element here. As you start developing more geographic density, however, you can probably better serve those patients by just having one of your clinics have after-hours presence and focus on that."
He added that the drop in total patients from 104 million to 100 million in one quarter largely reflects the company stepping away from "narrow offerings" that no longer align with its long-term goals.
In 2024, Optum closed urgent care clinics across several states or transferred ownership to health systems, along with closing some primary care clinics, infusion services facilities and medical groups. The company has also conducted workforce reductions multiple times in recent years, including at the Everett (Wash.) Clinic and the Polyclinic in Seattle; Morgantown, W.Va.-based MedExpress Urgent Care; and San Antonio-based WellMed. In August 2023, MedExpress clinics eliminated all registered nursing positions at nearly 150 facilities.
In its year-end earnings report, Optum reported $253 billion in total revenue in 2024, up 11.7% year over year. Optum Health's 2024 revenues were $105.4 billion, up 10.5%. The segment's operating margin decreased from 8.3% in Q3 to 7% in Q4.
Amar Desai, MD, president of Optum Health, noted short-term costs associated with the new strategy, along with investments in clinical quality and patient engagement.
"We took a number of planned actions, including restructuring and refining some of our legacy contracts, which had a one-time impact of the year," he said. "We had some membership mix changes, and we did make investments in the quarter around clinical quality and the Stars program, as well as onboarding for new membership coming on for 1/1."
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/disruptors/why-optums-patient-count-dropped-by-4-million.html
Recent changes to the federal 340B drug discount program have led to cost increases for low-income patients and the community health clinics that serve them, The New York Times reported Jan. 16.
The program, which provides discounts on prescription medications for clinics treating low-income patients, has been affected by the Inflation Reduction Act and other federal pricing measures. In response, pharmaceutical companies lowered the prices of certain drugs in 2024 to avoid penalties for price increases.
However, the price reductions have inadvertently raised costs for clinics, which no longer receive the same discounts. For example, drugs such as Victoza, a diabetes medication, once available to clinics at nearly no cost, now come with higher prices.
The shift in pricing has caused a ripple effect, limiting resources for other essential services at community health centers. Clinics such as Erie Family Health Centers in Chicago and Valley View Health Center in Chehalis, Wash., are seeing financial strain, with some unable to continue non-covered programs, according to the Times.
When contacted by the newspaper, a spokesman for the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees the 340B program, did not address how community health clinics may be affected by the lowered drug prices.
