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A26 u.s. news
Diasabra 29 Mei 2021

Harris cites challenges of 'fragile' world in Navy speech

(AP) — Vice President ny because of the coronavirus
Kamala Harris focused pandemic.
on the challenges of the
pandemic, climate change Harris marked the milestone
and cybersecurity threats of becoming the first woman
during her keynote speech to give the keynote address at
to graduates at the U.S. the academy's commission-
Naval Academy on Friday, ing ceremony in the same
the first by a woman at the year that the academy had
175-year-old institution. its first Black female brigade
commander, who represents
Harris, the nation's first fe- about 4,400 midshipmen.
male vice president and the
first Black woman and per- Midshipman Sydney Barber,
son of South Asian descent to who was commissioned as
hold the office, said the pan- a 2nd lieutenant in the Ma-
demic "has accelerated our rines at the ceremony, said it
world into a new era." was an exciting and emotion-
al day to graduate with Harris
"It has forever impacted our Earth, the vice president said. and Marine Corps officers ensigns and 274 Marines as as the speaker. She said she
world," she said. "It has for- will be facing. 2nd lieutenants. About 28% was scheduled to meet with
ever influenced our perspec- "This, midshipmen, is the era of the graduating class are the vice president after the
tive, and if we weren't clear we are in, and it is unlike any In her speech to more than women. ceremony.
before, we know now: Our era that came before," Har- 1,000 graduates, including "I plan to thank her for pav-
world is interconnected. Our ris said. "So, the challenge ones who majored in me- Harris said "the American ing the way," Barber, of Lake
world is interdependent, and now, the challenge before us chanical, electrical and ocean people are depending on Forest, Illinois, said in an in-
our world is fragile." now is how to mount a mod- engineering, Harris described you." terview before the ceremony.
ern defense to these modern climate change as "a very real "She definitely paved the way
A pandemic can spread threats." threat to our national secu- The commissioning ceremo- for me, inspired me through-
throughout the world in a rity." ny was held in person again out the journey."
matter of months, a gang of Harris described the cyberat- at the Navy-Marine Corps
hackers can disrupt the fuel tack earlier this month that Most of the 1,084 graduates Stadium in Annapolis, a year In her speech, Harris said
supply, and one country's shut down the nation's larg- were commissioned as offi- after the academy held its she has put Barber's shoulder
carbon emissions can threat- est fuel pipeline as "a warning cers in the Navy and Marine first-ever virtual graduation boards on display in her cer-
en the sustainability of the shot" in what the new Navy Corps, including 784 Navy and commissioning ceremo- emonial office.

Florida urges US to import less expensive Canadian drugs

(AP) — After two years 2019, pointing out that drug regulators DeSantis said the state has contractors who they say are
of lobbying to lower pre- costs had risen more than met every regulation required poised to act swiftly if the
scription drug costs for 150% in the past 15 years, In November, federal health to be able to import the drugs. program is approved and
Floridians, Gov. Ron De- and urging him to allow the officials issued a ruling fur- "This has been under review could fill shelves with Ca-
Santis said Friday he's states to pursue less expen- ther opening the door for now for six months," he said nadian drugs in as few as 90
waiting for final approval sive alternatives from other states to pursue importing during a news conference in days. DeSantis held his news
from the Biden adminis- countries. DeSantis estimat- prescription drugs. At the Lakeland. "We were told that conference Friday at a medi-
tration to import drugs ed the program would save time, Canadian health of- if it wasn't denied last week cine warehouse built by Life-
from Canada, which he the state between $80 million ficials also raised questions, that we could assume it was Science Logistics in central
said would save tens of and $150 million. saying their country's pre- going to be approved." Florida for the importation
millions of dollars. scription drug market is too program.
Many people already buy at small to have any real impact Sarah Sutton, a spokeswom-
The Republican governor least some of their medicines on U.S. prices. an for the lobbying group A spokesperson for the Food
signed a bill in 2019 allow- from pharmacies in Canada That same month, the Phar- PhRMA, said Friday that it and Drug Administration,
ing prescription drugs to be or Mexico, although tech- maceutical Research and agrees patients are paying too Kimberly DiFonzo, said the
imported from the neighbor- nically it's illegal to import Manufacturers of America much for prescriptions, but agency does not comment
ing country, but the plan re- them. The idea of allowing and several other lobbying said importing drugs from on pending proposals, but
quired federal approval. State importation has been around groups filed litigation against other countries could com- noted the agency had not
health officials have been for years, but previous at- federal health officials chal- promise public safety and is authorized any importation
working behind the scenes to tempts have been blocked lenging the new rule, accus- the wrong approach. programs as of late Friday af-
meet federal guidelines. by pharmaceutical industry ing the federal government "Importing potentially coun- ternoon.
DeSantis also met with then- lobbying and safety concerns of punting the responsibility terfeit medicines from other Still, DeSantis seems confi-
President Donald Trump in seconded by government for demonstrating safety and countries poses a serious dent. If approved, the state
cost savings to state govern- risk to public health, espe- said it will start with a limited
ments. cially in the midst of a global number of drug classes, in-
pandemic," she said. "Drug cluding maintenance medi-
The governor dismissed such importation is a dangerous cations for asthma, chronic
criticism. scheme with no guarantee obstructive pulmonary dis-
to actually making medicines ease, or COPD; diabetes,
"If we were trying to bring more affordable." HIV and AIDS, and mental
in drugs from some coun- Florida's Agency for Health- illness for those who are un-
try that wasn't reputable, I care Administration has been der state care, including fos-
wouldn't want to go down working with the federal ter children, inmates at state
that road either, but Canada government to meet all its prisons and certain elderly
has the same drugs," he said. requirements for the impor- patients.
"They have very similar pro- tation and maintains the state
tocols and then we obviously is the first to have done so. The program would then ex-
would have our process to pand to drugs for all Medic-
ensure quality." The state has also lined up aid beneficiaries.