#affordability

[reasonsforhope]

Less than three months after U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and her colleagues launched an investigation into the four major American manufacturers of inhalers, three of the companies have relented, making commitments to cap costs for their inhalers at $35 for patients who now pay much more.

25 million Americans have asthma and 16 million Americans have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), meaning over 40 million Americans rely on inhalers to breathe.

Inhalers have been available since the 1950s, and most of the drugs they use have been on the market for more than 25 years.

According to a statement from the Wisconsin Senator’s office, inhaler manufacturers sell the exact same products at a much lower costs in other countries. One of AstraZeneca’s inhalers, Breztri Aerosphere, costs $645 in the U.S.—but just $49 in the UK. Inhalers made by Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, and Teva have similar disparities.

Baldwin and her Democratic colleagues—New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders—pressured the companies to lower their prices by writing letters to GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim, Teva, and AstraZeneca requesting a variety of documents that show why such higher prices are charged in America compared to Europe.

As a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Baldwin recently announced that as a result of the letters they had secured commitments from three of the four to lower the out-of-pocket costs of inhalers to a fixed $35.00 rate.

“For the millions of Americans who rely on inhalers to breathe, this news is a major step in the right direction as we work to lower costs and hold big drug companies accountable,” said Senator Baldwin.

A full list of the inhalers and associated drugs can be viewed here.

It’s the second time in the last year that pharmaceutical companies were forced to provide reasonable prices—after the cost of insulin was similarly capped successfully at $35 per month thanks to Congressional actions led by the White House.

-via Good News Network, March 25, 2024

#united states #us politics #us senate #tammy baldwin #bernie sanders #big pharma #health care #us healthcare #inhaler #asthma #pulmonary disease #healthcare access #affordability #disability #good news #hope

[allthecanadianpolitics]

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is slamming Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plans to implore grocery stores to stabilize prices and improve competition as "vague" and unlikely to prompt change, attempting to frame the New Democrats as the only party that will take tackling "corporate greed" seriously, with plans to push the issue when Parliament resumes.

Ahead of Trudeau's announcement, Singh's office told CTV News about plans the NDP leader had to kick off the fall sitting by tabling a bill aimed at tackling essentially the same efforts: empowering Canada's Competition Bureau to tamp down corporate powers and practices such as price gouging.

On Monday, when the House of Commons resumes for the first time since June, Singh will be tabling a private members' bill called the "Lowering Prices for Canadians Act" that a senior source in his office said will be the party leader's priority.

Full article

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

#cdnpoli #canada #canadian politics #canadian news #canadian #jagmeet singh #pierre poilievre #justin trudeau #NDP #conservatives #liberal party #affordability #price gouging

[mapsontheweb]

Housing Affordability, USA, September, 2022.

by u/michigician

#maps #michigician #us #houses #affordability #2022

[commonsensecommentary]

“The current model of higher education, one featuring runaway spending and punitive intellectual rigidity, cannot survive.”

#affordability #cancel culture #censorship #college #college admissions #college readiness #critical thinking #economics #education #education reform #free speech #freedom of speech #higher education #online education #political polarization #remote learning #student loans #teaching #Online education

[danskjavlarna]

Source details and larger version.

#affordability #vintage illustration #illustration

[sbrown82]

#home ownership #affordability #america #homes #mortgage

[indizombie]

The National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (MDM Scheme), launched in August 1995 emphasises on the provision of cooked meals with a minimum of 450 – 700 calories and 8-12 grams of proteins and was further converted by the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 into a legal right upto Class 8. Over 94% of the children in government and government aided schools come from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes and minority communities. For a majority of children in government schools who are from marginalised communities and malnourished, garlic, onion and eggs form an important part of their diets, limited only by the factor of affordability. Eggs have been denied to children as part of the mid-day meals in schools for several years. Described as the ‘menstrual discharge’ of the hen, eggs are labelled as ‘sinful’, ‘violent’, and agitating the senses, with egg eaters deserving to be ‘destroyed’. If, instead of this unscientific propaganda, the nutritional value of eggs had been the primary deciding factor, children would have been given eggs as part of the mid-day meal scheme on 5 days of the week.

Dr Sylvia Karpagam, ‘A critical look at Indian healthcare‘, Aura

#Aura #Sylvia Karpagam #India #National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education #National Food Security Act #Scheduled Castes #Scheduled Tribes #Other Backward Classes #minority communities #children in government schools #garlic #onion #eggs #affordability #unscientific propaganda #nutritional value #mid-day meal scheme

[jnwosu100]

Hey, if you're tired of how frustrating your body is to you, I have found an awesome method to lose weight, check out how now on what this can do for you!

zakielworks.com

#health #weight loss #i need to lose weight #lose stomach weight #fitness #lifestyle #alpilean #affordability

[missing-old-seattle]

This 1905-built affordable apartment building at 17th & Madison was up until recently owned by 3 generations of Black Seattleites. Fally Tyson, its most recent owner since 1978, intentionally kept rents low & had “a family approach” which enabled tenants - including artists (like Grammy Award-winning guitarist BluMeadows) and seniors on fixed incomes to put down roots & build community, with some living there 40+ yrs. Fally also ran a cleaning & a salvage business, which employed several residents. Fally passed away in 2020, & tenants organized in partnership with @Tenantsunionwa in hopes that a nonprofit could buy the building. But it was purchased by the private Bode/Stratford Company (which has dismal reviews on Yelp & Better Business Bureau from tenants & subcontractors). Current tenants have already reported problems, violations & lack of communication regarding planned rent increases or lease renewals. The Madkin was once owned by William Hawkins, a Black WWI veteran who purchased the building in 1947, and a speakeasy/private club may have been in the basement. In 1955 it was bought by Robert & Esther Madkin (whom the building was renamed after), leaders in the local civil rights movement. Esther was #Seattle NAACP’s Treasurer, and in 1956 hosted Rosa Parks at #TheMadkin for a press conference during a Montgomery Bus Boycott fundraising trip. Esther also helped establish the Central Area Mental Health Center. The Madkin was also home to Dr. Harriett Clark, a trailblazing surgeon who started practicing medicine in Seattle in 1891 & was in charge of 2 American Red Cross hospitals in Greece during WWI; and Edith C. Stone, the 2nd woman to climb Mt. Rainier. The Madkin tenants’ goal is to keep rents affordable & prevent displacement. They’re seeking help from folks that have experience dealing with corporate landlords/property management; who’ve had a bad experience living in a Bode property; & anyone with more info about the building’s history. Contact [email protected]. Follow @savethemadkin /savethemadkin.com

I wasn’t able to find any information about The Madkin since September. 

The prices on apartments.com seem pretty low by current seattle standards, but it may not be low enough for the residents who are at risk for homelessness. That site also claims the neighborhood it’s in is callled ‘Minor, also know as Squire Park’. I think I’ve seen this part of Capitol Hill labeled ‘Minor’ on old maps. But I’ve never in my life heard it called either of these things. Evidence that the people writing up discriptions are not at all connected to the location. Not a super important issue compared to unaffordibility, but fucking annoying.

#The Madkin #Madkin #Seattle #Capitol Hill #Old Seattle #historic seattle #edwardian architecture #1900s #affordable housing #affordability #priced out #gentrification #Black Seattle #civil rights #early 20th century #Old Buildings #brick buildings #residential #multifamily

[reasonsforhope]

“The Acoustical Society of America is 3D-printing violins to make the instrument more affordable for hundreds more children and adults who want to learn how to play.

Learning how to play music with a poorly built instrument can lead to poor technique, but quality violins are thousands of dollars.

The society’s AVIVA Young Artists Program is using a specially engineered plastic polymer substance that replicates the tonal qualities of a traditionally built violin. The neck and fingerboard are also printed in plastic to ensure a comfortable grip for musicians.

“There’s nothing quite like the sound of a [well-made] violin,” said program director Mary Elizabeth Brown. “Building such a quality string instrument takes time, perfect materials, and a lot of skill, and the best ones can cost millions of dollars.”

“Even mediocre violins can cost thousands, which puts them out of reach for most beginners and music classrooms.”

AVIVA has helped kids of all ages pursue music, particularly with violins, and has described the sound as darker and more mellow than a normal violin.

“Our goals were to explore the new sound world created by using new materials, to leverage the new technology being used in other disciplines, and to make music education sustainable and accessible through the printing of more durable instruments,” said Brown...

For anyone looking to be notified when the AVIVA Young Artists program is in their area, and printed violins are available, they can join the program’s mailing list.” -via Good News Network, 12/7/22

#violin #classical music #music classes #arts education #music equipment #affordable #affordability #united states #good news #hope

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Affordable housing advocates say an alarming amount of Quebecers are paying more than 30 per cent of their income on  rent. That’s just one finding revealed in a new report released by housing rights group FRAPRU.

They say paying more than 30 per cent of your salary in rent is a red line that should not be crossed, but one in four tenants are paying a disproportionate amount of their revenue on housing.

“You know, it is having consequences on all the other needs, like getting food, getting medicine,” explained FRAPRU community organizer Catherine Lussier.

Full article

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

#cdnpoli #canada #canadian politics #canadian news #canadian #québec #quebec #housing #housing crisis #rent #affordability #poverty

[radicalurbanista]

#housing #affordability #rent #housing is a human right #eminent domain #cancel rent #los angeles #good news #wins #hillside villa #chinatown #urban planning

[commonsensecommentary]

“The very idea that the expansive—and continually expanding—powers of the state to micromanage our economy might be curbed is sending a shiver up the spine of every Soviet-style central planner in Washington”

#affordability #american history #constitution #corruption #democracy #economy #government #government reform #government regulations #government tyranny #legal #marxism #politics #social welfare #supreme court #save america

[thefloridarealestatespecialist]

Smart Home Technology With An Emphasis On Affordability

Smart Home Technology With An Emphasis On Affordability

A truly affordable smart home setup may be within the financial reach of most homeowners, with lighting and security features included. Brandon Doyle reviews a range of smart and cost-efficient upgrades. In a shifting real estate market, the guidance and expertise that Inman imparts are never more valuable. Whether at our events, or with our daily news coverage and how-to journalism, we’re here…

View On WordPress

#Affordability #Emphasis #Home #Smart #technology

[marcnorman]

GSEs, DEI, ESG and Affordability

GSEs, DEI, ESG and Affordability

Such a great conversation with David Benson, President of Fannie Mae. Thanks to the Economic Club of New York for inviting me to moderate and for fostering discussions with amazing leaders across industries. It is great to see conversations about the racial wealth gap, housing opportunity, support for diverse leadership and green and social bonds brought to the forefront. All issues we discuss,…

View On WordPress

#affordability #affordable housing #equitable development #finance #housing #real estate #schack

[inkskinned]

i got rickrolled today but it didn't work because i have adblocker installed, so youtube just told me i violated the terms of service. yesterday i was trying to edit a picture as a joke for my girlfriend, and google made me check a box to prove i'm human because i wasn't "searching normally".

it isn't just that capitalism is killing fun and whimsy, it is that any element of entertainment or joy is being fed upon by this mosquito body, one that will suck you dry at any vulnerability.

do you want to meet new friends in your city? download this app, visit our website, sign up for our email list. pay for this class on making a terrarium, on candlemaking, on cooking. it will be 90 dollars a session. you can go to group fitness, but only under our specific gym membership. solve the puzzle, sign up for our puzzle-of-the-month-club. what is a club if not just a paid opportunity - you are all paying for the same thing, which makes you a community.

but you're like me, i know it - you're careful, you try the library meetings and the stuff at the local school and all of that. the problem is that you kind of want really specific opportunities that used to exist. you are so grateful for libraries and the publicly-funded things: they are, however, an exception - and everything they have, they've fought tooth-and-nail to protect. you read a headline about how in many other states, libraries have virtually nothing left.

do you want to meet up with your friends afterwards? gift your friends the discord app. you can choose to go to a cafe (buy a coffee, at least), a bar (money, alcohol) or you can all stay in and catch a movie (streaming) or you can all stay in bed (rent. don't get me started) and scream (noise complaint. ticket at least).

you want to read a new book, but the book has to have 124 buzzwords from tiktok readers that are, like, weirdly horny. you can purchase this audiobook on audible! your podcast isn't on spotify, it's on its own server, pay for a different site. fuck, at least you're supporting artists you like. the art museum just raised their ticket price. once, they had a temporary exhibit that acknowledged that ~85% of their permanent art galleries were from cis white men, and that they had thousands of works by women (even famous women, like frida! georgia o'keefe!) just rotting in their basement. that exhibit lasted for 3 months and then they put everything away again.

walmart proudly supports this strip of land by the street! here are some flowers with wilting leaves. its employees have to pay out-of-pocket for their uniforms. my friend once got fined by the city because she organized a community pick-up of the riverfront, which was technically private property.

no, you cannot afford to take that dance class, neither can i. by the way - i'm a teacher. i'm absolutely not saying "educators shouldn't be paid fairly." i'm saying that when i taught classes, renting a studio went from 20 bucks an hour to 180 in the span of 6 months. no significant changes to the studio were made, except they now list the place as updated and friendly. the heat still doesn't work in the building. i have literally never seen the landlord who ignores my emails. recently they've been renting it out at night as an "unusual nightclub; a once-in-a-lifetime close-knit party." they spent some of those 180 dollars on LEDs and called it renovating. the high heels they invite in have been ruining the marley.

do you want to experience the old internet? do you want to play flash games or get back the temporary joy of club penguin? you can, you just need to pay for it. i have a weird, neurodivergent obsession with occasionally checking in to watch the downfall and NFT-ification of neopets. if i'm honest with you all - i never got into webkins, my family didn't have the money to buy me a pointless elephant. people forget that "being poor" can mean literally "if i buy you that toy, i can't afford rent."

you and i don't have time to make good food, and we don't have the budget for it. we are not gonna be able to host dinner parties, we're not made of money, kid. do you want some kind of 3rd space? a space that isn't home or work or school? you could try being online, but - what places actually exist for you? tiktok counts as social media because you see other people on it, not because they actually talk to you.

there was a local winter tradition of sledding down the hill at my school. kids would use pizza boxes and jackets and whatever worked, howling and laughing. back in september, they made a big announcement that this time, rules were changing, and everyone must pay 10 dollars to participate. when im not scared shitless, i kind of appreciate the environmental irony - it hasn't gone below 40. so much for snow & joyriding.

i saw a bulletin for a local dogwalking group and, nervous about making a good first impression, showed up early. the first guy there grimaced at me. "sorry," he said. "there's a 30-dollar buy-in fee." i thought he was joking. wait. for what? the group doesn't offer anything except friendship and people with whom to walk around the city.

he didn't know the answer. just shrugged at me. "you know," he said. "these days, everything costs money."

#spilled ink #warm up #“why did u tag it warm up” bc i wrote it off the cuff while drinkin coffee lol #btw the 30 dollar buy in for the dog walking is bc they pay the organizer a small pittance so she can #run fb ads and stuff and like she does put in a lot of work i don't mind paying her #but that's exactly what im fucking talking about like. #ppl can't afford to volunteer their time anymore and we all understand it!!! everything costs money for everyone! #like we didn't have to use to say ''do you mind paying me back for the stuff we ate'' #we used to be able to afford to feed our friends once in a while!!!