Should the government do something about prescription drug costs?

Martin Shkreli probably didn’t expect to become the face of high prescription drug costs when he started the week.  The hedge fund manager and founder of Turing Pharmaceuticals got national flack for obtaining the rights to manufacture old, life-saving medications such as a 62-year-old drug called Daraprim (used to treat patients with toxoplamosis, malaria, some cancers and AIDS) and raising the prices dramatic amounts. For example, Daraprim went from $13.50 to $750 per pill, a 5,500% increase. While he has backtracked and agreed to reduce the price, prescription drug costs are now back in the national conversation. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders each announced proposals to lower costs. Do you think the government should do something about prescription drug costs?

More important U.S. visit Pope Francis or Chinese President Xi Jinping?

This week two key global figures are visiting the U.S. and will be making a lot of news. Pope Francis is visiting Washington, where he met with President Obama at the White House, New York, where he will address the United Nations, and Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families. President Xi Jinping is embarking on his first state visit to the United States this week. He met with business leaders in Seattle, will have a formal state dinner at the White House, and will address the UN in New York. Pope Francis is expected to be political during his trip while President Xi's visit is coming at a time when economic and security issues with China are hot topics. Whose visit is more important?

Do passive houses smell like the next big thing in housing?

Politico has an article on “ultra-efficient houses” that will “redefine how we fight climate change.” It says that this is “the house that could save the world.” Passive houses are created by a German building method and they consume 80 percent less energy than the regular building while feeling cool during the summer and warm during the winters. Building these houses is also very affordable. Do passive houses smell like the next big thing in housing?

Was TX school’s response to ninth grader Ahmed Mohamed’s clock in school right?

Ahmed Mohamed, a 14 year-old freshman at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas was detained and handcuffed after teachers thought the homemade clock he brought to show his engineering teacher was a bomb or fake bomb. He was also suspended from school. Social media went crazy in support of Ahmed - including Tweets from President Obama and Mark Zuckerberg. So, was the school staff acting in the best interests of the safety of the school or would they have acted differently if a non-Muslim student brought in the clock?

Has James Blake or Kylie Jenner shown more beauty from within?

Ex-tennis star James Blake was mistakenly arrested by an undercover cop and led away in handcuffs. Rather than making the situation about himself, he made a statement that he was speaking out to “turn this unfortunate incident into a catalyst for change in the relationship between the police and the public they serve.”

Kylie Jenner has launched a #IAmMoreThan anti-bullying campaign on Instagram. She says she will be “sharing stories of 6 incredible people who have become heroes in their own way by taking #bullying and turning it into something positive.” The topic of bullying is actually very personal to Jenner - back in June of this year, she said in a series of Snapchat videos that “I’ve been bullied since I’ve been 9 - from the whole world, it feels like sometimes."

So, who do you think has shown more beauty from within?

Does Tweeting political donations smell like the next big thing in campaign finance?

Already expected to play a key role in the 2016 presidential elections, Twitter will now allow political donations through tweets.  Candidates can sign up for a Square Cash account via partner Square and will get a unique URL they are calling a $Cashtag.  Donors can simply contribute when they see a tweet asking for donations and then enter donation amount, payment info and any other info required by the FEC. Those on candidate email lists know how many contribution solicitations get sent out. Will this change the game in how candidates raise money? Will the empower smaller donors? And do you think this smells like the next big thing in campaign finance?

            Photo: Twitter

 

Do tip-free meals smell like the next big idea in dining out?

Tom Colicchio, owner of Craft and judge on Bravo TV's Top Chef, is taking on the custom of tipping for service while dining out. Starting this week at lunch, tipping will be optional and menus read "prices are inclusive of service." This is similar to what diners experience in Europe and at a select number of fancy spots in the U.S. like Per Se.

Customers are welcome to leave cash tips but that is as an additional gratuity because service is already included in the bill. Tip lines will be removed from credit card bills. What it means is that the restaurant will guarantee a higher base wage for wait staff, bartenders and others who would normally depend on tips for the majority of their pay. In turn diners will see higher prices on menus - which may be a surprise at first. Colicchio spoke to Eater and said "It's time for a change. It's time to pay the servers a salary. The article in Eater looks deeper at the impact this will have for restaurant workers in front and back of house.

Do tip-free meals smell like the next big idea in dining out?

Are AG Loretta Lynch & The Justice Dept. all hat or all that w/ new plan to put corporate crooks in jail?

After taking flack for not prosecuting enough bankers for roles in the financial crisis among other criticisms, the Department of Justice is promising a major effort aimed at putting corporate crooks in jail with a memo that circulated this week. One key provision basically says that in trying to negotiate a settlement or get any credit for cooperating during an investigation they need to provide the department "all relevant facts about the individuals involved in corporate misconduct." It basically says that the company can't protect employees from being investigated if the company wants a more favorable outcome.

Do you think AG Loretta Lynch & The Justice Dept. are all hat or all that w/ new plan to put corporate crooks in jail?

Thoughts on Facebook announcement of new dislike button?

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, said that Facebook was “very close to shipping a test” of a dislike button. He noted that it would not be as simple as being able to give a thumbs-down to a post. He said: “You don’t want to go through the process of sharing some moment that was important to you during your day and have someone down-vote it...Not every moment is a good moment, and if you are sharing something that is sad, whether it’s something in current events, like the refugees crisis that touches you, or if a family member passed away, then it may not feel comfortable to like that post,” Zuckerberg said. “So I do think it’s important to give people more options than just like.”   Do you like or dislike the idea of this new option?