Health

Tornado damage could worsen hospital drug shortages

The damage from a tornado that hit a Pfizer manufacturing facility in North Carolina on Wednesday could worsen long-term drug shortages in U.S. hospitals.

Details: The twister touched down near Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and ripped up the roof of the Pfizer factory that makes nearly 25% of all sterile injectable medicines used in U.S. hospitals.

• 50,000 palets of medicine were strewn across the facility and damaged by rain and wind per Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone.

• No employees were hurt, but Pfizer said it’s still assessing the extent of the damage.

Big picture: The damage to the Pfizer plant comes as hospitals have been dealing with drug shortages for years - especially chemotherapy drugs and local anesthetics.

• When hospitals run out of drugs, treatment delays can occur which hurt patients dealing with time-sensitive conditions like cancer.

• Overall there were 309 active drug shortages in the U.S. at the end of June, according to the University of Utah Drug Information Service.

Bottom line: Pfizer said it’s working urgently to get back online as quickly as possible. However, the damage will likely lead to long-term shortage as the company shifts productions to other facilities or rebuilds, said Erin Fox, senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health.

Business & Economy

U.S. stock markets closed mixed on Thursday (S&P -0.68%, Nasdaq -2.05%, Dow +0.47%) ~ The Dow recorded its first 9-day rally since 2017.

Walmart cuts the price of Walmart+ to $49 a year for households that receive food stamps and some other types of government aid.

A group is finalizing a deal to purchase cryptocurrency media firm CoinDesk for $125 million.

World

India banned the export of white rice on Thursday which will halve shipments by the world’s largest exporter of the grain. The country accounts for 40% of global rice exports, and the ban is triggering fears of further inflation on global food markets.

The Taliban used tasers, fire hoses, and warning shots to break up Afghan women protesting the ban on beauty salons issued by the Islamic fundamentalist group.

The Women’s World Cup will continue in New Zealand despite a rare shooting that killed two people in Auckland hours before the opening ceremony began.

US News, Politics, & Government

The Florida Board of Education approved new Black history standards to be taught in schools. Critics attacked one of the new standards which states that some African Americans benefited from slavery because it taught useful skills. The 216-page document can be read here.

Violent crime is down nearly 10% in 37 U.S. cities in 2023 but remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to a report by the Council on Criminal Justice.

A New Jersey man, who was pardoned by former President Donald Trump, has been arrested again and accused of defrauding 150 people out of $35 million.

Sports & Entertainment

The NFL approved the sale of the Washington Commanders to a group led by investor Josh Harris. The $6.05 billion deal is the largest in pro sports history.

AMC Theaters said Thursday it will cancel its dynamic seat pricing pilot that charged moviegoers less for a ticket closer to the screen and more for desirable seats in the middle of the theater.

Women’s World Cup co-host New Zealand notch their first ever tournament win against Norway 1-0 on opening day.

Science, Health, & Tech

Amazon will launch pay-by-palm technology at all Whole Foods stores by the end of the year. The tech, dubbed Amazon One, will allow customers to pay by swiping their hand over a kiosk.

Nearly 20% of people infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic because of a gene variation that allows virus killing T cells to recognize the coronavirus due to its resemblance to the seasonal cold virus.

Research finds that chronic constipation - having a bowel movement only every three or more days - is linked with 73% higher risk of cognitive decline.

Why food tastes different on airplanes.

McDonald’s will pay an 8-year-old $800k who was burned by a chicken nugget.

A giant “doomsday” fish found near Taiwan signals impending disaster.

The story of how a dying boy and an MLB Hall of Fame inductee became best friends.