Good Morning! Today’s edition is 825 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Remembering the doctor who discovered RDS

• Birmingham shooting

• Why you were probably taught to read incorrectly

First-time reader? Sign up here!

Big Story

FTC Sues Insulin Middle Men

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against the three biggest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) — UnitedHealth's Optum, CVS Caremark, and Cigna's Express Scripts.

• The FTC accused the companies of pushing diabetes patients towards expensive insulin to get rebates from drug companies. This hurts patients with high out-of-pocket costs, especially those with coinsurance and deductibles. Together, these PBMs control 80% of U.S. prescriptions. The companies denied the claims, saying they work to lower insulin prices for customers.

• The lawsuit is part of the Biden administration's effort to lower drug prices, particularly insulin. CVS defended its actions, saying it offers insulin at $25 through a discount program. Cigna argued that including certain drugs would increase overall costs, while Optum said it had reduced insulin prices for many customers.

• The FTC criticized the role of the PBMs, calling them "medication gatekeepers" who have made insulin more expensive for vulnerable patients. Although the lawsuit didn't target major insulin manufacturers like Eli Lilly, Sanofi, or Novo Nordisk, the FTC hinted it may take future action against them.

• Some insulin makers support reforms and have programs to reduce the cost of insulin. PBMs, meanwhile, argue that limiting their ability to negotiate prices would only benefit pharmaceutical companies.

Big Story

John A. Clements Remembered

Legendary doctor and researcher John A. Clements died this month at 101.

• Clements discovered the cause of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), a condition that made it hard for newborns to breathe and killed about 10,000 infants a year in the U.S. before the 1950s. Underdeveloped lungs cause the disease, and around 90% of babies who got it died.

• Clements found that a slippery substance called surfactants helps the lungs inflate and deflate. He and his team realized that premature babies with RDS lacked these surfactants which created their breathing problems. Finding a cure was the next challenge once he discovered the cause of RDS. Clements worked to develop a synthetic surfactant, and by 1990, the FDA approved a treatment.

• Thanks to Clements’ research, RDS became treatable, and the death rate dropped from 90% to around 5%. In recognition of his work, Clements received the 1994 Albert Lasker Award and donated his prize money to UNICEF.

Big Story

Israeli Military Raids Al Jazeera

Israeli troops raided the Al Jazeera news office in the West Bank and ordered it to close for 45 days, accusing the network of supporting terrorism.

• The raid follows previous actions by Israel, which blocked Al Jazeera's broadcasts in May. The Qatar-funded network denied the accusations, continuing broadcasts from other locations and saying it won’t be silenced.

• The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate and Palestinian Authority criticized the raid as an attack on press freedom. Israel’s Communication Minister, Shlomo Karhi, said Al Jazeera supports groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. However, Israel’s Foreign Press Association is concerned over the crackdown on media and is urging the Israeli government to rethink its actions to protect press freedom.

• Al Jazeera has faced criticism before, including from the U.S. during the Iraq War and from Egypt in 2013, where its journalists were jailed. Despite the challenges, the network continues to operate across many countries.

Little Stories

• The U.N. General Assembly approved a plan on Sunday to bring the world’s nations together to address big issues like climate change, artificial intelligence, conflicts, and poverty. The 42-page "Pact for the Future" urges leaders of the 193 member countries to turn promises into real actions that help the world's 8 billion people. (More)

• Four people were killed and 17 others were hurt in a shooting in Birmingham, Alabama, over the weekend. Police believe several suspects fired at a large crowd. Three victims were found dead at the scene, and a fourth died at the hospital. (More)

• Former President Donald Trump said in an interview on Sunday that if he loses the 2024 election, he doesn’t plan to run again in 2028. He said, "I don't see that at all," but added he hopes to win this time. (More)

• Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a Marxist politician, won Sri Lanka's presidential election, beating opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and current president Ranil Wickremesinghe. Dissanayake became popular by focusing on working-class issues and opposing the political elite. (More)

• In 1951, 6-year-old Luis Armando Albino was kidnapped from a park in Oakland, California. Over 70 years later, Albino has been found thanks to an online ancestry test, old photos, and newspaper clippings. His niece located him on the East Coast and he was reunited with his family in June. (More)

Extra Credit

🍔 Try the best burgers in every state.

🛎️ …and stay in the best American hotels.

🧼 How people cleaned themselves before soap was invented. 

📖 Why you might have been taught to read incorrectly.