Mediaboss Marketing

Michigan's road conditions deteriorated ashighways improved nationwide, according to a new report by the Reason Foundation.

Thestate ranked34th nationallyin highway performance and cost effectiveness in 2021, dropping 10 spots in the libertarian think tank's Annual Highway Report compared to the 2020 report, and landingin the bottom 10 states in several measured categories.

The report released Thursday looked at highway data from 2019 and congestion data from 2020, and gradesstate roads in 13 categories. Those include pavement condition, traffic congestion, bridge structures, traffic fatalitiesand spending per mile.

Michigan was one of only four states, includingNew Mexico, Ohio and South Carolina, to declinein the rankings by 10 spots or more in the same time period, compared with the 2020 report, which looked at 2018 and 2019.

There were1,219 bridges and more than 7,300 miles of highway in poor condition in Michigan, according to an August report released by the White House.

Since 2011,commute times have increased by 4.6% in the state andindividual drivers paid an average of$644 ayear in costs related to driving on damaged roads.

The report came days after President Joe Biden signed into lawthebipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which will include around $7.8billion in fundingfor highway and bridge repairs over five years in Michigan.

This is in addition to the $3.5 billion of bonds that the Michigan Department of Transportation was authorized to issueover fouryearsforthe repair and rehabilitation of 122 major highways, per the self-described "Fix the Damn Roads" governor,Gretchen Whitmer's request.

The fiscal year 2019 budget wasset by the Legislature under the Snyder administration.

"Our pavement is deteriorating more quickly than we can maintain itwith current funding levels," said Diane Cross, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Transport, on Sunday."The governor's $3.5 billion Rebuilding Michigan plan, now complemented by the federal IIJA, will slow the decline but everyone agrees that long term, we need more and sustainable investment."

The Governor's Office said Whitmer is working on the roads and acknowledged more work was needed to "make up for the prior decades of disinvestment" and working with the Legislature and federal government for more funding.

After decades of disinvestment in the states aging infrastructure, Michigan has made a strong shift toward focusing on the type of investments that we need to rebuild roads and bridges across the state," saidBobby Leddy, press secretary for Whitmer.

"Since taking office, Governor Whitmer has fixed more than 9,000 miles of roads and secured additional funding to fix 100 bridges in serious or critical condition without raising taxes. And the governors Rebuilding Michigan plan is creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs to fix our states roads and bridges with the right mix and material to ensure the repairs last longer."

Michigan's best rankings in the Reason Foundation's report were in the rural fatality and overall fatality rates on highways, 7th and 14th respectively.

On the other end of the findings, thestate's worst rankingswere in urban Interstate pavement condition and congestion, with commuters spending 42.07 hours a year in rush hour traffic. Drivers in onlyfour other states in the country spend more than 40 hours in traffic, according to the report; New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Illinois.

"Despite not having a metro area that ranks in the top 10 for population, Michigan has the fifth worst traffic congestion in the country, said Baruch Feigenbaum, lead author of the reportand senior managing director of transportation policy at Reason Foundation.

Compared to nearby states, the report found that Michigans overall highway performance is worse than Wisconsin,Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, but better than Illinois.

"Michigan is one of the few states that could benefit from spending slightly more on its highway system to improve the overall condition," continued Feigenbaum.

Michigan spends around $92,500 per mile of state-controlled road.

The country's most cost-effective highway systems, according to the report, were North Dakota, Virginia, Missouri, Kentuckyand North Carolina, while the worst combination of highway performance and cost effectiveness was found in New Jersey,RhodeIsland, Alaska, Hawaii, and New York.

More here:
How do Michigan roads rank in US? Libertarian think tank crunches the numbers - The Detroit News

* Price cuts have so far come a year after market launch

* Lobby group VFA: retroactive rebates pose incalculable risks

* Ban on price increases over time to remain in place (Adds market size, key players, reaction from lobby group)

By Ludwig Burger

FRANKFURT, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Germany's prospective three-party government plans to cut prices retroactively for recently-launched prescription drugs to keep healthcare expenses under control, the coalition agreement showed on Wednesday.

Pharmaceutical companies have only been free to set prescription drug prices in Germany, Europe's largest pharma market, for the first 12 months following approval by the European Commission.

This respite allows for an elaborate benefit assessment and price setting procedure that was introduced in 2011 and which typically results in a discount.

Instead of taking effect after negotiations are wrapped up, the new price will be enforced with a retroactive reimbursement from the seventh month after market launch, if the coalition plan is passed into law during the four-year parliamentary session.

The agreement will install Germany's first federal coalition between Social Democrats (SPD), libertarian Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens, and bring the curtain down on the era of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"The negotiated reimbursement price is to take effect from the seventh month after market entry," said the coalition document.

Pharmaceutical sales in Germany rose almost 7% to 49.5 billion euros ($55.4 billion) last year, according to market researcher IQVIA.

Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co and Bristol-Myers Squibb are among those with the largest market presence in the country, while Bayer , Merck KGaA and unlisted Boehringer Ingelheim are the biggest Germany-based drugmakers.

The German association of research-based pharma companies VFA said the plan may discourage drugmakers from seeking an immediate launch because backdated rebates posed an "incalculable risk".

Story continues

"The traditional strength of the German system, the fast availability of new medicines, is needlessly put at risk," it added.

The coalition document also said drugmakers would continue to be banned from unilaterally increasing drug prices over time, keeping current rules in place.

($1 = 0.8929 euros) (Reporting by Ludwig Burger Editing by Emma Thomasson and Mark Potter)

Follow this link:
UPDATE 1-Germany's government-to-be eyes backdated drug price cuts - Yahoo Finance

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) A year after suffering a huge election loss, New Zealand's conservative opposition leader Judith Collins was ousted Thursday by her caucus.

Collins was in the role for a tumultuous 16 months. She never polled well as leader of the National Party, even after liberal Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's popularity began to fade somewhat in recent months as a coronavirus outbreak took hold in Auckland.

Rumors about a possible move against Collins had been circulating for weeks. But she ended up making the first move on Wednesday night by stripping former leader and potential rival Simon Bridges of his portfolios.

Collins said she made the move because she had found out for the first time that Bridges made inappropriate comments to female colleague Jacqui Dean about five years ago at a function.

But other National Party lawmakers weren't impressed with the move by Collins, pointing out that Bridges had apologized at the time.

The new National Party leader will be chosen next week. Possible contenders include Bridges, former Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon and former police officer Mark Mitchell. Collins plans to stay on in Parliament as a lawmaker representing the Auckland district of Papakura.

Collins said it had required stamina and resolve to take on the leadership during the worst of times.

I knew when I was confided in by a female colleague regarding her allegation of serious misconduct against a senior colleague, that I would likely lose the leadership by taking the matter so seriously, Collins wrote on Twitter. If I hadnt, then I felt that I wouldnt deserve the role.

Dean said that Bridges apologized at the time but the incident "continued to play on my mind.

Ardern last year won a second term in a landslide of historic proportions. The popularity of her Labour Party has slipped since then, but most of the gains have gone to the libertarian ACT Party, while Collins and the National Party have continued to languish in opinion polls.

Go here to read the rest:
New Zealand opposition leader Collins ousted by caucus - Plainview Daily Herald

THE RECORD 40/29 NEWS ON THE RECORD AT THE CANDIDATES INHE T 2022 RACE FOR GOVERNOR. WERE ASKINGOR F INTERVIEWS WITH ALL SIX CANDIDATES VYING FOR ARKANSASS TOP OFFICE. THEYRE HERE TO GO ON THE RECORD WITH0/ 429 NEWS AHEAD OF THE PRIMARIES ONE OF THESE CANDIDATES. MAYBE OUR NEXT GOVERN. ARE EACH WEEK WELL GO THROUGH A SERIES OF QUESTIONS GETTINGO T KNOW THE CANDIDATES PREPARING YOU FORHE T PRIMARY VOTE. THIS IS 40/29 NEWS ON THE RECORD AND TNKHA YOU SO MUCH FOR JOININGS U FOR OUR NEW PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM 4290/ NEWS ON THE RECDOR AND YUNA LEE EVERY WEEK. WELL TALK TO NEWAKSMERS ABOUT THE ISSUES AFFECTING US HERE IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND THE RIVER VALLEY NEXT NOVEMBER ARKANSAS WILL G TOO THE POLLS TO CHOOSE THE STATES NEXT GOVERNOR SIX CANDIDATES HE AVDECLARED THAT THEYRE RUNNING FORHE T HIGHEST OFFICE IN 2022 THE FIRST HURDLE WINNING THE PARTY PRIMARIES NEXT SPNGRI SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS IS ALONE IN THE REPUBLICAN RACE FOR GOVEORRN THIS AFTER ATTORNEY GENERAL LESLIE RUTLEDGE EXITED THE RACE AND ENTEREDHE T CONTEST FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE. OR ANTHONY BLAND DR. CHRIS JONES JAMES RUSSELL AND SUPA SUPERSETH MAZE ARE RUNNGNI LIBERTARIAN RICKY D

Chris Jones explains his position on the issues on 40/29 News On The Record

Updated: 12:06 PM CST Nov 22, 2021

Arkansas Democrat Chris Jones is a nuclear engineer, a Ph.D. in urban planning, and an ordained minister. He's also running for Governor of Arkansas.Jones talked with 40/29's Yuna Lea about the campaign and his position on issues facing Arkansas. The interview was broadcast on 40/29 News On The Record, which airs Sundays at 10:30 a.m.Three other Democrats besides Jones are running for governor. They are Anthony Bland, James "Rus" Russell, and Supha Xayprasith-Mays. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the only Republican running, and Ricky Dale Harrington is the only Libertarian running. William E. Gates is running as an independent candidate.

Arkansas Democrat Chris Jones is a nuclear engineer, a Ph.D. in urban planning, and an ordained minister. He's also running for Governor of Arkansas.

Jones talked with 40/29's Yuna Lea about the campaign and his position on issues facing Arkansas. The interview was broadcast on 40/29 News On The Record, which airs Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Three other Democrats besides Jones are running for governor. They are Anthony Bland, James "Rus" Russell, and Supha Xayprasith-Mays. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the only Republican running, and Ricky Dale Harrington is the only Libertarian running. William E. Gates is running as an independent candidate.

Arkansas Democratic candidate for governor Chris Jones introduced himself and explained why he is running.

Jones talked about how important education is for children and young adults, and how Arkansas can help provide opportunity.

Jones says parents and individuals, not the government, should make personal decisions for themselves.

Jones praised current Gov. Asa Hutchinson's coding initiative, but would have done things differently when it came to handling COVID-19 if he were governor.

View post:
Chris Jones explains his position on the issues on 40/29 News On The Record - 4029tv

WWE Hall Of Famer Kane was recently a guest on The Doug Collins Podcast where he spoke about his decision to start a career in politics. The former World Champion admitted he could see he was losing a step inside the ring.

As my wrestling career was starting to wind down and I could see that I was getting older and starting to lose a step. I knew that I needed to do something else in my life, Kande admitted. I had always been interested in politics and government. Mainly, my philosophy is very Conservative-Libertarian. My interest was keeping the government off my back.

One of the big things that wrestlers have to deal with is being away from home for large periods of time. That was the case throughout Kanes career and he spoke about that, admitting that his wife did everything and he believes you need a strong partner.

Crystal raised the kids and she also worked and did everything, he admitted. Its really because of her. I dont think its possible to do that if you dont have a strong partner. Not everybody is built for that, frankly, and that is okay. It is what it is.

I think you just have to understand the dynamics in your personal relationship, or in your marriage if thats the case. I was able to do it because Crystal could just do it, Kane said. She had actually been a single mom before we got married. Probably nine years, or so. So, she was used to that anyway. But its always hard. On our side of things, we miss all the good stuff. We miss the birthday parties and the holidays and the basketball games and thats whats really difficult.

If you use any quotes from this article please credit The Doug Collins Podcast with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Read the original here:
Kane Reflects On Decision He Made When WWE Career Was Winding Down - Wrestling Inc.