Senate votes to permit lower cost drug imports from Canada

October 2nd, 2009 Health care overhaul could raise Medicare Rx costsWASHINGTON — Medicare recipients could see higher premiums for prescription drug coverage as a result of changes to complex provisions in a Senate health care bill, a senior Republican said Friday. At issue are marching orders for a powerful new commission that would recommend annual Medicare savings to Congress.

September 25th, 2009 Lawmakers back off proposed ban of Chinese chickenWASHINGTON — Members of Congress negotiating an agriculture spending bill have signaled they will back off a proposed ban on imports of Chinese chicken. Rep. Rosa DeLauro said in a statement Friday that instead of a ban, the bill will call for U.S.

September 23rd, 2009 Canada to boycott Ahmadinejad's UN speechTORONTO — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada's seat at the United Nations will be empty during a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad because Ahmadinejad's comments about denying the Holocaust are repugnant, disgraceful and unacceptable. Ahmadinejad is scheduled to address to the UN in New York on Wednesday.

August 4th, 2009 Senate boosts food stamps as unemployment risesWASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday passed a $124.3 billion agriculture spending bill that pays to add millions of people to the food stamp rolls as rising numbers of the jobless are forced into the program. Money for the federal school lunch program is going up 12 percent as well, while a popular program that gives additional food aid for poor children and pregnant women received a 9 percent increase in funding.

July 17th, 2009 Canada's annual inflation rate falls below zeroTORONTO — Canada's annual inflation rate dipped below zero for the first time in 15 years in June, as the low cost of filling up at the gas station dropped the overall index to minus 0.3 percent, Statistics Canada said on Friday. Consumer prices fell by 0.3 percent, as expected, from a year earlier primarily because of a 19.0 percent drop in energy prices across Canada in the period.

July 10th, 2009 Internet drug purchases included in spending billsWASHINGTON — The Senate dealt a blow to the drug lobby Thursday by voting to permit people in the United States to order lower-cost drugs from Canada over the Internet. The prescription drug plan, by Sen.

June 22nd, 2009 Obama announces agreement with drug companiesWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Monday welcomed the pharmaceutical industry's agreement to help close a gap in Medicare's drug coverage, calling the pact a step forward in the push for overhaul of the nation's health care system. Obama said that drug companies have pledged to spend $80 billion over the next decade to help reduce the cost of drugs for seniors and pay for a portion of Obama's health care legislation.

June 20th, 2009 Drug companies may narrow Medicare coverage gapWASHINGTON — The pharmaceutical industry would finance improved coverage under the Medicare prescription drug program and help defray the cost of President Barack Obama's health care legislation under an $80 billion deal with key lawmakers and the White House that officials said Friday night was close to agreement. These officials said the 10-year proposal under discussion would have drug firms pay as much as half of the cost of brand-name drugs for lower and middle-income seniors in the so-called "doughnut hole." Medicare patients with incomes up to about $80,000 would realize some benefit.

June 17th, 2009 Arizona Senate OKs guns in eateries serving boozePHOENIX — The Arizona Senate has reversed itself and voted to allow people with concealed-carry permits to take handguns into restaurants that serve alcohol. The Senate approved the bill on an 18-10 vote Tuesday, one day after it defeated the measure on a 14-14 tie when one supporter was absent.

June 14th, 2009 Conrad says gov't insurance plan short of supportWASHINGTON — The Democrat who heads the Senate Budget Committee says he doubts there are enough votes in the Senate to support President Barack Obama's plan for a government health insurance option. Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota says that there are good arguments for the proposal but probably not the votes it needs in the Senate.

June 9th, 2009 Bill gives FDA controls over tobacco advancesWASHINGTON — A key Senate vote Monday put Congress in sight of fulfilling a decade-old quest to put the content and marketing of tobacco products under the control of the federal government. The legislation would for the first time give the Food and Drug Administration legal authority to regulate cigarettes and other tobacco products.

May 8th, 2009 Senate approves Seattle police chief as drug czarWASHINGTON — The Senate has approved the nomination of Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske as the national drug czar. Kerlikowske, a 36-year law enforcement veteran, has said he will take a balanced, science-based approach to the job of director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

May 5th, 2009 Canada to talk trade despite EU seal product banTORONTO — Canada's trade minister says a European Parliament ban of Canadian seal products won't prevent Canada and the EU from agreeing on a wide-ranging free-trade agreement. The European Parliament voted Tuesday to ban imports of seal products in an effort to force Canada to end its annual seal hunt.

May 1st, 2009 Mannequin threatens to bust Ohio barbecue jointREADING, Ohio — A man who runs a Cincinnati-area barbecue joint says the busty mannequin he tethered to the front of the building has been good for business, but city officials say he needs a permit to keep her there. Under Reading (REH'-ding) city rules, the 5-foot-10 brunette is considered a sign and requires a permit.

May 1st, 2009 Barbecue joint needs permit for busty mannequinREADING, Ohio — A man who runs a suburban Cincinnati barbecue joint says the busty mannequin he put out front has been good for business, but city officials say he needs a permit to keep her there. The Design and Review Board in suburban Reading said under city rules, the figure is considered a sign, requiring a permit.