Nov. 18 News: Pfizer shot effectiveness, Opioid settlement, Climate change, Amazon online pharmacy, Heart risks

Associated Press – Pfizer: COVID-19 shot 95% effective, seeking clearance soon

Pfizer said Wednesday that new test results show its coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective, is safe and also protects older people most at risk of dying — last data needed to seek emergency use of limited shot supplies even as the catastrophic outbreak worsens across the globe.

NPR – Federal judge approves landmark $8.3 billion Purdue Pharma opioid settlement

A federal bankruptcy judge approved a controversial $8.3 billion settlement late Tuesday between Purdue Pharma and the Department of Justice. The deal first unveiled last month stems from the company's decades-long manufacture and marketing of Oxycontin and other highly addictive opioid medications.

POLITICO – Wall Street braces for climate change scrutiny under Biden

Big Wall Street banks, facing the prospect that Democrats will impose new rules to force lenders to deal with natural disasters and rising sea levels, are positioning themselves as eager allies with a Joe Biden administration in fighting climate change.

POLITICO – Amazon opens online pharmacy, shaking up another industry

Now at Amazon.com: insulin and inhalers. The online colossus opened an online pharmacy Tuesday that allows customers to order medication or prescription refills, and have them delivered to their front door in a couple of days.

Kaiser Health News – Push is on in US to figure out South Asians’ high heart risks

For years, Sharad Acharya’s frequent hikes in the mountains outside Denver would leave him short of breath. But a real wake-up call came three years ago when he suddenly struggled to breathe while walking through an airport.