Purdue Pharma accused of 'corrupting' WHO to boost global opioid sales

‘Unscrupulous’ manufacturer replicated false marketing claims to change WHO guidelines, report by members of Congress alleges.

Purdue Pharma, the drug manufacturer that kickstarted the US opioid epidemic, corruptly influenced the World Health Organization in order to boost painkiller sales across the globe, according to a report by members of Congress.

An investigation by Katherine Clark and Hal Rogers, who represent districts in Massachusetts and Kentucky hard hit by the US opioid epidemic, accuses Purdue of replicating its false marketing claims about the safety and effectiveness of opioids to change WHO prescribing guidelines in an attempt to expand foreign markets for its drugs. read more »

At Boeing, the Flap Over One Tiny Light Indicates Much Larger Flaws

The aerospace giant has long enjoyed a reputation for building “pilot’s planes,” where nothing got between a pilot and their ability to fully control their aircraft. That’s why a failed cockpit warning light and a flawed avionics software program in their new 737-Max aircraft has received so much condemnation in recent days from aviation experts. It showed that Boeing was not only sloppy, but that they had quietly reneged on their long-running promise to keep pilots as the masters of the cockpit.

The media pounded Boeing mercilessly after the company admitted that it knew that there was yet another problem with the 737-Max: a malfunction with what’s called the AoA Disagree light going back as early as 2017. While Boeing notified the FAA about the fault, it failed to notify its airline customers of the problem until after the first 737-MAX jet, Lion Air Flight 610, crashed in October 2018. read more »

Man Who Claims To Be Bitcoin’s Inventor Registers Copyright for Its Code

The U.S. Copyright Office awarded self-proclaimed Bitcoin inventor Craig Wright registrations for the whitepaper and early computer code underlying the original cryptocurrency.

The agency posted the registrations on its website, naming the controversial Australian computer scientist as the author of the marketing proposal and the code under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. Still, the registrations -- which aren’t subject to the same exhaustive process as granting a patent -- may not actually settle the issue. read more »

Deutsche Bank Says Software to Detect Money Laundering Had a Bug

Deutsche Bank acknowledged on Wednesday that it had used faulty software to screen customer transactions for suspicious activity, another blow to the lender’s reputation as top executives prepare to face restive shareholders at its annual meeting. read more »