By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Parkland school shooter <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikolas-cruz">Nikolas Cruz's</a> two-day sentencing hearing began Tuesday with the families of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-florida-gun-politics-school-boards-nikolas-cruz-44a0da3e406f0c487e5c0a6b0855ee2e">17 people</a>
 he murdered getting their first chance to speak to him directly, using 
emotional and often angry terms to describe the devastation he brought 
to their lives.

Debra Hixon — the wife of athletic director Chris 
Hixon, a Navy veteran who died trying to stop the Feb. 14, 2018, 
shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — was the first to 
address Cruz. The killer wore a bright red jail jumpsuit and showed no 
emotion from behind a face mask.

“You stole him from us, and you 
did not receive the justice that you deserved," Debra Hixon said. “There
 is no mitigating circumstance that will outweigh the heinous and cruel 
way you stole him from us.”

Chris Hixon was wounded and fell to 
the floor, where Cruz shot him again. He spent more than 10 minutes 
trying to get back on his feet before he died.

“You were given a 
gift, a gift of grace and mercy — something you did not show to any of 
your victims,” Debra Hixon told Cruz. “I wish nothing for you today. 
After today, I don’t care what happens to you. You’ll be sent to jail, 
you’ll begin your punishment, you’ll be a number, and for me you will 
cease to exist.”

Family members and a teacher told Cruz they were 
disappointed in the jury's sentencing recommendation, which will send 
him to prison for life, instead of putting him to death.

“We hope 
that you, the monster who did this to our son, endure a painful 
existence in your remaining days. Whatever pain you experience in prison
 unfortunately will be a fraction of what Ben endured,” said Eric 
Wikander, the father of student Ben Wikander, who has undergone seven 
surgeries.

Stacey Lippel, a wounded teacher, told Cruz she was “broken and altered."

“Because
 of you, I check for all exits wherever I am," Lippel said. "Because of 
you, I think of the worst-case scenario for myself and my family. 
Because of you, I will never feel safe again," Lippel said. “I have no 
forgiveness in my heart for you. You are a monster with no remorse, and 
every breath you take is a breath wasted.”

After the families of the dead and the 17 people Cruz wounded finish speaking, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will <a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-florida-fort-lauderdale-sentencing-parkland-school-shooting-9f64befffc35cb7fa6b6b4f06928b073">formally sentence him</a>
 Wednesday to life in prison without parole. She has no other option, as
 the jury in his recently concluded penalty trial could not unanimously 
agree that the 24-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student deserved a 
death sentence.

The families gave <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-shootings-education-florida-fort-lauderdale-bbb4f1f0317413afbe14a51e90fcdf17">emotional statements</a>
 during the trial but were restricted about what they could tell jurors.
 They could describe only their loved ones and the toll the killings had
 on their lives. The wounded could say only what happened to them.

They
 were barred from addressing Cruz directly or saying anything about him —
 a violation would have risked a mistrial. And the jurors were told they
 couldn’t consider the family statements as aggravating factors as they 
weighed whether Cruz should die.

One family member who chose not 
to speak directly to Cruz is Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter
 Jaime was shot in the back as she tried to flee.

He <a href="https://twitter.com/fred_guttenberg/status/1587387752844333057">tweeted Tuesday</a>
 that it won't change anything if he addresses “the monster” who 
murdered his daughter, the defense team he believes “gave up its 
humanity” to defend him or the teacher he says faked heroism.

Cruz's attorneys say he is not expected to speak. He apologized in court last year after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/parkland-school-shooting-nikolas-cruz-guilty-plea-1bad323e22fe4517cf851395b252bd4b">pleading guilty</a> to the murders and attempted murders, but families told reporters they found the apology aimed at garnering sympathy.

That plea set the stage for a three-month penalty trial that ended Oct. 13 with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/parkland-shooter-jury-recommendation-live-updates-15c5121be1b8b7a73b85607d602e6ba2">the jury voting 9-3 for a death sentence.</a>
 Jurors said those voting for life believed Cruz is mentally ill and 
should be spared. Under Florida law, a death sentence requires 
unanimity.

Prosecutors argued Cruz planned the shooting for seven 
months before he slipped into a three-story classroom building, firing 
140 shots with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle down hallways and 
into classrooms. He fatally shot some wounded victims after they fell. 
Cruz said he chose Valentine’s Day so it could never again be celebrated
 at Stoneman Douglas.

Cruz’s attorneys focused on their belief 
that his birth mother’s heavy drinking during pregnancy left him brain 
damaged and condemned to a life of erratic and sometimes violent 
behavior that culminated in the massacre — the deadliest U.S. mass 
shooting to go to trial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667314676291.jpeg" alt="Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is escorted into the courtroom for a hearing regarding possible jury misconduct during deliberations in the penalty phase of his trial on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Cruz will be sentenced to life in prison this week — but not before the families of the 17 people he murdered get the chance to tell him what they think. A two-day hearing is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Nov. 1, that will conclude with Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer formally sentencing Cruz for his Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at the Florida high school. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool, File)" />
 <figcaption>Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz is escorted into the courtroom for a hearing regarding possible jury misconduct during deliberations in the penalty phase of his trial on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Cruz will be sentenced to life in prison this week — but not before the families of the 17 people he murdered get the chance to tell him what they think. A two-day hearing is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Nov. 1, that will conclude with Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer formally sentencing Cruz for his Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at the Florida high school. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TERRY SPENCER Associated PressFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Parkland school shooter <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikolas-cruz">Nikolas Cruz's</a> two-day sentencing hearing began Tuesday with the families of the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-florida-gun-politics-school-boards-nikolas-cruz-44a0da3e406f0c487e5c0a6b0855ee2e">17 people</a>
 he murdered getting their first chance to speak to him directly, using 
emotional and often angry terms to describe the devastation he brought 
to their lives.Debra Hixon — the wife of athletic director Chris 
Hixon, a Navy veteran who died trying to stop the Feb. 14, 2018, 
shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — was the first to 
address Cruz. The killer wore a bright red jail jumpsuit and showed no 
emotion from behind a face mask.“You stole him from us, and you 
did not receive the justice that you deserved," Debra Hixon said. “There
 is no mitigating circumstance that will outweigh the heinous and cruel 
way you stole him from us.”Chris Hixon was wounded and fell to 
the floor, where Cruz shot him again. He spent more than 10 minutes 
trying to get back on his feet before he died.“You were given a 
gift, a gift of grace and mercy — something you did not show to any of 
your victims,” Debra Hixon told Cruz. “I wish nothing for you today. 
After today, I don’t care what happens to you. You’ll be sent to jail, 
you’ll begin your punishment, you’ll be a number, and for me you will 
cease to exist.”Family members and a teacher told Cruz they were 
disappointed in the jury's sentencing recommendation, which will send 
him to prison for life, instead of putting him to death.“We hope 
that you, the monster who did this to our son, endure a painful 
existence in your remaining days. Whatever pain you experience in prison
 unfortunately will be a fraction of what Ben endured,” said Eric 
Wikander, the father of student Ben Wikander, who has undergone seven 
surgeries.Stacey Lippel, a wounded teacher, told Cruz she was “broken and altered."“Because
 of you, I check for all exits wherever I am," Lippel said. "Because of 
you, I think of the worst-case scenario for myself and my family. 
Because of you, I will never feel safe again," Lippel said. “I have no 
forgiveness in my heart for you. You are a monster with no remorse, and 
every breath you take is a breath wasted.”After the families of the dead and the 17 people Cruz wounded finish speaking, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer will <a href="https://apnews.com/article/education-florida-fort-lauderdale-sentencing-parkland-school-shooting-9f64befffc35cb7fa6b6b4f06928b073">formally sentence him</a>
 Wednesday to life in prison without parole. She has no other option, as
 the jury in his recently concluded penalty trial could not unanimously 
agree that the 24-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student deserved a 
death sentence.The families gave <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-shootings-education-florida-fort-lauderdale-bbb4f1f0317413afbe14a51e90fcdf17">emotional statements</a>
 during the trial but were restricted about what they could tell jurors.
 They could describe only their loved ones and the toll the killings had
 on their lives. The wounded could say only what happened to them.They
 were barred from addressing Cruz directly or saying anything about him —
 a violation would have risked a mistrial. And the jurors were told they
 couldn’t consider the family statements as aggravating factors as they 
weighed whether Cruz should die.One family member who chose not 
to speak directly to Cruz is Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter
 Jaime was shot in the back as she tried to flee.He <a href="https://twitter.com/fred_guttenberg/status/1587387752844333057">tweeted Tuesday</a>
 that it won't change anything if he addresses “the monster” who 
murdered his daughter, the defense team he believes “gave up its 
humanity” to defend him or the teacher he says faked heroism.Cruz's attorneys say he is not expected to speak. He apologized in court last year after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/parkland-school-shooting-nikolas-cruz-guilty-plea-1bad323e22fe4517cf851395b252bd4b">pleading guilty</a> to the murders and attempted murders, but families told reporters they found the apology aimed at garnering sympathy.That plea set the stage for a three-month penalty trial that ended Oct. 13 with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/parkland-shooter-jury-recommendation-live-updates-15c5121be1b8b7a73b85607d602e6ba2">the jury voting 9-3 for a death sentence.</a>
 Jurors said those voting for life believed Cruz is mentally ill and 
should be spared. Under Florida law, a death sentence requires 
unanimity.Prosecutors argued Cruz planned the shooting for seven 
months before he slipped into a three-story classroom building, firing 
140 shots with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle down hallways and 
into classrooms. He fatally shot some wounded victims after they fell. 
Cruz said he chose Valentine’s Day so it could never again be celebrated
 at Stoneman Douglas.Cruz’s attorneys focused on their belief 
that his birth mother’s heavy drinking during pregnancy left him brain 
damaged and condemned to a life of erratic and sometimes violent 
behavior that culminated in the massacre — the deadliest U.S. mass 
shooting to go to trial.

'A monster': Families, wounded confront Parkland shooter

By WILLIAM CHITTENDEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-inflation-will-likely-stay-sky-high-regardless-of-which-party-wins-the-midterms-193416">The Conversation</a>

Soaring inflation <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/03/economy-inflation-top-of-mind-for-midterm-voters-giving-gop-slight-edge-in-new-monmouth-poll.html">is the top issue</a> for a lot of voters heading into the midterms, with most saying Republicans <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx">would do a better job</a> of handling the problem.

Indeed, Republican candidates <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/03/economy-inflation-top-of-mind-for-midterm-voters-giving-gop-slight-edge-in-new-monmouth-poll.html">are taking full advantage of voter concern about inflation</a>
 by hammering Democrats on the issue and pushing their own ideas to 
fight inflation, such as cutting both government spending and taxes.

As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&amp;user=eP0xZ1kAAAAJ">finance and economics expert</a>,
 I have studied inflation, what causes it and what can bring it down. 
That’s why I doubt a Republican Congress would have much, if any, effect
 on inflation.

Inflation, or a sustained rise in consumer prices, is created in two main ways.

The first is by way of an increase in demand for products and services. For example, at the beginning of the pandemic, <a href="https://hothardware.com/news/covid-19-webcam-shortage-prices-skyrocketing">demand for webcams soared</a>, as lots of employees were required to work remotely. As a result, the prices of webcams increased significantly.

Or take leisure travel, which has increased significantly as COVID-19 infections have come down. People are flying more, <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/travel-inflation-statistics">which has led to higher ticket prices</a>.

When these types of demand-driven price increases occur across a 
large number of products and services, the result is rising inflation.

Inflation can also result from higher production costs.

For instance, gas prices are on the rise because it has become a lot more expensive to produce it. The war in Ukraine <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DCOILWTICO">sent oil prices soaring</a> at the beginning of 2022. They’ve come down, but a recent supply cut by OPEC+ oil-producing nations <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/higher-gas-prices-why-and-where-costco-gas-prices-rcna51458">caused another spike</a>. As oil prices increase, the higher costs are passed on to refiners, which leads to higher prices at the pump.

The increase in the price of eggs is another example of this type of inflation. <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-egg-prices-are-sizzling-and-when-they-could-cool-off-11660320801">Bird flu caused the deaths</a> of about 10% of egg-laying hens <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/data-map-commercial.html">beginning in January 2022</a>. In addition, farmers <a href="https://www.tastingtable.com/1042132/the-unfortunate-truth-about-egg-prices">faced higher fuel and fertilizer costs</a>. These factors have caused the average price of eggs to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APU0000708111">soar to an all-time high</a>.

An economy’s central bank – not Congress or the president – is 
typically the first line of defense when it comes to battling inflation.
 Central banks set monetary policy, and their primary way of combating 
inflation is by raising interest rates. 

In the U.S., the Federal Reserve focuses on the so-called <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/federal-funds-rate/">federal funds rate</a>, which is the base rate that banks use in setting their own deposit and loan rates. The Fed <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/openmarket.htm">has raised this benchmark five times in 2022</a>, from <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DFF">about 0% in March to 3%</a> – and <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/banking/federal-reserve/fomc-what-to-expect/">is expected to lift rates</a> another 0.75 percentage point on Nov. 2, 2022.

The main goal of the rate hikes is to increase borrowing costs and 
thus drive down demand – the first driver of inflation that I noted 
above. The idea is that higher interest rates lead people and businesses
 to borrow less. The less people and businesses borrow, the less they 
will spend.

The impact of higher interest rates is already being felt in the 
housing market, for example. Current 30-year mortgage rates are over 7% 
on average, <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE30US">more than double the rates of a year ago</a> and the highest since 2002. This is resulting in <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/economists-outlook/existing-home-sales-fall-for-the-seventh-straight-month-and-decline-0-4-in-august-2022">fewer home sales</a> and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/09/01/texas-housing-market-cooling/">falling prices</a>.

The problem is that this approach has absolutely no effect on the other main generator of inflation, rising production costs. 

The Fed’s higher rates will not stop the war in Ukraine or prompt 
hens to lay more eggs. Therefore, energy and egg prices won’t drop as a 
result. This is also true for all products and services whose production
 costs are increasing because of supply chain issues. 

These issues have affected the prices of everything from <a href="https://www.lairedigital.com/blog/the-effects-of-the-supply-chain-crisis-on-manufacturing-and-construction">bicycles to bathroom tissue</a>.
 Higher interest rates will not affect the demand for and thus the 
prices for bikes, toilet paper or any other goods feeling supply chain 
strains.

Congress’ fiscal tools are also limited

Congress and the White House do have some tools they can use in the inflation fight. One problem is they’re <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/business/economy/03view.html">not very popular</a> and so hard to pass. Another is that, like the Fed’s rate hikes, they address only one kind of inflation.

The main thing the government can do is take money out of the pockets
 of consumers and businesses, either by raising taxes or cutting 
spending – or both. 
A reduction in money in the economy <a href="https://www.itsuptous.org/US-fiscal-policy?gclid=Cj0KCQjwteOaBhDuARIsADBqReiA_wGVv35FLtu0PaIVV4vAxzQpEmXG0KppBeXtp-SUg8tqKuK6a0caAuRtEALw_wcB">leads to lower demand</a>
 for goods and services, both as the government spends less and 
individuals and businesses give more or get less from the government.

But as with higher rates, it won’t do anything to fix the global 
economy’s ongoing supply chain problems or lower production costs. 
Changes in taxes or government spending will not reduce food prices or 
the cost of heating your home this winter.

So even while a Republican Congress might want to do more about inflation, whatever it does will affect only one of the drivers.

Taking a step back, does either political party have a better track record on inflation? 

The short answer is no, <a href="https://theconversation.com/biden-is-inheriting-a-wrecked-economy-but-democrats-have-a-record-of-avoiding-recession-and-reducing-unemployment-153106">based on my analysis</a> of economic data from 1953 to 2020. From Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower through Donald Trump, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3542494">inflation has averaged 3.35%</a> under Democratic administrations and 3.5% under Republicans.

One caveat, however. When the House and Senate are controlled by 
Republicans while the president is a Democrat, inflation averaged 2 
percentage points less than than when everything was in Democratic 
hands. There are fewer data points, so it’s not as strong a finding, but
 it suggests divided government has an upside. 

Another way to look at this is to examine the parties’ current or 
proposed policies. Democrats have touted their “Inflation Reduction 
Act,” a package of climate, health care and tax measures passed in 
August, as proof that they are tackling the problem. But despite the 
name, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/11/1116229743/inflation-reduction-act-questions-answered">economists expect it to have very little impact</a> on inflation anytime soon, because most of the measures will take years to go into effect.

Republicans, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/us/politics/midterms-gop-republican-inflation-plans.html">have proposed cutting spending</a>
 – such as on America’s social safety net – and lowering taxes for 
wealthier individuals and businesses. While spending cuts could reduce 
demand – and inflation – the lower taxes would work at cross purposes 
and drive up prices by pumping more money into the economy.

In other words, expect inflation to stay high regardless of which 
political party is in the majority of the House and Senate. And then, 
turn to hope – that the Fed’s rate hikes work, and the supply chain 
problems driving up costs begin to ease.

William Chittenden is an Associate professor of Finance at Texas State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1667311689026.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By WILLIAM CHITTENDEN <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-inflation-will-likely-stay-sky-high-regardless-of-which-party-wins-the-midterms-193416">The Conversation</a>Soaring inflation <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/03/economy-inflation-top-of-mind-for-midterm-voters-giving-gop-slight-edge-in-new-monmouth-poll.html">is the top issue</a> for a lot of voters heading into the midterms, with most saying Republicans <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx">would do a better job</a> of handling the problem. Indeed, Republican candidates <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/03/economy-inflation-top-of-mind-for-midterm-voters-giving-gop-slight-edge-in-new-monmouth-poll.html">are taking full advantage of voter concern about inflation</a>
 by hammering Democrats on the issue and pushing their own ideas to 
fight inflation, such as cutting both government spending and taxes. As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&amp;user=eP0xZ1kAAAAJ">finance and economics expert</a>,
 I have studied inflation, what causes it and what can bring it down. 
That’s why I doubt a Republican Congress would have much, if any, effect
 on inflation. <h2>Two drivers of inflation</h2>Inflation, or a sustained rise in consumer prices, is created in two main ways.The first is by way of an increase in demand for products and services. For example, at the beginning of the pandemic, <a href="https://hothardware.com/news/covid-19-webcam-shortage-prices-skyrocketing">demand for webcams soared</a>, as lots of employees were required to work remotely. As a result, the prices of webcams increased significantly.Or take leisure travel, which has increased significantly as COVID-19 infections have come down. People are flying more, <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/travel-inflation-statistics">which has led to higher ticket prices</a>. When these types of demand-driven price increases occur across a 
large number of products and services, the result is rising inflation.Inflation can also result from higher production costs.For instance, gas prices are on the rise because it has become a lot more expensive to produce it. The war in Ukraine <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DCOILWTICO">sent oil prices soaring</a> at the beginning of 2022. They’ve come down, but a recent supply cut by OPEC+ oil-producing nations <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/higher-gas-prices-why-and-where-costco-gas-prices-rcna51458">caused another spike</a>. As oil prices increase, the higher costs are passed on to refiners, which leads to higher prices at the pump. The increase in the price of eggs is another example of this type of inflation. <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-egg-prices-are-sizzling-and-when-they-could-cool-off-11660320801">Bird flu caused the deaths</a> of about 10% of egg-laying hens <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/data-map-commercial.html">beginning in January 2022</a>. In addition, farmers <a href="https://www.tastingtable.com/1042132/the-unfortunate-truth-about-egg-prices">faced higher fuel and fertilizer costs</a>. These factors have caused the average price of eggs to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/APU0000708111">soar to an all-time high</a>.<h2>The Fed can fight only half the battle</h2>An economy’s central bank – not Congress or the president – is 
typically the first line of defense when it comes to battling inflation.
 Central banks set monetary policy, and their primary way of combating 
inflation is by raising interest rates. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve focuses on the so-called <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/federal-funds-rate/">federal funds rate</a>, which is the base rate that banks use in setting their own deposit and loan rates. The Fed <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/openmarket.htm">has raised this benchmark five times in 2022</a>, from <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/DFF">about 0% in March to 3%</a> – and <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/banking/federal-reserve/fomc-what-to-expect/">is expected to lift rates</a> another 0.75 percentage point on Nov. 2, 2022.The main goal of the rate hikes is to increase borrowing costs and 
thus drive down demand – the first driver of inflation that I noted 
above. The idea is that higher interest rates lead people and businesses
 to borrow less. The less people and businesses borrow, the less they 
will spend.The impact of higher interest rates is already being felt in the 
housing market, for example. Current 30-year mortgage rates are over 7% 
on average, <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE30US">more than double the rates of a year ago</a> and the highest since 2002. This is resulting in <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/economists-outlook/existing-home-sales-fall-for-the-seventh-straight-month-and-decline-0-4-in-august-2022">fewer home sales</a> and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/09/01/texas-housing-market-cooling/">falling prices</a>. The problem is that this approach has absolutely no effect on the other main generator of inflation, rising production costs. The Fed’s higher rates will not stop the war in Ukraine or prompt 
hens to lay more eggs. Therefore, energy and egg prices won’t drop as a 
result. This is also true for all products and services whose production
 costs are increasing because of supply chain issues. These issues have affected the prices of everything from <a href="https://www.lairedigital.com/blog/the-effects-of-the-supply-chain-crisis-on-manufacturing-and-construction">bicycles to bathroom tissue</a>.
 Higher interest rates will not affect the demand for and thus the 
prices for bikes, toilet paper or any other goods feeling supply chain 
strains.<h2>Congress’ fiscal tools are also limited</h2>Congress and the White House do have some tools they can use in the inflation fight. One problem is they’re <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/business/economy/03view.html">not very popular</a> and so hard to pass. Another is that, like the Fed’s rate hikes, they address only one kind of inflation.The main thing the government can do is take money out of the pockets
 of consumers and businesses, either by raising taxes or cutting 
spending – or both. 
A reduction in money in the economy <a href="https://www.itsuptous.org/US-fiscal-policy?gclid=Cj0KCQjwteOaBhDuARIsADBqReiA_wGVv35FLtu0PaIVV4vAxzQpEmXG0KppBeXtp-SUg8tqKuK6a0caAuRtEALw_wcB">leads to lower demand</a>
 for goods and services, both as the government spends less and 
individuals and businesses give more or get less from the government. But as with higher rates, it won’t do anything to fix the global 
economy’s ongoing supply chain problems or lower production costs. 
Changes in taxes or government spending will not reduce food prices or 
the cost of heating your home this winter.So even while a Republican Congress might want to do more about inflation, whatever it does will affect only one of the drivers.<h2>Who’s better on inflation</h2>Taking a step back, does either political party have a better track record on inflation? The short answer is no, <a href="https://theconversation.com/biden-is-inheriting-a-wrecked-economy-but-democrats-have-a-record-of-avoiding-recession-and-reducing-unemployment-153106">based on my analysis</a> of economic data from 1953 to 2020. From Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower through Donald Trump, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3542494">inflation has averaged 3.35%</a> under Democratic administrations and 3.5% under Republicans. One caveat, however. When the House and Senate are controlled by 
Republicans while the president is a Democrat, inflation averaged 2 
percentage points less than than when everything was in Democratic 
hands. There are fewer data points, so it’s not as strong a finding, but
 it suggests divided government has an upside. Another way to look at this is to examine the parties’ current or 
proposed policies. Democrats have touted their “Inflation Reduction 
Act,” a package of climate, health care and tax measures passed in 
August, as proof that they are tackling the problem. But despite the 
name, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/11/1116229743/inflation-reduction-act-questions-answered">economists expect it to have very little impact</a> on inflation anytime soon, because most of the measures will take years to go into effect. Republicans, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/us/politics/midterms-gop-republican-inflation-plans.html">have proposed cutting spending</a>
 – such as on America’s social safety net – and lowering taxes for 
wealthier individuals and businesses. While spending cuts could reduce 
demand – and inflation – the lower taxes would work at cross purposes 
and drive up prices by pumping more money into the economy. In other words, expect inflation to stay high regardless of which 
political party is in the majority of the House and Senate. And then, 
turn to hope – that the Fed’s rate hikes work, and the supply chain 
problems driving up costs begin to ease.William Chittenden is an Associate professor of Finance at Texas State University.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193416/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Why inflation will likely stay sky-high regardless of which party wins the midterms

By LINUS OWENS <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-has-halloween-become-so-popular-among-adults-104896">The Conversation</a>

Halloween used to be kid stuff. To quit dressing up was an important 
rite of passage. It meant you were one step closer to becoming an adult.
 

Not anymore. Today adults have become avid Halloween revelers, <a href="https://nrf.com/blog/the-evolution-of-halloween-3-trends-watch">especially young adults</a>.

By 2005, just over half of adults celebrated Halloween. Today, that number has grown to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/24/halloween-adults-costumes-elvira-mistress-of-the-dark/1593177/">over 70 percent</a>. Those between 18 and 34 years old participate at the highest rate, and they’re also the holiday’s biggest spenders, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/how-much-more-millennials-will-spend-on-halloween-than-generation-x.html">shelling out over twice as much</a> on their costumes as older adults and children.

Halloween celebrations have changed, too: less trick-or-treating and more parties and bar hopping. Today, <a href="https://vinepair.com/articles/halloween-drinking-holiday/">alcohol is as important as candy</a> to the Halloween economy.

Some blame it on <a href="https://nypost.com/2017/10/28/halloween-used-to-be-for-kids-now-its-for-sad-millennials/">millennials’ refusal to grow up</a> and enter the “real world.”

But that’s too simplistic of an explanation. I’ve been studying how 
young adults are celebrating Halloween, and what sort of relationship 
this might have to the changing norms and expectations of adulthood. 

Young adults’ embrace of Halloween could have something to do with the fact that adulthood itself has changed. 

If Halloween has become more popular among adults, it’s because 
traditional markers of adulthood have become less clear and less 
attainable. 

Sociologists tell us if you want to understand a culture, <a href="https://nyupress.org/books/9780814722275/">look at its holidays</a>.
 Christmas gift-giving rituals shed light on how we manage social 
relationships. Thanksgiving feasts depend on shared understandings of 
family and national origin stories.

Halloween, with its emphasis on identity, horror and transgression, 
can tell us about who we want to be and what we fear becoming. 

Historian Nicholas Rogers <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/halloween-9780195168969?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">has argued</a> that many of the trends and rituals of the holiday are actually tied to conflicting social values.

For example, urban legends about <a href="https://www.history.com/news/how-americans-became-convinced-their-halloween-candy-was-poisoned">razor blades in apples</a>
 in the 1970s reflected cultural anxieties about loss of community and 
fear of strangers. More recently, debates about skimpy costumes tap into
 broader concerns about <a href="https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/your-daughter-wants-a-sexy-halloween-costume-why-and-how-you-should-say-yes/">young girls growing up too quickly</a>.

Halloween has also been a holiday embraced by those who were not full
 members of society. More than a century ago, Irish immigrants, <a href="http://www.anthropologyinpractice.com/2009/10/from-melting-pot-to-salad-halloween.html">who brought their Halloween traditions with them to America</a>, used the celebration to strengthen community ties.

Initially, their Halloween traditions set them apart. But as they 
assimilated, they spread the holiday to the rest of the country. By the 
1950s, it had become <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/10/how-candy-and-halloween-became-best-friends/64895/">a night for children</a>. Later, <a href="https://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/staff-editorials/10658/halloween-gay-history/">gays and lesbians</a> carved out Halloween as a space where their differences could be celebrated not stigmatized.

The ‘emerging adult’ and the space between

Today’s young adults, it could be argued, are living in a sort of purgatory.

Traditional markers of adult responsibility and independence – family, career, home ownership – <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-samuelson-millennials-jobs-adulthood-perspec-0427-jm-20170426-story.html">have either been delayed</a> or abandoned altogether, by choice or necessity. Transitions to adulthood have become uncertain, drawn out and complicated.

In recent years, psychologists and sociologists have coined a term 
for this transitional life stage, which usually spans someone’s 20s and 
30s: “<a href="http://jeffreyarnett.com/articles/EABOOK2004ch1.pdf">emerging adulthood</a>.”

According to these experts, features of emerging adulthood can 
include identity exploration, focus on the self and a feeling of being 
caught between two worlds. There’s also a sense of wonder and 
possibility.

Others have <a href="http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931460.001.0001/acprof-9780199931460">a less rosy view</a> of emerging adulthood, describing it as a time of fear and anxiety about an unknowable future.

So why might an emerging adult be drawn to Halloween?

Most obviously, Halloween costumes let them experiment and explore self and identity. The possibilities are endless. <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/2016/10/125161/best-witch-costumes">Witch</a>? <a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Robot-Costumes">Robot couple</a>? <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/523613894157925537">Sexy Robot</a>? <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/g23082871/emoji-halloween-costumes-ideas">Emoji</a>? <a href="https://www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/banksys-shredded-painting-becomes-years-trendiest-cheap-halloween-costume-37453840.html">Banksy’s shredded art</a>?

Young adults I’ve spoken with often identify this as their favorite 
part of the holiday – the chance to be, at least for a night, whatever 
they wish to be.

Costumes are identity work, but they are also just plain work. That matters in a world in which many young adults <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qbv5a7/its-not-just-you-most-millennials-are-bored-at-work">are stuck in unfulfilling jobs</a>.

Cultural critic <a href="https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/malcolm-harris/kids-these-days/9781478992332/">Malcolm Harris</a>
 argues that young adults – despite being highly educated and 
hardworking compared to older cohorts – rarely find jobs matching their 
credentials and abilities.

During Halloween, hard work and creative thinking matter. For example, costume contests, in bars or <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/793trm/2017_wreddit_halloween_costume_contest_megathread/">online</a>,
 provide opportunities for people to construct costumes that meld 
humorous or timely cultural references with craft skills. You can do 
more than simply participate in Halloween; you can “<a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/viral-halloween-costumes-2017-11">win it</a>” with the best costume.

And young adults don’t do it alone. Some have told me that they’ll 
test out different costumes on social media to see which gets the best 
response. Others will look to others online for inspiration.

In this way, Halloween meshes with modern networked culture, in which
 young adults are using social media to navigate the world and make 
choices. Sociologists have found that many young adults build “<a href="http://alonetogetherbook.com/">collaborative selves</a>” by continuously looking to others online to reinforce and evaluate their identities.

Halloween has always promised the chance to be creative and to become something else. 

But in embracing the holiday, emerging adults are doing more than 
reject traditional adulthood. They’re playing with identity in a way 
that puts their skills and cultural competence to work. They’re defining
 new ways to be – and become – an adult. And in the process, they’ve 
changed the way Halloween is celebrated.

Linus Owens is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Middlebury College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667236094413.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>By LINUS OWENS <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-has-halloween-become-so-popular-among-adults-104896">The Conversation</a>Halloween used to be kid stuff. To quit dressing up was an important 
rite of passage. It meant you were one step closer to becoming an adult.
 Not anymore. Today adults have become avid Halloween revelers, <a href="https://nrf.com/blog/the-evolution-of-halloween-3-trends-watch">especially young adults</a>.By 2005, just over half of adults celebrated Halloween. Today, that number has grown to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/24/halloween-adults-costumes-elvira-mistress-of-the-dark/1593177/">over 70 percent</a>. Those between 18 and 34 years old participate at the highest rate, and they’re also the holiday’s biggest spenders, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/how-much-more-millennials-will-spend-on-halloween-than-generation-x.html">shelling out over twice as much</a> on their costumes as older adults and children. Halloween celebrations have changed, too: less trick-or-treating and more parties and bar hopping. Today, <a href="https://vinepair.com/articles/halloween-drinking-holiday/">alcohol is as important as candy</a> to the Halloween economy.Why has this been happening?Some blame it on <a href="https://nypost.com/2017/10/28/halloween-used-to-be-for-kids-now-its-for-sad-millennials/">millennials’ refusal to grow up</a> and enter the “real world.”But that’s too simplistic of an explanation. I’ve been studying how 
young adults are celebrating Halloween, and what sort of relationship 
this might have to the changing norms and expectations of adulthood. Young adults’ embrace of Halloween could have something to do with the fact that adulthood itself has changed. If Halloween has become more popular among adults, it’s because 
traditional markers of adulthood have become less clear and less 
attainable. <h2>Halloween’s shifting meaning</h2>Sociologists tell us if you want to understand a culture, <a href="https://nyupress.org/books/9780814722275/">look at its holidays</a>.
 Christmas gift-giving rituals shed light on how we manage social 
relationships. Thanksgiving feasts depend on shared understandings of 
family and national origin stories. Halloween, with its emphasis on identity, horror and transgression, 
can tell us about who we want to be and what we fear becoming. Historian Nicholas Rogers <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/halloween-9780195168969?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">has argued</a> that many of the trends and rituals of the holiday are actually tied to conflicting social values. For example, urban legends about <a href="https://www.history.com/news/how-americans-became-convinced-their-halloween-candy-was-poisoned">razor blades in apples</a>
 in the 1970s reflected cultural anxieties about loss of community and 
fear of strangers. More recently, debates about skimpy costumes tap into
 broader concerns about <a href="https://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/your-daughter-wants-a-sexy-halloween-costume-why-and-how-you-should-say-yes/">young girls growing up too quickly</a>.Halloween has also been a holiday embraced by those who were not full
 members of society. More than a century ago, Irish immigrants, <a href="http://www.anthropologyinpractice.com/2009/10/from-melting-pot-to-salad-halloween.html">who brought their Halloween traditions with them to America</a>, used the celebration to strengthen community ties. Initially, their Halloween traditions set them apart. But as they 
assimilated, they spread the holiday to the rest of the country. By the 
1950s, it had become <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/10/how-candy-and-halloween-became-best-friends/64895/">a night for children</a>. Later, <a href="https://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/staff-editorials/10658/halloween-gay-history/">gays and lesbians</a> carved out Halloween as a space where their differences could be celebrated not stigmatized. <h2>The ‘emerging adult’ and the space between</h2>Today’s young adults, it could be argued, are living in a sort of purgatory.Traditional markers of adult responsibility and independence – family, career, home ownership – <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-samuelson-millennials-jobs-adulthood-perspec-0427-jm-20170426-story.html">have either been delayed</a> or abandoned altogether, by choice or necessity. Transitions to adulthood have become uncertain, drawn out and complicated. In recent years, psychologists and sociologists have coined a term 
for this transitional life stage, which usually spans someone’s 20s and 
30s: “<a href="http://jeffreyarnett.com/articles/EABOOK2004ch1.pdf">emerging adulthood</a>.”According to these experts, features of emerging adulthood can 
include identity exploration, focus on the self and a feeling of being 
caught between two worlds. There’s also a sense of wonder and 
possibility.Others have <a href="http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199931460.001.0001/acprof-9780199931460">a less rosy view</a> of emerging adulthood, describing it as a time of fear and anxiety about an unknowable future. <h2>Millennial monsters</h2>So why might an emerging adult be drawn to Halloween?Most obviously, Halloween costumes let them experiment and explore self and identity. The possibilities are endless. <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/2016/10/125161/best-witch-costumes">Witch</a>? <a href="https://www.instructables.com/id/Robot-Costumes">Robot couple</a>? <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/523613894157925537">Sexy Robot</a>? <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/g23082871/emoji-halloween-costumes-ideas">Emoji</a>? <a href="https://www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/banksys-shredded-painting-becomes-years-trendiest-cheap-halloween-costume-37453840.html">Banksy’s shredded art</a>? Young adults I’ve spoken with often identify this as their favorite 
part of the holiday – the chance to be, at least for a night, whatever 
they wish to be.Costumes are identity work, but they are also just plain work. That matters in a world in which many young adults <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qbv5a7/its-not-just-you-most-millennials-are-bored-at-work">are stuck in unfulfilling jobs</a>. Cultural critic <a href="https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/malcolm-harris/kids-these-days/9781478992332/">Malcolm Harris</a>
 argues that young adults – despite being highly educated and 
hardworking compared to older cohorts – rarely find jobs matching their 
credentials and abilities. During Halloween, hard work and creative thinking matter. For example, costume contests, in bars or <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/793trm/2017_wreddit_halloween_costume_contest_megathread/">online</a>,
 provide opportunities for people to construct costumes that meld 
humorous or timely cultural references with craft skills. You can do 
more than simply participate in Halloween; you can “<a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/viral-halloween-costumes-2017-11">win it</a>” with the best costume.And young adults don’t do it alone. Some have told me that they’ll 
test out different costumes on social media to see which gets the best 
response. Others will look to others online for inspiration.In this way, Halloween meshes with modern networked culture, in which
 young adults are using social media to navigate the world and make 
choices. Sociologists have found that many young adults build “<a href="http://alonetogetherbook.com/">collaborative selves</a>” by continuously looking to others online to reinforce and evaluate their identities. Halloween has always promised the chance to be creative and to become something else. But in embracing the holiday, emerging adults are doing more than 
reject traditional adulthood. They’re playing with identity in a way 
that puts their skills and cultural competence to work. They’re defining
 new ways to be – and become – an adult. And in the process, they’ve 
changed the way Halloween is celebrated.Linus Owens is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Middlebury College.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104896/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

Why has Halloween become so popular among adults?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.

By ANNE GOODCHILD and RISHI VERMA <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-many-amazon-packages-get-delivered-each-year-187587">The Conversation</a>

It’s incredibly convenient to buy something online, right from your 
computer or phone. Whether it’s a high-end telescope or a resupply of 
toothpaste, the goods appear right at your doorstep. This kind of 
shopping is called “e-commerce” and it’s becoming more popular each 
year. In the U.S., it has grown from a mere 7% of retail purchases in 
2012 to <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/04/ecommerce-sales-surged-during-pandemic.html">19.6% of retail and US$791.7 billion in sales in 2020</a>.

For Amazon, the biggest player in e-commerce, this means delivering lots of packages. In 2021 the company shipped an <a href="https://www.mwpvl.com/html/amazon_com.html">estimated</a> 7.7 billion packages globally, based on its nearly <a href="https://ir.aboutamazon.com/quarterly-results/default.aspx">$470 billion in sales</a>.

If each of these packages were a 1-foot square box and they were 
stacked on top of one another, the pile would be six times higher than 
the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Laid end to end, they would 
wrap around the Earth 62 times.  

Back in the early 2010s, most things bought from Amazon.com were shipped using a third-party carrier like <a href="https://www.fedex.com/global/choose-location.html">FedEx</a> or <a href="https://www.ups.com/ship/guided/origin?tx=16615836120951417&amp;loc=en_US">UPS</a>. In 2014, however, Amazon began delivering packages itself with a service called “Fulfilled by Amazon.” That’s when those <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/09/amazon-delivery-contractors-operates-with-little-oversight-report-finds/">signature blue delivery vans</a> started appearing on local streets.

Since then, Amazon’s logistics arm has grown from relying entirely on other carriers to shipping <a href="https://news.pb.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6046">22% of all packages</a> in the U.S. in 2021. This is greater than FedEx’s 19% market share and within striking distance of UPS’s 24%. Amazon’s <a href="https://sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon/fba-multi-channel">multichannel fulfillment service</a>
 allows other websites to use its warehousing and shipping services. So 
your order from Etsy or eBay could also be packed and shipped by Amazon.

To handle that many packages, shipping companies need an extensive 
network of manufacturers, vehicles and warehouses that can coordinate 
together. This is called the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-your-local-store-keeps-running-out-of-flour-toilet-paper-and-prescription-drugs-135786">supply chain</a>. If you’ve ever used a tracking number to follow a package, you’ve seen it in action.

People who make decisions about where to send vehicles and how to 
route packages are constantly trying to keep costs down while still 
getting packages to customers on time. The supply chain can do this very
 effectively, but it also has downsides. 

More delivery vehicles on the road produce more <a href="https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/carbon-pollution-transportation">greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change</a>, along with pollutants like <a href="https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/smog-soot-and-other-air-pollution-transportation">nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that are hazardous to breathe</a>. <a href="https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-delivery-trucks-traffic.html">Traffic congestion</a> is also a major concern in cities as delivery drivers try to find parking on busy streets.

Are there ways to balance the increasing number of deliveries while 
making freight safe, sustainable and fast? At the University of 
Washington’s <a href="https://www.supply-chain-transportation.uw.edu/about/sctl-center">Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center</a>,
 we work with companies like Amazon and UPS and others in the shipping, 
transportation and real estate sectors to answer questions like this. 
Here are some solutions for what we and our colleagues call the “last 
mile” – the last leg of a package’s long journey to your doorstep.

– Electrification: Transitioning from gasoline and diesel vehicles to
 fleets of electric or other zero-emission vehicles reduces pollution 
from delivery trucks. Tax credits and local policies, such as creating 
so-called <a href="https://depts.washington.edu/sctlctr/sites/default/files/research_pub_files/Urban_Delivery_Company_Needs_and_Preferences_for_GLZ.pdf">green loading zones</a> and zero-emission zones for clean vehicles, create incentives for companies to make the switch.

– Common carrier lockers: Buildings can install <a href="https://depts.washington.edu/sctlctr/sites/default/files/research_pub_files/Final-50-Feet-Common-Carrier-Locker-Pilot-Report.pdf">lockers</a>
 at central locations, such as busy transit stops, so that drivers can 
drop off packages without going all the way to your doorstep. When 
you’re ready to pick up your items, you just stop by at a time that’s 
convenient for you. This reduces both delivery truck mileage and the 
risk of packages being stolen off of porches.

– Cargo bicycles: Companies can take the delivery truck out of the equation and use <a href="http://depts.washington.edu/sctlctr/sites/default/files/research_pub_files/Cargo-E-Bike-Delivery-Report.pdf">electric cargo bicycles</a>
 to drop off smaller packages. In addition to being zero-emission, cargo
 bicycles are relatively inexpensive and easy to park, and they provide a
 healthier alternative for delivery workers.

To learn more about supply chains and delivery logistics, check with 
your town or city’s transportation department to see if they are testing
 or already have goods delivery programs or policies, like those in <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/ssi10-offhour.pdf">New York</a> and <a href="https://www.seattleneighborhoodhub.com/">Seattle</a>.
 And the next time you order something for delivery, consider your 
options for receiving it, such as walking or biking to a package locker 
or pickup point, or consolidating your items into a single delivery.

Package delivery can be both convenient and sustainable if companies 
keep evolving their supply chains, and everyone thinks about how they 
want delivery to work in their neighborhoods.

Anne Goodchild is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director, Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center, University of 
Washington. Rishi Verma is a PhD Student in Industrial Engineering and Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab, University of Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666123069174.jpg" alt="Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666123136951.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ANNE GOODCHILD and RISHI VERMA <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-many-amazon-packages-get-delivered-each-year-187587">The Conversation</a>It’s incredibly convenient to buy something online, right from your 
computer or phone. Whether it’s a high-end telescope or a resupply of 
toothpaste, the goods appear right at your doorstep. This kind of 
shopping is called “e-commerce” and it’s becoming more popular each 
year. In the U.S., it has grown from a mere 7% of retail purchases in 
2012 to <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/04/ecommerce-sales-surged-during-pandemic.html">19.6% of retail and US$791.7 billion in sales in 2020</a>. <h2>Amazon’s growing reach</h2>For Amazon, the biggest player in e-commerce, this means delivering lots of packages. In 2021 the company shipped an <a href="https://www.mwpvl.com/html/amazon_com.html">estimated</a> 7.7 billion packages globally, based on its nearly <a href="https://ir.aboutamazon.com/quarterly-results/default.aspx">$470 billion in sales</a>. If each of these packages were a 1-foot square box and they were 
stacked on top of one another, the pile would be six times higher than 
the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Laid end to end, they would 
wrap around the Earth 62 times. Back in the early 2010s, most things bought from Amazon.com were shipped using a third-party carrier like <a href="https://www.fedex.com/global/choose-location.html">FedEx</a> or <a href="https://www.ups.com/ship/guided/origin?tx=16615836120951417&amp;loc=en_US">UPS</a>. In 2014, however, Amazon began delivering packages itself with a service called “Fulfilled by Amazon.” That’s when those <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/09/amazon-delivery-contractors-operates-with-little-oversight-report-finds/">signature blue delivery vans</a> started appearing on local streets.Since then, Amazon’s logistics arm has grown from relying entirely on other carriers to shipping <a href="https://news.pb.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6046">22% of all packages</a> in the U.S. in 2021. This is greater than FedEx’s 19% market share and within striking distance of UPS’s 24%. Amazon’s <a href="https://sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon/fba-multi-channel">multichannel fulfillment service</a>
 allows other websites to use its warehousing and shipping services. So 
your order from Etsy or eBay could also be packed and shipped by Amazon.<figure>
 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3K2RaQ63w28"></iframe>
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The supply chain</h2>To handle that many packages, shipping companies need an extensive 
network of manufacturers, vehicles and warehouses that can coordinate 
together. This is called the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-your-local-store-keeps-running-out-of-flour-toilet-paper-and-prescription-drugs-135786">supply chain</a>. If you’ve ever used a tracking number to follow a package, you’ve seen it in action. People who make decisions about where to send vehicles and how to 
route packages are constantly trying to keep costs down while still 
getting packages to customers on time. The supply chain can do this very
 effectively, but it also has downsides. More delivery vehicles on the road produce more <a href="https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/carbon-pollution-transportation">greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change</a>, along with pollutants like <a href="https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/smog-soot-and-other-air-pollution-transportation">nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that are hazardous to breathe</a>. <a href="https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-delivery-trucks-traffic.html">Traffic congestion</a> is also a major concern in cities as delivery drivers try to find parking on busy streets.<h2>Urban freight solutions</h2>Are there ways to balance the increasing number of deliveries while 
making freight safe, sustainable and fast? At the University of 
Washington’s <a href="https://www.supply-chain-transportation.uw.edu/about/sctl-center">Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center</a>,
 we work with companies like Amazon and UPS and others in the shipping, 
transportation and real estate sectors to answer questions like this. 
Here are some solutions for what we and our colleagues call the “last 
mile” – the last leg of a package’s long journey to your doorstep. – Electrification: Transitioning from gasoline and diesel vehicles to
 fleets of electric or other zero-emission vehicles reduces pollution 
from delivery trucks. Tax credits and local policies, such as creating 
so-called <a href="https://depts.washington.edu/sctlctr/sites/default/files/research_pub_files/Urban_Delivery_Company_Needs_and_Preferences_for_GLZ.pdf">green loading zones</a> and zero-emission zones for clean vehicles, create incentives for companies to make the switch. – Common carrier lockers: Buildings can install <a href="https://depts.washington.edu/sctlctr/sites/default/files/research_pub_files/Final-50-Feet-Common-Carrier-Locker-Pilot-Report.pdf">lockers</a>
 at central locations, such as busy transit stops, so that drivers can 
drop off packages without going all the way to your doorstep. When 
you’re ready to pick up your items, you just stop by at a time that’s 
convenient for you. This reduces both delivery truck mileage and the 
risk of packages being stolen off of porches.– Cargo bicycles: Companies can take the delivery truck out of the equation and use <a href="http://depts.washington.edu/sctlctr/sites/default/files/research_pub_files/Cargo-E-Bike-Delivery-Report.pdf">electric cargo bicycles</a>
 to drop off smaller packages. In addition to being zero-emission, cargo
 bicycles are relatively inexpensive and easy to park, and they provide a
 healthier alternative for delivery workers. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our 2021 Seattle Neighborhood Delivery Hub pilot replaced 📦 delivery vans with e-cargo <a href="https://twitter.com/CoasterCycles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoasterCycles</a> bikes, and found that 🚴‍♂️ trips were faster and more direct than vans, halved <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VMT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VMT</a>, and reduced tailpipe <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/emissions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#emissions</a> by 30% per delivery. ➡️ The report:<a href="https://t.co/Kjxime6SsI">https://t.co/Kjxime6SsI</a> <a href="https://t.co/v3pVsy3oAy">pic.twitter.com/v3pVsy3oAy</a>&mdash; UW Supply Chain Transportation &amp; Logistics (@SCTLCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SCTLCenter/status/1570100146246934537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>To learn more about supply chains and delivery logistics, check with 
your town or city’s transportation department to see if they are testing
 or already have goods delivery programs or policies, like those in <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/ssi10-offhour.pdf">New York</a> and <a href="https://www.seattleneighborhoodhub.com/">Seattle</a>.
 And the next time you order something for delivery, consider your 
options for receiving it, such as walking or biking to a package locker 
or pickup point, or consolidating your items into a single delivery.Package delivery can be both convenient and sustainable if companies 
keep evolving their supply chains, and everyone thinks about how they 
want delivery to work in their neighborhoods.Anne Goodchild is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director, Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center, University of 
Washington. Rishi Verma is a PhD Student in Industrial Engineering and Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab, University of Washington.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187587/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>

🎥 How many Amazon packages get delivered each year?

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press

SEOUL,
 South Korea — The members of K-pop band BTS will serve their 
mandatory military duties under South Korean law, their management 
company said Monday, effectively ending a debate on whether they should 
be granted exemptions because of their artistic accomplishments.

Big
 Hit Music said the band’s oldest member, Jin, will revoke his request 
to delay his conscription at the end of the month and undertake the 
required steps. The six other BTS members also plan to serve in the 
military and are “looking forward to reconvening as a group again around
 2025 following their service commitment,” the company said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGHIT_MUSIC/status/1581905317545533440">statement.</a>

No
 further information on the timing of their service was given. The band 
members performed together in Busan over the weekend in support of the 
city’s EXPO bid, which will be their last concert as a group until they 
finish serving in the military, according to their label.

Hybe 
Corp., the parent company of Big Hit, said in an email to The Associated
 Press that each member of the band for the time being will focus on 
individual activities scheduled around their military service plans.

In
 a letter to shareholders, Hybe CEO Park Jiwon downplayed financial 
concerns related to the BTS hiatus, saying it has a broad enough lineup 
of artists, including other popular K-pop groups such as Le Sserafim and
 NewJeans and Western performers Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.

“We
 have always been aware of the eventuality of mandatory military 
service, and we have long been making preparations to be ready for this 
moment,” Park wrote. “In the short term, individual activities for 
several of the members are planned into the first half of 2023, and we 
have secured content in advance, which will enable BTS to continue their
 engagement with fans for the foreseeable future.”

The 
announcement came after Lee Ki Sik, commissioner of the Military 
Manpower Administration, told lawmakers this month that it would be <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-south-korea-conscription-d2e9c19876752c3d3fb47807f1c8ec5b">“desirable” for BTS members to fulfil their military duties</a> to ensure fairness in the country’s military service.

After
 enlisting, Jin and other BTS members will receive five weeks of combat 
training before being assigned to specific units and duties, according 
to officials at the Military Manpower Administration, who stressed that 
the singers would go under the same process as other South Korean men.

While
 South Korea’s military for years had assigned enlisted entertainers to 
duties related to producing radio and TV material promoting the 
military, the “entertainment soldier” system was retired in 2013 
following complaints over fairness.

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup 
said in August that if BTS members join the military, they would likely 
be allowed to continue practicing and to join with the group for tours 
overseas.

Whether the BTS members must serve in the army had been a
 hotly debated issue in South Korea as Jin faced possible enlistment 
early next year. Jin turns 30 in December, the age at which men can no 
longer delay enlistment. Other members are currently between 25 and 29 
years old, with Suga turning 30 in March.

Under South Korean law, 
most able-bodied men are required to perform 18-21 months of military 
service, but special exemptions had been granted for athletes and 
artists who excel in certain international competitions that have been 
tied to national prestige.

The band — its other members being 
J-Hope, RM, Jungkook, V and Jimin — launched in 2013 and has a legion of
 global supporters who call themselves the “Army.”

After building a
 huge following in Asia, BTS expanded its popularity in the West with 
its 2020 megahit “Dynamite,” the band’s first all-English song that made
 it the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100. The band has 
performed in sold-out arenas around the world and was even invited to 
speak at United Nations meetings.

Since South Korea’s draft 
interrupts young males in their professional careers or studies, the 
dodging of military duties or creation of exemptions is a highly 
sensitive issue. Opinion surveys in recent weeks showed that the public 
was split over whether the BTS members should serve in the military.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666033659218.jpeg" alt="RM, center, accompanied by other K-pop supergroup BTS members from left, V, Jungkook, Jimin, Jin, J-Hope, and Suga speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. The members of K-pop band BTS will serve their mandatory military duties under South Korean law, their management company said Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, effectively ending a debate on exempting them because of their artistic accomplishments. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)" />
 <figcaption>RM, center, accompanied by other K-pop supergroup BTS members from left, V, Jungkook, Jimin, Jin, J-Hope, and Suga speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 31, 2022. The members of K-pop band BTS will serve their mandatory military duties under South Korean law, their management company said Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, effectively ending a debate on exempting them because of their artistic accomplishments. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated PressSEOUL,
 South Korea — The members of K-pop band BTS will serve their 
mandatory military duties under South Korean law, their management 
company said Monday, effectively ending a debate on whether they should 
be granted exemptions because of their artistic accomplishments.Big
 Hit Music said the band’s oldest member, Jin, will revoke his request 
to delay his conscription at the end of the month and undertake the 
required steps. The six other BTS members also plan to serve in the 
military and are “looking forward to reconvening as a group again around
 2025 following their service commitment,” the company said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGHIT_MUSIC/status/1581905317545533440">statement.</a>No
 further information on the timing of their service was given. The band 
members performed together in Busan over the weekend in support of the 
city’s EXPO bid, which will be their last concert as a group until they 
finish serving in the military, according to their label.Hybe 
Corp., the parent company of Big Hit, said in an email to The Associated
 Press that each member of the band for the time being will focus on 
individual activities scheduled around their military service plans.In
 a letter to shareholders, Hybe CEO Park Jiwon downplayed financial 
concerns related to the BTS hiatus, saying it has a broad enough lineup 
of artists, including other popular K-pop groups such as Le Sserafim and
 NewJeans and Western performers Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.“We
 have always been aware of the eventuality of mandatory military 
service, and we have long been making preparations to be ready for this 
moment,” Park wrote. “In the short term, individual activities for 
several of the members are planned into the first half of 2023, and we 
have secured content in advance, which will enable BTS to continue their
 engagement with fans for the foreseeable future.”The 
announcement came after Lee Ki Sik, commissioner of the Military 
Manpower Administration, told lawmakers this month that it would be <a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-music-south-korea-conscription-d2e9c19876752c3d3fb47807f1c8ec5b">“desirable” for BTS members to fulfil their military duties</a> to ensure fairness in the country’s military service.After
 enlisting, Jin and other BTS members will receive five weeks of combat 
training before being assigned to specific units and duties, according 
to officials at the Military Manpower Administration, who stressed that 
the singers would go under the same process as other South Korean men.While
 South Korea’s military for years had assigned enlisted entertainers to 
duties related to producing radio and TV material promoting the 
military, the “entertainment soldier” system was retired in 2013 
following complaints over fairness.Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup 
said in August that if BTS members join the military, they would likely 
be allowed to continue practicing and to join with the group for tours 
overseas.Whether the BTS members must serve in the army had been a
 hotly debated issue in South Korea as Jin faced possible enlistment 
early next year. Jin turns 30 in December, the age at which men can no 
longer delay enlistment. Other members are currently between 25 and 29 
years old, with Suga turning 30 in March.Under South Korean law, 
most able-bodied men are required to perform 18-21 months of military 
service, but special exemptions had been granted for athletes and 
artists who excel in certain international competitions that have been 
tied to national prestige.The band — its other members being 
J-Hope, RM, Jungkook, V and Jimin — launched in 2013 and has a legion of
 global supporters who call themselves the “Army.”After building a
 huge following in Asia, BTS expanded its popularity in the West with 
its 2020 megahit “Dynamite,” the band’s first all-English song that made
 it the first K-pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100. The band has 
performed in sold-out arenas around the world and was even invited to 
speak at United Nations meetings.Since South Korea’s draft 
interrupts young males in their professional careers or studies, the 
dodging of military duties or creation of exemptions is a highly 
sensitive issue. Opinion surveys in recent weeks showed that the public 
was split over whether the BTS members should serve in the military.

K-pop superstars: BTS members will serve in South Korea's military

Law enforcement and Fort Hays State University are advising the public to avoid the area in the 300 block of West Eighth Street due to an ongoing police altercation.

Check Hays Post for details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665620965694.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Law enforcement and Fort Hays State University are advising the public to avoid the area in the 300 block of West Eighth Street due to an ongoing police altercation.Check Hays Post for details as they become available.

Police on the scene at 'altercation' on Eighth Street

By J. PATRICK COOLICAN <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2022/09/28/minnesota-reformer-files-motion-seeking-to-unseal-mike-lindell-search-warrant-documents/">Minnesota Reformer</a>

The Minnesota Reformer and journalist Tony Webster <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23073854-memo-of-law-reformer-and-webster-cmp-09272022-1?responsive=1&amp;title=1">filed a motion</a>
 in federal court Wednesday seeking to unseal court documents related to
 a search warrant served on Minnesota pillow mogul and prominent 
election denier Mike Lindell.&nbsp;

Lindell said —&nbsp;and the FBI confirmed — that he surrendered his phone to agents in Mankato.

He’s since sued Attorney General 
Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray and the United States of 
America, alleging violations of his rights under the U.S. Constitution. 
Lindell is seeking an order requiring federal investigators to stop 
searching his phone and to return it to him.

As one of his filings in the civil 
case, Lindell filed a purported copy of the search warrant that FBI 
agents executed. It’s since been sealed, as have important underlying 
documents in support of the government’s search warrant.&nbsp;

The search warrant targeted evidence 
of identity theft and intentional damage to a protected computer. The 
public, however, has not yet seen any affidavit describing the facts to 
make a showing of probable cause that evidence of a crime would be found
 through the search warrant.&nbsp;

The court filing by the Reformer
 and Webster argues they have a First Amendment right to the documents, 
especially given that Lindell has made a civil claim arguing the 
government has abused its authority.&nbsp;

“Journalists and the public are 
unable to evaluate whether the exercise of judicial and executive power 
associated with executing the warrant is appropriate, what information 
was presented to justify the warrant, or whether Mr. Lindell is the 
subject of unfair persecution as he adamantly maintains,” the filing 
states. “This is crucial information for the public and the press to 
perform their oversight function, particularly as it relates to bedrock 
issues of election integrity and public corruption.”

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/us/politics/mike-lindell-search-warrant-investigation.html">Other media have reported</a>
 that Lindell is under investigation for his connections to a case in 
which the government alleges a Colorado county clerk tampered with 
voting machines.&nbsp;

By J. PATRICK COOLICAN <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2022/09/28/minnesota-reformer-files-motion-seeking-to-unseal-mike-lindell-search-warrant-documents/">Minnesota Reformer</a>The Minnesota Reformer and journalist Tony Webster <a target="_blank" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23073854-memo-of-law-reformer-and-webster-cmp-09272022-1?responsive=1&amp;title=1">filed a motion</a>
 in federal court Wednesday seeking to unseal court documents related to
 a search warrant served on Minnesota pillow mogul and prominent 
election denier Mike Lindell.&nbsp;Lindell said —&nbsp;and the FBI confirmed — that he surrendered his phone to agents in Mankato.He’s since sued Attorney General 
Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray and the United States of 
America, alleging violations of his rights under the U.S. Constitution. 
Lindell is seeking an order requiring federal investigators to stop 
searching his phone and to return it to him.As one of his filings in the civil 
case, Lindell filed a purported copy of the search warrant that FBI 
agents executed. It’s since been sealed, as have important underlying 
documents in support of the government’s search warrant.&nbsp;The search warrant targeted evidence 
of identity theft and intentional damage to a protected computer. The 
public, however, has not yet seen any affidavit describing the facts to 
make a showing of probable cause that evidence of a crime would be found
 through the search warrant.&nbsp;The court filing by the Reformer
 and Webster argues they have a First Amendment right to the documents, 
especially given that Lindell has made a civil claim arguing the 
government has abused its authority.&nbsp;“Journalists and the public are 
unable to evaluate whether the exercise of judicial and executive power 
associated with executing the warrant is appropriate, what information 
was presented to justify the warrant, or whether Mr. Lindell is the 
subject of unfair persecution as he adamantly maintains,” the filing 
states. “This is crucial information for the public and the press to 
perform their oversight function, particularly as it relates to bedrock 
issues of election integrity and public corruption.”<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/us/politics/mike-lindell-search-warrant-investigation.html">Other media have reported</a>
 that Lindell is under investigation for his connections to a case in 
which the government alleges a Colorado county clerk tampered with 
voting machines.&nbsp;

Motion seeks to unseal Mike Lindell search warrant documents

'Walgreens utterly saturated the state of Tennessee with narcotics'

By JAMIE SATTERFIELD <a href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2022/09/28/walgreens-ignored-warnings-about-overprescribing-opioids-tennessee-suit-shows/">Tennessee Lookout</a>

When every pharmacy in Southwest 
Tennessee refused to fill prescriptions from a McMinnville doctor under 
probe by federal authorities for peddling opioids to street dealers and 
addicts, Walgreens barred its pharmacists from rejecting them, records 
contained in a lawsuit reveal.

When Walgreens learned a Dayton, 
Tenn., prescriber was shelling out opioids and other dangerous drugs in a
 clinic filled with dogs to cash-paying patients, the drug company told 
its Tennessee pharmacists to keep filling the prescriptions and keep 
quiet about it, records show.

Walgreens knew a Chattanooga 
pill-mill prescriber was offering opioid addicts a free prescription for
 referring 10 more addicts to his practice but filled his prescriptions 
anyway, and the firm refused to stop filling prescriptions from a 
Jackson prescriber whose practice had been raided, according to court 
documents.

“These are far from isolated 
examples,” attorneys with the Tennessee Attorney General’s office wrote 
in a 148-page lawsuit against the national drug store chain earlier this
 year in Knox County Circuit Court. “While Walgreens conducted itself in
 Tennessee as both retailer and (opioid) distributor, it complied with 
the obligations of neither … Walgreens did not flood the state of 
Tennessee with opioids by accident.”

In 14 years, Walgreens pharmacies in 
Tennessee sold more than one billion opiate painkillers — enough to 
supply every child and adult in the state with 175 pills of the deadly 
and addictive narcotic, the drug company’s own records revealed.

And, Walgreens pharmacies are still 
selling them, filling opioid prescriptions daily in more than 200 
pharmacies in Tennessee. The firm has already shelled out billions in 
damages to settle claims in other states over opioid profiteering.

The attorney general’s office is 
demanding in the lawsuit that Walgreens fork over the opioid profits the
 firm earned in Tennessee, too.

Walgreens did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Tennessee litigation.

The lawsuit includes Walgreens 
internal records, including emails from its Tennessee pharmacists to 
corporate bosses, from its Tennessee pharmacies from 2006 to 2020, as 
well as prescription-filling data.

The numbers cited in the litigation —
 drafted by attorney general consumer protection attorneys Margaret 
Rowland, Olha Rybakoff, Kristine Knowles and Hamilton Milwee — are 
staggering.

Walgreens pharmacies in Sullivan 
County, an epicenter in the opioid epidemic, doled out enough 
prescription painkillers to supply every resident in Sullivan County 
with 226 pills each.

Walgreens stores in Tullahoma sold enough opiates to supply every citizen there 269 pills each.

The firm’s Dunlap, Tenn., pharmacies dispensed enough of the pills to supply that city’s residents 309 each.

A single Walgreens pharmacy in Jamestown, Tenn., sold enough of the drug to supply residents there with 2,104 pills each.

“Walgreens utterly saturated the state of Tennessee with narcotics,” the lawsuit stated.

Among pharmacy chains, Walgreens had 
an advantage in the opioid trade, the litigation shows. In addition to 
ordering opioids from distributors, Walgreens also supplied itself, 
buying directly from drug makers, lawsuit records show. The move meant 
Walgreens was able to sell far more opiates than competitors while 
raising less suspicion of over-dispensing.

“Notably, Walgreens had the highest 
market share in the state from 2008 to 2012, and often by a significant 
margin, during what was arguably the peak of prescription opioid 
dispensing,” the lawsuit states.

When one Walgreens pharmacy maxed out
 its opioid-dispensing limit, the firm ordered pharmacists to send 
pill-seekers to another Walgreens still under the limit, the lawsuit 
shows.

“When orders placed by (one 
Tennessee) store … began to raise flags with Walgreens (compliance 
officers) or its distributors, Walgreens steered customers to (another 
Walgreens in the same area) so that Walgreens could continue to supply 
opioids into the local community without having its suspicious orders 
being reported to the (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration,)” the 
lawsuit states.

“Between two stores (in Middle 
Tennessee), over 20 million opioid pills entered the Crossville and 
Cookeville communities, enough for each of the combined 50,000 residents
 to receive approximately 500 (doses) each,” according to the lawsuit. 
“Walgreens actually told (supervisors at its Jackson, Tenn.) store how 
to manipulate Walgreens’ systems to artificially increase its ordering 
limits.”

As proof Walgreens executives knew 
they were fueling the opioid epidemic, the lawsuit cites the 
demographics of its opiate-seeking customer base in Tennessee. Customers
 of Walgreens pharmacies in Tennessee hailed from dozens of states 
across the nation as far flung as Alaska and California.

“Three stores in Hamilton County 
dispensed 35 million doses for patients from 4,500 zip codes, including 
ones as far away as Seattle,” the state’s attorneys wrote.

Dog hoarding prescriber? No problem, lawsuit alleges

“He was paid a visit by the DEA a few
 months ago,” an unidentified pharmacist wrote of McMinnville prescriber
 Charles Edward Morgan to his bosses. “Currently no pharmacy in the 
county … will accept new patients from his office … McMinnville Drug 
Center and Rite Aid have given their patients a month to find new 
pharmacies and then will no longer fill any prescriptions for him.

“He has started including diagnosis 
codes on his scripts, but they are often odd,” the email continued. 
“While his practice is listed with the DEA as family practice 
obstetrics, he has started putting ‘cancer’ as the diagnosis for many of
 his patients, but they are being given high dose (opiates) with no 
additional therapy from himself or anyone else … Other pharmacies have 
noted he is prescribing (prescription narcotics) for patients currently 
serving jail time.

“We have not been able to speak to 
him on the phone,” the pharmacist continued. “Many of the patients that 
are presenting (Morgan’s prescriptions) at this time are asking for 
their insurance to be bypassed and are willing to pay high cash prices.”

Walgreens supervisors rebuffed the 
pharmacist’s request to ban Morgan’s prescriptions “and did not warn 
other pharmacies about his prescribing practices,” the lawsuit states. 
“Walgreens’ calculated total revenue potential for Dr. Morgan in 2016 
was $1.7 million.”

Morgan’s state medical license was 
suspended for over-prescribing opiate pills and other dangerous 
narcotics in 2004. His license was permanently suspended in 2017, a 
review of state records by the Tennessee Lookout shows.

Another pharmacist at a Tennessee 
Walgreens wanted to stop filling prescriptions written by Sequatchie 
County nurse practitioner Geoffrey Peterson, who “had worked at several 
pain clinics that had been shut down by the DEA … and was operating a 
primary care clinic, where he also hoarded dogs including in patient 
exam rooms,” records show. The firm refused.

“Even after Peterson was arrested in 
December 2014 for felony possession of drugs (including morphine-filled 
syringes), Walgreens continued filling prescriptions written by him,” 
the litigation states.

Peterson was stripped of his medical license and convicted in a criminal case filed against him in 2015.

Walgreens executives also turned 
aside warnings about Chattanooga prescriber Charles Larmore, continuing 
to fill his prescriptions even after he was indicted federally in a 
pill-mill ring, the lawsuit states.

Larmore has since been convicted and his medical license revoked, records show.

“The DEA told Walgreens as far back as 1988 that its (opioid tracking) practices were insufficient,” the lawsuit stated.

The litigation says the firm shelled 
out money to lobby state legislators and “killed a bill in Tennessee 
that would have required” pharmacies to lock up opioids. The legislation
 was filed after a spate of robberies at Walgreens pharmacies across the
 state by armed pill-seekers who sometimes opened fire inside the 
stores.

“Walgreens set speed and volume goals
 for pharmacists,” the lawsuit states. “It also had a tool that tracked 
the time it took a pharmacist to fill a prescription … These financial 
drivers loomed large for pharmacists, and the company’s revenue from 
selling opioids was never far out of mind.”

Walgreens has not yet filed a response to the litigation.

<h2>'Walgreens utterly saturated the state of Tennessee with narcotics'</h2>By JAMIE SATTERFIELD <a href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2022/09/28/walgreens-ignored-warnings-about-overprescribing-opioids-tennessee-suit-shows/">Tennessee Lookout</a>When every pharmacy in Southwest 
Tennessee refused to fill prescriptions from a McMinnville doctor under 
probe by federal authorities for peddling opioids to street dealers and 
addicts, Walgreens barred its pharmacists from rejecting them, records 
contained in a lawsuit reveal.When Walgreens learned a Dayton, 
Tenn., prescriber was shelling out opioids and other dangerous drugs in a
 clinic filled with dogs to cash-paying patients, the drug company told 
its Tennessee pharmacists to keep filling the prescriptions and keep 
quiet about it, records show.Walgreens knew a Chattanooga 
pill-mill prescriber was offering opioid addicts a free prescription for
 referring 10 more addicts to his practice but filled his prescriptions 
anyway, and the firm refused to stop filling prescriptions from a 
Jackson prescriber whose practice had been raided, according to court 
documents.“These are far from isolated 
examples,” attorneys with the Tennessee Attorney General’s office wrote 
in a 148-page lawsuit against the national drug store chain earlier this
 year in Knox County Circuit Court. “While Walgreens conducted itself in
 Tennessee as both retailer and (opioid) distributor, it complied with 
the obligations of neither … Walgreens did not flood the state of 
Tennessee with opioids by accident.”In 14 years, Walgreens pharmacies in 
Tennessee sold more than one billion opiate painkillers — enough to 
supply every child and adult in the state with 175 pills of the deadly 
and addictive narcotic, the drug company’s own records revealed.And, Walgreens pharmacies are still 
selling them, filling opioid prescriptions daily in more than 200 
pharmacies in Tennessee. The firm has already shelled out billions in 
damages to settle claims in other states over opioid profiteering.The attorney general’s office is 
demanding in the lawsuit that Walgreens fork over the opioid profits the
 firm earned in Tennessee, too.Walgreens did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Tennessee litigation.‘Utterly saturated the state’The lawsuit includes Walgreens 
internal records, including emails from its Tennessee pharmacists to 
corporate bosses, from its Tennessee pharmacies from 2006 to 2020, as 
well as prescription-filling data.The numbers cited in the litigation —
 drafted by attorney general consumer protection attorneys Margaret 
Rowland, Olha Rybakoff, Kristine Knowles and Hamilton Milwee — are 
staggering.Walgreens pharmacies in Sullivan 
County, an epicenter in the opioid epidemic, doled out enough 
prescription painkillers to supply every resident in Sullivan County 
with 226 pills each.Walgreens stores in Tullahoma sold enough opiates to supply every citizen there 269 pills each.The firm’s Dunlap, Tenn., pharmacies dispensed enough of the pills to supply that city’s residents 309 each.A single Walgreens pharmacy in Jamestown, Tenn., sold enough of the drug to supply residents there with 2,104 pills each.“Walgreens utterly saturated the state of Tennessee with narcotics,” the lawsuit stated.Among pharmacy chains, Walgreens had 
an advantage in the opioid trade, the litigation shows. In addition to 
ordering opioids from distributors, Walgreens also supplied itself, 
buying directly from drug makers, lawsuit records show. The move meant 
Walgreens was able to sell far more opiates than competitors while 
raising less suspicion of over-dispensing.“Notably, Walgreens had the highest 
market share in the state from 2008 to 2012, and often by a significant 
margin, during what was arguably the peak of prescription opioid 
dispensing,” the lawsuit states.When one Walgreens pharmacy maxed out
 its opioid-dispensing limit, the firm ordered pharmacists to send 
pill-seekers to another Walgreens still under the limit, the lawsuit 
shows.“When orders placed by (one 
Tennessee) store … began to raise flags with Walgreens (compliance 
officers) or its distributors, Walgreens steered customers to (another 
Walgreens in the same area) so that Walgreens could continue to supply 
opioids into the local community without having its suspicious orders 
being reported to the (U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration,)” the 
lawsuit states.“Between two stores (in Middle 
Tennessee), over 20 million opioid pills entered the Crossville and 
Cookeville communities, enough for each of the combined 50,000 residents
 to receive approximately 500 (doses) each,” according to the lawsuit. 
“Walgreens actually told (supervisors at its Jackson, Tenn.) store how 
to manipulate Walgreens’ systems to artificially increase its ordering 
limits.”As proof Walgreens executives knew 
they were fueling the opioid epidemic, the lawsuit cites the 
demographics of its opiate-seeking customer base in Tennessee. Customers
 of Walgreens pharmacies in Tennessee hailed from dozens of states 
across the nation as far flung as Alaska and California.“Three stores in Hamilton County 
dispensed 35 million doses for patients from 4,500 zip codes, including 
ones as far away as Seattle,” the state’s attorneys wrote.Dog hoarding prescriber? No problem, lawsuit alleges“He was paid a visit by the DEA a few
 months ago,” an unidentified pharmacist wrote of McMinnville prescriber
 Charles Edward Morgan to his bosses. “Currently no pharmacy in the 
county … will accept new patients from his office … McMinnville Drug 
Center and Rite Aid have given their patients a month to find new 
pharmacies and then will no longer fill any prescriptions for him.“He has started including diagnosis 
codes on his scripts, but they are often odd,” the email continued. 
“While his practice is listed with the DEA as family practice 
obstetrics, he has started putting ‘cancer’ as the diagnosis for many of
 his patients, but they are being given high dose (opiates) with no 
additional therapy from himself or anyone else … Other pharmacies have 
noted he is prescribing (prescription narcotics) for patients currently 
serving jail time.“We have not been able to speak to 
him on the phone,” the pharmacist continued. “Many of the patients that 
are presenting (Morgan’s prescriptions) at this time are asking for 
their insurance to be bypassed and are willing to pay high cash prices.”Walgreens supervisors rebuffed the 
pharmacist’s request to ban Morgan’s prescriptions “and did not warn 
other pharmacies about his prescribing practices,” the lawsuit states. 
“Walgreens’ calculated total revenue potential for Dr. Morgan in 2016 
was $1.7 million.”Morgan’s state medical license was 
suspended for over-prescribing opiate pills and other dangerous 
narcotics in 2004. His license was permanently suspended in 2017, a 
review of state records by the Tennessee Lookout shows.Another pharmacist at a Tennessee 
Walgreens wanted to stop filling prescriptions written by Sequatchie 
County nurse practitioner Geoffrey Peterson, who “had worked at several 
pain clinics that had been shut down by the DEA … and was operating a 
primary care clinic, where he also hoarded dogs including in patient 
exam rooms,” records show. The firm refused.“Even after Peterson was arrested in 
December 2014 for felony possession of drugs (including morphine-filled 
syringes), Walgreens continued filling prescriptions written by him,” 
the litigation states.Peterson was stripped of his medical license and convicted in a criminal case filed against him in 2015.Walgreens executives also turned 
aside warnings about Chattanooga prescriber Charles Larmore, continuing 
to fill his prescriptions even after he was indicted federally in a 
pill-mill ring, the lawsuit states.Larmore has since been convicted and his medical license revoked, records show.“The DEA told Walgreens as far back as 1988 that its (opioid tracking) practices were insufficient,” the lawsuit stated.The litigation says the firm shelled 
out money to lobby state legislators and “killed a bill in Tennessee 
that would have required” pharmacies to lock up opioids. The legislation
 was filed after a spate of robberies at Walgreens pharmacies across the
 state by armed pill-seekers who sometimes opened fire inside the 
stores.“Walgreens set speed and volume goals
 for pharmacists,” the lawsuit states. “It also had a tool that tracked 
the time it took a pharmacist to fill a prescription … These financial 
drivers loomed large for pharmacists, and the company’s revenue from 
selling opioids was never far out of mind.”Walgreens has not yet filed a response to the litigation.

Lawsuit: Walgreens ignored warnings about overprescribing opioids

By TOM MURPHY Associated Press

Shares
 of Biogen and other drugmakers researching Alzheimer’s disease soared 
early Wednesday after Japan’s Eisai Co. said its potential treatment 
appeared to slow the fatal disease’s progress in a late-stage study.

Eisai announced results late Tuesday from a global study of nearly 1,800 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s.

The
 drugmaker said early results showed that its treatment, lecanemab, 
reduced patient clinical decline by 27% when compared to a placebo or 
fake drug after 18 months of the infused treatment. Patients were 
monitored using a scale that measures how they do in areas like memory, 
judgement, problem solving and personal care.

Eisai Co. Ltd. said 
it would discuss full results from the research at a conference in late 
November. It also plans to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed 
medical journal.

The company is already seeking an accelerated 
approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the agency is 
expected to decide by early next year. Eisai and Biogen will co-promote 
the drug.

The initial results appear to be “quite robust” and will
 likely support regulatory approval, Mizuho Securities analyst Graig 
Suvannavejh said in a research note.

A statement from the 
Alzheimer’s Association called the findings the most encouraging to date
 for potential treatments of the underlying disease causes.

Alzheimer’s
 is a progressive neurological disease with no known cure. Long-standing
 treatments on the market just manage symptoms, and researchers don’t 
fully understand what causes the disease.

Last year, Biogen’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-government-and-politics-business-health-2147d824af9cfde629041d83d9ca7a8d">Aduhelm</a>
 became the first new Alzheimer’s drug introduced in nearly two decades.
 But it has largely flopped after debuting with a price tag of $56,000 
annually, which Biogen later slashed.

Doctors have been hesitant 
to prescribe it, given weak evidence that the drug slows the progression
 of Alzheimer’s. Insurers have blocked or restricted coverage over the 
drug’s high price tag and uncertain benefit.

Like Aduhelm, 
lecanemab, which Eisai developed and ran through clinical trials, seeks 
to remove a protein called beta-amyloid from the brain.

But Eisai 
executives say lecanemab focuses more on floating clumps of the protein 
before it forms a plaque, which is what Aduhelm targets.

Eli Lilly and Co. also is developing a potential treatment, donanemab, that helps clear the protein.

Shares
 of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen Inc. jumped more than 50% in 
premarket trading Wednesday morning to top $300. The stock had largely 
tumbled since Aduhelm’s debut last year.

Shares of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. were up 8%.

By TOM MURPHY Associated PressShares
 of Biogen and other drugmakers researching Alzheimer’s disease soared 
early Wednesday after Japan’s Eisai Co. said its potential treatment 
appeared to slow the fatal disease’s progress in a late-stage study.Eisai announced results late Tuesday from a global study of nearly 1,800 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s.The
 drugmaker said early results showed that its treatment, lecanemab, 
reduced patient clinical decline by 27% when compared to a placebo or 
fake drug after 18 months of the infused treatment. Patients were 
monitored using a scale that measures how they do in areas like memory, 
judgement, problem solving and personal care.Eisai Co. Ltd. said 
it would discuss full results from the research at a conference in late 
November. It also plans to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed 
medical journal.The company is already seeking an accelerated 
approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the agency is 
expected to decide by early next year. Eisai and Biogen will co-promote 
the drug.The initial results appear to be “quite robust” and will
 likely support regulatory approval, Mizuho Securities analyst Graig 
Suvannavejh said in a research note.A statement from the 
Alzheimer’s Association called the findings the most encouraging to date
 for potential treatments of the underlying disease causes.Alzheimer’s
 is a progressive neurological disease with no known cure. Long-standing
 treatments on the market just manage symptoms, and researchers don’t 
fully understand what causes the disease.Last year, Biogen’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-government-and-politics-business-health-2147d824af9cfde629041d83d9ca7a8d">Aduhelm</a>
 became the first new Alzheimer’s drug introduced in nearly two decades.
 But it has largely flopped after debuting with a price tag of $56,000 
annually, which Biogen later slashed.Doctors have been hesitant 
to prescribe it, given weak evidence that the drug slows the progression
 of Alzheimer’s. Insurers have blocked or restricted coverage over the 
drug’s high price tag and uncertain benefit.Like Aduhelm, 
lecanemab, which Eisai developed and ran through clinical trials, seeks 
to remove a protein called beta-amyloid from the brain.But Eisai 
executives say lecanemab focuses more on floating clumps of the protein 
before it forms a plaque, which is what Aduhelm targets.Eli Lilly and Co. also is developing a potential treatment, donanemab, that helps clear the protein.Shares
 of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Biogen Inc. jumped more than 50% in 
premarket trading Wednesday morning to top $300. The stock had largely 
tumbled since Aduhelm’s debut last year.Shares of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. were up 8%.Cover image courtesy Pixabay

Alzheimer's drug shows promise in early results of study

By MICHAEL HILL Associated Press

ALBANY,
 N.Y. — Some historical battle re-enactors in New York are holding 
their musket fire because of worries over the state's new gun rules — an
 unplanned side effect of a law designed to protect the public's safety.

The
 law that went into effect this month declares parks, government 
property and a long list of other “sensitive” places off limits to guns.
 The rules were geared more for semiautomatic pistols than flintlock 
weapons, but re-enactors who fear being arrested if they publicly 
re-stage battles from the colonial era to the Civil War are staying off 
the field.

By MICHAEL HILL Associated PressALBANY,
 N.Y. — Some historical battle re-enactors in New York are holding 
their musket fire because of worries over the state's new gun rules — an
 unplanned side effect of a law designed to protect the public's safety.The
 law that went into effect this month declares parks, government 
property and a long list of other “sensitive” places off limits to guns.
 The rules were geared more for semiautomatic pistols than flintlock 
weapons, but re-enactors who fear being arrested if they publicly 
re-stage battles from the colonial era to the Civil War are staying off 
the field.Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration insists that 
historical battle re-enactments are still OK, and some have still taken 
place this month. But persistent skepticism among event organizers and 
participants has resulted in some cancellations, like an 18th century 
encampment and battle re-enactment planned for last weekend north of 
Saratoga Springs.“We’ve been getting reports from units that were
 supposed to attend that they don’t feel comfortable transporting 
muskets or bringing muskets to the site,” said Harold Nicholson, a 
re-enactor involved in the event at Rogers Island. “And so at that 
point, we decided that it was probably best not to (go ahead)."The consternation stems from <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-gun-politics-legislature-kathy-hochul-38558a7dc679f01c213aea910da1ba88">a law quickly approved</a>
 after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated New York's requirement that 
people must demonstrate an unusual threat to their safety to qualify for
 a license to carry a handgun outside their homes.Hochul and her 
fellow Democrats in control of the state Legislature responded with a 
law that set strict new licensing criteria and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-travel-manhattan-gun-politics-legislature-507daf2e3b85e72af606b4f44ef2ceab">limited where handguns, shotguns and rifles</a>
 can be carried. Some re-enactors looking at the letter of the law have 
concluded the old-style weapons they use could place them in the 
crosshairs of the new rules.Among the canceled events: two Civil 
War re-enactments in upstate New York this month and a Revolutionary War
 raid that was to be staged this weekend at the Fort Klock historic site
 in the Mohawk Valley.“The reason why we canceled it was for fear
 of exposing the people that we invited to the event to prosecution for 
committing a felony,” said Robert Metzger, a re-enactor who chairs the 
board of Fort Klock Historic Restoration.Metzger said he realizes
 local sheriff's deputies have “a lot better things to do than to harass
 70-year-old men with flintlocks,” but there was a chance someone could 
complain. And the not-for-profit group did not want to take the chance 
of losing its state charter.He added that re-enactors from Canada were reluctant to come down for the event.Hochul's
 press office, in a prepared statement, said historical re-enactments 
can continue under the law “and there should be no concern otherwise.”“We
 will work with legislators and local law enforcement to ensure these 
events can proceed as they have for centuries,” the administration said.
 "In the meantime, individuals who have lawfully participated in 
reenactments should continue to do so.”Organizers of a 
re-enactment at Fort Ticonderoga in northern New York took that advice, 
hosting a recreation of a 1777 raid on the fort.“Both the 
governor’s office and state leadership advised us to just continue 
operations as usual,” said Beth Hill, president and CEO of the Fort 
Ticonderoga Association. “So we haven’t changed anything.”But the
 governor's repeated assurances have meant less to other groups. They 
say they will not feel secure on simulated battlefields in New York 
until there are changes in the law making it clear they won't become 
defendants if they act like historical soldiers.“We want our history to live,” Metzger said. “And they’re making it quite difficult.”

Misc