$260M Deal Averts 1St Trial on Opioid Crisis
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PANAMA CITY LOCAL & STATE | B1 FEA GIVES LOCAL STUDENTS FREE BOOKS Tuesday, October 22, 2019 www.newsherald.com @The_News_Herald facebook.com/panamacitynewsherald 75¢ Tyndall AFB to get diff erent kind of fl yover Wednesday from through traffic on U.S. groundbreaking set for 98, eliminating a traffic light fl yover bridge on U.S. 98 and traffic bottleneck at the at Tyndall entrance current intersection. Tyndall was all but By Jim Thompson destroyed by last October’s [email protected] Hurricane Michael, but in the intervening months, 80 TYNDALL AFB — At Tyn- percent of the base’s pre- dall Air Force Base, the word hurricane personnel have “flyover” routinely means returned to the installation. jets screaming past overhead. An artist’s conception shows the fl yover planned for U.S. Highway Ground will be broken LOCAL | B1 But on Wednesday, work on a 98 at Tyndall Drive and Airey Avenue at the main gate to Tyndall Air for the road construction different kind of flyover will Force Base. A ground-breaking ceremony for the project, which will project during a 10 a.m. cer- TWO FLORIDA begin just outside the base’s include an overpass on the base’s Louisiana Avenue, will cost nearly emony at Tyndall’s Flag Park. main gate. $20 million. [FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION] Among the people set to par- SCHOOLS IN A flyover bridge on U.S. ticipate in the ceremonial WALLETHUB’S Highway 98 at Tyndall Drive centerpiece of a nearly $20 project that will separate and Airey Avenue is the million road construction traffic bound for the base See TYNDALL, A5 TOP 50 “There’s no amount of money that’s going to change the devastation and destruction that they’ve done $260M deal averts 1st to families not only all across our county but all across the country” Travis Bornstein, who was preparing trial on opioid crisis to testify in the Cleveland trial By Julie Carr Smyth drugstore chain Walgreens. and Geoff Mulvihill The new plan is for Walgreens The Associated Press and other pharmacies to go to trial within six months. CLEVELAND — The The settlement enables nation’s three biggest drug both sides to avoid the risks distributors and a major and uncertainties involved in drugmaker agreed to an 11th- a trial: The counties immedi- hour, $260 million settlement ately lock in money they can Monday over the terrible toll use to deal with the crisis, and taken by opioids in two Ohio the drug companies avoid a counties, averting the first possible finding of wrong- federal trial over the crisis. doing and a huge jury verdict. The trial, involving Cleve- “There’s no amount of land’s Cuyahoga County and money that’s going to change Akron’s Summit County, the devastation and destruc- was seen as a critical test tion that they’ve done to case that could have gauged families not only all across the strength of the opposing our county but all across the sides’ arguments and prod- country,” said Travis Born- ded the industry and its foes stein, who was preparing to toward a nationwide resolu- testify in the Cleveland trial. tion of nearly all lawsuits over But he said the settlement opioids, the scourge blamed should help provide services for 400,000 U.S. deaths in for people who are struggling. the past two decades. Bornstein said his son, The agreement was struck Tyler, became hooked on in the middle of the night, Attorney Mark Lanier gets a hug outside the U.S. Federal courthouse, Monday, in Cleveland. [TONY DEJAK/ opioids as a teenager after just hours before a jury that THE ASSOCIATED PRESS] receiving a prescription fol- was selected last week was lowing surgery on his arm. He scheduled to hear opening used to treat opioid addiction. lawsuits over the deadly The barrage of lawsuits died of a heroin overdose five arguments in federal court in “People can’t lose sight of disaster. Participants in those was brought against drug years later, in 2014. Cleveland. the fact that the counties got a cases said the Ohio deal buys manufacturers, suppliers and Better funding for treat- Drug distributors Ameri- very good deal for themselves, them time to try to work out sellers by state and local gov- ment programs might have sourceBergen, Cardinal but we also set an important a nationwide settlement of all ernments, Native American helped his son, who was on Health and McKesson will pay national benchmark for the claims. tribes, hospitals and others. a waiting list when he died, a combined $215 million, said others,” Shkolnik said. It could also turn up the For nearly two years, a federal Bornstein said. Hunter Shkolnik, a lawyer for The deal contains no pressure to work out such a judge in Ohio has been push- Ohio in 2017 had the sec- Cuyahoga County. Israeli- admission of wrongdoing by deal, because every partial ing the parties toward one big ond-highest death rate from based drugmaker Teva will the defendants. settlement reached reduces settlement. drug overdoses in the U.S., contribute $20 million in Across the U.S., the phar- the amount of money the The only defendant left behind only West Virginia. cash and $25 million worth maceutical industry still companies have available to in the trial that had been of generic Suboxone, a drug faces more than 2,600 other pay other plaintiffs. scheduled for Monday is the See OPIOID, A5 US to require DNA samples from asylum-seekers By Colleen Long law enforcement hunting for would not apply to legal per- The Associated Press criminals, a Justice Depart- manent residents or anyone ment official said. entering the U.S. legally, and WASHINGTON — The The Justice Department on children under 14 are exempt, Trump administration is Monday issued amended reg- but it’s unclear whether planning to collect DNA ulations that would mandate asylum-seekers who come samples from asylum-seekers DNA collection for almost all through official crossings will and other migrants detained migrants who cross between be exempt. In this April 18 photo, a sign for the Department of Justice hangs in by immigration officials and official entry points and are The official spoke to The the press briefi ng room at the Justice Department, in Washington. will add the information to a held even temporarily. [ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE] massive FBI database used by The official said the rules See DNA, A5 Panama City News Herald Diversions ......................B7 Sports........................ C1-4 TODAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY Want to subscribe? Local & State ............... B1-5 Business .........................A7 A t-storm Mostly sunny Mostly cloudy Call 850-747-5050 TV Listings .....................C5 Viewpoints .................... A6 77° / 54° 74° / 57° 79° / 66° * ** A2 Tuesday, October 22, 2019 | The News Herald GO AND DO CELEBRATE COMMUNITY TODAY IN HISTORY Tuesday, Oct. 29 PICTURE PERFECT Today is Tuesday, Oct. 22, SPOOKTACULAR 2019: the 295th day of 2019. There 5:30 p.m. at Bay County We want your photos: Post your photos to the News Herald Facebook page with your name, city of residence and are 70 days left in the year. Public Library, 898 W. 11th information about the photo. You can email photos to [email protected]. Today's Highlight in History: St., Panama City. Come On Oct. 22, 1962, in a nation- by for scary and not-so- ally broadcast address, scary stories, songs and President John F. Kennedy fun. Wear a costume for revealed the presence of the costume parade. All Soviet-built missile bases ages welcome. Details at under construction in Cuba NWRLS.com and announced a quaran- OPEN MIC NIGHT: 6-9 p.m. tine of all offensive military every Tuesday at Angry equipment being shipped Tuna Seafood Co., 701 S. to the Communist island Pier Park Drive, Panama nation. City Beach. No cover On this date: charge. In 1797, French balloonist “FRIGHTFULLY” FUN- Andre-Jacques Garnerin FILLED HALLOWEEN made the fi rst parachute PARTY: 6:30 – 9 p.m. at descent, landing safely from the Oatfi eld Center, 423 a height of about 3,000 feet Lyndell Lane, Panama over Paris. City Beach. Hosted by In 1811, composer and the Panama City Beach piano virtuoso Franz Liszt Senior Center. Dance was born in the Hungarian to the music of DJ Dave town of Raiding in present- Johnson of Pro Sound day Austria. Entertainment. Food, fun, In 1934, bank robber Charles dancing & surprises. BYOB. "Pretty Boy" Floyd was shot Setups & Hors d’oeuvers to death by federal agents provided. Tickets: $7 Per and local police at a farm Person and available at Nancy Allen emailed this “simple” photo of surfi ng in October at Jetties in St. Andrew’s State Park. near East Liverpool, Ohio. the Panama City Beach [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO] In 1979, the U.S. government Senior Center so buy your allowed the deposed Shah tickets early. Details: Diane of Iran to travel to New York 850-819-2236. HAPPY BIRTHDAY for medical treatment — a decision that precipitated Wednesday, Oct. 30 Actor Christopher Lloyd Guzman is 63. Actor- Mencia is 52. Country Michael Fishman is 38. the Iran hostage crisis. is 81. Actor Derek Jacobi writer-producer Todd singer Shelby Lynne is 51. Talk show host Michael In 1995, the largest gath- SENIOR HURRICANE is 81. Actor Tony Roberts Graff is 60. Rock musi- Reggae rapper Shaggy Essany is 37. New York ering of world leaders in RECOVERY DAYS: 10 a.m. is 80. Movie director Jan cian Cris Kirkwood is is 51. Movie director Mets infi elder Robinson history marked the 50th to 3 p.m. Card games, de Bont is 76.