What The Lever Published This Week:
• Pharma’s Dems Are Doing Trump’s Dirty Work On Drug Pricing — As the first-ever Medicare drug-price negotiations take shape, Big Pharma-backed Democrats want to limit the number of costly medicines regulators can target.
• Pharma’s Secret Middlemen Are Poisoning Health Care — Following a lobbying blitz, Congress might punt all efforts to stop shadowy pharmacy benefit managers from inflating drug prices and killing small pharmacies.
• Banks Want To Protect Their Junkiest Junk Fee — Banks are fighting a rule that would stop predatory fees they claim they don’t even charge.
• The Killer-Sunshine State — A state effort to outlaw workplace heat-protection standards is a preview of what will happen as the GOP’s war on workers collides with our climate reality.
• Sirota’s Signals: How Much Does Microsoft Know? — Plus, conservatives declare war on “recreational sex,” lawmakers may hide their NFL handouts, and Larry Summers mimics the hot dog guy.
• YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: An End To The Judge Shopping Spree — Plus, Apple’s favorite repair restriction may soon be banned, college athletes score a historic labor win, and the tide may be turning on anti-LGBTQ bills.