Bee Opinionated: Kings reign again + McCarthy chooses Trump over country + Newsom’s Rx deal
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Hi friends, it’s Robin Epley here again with The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board.
This week, the Sacramento Kings broke their 16-year-long playoff drought when they won against the Portland Trailblazers at an away game. The Kings set a record for the NBA of longest amount of consecutive years without qualifying for the playoffs — not exactly a record Sacramento fans are proud of.
But Sac has reason to be proud now, wrote California Opinion Editor Marcos Breton:
“This city, this region, and this fan base deserve to be happy after 16 straight losing seasons, 16 straight seasons of missing the playoffs, a public fight with the previous owners, multiple threats of a Kings relocation to other cities, breathless campaigns to keep the Kings here, 13 coaching changes, an ownership change, multiple horrendous NBA drafts picks that flopped, the construction of Golden 1 Center and the demolition of the building once called Arco Arena. All that had been missing from this saga were the locusts.”
For context, the last time the Kings were in the playoffs, the iPhone did not yet exist. Twitter wasn’t introduced to the public until two months later, and current Kings stars De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray were 8, 10 and 5 respectively the last time the Kings played a playoff game.
“As the happy reality of good fortune took hold this season, the excitement of lighting ‘the beam’ on the Golden 1 Center roof began chipping away at the cynicism that kept us from believing in the Kings for fear of getting hurt again. But now, with a playoff berth clinched, we have to believe. It’s exciting to believe. We’ve earned the right to believe.”
The first playoff game is April 15, at home against the Golden State Warriors. Will you be watching?
Trump Over Country?
When the news broke Thursday afternoon that former President Donald Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was on Twitter, disparaging Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attorney pursuing the case against Trump.
“Here we go again — an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump,” McCarthy wrote. “I’m directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.”
Trump is the first ex-president to ever face criminal charges in U.S. history.
The Fresno Bee Editorial Board advised McCarthy to slow down and respect the judicial process, as the facts of the hush-money case have yet to be aired.
“Make no mistake, this will be a time for fortitude. Trump’s most loyal followers will be outraged over the indictment, and some may preach attacks against Democrats and other perceived enemies. America stands for better than that, and McCarthy must as well. If instead McCarthy remains a loyal Trump foot soldier and fails the test of leadership, he will truly show how small a view he has of the office to which he has aspired.”
Now that an indictment has been filed against Trump, McCarthy has a duty to his office and his position as Speaker to honor the judicial process, the board wrote.
Interest In Insulin
“The symptoms of insulin withdrawal are nauseating: Shaking, sweating, dizziness, a rapid heartbeat. And yet thousands of Californians endure these symptoms in order to extend their dwindling insulin supplies. That’s because a supply of insulin can cost some people nearly $300 — and that’s something the state of California just promised to fix.”
The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board commented on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to provide insulin for just $30 per vial under a new program called Cal Rx.
“The state and its non-profit partner, Civica, announced they have entered into a $50 million, 10-year contract to produce affordable insulin … and bring down the cost of insulin substantially, and enough to make a real difference for consumers,” the board wrote.
The state is still searching for a California-based manufacturing facility to produce the medication, but has vowed to “target prescription drugs where the pharmaceutical market has failed to lower drug costs, even when a generic or biosimilar medication is available. “People should not be forced to go into debt to get life saving prescriptions,” said Newsom at his State of the State address in Los Angeles.
Additionally, insulin is not the only medicine the Newsom administration is looking at producing: The governor also announced CalRx seeks to eventually manufacture Naloxone, too – the lifesaving inhalant used in opioid overdoses.
“By wresting control of these life saving medications away from Eli Lilly and the like — and following through on the state’s refusal to partner with these current producers — CalRx is a promise of major financial assistance to millions of Californians, many of whom suffer from ongoing medical costs billed at twice the rate of a non-diabetic patient,” wrote the board. “Newsom’s announcement could mark a historic moment for Californians and hopefully for diabetics nationwide — a moment when the people wrested control of their lives and their wallets back from the pharmaceutical companies.”
Opinion of the Week
“That’s the purpose behind a bill that just sped through the Legislature faster than a gassed-up Ferrari.” — The Fresno Bee Editorial Board — getting a lot of love this week, huh? — on a new, special session bill called SB X1-2 but more commonly known as the Oil Price Gouging Penalty.
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Help I’m stuck inside the computer,
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