New approach: Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Rebekah Gee is considering whether to employ a “radical” strategy to help thousands of sick Louisianans get medications they need. The Washington Post reports Gee will decide over the coming months whether to ask the federal government to step in and drive prices down, perhaps by overriding the patent protections drug companies hold over the medicines. The strategy could involve asking the federal government to invoke a little-known law that allows it to employ companies’ drug patents for the government’s use. After essentially overriding the patents, the government could pay the companies as little as $1,000 for a 12-week course of treatment. Read more.
Unlocking: Apple is working on a feature that will let you unlock your iPhone using your face instead of a fingerprint. Bloomberg reports Apple is testing an improved security system for its redesigned iPhone that allows users to log in, authenticate payments, and launch secure apps by scanning their face, according to people familiar with the product. The phone is expected to go on sale this fall, marking the biggest upgrade in years to the company’s most important product. The new feature is powered by a new 3-D sensor that’s still in development, sources say. The feature may not appear with the new device. However, the intent is for it to replace the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Read more.
Fully electric: Volvo is done with entirely traditional engines and exclusively gas-powered vehicles. As TechCrunch reports, Volvo Group says it intends to offer only either fully electric or hybrid engines on all new models by 2019, making it the first automaker to commit to using only alternative drive trains. Volvo already had a target sales figure of 1 million electric and hybrid cars by 2025, and now that target seems well within reach, given it’s all the company will be selling in terms of new vehicles. Volvo also says it would launch five new electric and hybrid cars between 2019 and 2021, and that two of those will be made by Polestar, which the company recently announced would become its own subsidiary and brand selling performance EVs, likely to compete with high-end Tesla models. Read more.
