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FDA to end 2-study rule for drugs

The Food and Drug Administration plans to drop its longtime standard of requiring two rigorous studies to win approval for new drugs, the latest change from Trump administration officials vowing to speed up the availability of certain medical products. Going forward, the FDA’s “default position” will be to require one study for new drugs and other novel health products, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and a top deputy, Dr. Vinay Prasad, wrote in a New England Journal of Medicine piece published Wednesday. The announcement is the latest example of Makary and his team changing ...

Meta CEO questioned on kids’ Instagram use at trial

Mark Zuckerberg and opposing lawyers dueled in a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday, where the Meta CEO answered questions about young people’s use of Instagram, his congressional testimony and internal advice he’s received about being “authentic” and not “robotic.” Zuckerberg’s testimony is part of an unprecedented social media trial that questions whether Meta’s platforms deliberately addict and harm children. During questioning by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Zuckerberg said he still agrees with a previous statement he made that the existing body of scientific work has ...

Briefcase: Business news of local interest

EAST PETERSBURG Warfel Construction named to Top Performers list Warfel Construction, which has an office in State College, has been named to the Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2025 Top Performers lists. Warfel is ranked No. 93 on the ABC Top 250 Performers list, No. 38 among 196 Top General Contractors and No. 19 among Top Health Care Contractors nationwide. ABC’s annual Top Performers program recognizes contractor members for excellence in safety, quality, project performance and leadership, ranked by number of hours worked and participation in ABC’s STEP Health ...

New Roadblock: EV charger build-out faces federal challenges

DETROIT — The build-out of electric vehicle charging in the U.S. has not stopped since President Donald Trump returned to office. But the administration and Congress are continuing to throw up new roadblocks. Those include the administration withholding charger money to ...

iPhone security stymies FBI team

A little known security feature on iPhones is in the spotlight after it stymied efforts by U.S. federal authorities to search devices seized from a reporter. Apple’s Lockdown Mode recently prevented FBI agents from getting into Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson ‘s iPhone. Agents ...

Key questions on student loan repayment unresolved

NEW YORK — It’s been a confusing time for people with student loans. Collections restarted, then were put on hold. At the same time, borrowers had to stay on top of changes to key forgiveness plans. Last year, the long-contested SAVE plan introduced by the Biden administration ended with a settlement agreement. President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” introduced new borrowing limits for graduates and raised challenges to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. While several changes for student loan borrowers will take effect this summer, other key questions remain ...