Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
Opioid crisis cost U.S. nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020 -congressional report
Fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic toll of the opioid addiction and overdose crisis on the United States reached nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020 alone and is likely to grow, a congressional report seen by Reuters shows. Opioid-related deaths soared during the pandemic, including from the powerful synthetic painkiller fentanyl, exacerbating an already tragic and costly nationwide crisis that accounted for 75% of the 107,000 drug overdose fatalities in 2021, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.
Unwilling or unable to evacuate, some Florida residents ride out Hurricane Ian
Outside the window of Susan Flack’s darkened condominium in Naples, Florida, on Wednesday, trees bent in the wind and a portable toilet floated by on rising floodwaters. Flack, one of thousands who decided to flout official evacuation orders and ride out Hurricane Ian, was not worried about her safety. Hunkered down on the second floor of her building, where the power had been out all day and the lobby was filled with several feet of water, she took videos of the scene outside.
US unveils $1.1 billion Ukraine arms package
The United States unveiled a $1.1 billion arms package for Ukraine’s battle with Russia that includes 18 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher systems, accompanying…
