Lady Jane Would Disapprove

News You Need2Know, with reasonably high-quality cheese puns.

Lady Jane, as we all know, is a cow’s milk cheese produced by Farmhouse Natural Cheeses in the lush Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. It has a cheesecake-like creamy and dense paste, with a tangy flavor and earthy notes of mushroom.

Lady Jane was also a beloved character on the BBC antiques drama Lovejoy, which aired between 1986 and 1994. The main role of a corrupt antiques dealer was played by Ian McShane, who American viewers may recognize as potty-mouthed tavern owner Al Swearengen on the HBO show Deadwood. But McShane was a pin-up back then, and my mum used to make us tune in on Sunday nights just to watch him, much to my father’s chuckling amusement. You can watch the first season on PBS right now. Lovejoy’s friendship with Lady Jane showed that a roguish antiques dealer and an aristocrat can be chums, and so was rather charming. Today’s cheddlines, meanwhile, begin on an approving note.

Headlines You Need2Know

• FDA Approves Alternative to Opioids
• Plane Crash ‘Was Not An Attack’
• How Celebrity Smiles Are Reshaping Dentistry
• Let’s Redefine Healthy Snacks
• Time to Get Your Super Bowl LIX Collectibles

Tsk, tsk!

—Matt Davis, Need2Know Chedditor

P.S. Watch Cheddar’s new investment show, Go Fund Yourself!, on our ‘gram.

Quote of the Day

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Stuff like salmon and avocados couldn’t call themselves healthy because of their healthy fat content they have.

— Daniel Lebetzky

Should You Check Your 401(k) Today?

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(nope)

FDA Approves Alternative to Opioids

Good news in the fight against America’s opioid crisis: The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new non-opioid, non-pronounceable pain medication called Journavx, offering a significant alternative to opioids for pain management without the risk of addiction.

It’s the first approval of its kind in over 20 years. Developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Journavx contains the slightly more pronounceable active ingredient suzetrigine and will cost $15.50 per pill, to be taken every 12 hours. Vertex began researching the drug in the 2000s, when opioid overdoses first started rocketing up. By 2022, the number of people who died from an opioid overdose was 10 times the number in 1999.

Opioids reduce pain by binding to receptors in the brain that receive nerve signals from different parts of the body — those chemical interactions also give rise to opioids’ addictive effects. Journavx, meanwhile, operates by blocking pain signals in the peripheral nervous system before they reach the brain. The drug is primarily used for acute pain, which is often sudden and short-term, like when you get slapped in the chops for saying something dumb. That’s a good time to take Journavx.

Watch the Video

Plane Crash ‘Was Not An Attack’

Military Times reporter Jen Judson joined us to talk about the tragic collision between an Army Blackhawk helicopter and a commercial airplane in D.C. last week.

Judson emphasized the complexity of the airspace around the airport, stating, “This is like a Tetris game. It’s a very complicated airspace at all times.”

While the cause of the accident remains under investigation, Judson shed light on potential factors, including pilot error and spatial disorientation. “Often what happens in some of these situations is spatial disorientation. It’s when a pilot gets confused about where the aircraft is in terms of its position with the ground and the sky, its surroundings.”

She also addressed the challenges of night flying.  Judson acknowledged the Army’s ongoing efforts to maintain pilot proficiency, especially in light of decreased operational tempo since the withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan. “Being able to keep up with those flight hours, being able to maintain the level of expertise within the Army aviation branch has been very hard,” she said.

Regarding the possibility of the crash being intentional, Judson firmly stated, “No, there has been no whisper. This is not an attack. This was an accident.”