Hasta La Gadget!

Boeing’s Starliner has returned to Earth safely after docking with the International Space Station for the first time. The six-day Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 mission came to an end when the spacecraft landed at the US Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. It’s the first American capsule to touch down on land instead of in the ocean. Starliner undocked from the ISS at 2:36PM ET and by 6:05PM, it was firing its thrusters to drop out of orbit. 

The uncrewed Starliner, which took over 800 pounds of equipment to the ISS (including a Kerbal Space Program plush toy), brought back over 600 pounds of cargo. Among the returned items were reusable Nitrogen Oxygen Recharge System tanks, which are used to provide air to those on the ISS. They’ll be refilled and taken back to the space station later.

The spacecraft’s first test flight took place in 2019. While it reached orbit, an automation system issue prevented thrusters from firing, meaning Starliner was unable to dock with the ISS. An attempt at a second test flight last year was scrapped because of a propulsion system valve problem, which led to a nine-month delay. In the interim, SpaceX conducted more crewed trips to the ISS than previously planned. 

After assessing the data from this flight, Boeing will be able to start planning crewed flights that will take astronauts to the space station and bring them back to Earth. The New York Times says NASA will announce the astronauts who’ll be flying on Starliner this summer, and the mission could take place before the year ends. 

Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Program, said:

“We have had an excellent flight test of a complex system that we expected to learn from along the way and we have With the completion of OFT-2, we will incorporate lessons learned and continue working to prepare for the crewed flight test and NASA certification. Thank you to the NASA and Boeing teammates who have put so much of themselves into Starliner.”

Mariella Moon contributed to this story.

CVS will no longer fill prescriptions from telehealth companies Cerebral and Done Health for controlled substances. The pharmacy chain said that, following a review, it had unresolved concerns with both companies. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news.

“We are committed to making mental health services as accessible and convenient as possible. At the same time, it is important that medications are prescribed appropriately,” CVS Health’s executive director of corporate communications Mike DeAngelis told Engadget. 

“We recently conducted a review of certain telehealth companies that prescribe controlled substance medications. As a result of our being unable to resolve concerns we have with Cerebral and Done Health, effective May 26th, 2022, CVS Pharmacy will no longer accept prescriptions for controlled substances issued through these companies.”

The startups have tens of thousands of patients between them, the Journal notes. They have prescribed stimulants such as Adderall for patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These stimulants are regulated and classed as schedule 2 controlled substances due to the risk of abuse.

Some other pharmacies, such as Walmart and Truepill, previously delayed or declined to fill prescriptions from the two startups. They reportedly had concerns that clinicians at Cerebral and Done were writing too many stimulant prescriptions.

It recently emerged that Cerebral is under investigation by the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Following that news, the company put prescriptions for ADHD meds for new patients on hold. Cerebral said last week it would stop prescribing most controlled substances for all patients by October. Just two days after that, its board replaced CEO Kyle Robertson.

Along with ADHD, Cerebral says it treats depression, PTSD, anxiety disorders and serious mental illnesses through therapy, counseling and, in some cases, prescriptions. Done focuses on ADHD treatment. 

Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians were banned from prescribing stimulants without an in-person visit with patients. Those federal rules were loosened in March 2020 for schedule 2 substances, which enabled Cerebral and Done to start offering prescriptions after virtual consultations.

Engadget has contacted Cerebral and Done for comment.

Update 5/25/22 7:40pm ET: “We learned on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 24 that CVS will no longer fill Cerebral’s controlled substance prescriptions, effective Thursday, May 26. This decision does not affect Cerebral’s non-controlled substance prescriptions,” Cerebral told Engadget via email. The company says is “doing everything possible to ensure these patients get access to medications that their health care providers have determined they need,” as well as reaching out to impacted patients “to help ensure that their transition to another source of prescribed medications.” Prior to CVS’s decision, Cereral says it had stopped new prescriptions for controlled substances due to the “impending expiration of waivers enacted during the [COVID-19] state of emergency.”

Maserati has unveiled the 2023 MC20 Cielo, a carbon fiber supercar convertible packing both power and high-tech features, not the least of which is smart glass.

The NFL may launch its own streaming service as soon as July. The long-rumored NFL+ could allow fans to stream some live games on phones and tablets. It may feature other content, such as podcasts, radio and team-created content. According to Sports Business Journal, NFL+ may cost $5 per month, but pricing isn’t set in stone.

It’s believed the games fans will be able to stream on phones and tablets will be restricted to those that they can see on local TV. Yahoo (Engadget’s parent company) and carriers previously streamed those games. However, those deals have expired and it seems the NFL is retaining the rights.

The report also notes the league has been in talks with potential suitors, including Apple and Amazon, about taking an equity stake in its media business. If such a deal goes through, NFL+ could be made available as part of another streaming service. Amazon already streams Thursday Night Football games on Prime Video. Apple’s has moved into sports as well — it streams exclusive MLB games every Friday.

Speaking of the MLB, the NFL looks set to follow in that league’s footsteps. It has streamed out-of-market games on MLB.TV since 2002. The MLB is reportedly planning to debut a broader streaming service next year that would include in-market games for fans’ home teams. FIFA also waded into the wide world of streaming last month, with the free, ad-supported service FIFA+.

Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) just signed a bill that bans abortion at fertilization and uses the same enforcement mechanism as Texas’ six-week ban.