President Donald Trump’s new <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/12/trump-most-favored-nations-drug-price-order-what-to-know.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> on prescription drug prices — which he called “one of the most consequential executive orders in our country’s history” — may well live up to the hype, but not in the way Trump intends.
Trump&#8217;s announcement of a “most favored nation” <a href="https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/global-trends/us-news-trumps-most-favored-nation-drug-pricing-policy-and-how-will-it-reduce-costs-slash-prescription-drug-prices-by-30-to-80-percent/articleshow/121109365.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy</a> means the United States government will only pay drug prices equal to the lowest paid by any developed nation. This is what Germany, France, Canada, and the United Kingdom currently do: pay less for drugs than they’re worth. In turn, the United States picks up the tab when it buys up drugs for Medicaid.
We overpay, and it’s easy to write it off as unfair freeloading by Europe, a recurring theme for the Trump administration. But this remedy will not come without its costs, and consumers will feel it down the line.
The Trump administration&#8217;s solution for drug pricing is identical to its approach to tariffs. Instead of finding leverage in a target-rich environment to coerce Europe into paying market rates, thus giving American consumers a break, they’ve decided to join the race to the bottom. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) must be quietly pleased to see his socialist dream of price controls go mainstream within the MAGA coalition, even though he has <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-warning-trump-drug-pricing-executive-order-2071155" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> that Trump’s drug pricing measure would be better served by legislation.
If it was not clear to Republicans before, it should be now that free market policymaking is on the outs in the second Trump administration.
Let’s be honest about what’s happening. The White House wants to trim federal <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AmCRxm6P4o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spending</a> without touching politically sensitive programs like Medicaid. To square that budgetary circle, they’ve decided to force pharmaceutical companies to sell their products to American patients at the same rate they’re sold to socialized healthcare systems abroad.
This move, unthinkable for a Republican administration two decades ago, assumes that America can have the world’s most innovative pharmaceutical sector and also ask “Big Pharma” to forgo the billions in profits they reinvest back into research and development. It’s a fantasy.
The United States is the engine of pharmaceutical innovation. Over half of all new drug patents originate here specifically because America allows firms to see a return on investment. Drug development isn’t like manufacturing sneakers or soda. It’s a high-risk, capital-intensive endeavor where failure is more common than success. A single treatment can take over a decade to develop, cost billions, and then <a href="https://med.uc.edu/depart/psychiatry/research/clinical-research/crm/trial-phases-1-2-3-defined#:~:text=Subjects%20in%20a%20Phase%20II,go%20on%20to%20Phase%20III." target="_blank" rel="noopener">never make it</a> to FDA phase III trials.
Cutting-edge treatments come to market and make the impossible suddenly possible, albeit at a premium price point. It’s true, on brand-name drugs, Americans <a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/comparing-prescription-drugs#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20U.S.%20prices%20across,adjustments%20for%20estimated%20U.S.%20rebates." target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay a lot</a> more.
However, like clockwork, generics get developed and costs for the consumer crater. Generic medications account for 91% of prescriptions in the United States. For those, we <a href="https://x.com/cremieuxrecueil/status/1921730579675934991" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay far less</a> for those drugs than nearly any other country, something Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://youtu.be/XYBuphYtp6I?si=U5SKZ4aI99bvS70w&amp;t=2662" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> this week.
If Medicaid won’t pay a fair price, pharmaceutical companies will raise prices on private insurers to compensate. That means higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans who get coverage through work or on the open market.
And that’s <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/6/7/22522479/medicaid-health-insurance-doctors-billing-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assuming</a> companies continue to sell to Medicaid at all.
Why isn’t Trump hammering European nations that want access to American-made drugs and have them negotiate fair, value-based deals for our biotech? It’s a crown jewel of America that global elites travel near and far to access. We should be twisting wrists abroad, not kneecapping our pharmaceutical industry.
<div>If we want lower drug costs, allowing drug approval reciprocity — as <a href="https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-legislation-to-modernize-fda-prescription-drug-approvals-and-lower-drug-prices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.paul.senate.gov/dr-rand-paul-introduces-legislation-to-modernize-fda-prescription-drug-approvals-and-lower-drug-prices/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1747494596378000&amp;usg=AOvVaw27BgpCiXpYt8qvN3lERP1n">suggested</a> by Sen. Rand Paul — to increase competition between drug approval regulators globally would be a great start. The FDA’s approval process could also be reformed to accelerate trials and drug approval.</div>
America leads the world in medical breakthroughs for a reason. We cannot afford to surrender that leadership by copying the failures of Europe’s socialized health systems. Europe as we know it today is a warning, not a model.
Stephen Kent is the Media Director of the Consumer Choice Center.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-HEALTH-TRUMP-KENNEDY

Undermining American Pharmaceutical Companies Won’t Make Drugs Cheaper

Big Pharma

Donald Trump

Europe

Executive Orders

Prescription Drugs

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The hosts of ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View&#8221; complained about President Donald Trump&#8217;s plan to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Americans — but as Whoopi Goldberg laid out her objections, it appeared as though her main objection was the fact that Trump was doing what Democrats had not been able to do thus far.
Goldberg started off the conversation during Tuesday&#8217;s broadcast by asserting that Trump&#8217;s plan was bad because he had not yet specified which drugs he was talking about, nor had he explained which health insurance plans might be impacted by any new policies.
&#8220;Well, again, he didn&#8217;t specify which drugs he was going to target — or which insurance programs would be impacted,&#8221; she complained. &#8220;Because you see, if you&#8217;re going to lower the price of the drugs, you gotta first fix the broken insurance company,&#8221; Goldberg laughed. &#8220;Because they are — it doesn&#8217;t make any sense.&#8221;
&#8220;You know what though, I would think that you have to take money out of politics, too, because a lot of these guys in Congress, don&#8217;t they take money from pharmaceutical lobbyists?&#8221; Joy Behar asked. &#8220;I mean —&#8221;
&#8220;But there are lobbyists in other countries, too,&#8221; cohost Sara Haines pushed back.
Behar pivoted then to attack Trump&#8217;s appearance and weight, saying, &#8220;The guy has 153 rooms in the White House. He can&#8217;t have one mirror to look into? He&#8217;s always criticizing, &#8216;This one&#8217;s not a 10, this one&#8217;s a six, this one&#8217;s fat, this one&#8217;s — he said the friend is &#8216;highly neurotic.&#8217; Hello? Look in the mirror &#8230;&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Alyssa Farah Griffin bursts their bubble by pointing out that some of their favorite progressives in Congress, Ro Khanna and Bernie Sanders, have a bill that does exactly what Trump wants to do. 
Whoopi RAGES anyway and claims socialism is not socialism. <a href="https://t.co/EDA3DwcMGh">pic.twitter.com/EDA3DwcMGh</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1922322025089040541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin pointed out the fact that Trump&#8217;s plan was actually supported by some of the progressives in Congress — including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) because some parts of it mirrored a bill they were already working on to lower drug costs.
Griffin then said that her main issue with the plan was the potential for enforcement of lowered prices, which she said veered too close to Soviet-style price controls for her tastes.
Goldberg then responded by arguing that the infusion of socialism into the health care system — the raising of taxes on everyone to make sure that the government could absorb the costs of drugs so that those who needed medication were able to afford it — was not actually socialism.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not socialism,&#8221; she insisted. &#8220;It&#8217;s best for the country if everyone can afford their health care!&#8221;

Whoopi Goldberg

‘The View’ Panics Over Trump’s Plan To Lower Drug Costs, Mainly Because Dems Failed To Do It First

'The View' Panics Over Trump's Plan To Lower Drug Costs, Mainly Because Dems Failed To Do It First

Alyssa Farah Griffin

Media

Politics

The View

President Trump signs an executive order to stop Big Pharma from charging Americans more than their European counterparts. Stocks surge after tariffs are slashed, as the U.S. and China announce a temporary truce in the trade war. And, Air Force 1 needs an update. Will Trump accept the offer of a $400 million “flying palace” from Qatar?
It’s Tuesday, May 13, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>Trump EO To Lower Drug Prices</h2>
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Topline: President Trump signed what he called “one of the most consequential Executive Orders in our Country’s history” on Monday to dramatically lower the prices of prescription drugs.
Trump said his newest executive order would lower drug prices in the U.S. by up to 80% by implementing the “most favored nation” policy, cutting out industry “middlemen,” and compelling the European Union and other allies to pay for research and development of various drugs. He argued that since other nations set price controls for drugs, it’s been America that’s left taking on all these research and development costs.
“Starting today, the U.S. will no longer subsidize the healthcare of foreign countries,” Trump said. “We will no longer tolerate profiteering and price gouging from Big Pharma. But again, it was really the countries that forced Big Pharma to do things that, frankly, I’m not sure they were comfortable doing.”
The order will allow Americans to buy drugs directly from manufacturers, cutting out pharma “middlemen.” These so-called “middlemen,” pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), work with insurance providers to negotiate prices with drug companies in exchange for including the drugs in their coverage. Critics say PBMs are not transparent and don’t have an incentive to lower drug prices for Americans. The order also sets a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-prescription-drugs-prices-most-favored-nation-4c620a32ccd193b793ba1558f3fe93e0">30-day deadline</a> for HHS to work with drugmakers to reduce the costs of these prescription drugs. If a deal is not reached, a new rule will kick in that will effectively lower the drug price to what other nations are paying for them.
“The fundamental problem in healthcare is we&#8217;ve had non-competitive markets,” Dr. Marty Makary, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921938509826298179">said</a> on Monday. “We can do little things around the edges, or we can transform those markets to competitive markets and that&#8217;s what this executive order does today.&#8221;
Democrats, who as a general rule have opposed President Trump’s policies, have remained mostly silent on this executive order. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), an independent and democratic socialist who caucuses with the Democrats, said that he agrees with Trump about the high prices of prescription drugs, but he did not back this EO, arguing that it would be blocked by the courts. Trump implemented a similar regulation for certain cancer drugs during his first term. The Biden administration, however, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-says-he-will-sign-executive-order-aimed-at-lowering-drug-prices-2a5b9b28">abandoned</a> the regulation after a court struck it down on procedural grounds. Sanders also made it clear that he doesn&#8217;t agree that the European Union or Canada needs to pay their &#8220;fair share&#8221; – he thinks prices should be lowered for everyone.
<h2>Stock Market Soars As U.S./China Slash Tariffs</h2>
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Topline: Stocks soared Monday after the United States and China formally agreed to a temporary trade deal that will dramatically lower tariffs across the board.
After formal negotiations in Switzerland last weekend, China agreed to cut tariffs on American imports from 125% to just 10%, while the United States will cut rates from 145% to 10%. Beijing also agreed to eliminate or suspend non-tariff countermeasures against the United States, which means that their ban on rare earth mineral exports could come to an end.
&#8220;Yesterday, we achieved a total reset with China,” President Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921928176286020061">said</a> on Monday. “After productive talks in Geneva, both sides now agree to reduce the tariffs imposed after April 2nd to 10% for 90 days as negotiators continue on the largest structural issues.&#8221;
This deal is a stunning reversal of hostilities — ahead of last weekend’s meetings, for example, even Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent seemed to think a deal was a long way off, saying his goal was “de-escalation… not a big trade deal.”
Clearly, the Chinese were more willing to negotiate than many expected — Beijing signed on to a joint statement that referenced a “spirit of mutual opening, continued communication, cooperation, and mutual respect.” That’s quite a different message than we heard last month, when the Chinese were calling the U.S. bullies who would be made to pay. As more proof of the improvement in relations, the two sides also agreed to establish a formal process for streamlined trade talks in the future, including using a third country as a mediator.
However: The Trump administration has made clear that while it is willing to open up the flow of certain Chinese goods, it wants to break U.S. reliance on essential imports like weapons, technology, and pharmaceuticals.
“The United States will continue a strategic rebalancing in many areas that were exposed as supply chain weaknesses during COVID,” Secretary Bessent <a href="https://x.com/CookedGooseinFL/status/1921880651646611609">said</a> on Monday. “Whether it’s medicines, whether it’s semi-conductors, steel … we will continue moving towards U.S. independence or reliable supplies from allies.”
Following news of the deal, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 1000 points, the S&amp;P 500 rose more than 3%, erasing all its losses from last month, and the NASDAQ shot up more than 4%, marking a 20% increase from its recent low in April.
<h2>&#8220;Flying Palace&#8221; To Replace Air Force One?</h2>
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Topline: Trump is off to the Middle East this week for what the White House promises to be a trip of dealmaking and diplomacy. But the president’s trip is off to a controversial start thanks to a story about a $400 million Qatari airplane.
On Sunday, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-administration-poised-accept-palace-sky-gift-trump/story?id=121680511">ABC News</a> reported that the Qatari royal family planned to give Trump a $400 million super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet described as a “floating palace.” The plane would reportedly be available for Trump to use in lieu of Air Force One by the end of his term, and then – according to some initial reports – transferred to his presidential library. Trump says it’s merely the Qataris helping the United States replace Air Force One, which is 40 years old, and, according to Trump, in need of some serious upgrades. Speaking to reporters before departing for the Middle East yesterday, Trump said the Qataris knew Boeing had delayed production of the new jet he wanted, and stepped in to help.
“I think that was a very nice gesture,” the president <a href="https://x.com/factpostnews/status/1921942334930907441">said</a>. &#8220;Now, I could be a stupid person and say &#8216;Oh no, we don’t want a free plane&#8217; … I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer.”
However, not everyone sees this as just a goodwill gesture. Qatar is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, and uses its wealth to gain influence in the United States – and many, many other countries. It frequently invites politicians on luxurious, state-funded junkets to the Middle East. But that influence-buying sparks suspicion, because Qatar also uses its oil money to bankroll Hamas terrorists and Middle Eastern news powerhouse Al Jazeera. The country has also been accused of a lengthy list of human rights violations, so any collaboration with the Qataris is bound to raise some eyebrows.
Notable MAGA loyalists, including pro-Trump activist Laura Loomer, were quick to <a href="https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1921615017138618439">condemn</a> the decision, warning that accepting the plane was bad optics at best, and a security risk at worst. Trump, for his part, is staying on the offensive, calling accusations of conflict of interest “fake news.”
Qatar’s media attaché to the United States has been making the rounds since the ABC story broke, telling reporters that the aircraft transfer would only be used temporarily, and that nothing has been finalized yet.

MorningWire-0428-2

Morning Brief: Qatar Force One And Trump’s ‘Consequential’ Drug Price Plan

Communist China

Morning Wire

Qatar

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is continuing to advance his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-make-america-healthy-again-commission-is-already-impacting-the-food-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; movement</a> this coming week, reportedly meeting with top executives from major food brands.
Kennedy, as highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-make-america-healthy-again-commission-is-already-impacting-the-food-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>, has already impacted the food industry and made several vaccine-related moves as HHS secretary.
RFK is expected to meet with executives from General Mills, PepsiCo, and other big-name brands on Monday, according to a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/08/rfk-jr-food-industry-meeting-00219631" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Politico. The meeting was apparently encouraged by the White House &#8212; President Donald Trump reportedly wants department heads to meet with leaders from the industries they oversee.
Kennedy has voiced concerns about seed oils, dyes, preservatives, and other ingredients often found in processed foods and sugary drinks. Reports suggest food companies will be on board with some related changes, though it&#8217;s expected there will be a lot of pushback over axing seed oils, since they are so inexpensive and versatile.
Additionally, there&#8217;s been a stronger push from state reps and the federal government to limit sugary and highly processed food and drink options for government food benefits, called SNAP. Specifically, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), as well as lawmakers in Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Texas, and Wyoming, are looking to restrict SNAP.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has also previously said she&#8217;s working with RFK to advance the MAHA movement, and specifically mentioned restricting SNAP. Though, according to The Wall Street Journal, President Trump is skeptical of restrictions or bans since they are typically unpopular with the public. And, notably, Trump himself is an <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/21/diet-coke-button-donald-trump/77856559007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">avid lover of Diet Coke</a>. 
On vaccines, Kennedy has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccines-schedule-kennedy-trump-hhs-4d5e6c52c602f5edbcd837748605e9d0">indicated</a> that he’ll effectively be reviewing the childhood vaccination schedule. As the head of the &#8220;MAHA Commission,&#8221; Kennedy said he’ll investigate vaccines, as well as pesticides, food additives, microplastics, and antidepressants, to see if they have contributed to a rise of chronic illness.
The HHS secretary has also halted the CDC’s “<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/19/nx-s1-5302906/cdc-flu-vaccine-campaign-terminated">Wild to Mild</a>” campaign <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/26/rfk-jr-vaccines-informed-consent-cdc-messaging-vaccinations/#:~:text=Health%20and%20Human%20Services%20Secretary,campaign%20promoting%20the%20flu%20vaccine.">promoting</a> the flu vaccine. Kennedy wants advertisements going forward to promote the idea of “informed consent” in vaccine decision-making, which would include giving people <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/26/rfk-jr-vaccines-informed-consent-cdc-messaging-vaccinations/#:~:text=Health%20and%20Human%20Services%20Secretary,campaign%20promoting%20the%20flu%20vaccine.">information</a> about the adverse events associated with vaccines.
Additionally, citing conflicts of interest, RFK is preparing to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2025/03/01/rfk-jr-readies-cdc-for-changes-in-vaccine-policies/">remove</a> several members of the external committee that advises the FDA and CDC on vaccine approvals and other key public health decisions. Recommendations from that committee, known as ACIP, are almost always followed by HHS and could impact the childhood vaccination schedule. Kennedy has <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/adult-non-flu-vaccines/scheduled-meeting-cdc-vaccine-advisers-postponed#:~:text=The%20postponing%20of%20the%20ACIP,committees%20likely%20to%20be%20targeted." target="_blank" rel="noopener">postponed</a> ACIP’s first panel to &#8220;accommodate public comment in advance of the meeting.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-make-america-healthy-again-commission-is-already-impacting-the-food-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How The ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Commission Is Already Impacting The Food Industry</a>

Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Delivers Address To Jewish Community In New York

‘MAHA’ Update: Here Are RFK’s Latest Moves On Big Food And Big Pharma

Executive

Food

Trump Administration

U.S.

Vaccines

A <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-releases-second-interim-staff-report-prescription-drug-middlemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> published Tuesday by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revealed that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) hiked the costs of many important prescription drugs by over 1,000%.
The three largest PBMs — which are owned by CVS Health, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group — generated over &#8220;$7.3 billion in revenue from dispensing drugs in excess of the drugs’ estimated acquisition costs from 2017-2022,&#8221; according to the FTC. The report found that more than one in five &#8220;specialty drugs&#8221; dispensed by pharmacies affiliated with PBMs were marked up by over 1,000%. Another 41% of drugs were marked up between 100-1,000%. The &#8220;Big 3&#8221; PBMs control between 60-80% of the prescriptions in the U.S.
“The FTC staff’s second interim report finds that the three major pharmacy benefit managers hiked costs for a wide range of lifesaving drugs, including medications to treat heart disease and cancer,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC should keep using its tools to investigate practices that may inflate drug costs, squeeze independent pharmacies, and deprive Americans of affordable, accessible healthcare—and should act swiftly to stop any illegal conduct.”
PBMs act as the middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurance companies, pharmacies, and patients and were originally designed to maintain affordable drug prices for patients while helping drug manufacturers keep their profits. According to the FTC report, however, PBMs have turned into money-making machines while &#8220;squeeze[ing[ independent pharmacies, and depriv[ing] Americans of affordable, accessible healthcare.&#8221;
Austin Ownbey — who represents the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which in turn represents PBMs — spoke during the open commission meeting Tuesday. Ownbey argued, “PCMA has significant concerns that a second interim report regarding specialty drugs is unlikely to be anything other than a piece of advocacy without substantiating evidence.”
“Specialty drugs offer the most effective and, in some cases, the only treatment for illness and conditions that historically had few treatment options, including multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, cancer and autoimmune disorders,” he added, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5085119-ftc-report-pharmacy-benefit-managers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>.
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Along with hiking prices for vital prescription drugs, the FTC found that the &#8220;Big 3 PBMs also reimbursed their affiliated pharmacies at a higher rate than they paid unaffiliated pharmacies on nearly every specialty generic drug examined.&#8221; As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-little-known-health-care-middleman-is-becoming-more-powerful-independent-pharmacies-say-that-spells-disaster-for-patients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire reported</a> last July, independent pharmacies across the country are subject to the dictates of PBMs, which give an unfair advantage to large pharmacy corporations such as CVS, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group. Independent pharmacists such as Brent Talley, Blake Lamm, and April Lamm Blackford in North Carolina have been sounding the alarm on the rise of PBMs.
“We have lost customers either because the PBM is requiring them to use another store or financially incentivizing them to do so,” Talley told The Daily Wire in July. “But at the same time, the quality of care we’re able to provide has far exceeded Walgreens’ and CVS’.”
Often, local pharmacies will lose money on prescription drugs because the reimbursements they get from a PBM are less than what it costs them to fill a prescription.
“We have to buy bottles to put the medicine in, the caps, the labels, the machines, the printers, all that kind of stuff that are the cost of business, but when I say I’m losing money on prescriptions, I’m losing money on what it cost to get the drug on the shelf,” Blake Lamm said. “That doesn’t even factor in filling the prescription.”
The second interim report was released with bipartisan support in Congress, including from Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with Reps. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Diana Harshbarger (R-TN).

Prescription drugs

Pharmacy Benefit Managers Marked Up Specialty Drugs By Over 1,000%: FTC Report

Economy

Federal Government

In a new interview, President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> shared how he is taking an open-minded approach to health care after meeting with drug company executives last week.
Trump told NBC&#8217;s Kristen Welker about what he did with his pick to lead the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/robert-f-kennedy-jr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dr-oz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Mehmet Oz</a>, his nominee to become Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator, ahead of his second term.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump: We have to get our chronic disease epidemic under control and make our country HEALTHY again <a href="https://t.co/5o8XCCA8Vc">pic.twitter.com/5o8XCCA8Vc</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1865775287666934172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;I did something the other night that was a little unusual at Mar-a-Lago,&#8221; Trump said during the &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; interview that aired on Sunday. &#8220;I called the drug companies. The top drug companies. And I called RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz and some of his people and I said, &#8216;Let&#8217;s all get together and figure out where we&#8217;re going, because we&#8217;re going to do a lot of things.'&#8221;
He said the recent meeting, which <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/05/trump-rfk-jr-pfizer-lilly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> included executives from Pfizer and Eli Lilly, entailed discussions about a wide range of issues.
&#8220;We met for a long time and we talked about pricing and we talked about vaccines, you know, in terms of what happens. We talked about pesticides. We talked about everything,&#8221; Trump said. He added, in an apparent reference to Kennedy: &#8220;And I think a lot of good things are going to come from him. And he&#8217;s not going to upset any system. &#8230; He&#8217;s not looking to, you know, reinvent the wheel, totally. But, when you look at the numbers, we really don&#8217;t have a very healthy country.&#8221;
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Tackling expenses in the pharmaceutical industry is a top priority, Trump indicated.
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to reduce prices because the middleman makes more money than the drug companies, in all fairness to the drug companies,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;There&#8217;s a middleman that nobody even knows who they are. And you look at our prices, they&#8217;re much higher than the prices for the same medicine, for the same stuff.&#8221;
Trump also dismissed the notion that he opposes all vaccines. He expressed support for Kennedy&#8217;s stated position for placing them under increased scrutiny, particularly when it comes to protecting children, and pointed out how autism diagnoses have spiked in recent decades.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not against vaccines,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;The Polio vaccine is the greatest thing. If somebody told me to get rid of the Polio vaccine, they&#8217;re going to have to work real hard to convince me. I think &#8230; certain vaccines are incredible, but maybe some aren&#8217;t. And if they aren&#8217;t, we have to find out.&#8221;

Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy

‘A Little Unusual’: Trump Opens Up About Meeting With RFK Jr., Dr. Oz, And Drug Company Execs

Dr. Oz

Health

A head-to-head study between two popular <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/obesity">weight loss</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/prescription-drugs">drugs</a>, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, showed that users lost more weight using Zepbound.
According to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/zepbound-wegovy-comparison-weight-loss-drug-clinical-trial-d0c0d5ff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a>, which was sponsored by Lilly, people using Zepbound lost 20.2% of their body weight over 72 weeks, while Wegovy users lost 13.7%. In pounds, that means Zepbound users lost an average of 50 lbs, while Wegovy users lost 33.
This is the first time two of the drugs had a direct comparison. Previous studies explored the effectiveness of the drugs, which have been marketed to help obese users lose weight, but this blind trial specifically evaluated the two brands as both compete for market share in the lucrative weight loss drug market.
Dr. Susan Spratt, an endocrinologist and senior medical director for the Population Health Management Office at Duke Health in North Carolina, told NBC News that both drugs are effective. “The amount of weight loss with both is astounding,” she <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/zepbound-weight-loss-wegovy-drug-clinical-trial-rcna182682">told</a> the outlet.
The main difference between the two is that Zepbound contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, which is the same ingredient used in Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro. Wegovy, meanwhile, uses semaglutide, the ingredient used in Novo Nordisk’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ozempic">Ozempic</a>, which is also prescribed to diabetes patients. 
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The GLP-1 drugs mimic a hormone that helps reduce food intake and appetite, causing users to eat less than they did before. Tirzepatide also imitates a second hormone, GIP, which is believed to help the body break down sugar and fat, NBC noted.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said its drug Wegovy, in combination with diet and exercise, “is the only obesity medicine proven to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke.&#8221;
The drugs have become a hot topic of conversation as the demand outpaces the supply and a growing number of people seek their weight loss benefits. However, some unpleasant side effects of taking these types of drugs include gastrointestinal problems, including abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. There is also a potential risk of thyroid tumors and cancer associated with Ozempic, another popular option, according to studies done with rodents, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doctors-sound-alarm-over-latest-ozempic-risk">reported</a>.

Ozempic Wegovy and Zepbound related newspaper headlines. three popular Semaglutide-based prescription diabetes and weight loss drugs

Weight Loss Wars: New Study Weighs In On Effectiveness Of Popular Obesity Drugs

Business

Obesity

Ozempic

weight Loss

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) sent a <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/10.30.24-Rubio-Letter-to-FDA-DHS-re-Ban-on-Pharmaceuticals-from-Xinjiang.pdf">letter</a> to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding they guarantee that goods imported to the United States are not made with slave labor.
In 2021, Rubio introduced the <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubio-merkley-uyghur-forced-labor-prevention-act-becomes-law/">Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act </a>(UFLPA), which was signed into law. The Act would “ensure that goods made with the slave labor of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and elsewhere in the People’s Republic of China do not enter the United States,” Rubio’s <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/rubio-merkley-uyghur-forced-labor-prevention-act-becomes-law/">website</a> noted.
In the letter, Rubio noted “recent reports identifying two pharmaceutical producers based in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that are permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to distribute their products in the U.S.,” adding, “This is in clear violation of current law which prohibits imports from the region due to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) egregious human rights abuses, including genocide, forced abortions, and forced sterilizations.”
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
“Recent analysis by the Centers for Advanced Defense Studies exposed that the FDA currently allows at least two pharmaceutical producers, Xinjiang Nuziline Bio-Pharmaceutical Co. and SEL Biochem Xinjiang Co. to import APIs and drug products into the U.S.,” Rubio continued. “Both of these companies are linked to slave labor in Xinjiang and are not listed on the UFLPA Entity List.”
“The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act assures the American people that the products they purchase were made without slave labor,” Rubio wrote. “It is clear that the lack of oversight by the FDA has not made this true. The FDA and DHS have a responsibility to rectify this dangerous error and uphold the law. Therefore, I demand both departments and the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to immediately place Xinjiang Nuziline Bio-Pharmaceutical Co. and SEL Biochem Xinjiang Co. on the UFLPA Entity List. I also ask that the FDA and DHS complete a thorough review of every company authorized to distribute pharmaceuticals and API in the United States to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.”

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

Rubio Demands U.S. Government Stop Importation Of Slave-Made Drugs

Congress

Marco Rubio

Slavery

Uyghur

The American health care system has long been a convoluted web for patients to climb through, as they deal with the government, insurance companies, and the high cost of drugs that many people need to live comfortably.
Much of the distaste for the U.S. health care system is centered on drug and insurance companies, but over the past decade, a new player in the health care industry has become more powerful: pharmacy benefit managers. 
Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs as they’re commonly called, are the middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurance companies, pharmacies, and by extension, patients. PBMs were originally designed to maintain affordable drug prices for patients while helping drug manufacturers keep their profits, but instead, PBMs have been found to “profit at the expense of patients by inflating drug costs and squeezing Main Street pharmacies,” according to a Federal Trade Commission <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/07/ftc-releases-interim-staff-report-prescription-drug-middlemen">report</a> released on Tuesday. 
As PBMs take away many options, independent pharmacies across the country are subject to the dictates of PBMs, which give an unfair advantage to large pharmacy corporations such as CVS, the FTC report found. “PBMs hold substantial influence over independent pharmacies by imposing unfair, arbitrary, and harmful contractual terms that can impact independent pharmacies’ ability to stay in business and serve their communities,” it said.
One independent drug store that has been sounding the alarm on the rise of PBMs is Hayes Barton Pharmacy, which sits in an upper-class neighborhood just north of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Hayes Barton Pharmacy is managed by Brent Talley, who bought the local pharmacy in 2018 and currently employs 17 people. 
Talley, along with other independent pharmacists across the country, has seen firsthand how PBMs have reshaped the prescription drug industry and made it nearly impossible for mom-and-pop pharmacies to fill many prescriptions while maintaining a profit. 
“We have lost customers either because the PBM is requiring them to use another store or financially incentivizing them to do so,” Talley told The Daily Wire. “But at the same time, the quality of care we’re able to provide has far exceeded Walgreens’ and CVS’.”
Talley added that his pharmacy has “moved to diversify” to maintain profits and “stabilize” his business amid the growing power of PBMs. 
“Hopefully that [diversification] will sustain itself, but we already have turned down a lot of prescriptions, so how much more of that can we do? It’s hard to say,” he said. 
The three largest PBMs — owned by CVS Health, Cigna, and UnitedHealth Group — control 80% of the prescriptions in the U.S. A New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/business/prescription-drug-costs-pbm.html">investigation</a> into PBMs published last month found that instead of lowering drug costs for patients, PBMs often push patients toward pricier prescription drugs and pay independent pharmacies lowball prices for filling prescriptions. Often, small pharmacies will lose money on prescription drugs because the reimbursements they get from a PBM are less than what it costs them to fill a prescription.
“The P.B.M. negotiates with drug companies, pays pharmacies and helps decide which drugs patients can get at what price. In theory, everyone saves money,” the Times wrote. 
“But those savings appear to be largely a mirage, a product of a system where prices have been artificially inflated so that major P.B.M.s and drug companies can boost their profits while taking credit for reducing prices,” the report added. 
One of the largest PBMs is CVS Caremark, a subsidiary of CVS Health, which has pushed leftist ideology in employee leadership training. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-cvs-leadership-training-requires-participants-to-confess-privilege-make-allyship-pledges">reported</a> earlier this year that a required leadership training program at CVS put forward a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) action plan that asked participants to confess their privilege and pledge support for social justice causes. 
The health care giant’s revenue was up 11% in 2023 from the previous year, raking in <a href="https://www.managedhealthcareexecutive.com/view/cvs-s-health-services-revenue-grew-to-186-8-billion">$357.8 billion</a>, a total that includes revenue from CVS Caremark. The company says that “CVS Caremark negotiates lower costs for our customers and expands coverage to affordable medications that people need to stay healthy.” But what started as a way to help patients cover the cost of prescription drugs quickly turned into a nightmare for independent pharmacies and their patients. 
Blake Lamm and April Lamm Blackford run Bailey Pharmacy on Deans Street in Bailey, North Carolina, a more rural area of the state. The pharmacy has been around for over 100 years under different names, Lamm said, and the sibling owners currently pay two full-time workers and one part-time employee. 
Blake and April told The Daily Wire that they have more business now than they ever have, but because of PBMs’ unfair contracts for prescriptions, they often take financial hits for filling prescriptions, a pharmacy’s bread and butter. 
“We have to buy bottles to put the medicine in, the caps, the labels, the machines, the printers, all that kind of stuff that are the cost of business, but when I say I’m losing money on prescriptions, I’m losing money on what it cost to get the drug on the shelf,” Blake said. “That doesn’t even factor in filling the prescription.” 
Blake said that while PBMs have a direct negative effect on local pharmacies, in the end, patients in rural areas will face the brunt of the pain. He added that without a local pharmacy, rural patients would be forced to drive long distances or receive their prescriptions through often unreliable mail orders. 
Asked if he has a timeline for how much longer Baily Pharmacy can stay in business if PBMs are allowed to maintain their control of prescriptions, Blake told The Daily Wire, “I feel like we’ve been fighting it for a while, but we’re treading water right now.” 
“I’m trying to tell people when I see them that April and I want to be here for the next 10, 20 years until we decide to retire,” he added. “But at the rate the PBM thing is going, it’s more like maybe another year or two that I would think that we could possibly stay in business.” 
Some states have sought to take action and regulate PBMs. A 2019 Oklahoma law expanding patients’ ability to choose pharmacies and regulating PBMs was <a href="https://www.duanemorris.com/alerts/tenth_circuit_decision_regulating_pharmacy_benefit_managers_remains_place_oklahoma_appeals_0124.html">put on hold</a> by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, forcing the state to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. 
The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), a powerful lobbying group that represents PBMs, argued that federal laws preempt Oklahoma’s law. A case before the Supreme Court appears favorable for states seeking legislation addressing PBMs as the high court <a href="https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/supreme-court-upholds-arkansas-law-regulating-pharmacy-benefit-managers">ruled unanimously</a> in 2020 in favor of an Arkansas law regulating the powerful health care companies.
Tennessee also <a href="https://tnpharm.org/news/news-posts-pages/governor-bill-lee-signs-enforceable-pbm-reform-bill-into-law/">passed</a> a law in 2022 ensuring that patients maintain pharmacy choice and that pharmacies are properly compensated for filling out prescriptions.  
In North Carolina, the state House unanimously passed Rep. Wayne Sasser’s legislation that “would prohibit pharmacy benefits managers from reimbursing pharmacies less than the national average cost of a drug or less than the pharmacy benefits manager would reimburse itself.” 
<a href="https://dashboard.ncleg.gov/api/Services/BillSummary/2023/H246-SMBC-60(e1)-v-2">House Bill 246</a> would also prohibit PBMs “from assessing certain fees and restricting the right of pharmacies to dispense specialty drugs.”
HB 246 has been stuck in committee in the state Senate for over a year, and while Sasser is unsure if the bill will ever be brought to the floor for a vote, he said that he is confident that it would easily pass and be signed by the governor. 
“Basically where we’re at today in North Carolina is the Senate pro tem [Republican state Sen. Phil Berger] has refused to let the bill move. It’s just that simple,” Sasser said. “And all I’ll say is Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina is very powerful.” 
When asked about HB 246’s holdup in the state Senate, Randy Brechbiel — a spokesman for Berger — told The Daily Wire in an email, “Few states have successfully passed legislation implementing the provisions included in House Bill 246, and no states have knowledge of the long-term impacts.&#8221; 
&#8220;Required payments to pharmacies, such as significantly increased dispensing fees, would result in added costs being passed onto consumers and insurance premiums,&#8221; the spokesman added. &#8220;That, and the multiple complexities of the issue, has made finding a workable compromise difficult, but any legislative changes need to be weighed carefully given the impact would touch patients, employers, pharmacies, manufacturers, distributors, and PBMs.”

Pharmacy prescriptions

A Little-Known Health Care Middleman Is Becoming More Powerful. Independent Pharmacies Say That Spells Disaster For Patients.

Health Care

North Carolina

Martha&#8217;s Vineyard is about to run out of marijuana thanks to a state regulator balking at allowing cannabis to be transported over the ocean, and the situation has led to a lawsuit and a scramble to fix the problem.
One marijuana company, Fine Fettle, previously grew its own product on the island, circumventing the ocean transportation problem. However, the company, which also runs the last open pot dispensary on the island, has said it plans to stop growing marijuana on Martha&#8217;s Vineyard and will soon close the store.
Meanwhile, the state&#8217;s Cannabis Control Commission is afraid that transporting the drug over ocean waters could break federal law despite Massachusetts voters legalizing marijuana back in 2016.
Critics have argued that there are ways to get to Martha’s Vineyard without leaving state territorial waters, but so far, no marijuana supplier has convinced the commission to allow this.
Benjamin Zachs, who runs Fine Fettle&#8217;s Massachusetts operations, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/marthas-vineyard-run-pot-led-lawsuit-scramble-regulators-110973917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Associated Press that they initially thought the &#8220;captured market&#8221; on Martha&#8217;s Vineyard would remain profitable. However, many people now bring their personal stashes over on the ferry, and the drug is cheaper in other parts of Massachusetts. The cost of hiring testers on the island is also higher, Zachs said.
Among the island&#8217;s famously wealthy residents are more than 230 registered medical marijuana patients and thousands more recreational users. Some medical users are older adults, including an 81-year-old woman who has been unable to get her regular order.
The owner of one of the island&#8217;s two marijuana dispensaries, Geoff Rose, sued the state&#8217;s Cannabis Control Commission as his Island Time dispensary was running out of product. Rose had to temporarily shutter the store last month due to the regulations, and the island has only one other marijuana dispensary that is <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/marthas-vineyard-run-pot-led-lawsuit-scramble-regulators-110973917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> due to run out of product by September.
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The state&#8217;s Cannabis Control Commission has expressed to Martha&#8217;s Vineyard residents that it considers the problem an urgent one.
“Obviously, this is a super priority for us, because we don’t want to see the collapse of an industry on the islands,” Commissioner Kimberly Roy told residents during a visit to the island earlier this month.
“It&#8217;s a funny juxtaposition,” Roy said. “The entire industry is federally illegal. But that&#8217;s evolving, too. We are just trying to stay responsive and nimble.&#8221;
Other areas where pot is legal locally have struggled with illegal dispensaries.
Last year, New York <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-losing-millions-in-taxes-from-legal-marijuana-sales-while-illegal-market-booms-report">found</a> it was losing millions of dollars in tax revenue from its anemic legal marijuana sales while an illegal market thrived.

Could Martha’s Vineyard run out of weed?

Martha’s Vineyard Running Out Of Weed, Sparking Lawsuit

Martha's Vineyard Running Out Of Weed, Sparking Lawsuit

Drugs

Marijuana

Martha's Vineyard

Massachusetts

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oregon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon</a> Democrats are moving to undo part of the state&#8217;s drug decriminalization law that has plummeted in popularity since it went into effect.
Democrats on the state legislature&#8217;s addiction committee announced Tuesday that they will introduce a new bill to bring back misdemeanor criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of drugs.
In 2020, Oregon voters approved Measure 110, which scrapped criminal charges for possessing small amounts of any drug, even hard drugs like fentanyl.
Instead, offenders are hit with a maximum fine of $100 that is rarely enforced. Drug users can also get their fine dismissed if they call a hotline to get an addiction screening, but in the law&#8217;s first year, only 1% of people who received tickets for drug possession called the hotline, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-health/ap-oregons-first-in-the-nation-drug-decriminalization-law-faces-growing-pushback-amid-fentanyl-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to state auditors.
About 58% of Oregon voters approved the drug decriminalization law, the first of its kind in the country.
In the years since Measure 110 took effect, however, the law has become increasingly unpopular as residents deal with public drug use in their daily lives.
Two years later, more than 6 in 10 voters said they thought decriminalization has made drug addiction, homelessness, and crime worse in Oregon, according to a May <a href="https://www.dhmresearch.com/oregon-voters-support-bringing-back-criminal-penalties-for-drug-possession/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> from DMH Research. A combined 63% said they “strongly” supported or would be “somewhat” interested in once again criminalizing hard drugs.
Meanwhile, fatal drug overdoses in Oregon have spiked.
Oregon had more than 1,700 drug overdose deaths during the year that ended in August, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number is a 38% increase from the more than 1,200 deaths the state saw in the previous 12 months.
The new bill Democrats plan to introduce would make using drugs in certain public places like parks a low-level misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $1,250 fine or both. However, drug users can avoid charges if they complete a behavioral health screening and meet with a caseworker.
The bill would <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/open-air-drug-use-overdoses-push-democrats-introduce-overhaul-first-nation-decriminalization-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also</a> let police confiscate a user&#8217;s drugs and establish stronger sentences for dealing drugs in certain places such as near parks or homeless shelters. It would also increase access to treatment, housing, and insurance.
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“It’s the compromise path, but also the best policy that we can come up with to make sure that we are continuing to keep communities safe and save lives,” <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-u-s-news/ap-with-oregon-facing-rampant-public-drug-use-lawmakers-backpedal-on-pioneering-decriminalization-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> state Senator Kate Lieber (D), who co-chairs the addiction committee and will introduce the new bill.
As recently as November, Lieber was <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-health/ap-oregons-first-in-the-nation-drug-decriminalization-law-faces-growing-pushback-amid-fentanyl-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> it would be a &#8220;mistake&#8221; to overturn Measure 110, saying such a move would &#8220;make us go backwards.&#8221;
In September, the Portland City Council passed a ban on using hard drugs on public property, a sign of how fed up the city is with rampant open-air drug use polluting its streets.
However, that ordinance cannot go into effect unless the state reverses its decriminalization law.

Handcuffs on wrist, drug syringe

Oregon Democrats Move To Undo Part Of Unpopular Drug Decriminalization Law

Crime

Democrats

Drug Cartels

Fentanyl

Homeless

Oregon

The FBI seized more than 220 pounds of drugs in Massachusetts last week in a massive drug bust — believed to be the most drugs ever found in a single spot in New England.
The FBI task force found 10 million doses of drugs with a street value of $8 million during a search on November 1 in Lynn just north of Boston, the Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/over-220-pounds-suspected-controlled-substances-seized-including-pills-shaped-resemble-heart#:~:text=The%20seizure%20included%20nine%20kilograms,be%20upwards%20of%20%248%20million." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release Monday. The stash included eight million doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder.
Among the drugs were 20 pounds of pink, heart-shaped, fentanyl-laced pills that were &#8220;pressed to look like candy,&#8221; the Justice Department said.
<div id="attachment_649625" style="width: 420px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-649625" class=" wp-image-649625" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture1-300x207.jpg" alt="heart fentanyl" width="410" height="283" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture1-300x207.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture1.jpg 607w" sizes="(max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px" />(Justice Department)</div>
<div id="attachment_649629" style="width: 418px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-649629" class=" wp-image-649629" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture3-300x220.jpg" alt="drugs massachusetts" width="408" height="299" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture3-300x220.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/11/picture3.jpg 742w" sizes="(max-width: 408px) 100vw, 408px" />(Justice Department)</div>
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Authorities also found brown rock and powder-like substances, which tested positive for cocaine and other drugs, and counterfeit Adderall pills believed to contain methamphetamines.
Three men were arrested in connection with allegedly running the &#8220;large-scale drug trafficking organization,&#8221; authorities said.
A 25-year-old man, Emilio Garcia, also known as &#8220;6&#8221; and a 33-year-old man, Sebastien Bejin, also known as Bash, were each charged with two counts, including possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. A third 40-year-old man, Deiby Felix, was charged with just one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge.
They are scheduled to appear in court on November 13.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the seizure &#8220;saved lives in communities throughout Massachusetts.&#8221;
“Not only was this seizure one of the largest in the history of Massachusetts, but some of the pills were created to look like candy, potentially presenting an enormous risk to children,&#8221; Wray said.
The number of doses is greater than the number of people living in Massachusetts, said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts.
“The fact that we now are seeing fentanyl-laced pills pressed to resemble candy only underscores the urgency of this fentanyl crisis,” Levy said.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is cheap to make and easily transported, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-sees-biggest-fentanyl-bust-in-sheriffs-office-history">is about</a> 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Because it is often cut with other drugs, users may often be unaware that they are consuming the powerful substance, which can be deadly even in small doses.
As little as two milligrams of fentanyl weighing the same as a few grains of salt can cause a fatal overdose, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-sees-biggest-fentanyl-bust-in-sheriffs-office-history">according</a> to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Fentanyl has been on the rise in the U.S. for years. In a public safety alert, the DEA <a href="https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-laboratory-testing-reveals-6-out-10-fentanyl-laced-fake-prescription-pills-now-contain#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20highly%20addictive,considered%20a%20potentially%20deadly%20dose." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that six out of ten fentanyl pills the agency tests contain a potentially lethal dose.
In 2022, more than two-thirds of the 107,081 drug overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids, mostly illegal fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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