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Trump’s Weight-loss Drug Deal: Cheaper Shots, But Is It MAHA?

President Donald Trump has unveiled a sweeping action to slash the cost of the nation’s most expensive weight-loss drugs, casting it as a turning point for both healthcare affordability and economic fairness. In what the White House calls a “historic” agreement with pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, the administration announced that prices for popular GLP-1 agonists (weight-loss drugs) such as Ozempic and Wegovy will drop by more than two-thirds under a new initiative known as TrumpRx. The program is a government-backed platform that allows Americans to purchase prescription drugs at discounted rates negotiated by the administration.

The measure, described by officials as one of the largest single reductions in drug prices in U.S. history, aims to make medications long seen as luxury treatments accessible to millions of Americans battling obesity and related conditions.

Applause for the move was far from unanimous. Within the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) camp — the wing of the movement that believes real health starts with prevention rather than prescriptions — the mood was restrained. Critics argue that the deal hands pharmaceutical companies both market dominance and political validation, locking Americans further into a medical model driven by patented injections.

The Deal

The White House framed the deal as a landmark victory for American consumers:

The agreement represents a historic reduction in prices for Americans on the two drugs with the highest annual expenditures in the United States, both of which help adults struggling with diabetes, heart disease (Ozempic and Wegovy only), obesity, and other conditions.

Under the terms of the new arrangement, the monthly cost of Ozempic and Wegovy will fall from about $1,000 and $1,350, respectively, to $350 when purchased through TrumpRx. Prices for Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Orforglipron, once approved, will be reduced from $1,086 to an average of $346. If — or rather when — the FDA later authorizes the Wegovy pill or similar oral GLP-1 drugs currently in development, “the initial dose of those drugs will be priced at $150 per month” through the portal.

The administration said the new pricing will allow Medicare and Medicaid to cover obesity treatments “at a dramatically lower cost to taxpayers than that proposed by the Biden Administration.” Under the agreement, Medicare will pay just $245 a month for drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. That is less than half of prior proposals.

According to the fact sheet:

These low prices will enable Medicare to cover Wegovy and Zepbound for patients with obesity and related comorbidities for the first time.

Beneficiaries “will pay a co-pay of just $50 per month.” Plus, “state Medicaid programs will also have access to these medications at these prices.”

The deal also extends to other high-cost medicines. Eli Lilly’s Emgality, a migraine therapy, will now cost $299 per pen, down $443 from its list price. Trulicity, another diabetes treatment, will fall to $389 per month, a reduction of nearly $600. Novo Nordisk’s insulin products NovoLog and Tresiba will be capped at $35 per monthly supply.

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Psilocybin Shows Potential to Improve Long-Term Effects of Repetitive Brain Injuries Linked to Intimate Partner Violence

The research involved teams from the University of Victoria, Monash University, and Vancouver Island University.

The study examined a rat model designed to mimic the types of injuries commonly reported in IPV survivors: repeated mild traumatic brain injury and short episodes of non-fatal strangulation. Female rats received daily head impacts followed by 90-second strangulation events for five consecutive days, then were allowed a 16-week recovery period to mirror the chronic symptoms often seen in humans.

After the recovery period, the animals were given either a single dose of psilocybin (1 mg/kg) or saline. Those that received psilocybin showed notable improvements. Anxiety-like behaviors normalized in the elevated plus-maze, measures of motivation improved through increased sucrose preference, and cognitive performance strengthened in both spatial-memory and reversal-learning tests. These benefits disappeared when rats were pre-treated with a 5-HT2A receptor–blocking compound, indicating that psilocybin’s effects were driven by this serotonin receptor.

The brain analysis aligned with the behavioral results. Injured rats that received saline had more activated microglia—an indicator of neuroinflammation—in the dorsal hippocampus, as well as fewer reelin-positive cells linked to neuroplasticity. Those alterations were not present in the psilocybin-treated group.

Taken together, the findings suggest that psilocybin’s antidepressant-like, pro-cognitive, and anti-inflammatory actions may help counter long-term effects of repetitive IPV-related brain injury, and that the 5-HT2A receptor plays a key role in those benefits.

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Hemp Shows Strong Antiviral Activity Against Japanese Encephalitis Virus

The research, published by Arch Virol and conducted by scientists from Chung-Ang University, The Catholic University of Korea, Kyungpook National University and Gyeongkuk National University, analyzed whether extracts from hemp roots and stems could limit viral activity in cell models.

The team prepared ethanol extracts and organic solvent fractions from hemp material, first identifying non-toxic concentration ranges through standard cytotoxicity assays. Several of these fractions showed strong virucidal effects, but the hexane and chloroform fractions stood out for producing the most pronounced suppression of viral activity.

When these highly active fractions were applied after cells had already been infected, researchers observed a sharp reduction in viral replication. Both JEV mRNA and the viral E protein dropped substantially, indicating that the post-treatment approach directly interfered with the virus’s ability to grow. By contrast, applying the fractions before viral exposure—or at the same time as exposure—did not offer meaningful protection, suggesting the compounds work most effectively once infection is underway.

Further chemical analysis identified several known hemp-derived molecules within the active fractions, and one compound in particular, stigmasterol, emerged as a key antiviral candidate. In follow-up tests, stigmasterol demonstrated both virucidal action and direct antiviral activity. It disrupted viral entry during infection and suppressed viral growth afterward, again reducing JEV mRNA and E protein expression to significant levels.

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Major Association Of Corporations Including Coca-Cola, Nestlé And General Mills Urge Congress To Ban Intoxicating Hemp Products

A major trade association that counts among its members corporations such as Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kraft Heinz and Nestlé is putting pressure on Congress to ban intoxicating hemp products.

In a letter sent to House and Senate leadership, the Consumer Brands Association (CBA) said it wants to see the so-called “hemp loophole” of the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized the crop closed. And to that end, the organization backed appropriations language led by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) to prohibit hemp products containing any quantifiable amount of THC.

The proliferation of intoxicating cannabinoid products—including those that contain synthesized delta-8 and delta-10 THC, for example—have “caused significant investigative and testing challenges, as well as unseen health and safety impacts,” CBA said in the September letter, as first reported by Cannabis Wire.

“This definition did not take into account the possibility for addition of various isomers (chemical variants with similar effects) of THC, and the possibility of intoxicating hemp-derived beverages, which can include more THC than ever intended,” it said. “Additionally, many products are deliberately marketed in ways that confuse consumers, featuring brightly colored packaging, cartoon imagery, and names that mimic candy or popular treats.”

Relatedly, CBA also advised Congress in 2022 to prevent the proliferation of marijuana-infused copycat products that mimic their well-known brands.

“Congress did not intend to create an unregulated market for intoxicating products that are not subject to Food and Drug Administration oversight. Two of the most prevalent isomers of THC, Delta-8 and Delta-10, have not had any FDA review,” the new letter says. “These products create risks for consumers who may falsely believe that they are reviewed and regulated for safety and purity.”

“As you consider finalizing FY 2026 appropriations, we encourage you to close this loophole and protect consumers,” CBA said.

Notably, the retail giant Target—which recently launch a pilot program selling hemp THC beverages at select locations in Minnesota—is also a member of CBA. Target’s decision came just weeks after the association sent out the letter to Congress on restricting such products from the marketplace.

Meanwhile, a bipartisan coalition of 39 state and territory attorneys general recently called on Congress to clarify the federal definition of hemp and impose regulations preventing the sale of intoxicating cannabinoid products.

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Nebraska Tribe Punches Back After State Officials Hint At Prosecuting People For Buying Marijuana On Its Reservation

A Native American tribe in Nebraska, as well as cannabis reform activists, are punching back against the governor and state attorney general over recent comments suggesting that people would be prosecuted if they buy marijuana from businesses on its reservation.

Gov. Jim Pillen (R) and Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) both made controversial remarks about the tribe’s cannabis program this week amid negotiations over a compact on tax revenue from tobacco sales.

Hilgers said that people who buy marijuana under the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska’s planned legal market on its reservation within the state do so “at their own peril,” implying enforcement action against citizens for purchasing what he described as a “poison” if they take it beyond the territory’s borders.

In response, the tribe’s attorney general, John Cartier, put out a statement condemning the top state officials, emphasizing that the state “cannot dictate our internal licensing” and that “retaliation and misinformation do not serve patients or taxpayers.”

“We continue to act in good faith and are ready to work with the Governor to find agreement that benefits both parties, but we caution him: if he is relying solely on the Attorney General’s flawed interpretation of the law, personal crusades are clouding his legal judgment as they have before,” he said. “If the State continues to retaliate or attempts to block our lawful enterprise, we will defend our sovereignty through all available means.”

Cartier said the notion that the tribe can’t sell marijuana under its regulatory model to non-tribal members is “wrong.”

“Nebraskans overwhelmingly approved medical cannabis last November, yet the administration has pursued litigation and commission actions that frustrate voter intent and depart from Nebraska law and the sponsors’ stated purpose,” the statement says. “None of this alters the jurisdictional line that preserves the Tribe’s authority on tribal lands. The Tribe has moved forward, as is our right, with regulations that align with statute. The State’s reaction misstates the law and distracts from patient-focused solutions.”

The tribe’s attorney general said its members are willing to compromise on the tobacco tax issue and accept a compact deal previously offered by the administration. But if that compromise plan is also being withdrawn, he said that would “demonstrate direct retaliation against the Tribe, and we will respond accordingly.”

“We prefer to work directly with the Governor on a tobacco tax compact that benefits both parties and respects sovereignty. Any attempt to leverage an unrelated, lawful medical cannabis program against compact discussions is improper. We look forward to the administration’s written position and we will respond through the proper channels.”

The tribe’s attorney general previously claimed that the state is using its efforts to legalize marijuana as an excuse to suspend negotiations on the tobacco tax deal.

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Scientists Say They Have Proof the Universe Isn’t a Simulation—The Math Makes It Impossible

For decades, philosophers, technologists, and even billionaires like Elon Musk have toyed with the idea that our universe might be a highly sophisticated computer simulation. The idea represents one of modern science’s most haunting and enduring hypotheticals, a kind of digital cosmology.

However, according to a study by an international team of theoretical physicists, the mathematics itself may finally settle the debate. Their conclusion? It’s impossible that we’re living in a simulation.

In a paper published in the Journal of Holography Applications in Physics, researchers argue that the same mathematical principles that limit what computers can calculate also limit what any simulation of the universe could ever reproduce. In short, the universe contains truths that no algorithm—no matter how advanced—can ever compute.

“It has been suggested that the universe could be simulated. If such a simulation were possible, the simulated universe could itself give rise to life, which in turn might create its own simulation,” lead author and theoretical physicist at the University of British Columbia, Dr. Mir Faizal, said in a statement. “This recursive possibility makes it seem highly unlikely that our universe is the original one, rather than a simulation nested within another simulation.”

“This idea was once thought to lie beyond the reach of scientific inquiry. However, our recent research has demonstrated that it can, in fact, be scientifically addressed.”

The idea that reality could be computed—sometimes called “It from Bit,” after physicist Dr. John Archibald Wheeler’s phrase—has long fascinated scientists. In this view, the cosmos itself could be described as a vast informational process: every atom, photon, and galaxy, a pixel in a cosmic program.

Yet Dr. Faizal and his co-authors—renowned cosmologist Dr. Lawrence M. Krauss, Dr. Francesco Marino of Italy’s National Institute of Optics, and researcher Arshid Shabir—argue that this idea collapses under the very laws of logic itself.

Using the mathematical frameworks of Kurt Gödel, Alfred Tarski, and Gregory Chaitin, researchers demonstrated that any “Theory of Everything” built entirely on computation must, by definition, be incomplete.

Gödel’s incompleteness theorems, for example, proved that in any sufficiently complex mathematical system, there are true statements that can never be proven using the rules of that system.

Tarski’s theorem showed that truth itself cannot be defined entirely within a formal language. And Chaitin’s work revealed that some mathematical truths are fundamentally uncomputable—they contain more information than any algorithm can encode.

The researchers argue that these theorems also apply to the foundations of physics. Any theory of quantum gravity—the long-sought framework that unifies general relativity and quantum mechanics—would be a kind of algorithmic system. And just like mathematics, it would inevitably face its own unprovable truths.

“Together, the Gödel–Tarski–Chaitin triad delineates an insurmountable frontier for any strictly computable framework,” the researchers write.

In other words, if the laws of physics can’t be reduced to pure computation, then neither can the universe.

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Nebraska Attorney General Calls Marijuana A ‘Poison’ And Says People Who Buy It From A Tribe Within The State Do So ‘At Their Own Peril’

The attorney general of Nebraska says people who buy marijuana under a Native American tribe’s planned legal market on its reservation within the state do so “at their own peril,” implying enforcement action against citizens for purchasing what he described as a “poison” if they take it beyond the territory’s borders.

During a press conference focused on an unrelated executive order, Gov. Jim Pillen (R) and Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) were asked about ongoing negotiations with the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska over a tobacco tax compact and the tribe’s move to legalize cannabis within the prohibitionist state.

“I think that my position is crystal clear. I’m totally opposed in recreational marijuana,” the governor said. “If the Omaha tribe progresses to that extent, my view is really simple: There’s not going to be Nebraskans going into the Omaha buying recreational marijuana. We’ll take whatever steps it is to keep our state values and keep that from happening.”

Hilgers, the state attorney general, also spoke about the tribe’s cannabis program alongside the governor, as well as during a separate press briefing on Wednesday.

While compacts between the state and tribal governments can be “good” for both parties, he said what the Omaha tribe has proposed is both a usurpation of tax revenue from tobacco sales and a willful defiance of state laws around marijuana.

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FAA Updates Controller Manual to Reflect New UAP Reporting Policy

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has formally replaced the term “Unidentified Flying Object” (UFO) with “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” (UAP) in its core air traffic control manual, marking a notable procedural update that aligns with recent federal terminology and U.S. code. The change was highlighted by Americans for Safe Aerospace (ASA) and its founder, former Navy pilot Ryan Graves, who praised the revision as a step toward transparency and improved aviation safety reporting.

The update was issued under FAA Notice N 7110.800, effective October 26, 2025, and applies to all Air Traffic Organization (ATO) personnel. The notice modifies two key sections of FAA Order JO 7110.65, the governing document for air traffic control procedures. Specifically, it updates paragraph 1-2-6, “Abbreviations,” and paragraph 9-8-1, “General,” to remove the word UFO and introduce UAP in its place.

(Editor’s Note: As of publication, the FAA’s online version of Order JO 7110.65 does not yet reflect the revisions outlined in Notice N 7110.800. The updated language appears only in the notice itself, pending formal incorporation into the manual.)

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Des Moines Election Proves Once Again You Can’t Fix Stupid

As the old man used to say, you can’t fix stupid. He had a cupboard full of old man aphorisms, but that one remains one of my favorites. 

The expression definitely fits the blue states and blue cities that just elected — or reelected — far-left politicians to lead them deeper into the promised land of failure. Apparently, these voters said, “We don’t have enough crime, homelessness, poverty, misery. Let’s throw some gas on this dumpster fire and see what happens.”

If anything, Tuesday’s elections underscored the left’s disinterest in accountability, at least when it comes to their candidates. Case in point, the Democrats of Des Moines. 

‘Radical Empathy’

Voters in Iowa’s capital city rewarded the people who hired an illegal immigrant with a long rap sheet to serve as the school district’s superintendent. Incumbents Maria Alonzo and Skylar Mayberry-Mayes were reelected to four-year terms in Tuesday’s school board election. Mayberry-Mayes ran uncontested. 

The incumbents were part of the seven-member board that unanimously voted in 2023 to hire DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) candidate Ian Roberts as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools. In late September, the board members apparently were surprised to learn that the walking fraud they once gushed over was not only an illegal immigrant from Guyana, but that he had been in possession of a loaded handgun and $3,000 cash when he was apprehended in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforcement operation. 

The coming days would be difficult for a district led by School Board Chairwoman Jackie Norris, Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff and a Democrat with higher political aspirations. Even as evidence of Roberts’ not-so-secret past came to light, Norris called on Des Moines residents to “take a page out of Dr. Roberts’ book and ask the community to engage in radical empathy as we work through the situation together.”

Norris and the nation would soon learn that Roberts was no doctor. He had lied about receiving his doctoral degree from Morgan State University years before, among other suspect accomplishments on his resume. The Des Moines School Board knew that when they hired him to lead Iowa’s largest public school district, yet district officials frequently referred to him as Dr. Roberts, Iowa Public Radio reported. 

DEI Champion

Roberts certainly wasn’t forthcoming about his lengthy criminal record, which should have precluded him from remaining in the United States years ago. His rap sheet includes charges of criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell dating back to 1996. Roberts has been convicted of reckless driving, multiple criminal weapons charges, and, in September, the accompanying charge of possession of firearms by an illegal immigrant. 

To be fair, Roberts had long slipped through the cracks, it seems. School systems that hired him, including Des Moines Public Schools, are now suing the consultant that recommended Roberts.

But district officials were more interested in what Roberts represented than the potential skeletons in his closet. In introducing the black educrat as Des Moines’ new superintendent in 2023, Teree Caldwell-Johnson, Des Moines Public Schools Board chairwoman at the time, emphasized Roberts’ DEI bona fides. 

“There is no question that our search yielded a strong and diverse pool of candidates — Cultural, racial, ethnic, gender and orientation diversity were represented in the candidates that we considered. The bottom line: this board delivered on all fronts,” Caldwell-Johnson said. The former school board president, who died last year following a battle with cancer, celebrated the fact that the board was looking for candidates with “diverse urban experience,” someone who “would champion DEI at all levels of the organization.” 

Checking to see whether that DEI champion might be an illegal alien with a troubling criminal record was less a priority. 

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LOST IN ORBIT: Chinese Astronauts Stranded in Tiangong Space Station After Debris Strikes Their Return Capsule

This is a distressing trend in space exploration.

No matter what our particular feelings about Communist China and their space program, it is worrying news to learn that a Chinese space crew is temporarily stranded at the Tiangong space station.

The astronauts – or rather, taikonauts – have been put in this dangerous situation after space debris struck their return capsule, according to China’s spaceflight agency.

Fox News reported:

“The three-member Shenzhou-20 team had been scheduled to return to Earth on Wednesday, but their mission has been temporarily extended as engineers conduct impact analysis and risk assessments on the damaged spacecraft, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said in a statement.”

“The Shenzhou program regularly sends crews of three Chinese astronauts to and from the Tiangong space station for six-month missions, where they carry out tasks ranging from scientific experiments to repairing debris damage.

The Shenzhou-20 astronauts – mission commander Chen Dong, fighter pilot Chen Zhongrui and engineer Wang Jie – arrived at Tiangong in April for a six-month rotation. They were nearing the end of their mission when the issue occurred.”

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