Tag: the war on (some) drugs

Trump says he’s lifting a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey because ‘everybody’s been bugging me’ about it

President Donald Trump says he plans to remove a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey.

DOONBEG, Ireland (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday at the close of a golf tournament in Ireland that he plans to remove a 10% tariff on Irish whiskey.

Trump said during the trophy ceremony for the Irish Open that he had been asked about the issue by everyone, including Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and even some of the golfers. Irish Open winner Shane Lowry was among them, Trump said.

“Everybody’s been bugging me” to do it, the Republican president said. “And I said, ‘On behalf of the United States of America, I am going to take the tariffs off’” of Irish whiskey.

Irish whiskey currently faces the standard tariff imposed by Trump on most imports from the European Union, which was reduced from 15% to 10% in July.

Trump announced in April that he was lifting certain tariffs on U.K. whiskey, which includes Scotch and spirits made in Northern Ireland, creating an imbalance with Ireland.

Trump’s surprise announcement was met with loud whistling and cheers from the crowd of spectators. Details on how soon the tariff would be lifted were not immediately available.

Chris Swonger, president & CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, called Trump’s announcement “another positive step toward reducing barriers to spirits trade” and said everyone would benefit from it during the coming holidays.

“As U.S. hospitality businesses enter the critical holiday season, this action will provide a welcome boost for retailers, restaurants, consumers and the American economy,” Swonger said.

In May, the Irish Whiskey Association called for the tariffs to be removed, arguing that such a step would help many U.S. companies with Irish products in their portfolios and avoid uncertainty for consumers.

Trump said on April 30 that he gave the United Kingdom a tariff break on whiskey after King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the White House. “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” Trump posted on social media.

The Scotch Whisky Association said July 24 that the zero-tariff policy had come into effect.

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Popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs linked to potentially deadly brain disorder

Researchers are warning about a rare but potentially life-threatening brain condition that may be linked to popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications.

A new study, published in Clinical Nutrition, identified 15 reported cases of Wernicke encephalopathy, a neurological disorder caused by severe vitamin B1 deficiency, in people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Most of the reported cases involved semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, or tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound.

Researchers found 15 cases through the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), published medical literature and their own medical center.

Most patients reported gastrointestinal symptoms or nutritional issues, including weight loss, vomiting, loss of appetite or malnutrition, the study noted.

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Billionaires Are Buying Into Psychedelic Companies

Putting aside my skepticism of SpaceX for a moment, there is something worth paying attention to in the latest report about the people who made fortunes backing the company: they are now putting serious money into psychedelics.

And while I can’t necessarily get behind backing Elon Musk’s idea of elephants performing Les Miserables on the moon, or whatever other “lofty” goals are in the SpaceX S-1, I can get behind these follow up investment ideas.

Back in January when absolutely no one was talking about the sector, I officially hung my balls out there and name it my “Best Idea” sector for 2026. I was writing about these stocks years ago ago, first in January 2025, calling the psychedelic names “stocks to watch” for the year. Then, in July 2025, urging patience in these positions.

In April, after the administration’s executive order supporting psychedelic research, I reiterated my bullish stance and argued that we were moving from the phase where these therapies were ignored into the phase where institutions would be forced to engage with them seriously. That transition appears to be underway.

So far, the group has wildly outperformed the market, with the AdvisorShares Psychedelic ETF (PSIL) beating the S&P 500 by about +32% this year. Other individual companies I pointed out at the beginning of this year are beating the market by about +79% and +171%.

That doesn’t mean every name is going to work, or that the easy money hasn’t already been made in some of them. But the broader thesis continues to get validation, and the latest evidence suggests that capital is still finding its way into the space.

The biggest validation came in July, when Eli Lilly agreed to acquire AtaiBeckley for approximately $2.8 billion upfront, with another $1 billion contingent on development and regulatory milestones.

That is not a small biotech taking a flyer on an experimental treatment. That is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world committing billions of dollars to a psychedelic-derived drug pipeline. Lilly’s interest is centered on BPL-003, a treatment being developed for treatment-resistant depression.

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Popular Egyptian Show Host Sentenced to Death by Hanging Over Drug Trafficking Gang Involvement

A Cairo criminal court sentenced television host Sarah Khalifa, 39, and 11 other defendants to death by hanging on Saturday after convicting them of forming an organized gang that imported materials used to manufacture synthetic drugs for trafficking.

Khalifa has more than two million followers on social media.

Nine co-defendants received life sentences. Seven of the 28 people charged were acquitted.

State newspaper Al-Ahram said the death sentences were unanimous and issued after Egypt’s Grand Mufti gave the opinion required by law.

Prosecutors said more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and materials were seized.

They cited statements from 20 witnesses and electronic evidence including messages, photos, and video.

Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025. She has denied the drug charges and shouted that she was innocent when the verdict was read.

Al Jazeera reports:

Khalifa denied the charges and told investigators she had “never smoked a cigarette in my life” and declared her innocence.

Egyptian media reported that she was weeping and crying during the session, asking the court for mercy: “Please listen to me, sir. My parents raised me well; they are people who pray, and I don’t need drug money”

Prosecutors said the gang imported raw materials from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs, storing them in residential properties. Members divided roles between procurement, manufacturing and distribution, authorities said. Investigators seized unlicensed firearms and ammunition alongside the narcotics.

The prosecution said the group used a residential property to store the materials and manufacture the drugs.

Khalifa hosted the Al-Mehwar crime and security program Mission Impossible. She also operated a cosmetic clinic and an events company.

Her lawyers said they will appeal.

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Radical Abortion Group With Ties to Biden Officials and Shady Hedge Fund Faces Investigation and Lawsuit for Advertising Illegal Abortion Pills in Plane Stunt

A radical left abortion group founded and led by ex-Biden officials is coming under fire by Kentucky’s top law enforcement official after an “illegal” stunt advertising abortion pills at the state fair. 

New York-based Mayday Health was founded following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade by former Biden White House Traveling Content Director Olivia Raisner, former Biden-Harris campaign speechwriter Sam Koppelman, and Nathaniel Brooks Horwitz.

Last weekend, Mayday Health promoted the trafficking of abortion pills into the state, bypassing an existing law in Kentucky that bans the sale of the deadly drugs, Kentucky Today reports.

The banner, which advertised “Abortion Pills By Mail” with a link to Mayday Health’s webpage, was seen flying over the Kentucky State Fair last weekend.

Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman responded to the incident on X, writing, “It appears abortion activists are flying over Louisville advertising illegal drugs.”

“They are breaking the law,” he added. 

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Missouri State Representative Candidate Charged with Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine to Frame Opponent

A Missouri state representative candidate has been charged by criminal complaint for conspiring to distribute a controlled substance to plant on his political opponent. 

Thomas Christopher Ross, 37, of Joplin, Mo., was charged in a one-count complaint for conspiring to distribute a controlled substance. Ross is currently running for the state seat in House District 161 and won the Republican primary last month.

As alleged in the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, on Thursday, July 30, 2026, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted by the Joplin Police Department (JPD) regarding a “public corruption” matter in Joplin, Mo. According to the initial information provided by JPD, the former campaign manager for Ross (C.S.), was asked by Ross to plant drugs on his opponent (L.S.). C.S. provided law enforcement with a black nylon glove that he claimed was given to him by Ross. A small, plastic bag was inside the glove. Inside of the bag was a small amount of white powder. A Nartec Inc. Cocaine Test Kit was used on the powder, which indicated a positive match for cocaine. 

Additionally, inside of the glove was a pink and white capsule. The capsule was identified as Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine 20 mg extended release, also known as Adderall, a Schedule II controlled substance. C.S. told investigators that he and Ross exchanged text messages, in which Ross requested for C.S. to place the bag of drugs inside of the purse or vehicle of L.S. while Ross was out of state on vacation.

“The American people deserve confidence in an electoral process that has served our nation for generations,” said R. Matthew Price, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. “Candidates are expected to conduct their campaigns with integrity, honesty, and respect for their opponents, allowing voters to make informed decisions without fear of misinformation or undue influence. The Western District of Missouri will continue to uphold fairness, transparency, and integrity in elections and will pursue violations of public trust when warranted”.

“The conduct alleged in these charges are substantial and serious,” said Chris Ormerod, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas City Field Office. “Our citizens deserve to know that the election process is done with transparency and fairness. As this case moves through the judicial process, it’s important that it proceeds fairly, impartially and in accordance with the rule of law.”

The charges contained in the complaint are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. 

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Crackhead Hunter Biden Admits He Used Burisma Cash to Fund His Drug Binges — Joe Biden ‘Showed Up’ at His DC Crack Den With a Secret Service Motorcade

Hunter Biden just confessed that the millions he collected from the corrupt Ukrainian energy giant Burisma didn’t just sit in some consulting account. He used that foreign cash to keep his crack pipe lit.

And while he was living in a Washington, D.C. drug den with a homeless crack dealer nicknamed “Bicycles,” his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, rolled up in a taxpayer-funded motorcade of six SUVs, Secret Service agents at his side, and knocked on the door, Page Six reported.

Hunter dropped the details on the addiction podcast Dopey with host Dave Manheim. When asked how he never went broke during years of crack, prostitutes, luxury bungalows at the Chateau Marmont, and motel benders, Hunter didn’t hesitate.

“I never went broke… Well, I still had the residual. Like for instance, I still was on the board of Burisma.”

He stayed on that board for years after his father left the vice presidency. The requirement? Show up four times a year.

“Even when I was a crack addict and out of my mind, I could show up for four meetings a year,” Hunter bragged.

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