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Trump Signs Executive Order To Tie US Drug Prices To Global Lows

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On Monday morning, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order aimed at dramatically lowering prescription drug prices in the United States. At the center of the order is a “most favored nation” (MFN) pricing policy, which mandates that the U.S. pay no more for medications than the lowest price paid by any other country. Trump claims the initiative could cut drug prices by 30% to 80%, potentially saving American taxpayers trillions of dollars.

The MFN policy revives a proposal from Trump’s first term and targets the longstanding disparity in drug costs between the U.S. and other nations. The order also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to begin broad drug price negotiations, while introducing measures to combat anti-competitive practices, expand drug imports, and scrutinize the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

The New York Post reports:

“What’s been happening is, we’ve been subsidizing other countries throughout the world,” Trump explained at a White House signing ceremony, calling Monday’s action one of his “most important orders.”

“Some prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices will be reduced almost immediately by 50 to 80 to 90%, he added. “Big Pharma will either abide by this principle voluntarily or we’ll use the power of the federal government to ensure that we are paying the same price.”

The policy is a revival of Trump’s signature “most favored nation” drive from his first term, with a new push to get foreign countries to take on more of the research and development (R&D) costs that experts say America has disproportionately shouldered.

“Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before,” the president previously promised on Truth Social Sunday. “The United States will save TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.”

The announcement triggered immediate market reaction, with shares of pharmaceutical giants like AstraZeneca and GSK seeing declines. Industry leaders have warned the policy could stifle innovation and competition, arguing it may disincentivize research and development.

Although the Biden administration previously took steps to lower drug prices through the Inflation Reduction Act, Trump’s executive order takes a more aggressive approach by linking U.S. prices directly to global lows.

However, the new policy is expected to face significant legal and logistical hurdles, particularly due to the complexity of the U.S. drug pricing system and the opaque nature of international pricing mechanisms.

Trump Breaks Silence On Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for former President Joe Biden following Sunday’s surprise announcement of Biden’s aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis. In a Truth Social post, Trump stated:

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

Biden, 82, was diagnosed with a high-grade, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer that has metastasized to the bone. Biden and his family are currently reviewing treatment plans with his medical team.

Trump’s message marks a notable moment of bipartisan compassion amid ongoing political tensions.

In his first public statement following the diagnosis, Biden expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support, saying:

“Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are the strongest in broken places.”

The announcement has prompted a wave of bipartisan support, with messages of encouragement from various political figures, including Kamala Harris and Barack Obama.

However, not all reactions have been as supportive. Donald Trump Jr. initially shared a message wishing President Biden a speedy recovery but later posted a controversial comment questioning how Dr. Jill Biden could have missed signs of advanced cancer, suggesting a possible cover-up. “What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer—or is this yet another cover-up???” Trump Jr. wrote on X (formerly Twitter). His post was widely criticized for its accusatory tone and for failing to note that Jill Biden holds a doctorate in education, not medicine.

According to Newsweek‘s reporting, the cancer presumably developed rapidly, despite Biden’s routine screenings intended to detect it early:

A professor of oncology told Newsweek that Joe Biden would have been tested for prostate cancer while in office and it is likely his cancer developed rapidly.

Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Biden’s age and health were dominant concerns among voters during his time as president. The 82-year-old dismissed concerns about his mental acuity, but ultimately dropped his bid for a second term following a disastrous debate performance in June last year. He was replaced as the Democratic nominee by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to President Donald Trump.

Questions have been raised about the Biden administration and campaign’s transparency about Biden’s age and cognitive ability. An upcoming book alleges White House aides covered up Biden’s physical and mental decline. However, there is no current indication publicly available that Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer during his tenure as president.

Biden’s office said the former president was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone.

Senate Votes To Confirm Health and Human Services Secretary

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) following weeks of debate over his nomination.

Once again, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) stood alone as the only Republican to vote against President Trump’s nominee. McConnell opposed Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as director of national intelligence (DNI).

The confirmation process was marked by intense scrutiny of Kennedy’s record and policy positions. The Senate Finance Committee advanced his nomination last Tuesday with a narrow 14-13 vote.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician and key swing vote, played a decisive role in moving Kennedy’s nomination forward. Cassidy, who has represented Louisiana in the Senate since 2014, broke with some in his party to support the nominee.

The full Senate advanced Kennedy’s nomination on Wednesday following a successful cloture vote of 53 to 47.

During his confirmation process, Kennedy worked to distance himself from past remarks that raised doubts about vaccine safety.

Despite the controversy, he managed to secure enough backing from Republicans to push his nomination forward.

As head of HHS, Kennedy will oversee federal health policy, including responses to public health crises, health care regulations and medical research funding. His tenure is expected to bring significant policy debates, particularly regarding vaccine policy, regulatory oversight and public health initiatives.

With Kennedy now confirmed, all eyes will be on how he navigates key health policy challenges in the months ahead.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Minnesota Republicans Propose Bill Classifying “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as Mental Illness

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Minnesota Senate Republicans have introduced a bill to define “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS) as a form of mental illness. Senate Bill 2589, which is set to be formally introduced and read on March 17, 2025, igniting significant debate due to the novelty of a politically charged term in the medical lexicon.

The bill, sponsored by Republican State Senators Eric Lucero, Steve Drazkowski, Nathan Wesenberg, Justin Eichorn, and Glenn Gruenhagen, seeks to amend the state’s definition of mental illness by adding a specific reference to TDS. According to the text of the bill, mental illness would include “Trump Derangement Syndrome” or an organic disorder of the brain that significantly impairs an individual’s ability to function in daily life.

The bill describes TDS as “the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump.” According to the proposal, individuals affected by TDS exhibit symptoms of paranoia and an inability to separate legitimate political disagreements from perceived personal or psychological pathology in Trump’s behavior.

The bill further characterizes TDS as leading to “Trump-induced general hysteria,” where individuals may struggle to distinguish between policy differences and a supposed mental condition in the former president’s actions. These symptoms, the bill argues, can severely impair personal relationships, work, and other aspects of daily living.

The bill has already been logged into the Minnesota legislature’s official website, but it is set to undergo formal introduction on March 17, 2025. Its introduction has garnered widespread attention, with reactions split along party lines.

Supporters of the bill argue that it is a legitimate attempt to address a condition that they believe affects a significant portion of the population, particularly those who strongly opposed former President Trump. By naming and defining TDS, they argue, the bill opens a discussion about how political figures can profoundly affect the psychological well-being of individuals, especially during times of heightened political polarization.

Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News