Biden Targets Popular Weight-Loss Drugs for Medicare Price Negotiations

The outgoing Biden administration announced the next 15 drugs for Medicare price negotiations, including popular diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus. The negotiated prices will take effect in 2027. Medicare has already negotiated prices for 10 other drugs, which will go into effect next year. This move aims to reduce drug costs for seniors. The pharmaceutical industry opposes the program, while patient advocacy groups support it. Drugmakers have until February 28 to decide whether to participate in the negotiations.

 

TikTok Ban Upheld by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court upheld a law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent company to divest from the app, leading to a ban that will take effect on Sunday. The Biden administration will not enforce the law before inauguration, leaving the decision to Trump. The court’s decision was unanimous, with Justices Sotomayor and Gorsuch filing separate concurrences. TikTok argued that the ban infringes on First Amendment rights, but the court sided with the government’s national security concerns. Trump expressed sympathy for TikTok and argued for a delay in the ban, but the court acted quickly to resolve the case. 

 

Giuliani Settles with Georgia Election Workers in Defamation Suit

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has settled a defamation lawsuit with two Georgia election workers, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, for an undisclosed amount. The settlement allows Giuliani to keep his home and most valuable possessions, while Freeman and Moss receive compensation and a promise that Giuliani will not defame them again. Giuliani had falsely accused the women of election fraud after the 2020 presidential election and was facing a $150 million judgment against him. 

 

As LA Fires Recede, Landslides Threaten Homes That Are Left

A $2 million home in Pacific Palisades, CA, was destroyed by a landslide after being spared from the recent wildfires. The home, which recently sold for $2 million and rented for $14,000/month, was split in two by the landslide. Landslides have become a concern due to the large amounts of water used to fight the fires, which can weaken the ground and make foundations unstable. Officials warn that the risk of landslides and mudslides remains high due to the fragility of the soil.

 

Big Chill in DC: Coldest Inauguration Day Since Reagan

Temperatures for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday are expected to be dangerously cold, with highs only around 20 degrees and wind chills in the single digits. The hundreds of thousands of people in town for the inauguration will feel strong wind blowing almost constantly throughout the day. If the forecast holds, the inauguration would be by far the coldest since former President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985, when the swearing-in ceremony had to be held indoors and the parade was canceled due to the cold weather.



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