Obesity Drugs Price Cuts, Nancy Pelosi, & Thanksgiving Oreos

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
November 07, 2025

Good Morning! Today’s edition is 918 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap:

First-time reader? Sign up here!

President Trump announced deals Thursday with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to slash obesity drug prices and expand Medicare coverage for the first time, starting mid-2026. Certain Medicare patients will pay $50 monthly copays for drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound that currently cost over $1,000 per month.
The deals establish prices of $145 monthly for upcoming obesity pills and $350 monthly for existing injections, dropping to $245 over two years, through Medicare, Medicaid, and a new TrumpRx.gov website launching in January. The agreements are part of Trump's "most favored nation" policy, tying US drug prices to the lowest prices abroad.
Around 10% of Medicare's 66 million beneficiaries will qualify for obesity drug coverage under a pilot program. Eligible patients include those who are overweight with related conditions, have obesity with complications like hypertension, or have severe obesity.

Nancy Pelosi, the first female House Speaker who led Democrats for two decades, announced Thursday she will not seek re-election in 2026. The 85-year-old California Democrat has represented San Francisco since 1987 and served as Speaker twice, from 2007-2011 and 2019-2023.
Pelosi shaped major legislation, including the Affordable Care Act, and led both impeachment efforts against Donald Trump. She stepped down as Democratic leader in 2022 after Democrats lost the House majority but continued serving as a rank-and-file member.
Her retirement will trigger a competitive race for the liberal San Francisco seat. State Sen. Scott Weiner and former tech executive Saikat Chakrabarti have already launched campaigns. Pelosi was one of her party's most prolific fundraisers and polarizing figures during her career.

Many breast cancer patients can safely skip radiotherapy after mastectomy without affecting survival, according to a 10-year international study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The trial tracked 1,607 intermediate-risk patients across 17 countries who received mastectomy and anti-cancer drugs.
After 10 years, survival rates were identical whether patients received radiotherapy or not (81.4% vs. 81.9%). Radiotherapy showed no impact on disease-free survival or cancer spreading. While radiotherapy reduced chest wall recurrence (9 cases vs. 20), this benefit affected only about 1% of patients.
Researchers said improved drug treatments have reduced recurrence rates, making radiotherapy less necessary for intermediate-risk patients with one to three affected lymph nodes or aggressive tumor features. High-risk patients may still benefit, but skipping radiotherapy reduces treatment burden and side effects.

A federal judge ripped immigration agents for using chemical weapons against Chicago residents they called "rioters," ordering warnings before force and mandatory body cameras. (More)

A judge ordered President Trump to pay full food stamps by today, saying he's withholding aid for political reasons as the shutdown hits day 37. (More)

A Virginia jury awarded teacher Abby Zwerner $10 million after finding an assistant principal grossly negligent for ignoring warnings that a six-year-old had a gun before he shot her in 2023. (More)

Bulgaria will seize its only refinery from Russian owner Lukoil to avoid US sanctions. The Burgas facility supplies two-thirds of Bulgaria's fuel after the country stopped importing Russian crude last year. (More)

Sudan's militia agreed to a ceasefire amid war crimes accusations after satellite images revealed mass graves in El Fasher, where the Rapid Support Forces allegedly killed thousands in ethnically motivated massacres. (More)

Typhoon Kalmaegi hit Vietnam after killing over 100 in the Philippines. The storm packed 137 mph winds and could bring more flooding to already rain-soaked central provinces. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -1.12%, Nasdaq -1.90%, Dow -0.84%). Stocks fell as AI company values worried investors, and October layoffs hit 153,000, triple September's total. (More)

Meta projected it made about $16 billion from scam ads in 2024, internal documents show. That's 10% of its total sales from fake shopping sites, illegal casinos, and banned products sold on Facebook and Instagram. (More)

Tesla shareholders approved Elon Musk's pay plan with 75% backing. He gets stock worth up to $1 trillion if Tesla hits huge goals like doubling its value to $2 trillion. (More)

Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown was arrested in Dubai for attempted murder after allegedly grabbing a security guard's gun at a Miami boxing match and shooting a man in the neck in May. (More)

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland died Thursday at 24, with no cause revealed. The second-round pick from Western Michigan scored on a blocked punt recovery Monday before his death. (More)

Lionsgate released the trailer for "Michael," showing nephew Jaafar Jackson playing the King of Pop in Antoine Fuqua's biopic. The movie hits theaters on April 24, 2026. (More)

Shanghai researchers helped a patient decode Mandarin brain signals into text in real time, reaching 73% accuracy. The breakthrough could help stroke and ALS patients who can't speak communicate again. (More)

Archaeologists found a 5,000-year-old wine press in Israel, the oldest evidence of winemaking there, along with temple items showing ancient Canaanite religious practices. (More)

Astronomers say the universe's expansion may be slowing, not speeding up, challenging a Nobel-winning theory. If true, the universe could end in a "big crunch" as dark energy weakens over time. (More)

The most popular baby names for 2025.

Why don’t we ride zebras?

Your feedback helps us provide the best newsletter possible.