US Elections (& Politics) :)
- Thread starter sdkid
- Start date
My taxes for 2025
I Mean fuck em, if they can do it I’ll play it out and make them work for it
I Mean fuck em, if they can do it I’ll play it out and make them work for it
Ssayer
BIT Beta Team
With the release of the Epstein files, I was thinking that ▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓ ▓▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓▓▓. Anyone agree with that thought?
Parley
Known around here
Dozens of missing children, some as young as just one year old, rescued from sex traffickers in massive sting
More than three dozen missing children were rescued from sex traffickers in North Florida after a massive sting.
The rescue effort, named Operation Northern Lights, found 43 missing children across 14 counties with more children found in other states, the US Marshals Service announced Thursday.
Federal authorities said the youngest victims were one-year-olds and that one of the young victims had been abducted from Florida and located in Louisiana.
Nine people were arrested after the staggering operation, which law enforcement said took two weeks to conduct.
Additional charges could include human trafficking, child endangerment and custodial interference.
The sting turned up additional missing children in North Florida, but also in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.
'This was the most successful missing child operation ever conducted in Northern Florida,' Greg Leljedal, acting US Marshal for the Northern District of Florida, said.
'Because of the tireless dedication of the U.S. Marshals and our law enforcement partners, 43 endangered children will now be home safe for the holidays.'
He said the mission was 'not only about finding the missing children, but also providing immediate physical and psychological care to help them begin the path to healing'.
The victims included a one–year–old who authorities said was missing from Leon County and had been found in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Another one–year–old missing out of Okaloosa County was found outside Jackson, Mississippi, alongside a 17–year–old.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
My comment: I am finally glad that the DOJ is doing something about this. It should have been done a long time ago. However, IMHO this is just the tip of the iceberg. Bondi, please do not let up on this.
More than three dozen missing children were rescued from sex traffickers in North Florida after a massive sting.
The rescue effort, named Operation Northern Lights, found 43 missing children across 14 counties with more children found in other states, the US Marshals Service announced Thursday.
Federal authorities said the youngest victims were one-year-olds and that one of the young victims had been abducted from Florida and located in Louisiana.
Nine people were arrested after the staggering operation, which law enforcement said took two weeks to conduct.
Additional charges could include human trafficking, child endangerment and custodial interference.
The sting turned up additional missing children in North Florida, but also in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.
'This was the most successful missing child operation ever conducted in Northern Florida,' Greg Leljedal, acting US Marshal for the Northern District of Florida, said.
'Because of the tireless dedication of the U.S. Marshals and our law enforcement partners, 43 endangered children will now be home safe for the holidays.'
He said the mission was 'not only about finding the missing children, but also providing immediate physical and psychological care to help them begin the path to healing'.
The victims included a one–year–old who authorities said was missing from Leon County and had been found in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Another one–year–old missing out of Okaloosa County was found outside Jackson, Mississippi, alongside a 17–year–old.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
My comment: I am finally glad that the DOJ is doing something about this. It should have been done a long time ago. However, IMHO this is just the tip of the iceberg. Bondi, please do not let up on this.
Secretary of State Rubio Confirms ENDING NGO ‘Foreign Aid Industrial Complex’
by Margaret Flavin Dec. 19, 2025 12:20 pm
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it very clear that the days of NGOs, an integral part of the ‘Foreign Aid Industrial Complex’, sending aid often in direct opposition to America’s priorities, are over. Rubio told reporters, “Foreign aid should be used for the purpose of furthering the national interest. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about human rights. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about starvation. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about hunger. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about humanitarian need.” “What it does mean, however, is that even foreign aid, which is NOT charity -- it is an act of the US taxpayer.” In July, Rubio signaled the changes when he announced that USAID would no longer send foreign assistance across the globe. Rubio noted that USAID had, for decades, failed to ensure the programs it funded actually supported America’s interests.
The State Department took over foreign assistance programs beginning on July 1. A State Department substack from July notes: “Every public servant has an obligation to American citizens to ensure any programs they fund advance our nation’s interests. During the Trump Administration’s thorough review of thousands of programs, and over $715 billion in inflation-adjusted spending over the decades, it became apparent the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) fell well below this standard.” “USAID had decades and a near-infinite taxpayer budget to advance American influence, promote economic development worldwide, and allow billions to stand on their own two feet.” “Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War. Development objectives have rarely been met, instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown.” “On the global stage, the countries that benefit the most from our generosity usually fail to reciprocate. For example, in 2023, sub-Saharan African nations voted with the United States only 29 percent of the time on essential resolutions at the UN despite receiving $165 billion in outlays since 1991. That’s the lowest rate in the world.” “Over the same period, more than $89 billion invested in the Middle East and North Africa left the U.S. with lower favorability ratings than China in every nation but Morocco.” “The agency’s expenditure of $9.3 billion in Gaza and the West Bank since 1991, whose beneficiaries included allies of Hamas, has produced grievances rather than gratitude towards the United States. The only ones living well were the executives of the countless NGOs, who often enjoyed five-star lifestyles funded by American taxpayers, while those they purported to help fell further behind.” “This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end.”
“Under the Trump Administration, we will finally have a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests. As of July 1st, USAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance. Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies---and which advance American interests—will be administered by the State Department, where they will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency.”
www.thegatewaypundit.com
by Margaret Flavin Dec. 19, 2025 12:20 pm
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it very clear that the days of NGOs, an integral part of the ‘Foreign Aid Industrial Complex’, sending aid often in direct opposition to America’s priorities, are over. Rubio told reporters, “Foreign aid should be used for the purpose of furthering the national interest. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about human rights. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about starvation. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about hunger. That doesn’t mean we don’t care about humanitarian need.” “What it does mean, however, is that even foreign aid, which is NOT charity -- it is an act of the US taxpayer.” In July, Rubio signaled the changes when he announced that USAID would no longer send foreign assistance across the globe. Rubio noted that USAID had, for decades, failed to ensure the programs it funded actually supported America’s interests.
The State Department took over foreign assistance programs beginning on July 1. A State Department substack from July notes: “Every public servant has an obligation to American citizens to ensure any programs they fund advance our nation’s interests. During the Trump Administration’s thorough review of thousands of programs, and over $715 billion in inflation-adjusted spending over the decades, it became apparent the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) fell well below this standard.” “USAID had decades and a near-infinite taxpayer budget to advance American influence, promote economic development worldwide, and allow billions to stand on their own two feet.” “Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War. Development objectives have rarely been met, instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown.” “On the global stage, the countries that benefit the most from our generosity usually fail to reciprocate. For example, in 2023, sub-Saharan African nations voted with the United States only 29 percent of the time on essential resolutions at the UN despite receiving $165 billion in outlays since 1991. That’s the lowest rate in the world.” “Over the same period, more than $89 billion invested in the Middle East and North Africa left the U.S. with lower favorability ratings than China in every nation but Morocco.” “The agency’s expenditure of $9.3 billion in Gaza and the West Bank since 1991, whose beneficiaries included allies of Hamas, has produced grievances rather than gratitude towards the United States. The only ones living well were the executives of the countless NGOs, who often enjoyed five-star lifestyles funded by American taxpayers, while those they purported to help fell further behind.” “This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end.”
“Under the Trump Administration, we will finally have a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests. As of July 1st, USAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance. Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies---and which advance American interests—will be administered by the State Department, where they will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency.”
Secretary of State Rubio Confirms ENDING NGO 'Foreign Aid Industrial Complex' | The Gateway Pundit | by Margaret Flavin
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it very clear that the days of NGOs, an integral part of the ‘Foreign Aid Industrial Complex’, sending aid often in direct opposition to America’s priorities, are over.
www.thegatewaypundit.com
Followup to the Sec of State - NGO post above:
This is the third major grift fraud shut down by the POTUS47 administration:
How many more will be exposed? They are ALL the product of Senators and Representatives knowingly perpetrating these frauds against taxpayers. Remember who did this to us.
This is the third major grift fraud shut down by the POTUS47 administration:
- USAID
- Snap/EBT
- NGOs
How many more will be exposed? They are ALL the product of Senators and Representatives knowingly perpetrating these frauds against taxpayers. Remember who did this to us.
Parley
Known around here
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Largest Developments to Date in Bringing Most-Favored-Nation Pricing to American Patients
The White House ^ | December 19th 2025 | The White House
Posted on 12/20/2025, 12:36:17 PM by Jacquerie
LOWERING DRUG PRICES FOR AMERICAN PATIENTS: Today, President Donald J. Trump announced nine new agreements with major pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices for Americans in line with the lowest prices paid by other developed nations (known as the most-favored-nation, or MFN, price).
The nine manufacturers include Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi.
The agreements reduce prices on drugs that treat numerous costly and chronic conditions, including type two diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hepatitis B and C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and certain cancers, among others.
The agreements will provide every State Medicaid program in the country access to MFN drug prices on products made by the nine companies, resulting in billions of dollars in savings and continuing President Trump’s historic efforts to strengthen the program for the most vulnerable.
The agreements ensure foreign nations can no longer use price controls to free ride on American innovation by guaranteeing MFN prices on all new innovative medicines the nine companies bring to market.
The agreements require the nine companies to repatriate increased foreign revenue on existing products that they realize as a result of the President’s strong America First U.S. trade policies for the benefit of American patients.
The agreements require the nine companies to offer medicines at a deep discount off the list price when selling directly to American patients through TrumpRx.
DELIVERING LOWER COSTS: Patients will be able to see massive price reductions on numerous products when purchasing directly through TrumpRx as a result of today’s actions. Select examples include: Amgen will reduce the price of its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha from $573 to $239 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Bristol Myers Squibb will reduce the price of its HIV medication, Reyataz, from $1,449 to $217 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Boehringer Ingelheim will reduce the price of its type two diabetes medication, Jentadeuto, from $525 to $55 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Genentech will reduce the price of its flu medication, Xofluza, from $168 to $50 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Gilead Sciences will reduce the price of its Hepatitis C medication, Epclusa, from $24,920 to $2,425 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
GSK will reduce the prices of its inhaler portfolio. Prices for the popular asthma inhaler Advair Diskus 500/50 will fall from $265 to $89 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Merck will reduce the price of its diabetes medication, Januvia, from $330 to $100 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Novartis will reduce the price of its Multiple Sclerosis medication, Mayzent, from $9,987 to $1,137 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Sanofi will reduce the price of its prescription blood thinner, Plavix, from $756 to $16 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx and Sanofi will list its insulin products at TrumpRx at $35 per month’s supply.
The White House ^ | December 19th 2025 | The White House
Posted on 12/20/2025, 12:36:17 PM by Jacquerie
LOWERING DRUG PRICES FOR AMERICAN PATIENTS: Today, President Donald J. Trump announced nine new agreements with major pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices for Americans in line with the lowest prices paid by other developed nations (known as the most-favored-nation, or MFN, price).
The nine manufacturers include Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi.
The agreements reduce prices on drugs that treat numerous costly and chronic conditions, including type two diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hepatitis B and C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and certain cancers, among others.
The agreements will provide every State Medicaid program in the country access to MFN drug prices on products made by the nine companies, resulting in billions of dollars in savings and continuing President Trump’s historic efforts to strengthen the program for the most vulnerable.
The agreements ensure foreign nations can no longer use price controls to free ride on American innovation by guaranteeing MFN prices on all new innovative medicines the nine companies bring to market.
The agreements require the nine companies to repatriate increased foreign revenue on existing products that they realize as a result of the President’s strong America First U.S. trade policies for the benefit of American patients.
The agreements require the nine companies to offer medicines at a deep discount off the list price when selling directly to American patients through TrumpRx.
DELIVERING LOWER COSTS: Patients will be able to see massive price reductions on numerous products when purchasing directly through TrumpRx as a result of today’s actions. Select examples include: Amgen will reduce the price of its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha from $573 to $239 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Bristol Myers Squibb will reduce the price of its HIV medication, Reyataz, from $1,449 to $217 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Boehringer Ingelheim will reduce the price of its type two diabetes medication, Jentadeuto, from $525 to $55 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Genentech will reduce the price of its flu medication, Xofluza, from $168 to $50 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Gilead Sciences will reduce the price of its Hepatitis C medication, Epclusa, from $24,920 to $2,425 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
GSK will reduce the prices of its inhaler portfolio. Prices for the popular asthma inhaler Advair Diskus 500/50 will fall from $265 to $89 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Merck will reduce the price of its diabetes medication, Januvia, from $330 to $100 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Novartis will reduce the price of its Multiple Sclerosis medication, Mayzent, from $9,987 to $1,137 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.
Sanofi will reduce the price of its prescription blood thinner, Plavix, from $756 to $16 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx and Sanofi will list its insulin products at TrumpRx at $35 per month’s supply.
Um…
This is specifically for Medicaid recipients.
They already pay $0-$10 copay for these prescription drugs.
Does not apply to Medicare. Far bigger pool. Or private employer based health insurance, an even bigger pool.
Additionally, most low income seniors can get most prescription drugs for close to 0$ anyway.
Example:
Mom was put on Eliquis while on Medicare
It was $600 p/mo …. For 1 month. Until I called BMSqib and told them her annual income was about $18,000.
From that point on for the last 3 years of her life they sent a free 6 month supply every Jan and July
Are there exceptions? I’m sure there are.
But this doesn’t effect many people
=================================
Trump announces agreements with 9 major drugmakers to lower prices
Trump announces agreements with 9 major drugmakers to lower prices
Nine drug manufacturers will offer their drugs to Medicaid recipients at most-favored-nation discounts in exchange for tariff exemptions.
www.cbsnews.com
President Trump on Friday announced new agreements with nine pharmaceutical manufacturers aimed at reducing certain prescription drug prices.
"Starting next year, American drug prices will come down fast and furious and will soon be the lowest in the developed world," Mr. Trump said Friday at the White House.
Under the deal, the nine manufacturers will offer their drugs to Medicaid recipients at most-favored-nation discounts, a policy that requires the prices to match those paid by patients in other developed nations. The nine companies will also offer medicines "at a deep discount off the list price" to Americans through TrumpRx, according to the White House. The Trump administration plans to offer tariff exemptions to the drugmakers for three years in exchange for the MFN pricing commitments.
According to a White House fact sheet, the drugs that will be covered include treatments for chronic conditions, including type two diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hepatitis B and C, human immunodeficiency virus and certain cancers.
Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Gilead Science, GSK, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi will sell drugs on TrumpRx, the administration's discount drug pricing program. TrumpRx — which the administration has said will launch early next year — will not sell drugs directly, but instead will direct consumers to lower prices elsewhere.
Senior administration officials said that roughly 30-40% of Medicaid drug prices are currently higher than what patients in other wealthy nations pay, mostly Europeans, and that the prices of those drugs will drop.
The president has previously announced agreements with AstraZeneca, EMD Serono, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer. The White House said it has made MFN deals with 14 of the 17 biggest drug manufacturers in the world. The three drugmakers that were not part of the announcement are AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson and Regeneron, but the president said that deals involving the remaining three could be announced at another time.
"[The policy] affects every American so that they have the dignity to access the same medical innovations that our tax dollars helped develop," a White House official said. "This is about healthcare fairness."
But questions remain about how the president's deals with drugmakers will work — and who will feel the difference at the pharmacy counter. Most-favored-nation pricing could have a muted impact on Medicaid patients, experts say, because the program already has a statutory "best price" protection that guarantees the lowest price offered to any U.S. commercial payer. Also, while it could save states money, Medicaid users typically don't pay out-of-pocket for their medication.
Medicaid recipients are "starting out at prices well below the averages seen in the U.S. market," Darius Lakdawalla, chief scientific officer at the University of Southern California's Schaeffer Center, pointed out to CBS News after the president announced the Pfizer deal.
The White House said the new agreement represents more than $150 billion in new investment commitments in manufacturing and research and development in the U.S.
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TrumpRx: How the Drug Pricing Program Works
TrumpRx is a federal government initiative centered around a new website, TrumpRx.gov, slated to launch in early 2026. The primary stated goal is to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Americans by creating a new pathway for purchasing medications directly from manufacturers at discounted...
govfacts.org
The government-operated website will not directly sell or distribute medications. Instead, it’s designed to function as a search portal. Consumers can use the site to look up their prescriptions and, if a drug is part of the program, they will be redirected to the pharmaceutical manufacturer’s own direct-to-consumer platform to complete the purchase. This portal model keeps the government out of the complex logistics of the pharmaceutical supply chain.
(*See my example on Mom and Eliquis)
Who benefits: Uninsured and high-deductible consumers may save; most insured patients see little change.
The Payment models: Bypassing Insurance: A defining feature of the TrumpRx model is that all purchases are cash-pay, out-of-pocket transactions. The system is explicitly designed to “bypass traditional intermediaries” such as health insurers and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), the third-party administrators that manage prescription drug benefits for health plans.
The Question of Deductibles: For the majority of Americans who have health insurance, a crucial financial consideration is that payments made for drugs purchased through TrumpRx would almost certainly not count toward their health insurance deductibles or annual out-of-pocket maximums.
Health insurance plans typically only credit payments toward these limits when they are for covered services and drugs processed through their approved network of pharmacies and providers.
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Coming Soon:
Free Air for those eligible!
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Man behind Sarco pod shows off suicide collar
It's a fresh Monday morning in the quaint city of Amersfoort in the Netherlands, and a group of elderly guests are listening attentively to the words of an Australian physician.