Pfizer CEO attending $25 million fundraiser at Trump's golf club, sources say

Pfizer CEO attending $25 million fundraiser at Trump's golf club, sources say

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is among those expected at a fundraiser President Trump is attending Friday at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, sources told CBS News. The fundraiser for the pro-Trump super political action committee MAGA Inc. aims to raise about $25 million, one of the sources said. One day prior to the event, Mr. Trump sent letters to pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, demanding they lower U.S. drug prices to more evenly match what other countries pay. The White House's letters to 17 drug companies, including AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi, asked for commitments within 60 days to sell drugs for Medicaid patients and all new drugs at "most favored nation" rates. The president posted images of the letters to Truth Social. Mr. Trump signed anexecutive orderin May telling federal officials to draw up "most favored nation" regulations unless pharmaceutical companies made progress toward cutting prices. This week's letters — which were addressed to Bourla and the other CEOs — accused the drugmakers of promising "more of the same" since then. The president said Friday he's "gone to war with the drug companies and, frankly, other countries" on the drug price issue. "I think we're going to be very successful fairly soon. We'll have drug prices coming down by 500, 600 800 even 1,200 percent," Mr. Trump said in an interview with Newsmax on Friday afternoon. The high cost of prescription drugs has vexed both parties for decades. Proposals to tie drug prices for U.S. patients to the typically much-lower rates charged in other developed countries have floated around for years, but the idea hasfaced some legal pushback. Meanwhile, drugmakers argue price caps could discourage innovation by making it harder to pay for research and development for new drugs. The industryalso arguesthat Americans tend to have access to more groundbreaking drugs than residents of foreign countries with stricter price regulations — and says high drug prices are just one part of a broader trend of higher healthcare spending in the U.S. Bourla has engaged with Mr. Trump in the past. Pfizer was one of the drugmakers that was picked to rapidly develop COVID-19 vaccines in the first Trump administration's "Operation Warp Speed." And two weeks before Mr. Trump's second inauguration, Bourla and other Pfizer executives traveled to Mar-A-Lago for meetings, theFinancial Timeshas previously reported. CBS News has reached out to Pfizer and the White House for comment. Arkansas officials reveal new details about Devil's Den murders of husband and wife The A.I. Divide | America Unfiltered Defense attorneys refuse new cases in Massachusetts, citing unfair pay

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August 01, 2025

Pfizer CEO attending $25 million fundraiser at Trump's golf club, sources say

Pfizer CEO attending $25 million fundraiser at Trump's golf club, sources say Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is among those expected at a fund...

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FAA planning more helicopter route changes after fatal collision

FAA planning more helicopter route changes after fatal collision

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it is planning additional helicopter route changes near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after the January 29 mid-air collision of an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter that killed 67 people. FAA official Nick Fuller said at a National Transportation Safety Board investigative hearing that an agency work group is planning changes on a key helicopter route near Reagan after imposing permanent restrictions on non-essential helicopter operations in March and further restricting where they could operate in June. NTSB officials at the hearing expressed concerns about a "disconnect" between front-line air traffic controllers and agency leaders and raised other questions about FAA actions before the fatal collision, including why earlier reports of close call incidents did not prompt safety improvements. Board members have also raised concerns about the failure of the FAA to turn over documents in a timely fashion during the investigation of the January collision. The NTSB received details on staffing levels at the time of the January 29 crash "after considerable confusion and a series of corrections and updates from the FAA," a board report said. The hearing has run more than 30 hours over three days and raised a series of troubling questions, including about the failure of the primary controller on duty to issue an alert to the American regional jet and the actions of an assistant controller who was supposed to assist the primary controller. "That did not occur and we're trying to understand why. And no one has been able to tell us what the individual was doing during that time," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. Homendy said earlier this week the FAA had ignored warnings about serious safety issues. "Every sign was there that there was a safety risk, and the tower was telling you," Homendy said. "You transferred people out instead of taking ownership over the fact that everybody in FAA in the tower was saying there was a problem ... Fix it. Do better." FAA officials at the hearing vowed to work more collaboratively and address concerns. Senator Tim Kaine on Friday also cited concerns raised by an FAA manager about the volume of flights at the airport before the collision and the decision by Congress last year to add five additional daily flights to Reagan. "Congress must act to reduce dangerous congestion by removing flights into and out of (Reagan National)," Kaine said. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sandra Maler and Tom Hogue)

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August 01, 2025

FAA planning more helicopter route changes after fatal collision

FAA planning more helicopter route changes after fatal collision By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administrat...

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Senate delays August recess for now as Trump presses for more confirmations

Senate delays August recess for now as Trump presses for more confirmations

WASHINGTON (AP) — A stalemate over the pace of confirmations has delayed the Senate's yearly August recess, for now, as PresidentDonald Trumpdeclares that his nominees "should NOT BE FORCED TO WAIT" and as Democratsslow the processby forcing procedural votes on almost all of Trump's picks. Caught in the middle, Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he will keep the Senate in session over the weekend, at least, to hold confirmation votes while also negotiating with Democrats to speed up consideration of dozens of nominees. The two sides haven't come to agreement yet, and it's still unclear if Trump, who has been publicly calling on Republicans to cancel their break, would be onboard with any bipartisan deal. Thune said Friday he was leaving some of the negotiations to Trump and Minority LeaderChuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "That's how this is going to get resolved," Thune said. "We'll see where that leads." Senators in both parties are eager to leave Washington for their annual break, when many of them tour their states to talk to constituents. Republicans in particular are eager to return home and sell themassive tax and spending cuts packagethey passed in July as Democratsvow to use it against themin the 2026 midterm elections. The House, which has no role in the confirmation process, fled Washington a week ago. But Trump has other plans. "The Senate must stay in Session, taking no recess, until the entire Executive Calendar is CLEAR!!!" Trump posted on social media Thursday night, after a meeting with Thune at the White House. "We have to save our Country from the Lunatic Left. Republicans, for the health and safety of the USA, DO YOUR JOB, and confirm All Nominees." Thune said this week that Republicans are considering changing the Senate's rules when they get back in September to make it easier to quickly approve a president's nominations — and to try and avoid a similar stalemate in the future. Democrats have blocked more nominees than usual this year, denying any quick unanimous consent votes and forcing roll calls on each one, a lengthy process that takes several days per nominee and allows for debate time. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Friday that Senate GOP leadership was "going back, drafting a specific rule for us to react to" as they try to plot a path forward. It's the first time in recent history that the minority party hasn't allowed at least some quick confirmations. Thune has already kept the Senate in session for more days, and with longer hours, this year to try and confirm as many of Trump's nominees as possible. Democrats have little desire to give in, even though they too are eager to skip town after several long months of work and bitter partisan fights over legislation. Schumer has said Democrats have blocked quick votes because, "historically bad nominees deserved historic levels of scrutiny." There are more than 150 nominations on the Senate calendar, and confirming them all would take more than a month even if the Senate does stay in session, if Democrats draw out the process. The standoff is just the latest chapter in an ever-escalating Senate fight over nominations in the last two decades. Both parties have increasingly used stalling tactics to delay confirmations that were once quick, bipartisan and routine. In 2013, Democratschanged Senate rulesfor lower court judicial nominees to remove the 60-vote threshold for confirmations as Republicans blocked President Barack Obama's judicial nominations. In 2017,Republicans did the same for Supreme Court nomineesas Democrats tried to block Trump's nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch. Still, Thune says, the Democrats' current delays are a "historic level of obstruction." In his first year as leader, Thune has worked with Trump to quickly confirm his Cabinet and navigated complicated internal party dynamics to pass the tax and spending cuts package, which Trump sees as his signature policy achievement. Yet the president is applying increasing pressure on Thune and his conference, trying to control the Senate's schedule and calling out three Republican senators in social media posts this week — including Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the senior-most Senate Republican who worked closely with Trump to confirm his picks for Supreme Court in his first term. Trump criticized Grassley for keeping with Senate tradition and working with home state Democrats on some judicial confirmations, saying that he got Grassley re-elected "when he was down, by a lot." Opening a committee hearing on Thursday, Grassley defended the practice and added that he was "offended by what the president said, and I'm disappointed that it would result in personal insults." Trump also criticized Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley forworking with Democrats on a stock trading banfor lawmakers. And in a post late Thursday, he counseled Republicans to "vote the exact opposite" of Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, a moderate who has worked with Democrats on spending bills this year and frequently opposes Trump. ___ Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributedto this report.

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August 01, 2025

Senate delays August recess for now as Trump presses for more confirmations

Senate delays August recess for now as Trump presses for more confirmations WASHINGTON (AP) — A stalemate over the pace of confirmations has...

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Linda McMahon pulls back the curtain on Trump's plan to dismantle the Department of Education

Linda McMahon pulls back the curtain on Trump's plan to dismantle the Department of Education

DespiteDemocrats protestingPresident Donald Trump's plan to dismantle the Department of Education, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said returning education to the states is a "nonpartisan issue." "I'm not getting push back, because if it were just Democrat states or Republican states that were doing well or doing poorly, that would be one thing, but it's many of the states on both sides of the aisle. That's why this is really a nonpartisan issue," McMahon explained in an exclusive interview at the National Governors Association (NGA) summer meeting. The Education Secretary participated in discussions with governors from both parties at the Colorado Springs, Colo., meeting, and her department announced the release of roughly $6.8 billion in previously frozen federal funds for K-12 programs ahead of her panel discussion with the outgoing NGA chair, Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo. "It's just incredibly important that if we are going to return education to the states, we have to talk to the governors," McMahon emphasized. "What's meaningful to them? How can we work together? This is both sides of the aisle because, clearly, education is a nonpartisan issue." Trump Administration Releases Over $6B In Frozen Education Funds To The States Trump signed an executive orderearlier this yearto dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling one of his key campaign promises during the 2024 presidential election. Read On The Fox News App McMahon explained that returning education to the states "just means giving them back the part that is now provided by the federal government, and they're anxious for it." Education Secretary Linda Mcmahon Touts Columbia University's $200M Settlement 'Template' In a joint statement on behalf of the NGA, Polis and incoming NGA chair Gov.Kevin Stitt, R-Ok., said they were "thankful these bipartisan discussions with Secretary McMahon and other key officials during the NGA Summer Meeting led to the distribution of these education funds," adding that they are "proud our advocacy helped secure this vital support for states and districts." The Education Secretary, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), explained to Fox News Digital that participating in events like NGA, having discussions with governors from both parties and visiting as many states as possible is critical to understanding America's diverse educational landscape. McMahon said she has already visited different types of schools, from charter schools to public schools, to learn the best practices across the country. "Every state does have different needs," McMahon said. "There's no one size fits all, but what I hear with every governor and almost every educator coming in, is what we are stressing, which is literacy." A Department of Education reportreleased earlier this yearrevealed that American students' reading skills have continued to decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, and their math skills have barely improved. Despite the dismal report, McMahon said "the future for education is very bright" because the Trump administration has called attention to the "Nation's Report Card," which reveals "how the United States doesn't compare all that favorably with the rest of the world." "The president is very keen on making sure that those levels rise, so that the United States takes its rightful place as one of the leaders in education in the world," McMahon explained. And when askedhow the Education Secretarywould address teachers who are anxious about the dismantling the Department of Education, McMahon said she is focused on ensuring best practices are carried out nationwide, while empowering states to deliver for teachers' individual needs. "[Teachers] are working with their school boards, they're working with their principals and superintendents and their governors to have the best policies in their states," McMahon said. "This is a win for teachers because governors are already talking about that teachers should be paid fairly, that they should be allowed to innovate in the classroom, that they shouldn't spend their time doing paperwork and regulatory compliance. They should be able to spend that time with the students." "Let's let teachers teach. This is all good," McMahon explained. Original article source:Linda McMahon pulls back the curtain on Trump's plan to dismantle the Department of Education

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August 01, 2025

Linda McMahon pulls back the curtain on Trump's plan to dismantle the Department of Education

Linda McMahon pulls back the curtain on Trump's plan to dismantle the Department of Education DespiteDemocrats protestingPresident Donal...

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Republican super PACs bank millions ahead of midterm battles

Republican super PACs bank millions ahead of midterm battles

Republicans are betting that they can defend their slim congressional majorities in next year's midterm elections, and the party's biggest donors are putting their chips on the table, too. New fundraising reports filed Thursday for outside groups show that GOP megadonors are engaged in the fight for Congress, steering $59.2 million to the main two super PACs involved in House and Senate races aligned with GOP leadership, Senate Leadership Fund and the Congressional Leadership Fund, throughout the first six months of the year. The two major super PACs aligned with Democratic congressional leadership, Senate Majority PAC and House Majority PAC, raised $38.6 million combined. The GOP groups had $62 million left in their accounts as of June 30, while the Democratic groups had $35.8 million. And neither those figures nor the totals raised include all of the groups' nonprofit arms, which can also raise unlimited funds but do not have to disclose their donors. While Republicans may have an early advantage in the super PAC money chase, that doesn't necessarily mean they will be able to swamp the airwaves. Democratic candidates have typically raised more money directly for their campaigns than the average Republican candidate has in recent years, riding a wave of small-donor enthusiasm unleashed in response to President Donald Trump's first election in 2016. That candidate-to-candidate financial advantage pays dividends, since candidates can reserve television airtime at lower rates than outside groups. Still, the big hauls from Republican groups are a sign that the party's donors are tuned into the midterm battle ahead, with both groups raising substantially more than the first six months of 2021, the last midterm election cycle. That period was also marked by GOP donors pulling back from Republican causes after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. SLF, which is aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, pulled in $26.5 million during the first six months of the year, four times the size of its haul at this point in 2021. CLF, which is aligned with Speaker Mike Johnson, raised $32.7 million, more than double its 2021 haul. The same group of megadonors — hedge fund manager Paul Singer, current United Kingdom Ambassador Warren Stephens, investor Mark Rowan and poultry businessman Ronald Cameron — gave $1 million or more to each of the groups. The biggest checks came frombillionaire Elon Musk,who donated $5 million each to SLF and CLF on June 27, after he had left his role as a White House. Musk, whoalso donated to a pro-Trump super PAC, made his contributions before publicly musing about starting a third party in July. On the Democratic side, HMP saw a 50% increase compared to its 2021 haul, bringing in $21.2 million so far this year. But SMP saw a slight decrease, raising $17.3 million so far. And the groups drew from different big donors. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker gave $1 million to HMP but not SMP, the filings show. And HMP also benefited from Democratic megadonors including Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and hedge fund manager Stephen Mandel. SMP, meanwhile, had million-dollar donations from software company founder Phillip Ragon, Olan Mills and real estate mogul George Marcus. Senate GOP candidates aren't just going to be boosted by SLF's significant resources; some will benefit from strong fundraising by outside groups specifically devoted to their elections, both in red and swing states. These candidate-specific Republican Senate super PACs have emerged to push back against the Democratic candidates' hard-money advantage. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the only Republican defending a seat in a state Democrats regularly win statewide, has overcome a big fundraising discrepancy before — her Democratic opponent in 2020, Sarah Gideon, outraised her $75.6 million to $27.8 million between 2019 and 2020, but Collins won that race by almost 9 percentage points. After outraising her top Democratic opponent last quarter, Collins' allied super PAC, Pine Tree Results PAC, reported raising $5.6 million in the first six months of 2025, thanks to some key seven-figure checks from private equity CEO Stephen Schwarzman and New Balance executive James Davis. In Michigan, home to what's expected to be one of the most competitive Senate races of the cycle, a group backing Republican Mike Rogers could help him combatstrong fundraising on the Democratic side. Great Lakes Conservatives Fund, a pro-Rogers group, raised $5.1 million through June, virtually all from oil billionaire Timothy Dunn. In Texas, where Sen. John Cornynfaces a tough GOP primary challengefrom state Attorney General Ken Paxton, Cornyn is trying to counter Paxton's direct fundraising lead with a strong fundraising showing from outside groups. Texans for a Conservative Majority, a super PAC backing Cornyn, raised almost $11 million in the first six months of the year. And Louisiana GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who faces a primary challenge from state Treasurer John Fleming, is also getting an outside boost from a group called Louisiana Freedom Fund, which raised $2.5 million over that same time period.

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August 01, 2025

Republican super PACs bank millions ahead of midterm battles

Republican super PACs bank millions ahead of midterm battles Republicans are betting that they can defend their slim congressional majoritie...

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