Transcript

9.27.25 · Washington Post

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the reading of Today's Washington Post. It is Saturday,
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September twenty seventh of twenty twenty five. The reader is
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Alice Stainer, with the reminder that RADIOI is for those
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blind with difficulties holding a reading printed material. And I
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start on the front page of which I'm telling you
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now I will not read every article on the front
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page because there are two others related to Kentucky on
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the end side of the paper on the far left
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all ramps dwindle as shut down, threat rises, Tuesday revote
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on failed to bill may be Best Hope bookfore September
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thirtieth deadline by Theodoric Maya and Marianna Soto Mayor. And
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then in the front of the paper, taking up the
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first above the fold, about a third of the front page,
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Team Spirit at the Ryder Cup. President Donald Trump gets
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rarity golf fans at Bethpage Black Golf Course in Farmingdale,
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New York during the biennial event pitting the United States
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and Europe against each other. Europe leads after the first day,
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and you see Trump's back as fans are holding their
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hands up in the way he does with his fist,
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and it's his right hand and he's holding it up
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with his hand closed into a fist. To the right
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of that. US strikes work increases after US strikes work
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increases at Iran mystery site. Satellite imagery shows construction underground
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spot is by nuclear complex that was hit by Warren P.
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Strobel and Jared lev Below that on the right hand
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side comby prosecution fulfills Trump's promise of revenge by Patrick
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Marley below the article on the off ramps and the
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picture of Donald Trump at the Writer's Cup golf tournament.
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Work talk on warrior ethos said to be point of
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Hegseth summons. He has summoned all of the military leaders
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to a meeting at Fort Quantico in Virginia. Millennials are
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getting cancer early. Why researchers suspect a lifetime of exposure
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to everyday chemicals is playing a role by Arianna the
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Young Cha Varro Valino and Dan keating that is out
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of Saint Louis. And I watched a movie on an
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octopus earlier this year, and there's a picture of cephalop
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lepod and the name is Ghost and it's a wash
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in love and grief. Ghost, a giant Pacific octopus at
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California's Aquarium of the Pacific in June. There's a picture
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and he's read with his tentacles and the section cups
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on the tentacles. The beloved cephalopod is dying and spending
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life's end and privately tending to eggs that will never
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hatch ghosts. Fans have reacted by sharing memories of the
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octopus they describe as intelligent, outgoing, and according to one admirer,
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a very very pretty raw berry. And then to the
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right of that, on the right hand side of the
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below the fold, no let up in more Netanyahu tells
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you In Despite a Global black Clash by John Hudson,
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Savannah George, and Claia Parker out of New York. The
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two articles that I'm going to read that are inside
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the post section a after Kentucky school banned phones, students
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hit the library, and another one is what Trump's new
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tariffs mean for pharmaceuticals and patented drugs. And I will
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be reading those because one, Kentucky is our state, and
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the drugs about pharmaceuticals and things affect all of us.
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Their first article, Congress is garreling toward a shutdown despite
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the perils. Democrats say they won't back a GOP bill
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to extend the government funding unless Republicans negotiate with them
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over healthcare. And there's a picture of Senate Minority Leader
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Charles E. Schumann, Democrat of New York at the Capitol
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and he is pointing to someone. You only see the
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top of his head, his hand in his shirt cup,
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but he does have his American flag in his lapel button.
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Totally about theodoric Maya and Marianna so Mayl. Congress appears
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to be barreling toward a federal government shut down in
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less than five days, with Democrats demanding concessions in exchange
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for their votes and Republicans refusing to yield. Democratic leaders
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in the House and Senate are holding firm to their
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vowel to oppose a relatively straightforward measure to extend government
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funding past September thirtieth, three days away, unless Republicans agree
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to negotiate on healthcare. They did not seem to rattled
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by the release of a memo late t Wednesday from
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the White House Office of Management and Budget threatening to
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direct government agencies to consider firing employees working on any
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program not funded by another law. If a shutdown occurs
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as a negotiating tactic, our response to Russ Vought is simple,
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get lost. House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffreys, Democrat of New
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York said Thursday, referring to the White House Budget Director.
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Time is running short for either party to make overtures
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to the other. The Senate is planning to take up
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legislation Tuesday to extend government funding, hours before the deadline,
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but the same bill failed last week when every Democrat
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except one voted against it. Republicans, who control the Senate
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fifty three to forty seven, need at least eight Democratic
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votes to clear the Senate's sixty vote threshold because Senator
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Rand Paul Republican of Kentucky is expected to vote no.
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President Donald Trump has ignored a Democrat's demand to negotiate
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since he came counseled a meeting with Democratic leaders in
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Congress this week, setting the stage were the first government
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shutdown since twenty nineteen. Absent a breakthrough, each side has
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insisted voters will blame the other, giving them little incentive
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to compromise. We're going to see if the radical left
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Democrats want to shut it down. I mean it's up
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to them, Trump told reporters Friday. Republicans argue that Democrats
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are making unreasonable demands by asking them to undo Medicaid
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funding cuts included in Trump's signature tax and spending law,
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and extent Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at
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the end of the year. The Republican bill that passed
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the House last week would extend government funding at current
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levels for seven weeks while lawmakers try to work out
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a longer term deal. Senate majority Eta John Then, Republican
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of soth Dakota, told the Associated Press that there are
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off ramps here, but that unless Democrats softened their demands,
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we're probably plunging forward toward the shutdown. Democrats have castigated
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Republicans for refusing to negotiate. They also distrust Republicans after
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the GOP passed a bill in July to recind nine
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billion dollars in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding that
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Congress previously approved, and warned that Republicans may try to
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claw back funds again. Trump moved to council nearly five
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billion dollars more last month without Congress's approval, which Democrats
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and Senator Susan Collins Republican of Maine, the chairwomen of
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the Senate Appropriation Committee, argued was illegal. The Supreme Court
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on Friday cleared the way for the Trump administration to
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freeze the money. For now, the Senate, not the House,
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will determine whether the government shuts down because the House,
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which passed a funding extension is out of town until
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after the deadline. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Democratic
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New York, endured heavy criticism for Democrats in and out
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of Washington after voting in March against blocking a previous
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Republican funding built. He pledged that Democrats would be more
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prepared ahead of the next funding deadline, a rare moment
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of leverage Senate for Democratic senators because Republicans need their
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votes to prevent a shutdown. Donald Trump has been firing
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federal workers since day one, not to govern, but to scare.
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This is nothing new and has nothing to do with
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funding the government, Schumer said in his statement twinsday in
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response to the omb memo. Senator Brian Shotz of Hawaii,
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one of the Democrats who voted with Schumer in March
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to prevent a shutdown, suggested Wednesday on MSNBC that he
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would vote differently this time if Republicans refused to negotiate.
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I don't think anyone should covert the shutdown or overestimate
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the idea that that would be some massive political victory,
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Shots told MSNBC's Chris Hayes, adding, but I think we
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ought to be clear eyed that if their expectation is
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that the monarch Donald Trump has laid this down and
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we have to vote for it or else, then I
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think that democratrats are going to have to vote no.
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Other Democrats have not ruled a voting for the Republican
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bill on Tuesday, even as they continued to push Republicans
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to sit down with them. Senator Jean Shahen, Democrat of
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New Hampshire, has suggested another way to avoid the shutdown.
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Democrats could allow the GOP funding bill to pass in
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exchange for commitment to extend the ACA subsidies. She has
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spoken with Republican senators about such a deal, though it
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is unclear whether Senate GOP leadership would be open to it.
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According to a person familiar with the conversations, they spoke
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on the condition of anonymity because they were private, but
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the two sides would need to meet or at least
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speak to strike a last minute deal. There are a
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number of ways to solve this problem, Shane said Thursday
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on CNBC, But in order to do that, we have
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to talk to each other. Hakhem Jeffries, the minority leader
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of the House, has also argued that Republicans can avert
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a shutdown by agreeing to extend the ACA subsidies, but
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he wants Republicans to include the extension in the government
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funding bill. You have Republicans in the House and the Senate,
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including Senator Lisa Murkowski, and a significant number of Republicans
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in the House who have said we agree with Democrats
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the Affordable Care Act tax sex subsidies should be extended,
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Jeffries told reporters. He added to me, that's the exit strategy.
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Murkowsky voted against the GOP measure in the Senate last
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week the ACA subsidies and other concerns. Representative Jared Golden
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of Maine, the only host Democrat who voted last week
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for the Republican funding bill, wrote Friday that he also
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supported bipartisan efforts to extend tax subsidies, but criticized his
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own party for potentially forcing a shutdown over the issue.
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We have until the end of the year to get
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it done, and I'm encouraged by our momentum, but a
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harmful government shutdown would make this work harder, not easier,
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Golden wrote on his substack. Host lawmaker Erst left town
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last week after passing the funding bill. Speaker Mike Johnson,
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Republican of Uusiana, does not plan to bring lawmakers back
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before the deadline, giving Senate Democrats a binary choice passed
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the House bill without extracting any concessions or oppose it
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and trigger a shutdown. During a host Democratic caucus call Friday,
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leaders told lawmakers to return to Washington on Monday to
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underscore their willingness to negotiate, while host Republicans probably remain
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away from the Capitol for the week. Democratic lawmakers enthusiastically
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spoke up on the call, cheering on Jeffreys beholding daily
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media events to broadcast their push to defend healthcare, which
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some said was a message resonating back home. Jeffreys and
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Schuma have insisted for weeks the Democrats would oppose any
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funding bill unless Republicans make concessions on health care. Democrats
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warm that millions of Americans will lose coverage next year
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unless the ACA subsidies are extended. It's unusual for the
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White House not to be in touch with the leaders
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of the opposition party in Congress before a potential shutdown.
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President Barack Obama spoke with John A. Bona, the Republican
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House Speaker at the time, in the days before the
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twenty thirteen shutdown, and Trump met with Schuma at the
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White House before both shutdowns during his first term. Some
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Democrats are trying already to mitigate the impact of a shutdown.
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Representatives Johnny Ozwiski, Democrat of Maryland and Rittany Peterson of Peterson,
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Democratic of Colorado introduced to bill Fridday to prohibit federal
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employees from being fired during future shutdowns and require reinstatement
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with back pay for any workers fired this time. Republicans
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argued that Democrat will be blamed for the shutdown because
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they're the ones demanding something in exchange for their votes,
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but Schumer and other Democrats have cited polling showing that
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more Americans would blame Trump and Republicans for a shutdown
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than would blame Democrats who wins in a shutdown. Traditionally,
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it would be the party in the White House, said
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Jim Kessler, a former Schuma aide who is now executive
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vice president for policy at the Third Way, a center
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left think tank. But Kessler added, but Donald Trump has
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been so eager for a shutdown and a fight that
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the old rules of blame may not apply. With Komi prosecution,
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Trump fulfills promise of revenge. President Donald Trump's predecessors sought
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to preserve the Justice Department's independence in political prosecutions. Trump
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openly intervened in the Komy prosecution. By Patrick Marley on
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the campaign trail, Donald Trump equivocated when the television host,
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doctor Phil McGraw asked him to swear off retribution against
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his political foes. Sometimes revenge can be justified, Phil Trump said,
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I have to be honest. On Thursday night and Friday morning,
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Trump celebrated one of the most brazen examples of payback
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since his return to the White House. Soon after a
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federal grand jury in Virginia indicted former FBI Director James B. Coney,
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the President declared justice in America they are in all caps.
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In a social media post following up Friday with a
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post calling Komy a destroyer of lives and a dirty cop.
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Also in full caps. Trump's predecessors sought to distance themselves
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from the Justice Department's prosecutorial decisions, declining to weigh in
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on pending cases, especially those that touched on politics, in
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deference to the agency's tradition of independence. The Firewall, however, imperfect,
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was established to preserve the democratic ideal of a country
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where justice is impartial and no one is above the law. Trump,
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in contrast, openly intervened in the Komi case, pushing at
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a prosecutor who declined to bring charges, replacing him with
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an ally, and publicly demanding that Attorney General Pambondy take action.
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Eight months into his second term, Trump has fulfilled his
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pledge to make retaliation a central feature of his presidency.
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He has revoked security clearances and Secret Service protection for
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people he doesn't like. He has issued executive orders punishing
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law firms he disfavored. His administration has fired attorneys who
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worked on cases against Trump and his supporters, while the
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president set those supporters free with pardons. Trump's eagerness to
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use the power of government to silence critics, punish opponents,
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and reward loyalist is unparalleled since the Watergate scandaled topple
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the presidency of Richard M. Nixon in nineteen seventy four.
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In the following decades, politicians, top officials, and rank and
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file lawyers adopted norms intended to insulate the Justice Department
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from the White House. Trump and his allies chipped away
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at those norms during his first term and have obliterated
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them in the second. Richard Nixon understood as a lawyer,
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a good lawyer actually, that he had to be at
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least make justice look blind when he schemed against his enemies,
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said Timothy Naftali, a Columbia University historian and former director
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of Nixon's Presidential Librarian. President Trump makes no such pretense.
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He believes that justice is never blind, justice hasn't been blind,
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and therefore, that he's in power, he's going to use
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justice against his enemies the way he alleges his adversaries
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use it against him. Naftali said, to Trump and his allies,
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the actions are justified come uppance for a group of
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deep staters and politically motivated insiders who, he claimed to
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use their power to investigate, impeach, and prosecute him and
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his supporters during and after his first term. It's not
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a list, but I think there will be others, Trump
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told reporters as he was leaving the White House on Friday.
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It's about justice, really, not revenge. He added. Trump didn't
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hide his desire to indict Komy, who launched the investigation
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into Russian interference in the twenty sixteen election. This month,
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the President forced out the U S Attorney in the
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Eastern District of Virginia after he declined to prosecute Komy,
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and replaced him with the White House aid with no
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prosecutorial experience. On Thursday, prosecutors followed his demands and put
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the case before a grand jury, which indicted Komy with
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making a false statement and obstructing Congress. Trump's administration could
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do the same soon to two other adversaries, New York
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Attorney General Letitia James, Democrat, who won a civil fraud
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judgment against Trump last year, and Senator Adams Shiff, Democrat
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of California, who as a House member, led the first
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impeachment trial against Trump. The Justice Department is investigating Shift
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and James over allegations they engaged in mortgage fraud comy.
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James and Shiff have denied wrongdoing. Brandon Nihon, a professor
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of government at Dartmouth College, said other prosecutors will feel
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even more pressure now to bring charges against two mail
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what displeases the president, and you don't want to live
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in a country where displeasing the president can put you
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in jail. Comy will face hardships even if he ultimately
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beats the charges, because he will have to hire lawyers
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and bear the stress of knowing he could go to
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prison if convicted. Nyon said, the charges against coming will
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intimidate and silence many more people than just him. Nyon added,
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Bondy at the same time, is reshaping the Justice Department
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by firing or assigning attorney attorneys to new jobs. Some
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have quit, retired, or taken by offers, and left an
24:26
agency they no longer recognize. They have been replaced by
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lawyers who are not steeped in an institutional culture that
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prides independence above loyalty to the president. He's firing the
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career prosecutors who still believe in the norms and bringing
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in people who have zipped experience, said Kim Lane Chappelli,
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a Princeton University professor of sociology and international affairs, who added,
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the way you get rid of the culture is you
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get rid of people. Trump has repeatedly belittled that culture,
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accusing Democrats of weaponizing the justice system as he promised revenge.
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I am your retribution, he said in March twenty twenty
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three at the Conservative Political Action Conference. At times, he
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downplayed the extent of his plans, saying his success would
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be a form of getting back at his adversaries. He
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accused Democrats of coming after him, and in campaign rallies
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in the final weeks of his presidential campaign, frequently accused
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Vice President Kamala Harris of running a campaign of hate, anger,
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and retribution. But Trump never lost sight of Komy, depicting
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him as a liar and a criminal. He's a stupid
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son of a Mitch, Trump said of Komy on Joe
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Robin's podcast a week and a half before winning the election.
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New details emerge on hag Seth's unusual mass gathering of
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top brass. The Defense Secretary is expected to lecture about
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the Warrior ethos for less than an hour, according to
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multiple people familiar with the event. The Top Generals of
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bracing for possible firings or demotions by Terra copp, Ellen, Nakashima,
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Dan Lemouth, Alex Horton and Noah Robertson. Defense Secretary Pete
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Hegseth ordered hundreds of generals to travel from around the
26:43
world to hear him make a short speech on military
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standards and the warrior ethos, Multiple people familiar with the
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event told The Washington Post hag sas orders, which were
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sent earlier this week to senior general's and admiral's worldwide,
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require anyone in a command position with the rank of
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one star general or rear admiral and above, as well
27:10
as as senior enlisted leaders, to be at Marine Corps
27:15
University at Quantico, Virginia on Tuesday. Exceptions will be granted
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on a rare basis with approval from top military officials,
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The people familiar with the matter said, speaking on condition
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of anonymity, to discuss sensitive planning, it's meant to be
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an eyeball to eyeball kind of conversation. He wants to
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see the generals. One person familiar with ongoing discussion said
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the orders, first reported by the Post on Thursday, were
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delivered without any stated reason, sending staff, many of whom
27:55
will be coming in from commands that are focused on
27:58
the world's global conflicts scrambling to make travel arrangements. The
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directive comes in the wake of head sex firing of
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numerous senior military officers without cause, up ending military norms
28:13
and creating a culture of fear in the Pentagon. The
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people familiar with the matter said the Pentagon has declined
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to clarify the purpose or detail the gender of the meeting,
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and did not immediately respond to questions on the nature
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of Hegseth's speech. Sean Pernall, or Pernale spokesman, affirmed in
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his statement that hex Sath will be addressing his senior
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military leaders early next week. Some Pentagon officials questioned the
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wisdom of launching a relatively large gathering on short notice
28:50
to hear Heseth speak for a matter of minutes, and
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bristled at the idea that long serving military leaders, a
28:59
segment of whom but years in combat earlier in their careers,
29:03
needed instruction on how to fight. They don't need a
29:08
talk from Secretary Hegseth on the warrior ethos. A defense
29:12
official said. Heg Seth appeared to address concerns about the
29:18
meeting for the first time Friday morning using his personal
29:23
social media account after a retired senior officer Lieutenant Ben
29:29
Hodges tweeted that German generals were called to a surprise
29:34
assembly in Berlin in nineteen thirty five and required to
29:40
swear a personal oath to the funeral. The Defense Secretary
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responded with sarcasm cool story. General heg Seth wrote, warrior
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ethos across the services can have different meanings, but in
29:56
general it refers to professional dedication to fighting and winning wars.
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It is a regular focus of headsth, a former National
30:06
Guard infantry officer, who is also rhetorically championed a return
30:12
to lethality. Critics have argued that his policies have often
30:18
not seem to line with lethality. Core initiatives have included
30:23
removing transgender service members, ordering new shaving standards military wide,
30:29
and rebanding the Defense Department as the Department of War,
30:35
complete with new seals and signage marking the entrance to
30:39
his offices at the Pentagon. By statute and barring congressional action,
30:45
the Department of Defenses still the name of the agency
30:49
and must remain so in all statutory correspondence. The recent
30:54
firings of top military officers and the unusual nature of
30:59
the order has stirred widespread concern among military officials that
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Hegseth may also have additional surprises in store. The Secretary
31:10
has detailed plans to consolidate combat commands and reduce the
31:15
total number of generals and admirals by as much as
31:18
twenty percent. The confusion on Thursday included military officials noting
31:24
that two four star Army commanders, Generals Ronald Park and
31:30
Xavier Bronson, appeared in an internal service directory as lieutenants General.
31:37
Three people familiar with the issue said Clark, who oversees
31:42
u S soldiers across the Pacific region, and Brunson, who
31:47
commands troops in South Korea, both hold positions that observers
31:52
worry hegseeths were downgrade in prominence. A spokesman for Clark,
31:58
Colonel Isaac Taylor, said the listing for the general appeared
32:02
to be erroneous because of a ditch and had been resolved.
32:07
The in person nature of the meeting has generated frustration
32:11
as hundreds of senior officers and their staff prepared to
32:15
fly in on either commercial or military aircraft and book
32:19
lodgings and transportation to be in the attendance audience. They
32:24
had SAT's remarks on early Tuesday. Staff were reluctant to
32:29
discuss how their generals and admirals would make the trip
32:32
to Virginia, given operational security concerns. How they will travel
32:40
will have a significant impact on the cost, with the
32:43
last minute commercial ticket from the Indo Pacific region or
32:47
Europe for the top officer and staff likely costing thousands
32:51
of dollars. Military flights are far more expensive and would
32:55
tie up limited aircraft capabilities. Narrab eight hundred one star
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and above senior leaders in the military, roughly half of
33:06
whom are in command positions, said one former defense auditing official.
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With each of those officers traveled with aids and support staff,
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so there could be hundreds of senior military personnel flowing
33:20
in over the next few days. The former Defense auditing
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the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity or
33:28
the fear of retaliation, estimated the cost of travel a
33:32
loan in the millions of dollars. Spending millions of dollars
33:37
to jerk the entire military's leadership to a short speech
33:42
seems wasteful unless it's an emergency, the official said. Sabrinas Singh,
33:48
the former Deputy Press Secretary for Secretary Lord Austen said
33:53
based on her formal travel experience, she also estimated the
33:57
total price tag to be in the millions. It's a
34:00
huge waste of taxpayer dollars money that should be funding
34:04
critical missions. Singh said, we are adjusting to meet the
34:09
task to be there. One US official said about getting
34:13
their senior officers to Quantico. While the official said it
34:16
is good to hear directly from Hegseth, it does have
34:20
an impact pulling them all in. Why is it so
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important to get them all in the room. Joint Chiefs
34:28
Chairman Senator Dan Kane is also expected to tend to
34:32
introduce Hegseth. One official said, Congressional aids scrambled Thursday to
34:38
understand why the meeting had been called, receiving little information
34:43
from the Pentagon. At least one Senator Army veteran Tammy Duckworth,
34:48
Democrat of Illinois, planned to send Hegseth a letter raising
34:53
concerns about the expense and risk to national security involved
34:57
in abruptly summoning so many senior ops. Doc Worth's office
35:02
began circulating the letter Friday and expected more Democratic colleagues
35:07
to join the effort, which includes a request for a
35:10
Pentagon briefing before Tuesday. Republicans in Congress avoided commenting publicly
35:18
on the meeting. The Tuesday's speech is expected to be
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the first of three short lectures accept will deliver, two
35:26
people familiar told the Post. The second will be on
35:30
the Defense Industrial Base and the third will be on
35:34
de Terrence, planned to be delivered at the Reagan National
35:38
Defense Forum in California in December. The timing of the
35:43
event has been a particular concern. The speech is set
35:47
for September thirtieth, the last day of the physical year.
35:52
If there is a government shutdown, it could leave key
35:56
staff stranded in Virginia, as military commands across the globe
36:00
of juggling the security implications of Russia's war against Ukraine,
36:05
Israel's renewed defensive in Gaza, new military operations in the
36:11
Caribbean against drug cartels, and the continued threat to US
36:16
personnel in the Middle East, where the Duties and other
36:20
Iranian back to militias continue to fire missiles and drones
36:25
at US interests. Now the article about Kentucky. It's under
36:31
the Optimist section. A school in Kentucky banned phones. Remarkable
36:38
things started happening after Ballid High School banned phones. They
36:43
saw a sixty seven percent increase in students checking out
36:49
library books. By Maggie Penman. Ballid is in Louisville. The
36:58
cafeteria at Valid High High School during lunch is a
37:01
load to place. Students are talking and laughing, playing card games,
37:06
and going out to the courtyard for an informal recess.
37:10
On Fridays, students have started playing bingo. It's a big
37:14
change from the past couple of years. You'd walk in
37:18
there and everybody had their heads down, Principal Jason News said,
37:23
just scrolling, not really interacting. This year, the high school
37:29
in Louisville instituted a cell phone band from bell to bell,
37:33
meaning not just during instructional time, as is now required
37:38
by state law in Kentucky, but also during lunch and
37:42
time between classes. Kentucky joins a growing number of states
37:47
schools and districts that have been implementing new phone bands.
37:54
There is definitely a different feeling. News said, It's hard
37:58
to quantify something like that, but it's noticeable when you
38:02
talk with students, walk through the hallways and go into classes.
38:08
What is Easier to quantify is the immediate impact of
38:12
the ban on students' use of the school library. In
38:16
the first month of school this year, students took out
38:20
sixty seven percent more books than the same month last year,
38:25
with five hundred and thirty three books checked out in
38:27
August twenty twenty four and eight hundred and ninety one
38:31
books checked out in August twenty twenty five. That's for
38:36
a student body of twenty one hundred and eighty nine students.
38:42
Even my library aids, who do the bulk of the
38:46
circulating were like, gosh, there's a lot of kids checking
38:50
out books, said Stephanie Conrad, the school's librarian. Conrad was
38:56
prepared for the uptick and library use because of similar
38:59
fundamena at other schools that instituted cell phone bands, but
39:04
she said has still been exciting to see how much
39:08
kids are reading and engaging more with their peers. Like
39:13
a minute or two of downtime with kids, they used
39:16
to have their phone. They were kind of in this
39:19
little cell phone cocoon, very quiet, not interacting, Conrad said,
39:24
And now it's wonderful they're interacting and they're not isolated online.
39:30
Conrad has been a librarian for two decades and used
39:34
to take for granted that kids would read and come
39:37
talk to her about the books they loved. But in
39:39
the years since the pandemic, especially, kids didn't seem to
39:43
be reading as much. They weren't talking to me about books.
39:47
They weren't defining, like, oh, this is my favorite author,
39:51
this is my favorite genre, Conrad said, adding now I'm
39:55
having those conversations with students again abate books that they like.
40:00
She said this year, students will say to her things
40:03
like I'm on a fantasy series where the boy is
40:06
the main character. It's been fun for me to see
40:09
that come back around, and just to have wonderful conversations
40:13
with kids about books, Conrad said. Not everyone at Gallant
40:19
High as a fan of the new policy, though I
40:23
was initially very skeptical, said Caylee Vickers, a tenth grader
40:28
at school. She acknowledged that she and her classmates became
40:32
dependent on screens during the pandemic because our group was
40:37
in fourth to fifth grade during that time, we never
40:40
fully learned how to emotionally regulate, said Cayley fifteen. She
40:46
said students relied on their phones for distraction and comfort
40:49
during downtime at school. Now, since that distraction is missing,
40:54
I feel like a lot of that hyperactivity comes out
40:57
during class, she said. Kaylee is enjoying talking to her
41:02
friends more throughout the day since they are less distracted
41:06
by their phones, but she said she believes there needs
41:09
to be another outlet beyond a lunch period to replace
41:12
what phones were providing to students. I think having a
41:16
free period or a recess period to let people get
41:19
that energy out and replace that dopamine, Kaylee said, referring
41:23
to the quick reward that smartphones provide the brain with
41:27
notifications and likes on social media. I think that would help.
41:33
It's a big adjustment, said Gene Twinch, professor of psychology
41:37
at San Diego State University. I'm the offer of ten
41:42
rules for raising kids in a high tech world. There
41:47
is the developmental stage being fifteen or sixteen years old
41:51
and wanting to be trusted, wanting to have independence, wanting
41:55
to have some responsibility, combined with if they got their
41:59
phone in the fifth or sixth grade, they've had five
42:02
or six years where they've been used to having their
42:05
phones during the school day. It's going to take some
42:08
time to adjust. Twins said, Twins advocates for Belgebelle's cell
42:14
phone bands for many reasons. Academic, social, and psychological test
42:20
scores have gone down in recent years, and Twinch points
42:24
say that this trend started before the pandemic, around when
42:28
smartphones became popular. Social skills are still developing in high school,
42:34
and talking to friends at lunch is actually an important
42:38
part of what kids learning. She said. There's plenty of
42:41
research on the mental health benefits of spending less time
42:45
on social media IO and anecdotically, principles report less drama
42:51
and fewer disciplinear issues once a phone ban is implemented,
42:57
Twin said the dopamine withdrawal that kids are struggling with
43:00
right now is part of a point. You're training your
43:04
brain to learn how to live without the phone for
43:06
a certain amount of time. It's a really good skill
43:10
to learn how to focus and not be distracted by
43:13
your phone. Twins said. Taking a break from your phone
43:17
for six or seven hours during the school day helps
43:20
kids develop their attention span and to break the conpulsion
43:24
to constantly reach for a phone. She added. News the
43:29
Principle acknowledges that there has been some pushback to the
43:33
policy some parents initially had safety concerns about not being
43:38
able to contact their kids in an emergency. News argued
43:42
that it would be safer to have communications centralized to
43:45
make sure it's clear and accurate, and Twins said research
43:49
backs that up. News also said most students would still
43:53
prefer to have their phones during lunch from where he
43:56
sits the electric they're having more fun without them. Just
44:01
in informal conversation with students, I think most of them,
44:05
while they may not necessarily admitted, probably appreciated on a
44:10
number of different levels. New said of the Bell to
44:14
Bell band at the school library, Conrad is trying to
44:19
provide the sort of outlets that Kaylee talked about needing.
44:24
Two freshmen came into the library the other day and
44:26
they each had taken out a book, and now they
44:29
wanted to switch. One student was like, I read this book,
44:33
and now I want him to read it, and I'm
44:35
going to read his book, Conrad said. And they were
44:39
just worried about the checkout process for something like that.
44:43
But as an educator, I was like, you're peer pressuring
44:47
your friends to read what Trump's new tariffs mean for
44:54
pharmaceuticals and patented drugs Trump said grand pharmaceutical products would
45:02
face one hundred percent tariffs unless certain exemptions applied, sparking
45:08
some confusion over how the policy would be implemented. By
45:12
Vivian Hoe, Victoria Kraw, and Daniel Gilbert. President Donald Trump's
45:20
announcement that his administration will impose one hundred percent tariff
45:25
on patented pharmaceutical products sparked confusion Friday, as government officials,
45:31
drug companies, and trade groups sought clarity on how the
45:36
levee would be applied, but the plan delivered one ambiguous mandate.
45:42
It sent drug makers scurrying to show that they're building
45:46
manufacturing capacity in the United States and a truth social
45:52
post late Thursday, Trump said brand name prescription drugs would
45:57
be subject to tariffs unless their manufactors are actively building
46:02
plants in the United States. There will be no care
46:06
iff on these pharmaceutical products if construction has started. The
46:11
post said. The reaction from drug makers has been swift.
46:17
Right now, Cranes are rising at Narvo Nordisk's US manufacturing
46:21
site in North Carolina. CEO Mike Dustar said in a
46:26
statement Friday. The Danish company produces the Ozimpic and Rigavi
46:32
weight loss and diabetes drugs. California based Amigen announced a
46:38
six hundred and fifty million dollar expansion Friday at its
46:42
manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico, but it's unclear whether such pledges,
46:48
part of a flood of commitments by pharmaceutical companies this
46:52
year to invest in domestic manufacturing, will help them avert
46:56
the levies. The levies, an Administration official told The Washington
47:01
Post that tariff exemptions would apply only to individual drugs
47:06
that companies chose to make in the United States rather
47:10
than abroad. These waivers would apply to each specific product,
47:16
as opposed to a company wide waiver, said the official,
47:20
speaking on the condition of anonymity because the process is
47:24
still being crafted. The move adds further uncertainty to US
47:29
trade policy at a time when US courts are weighed
47:32
the legality of some of Trump's earlier tariffs and many
47:37
Americans of facing the prospect of higher health insurance premiums.
47:42
Here is what to know. What does Trump's tariff announcement mean.
47:49
Trump's truth Social Post said, starting October first, twenty twenty five,
47:56
we will be imposing one hundred percent tariff on any
47:59
branded or patented pharmaceutical product unless the company is building
48:05
their pharmaceutical manufacturing plant and America is building will be
48:10
defined as breaking ground and slash or under construction. Though
48:16
pharmaceuticals were exempt from Trump's broad to tariff announcement in April,
48:22
extra levies on the product were still expected to come
48:26
into effect. Nevertheless, there was confusion on Friday over how
48:32
exactly the tariffs would be applied, As experts noted, Trump's
48:37
post did not make clear whether the tariffs applied to
48:40
countries that already had established trade deals with the United States,
48:44
or whether exemptions also applied to companies that already had
48:48
manufacturing factories in the United States. European Union trade officials,
48:54
for example, stressed that they expected tariffs on EU pharmaceutical
48:58
companies to be capped at fifteen percent, given the clear
49:03
all inclusive fifteen percent tariffs ceiling for EU exports included
49:09
in the recent trade deal between the United States and
49:12
the EU. Irish Trade Minister Simon Harris said his government
49:17
would be studying the impact of the announcement, but stress
49:21
that the USEU trade agreement made absolutely clear that any
49:26
new UF tariffs on pharmaceuticals would be capped at fifteen percent.
49:33
The administration officials said the United States with honor the
49:37
fifteen percent cap as part of its trade deal, and
49:41
confirmed that the pharmaceutical tariffs Trump announced do not apply
49:45
to generic drugs. European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations
49:52
called for urgent discussions on how to avoid any tariffs
49:57
on medicines that harm patients, that the EU and the
50:02
US already have a trade agreement in place. European countries
50:07
that are not part of the EU said they would
50:09
be reviewing the announcement, while acknowledging it had caused some
50:13
concern or confusion. The UK government said in the statement
50:18
the announcement was concerning for industry that the government would
50:23
continue actively engaging with the US. The Swiss government said
50:28
it had taken note of the announcement, but that no
50:32
details of the announced measures were currently known, and that
50:37
it would continue analyzing the effects of these measures. What
50:43
impact would these tariffs have? Drug manufacturers have said that
50:48
exposure to major companies should be limited, as many already
50:53
are engaged in manufacturing drugs or constructing facilities in the
50:57
United States. European drugmakers have recently announced plans to boost
51:03
manufacturing in the United States, potentially isolating them from new tariffs.
51:10
Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis said the announced one hundred percent
51:17
tariff should not have an impact on the company. The
51:20
Swiss drug developer Roche, which makes the popular flu drug
51:25
tamiflu and the acne treatment acutane, recently announced its investment
51:30
in a MA manufacturing site in the US, and in July,
51:36
British Swedish company Astrozenica committed to investing fifty billion dollars
51:42
in the construction of a facility in Virginia that would
51:45
make ingredients for its weight lost metabolic drugs. However, trade
51:51
groups representing businesses and pharmaceutical companies were critical of the announcement.
51:57
The immediacy of punitive tariffs on innovative medicines for any
52:02
company without shovels in the ground would devastate our nation
52:06
small and mid sized biotechnology companies. John Crawley, CEO of
52:12
Biotechnology Innovation Organization, said in a statement tariffs increased cost,
52:19
disrupt supply chains and prevent patients from getting life saving treatments.
52:25
Natalie mal, director General of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical
52:30
Industries and Associations, said in a statement. Pascal Chan, vice
52:35
president of Strategic Policy and Supply Chains for the Canadian
52:39
Chamber of Commerce, said that the tariff would have profound
52:43
and potentially dire consequences on Americans health, as disrupting the
52:49
supply chain with such a steep tariff would lead to
52:52
immediate price hikes, strained insurance systems, hospital shortages, and the
52:57
real risk of patients rationing of going es central medicines.
53:02
He added that some companies would find it impossible to
53:06
relocate manufacturing into the US quickly given the bureaucracy and
53:11
cost involves. Why are tariffs on pharmaceuticals controversial? Until now,
53:19
pharmaceuticals have been exempt from the Trump administration's tariffs, but
53:23
the Commerce Department is investigating the effects of drug imports
53:27
on national security. Trade associations and lobbyists for pharmaceuticals have
53:33
argued that drugs should be considered separately from other goods
53:37
given their role in the health system. The American Hospital
53:41
Association and some insurers have previously warned that tariffs could
53:46
raise the price of drugs or health insurance premiums. In
53:50
nineteen ninety four, a World Trade Organization agreement in the
53:54
United States signed scrapped tariffs and other duties on a
53:59
large number of pharmaceutical products and the substance used to
54:03
produce them, keeping them at duty free levels. Among signatories.
54:09
Brad Setster, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations,
54:14
said that the Trump administration's recent tariffs aren't consistent with
54:18
the WTO agreement, adding that the United States can deviate
54:22
as long as there is legal justification, such as for
54:27
national security. Where do US medications come from? In twenty
54:32
twenty four of the United States imported nearly two hundred
54:35
and thirty three billion in pharmaceutical and medicinal products. The
54:40
Associated Press reported, citing the Census Bureau, of that forty
54:45
five point five billion dollars came from the EU, with
54:49
companies shipping in medicines ranging from vaccines to weight loss
54:53
semiglutide injections. The global supply chain for medicines is highly complex,
55:00
with medicines often containing elements from more than one country.
55:04
Where they are made can also depend on the form
55:07
the medicine's takes, according to US Pharmacopeia, a nonprofit organization
55:13
that tracks the global drug supply chain. Complicating things further
55:18
is the fact that It's common for companies to source
55:21
active pharmaceuticals ingredients known as API overseas and assemble medications
55:28
in the United States. In the past, US reliance on
55:32
foreign sources for key pharmaceutical ingredients has raised national security
55:37
concerns as well as fears for patients in the event
55:41
of disruption. How could tariffs impact drug prices? Imposing a
55:47
tariff on imported medication is equivalent to taxing it, increasing
55:51
the cost to manufacturers. But how a tariff translates into
55:55
what consumers paper name brand prescription drugs is an exceedingly
56:00
compensated formula, which depends in large part on the vagaries
56:04
of drug makers tax strategy. For patent protected medicines, the
56:10
consumer impact is uncertain. It gets tied to all the
56:14
complexities of tax said Sester of the Council on Foreign Relations.
56:21
Pharmaceutical companies could try to pass the cost onto consumers,
56:25
they may meet resistance from insurers unwilling to accept higher prices.
56:30
Some multinational drug makers could conclude that the cost of
56:34
US tariffs is worth paying higher taxes to lessen their
56:37
duties on imported drugs. Sester said that makes the prospect
56:42
of getting an exhibtion for US manufacturing incredibly valuable because
56:47
you don't have to change your tax strategy. Dave Rix, Eli,
56:53
Lilly's CEO, said in the interview last week that the
56:56
administration's terror policy seems to change each week to week,
57:01
and the company couldn't rely on it to make major investments,
57:04
including a five billion dollar manufacturing plant it plans to
57:08
build outside of Richmond. If pharmaceuticals were subject to a tariff,
57:13
he said, we would just rebalance where we make things.
57:18
While the Trump administration has said pharmaceutical tariffs are designed
57:22
to get drug makers to get more medications domestically, it
57:26
is also trying to bring down drug prices and led
57:30
US to pharmaceutical executives. Trump has called for them to
57:34
lower the cost of medications in the United States by
57:37
September twenty ninth. The one hundred percent tariff he announced
57:43
is set to take effect October first. Well, that happens
57:49
to end today's reading for The Washington Post, and I
57:52
have about two more minutes, so I will say Gary
57:56
and I are going to assist a fibrosis event this morning,
58:00
of which I am excited to have been part of
58:03
that organization for quite some time. And I know that
58:09
it is going to be a delightfully warm and comfortable
58:12
day doing so. So. Please thank you for listening to
58:17
me today, continue listening to RADIOIP programs throughout the day,
58:23
and I will be back next Thursday. Bye.