Good morning. In this edition:

• 💊 Trump’s drug-pricing plan
• 🏛️ US gov’t shuts down
• 🐕 World’s smartest dog

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.36-minute read (893 words).

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“Actions are the seeds of fate. Deeds grow into destiny.”

–Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

President Trump yesterday announced a new effort to lower US prescription drug costs, including a sweeping deal with Pfizer to reduce the prices of many of its products, and the creation of a “TrumpRx” direct-to-consumer website for discounted drugs.

The deal, unveiled in an Oval Office press conference, calls for Pfizer to:

• Offer almost all of its existing drugs to Medicaid at "most-favored nation" prices, meaning the lowest net-price paid in other wealthy countries (where drugs often sell for less).
• Agree it will introduce all new drugs to the US market at those reduced “most-favored nation” prices.
• Invest $70 billion in US manufacturing and research, in exchange for being exempted from Trump admin tariffs for three years.

Pfizer also agreed to offer some of its most popular drugs at a steep discount to US consumers through a new website dubbed "TrumpRx," which aims to launch in early 2026.

• Senior US officials say TrumpRX would allow Americans without insurance to receive a discounted price for certain drugs that is negotiated by the government.
• It’s unclear how many drugs will be offered on TrumpRX, or whether it will provide benefits to Americans already covered by private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.

The first of many?

The Pfizer agreement comes amid a long-running campaign by Trump—dating back to his first term—aimed at getting pharma giants to lower their prescription drug prices for US patients. Trump has repeatedly criticized the fact that America pays far more than peer countries, which typically have single-payer healthcare systems that negotiate drug prices.

• Pfizer is the first drugmaker to voluntarily agree to all the demands Trump laid out in a July letter to 17 leading pharma companies, which imposed a deadline of this past Monday for them to agree to binding commitments.
• Trump yesterday said other companies will soon be making deals in addition to Pfizer, mentioning Eli Lilly by name.
• He also threatened to impose higher pharma tariffs if firms don’t agree to lower drug prices.

Senior administration officials frame the negotiations with drugmakers as an effort to equalize prices paid by US customers and people in other developed nations, many of which have single payer healthcare systems that negotiate drug prices with manufacturers.

Big picture: Prescription drug prices are ~2.8x higher in the US than comparable wealthy countries, according to a recent Health and Human Services Department report.

📊 Flash poll: In general, how do you feel about the Trump admin’s new plan to lower prescription drug prices in the US?

• Approve
• Disapprove
• Unsure/other

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BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🛢️ Berkshire Hathaway reportedly in talks to acquire Occidental Petroleum’s petrochemical business for ~$10 billion.
• 🏘️ FTC sues Zillow and Redfin, alleging the real-estate giants illegally conspired to reduce competition in the multifamily rental listing market.
• 🧠 Nostalgia corner: McDonald's to bring back its Monopoly Game after nearly a decade. | AOL officially ends its dial-up internet service after 35+ years.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 📲 OpenAI to launch a new AI video generator app featuring a vertical feed and algorithm-driven recommendations, similar to TikTok, Insta Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
• 🏒 Richest deal in NHL history signed by Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov; eight-year, $136 million extension is tops in terms of total dollars as well as annual value ($17 million/year).
• 💔 Nicole Kidman files for divorce from Keith Urban; the Oscar-winning actress had been married to the Grammy-winning country singer for nearly 20 years.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🔥 Will-o’-the-wisps—or eerie, blue flames floating over marshes—may be created by tiny lightning sparks jumping between marshy bubbles filled with methane gas, according to a new study.
• 🌕 The Moon’s mysterious far side has an interior that’s significantly colder compared to the Moon’s near side, which is visible from Earth, per new research.
• 🫄 Morning sickness is a natural response of the human body to pregnancy, and a sign that everything is moving along normally, new UCLA-led study shows.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🪖 President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed a gathering of US generals and admirals yesterday; Trump said the military will be used to fight “the enemy within”—in reference to troop deployments to various US cities—while Hegseth detailed a plan to overhaul the military’s culture.
• 🎓 Harvard University reaches tentative deal with the White House to pay ~$500 million in exchange for frozen federal research grants, according to Trump.
• 🏛️ The US government officially shut down early this morning after Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a short-term funding agreement; both parties appear far apart on any potential deal, which isn’t expected soon; the shutdown is projected to result in ~750,000 federal employees being furloughed.

☝️ Say “hello” to Dot the Dasher…DoorDash yesterday unveiled a new autonomous delivery robot called “Dot,” marking a new era in robot world domination delivery. DoorDash says Dot is the first-ever robot with the ability to maneuver within bike lanes, roads, and sidewalks, all at speeds up to 20 MPH. The new robot is touted as a more efficient and economical way of delivering smaller-sized orders that don’t require a full vehicle.

🤔 Did you know? Chaser the Border Collie, often called “the smartest dog in the world,” held the record for largest tested memory of any non-human animal. Chaser knew the names of 1,022 toys in total, and demonstrated a capacity for reasoning comparable to a human toddler—giving Wishbone a run for his money.

📰 Worth a read: The new parenting style on the rise with GenZ

🖱️ Clickbait: Ranking the coolest neighborhoods in the world

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1. 📡 5,000: Number of satellites currently orbiting Earth
2. 🦈 18 feet: Length of the average great white shark
3. 🥶 -100°F: Lowest natural temperature ever recorded on Earth

🧶 Kim Franks has spent the past five years knitting tiny clothes for the world’s tiniest fighters: babies in the NICU. Despite her own health struggles, she’s crafted hundreds of hats, socks, and even miniature teddy bears to comfort newborns in intensive care.

1. 📡 Over; 12,000+ satellites
2. 🦈 Under; 15-16 feet for females, 11-13 feet for males
3. 🥶 Under; -128.6 °F

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