Ronald Reagan famously said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” The U.S. Department of Justice is proving him right by continuing Biden-era lawsuits against pharmacies that waste taxpayer money, ignore inconvenient facts, and put federal crosshairs on the wrong culprits in America’s opioid crisis. These lawsuits are a remnant of the opioid crisis and have the potential to bring about serious unintended consequences for patients and pharmacies big and small.  Here’s the background: CVS Health, Walmart, Walgreens and Rite Aid all face similar lawsuits from the DOJ that alleged False Claims Act and Controlled Substance Act violations. Each of the complaints have nuances, but at their heart the government alleges that these pharmacies filled prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, filled opioid prescriptions significantly early, and did not do the proper due diligence to ensure the prescriptions had a legitimate medical purpose.  In return, the pharmacies contend that it is the job of the Drug Enforcement Agency to properly monitor the distribution and prescribing of these medications, while also rebutting the merits of the lawsuits. And the simple fact is that these pharmacists were doing their job—filling prescriptions—and the companies have enacted many internal policies to protect against unnecessary and illegal prescription drugs making their way into patients’ hands. As it occasionally does, the government did play a helpful role in forcing necessary changes to curb the opioid epidemic. It was a national tragedy that exposed failures in oversight and patient care, and important improvements have been made regarding how pharmacies, regulators, and physicians operate.CVS is among the many pharmacy companies using updated and advanced systems to detect suspicious prescriptions. The pharmacy giant also expanded pharmacist training and developed programs to help patients safely manage medication.  But as always, the government is now going too far. The Trump administration has continued a Biden-era lawsuit, even though the action will have minimal impact on patient health—but will spend millions of taxpayer dollars on yesterday’s crisis, rummaging through old records and chasing prescriptions from a decade ago. A better idea would be joining the administration’s fight against the fentanyl crisis that’s killing tens of thousands of Americans each year, today.  In 2023 alone, Customs and Border Protection seized more than 27,000 pounds of fentanyl, enough to kill the population of the United States several times over. Most of it originates in China and moves through Mexican cartels that exploit gaps in border enforcement. Traffickers take advantage of thinly spread inspection resources and lighter enforcement at more remote border points, concealing fentanyl shipments inside legal cargo or passenger vehicles.  Trump recognizes the threat fentanyl poses to Americans; it’s the stated reason he’s ordered several successful strikes on Venezuelan drug smugglers, and he’s raised awareness about China’s role in fentanyl entering our country. That’s why expecting pharmacists to challenge legitimate prescriptions from board-certified physicians makes no sense. These aren’t drug smugglers seeking to poison Americans in exchange for ungodly sums of money. Pharmacists are trained to understand how medications can helppeople. Unnecessary lawsuits put them in the position of trying to guess the line between compassion and abuse—and that may mean cancer patients and the elderly in hospices do not receive important pain relief and other care with a pass-through effect that could raise prices both at the pharmacy window and inside the store.The DOJ’s opioid lawsuits have already produced more than $10 billion in settlements—a disturbing amount of which has potentially been misspent by state and local governments. Many of these are the same government authorities that want to put the pharmacy companies in corporate prison.  And that brings us back to Reagan’s famous quip about government overreach. The Trump administration has done a lot right to resize and redirect government. It’s finally closing the borders, slowing the flow of fentanyl, and fighting crime.It’s time for the DOJ to support the rest of the administration’s correct priorities instead of wasting money on the Biden administration’s misguided holdovers. Everyone will win—patients, consumers and taxpayers—and the Trump administration. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post The DOJ’s Pharmacy Crusade Will Harm the Patients It’s Meant to Help appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Screen Time, Cell Phones, and the Littlest Kiddos

It sparked a G5 solar storm that lasted 27 hours, sending auroras around the world. And then it did it again. And again.

This Halloween, we went to Loch Ness, Scotland, in search of a legend. Is there something strange lurking in those cold waters, or does science have alternative answers?

The fossil is 75 percent complete and belongs to the northernmost rhino species we've ever found.

"We started to observe a bizarre developmental malformation that we nicknamed double-head worms."

A handful of Senate Republicans defied President Donald Trump in a contentious vote to block the administration's tariffs on Brazil.The Senate narrowly passed a resolution Tuesday night to zero out Trump's 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports in a 52-48 vote. Five Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — aided all 47 Democrats to pass the resolution. The resolution is likely to die in the House before ever making it to Trump's desk. This rebuke comes from Trump's most vocal critics in the Senate, all of whom have bucked the administration in the past.Paul has repeatedly voted against Republican funding bills, including the continuing resolution that would reopen the government, all but guaranteeing he is disinvited from many White House events his colleagues attend. Tillis, who announced he would be retiring following this term, also voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Collins, Murkowski, and McConnell have been a thorn in Trump's side, repeatedly voting against key nominees. RELATED: Vance casts tiebreaking Senate vote after Republicans join Democrats to tank Trump's tariffs Anna Rose Layden/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe resolution is likely to die in the House before ever making it to Trump's desk. Even if Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) were to hold a vote on the resolution, the Republican majority would likely side with the administration. Notably, this is not the first time Republicans defied the White House to block Trump's tariffs. Vice President JD Vance had to cast a tiebreaking vote back in May to block a similar resolution that would have halted Trump's tariffs. At the time, Murkowski, Collins, and Paul were the three lawmakers who went against the grain. RELATED: Vance casts tiebreaking vote after Republicans betray Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images"Farmers are hurting. Inflation is squeezing every worker. And tariffs are making it worse," Paul said in a recent post on X. "We can’t print enough money to paper over bad policy."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Democratic lawmakers' narrative on the government shutdown is beginning to crumble, as even traditionally friendly media outlets and personalities are starting to turn on them.'If you feel so strongly, Congresswoman, why not ask the Senate Democrats from New Mexico to vote to open the government?'On Tuesday, CNN's Jake Tapper got into a tense back-and-forth with Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) over SNAP benefits drying up.Tapper challenged Stansbury, questioning whether Democratic senators from New Mexico should consider reopening the government to ensure Americans on SNAP continue to receive those benefits without interruption. "Let me be clear, the administration is choosing to starve American children with money that they already have appropriated," Stansbury replied. "I'm not applauding their tactics," Tapper clarified.Stansbury reiterated that the government shutdown was "a choice by the White House.""This is also a choice by Senate Democrats to not vote to open the government," Tapper replied. RELATED: Democrats brush off pressure from federal workers’ union to end government shutdown Representative Melanie Stansbury. Photographer: Kayla Bartkowski/Bloomberg via Getty Images Stansbury rejected Tapper's assertion. "Let me just be clear, the money for contingency plans is sitting there," she stated. "The White House is withholding funds from children to have food."Tapper, again, was not buying it. He explained that the contingency plans covered only two to three weeks' worth of SNAP funds and did not offer a long-term solution for Americans who depend on the benefits.RELATED: Trump admin blames Senate Democrats for SNAP debacle: 'The well has run dry' US President Donald Trump, Rep. Melanie Stansbury. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty ImagesStansbury tried to turn the tables on Tapper, stating that the funds "may not be a big deal to you," noting that families need all the relief they can get. She further claimed that it "doesn't matter" that it was only a short-term solution."People need to be able to feed their families, and Saturday is when those funds run out," she told Tapper."If you feel so strongly, Congresswoman, why not ask the Senate Democrats from New Mexico to vote to open the government?" Tapper fired back.Stansbury claimed she is "fighting to get the government reopened." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

If you’re a fan—and especially if you’re interested in the creative impulses and personal challenges that gave birth to Nebraska—you won’t want to miss this film. The post ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere’ Sheds Light on a Pivotal Period: Film Review appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

The maestro capped off the 31-date North American run of Jeff Lynne's ELO with a spectacular, hit-driven show. The post Lights Out! Jeff Lynne Closes 2024’s Final US Tour With a Magical Set: Concert Review appeared first on Best Classic Bands.