Designating illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) should "at least be a discussion," President Trump's border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday during Axios' Future of Defense Summit.
The big picture: Homan emphasized fentanyl is a dangerous drug, citing U.S. death tolls he said are around 73,000 annually and noted the number was higher during the Biden administration.
It may already be too late to implement certain changes Republicans are insisting on as a condition for renewing to Affordable Care Act subsidies, further casting doubt on any congressional deal to extend the financial aid.
Why it matters: GOP lawmakers have made clear that they need to see changes to the enhanced ACA tax credits at the center of the government shutdown fight in order to extend them.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction, fueled by dissatisfaction with President Trump's impact on the economy, immigration, race relations and the nation's global standing, according to a new poll with a big, broad sample.
Even among Republicans, a significant share — nearly 30% — gave Trump low marks on the economy and how the government is functioning.
Why it matters: The survey offers a snapshot of the nation's sour mood just more than a year before the 2026 midterms — and suggests that anger could rewire political alliances and test the durability of Trump's support.
The Trump administration may move to impose new regulations on food companies that don't follow through on promises to remove artificial colorants from their products, White House adviser Calley Means said at a health industry conference on Tuesday.
Why it matters: HealthSecretary Robert F. Kennedy has so far focused on getting voluntary commitments from companies like Kraft Heinz and Walmart on varying timelines.
A genetic testing startup launched an AI genomics research arm Tuesday aimed at predicting the likelihood that IVF embryos will develop certain cancers, Alzheimer's and other chronic diseases.
Why it matters: Nucleus Genomics is taking preventative health to an entirely new level: before birth.
Senate Democrats are launching an effort to repeal a portion of Republicans' budget law that exempts certain "orphan drugs" from Medicare price negotiations, citing estimates that the cost of the carve-out has ballooned.
Why it matters: The measure targets a provision that the biotech industry argues is important for innovation, but that Democrats say is actually a costly handout to major pharmaceutical companies.
Eli Lilly is poised to leapfrog Novo Nordisk and become the dominant player in an anti-obesity drug market that could reach $150 billion by the end of the decade.
Why it matters: The push to develop blockbuster weight loss drugs had been a two-horse race dominated by Novo Nordisk until the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic started backsliding on weaker sales growth.
Since then, it's laid off thousands and revised earnings guidance downward.
Walmart will become the first U.S. retailer to sell an over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor in physical stores, as Abbott's Lingo rolls out to more than 3,500 locations and online, the health care company told Axios exclusively Tuesday.
Why it matters: It's the latest sign that health tech is going mainstream — making tools that previously required a prescription more accessible to consumers.
