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In the news today: The Trump administration launches a website for discounted drugs; how AI and deepfakes complicate Savannah Guthrie's "proof of life" demand to the kidnapper of her 84-year-old mother; and a deputy chief of Russian military intelligence was shot and wounded in Moscow. Also, meet the mastermind of the Super Bowl confetti drop. |
President Donald Trump arrives to speak about TrumpRx in the South Court Auditorium in the Old Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Thursday, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) |
Trump administration launches TrumpRx website for discounted drugs |
The Trump administration said the website will help patients buy prescription drugs directly at a discounted rate at a time when health care and the cost of living are growing concerns for Americans. Read more. |
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- The site is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to show it's tackling the challenges of high costs. Affordability has emerged as a political vulnerability for Trump and his Republican allies going into November's midterm elections. Trump stressed that the lower prices were made possible by his pressuring of pharmaceutical companies on prices, saying he demanded that they charge the same costs in the U.S. as in other nations.
The government-hosted website is not a platform for buying medications. Instead, it's set up as a facilitator, pointing Americans to drugmakers' direct-to-consumer websites, where they can make purchases. It also provides coupons to use at pharmacies. The site launches with over 40 medications, including weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
- Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, hyped the website as being transformative and suggested that lower prices for the fertility drug Gonal-F would trigger pregnancies nationwide. "We're going to have a lot of Trump babies with these costs," Oz said.
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Savannah Guthrie's demand for mom's 'proof of life' is complicated in this era of AI and deepfakes |
Before artificial intelligence tools proliferated, "proof of life" could simply mean sending a grainy image of a person who's been abducted. That's no longer true. Read more. |
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As technology has advanced, criminals have grown savvy and used it to their benefit, confusing police and the public and masking their identities. The FBI in December warned that people posing as kidnappers can provide what appears to be a real photo or video of a loved one, along with demands for money. Images of the NBC "Today" show host's mother Nancy Guthrie, publicly shared by family, could be used to create deepfakes, said former FBI agent Katherine Schweit.
Police have not said that they have received any deepfake images of Guthrie. At least three news organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes that they have given to investigators, who said they are taking them seriously. Investigators said they believe she's "still out there," but they have not identified any suspects.
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A deputy chief of Russian military intelligence was shot and wounded in Moscow |
Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, 64, was shot several times by an unidentified assailant at an apartment building in Moscow's northwest and hospitalized, an Investigative Committee spokesperson said. The attack follows a series of assassinations of senior military officers that Russia has blamed on Ukraine. Read more. |
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The shooting came a day after Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators wrapped up two days of talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine. The Russian delegation was led by Alekseyev's boss, military intelligence chief Adm. Igor Kostyukov.
Since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine nearly four years ago, Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for several assassinations of military officers and public figures in Russia. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of them. It has not yet commented on the shooting of Alekseyev.
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Noah Winter, responsible for the confetti displays, poses for a picture after the College Football Playoff national championship game, Jan. 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) |
Meet the man behind the Super Bowl's annual confetti blizzard
Noah Winter brags he's been to way more Super Bowls than Tom Brady. This year will be his 30th straight, not in uniform but as the guy in charge of the celebratory confetti after the game ends. His company provides 300 pounds of two-colored confetti for each of the teams. So, what goes into the perfect confetti drop? Winter explains how he creates the perfect shape and color mix. |
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