New NATO chief Rutte says alliance ‘needs to go further’ in support for Ukraine

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New NATO chief Rutte says alliance ‘needs to go further’ in support for Ukraine

2024-11-26 19:39 Last Updated At：19:50

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — NATO’s new Secretary General Mark Rutte on Tuesday said the alliance “needs to go further” to support Ukraine in its fight against a Russian invasion and accused Moscow of dangerously escalating the conflict by bringing in thousands of North Korean troops.

“In pursuing its illegal war in Ukraine, Russia makes use of North Korean weapons and troops, Iranian drones and Chinese dual use goods for its defense industry,” Rutte said while on a visit to Greece. “This is a dangerous expansion of the war and a challenge to global peace and security.”

Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister who took over as NATO chief last month, met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens and thanked him for Greek support for Ukraine that includes weapons and ammunition, as well as training for F-16 pilots and technicians.

“Our support for Ukraine has kept them in the fight, but we need to go further to change the trajectory of the conflict,” Rutte said.

Greece spends over 3% of its gross domestic product on defense, above the 2% committed minimum for NATO members, and is seeking a change in European Union budget rules to allow for greater military spending. It also wants to help create a common European air defense system.

“We agree on one of the fundamental priorities for all allies: the need to strengthen our collective defense, a goal that requires a strong defense industry with significant investments,” Mitsotakis said, adding that Athens backed “a more functional relationship between NATO and the European Union, to further strengthen the European pillar of the alliance.”

Europe’s NATO members have been discussing plans to boost defense investments for months due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and uncertainty surrounding the incoming U.S. administration following the election victory of President-elect Donald Trump.

Rutte’s visit to Athens follows meetings with Trump in Florida and Turkish leaders in Ankara Monday.

Rutte also held talks with Greece's Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis and Minister of Defense Nikos Dendias.

Several thousand protesters marched through central Athens in opposition to the NATO chief’s visit. The largest rally was organized by a Communist-backed trade union, at which protesters chanted: “Give us money for health and education, not NATO killers.”

Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans

2024-11-26 19:43 Last Updated At：19:50

WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of Americans with obesity would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Ozempic covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning.

The costly proposal from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services immediately sets the stage for a showdown between the powerful pharmaceutical industry and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken opponent of the weight-loss drugs who, as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the agency, could block the measure.

While the rule would give millions of people access to weekly injectables that have helped people shed pounds so quickly that some have labeled them miracle drugs, it would cost taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade.

“It's a good day for anyone who suffers from obesity,” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told The Associated Press in an interview. “It's a game changer for Americans who can't afford these drugs otherwise.”

The rule would not be finalized until January, days after Trump takes office. A bipartisan coalition of congressional members has lobbied for the drugs to be covered by Medicare, saying it could save the government from spending billions of dollars on treating chronic ailments that stem from obesity. While it's unclear where Trump himself stands on coverage of the weight-loss drugs, his allies and Cabinet picks who have vowed to cut government spending could balk at the upfront price tag.

Under the proposal, only those who are considered obese — someone who has a body mass index of 30 or higher — would qualify for coverage. Some people may already get coverage of the drugs through Medicare or Medicaid, if they have diabetes or are at risk for stroke or heart disease.

Becerra estimated that an additional 3.5 million people on Medicare and 4 million on Medicaid could qualify for coverage of the drugs. But research suggests far more people might qualify, with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimating roughly 28 million people on Medicaid are considered obese.

Medicare has been barred from offering the drugs under a decades-old law that prohibits the government-backed insurance program from covering weight-loss products. The rule proposed by the Biden administration, however, would recognize obesity as a disease that can be treated with the help of the drugs.

The anti-obesity drug market has expanded significantly in recent years, with the Food and Drug Administration approving a new class of weekly injectables like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound to treat obesity.

People can lose as much as 15% to 25% of their body weight on the drugs, which imitate the hormones that regulate appetites by communicating fullness between the gut and brain when people eat.

The cost of the drugs has largely limited them to the wealthy, including celebrities who boast of their benefits. A monthly supply of Wegovy rings up at $1,300 and Zepbound will put you out $1,000. Shortages of the drugs have also limited the supplies.

Kennedy, who as Trump's nominee for HHS secretary is subject to Senate confirmation, has railed against the drugs' popularity. In speeches and on social media, he's said the U.S. should not cover the drugs through Medicaid or Medicare. Instead, he supports a broad expansion of coverage for healthier foods and gym memberships.

“For half the price of Ozempic, we could purchase regeneratively raised, organic food for every American, three meals a day and a gym membership, for every obese American,” Kennedy said to a group of federal lawmakers during a roundtable earlier this year.