HAPPY 2026 - SO FAR

There are 302 days to the mid-term elections on November 4.

So much for “I alone can fix it”: Drugmakers have raised U.S. prices on at least 350 branded medications including vaccines against COVID, RSV and shingles and blockbuster cancer treatment Ibrance, even as the Trump administration pressures them for cuts. The number of price increases for 2026 is up from the same point last year, when drugmakers unveiled plans for raises on more than 250 drugs. The median of this year’s price hikes is around 4% - in line with 2025, and ahead of reported inflation from last year. The increases on 350 medicines come even as Trump has struck deals with 14 drugmakers on prices of some of their medicines for Medicaid and cash payers. Pfizer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis and GSK are among those companies and they also raised prices on some drugs January 1.

Trump has “come clean” (hah!) and confirmed he wears compression socks to treat his cankles amid growing scrutiny over his health as America’s oldest president, though he said he does not still do so because “I didn’t lik them”. He said he is trying now to get up from his desk more and walk around, another method recommended by doctors to reduce swelling. That appears to be all the exercise he is prepared to take. “To walk on a treadmill or run on a treadmill for hours and hours like some people do, that’s not for me,” he told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday (didn’t he hate the WSJ the day before?). Trump also admitted he applies makeup to his hands, saying that the large daily dose of aspirin he takes to thin his blood causes them to bruise easily. (The first hah! - aspirin doesn’t have that affect, the bruising is from infusions he won’t talk about) His doctor, Navy Captain Sean Barbabella said Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin a day—a much larger dose than the usual 81 milligrams—for “cardiac prevention.” (Hah!) Trump said, “They’d rather have me take the smaller one. I take the larger one, but I’ve done it for years, and what it does do is it causes bruising. (If that is so, how come we only started to see the bruising recently?) They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart. I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?” (Nothing he says about anything makes sense) He said his skin is so thin that he daubs makeup on his hands after he gets “whacked again by someone.” (Boy, is there a lot going on in that statement metaphorically) He insisted in the interview that he is in excellent shape and puts it down to “good genetics.” Trump expressed regret for having advanced imaging “because it generated scrutiny of his health.” Trump said he isn’t actually falling asleep, but that he’ll “just close his eyes.” “It’s very relaxing to me,” he said of shutting his eyes. “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.” (Yeah, right, Don Snoreleone) Soooo... he takes more aspirin than he probably should - which can cause a cerebral hemorrhage - and doesn’t wear his compression socks like he should. Sundowning Grampa Bullshitter is stubborn and non-compliant. Tell us another one, Grampa.

Life in “The best economy, ever”: The past year saw a wave of bankruptcies, with a number of major national brands permanently closing their doors amid uncertain economic growth and ongoing challenges among brick-and-mortar businesses. More than 8,100 stores closed across the U.S. in 2025, up roughly 12% from 2024, according to retail industry analytics firm Coresight Research. (But this had nothing to do with the wonderful marvelous tariffs that are helping everything become better and better.) Among them was Jurate’s favorite store, Joann Fabrics (she could spend an entire Saturday there, looking things over).

The CIA has assessed Ukraine was not targeting a residence used by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a recent drone attack in the north of his country, according to US officials, undercutting an assertion Putin made to Krasnov in a Monday phone call. Trump said he was “very angry” about this attack, despite Ukraine saying no such attack happened. He conceded it was “possible” the allegation was false and such an attack had not occurred, then added, “But President Putin told me this morning it did.” (Shades of Helsinki 2018) CIA Director John Ratcliffe briefed Trump on the assessment Wednesday. Trump appeared to have adopted a more skeptical posture afterwards, posting a link to a New York Post editorial on Lies Anti-Social with the headline, “Putin ‘attack’ bluster shows Russia is the one standing in the way of peace.”

President Trump took a swipe at actor George Clooney and his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, after their family was granted French citizenship. “Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration, much like we had under Sleepy Joe Biden.” He also criticized Clooney’s acting career, disputing the idea that he was a “movie star” and instead describing him as “just an average guy who complained, constantly, about common sense in politics.” In defending their decision to grant the Clooney family citizenship, France’s Foreign Ministry cited French law that allows foreign nationals to be naturalized if they contribute positively to the country economically or influentially on the international stage.

George Clooney shot back at Trump after he uncorked his wild attack on Clooney and trashed his movies over the actor’s decision to exit the U.S. for French citizenship. Clooney fired back at Trump to the Hollywood Reporter, “I totally agree with the current president. We have to make America great again. We’ll start in November.”

Thursday, the widening protests in Iran over the country’s worsening economy escalated as demonstrators clashed with police in multiple provinces, leaving several people dead. At least three protesters were killed and 17 others wounded during an attack on a police station in Iran’s western province of Lorestan, the semiofficial Fars News Agency reported. The clashes between activists and security forces have intensified since they began off over the weekend, triggered by degrading economic hardships, currency devaluation and poor living conditions. They are the biggest demonstrations in Iran since a country-wide uprising flared up over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody after she was arrested for allegedly improperly wearing her headscarf three years ago. Protests on Wednesday saw a member of the Basij paramilitary force that is often deployed by the regime to suppress protests killed, with at least 13 other people injured in Kuhdasht, a city in Lorestan province. Police have so far detained at least 29 demonstrators across the country.

Trump Steaks, Trump Wine, Trump Airlines: the latest Trumpscam, Trump Mobile, a phone venture launched under the Trump brand last year, has delayed plans to ship the gold-colored Trump Smartphone, citing the government shutdown for the holdup delays. The phones, which have a price of $499 each, was initially slated to launch in August but it didn’t ship by the end of 2025. A representative for Trump Mobile told CBS News that delivery would be pushed back until the end of January. To secure the yet-to-be-released gold-colored phone, customers must pay a $100 deposit upfront, refundable before the phone ships. It is still unclear who is manufacturing the gold-colored handset or when it will actually ship.

Newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended his ambitious agenda Thursday, rejecting the prospect of “small expectations” in his inaugural address from outside City Hall. “We will govern without shame and insecurity, making no apology for what we believe,” Mamdani said. “I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”

You are not the crazy ones. These are the times that try men’s (and women’s) souls. This is the fight of our lifetimes, and the challenge of our generation. I realize times are getting harder, which is why some readers understandably didn’t renew their subscriptions. If you happen to be in a position to help make up the gap, please consider joining the other paid subscribers here at That’s Another Fine Mess to keep things going. It’s only 21 cents a day. I am deeply thankful to those who have done so.

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