By TOM MURPHY, AAMER MADHANI and JONEL ALECCIA, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy.

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The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years.

But access to the drugs has been a consistent problem for patients because of their cost — around $500 a month for higher doses — and insurance coverage has been spotty.

Coverage of the drugs for obesity will expand to Medicare patients starting next year, according to the administration, which said some lower prices also will be phased in for patients without coverage. Starting doses of new, pill versions of the treatments also will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

Thursday’s announcement is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to rein in soaring drug prices in its efforts to address cost-of-living concerns among voters. Drugmakers Pfizer and AstraZeneca recently agreed to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid after an executive order in May set a deadline for drugmakers to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay.

As with the other deals, it’s not clear how much the price drop will be felt by consumers. Drug prices can vary based on the competition for treatments and insurance coverage.

Obesity drugs have become increasingly popular, but are costly

The obesity drugs work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that affect appetite and feelings of fullness. In clinical trials, they helped people shed between 15% and 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases.

Patients taking these drugs usually start on smaller doses and then work up to larger amounts, depending on their needs. Because of obesity being considered a chronic disease, they need to take the treatment indefinitely or risk regaining weight, experts say.

The fast-growing treatments have proven especially lucrative for drugmakers Eli Lilly and Co. and Novo Nordisk. Lilly said recently that sales of Zepbound have tripled so far this year to more than $9 billion.

But for many Americans, their cost has made them out of reach.

Medicare, the federally funded coverage program mainly for people ages 65 and over, hasn’t covered the treatments for obesity. President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule last November that would have changed that. But the Trump administration nixed it last spring.

Few state and federally funded Medicaid programs, for people with low incomes, offer coverage. And employers and insurers that provide commercial coverage are wary of paying for these drugs in part because of the large number of patients that might use them.

The $500 monthly price for higher doses of the treatments also makes them unaffordable for those without insurance, doctors say.

Medicare now covers the cost of the drugs for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but not for weight loss alone.

Trump showing he is in touch with cost-of-living concerns

The effort to lower costs barriers to popular GLP-1 drugs comes as the White House is looking to demonstrate that Trump is in touch with American’s frustrations with rising costs for food, housing, health care and other necessities.

Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia faced a drubbing in Tuesday’s election in which dour voter outlook about the economy appeared to an animating factor in the races.

Roughly half of Virginia voters said “the economy” was the top issue, and about 6 in 10 of these voters picked Democrat Abigail Spanberger for governor, powering her to a decisive win, according to an AP voter poll.

In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won about two-thirds of voters who called “the economy” the top issue facing the state, the poll found. She defeated a Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli. More than half of New York City voters said the cost of living was the top issue facing the city. The Democratic mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won about two-thirds of this group.

The White House sought to diminish the effort by the previous Democratic administration as a gift to the pharmaceutical industry because the proposal did not include adequate price concessions from the drug makers.

Trump, instead, consummated a “belt and suspenders” deal that ensures that Americans aren’t unfairly financing the pharmaceutical industry’s innovation, claimed a senior administration official, who briefed reporters ahead of Thursday’s Oval Office announcement by Trump.

Another senior administration official said coverage of the drugs will expand to Medicare patients starting next year. Those who qualify will pay $50 copays for the medicine.

Lower prices also will be phased in for people without coverage through the administration’s TrumpRx program, which will allow people to buy drugs directly from manufacturers. starting in January.

The officials said lower prices also will be provided for state and federally funded Medicaid programs. And starting doses of new, pill versions of the obesity treatments will cost $149 a month if they are approved.

The officials briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.

Doctors applaud the price drop

Dr. Leslie Golden says she has roughly 600 patients taking one of these treatments, and 75% or more struggle to afford them. Even with coverage, some face $150 copayments for refills.

“Every visit it’s, ‘How long can we continue to do this? What’s the plan if I can’t continue?,’” said Golden, an obesity medicine specialist in Watertown, Wisconsin. “Some of them are working additional jobs or delaying retirement so they can continue to pay for it.”

Both Lilly and Novo have already cut prices on their drugs. Lilly said earlier this year it would reduce the cost of initial doses of Zepbound to $349.

The potential to cover the medication for the 30 million people on Medicare who have obesity would be welcome, said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital. But until details are released, she remains skeptical.

“I would have to see it to believe it,” she said. “I need to see something that is more definitive for Medicare beneficiaries. I need to see something that is tangible and sustainable.”

Dr. Angela Fitch, who also treats patients with obesity, said she hoped a deal between the White House and drugmakers could be the first step in making the treatments more affordable.

“We need a hero in obesity care today,” said Fitch, founder and chief medical officer of knownwell, a weight-loss and medical care company. “The community has faced relentless barriers to accessing GLP-1 medications, which has ultimately come down to the price, despite the data we have supporting their effectiveness.”

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — A new obstacle confronting potential plans to bring a data center to the rural southwest corner of this community emerged in the form of a lawsuit Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Opponents challenge whether the sprawling proposed data center — which could reach 1.8 million square feet in size when fully developed — has undergone adequate environmental review.

The case was brought by two plaintiffs: the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) and a group of concerned citizens who united to form a nonprofit called Stop the Hermantown Data Center, or SHDC for short.

The suit against Hermantown is the fifth case involving data centers proposed across the state that MCEA has now joined.

“The reason we have multiple lawsuits on this is because of this troubling trend of secrecy we’re seeing across the state, and not just in Minnesota but nationally, as well, in the way that data center proposals are brought forward,” said MCEA CEO Kathryn Hoffman.

The complaint alleges that Hermantown has known since at least September 2024 that the site’s would-be developer hoped to construct a data center facility. Yet the type of operation proposed for the property was not publicly disclosed and confirmed until October.

Likewise, the suit contends that the Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) conducted to identify potential environmental impacts was inadequate because it “avoids studying known and anticipated environmental impacts of a large data center.”

For instance, Hoffman questioned whether water consumption estimates for the proposed development could be trusted. The AUAR predicts the fully developed data center site would use no more than 50,000 gallons of water per day, which Hermantown officials say is roughly comparable to the daily water consumption of 160 homes.

She also noted the lack of specific information regarding the power that will be required to operate the data center, the impact it will have on carbon emissions and whether the additional load could drive energy rates higher for area residents.

Joe Wicklund, Hermantown’s assistant city administrator and communications director, declined to comment on the merits of the suit, except to acknowledge the city had received the complaint and was reviewing it at present. He stressed that Hermantown officials “will follow the legal process,” whatever shape that may take.

The suit brought Wednesday is separate and distinct from another effort to slow the issuance of permits for the project. Concerned citizens recently also brought forward a petition to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board, prompting Hermantown to put plans for the data center on hold until it could determine whether additional environmental review beyond what was conducted under the initial AUAR should be required. If so, an environmental assessment worksheet or an even more rigorous environmental impact study could be mandated before permits could be issued.

Jonathan Thornton, a member of SHDC who lives about 1 1/2 miles from the site of the proposed data center, said the lawsuit was “not a knee-jerk reaction.” He said it was a bit of a last resort when other efforts to persuade the city to slow down the project failed.

Among other things, Thornton questions a change to Hermantown’s comprehensive land use plan that led to a quiet rezoning of the Adolph area for future development uses such as a data center.

Characterizing the questionable procedure used to bring the project forward, Thornton said: “They’re building this project on a foundation that’s fundamentally flawed.”

Hoffman acknowledged that the developers of data centers have been prone to operate in secret out of their concern of putting clients at a competitive disadvantage compared with rival companies. Just who stands to benefit from the proposed new Hermantown facility has yet to be disclosed. But big players in this arena include Google, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon.

She said the privacy desires of the developer must be balanced against the public’s right to know what is being proposed for the site, as well as how it may impact the area.

“From our perspective, our environmental review laws mandate transparency. And that’s a value that’s reflected in our Minnesota law that outweighs that interest in secrecy,” Hoffman said.

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FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Police in a Dallas suburb say 24-year-old Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was found dead of an apparent suicide after evading authorities in his vehicle and fleeing the scene of an accident on foot.

Frisco police said Thursday they are investigating the possible suicide. They said Kneeland didn’t stop for Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in a chase that was joined by Frisco police on Wednesday night.

Authorities lost sight of the vehicle before locating it crashed minutes later. During the search after Kneeland fled the crash site on foot, officers said they received word that Kneeland might be suicidal. He was found dead early Thursday morning, about three hours after the crash. Police didn’t say where Kneeland’s body was found.

EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org. Helplines outside the U.S. can be found at www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts.

Kneeland’s death came just days after he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone in a 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Kneeland was in his second season with the Cowboys. He was a 2024 second-round draft pick out of Western Michigan.

“I am shattered to confirm that my client and dearest friend Marshawn Kneeland passed away last night,” Kneeland’s agent, Jonathan Perzley, said in a statement that asked for privacy. “Marshawn poured his heart into every snap, every practice and every moment on the field. To lose someone with his talent, spirit and goodness is a pain I can hardly put into words.”

Kneeland was a second-round draft pick in 2024. His rookie season was off to a promising start before he was sidelined for five games by a knee injury.

Kneeland had his first career sack in the season opener this season against Philadelphia. He played in seven games this season, missing two with an ankle injury.

“Marshawn was a beloved teammate and member of our organization,” the Cowboys said. “Our thoughts and prayers regarding Marshawn are with his girlfriend Catalina and his family.”

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The Cowboys have frequently sought pass rushers and other defensive linemen in the first two rounds of the draft. Kneeland was drafted a year after defensive end Sam Williams was taken by Dallas in the second round. Williams blocked the punt that Kneeland recovered against the Cardinals.

Kneeland’s mother, Wendy Kneeland, died suddenly while he was preparing for the draft. He had his mother’s ashes in a necklace he wore after joining the Cowboys, according to The Dallas Morning News.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of Cowboys’ Marshawn Kneeland,” the NFL said. “We have been in contact with the Cowboys and have offered support and counseling resources.”

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB, Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli jets struck several towns in southern Lebanon on Thursday after urging residents to leave, marking an escalation in their near-daily strikes on the country.

The airstrikes came hours after militant group Hezbollah urged the Lebanese government not to enter negotiations with Israel.

Israeli Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned residents in Tayba near the border, Teir Debba located just east of the coastal city of Tyre, and Aita al-Jabal in southern Lebanon, to flee 500 meters (about 1,600 feet) away from residential buildings they are targeting, which they say have been used by Hezbollah. It later issued more warnings for the towns of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Kfar Dounin.

The Israeli military said it targeted military infrastructure for Hezbollah in those areas. It accused the group of rebuilding its capabilities almost a year after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect that ended a monthslong war. While most residents evacuated the threatened areas ahead of the strikes, Lebanon’s health ministry reported one person wounded.

“We will not allow Hezbollah to rearm themselves, to recover, build back up its strength to threaten the state of Israel,” Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said at a briefing Thursday.

The strikes came as Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and his government met in Beirut to follow up on a plan drafted by the Lebanese military to disarm Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups in the country.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has been critical of Israel’s strikes and ongoing occupation of five hilltop points on Lebanese territory but has said he is open to negotiations with Israel to end the tensions.

Israel says its near-daily strikes have targeted Hezbollah officials and military infrastructure, while the Lebanese government that has backed disarming Hezbollah say the strikes have targeted civilians and infrastructure unrelated to the Iran-backed group.

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The powerful group’s military capabilities were severely damaged in Israel’s intense air campaign over the tiny country in 2024, but Hezbollah have yet to disarm and its leader Sheikh Naim Kassem has said that the group will be ready to fight no matter how limited their capabilities might be.

Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, which nominally ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war last November. The conflict started after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas and the Palestinians, prompting Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling in return. The low-level exchanges escalated into full-scale war in September 2024.

Lebanon’s health ministry has reported more than 270 people killed and around 850 wounded by Israeli military actions since the ceasefire took effect. As of Oct. 9, the U.N. human rights office had verified that 107 of those killed were civilians or noncombatants, said spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan.

No Israelis have been killed by fire from Lebanon since the ceasefire. Hezbollah has claimed one attack since the agreement took effect.

Also Thursday, the U.S. Treasury announced a new set of sanctions that it said target “financial operatives who oversee the movement of funds from Iran” to Hezbollah, including through licensed and unlicensed money exchanges shops that it said “fail to conduct adequate screening on their customers” and allow Hezbollah “to take advantage of Lebanon’s largely cash-based economy to launder illicit money.”

Associated Press journalists Areej Hazboun in Jerusalem and Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.