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September 22, 2025
Shoppers now facing 'fruit and veggie flation' this fall
(Scripps) Higher produce prices are forcing many shoppers like Jessie Nickerson to rethink where they buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Nickerson says she was stunned by prices at her organic grocery store. "Over $2 for one tomato. That was a little steep for me," Nickerson said. At Roth Produce, a local produce stand, Michael Guintini says he is fighting "fruit and veggie-flation" the best he can. Recently, he had to stop selling asparagus after tariffs sent prices on Mexican asparagus soaring. "For me to make any money, I'd have to charge over $8 a pound, and I can't do that," Guintini said.
Go to discussionRural health clinics are closing after Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' raising the legislation's political risks
(CNN) Exactly two months after President Donald Trump signed his policy megabill in a July 4 celebration at the White House, a Virginia health care company blamed the law for the closure of three rural clinics serving communities along the Blue Ridge Mountains. The closures, Augusta Medical Group said in its statement, were part of the company’s "ongoing response to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the resulting realities for healthcare delivery."
Go to discussionDonald Trump Goes on Bizarre Vaccine Rant About Babies and Horses
(Daily Beast) Trump was speaking ahead of a Monday press conference where he suggested vaccine skeptic Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has “found an answer to autism.” Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, is expected to be blamed. “Children get these massive vaccines like you’d give to a horse," he added. “And I’ve said for a long time, I mean, this is no secret, spread them out over five years. Get five shots, small ones. You ever see what they get they get? I mean, for a little baby to be injected with that much fluid, even beyond the actual ingredients, they have sometimes 80 different vaccines in them. It’s crazy.”
Go to discussionWinner of mRNA Nobel says ACIP member's claim that Covid vaccines persist is "absolutely impossible"
(Stat News) On Thursday and Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Some presenters and panelists raised concerns that the mRNA Covid vaccines – the ones made by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech – may have unconfirmed safety issues. STAT posed questions about these claims to Drew Weissman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and co-recipient of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his discoveries that enabled the creation of mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines.
Go to discussionKim Jong Un recalls 'good memories' with Trump as he issues US nuclear warning
(The Independent) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed fond recollections of Donald Trump, while simultaneously urging Washington to abandon its prerequisite for denuclearisation before resuming long-stalled diplomatic talks. Speaking to Pyongyang’s parliament on Sunday, Mr Kim underscored his firm stance against re-engaging with rival South Korea, a crucial US ally instrumental in brokering his previous summits with Mr Trump, according to state media reports on Monday.
Go to discussion'MAGA is a cult': Observers slam Charlie Kirk memorial as 'weird and embarrassing
(Raw Story) Political commentators and analysts on Sunday slammed the MAGA-led memorial service for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk was killed almost two weeks ago when he was struck by a single bullet while speaking at a Utah university campus, while giving a speech. His death has become a political flashpoint, with conservatives seeking to lionize Kirk while some Democrats have criticized some of Kirk's ideas.
Go to discussionTrump speaking at Kirk memorial: "I hate my opponents"
(MSNBC) At Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, President Donald Trump described Kirk as someone who wanted to reach people and “did not hate his opponents” and wished the best for them. Trump noted that this was the difference between them, saying, “I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them.”
Bannon broadcasting from Kirk memorial: "A third of teachers are terrorists"
(Daily Beast) Steve Bannon labeled America’s teachers “terrorists” while speaking from Charlie Kirk’s massive memorial service in Arizona on Sunday. The former Trump adviser made the comment during a broadcast on the right-wing network Real America’s Voice, as his co-host Gina Loudon was celebrating Kirk’s “throwback ideas,” such as “young marriage” and having “lots of children.” Bannon, 71, said, "Look, from kindergarten all the way up, they are essentially, you know, a third of the teachers are terrorists that are trying to form them.”
Go to discussionStars Boycott Disney Premiere in Free Speech Protest
(Daily Beast) Musicians including Sarah McLachlan and Jewel pulled out of performing at the launch of a new Disney documentary as the fallout spreads from the entertainment giant’s role in the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show. McLachlan issued a passionate statement in support of free speech as she spoke to the audience to explain her move at the premiere of Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery on Sunday night.
Go to discussionTrump weighs engraving donors' names on ballroom wall
(Daily Beast) "Corporations donating millions to President Donald Trump’s new ballroom project at the White House may be rewarded by having their name etched into the historic building, a report claimed Friday. Sources told CBS News that donors so far include Google, R.J. Reynolds, Booz Allen Hamilton, Palantir and NextEra Energy. Lockheed Martin, the aerospace and defense company, contributed $10 million to the project. ... Three sources told the network that Trump has personally lobbied businesses for donations. It is unclear how many donations came about from that lobbying.
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