DNC Vice Chair Hogg Wants To Spend $20M To Oust Incumbent Dems

 Establishment Democrats couldn't have been too enthused in February when the Democratic National Committee elected 25-year-old activist David Hogg as one of the party's three vice chairs. Now, their dismay is turning to outrage with Hogg's announcement that he wants to help his outside organization spend $20 million to knock incumbent Democrats out of office. Amid the backlash, Hogg is already warning that there will be a campaign to destroy his reputation -- which has people wondering what kind of dirt the establishment has on him. 

Hogg, the noodle-armed leftist and perpetual meme-target who deftly exploited his status as a student at school victimized by a mass shooter to become a spotlight-adoring gun control activist, says he wants to rid the Democratic Party of a "culture of seniority politics" that's enabled ineffective legislators to linger, failing to bring the leftist agenda to life. "Our base is craving dramatic change,” said Hogg. “We need to show our base we’re here to fight for them. We need to show there are younger faces stepping up.”

Democratic Party insiders are aggravated by Vice Chair David Hogg's pending insider attack on incumbents

In 2023, Hogg co-founded Leaders We Deserve, a political action committee. On Tuesday, the PAC said it's on a mission to target incumbent Democrats in 2026. To minimize collateral damage, Leaders We Deserve will only go after incumbents in "safe" districts where Republicans don't have a chance. "I want us to win the majority," explains Hogg. 

While he's shied away from naming incumbent targets just yet, he has named two that will not be under fire from his group, calling 85-year-old former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and 80-year-old Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky "fighters who are delivering." Both are already facing young 2026 challengers -- including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's former chief of staff gunning for Pelosi. 

"It’s an unprecedented, and controversial, move from a national officer within the Democratic Party that will enrage some insiders," notes Politico's Elena Schneider. Party chairman Ken Martin clearly isn't wild about the idea of a party officer gunning for incumbents:

“In order to ensure we are as effective as possible at electing Democrats to office, it is the DNC’s longstanding position that primary voters — not the national party — determine their Democratic candidates for the general election,” said Martin.

Too many elected leaders in the Democratic Party are either unwilling or unable to meet the moment and are asleep at the wheel while Trump is demolishing the economy, challenging the foundations of our democracy, and creating new existential crises for our country by the day.

— David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) April 17, 2025

Of course, Martin's claim that the party's "longstanding position" is to yield to the will of primary voters is laughable when considering how the DNC manipulated the 2016 presidential primary to ensure Hillary Clinton would emerge victorious. His statement ended with what could be seen as a hint that Hogg should himself be ousted from the vice chair post he's held for less than 90 days. Martin said he's grateful for Hogg's service as a "passionate advocate...whether it be in his role as a DNC Vice Chair or in an outside capacity." Hogg doesn't want to leave, however:

“I’m going to fight to remain in this position because I believe I can serve the party. This [PAC] was my job when ...I was running [for vice chair], and I’m willing to fight to say why I believe both are possible at the same time. I’m not using the DNC’s resources in these races. I’m not going to get involved in the presidential primary and I’m abiding by what the current bylaws are.”

The internal warfare comes as the "Blue Team" is clearly on the rocks. According to a CNN poll released in March, the Democratic Party's favorability rating has collapsed by a whopping 20 percentage points in just four years, and now stands at just 29% -- the lowest in the history of CNN's poll, which goes back to 1992.  NBC News had a similar reading: 27% positive against 55% negative. "In more than 30 years of this poll, we've never seen either party hit a number this low, in terms of negatives," said NBC's Steve Kornacki.    

Plenty of insiders are venting about Hogg's threatened attack on incumbents. “We have to be so strategic and careful with our resources right now. ... So why are we in this circular firing squad against Democrats?” a DNC member asked Politico. As poor as the Democrats are doing in opinion polls, the GOP's majorities in Congress aren't overwhelming -- especially in the House, where Republicans emerged from the 2024 races with just a five-seat margin. 

In which James Carville calls DNC Vice Chair David Hogg "a contemptible little twerp" for reportedly supporting efforts to primary sitting Democrats

"I don't know if I have standing, but I might give the DNC $10 to sue him. He's a contemptible little twerp if you ask me." pic.twitter.com/D0TrZT59g0

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 17, 2025

Washington Rep. Suzan DelBene, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee issued an oblique attack on Hogg's scheming against incumbents. “What I would tell anyone who wants to be helpful or to donate is to focus on those races where we can take back the majority," she told Politico.   

A senior Democratic leadership aide said top party leaders are "upset and frustrated...[Hogg's power play is] a real distraction and annoyance, when we should be laser-focused on winning back the House, not distracting press and donor attention on this."

For now, it's mostly just mild rebukes, but look for the Democratic Party knives to come out soon. Even Hogg knows it's coming, having posted this cryptic, foreshadowing message on X: 

What's David Hogg so worried about?

I'm betting we're gonna find out just how much money got laundered into his personal accounts through March for our Lives. pic.twitter.com/3CSgSWYua2

— Feni𝕏 Ammunition (@FenixAmmunition) April 16, 2025

We're already reaching for the popcorn.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/enemy-within-dnc-vice-chair-hogg-wants-spend-20m-oust-incumbent-dems

Pfizer Novel RA Drug Passes Mid-Stage Test

 

• The combination of tofacitinib plus zimlovisertib improved outcomes over tofacitinib alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Ritlecitinib failed to show additive efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis when combined with tofacitinib.
• Rheumatologists have been more wary of using multiple targeted therapies for fear of excessive immune suppression.

Combining the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor tofacitinib (Xeljanz) with an investigational oral drug targeting a different type of kinase enzyme was more effective against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than tofacitinib alone in a phase II study, researchers reported.

Patients receiving the combination of tofacitinib and zimlovisertib -- an inhibitor of the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) -- for 12 weeks showed significantly greater improvement in 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) values than did a group assigned to tofacitinib alone, according to Spencer Danto, MD, PhD, of Pfizer's lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and colleagues writing in Arthritis & Rheumatologyopens in a new tab or window.

Disappointingly, a third drug also tested in the study failed to show additive efficacy in RA when combined with tofacitinib -- ritlecitinib (Litfulo), approved in 2023 for alopecia areataopens in a new tab or window, which inhibits both JAK3 and so-called TEC enzymesopens in a new tab or window (tyrosine kinases expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma). Pfizer has sought to broaden its indications to a variety of other autoimmune conditions, and while it missed its endpoints in the current study, Danto and colleagues pointed to "encouraging trends" that could support another study with more prolonged treatment.

While drug combinations are commonplace in RA treatment, those typically involve a targeted drug plus a broader and milder old-line immunosuppressant such as methotrexate. Rheumatologists have been more wary of using multiple targeted therapies for fear of excessive immune suppression. As it is, single drugs such as JAK inhibitorsopens in a new tab or window and tumor necrosis factor blockersopens in a new tab or window come with boxed warnings about increased infection risk.

Danto's group believed, however, that combining zimlovisertib or ritlecitinib with tofacitinib would not have a worse safety profile than the latter alone, while efficacy could be increased. That proved to be the case, at least for zimlovisertib plus tofacitinib.

The researchers enrolled 460 RA patients who had not responded adequately to methotrexate, randomizing them to five groups: each of the three drugs alone and combinations of tofacitinib with each of the other two. Methotrexate was discontinued. Treatment lasted 24 weeks, but the primary endpoint -- change from baseline in DAS28 as modified by C-reactive protein (CRP) level -- was taken at week 12. A key secondary endpoint was the responder rate at week 24, i.e., the fraction of patients with DAS28-CRP values less than 2.6, indicating clinical remission.

Patients were in their early 50s on average, and some 80% were women. Nearly all were white (most participants were from Eastern Europe and Chile). Mean disease duration was about 8 years. DAS28-CRP scores averaged 6.1 to 6.4 in the five treatment groups at baseline. Roughly 15% had tried a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor.

About 100 patients each were randomized to tofacitinib monotherapy and the two combination groups; 77 each received zimlovisertib or ritlecitinib monotherapy, according to the investigators' 4:4:4:3:3 randomization scheme.

Change from baseline in DAS28-CRP values for the five groups at week 12 were as follows:

• Tofacitinib monotherapy: -2.30 (90% CI -2.49 to -2.11)
• Ritlecitinib monotherapy: -2.21 (90% CI -2.44 to -1.99)
• Zimlovisertib monotherapy: -1.82 (90% CI -2.04 to -1.61)
• Zimlovisertib plus tofacitinib: -2.65 (90% CI -2.83 to -2.46)
• Ritlecitinib plus tofacitinib: -2.35 (90% CI -2.54 to -2.15)

As can be seen, the only group to show a significant advantage over tofacitinib alone was the one receiving it in combination with zimlovisertib. At week 24, the zimlovisertib combination group still showed significantly greater improvement in DAS28-CRP scores than the tofacitinib monotherapy arm (difference -0.39, 90% CI -0.69 to -0.09). Meanwhile, zimlovisertib monotherapy had a significant disadvantage compared with tofacitinib alone at week 24 (difference 0.41, 90% CI 0.08-0.74).

No significant differences in responder rates were seen at week 12, though the zimlovisertib combination enjoyed a numerical advantage (19.2% vs 16.8%). By week 24, responder rates for the zimlovisertib combination reached 40.1%, versus 24% for tofacitinib monotherapy (difference 16.8%, 90% CI 3.8-27.4). The ritlecitinib combination, with a responder rate of 31.3% at week 24, showed a nonsignificant numerical advantage.

A more important finding, perhaps, was that the combination therapies didn't appear any more risky than tofacitinib alone. Rates of treatment-emergent adverse events were very similar across all five groups (49.4% to 58.8%), with the highest rate seen with tofacitinib alone. Serious (10 total) and severe adverse events (nine total) were rare and weren't noticeably more common with the combinations than tofacitinib monotherapy. There was maybe a hint of more infection risk with the combinations (11.9% and 12.6% of patients in those groups vs 10.8% with tofacitinib alone). Also, a few patients receiving zimlovisertib, either alone or with tofacitinib, showed moderate elevations in liver enzymes.

All in all, Danto and colleagues concluded, "both combination treatments were well tolerated, with acceptable safety profiles." They noted that the study was conducted during the pandemic and some of the adverse events were related to COVID-19. The lack of a placebo group, though, was a significant limitation, both for efficacy and for safety analyses.

Pfizer's plans for zimlovisertib remain uncertain. No ongoing or planned trials are listed on Clinicaltrials.gov for this agent, and the company has made no announcements about it.

Disclosures

The study was funded by Pfizer.

Danto and most other authors were Pfizer employees.

Primary Source

Arthritis & Rheumatology

Source Reference: opens in a new tab or windowDanto SI, et al "Efficacy and safety of zimlovisertib, ritlecitinib and tofacitinib, alone and in combination, in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis and an inadequate response to methotrexate" Arthritis Rheumatol 2025; DOI: 10.1002/art.43184.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/rheumatology/arthritis/115171

39 state AGs urge Congress to pass legislation similar to Arkansas' PBM ban law

 Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed legislation Wednesday prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers from owning or operating pharmacies, becoming the first state to enact such a restriction.

The measure comes as other states are considering restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers, which run prescription drug coverage for big clients that include health insurers and employers that provide coverage.

Supporters of the restrictions have said pharmacy benefit managers are forcing independent pharmaciesopens in a new tab or window, especially in rural areas, out of business.

"For far too long, drug middlemen called PBMs have taken advantage of lax regulations to abuse customers, inflate drug pricesopens in a new tab or window, and cut off access to critical medications. Not anymore," Sanders said in a statement released by her office.

CVS Health has been running TV ads in the state opposing the bill and urging Sanders to veto it. CVS officials have said the legislation would force the company to close 23 pharmacies in the state and would disrupt service for thousands of customers.

The company on Wednesday welcomed a discussion with policymakers in Arkansas and other states on ways to make medicine more affordable and accessible.

"Unfortunately, HB1150opens in a new tab or window is bad policy that accomplishes just the opposite: it will take away access to pharmacy care in local communities, hike prescription drug spending across the state by millions of dollars each year, and cost hundreds of Arkansans their jobs," CVS Health said in a statement.

Thirty-nine attorneys general urged Congress this week to pass legislationopens in a new tab or window similar to Arkansas' law prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers from owning or operating pharmaciesopens in a new tab or window. In the letter, the attorneys general said such legislation "would foster fair competition and promote choice and transparency for the American people."

The Arkansas ban, however, has drawn criticism from some lawmakers who said it is anticompetitive.

"The government should not be put in the position of saying, 'Guess what, we don't like our competition and we're going use the government and the law to put our competition out of business,'" Republican state Sen. Missy Irvin during debate over the measure in the state Senate this month.

Several other states have taken up other pharmacy benefit manager restrictions this year. In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday signed legislation that will require pharmacy benefit managers to reimburse independent pharmacists at least at the state Medicaid rate for prescription drugs.

Dozens of independent pharmacies, many in rural areas, have shuttered in Alabama over the last 2 years, according to the Alabama Independent Pharmacy Alliance (AIPA). Pharmacists said that is because it can often cost more to dispense a drug than they are reimbursed by pharmacy benefit managers.

The alliance called the new Alabama law a historic milestone but added "there is still work to be done."

"SB252opens in a new tab or window is only the first step in dismantling the corrupt behemoth that is responsible for the increased cost of healthcare in Alabama, all at the expense of pharmacies, employers, and patients," the group said in a statement Tuesday. "AIPA will continue to work with legislators to accomplish this goal."

https://www.medpagetoday.com/pharmacy/pharmacy/115175

Study Questions New Proposal to Redefine Obesity

 

• Of U.S. adults with a BMI indicating obesity, 98.4% also had excess adiposity confirmed by other measures.
• Researchers suggest there may be limited utility to confirming excess adiposity in people with a higher BMI.
• The findings do not apply to certain small subpopulations like athletes.

Virtually all individuals identified as having obesity based on body mass index (BMI) also had confirmed excess adiposity, according to an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data.

Among the 2,225 adults in the study, all under 60 years of age, 39.7% had obesity as defined only by higher BMI, while 39.1% had confirmed excess adiposity when using diagnostic criteria recently laid out by an expert commissionopens in a new tab or window that recommended pairing BMI with at least one other anthropometric index, or direct body fat measurement.

This translated to a 98.4% weighted prevalence of confirmed excess adiposity among adults with a BMI indicating obesity, Michael Fang, PhD, MHS, of Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues reported in a JAMAopens in a new tab or window research letter.

"For nearly all U.S. adults with elevated BMI, there may be limited utility to confirming excess adiposity," they wrote.

While BMI has traditionally been used as the metric for diagnosing obesity for decades, it's recently been falling out of favoropens in a new tab or window, with many healthcare providers calling it a flawed measure of true adiposity. One 2023 studyopens in a new tab or window that also used NHANES data reported that BMI alone only accurately classified 47% as having obesity.

To reduce misclassification, the global commission -- endorsed by more than 75 medical organizations across the world -- released its guide to a more nuanced approach to diagnosing obesity earlier this year.

The commission advised healthcare providers to evaluate the patient's medical history, conduct a physical examination, standard laboratory tests, and additional diagnostic tests if appropriate when assessing excess body fat. While the commission didn't toss out BMI completely, it recommended clinicians pair it with at least one additional anthropometric measure -- like waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, or waist-to-height ratio -- or direct fat mass measurement by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) or bioimpedance.

Additional body measurements weren't considered necessary in patients with a BMI of 40 or higher, though.

"Confirming excess adiposity in routine clinical practice may be challenging," commented Fang and co-authors. "Direct body fat measurement by whole-body DEXA requires specialized equipment and may include out-of-pocket costs for patients."

"Whole-body DEXA may also overestimate body fat, potentially limiting its ability to accurately confirm excess adiposity in patients with elevated BMI," they continued. "Other anthropometric indices (like waist circumference) are convenient and complementary, but technical aspects (e.g., locating anatomical landmarks) may contribute to measurement error, particularly for patients with an elevated BMI."

For their analysis, Fang's group looked at data from the 2017-2018 NHANES survey cycle, which was the most recent nationally representative study with direct body fat measurement by whole-body DEXA and other anthropometric measures. Only adults between the ages of 20 to 59 were included (mean 39.3).

BMI for obesity was defined as 27.5 or greater for Asian adults and 30 or greater for all other participants. Elevated waist circumference and body fat were defined according to race- and sex-specific cutoffs.

Prevalence of confirmed excess adiposity in those with a BMI indicating obesity ranged from 97% to 99.9% across groups stratified by sex, age, and race/ethnicity, suggesting a high level of congruence between the two methods:

• Men: 97%
• Women: 99.9%
• Ages 20-29: 97.8%
• Ages 30-39: 97.5%
• Ages 40-49: 99.5%
• Ages 50-59: 98.8%
• Hispanic adults: 97.3%
• Asian adults: 99.4%
• Black adults: 98.3%
• White adults: 98.6%

Fang and co-authors also pointed out that while certain patent populations, such as athletes, may "warrant further evaluation," their findings indicate these patients "make up a very small portion of the population."

They also highlighted that their findings only apply to adults under the age of 60, "which is an important limitation given the aging of the U.S. population."

Disclosures

The study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Fang reported no disclosures. Another co-author reported receiving personal fees from the American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and Wolters Kluwer; honoraria for serving as the deputy editor of Diabetes Care; and being a member of the editorial board of Diabetologia.

Primary Source

JAMA

Source Reference: opens in a new tab or windowAryee EK, et al "Prevalence of obesity with and without confirmation of excess adiposity among US adults" JAMA 2025; DOI: 10.1001/jama.2025.2704.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/obesity/115178

US military strikes Yemen's Ras Isa fuel port, at least 17 killed

The United States military said on Thursday that it struck the Ras Isa fuel port in western Yemen to cut off a source of fuel for Iran-backed Houthi militants.

A Houthi health ministry spokesman said on X the attack killed at least 17 people and injured dozens of the port's workers.

"Today, U.S. forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists," the U.S. Central Command said in a post on X, adding that its aim was to hit the Houthis economically and not harm the people of Yemen.

The U.S. began large-scale strikes last month against Iran-aligned Houthis, saying it won't stop unless they cease their attacks on Red Sea shipping.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-military-strikes-yemens-ras-184811980.html

Trump Administration Replaces New York's MTA as Overseer of Penn Station Renovation

 New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority will no longer lead the renovation of Pennsylvania Station after the state's governor requested the Trump administration take over the project.

Amtrak will spearhead the project, with additional backing from the Transportation Department, Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday. The Federal Railroad Administration would also rescope and slash its federal grant to Amtrak for project development, a move it said would save taxpayers about $120 million.

The new strategy, developed under the Trump administration, prioritizes fiscal responsibility and private sector expertise, the DOT said. The new approach would also drive efficiencies, reduce costs and be completed faster than traditional government-led projects, it added.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she requested that the federal government fund the redevelopment project in multiple meetings with President Trump. "Clearly that effort has been successful," she said.

MTA Chief Executive Janno Lieber said the agency is glad that the federal government is currently focused on the renovation project. "As the major leaseholder in the station, we expect to participate in the administration's and Amtrak's efforts to ensure future plans meet the needs of everyone who uses it," he said.

The administration's vision for the Penn Station renovation project wasn't immediately clear. Amtrak didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Plans to redevelop Penn Station have ebbed and flowed for decades, since the original station was torn down to make way for the Madison Square Garden arena. The MTA in November 2024 was awarded a $72 million grant intended for project development related to station reconstruction alone.

The recent reshuffling is the latest match-up between the Trump administration and New York's transportation agency, after Duffy earlier called on the state to end its congestion-pricing program.

https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/2025041710603/trump-administration-replaces-new-yorks-mta-as-overseer-of-penn-station-renovation-update

Markets see door wide open for more ECB rate cuts on tariff hit

 Traders saw the all-clear on Thursday from the European Central Bank to bet on even steeper interest rate cuts ahead, confident the central bank will ease policy further if trade tensions dent a fragile economy.

The ECB cut rates by 25 basis points (bps) for a seventh time this cycle to 2.25%, to bolster an already struggling euro zone economy facing a large hit from U.S. tariffs that have whipsawed markets since President Donald Trump's April 2 reciprocal tariffs.

The euro weakened and government bond yields across the bloc fell sharply as traders reacted to the dovish ECB message.

It stressed a deteriorating growth outlook due to trade tensions that have sparked "exceptional uncertainty" and removed a reference to rates being "restrictive" from its policy statement.

The latter would normally be seen hinting at slower cuts, but came as a relief as ECB chief Christine Lagarde explained, assessing the bank's policy stance against an unobservable neutral rate would be "meaningless" during an economic shock.

The decision was unanimous, while a few weeks ago several governors would have argued for a pause, Lagarde said, a sign of how seriously policymakers take the risks to the economy.

All of that "suggests the ECB is willing to do what is needed," said Barclays's head of euro rates strategy Rohan Khanna.i

Traders now see over a 70% chance of a June rate cut, up from roughly 60% before the ECB's decision, according to LSEG data.

By year-end they see nearly 65 bps of rate cuts, up from nearly 55 before the decision, meaning they now reckon three rate cuts rather than two are more likely by then.

Contrast that with less than a full chance of another move this year and the pricing in of a chance of a 2026 hike after the March meeting, as investors bet on Germany's historic fiscal overhaul boosting economic growth and inflation.

German two-year bonds yields, sensitive to monetary policy expectations, dropped as much as 7 bps and Italian equivalents fell to their lowest since 2022. Bond yields move inversely with prices.

WHAT INFLATION?

While the impact of tariffs on inflation looks less clear than on growth, hefty market moves since Trump's latest tariff announcement point to further disinflation.

The euro, which neared parity against the dollar in February, has surged over 9% to around $1.136 since the start of March, which will contain import costs. It trades at an all-time high on a trade-weighted basis.

Oil meanwhile has slumped nearly 10% this month and China, the biggest source of EU imports, is taking the biggest hit from tariffs.

Markets have parked aside any concerns around inflation, with a key gauge of long-term expectations the ECB also tracks showing inflation right at the ECB's 2% target. That's down from 2.2% in March.

Some economists stress the risk that inflation will fall below the ECB's target. Citi, for example, said ahead of the ECB meeting that it sees price growth at 1.6% next year and 1.8% in 2027.

That's a potential headache for the ECB which struggled for years with below target inflation before the COVID-19 pandemic.

A wide range of estimates on the ECB rate outlook speaks to the scale of uncertainty, which could keep euro zone markets volatile.

Indeed, some ECB policymakers see a high chance of a further interest rate cut in June but others are far from deciding before seeing more economic indicators, sources told Reuters.

In markets, some analysts reckon pricing had gone far enough. Steve Ryder, portfolio manager at Aviva Investors, said markets expectations now reflected the downside risk to ECB rates, so the firm was now neutral on European bonds, while Nordea expects the ECB to cut rates just once more to 2%.

Barclays, however expects the ECB to cut rates to 1.25% by October, delivering more cuts than markets anticipate.

And Frederik Ducrozet, head of macroeconomic research at Pictet Wealth Management, said while a recession was not his baseline scenario, if one did materialise it would require a bigger response.

"Now you can imagine the ECB cutting 100 bps this year but hiking next year," he added.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/topstories/analysis-markets-see-door-wide-open-for-more-ecb-rate-cuts-on-tariff-hit/ar-AA1D7xvP