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Thursday, February 5, 2026

The Iran Negotiations

Iran's foreign minister and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff will sit down on Friday in Istanbul, ostensibly to "negotiate."

But what will be the subject of the negotiation?

The Iranians clearly want the U.S. to back off the intensifying military, political, economic, and diplomatic pressure on their regime. I would be stunned if they didn't claim victory after meeting with Witkoff, that the president had agreed to back down.

But what does President Trump want?

He has said two things, both of them intriguing, but neither one really analyzed by media commentators.

First, he has said he wants an end to Iran's nuclear program. Second, that he wants the regime to stop killing its own people.

Wait a minute, I thought Operation Midnight Hammer "obliterated" Iran's nuclear weapons facilities last June. What's up?

Over the past week, satellite photographs have emerged on social media showing that the Iranians have put new roofs on buildings at Fordo, the enrichment facility that was hit by U.S. bunker buster bombs on June 22.

The roofs may be just temporary covers, aimed primarily at keeping prying eyes (and satellites) from chronicling the excavation work underneath.

Still, it would take many months for the Iranians to burrow down the 300 feet of rubble caused by the bombs. And once they reached the underground enrichment hall, it's unlikely they would find anything other than twisted metal.

So my guess is that the apparent excavation work at Fordo is just a mirage.

Instead, I believe the U.S. now has definitive intelligence that the regime succeeded in spiriting away its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium shortly before the June 22 attack on Fordo.

Remember how quickly both the president and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth were to brush off questions relating to the HEU stockpile? And then how quickly the subject just seemed to vanish from the airwaves and the press briefings?

The 450 kg of 60% HEU Iran was known to possess before the June attacks is enough to produce at least ten nuclear weapons, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency's own assessment. That is not just a one-off bomb, but a nuclear weapons arsenal.

My Iranian sources believe the regime removed it long before the June attacks and is keeping it in a convoy of nearly two dozen container trucks where it can be further enriched -- a kind of rolling shell game, if you will.

That would make a tempting target for Pentagon war-planners, who have shown remarkable expertise at spiriting away highly-protected targets -- including a foreign president -- from very hostile environments.

It would certainly explain why the regime has been putting pressure on U.S. allies in the region in recent days, with the Supreme Leader warning that any U.S. attack would spark a "regional war."

One IRGC pundit, speaking on Iranian television, said the regime planned to strike at the heart of Dubai's financial hub, the Dubai Airport freezone, the Internet exchange center, and the Jebal Ali Free Trade zone. That would do tremendous damage not just physically, but to Dubai's image as a peaceful safe haven for innovative business and high-tech development.

But how serious is President Trump about his second demand that the regime stop killing protesters?

It's hard to know, and much more difficult to quantify. Trump claimed last month, before the full extent of the regime's slaughter of innocent protesters became known, that his threats of retaliation had stopped the execution of 800 political prisoners.

But by now it's pretty clear that Trump's words have not deterred the Iranian regime, which has justified the killings by claiming the protests were the work of external "plots."

In a letter reportedly signed by the President to an Iranian-American family in California whose nephew was killed by the regime during protests on January 10, the President said that his administration "will always stand with the people of Iran in their demand for freedom and democracy." He added: "We are working with great determination to ensure that the Ayatollah and his criminal regime are brought to justice."

Those are serious words that go well beyond official statements so far.

Retired Israeli Brigadier General Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of the nonprofit Israel's Defense and Security Forum, said this week it was time for the president to put up or shut up.

“This operation is not a limited strike on military or nuclear facilities. We are facing a highly complex attack aimed at regime change in Iran… broad and multi‑layered, directly targeting the regime’s leadership," he said in a video statement.

According to Avivi, by striking communications centers and state broadcasting, the regime’s command links with its forces across Iran would be severed. He added that all IRGC bases would be targeted and, ultimately, the public would be armed.

That goes way beyond anything the Trump administration has suggested publicly. But then again, they didn't say much about capturing Nicolás Maduro, either.

For all his public verbosity and bombast, this president has shown a remarkable ability to play his cards close to his vest. Tehran's carpet merchants have finally met their match.

Kenneth R. Timmerman is a senior fellow at the America First Policy Institute who was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize in 2006 for his work on Iran. His 14th book of non-fiction, The Iran House: Tales of Revolution, Persecution, War, and Intrigue, is available from Post Hill Press.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/02/the_iran_negotiations.html

28% of physicians enrolled in Medicaid didn’t treat beneficiaries in 2021: Study

Nearly one-third of physicians enrolled in Medicaid don’t treat patients covered by the program, according to a study published Feb. 2 in Health Affairs.

A team led by researchers at Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University analyzed physician enrollment files and Medicaid claims data between 2019 and 2021 for five physician specialties: cardiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, primary care and psychiatry.

Researchers found nearly 28% of enrolled physicians did not provide care to any Medicaid beneficiaries in 2021. This disparity was particularly pronounced in psychiatry, with more than 40% of enrolled psychiatrists not treating Medicaid patients.

The study authors referred to these clinicians as “ghost physicians,” noting some may be listed as Medicaid participants due to health system contracting or employment obligations, while others enroll even though their schedules are already full with commercially insured patients, according to a Feb. 2 news release.

At the same time, one-third of enrolled physicians cared for high annual volumes of Medicaid patients, suggesting that access to care is shouldered by a smaller segment of the workforce.

The access gaps identified in the study carry broader implications for patient outcomes and healthcare spending, the authors said.

“Low physician participation in Medicaid is a commonly cited reason for access gaps and unmet need in Medicaid,” lead author Jane Zhu, MD, associate professor of medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine, said in the release. “If patients aren’t able to access the care they need, they may delay or forego care altogether, which is not only bad for patient outcomes, but also bad for the health system overall.”

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/care-coordination/medicaid-access-strained-by-ghost-physicians-study-suggests/

'How systems are preparing to care for a spike in uninsured patients'

Clinical leaders across the country are well aware of the challenges individuals face when they are uninsured: delays in care and worsening health conditions, which ultimately lead to more complex and costly treatment.

The prospect of a widening pool of uninsured is increasingly an imminent reality. Millions of people are projected to lose insurance coverage in the coming years following the expiration of enhanced ACA tax credits and upcoming cuts to Medicaid under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Nearly 15 million people could become uninsured over the next decade: 5 million without an extension of the subsidies, and another 10 million under OBBBA’s Medicare and Medicaid provisions, according to estimates from the Urban Institute and Congressional Budget Office.

“Influxes of uninsured patients place significant strain on hospitals and health systems,” said Gena Lawday, BSN, RN, chief quality officer of UVA Community Health, part of Charlottesville, Va.-based UVA Health. “Gaps in chronic disease management, limited access to primary and specialty care, and reliance on the emergency department as a first point of contact for non-emergent conditions all contribute to overwhelming already vulnerable institutions. Hospitals and health systems can better prepare for this challenge through early intervention, strong community engagement and a focus on operational efficiency.”

To stay ahead of these challenges, health systems are prioritizing efforts to address social determinants of health, expand care in community settings and help patients navigate administrative hurdles to avoid lapses in coverage.

Becker’s spoke to three clinical leaders about how their systems are preparing to support uninsured patients and prevent deteriorating health that could result in emergency department visits.

Community partnerships and local care delivery

One consistent theme stood out in every leader’s remarks: Community partnerships are central to keeping patients connected to preventive care and avoiding further strain on already crowded emergency departments.

“We’ve been building a lot of relationships, and we’re only helping to strengthen those over the coming months,” said Baligh Yehia, MD, president of Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health.

The 33-hospital system works closely with a network of federally qualified health centers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Also known as community health centers, FQHCs provide primary care services and receive federal funding through grants and enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. This funding structure allows them to offer discounted care on a sliding scale, or in some cases, at no cost to patients based on income.

A number of Jefferson physicians serve as medical directors at these community clinics, and specialists from the system also rotate through the sites to ensure continuity of care.

Dr. Yehia said these centers will be a critical safety net to ensure vulnerable patients, particularly those with chronic conditions, continue to receive routine care.

For years, Durham, N.C.-based Duke Health has also partnered with local clinics to expand access to care for low-income and uninsured individuals, according to Alice Cooper, RN, medical director for access and associate chief medical officer for the Duke Health Integrated Practice. One of its most prominent collaborations is with Lincoln Community Health Center, a large FQHC serving about 40,000 patients annually. Duke supports the center financially and provides clinical staffing, Ms. Cooper said.

Strengthening ties with community organizations isn’t just about expanding access to medical care; it’s about connecting patients to resources that help meet basic needs so they’re in a position to stay on top of their care in the first place, leaders said.

“It’s hard to talk to people about advanced care when they’re hungry or homeless, or their basic needs have not been met in a way that they would really care too much about prevention because their fundamental needs have not yet been addressed,” Ms. Cooper said.

With more patients at risk of losing coverage, leaders say this moment has reiterated a longstanding but increasingly urgent commitment to address the social factors that affect a person’s health. When patients must pay out of pocket for care, it often means pulling from limited budgets meant for food, housing or education. Recognizing that, health systems are leaning more heavily into partnerships and programs that help fill these gaps.

At Duke, much of that work is led by the system’s community health office, which is overseen by Ian Brown, who serves as the system’s chief community health and social impact officer. A familiar face in Durham’s neighborhoods, Ms. Cooper said Mr. Brown builds trust by routinely showing up in churches and other community spaces. There, he connects residents to resources ranging from local vaccine programs to food assistance.

Dr. Yehia said Jefferson has also ramped up its work in this area, forging new partnerships with food pantries and pharmacies to help ensure patients can afford medications and don’t go without necessities.

Similarly, Ms. Lawday said UVA Health has invested heavily in community outreach and prevention efforts. The system routinely conducts community-based screenings for high blood pressure and other chronic conditions, hosts chronic disease management classes and offers free immunization clinics. UVA has also taken steps to improve emergency department efficiency amid rising demand, implementing upright care processes designed to expedite treatment for patients with lower-acuity needs.

Many systems have long been engaged in these types of efforts, but leaders said the current environment has brought a new level of visibility and urgency to the work. The shift has prompted a sharper strategic focus, with greater resources dedicated to forging new partnerships.

Navigation support and flexible access

Health systems’ roles are expanding beyond care delivery, with some moving further upstream to prevent coverage loss and ensure patients can access care without disruption.

In addition to expanding community partnerships, Jefferson is focused on preventing coverage loss by identifying patients at risk of losing Medicaid and offering logistical support before lapses occur. A key concern stems from changes included under OBBBA, which introduces more frequent Medicaid eligibility redeterminations. The change, set to take effect in 2027, will require individuals to verify their eligibility every six months rather than once a year. Dr. Yehia said this could result in people losing coverage not because they’re ineligible, but because they miss paperwork deadlines or aren’t fully aware of the requirements.

In Pennsylvania, Jefferson’s primary market, up to 198,000 adults could lose Medicaid coverage under federal work requirements, according to an analysis from the Urban Institute. Many of these losses would likely result from confusion or administrative challenges.

“How do you make sure that you’re able to get ahead of that curve? We’re investing in navigation, in people and in technology to make sure that we’re keeping track of folks and of their eligibility — making sure that they’re able to get all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed to have their application resubmitted and be able to stay on insurance,” Dr. Yehia said.

With more people at risk of losing Medicaid, Ms. Cooper said it is imperative for systems to take stock of their access offerings and tailor them to the unique risks this population may face. For some people, taking time off work for a medical appointment could jeopardize their income or job stability.

“What would work for someone who just could not risk taking time away from work for fear of recrimination in the workplace? They’re working hard. Their Medicaid is at risk,” she said. “They can’t take a hit to their wages or their attendance because it could affect their long-term employment or stability of their family. So we have to think about, as a system, what access options are available and make it as easy as possible to get care.”

A return to pre-ACA strategies

In many ways, the strategies health systems are leaning on today mirror those from more than 15 years ago, before the Affordable Care Act significantly expanded coverage. At that time, many hospitals relied on local partnerships and free clinics to help patients access basic care.

While today’s healthcare landscape has a more structured safety-net infrastructure, many of the same tactics are resurfacing. Only this time, healthcare providers are operating under even greater financial and access pressures, requiring health systems to approach this work with more strategy and intention.

“It’s a little bit of ‘Back to the Future’ here.” Dr. Yehia. “We’re dusting off that playbook from before that we can now leverage.”

Moving forward, health system leaders say stronger policy action is needed to support safety-net providers and independent physician practices. Without additional support, a growing number of providers may be forced to scale back services or limit the number of uninsured patients they can accommodate. Such a shift could deepen strain on larger safety-net systems already caring for high volumes of Medicaid and Medicare patients.

“On a macro-level, we need to be aware of the delicate balance and web that keeps healthcare afloat in many areas,” Dr. Yehia said.

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/care-coordination/how-systems-are-preparing-to-care-for-a-spike-in-uninsured-patients/

GOP Demand Inclusion Of SAVE Act In DHS Funding Bill

by Joseph Lord & Nathan Worcester via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

After President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a government funding measure to end a partial government shutdown, funding clashes still lie ahead—this time, centered entirely around the contents of a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Republicans are escalating their calls to include the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act—a bill intended to require voter ID and reduce voter fraud in federal elections—in the final funding package for DHS.

Trump has expressed support for the measure, calling for voter ID laws to be included in the package.

The president has also called for the federal government to “nationalize” or “take over” elections if states cannot run them “legally and honestly.”

Later, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that those comments were an endorsement of passing the SAVE Act.

Senate Democrats—who have demanded sweeping reforms to DHS and its subsidiary Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a condition for their support of the funding legislation—have described this as a non-starter in the upper chamber.

The funding bill signed by Trump finalizes full-year funding for 96 percent of the government, leaving all executive departments except DHS funded until Sept. 30. The funding for DHS, meanwhile, is set to run out on Feb. 13.

The DHS bill was separated from a larger tranche of spending bills after Democrats refused to support it in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis.

Any bill will need 60 votes to clear the Senate—though some House Republicans are calling for weakening or changing the rules around the Senate mechanism to more easily pass the bill.

With both sides digging in on their positions and no clear resolution in sight, the stage is set for a long week in Washington. Here’s what to know.

What Is the SAVE Act?

The SAVE Act was introduced and championed by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), its original sponsor, and other congressional Republicans several times in recent years.

Most recently, the legislation was reintroduced by Roy and passed the House in April 2025. However, it has stalled in a Senate committee.

The bill’s purpose, according to its introduction, is “to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office.”

The bill lists several acceptable documents to verify the citizenship of a would-be voter, including a REAL ID compliant identification, a U.S. passport, a military ID card, or any valid state, federal, or tribal identification, such as a birth certificate, hospital record, or adoption certificate, showing that the individual was born in, or is a naturalized citizen of, the United States.

Roy and other proponents of the legislation say that it’s necessary to respond to a 2013 decision in Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, which found that federal law limiting ID requirements supersedes existing state laws requiring documentary proof to vote—effectively banning states from imposing such requirements for federal voter registration.

House Republicans’ Demands

Conservative House Republicans are leading calls to pass the legislation as a condition of their support for any DHS bill negotiated by Senate Democrats.

Ahead of—and during—the vote to pass the funding measure to end the partial shutdown, there were signs that the issue was becoming a redline for several members of the House Republican conference.

Before the House Rules Committee vote, there were questions about how Roy and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) would vote, as both have called for the SAVE Act’s inclusion in the legislation.

Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) had indicated before the floor vote that they were considering how they would vote due to the issue. Ultimately, the two were persuaded to support the measure to end the partial shutdown but have continued to call for the SAVE Act’s inclusion in the final package.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) voted against the procedural motion to advance to a floor vote after an amendment to include the legislation failed to pass. Massie ultimately opposed final passage.

During the procedural vote, Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) joined Massie in blocking passage for nearly an hour over the issue before switching his vote.

The powerful Republican Study Committee (RSC) in the House has called for the bill’s passage.

“American elections should be fair and free, not subject to foreign influence. Illegal aliens have no right to be in America, and they certainly shouldn’t be voting,” said Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas, who’s leading the RSC’s push to pass the bill.

“House Republicans are united behind the SAVE Act. I urge my Senate colleagues to pass this legislation and get it to President Trump’s desk for his signature.”

Schumer Says Measure Is DOA

Democrats have indicated that the inclusion of any such measure would make the bill dead on arrival in the Senate.

“The SAVE Act would impose Jim Crow type laws to the entire country and is dead on arrival in the Senate,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. “It is a poison pill that will kill any legislation that it is attached to.

“If House Republicans add the SAVE Act to the bipartisan appropriations package, it will lead to another prolonged Trump government shutdown.”

Schumer said the legislation would “suppress voters,” and that it “seeks to disenfranchise millions of American citizens, seize control of our elections, and fan the flames of election skepticism and denialism.”

The New York lawmaker vowed that Democrats would “go all out to defeat the SAVE Act.”

Whether as part of the DHS funding bill or as a standalone item, the SAVE Act would require the support of at least seven Senate Democrats to clear the upper chamber—support that Democrats have made clear they won’t provide.

What’s Next?

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has promised a vote on the legislation in the Senate, though he didn’t say whether that would be a standalone vote or when it might be held.

“We will get a vote on the SAVE Act at some point,” Thune told reporters at a Tuesday press conference. “I’m not sure exactly what that context will be. Maybe it’s in the context of voting on the DHS bill if something’s agreed upon, but there will be at some point a vote on the SAVE Act.”

As it stands, Congress appears to be at an impasse, with both sides entrenching their position.

Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), a leader of GOP negotiations on the funding bill, had little to say about how negotiations currently stand as she left an initial meeting with Senate Democrats on Wednesday.

She told reporters that lawmakers will “need a little bit more time” to “figure out a pathway forward.”

Britt added that Republicans, including Trump, were working in good faith and said that Democratic lawmakers were as well.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a crucial swing vote, was pessimistic when asked about the prospects of a deal being reached before the Feb. 13 deadline.

“It’s really hard, because the time that we’ve given ourselves, this window, it’s so short,” Murkowski told The Epoch Times.

She added that a deal being reached before the deadline is “not impossible, but you’ve got to have willingness on both sides, and you’ve got to have the President really leaning in on these negotiations.”

With no clear way forward in sight, some Republicans—most prominently Luna—have called for the Senate to resurrect the “standing filibuster.”

In contrast to the filibuster system of recent years—handled largely by the use of a procedural cloture vote requiring 60 members’ consent to overcome—the standing filibuster requires members to consistently speak on the Senate floor to continue debate.

Some Republicans have indicated skepticism about such a change.

Asked about Luna’s proposal, Murkowski told The Epoch Times, “That’s not constructive,” saying that such tactics would undermine a “message of optimism” and hope for a bipartisan solution.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) also said he’s broadly opposed to the push.

“I’m not really for changing the filibuster, but I am definitely for the SAVE Act,” Paul told The Epoch Times.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/republicans-demand-inclusion-save-act-dhs-funding-bill-what-know

People fell ‘deathly ill’ after entering Las Vegas Airbnb with alleged Chinese-linked biolab: witness

Multiple people who spent time inside a Las Vegas Airbnb that hid a possible biological lab with alleged links to China fell “deathly ill,” a former house cleaner told police.

The former employee, who went by the pseudonym “Kelly,” alleged that both she and a handyman who was brought in to help maintain the property got “deathly ill after going into the garage,” where the lab was set up, ABC News reported.

“Approximately five days after entering the garage, she was left with breathing issues, fatigue, ‘could not get out of bed,’ and muscle aches,” according to police records.

The handyman suffered the “same symptoms” and backed up Kelly’s claim that the illness only came after they entered the garage.

Along with the employees, Kelly claimed that the wife of the property manager, Ori Solomon, 55, also got sick after entering the lab area, according to the report.

“Kelly said a lot of people who have lived inside the house have gotten sick,” the police report read. “One female ended up in the hospital with severe respiratory issues.

“Kelly also noted when she was cleaning the house, there would be many dead crickets found in the master bedroom,” which was allegedly “super uncommon as she had lived in Las Vegas for numerous years and never seen anything like that before,” the report added.

Kelly was the source of the tip that led officers to the raid on the Las Vegas home over the weekend, where investigators said they found “potential biological and hazardous materials.”

Officials said the property belonged to Jia Bei Zhu, 62, a man already under federal custody after allegedly running an unauthorized biolab in Reedley, California, in 2023.

Zhu is accused of manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices, including tests for COVID-19, pregnancy and HIV, without proper permits, as well as making false statements to the Food and Drug Administration.

According to a report by the House Select Committee on the People’s Republic of China, Zhu is a Chinese citizen and a wanted fugitive from Canada with close ties to Beijing.

He was involved in a transnational criminal enterprise that stole millions of dollars in intellectual property from US companies, the committee said.

Despite Zhu’s attorney claiming that his client is not involved in the Las Vegas investigation, police claim Zhu was in “constant” contact with Solomon since his 2023 arrest, with the two having more than 460 calls in 2025 alone.

Kelly told police that Zhu called Solomon “every day” to check on the residence, with the property manager allegedly instructed to move the lab “out of the garage immediately” if he was ever contacted by investigators.

Solomon was arrested Saturday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of disposing of and discharging hazardous waste, police said.

As authorities investigate the Las Vegas home and substances found inside, police said they have already identified one of the chemicals as hydrochloric acid.

The police report warned that the substance can “cause substantial permanent injuries to the human body if exposed to the skin, inhaled or ingested.”

“As a result, the failure to properly dispose of these chemicals imperiled the lives of anyone in or near the garage,” the report added. “Moreover, hydrochloric acid is known to be volatile if airborne and can cause respiratory injury if inhaled.”

https://nypost.com/2026/02/05/us-news/people-fell-deathly-ill-after-entering-las-vegas-airbnb-with-alleged-chinese-linked-biolab-witness-claims/

Enbecta hit on market challenges

Embecta posts fiscal Q4 2025 beat with non-GAAP EPS $0.71 (+9% YoY) and revenue $261.2M (flat YoY), beating estimates, and declares a $0.15 quarterly dividend payable Mar 17, 2026 (record Feb 27, 2026); on its Q1 2026 earnings call, it said U.S. pricing headwinds are intensifying and now sees full-year results toward the low end of prior guidance

https://finviz.com/quote.ashx?t=EMBC&p=d

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