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The Brief

The most important stories for you to know today
  • Trump reaches agreements with drugmakers
    an older man in a dark blue suit with a red tie stands at a microphone and talks while two men and a woman in suits stand behind him and watch
    President Donald Trump unveiled deals with nine pharmaceutical companies on drug prices in a White House event Friday.

    Topline:

    President Donald Trump said the administration has reached agreements with nine more drugmakers to bring their U.S. drug prices more in line with what other wealthy countries pay.

    Why it matters: Fourteen companies in total have now reached what the administration calls most-favored-nation pricing deals. They agreed to charge the U.S. government no more for new drugs than the prices paid by other well-off countries. The agreements will allow state Medicaid programs to access lower prices from the nine new companies.

    Read on ... for more on the administration's work to bring down prescription drug prices.

    President Donald Trump said the administration has reached agreements with nine more drugmakers to bring their U.S. drug prices more in line with what other wealthy countries pay.

    Fourteen companies in total have now reached what the administration calls most-favored-nation pricing deals. The companies that took part in Friday's announcement were: Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis and Sanofi.

    They agreed to charge the U.S. government no more for new drugs than the prices paid by other well-off countries. The agreements will allow state Medicaid programs to access lower prices from the nine companies. In a statement, the White House said the change will result "in billions of dollars in savings."

    The drugmakers also agreed to invest at least $150 billion in manufacturing operations in the U.S. The president is seeking to increase domestic production of pharmaceuticals.

    In addition, the companies agreed to make some of their most popular drugs available at lower prices to consumers who pay out of pocket through a government website called TrumpRx.com. The TrumpRx website is expected to launch in early 2026, and would take consumers to pharmaceutical companies' direct-to-consumer websites to fulfill orders.

    For example, Merck will reduce the price of Januvia, a medication for Type 2 diabetes, from $330 to $100 for patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx, the White House said. Amgen will reduce the price of Repatha, a cholesterol-lowering drug, from $573 to $239 when purchased through TrumpRx.

    In exchange for these concessions, the companies will be exempt from possible administration tariffs for three years.

    The extent of savings for consumers under the agreements is unclear. Medicaid and its beneficiaries already pay some of the lowest prices for drugs. And people with health insurance could spend less on copays for their medicines than paying cash for them through the drugmakers.

    Separately, Trump said during the press event that he would like to get health insurers to lower their prices, too.

    "I'm going to call a meeting of the insurance companies," he said. "I'm going to see if they [will] get their price down, to put it very bluntly."

  • Three dead after car drives into 99 Ranch Market
    A screenshot of a television broadcast showing an overhead view of an accident scene. A fire engine and ladder truck are visible on the scene, along with a police cruiser and multiple firefighters dressed in yellow turnout gear.
    Three people are dead and several others are injured after a woman crashed her car into a 99 Ranch Market in Westwood.

    Topline:

    Three people are dead and there are multiple injuries after a driver crashed into a 99 Ranch Market in Westwood.

    What we know: The crash happened around 12:11 p.m., according to LAFD, which says four people were transported to local hospitals. Two of those people were in critical condition and two were in fair condition. The L.A. Fire Department said the woman driver hit a bicyclist about a block earlier before crashing into the store.

    Both the driver and bicyclist declined medical treatment and hospital transport. LAPD says it's not treating the crash as intentional. The LAFD says it removed the silver sedan from the store when it arrived at the scene to rescue people who were trapped. All three people who died were inside the bakery at the time of the crash.

    The victims: Names of the victims have not been released, but LAFD has identified them as a 42-year-old woman and two men, ages 55 and 30.

    This is a developing story.

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  • Police shot man who appeared to have a gun
    people stand around a long driveway roped off with police caution tape
    The Los Angeles Police Department set up a perimeter in the parking lot of the California Science Center following a shooting Thursday.

    Topline:

    Los Angeles police officers shot and killed a man who appeared to be armed with a rifle outside the California Science Center in Exposition Park on Thursday morning, according to LAPD Deputy Chief Marc Reina.

    What do we know right now? Reina said a motorcycle cop initially spotted the man around 9:30 a.m. carrying what appeared to be a rifle and walking west down State Drive, a small road that runs between the science center and Exposition Park Rose Garden. Multiple cops responded to the scene and faced off with the man. The subject continued down State Drive, Reina said, before police opened fire.

    Read on ... for more on what witnesses to the incident saw.

    Los Angeles police officers shot and killed a man who appeared to be armed with a rifle outside the California Science Center in Exposition Park on Thursday morning, according to LAPD Deputy Chief Marc Reina.

    Reina said police do not yet know the identity of man, who they estimate was about 35 years old.

    No police or other community members were injured in the incident, Reina said. The science center was placed briefly on lockdown but reopened. The north side of the museum remains closed, the deputy chief said.

    Reina said a motorcycle cop initially spotted the man around 9:30 a.m. carrying what appeared to be a rifle and walking west down State Drive, a small road that runs between the science center and Exposition Park Rose Garden.

    Multiple cops responded to the scene and faced off with the man. The subject continued down State Drive, Reina said, before police opened fire.

    Los Angeles Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene and pronounced the man dead, Reina said.

    The incident will be investigated by department use-of-force investigators, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and the LAPD’s inspector general, the deputy chief said.

    Investigators have not yet determined what prompted police to open fire, Reina said. Police do not believe the man fired his weapon.

    Here's what witnesses saw

    Stacey Hutchinson said he was sitting on a bench along State Drive drinking a cup of coffee when the incident unfolded.

    He said the man appeared in good spirits and greeted him nonchalantly as he walked up the street before taking a seat. Hutchinson said he saw the man carrying what appeared to be a long gun.

    Police initially responded with bean bag guns, Hutchinson said, but drew firearms when the man picked up the weapon.

    Police opened fire after the man pointed the apparent rifle in their direction, Hutchinson said.

    The man did not appear to be trying to enter the science center, Hutchinson said, and appeared to remain calm until police asked him to drop his weapon.

  • Ex-OC Supervisor Andrew Do formally disbarred
    A man in a chair wearing a suit jacket, tie and glasses looks forward with a microphone in front of him. A sign in front has the official seal of the County of Orange and states "Andrew Do, Vice Chairman, District 1."
    Then-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do serving at an Orange County Board of Supervisor's meeting back in November 2023.

    Former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do has been disbarred, stemming from his conviction last year on a federal bribery charge. The disbarment was expected. It stems from a state Supreme Court order that came down Dec. 1 and is now recorded as such on the state bar's website.

    What's the backstory?

    Do is currently serving a five-year prison sentence in Arizona after admitting to directing money to several nonprofit groups and businesses that then funneled some of that money back to himself and family members for personal gain. LAist has been investigating the alleged corruption since 2023. Do was also ordered to pay $878,230.80 in restitution for his role in the bribery scheme that saw millions in taxpayer dollars diverted from feeding needy seniors, leading authorities to label him a “Robin Hood in reverse.”

    What does the bar action mean?

    The official disbarment means Do is prohibited from practicing law in California. He was also ordered to pay $5,000 to the State Bar.

    Go deeper ...

    Here's a look at some of LAist's coverage of one of the biggest corruption scandals in Orange County history:

    LAist investigates: Andrew Do corruption scandal
    Ex-Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do is ordered to pay $878,230.80 in restitution
    'Robin Hood in reverse.' O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do resigns and will plead guilty to bribery conspiracy charge
    Former OC Supervisor Andrew Do turns himself in, begins 5-year federal prison term
    6 questions we still have after disgraced former OC Supervisor Andrew Do’s sentencing
    A quiet retreat for the judge married to disgraced OC politician Andrew Do

  • CA's first fully accredited tribal college
    Eight men and women wearing graduation caps, face masks and wrapped in colorful blankets stand next to each other on stage. Above and behind them hangs a banner that reads California Indian Nations College.
    The first graduation at California Indian Nations College, class of 2020 and 2021.

    Topline:

    California now has it's first fully accredited tribal college in almost 30 years.

    California Indian Nations College in Palm Desert recently received an eight-year accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

    Why it matters: The accreditation grants the college access to state and federal funding for higher education. Assemblymember James C. Ramos of San Bernardino calls the milestone historic, saying California has the highest number of Native Americans in the U.S.

    How we got here: There aren't any fully accredited tribal colleges in California. But a Palm Desert school might change that.