RFK Jr. is busying himself with the REAL problem: Ozempic… ?

Happening in the World: A security guard working at the US embassy in Oslo, Norway, has been charged and arrested with espionage. He is suspected to have communicated with Russian and Iranian intelligence officers, which his lawyer confirmed. At the moment, it is unclear as to whether anti-espionage laws could be levied against him before understanding the full extent of the information he had access to. A court ruling allows him to be detained for up to four weeks while the investigation into the case is ongoing. (NBC)

Happening in the US: After President-Elect Trump said that he would make RFK Jr. the head of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, there is a high possibility that RFK Jr’s pre-election proposals may actually manifest as reality for Americans. Although there is no legal basis to withdraw approval from a drug (RFK Jr. had proposed the withdrawal of approval for Ozempic, a weight-loss drug), he could still attempt it. Experts say that if there was a real attempt at withdrawing approval from approved drugs, lawsuits and interested parties would step in to prevent it from being successful. However, there are other avenues RFK Jr. could take as head of the department, such as limiting availability to those who rely on Medicaid to get prescription Ozempic for diabetes. RFK Jr. has promoted healthy eating as the sole solution to obesity, despite there being very little scientific backing to this claim. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: The congestion pricing plan that the MTA had proposed and Governor Hochul revived at a lower price (cutting the daily toll from $15 to $9), was recently approved by the Federal Highway Administration. Hochul’s new plan is to gradually raise the toll price, so it is projected to reach $15 by 2031. The MTA plans on implementing the tolls beginning January 5, 2025. The reaction is divided: while some like the nonprofit Riders Alliance agree that the congestion pricing plan will provide a much needed focus on the public transit system, others from the Trucking Association of New York say that it’s unfair to large vehicles and won’t address environmental concerns. (Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: From 12 pm to 1:30 pm on Saturday, November 23, Lenfest Center for the Arts is screening “Thumbelina”. After the screening, there’s an event that immediately follows, held by Columbia/Artist Teachers featuring School of the Arts professor Dorothea Lasky and “clown-magician-artist” Looney Lenny. The event following the screening is geared toward children, though adult guests are free to stay. Find tickets here.

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