News chronological

YOUTUBE (The Hill) - Watch live: Trump’s pick for surgeon general faces Senate confirmation hearing Wed Sep 16 14:01:08 2026

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Dr. Nicole Saphier, who President Trump tapped to serve as U.S. surgeon general, will testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday morning. Saphier, a media personality, was the third person Trump picked for the role, after his two previous nominees failed to receive Senate support. Her nomination, however, did not come without controversy — including disclosing investments made in the tobacco and pharma industries and reports that she scraped her social media of content criticizing the president. Two other health nominees with also face Senate questioning. The confirmation hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT.

NEWSNATIONNOW (Nathaniel Weixel and The Hill) - Trump surgeon general nominee discloses tobacco, pharma investments Fri Sep 11 14:30:00 2026

President Donald Trump’s surgeon general nominee reported investments in the tobacco company Philip Morris International as well as beverage companies Monster Beverage Corp, Coca-Cola Co. and Pepsi Co., according to financial disclosures released Thursday.

AMERICANALMANAC (Ken Jacobs) - Bureau of Prisons halts exclusive nicotine pouch deal over FDA authorization concerns Sun Sep 6 17:30:41 2026

The Federal Bureau of Prisons abruptly suspended sales of a startup’s flavored nicotine pouches in federal prisons after questions surfaced about the product’s lack of FDA approval and the process behind its exclusive contract. Federal prison officials had quietly allowed SHFT Holdings Enterprise LLC, a Florida-based startup, to become the only supplier of nicotine pouches […] The post Bureau of Prisons halts exclusive nicotine pouch deal over FDA authorization concerns appeared first on American Almanac .

The Federal Bureau of Prisons abruptly suspended sales of a startup’s flavored nicotine pouches in federal prisons after questions surfaced about the product’s lack of FDA approval and the process behind its exclusive contract. Federal prison officials had quietly allowed SHFT Holdings Enterprise LLC, a Florida-based startup, to become the only supplier of nicotine pouches sold in commissaries across 118 institutions. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) authorized the sale of these pouches through a series of internal memos and policy updates between May and July. But the arrangement drew scrutiny when it became clear that the mindSHFT nicotine pouches had not been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a legal requirement for…Open

AMERICANGREATNESS (AG News Staff) - Marijuana Smoking Hits Record High as Cigarette Use Ties Record Low Tue Aug 25 10:01:37 2026

Marijuana smoking among Americans has reached a record high while cigarette use remains at a historic low, according to a Gallup poll released Monday. Seventeen […] Source

DAILYCALLER (Ireland Owens) - Record High Americans Smoke Marijuana While Record Low Smoke Cigarettes Mon Aug 24 16:04:52 2026

‘marijuana’

REDSTATE (Ward Clark) - A New Trend for GenZ: Cigarettes Are Back Tue Jul 14 20:14:11 2026

DAILYCALLER (Ireland Owens) - What The FDA’s Latest Ruling Could Mean For Future Of Nicotine Pouches Wed Jul 1 21:36:48 2026

'acknowledgement of reality'

AMERICANTHINKER - From secondhand smoke to secondhand quitting Fri Jun 19 10:46:27 2026

Every premarket decision the FDA makes on a tobacco or nicotine product is guided by one question from Congress, and for a long time, the agency had almost no data to conclusively answer the question. Now they do.

THENATIONALPULSE (Pulse Wires) - Record-High UK Illicit Cigarette Market Exposes Failed Tax-and-Ban Strategy. Wed Jun 3 20:14:03 2026

A new report reveals that nearly half of all cigarettes consumed in the United Kingdom are now sourced from the illicit market, fueling organized crime and leading to significant tax revenue losses.

PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: A KPMG report commissioned by Philip Morris International reveals that 45 percent of cigarettes consumed in the United Kingdom in 2025 were non-duty-paid, with 32.3 percent being counterfeit or contraband. IMPACT: The illicit cigarette market cost Britain’s Treasury an estimated £4.46 billion (~$6bn) in lost tax revenue. The country has the highest taxes on tobacco products in Europe, and the second-largest illicit market, behind only France—where such taxes have risen rapidly in recent years. “[C]ountries that promote excessive tax increases, or, even worse, product bans, such as France and the Netherlands, see illicit trends worsening, public tax collection suffers, consumers gain access to…Open

JUSTTHENEWS (Greg Piper) - U.S. smoking rate hits record low while e-cigarette use levels off: CDC Sat May 30 20:18:22 2026

Renewed popularity of smoking in Hollywood doesn't appear to be rubbing off on ordinary Americans.