12 million OxyContin pills shipped to a town of 500

12 million OxyContin pills shipped to a town of 500: How profit fuelled America's opioid crisis
Drug companies were a huge driver of the opioid epidemic — but their CEOs were compensated, not punished
Graham Duggan · Posted: Nov 12, 2021 12:59 PM PST | Last Updated: November 15, 2021


Listen to this article
Estimated 6 minutes

A new documentary highlights the role drug companies played in oversupplying highly addictive opioids (Young Turks Productions)

"Everyone wanted to sell 'em. Everyone wanted to buy 'em. Everyone was doing them."

— Former drug dealer "Doug"

The Oxy Kingpins, a documentary presented by The Passionate Eye, unravels the story behind the opioid crisis in America. It's an inside look at the players in the country's OxyContin market: the dealers who pushed OxyContin on the streets, and the drug manufacturers and distributors who made it easy for them — and earned massive profits while doing so. It also follows a landmark legal case, led by Florida lawyer Mike Papantonio, aimed at holding the drug companies accountable.


A business model that relied on dealers

When OxyContin (oxy) was first released in 1996, it was marketed as a wonder drug: a powerful, non-addictive painkiller. Its manufacturer, Purdue Pharma, and the distributors began an aggressive campaign to sell the drug.

Doctors and pharmacies were pushed hard to prescribe and dispense OxyContin for any pain — from major surgery to a sprained ankle. In the film, Papantonio describes the main message as ''Hey, we've got this wonderful new narcotic that's not addictive."

But as prescriptions increased, more people became hooked. "You're addicted to OxyContin within a two-week time," said Alex Dimattio, a former drug dealer who started selling in 1999.

And as more patients became addicted, the illegal market for oxy grew. In The Oxy Kingpins, Dimattio and another former dealer who goes by "Doug" explain how easy it was to get more pills.

Dealers would take groups of people — strangers, family members, anyone available — to pain clinics and doctor's offices, where a physician would write each person a prescription regardless of their complaint. The dealers then loaded the group into a van and took them to a pharmacy, where the prescriptions would be filled.

"It was crazy. One doctor writing [prescriptions] for 500 [or] 600 pills," Doug recalled. "I mean, enough to kill 10 terminally ill cancer patients — giving it to somebody with a twisted ankle."


Pushing pills and ignoring the obvious

The U.S. Controlled Substances Act requires distributors to monitor how much medication is delivered to retailers. But Carol Moore, an investigator working on the lawsuit, discovered that those checks and balances were ignored as the demand for oxy skyrocketed.

The three largest American drug distributors — McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health — shipped as much of the drug as pharmacies asked for, making billions of dollars in sales.


Reading from an email thread between two employees, Moore revealed the level of awareness among drug company staff: "'Just got a release today. You will receive 1,200 bottles on Thursday morning.'" And she continued with the reply: "'Keep 'em comin'! Flyin' out of here. It is like people are addicted to these things or something. Oh, wait, people are.'"

Records show that millions of pills were supplied to small towns whose populations couldn't possibly absorb the volume. And distributors seemed to know exactly what was going on.

"They knew that there were people in the field that were illegal distributors," said Papantonio. "When you deliver 12 million pills to a town of 500 people, the criminal is going to get his hands on some of it. You can't run from the fact that you know that.…

"The people who were making the drugs, they understood that this was a cash cow for them. The manufacturers, the distributors, the big-store pharmacies — they're all part of it."



The wrong people were punished

Hundreds of thousands of people have died since the beginning of the opioid epidemic. Families have been torn apart.

The opioid crisis, the film finds, is an epidemic of design: one driven by profit chasing. And Papantonio's lawsuit is an attempt to hold the distributors and manufacturer responsible.

"McKesson: $194 billion in revenues is what they had last year — $194 billion," Papantonio said. "But they don't want to pay their share now to rehab all of these people that they have intentionally addicted. And I say 'intentionally' because I truly mean it."

In July, Papantonio's legal team and collaborating law firms secured a $26-billion settlement with the Big 3 drug distributors and manufacturer Johnson & Johnson, with the caveat that the money will pay for treatment and education programs in affected communities.


In recent years, greater awareness and a push to stop overprescribing OxyContin has not decreased the demand for opioids. Instead, a market for illicit opioids like fentanyl has emerged in North America, leading to a spike in overdose deaths.

As The Oxy Kingpins reveals, thousands of street criminals, including drug dealers and users, have been imprisoned, along with hundreds of doctors and pharmacists.

"Everybody that touched that drug after they finished making it went to jail. But [the distributors] get their money," said Dimattio, the former dealer. "These guys do the same thing I was doing, but they don't call themselves drug dealers. So they don't get the jail time and they don't get everything taken away from them."

In fact, for their roles in the crisis, the pharmaceutical executives were compensated — handsomely. The CEOs of the top 3 distributors made hundreds of millions during their tenure amid the unfolding crisis.

"I mean, at the end of the day, you got to give it to [John H.] Hammergren," Dimattio said of the former CEO of McKesson, the largest distributor of pharmaceuticals in the U.S. "I mean, the guy won.… 700 and something million dollars. I've met some gangsters, and that guy's a f--king gangster."

Mike Milner suspended for four months

Mike Milner suspended for four months Former Sail Canada high-performance director Mike Milner has been suspended for four months under the national Abuse-Free Sport Program. Milner’s sanction was posted January 8 on a public registry established by the Office of the Sports Integrity Commissioner. No specific incident was detailed in the Abuse-Free Sport Registry, stating only that Milner was sanctioned for “Aiding and Abetting, Neglect, Psychological Maltreatment.” Milner was hired in 2018 as the organization’s high-performance director before leaving in 2024. Sail Canada appointed Anders Gustafsson as its new High Performance Director in May 2025. In September 2025, a former Olympic hopeful alleged she was raped in July 2024 by one of her fellow sailing competitors and launched a lawsuit that named Sail Canada, Sail Nova Scotia, and the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. Responsibility for the oversight of athlete safety has recently changed. For details, click here. America One Racing Performance Report America One Racing, as the largest private financial supporter of elite USA sailors, pivoted in 2023 to a hands-on organization with coaches and training plans. Here is their 2025 end-of-year report: 2025 has been a strong year for America One Racing. We continued to build real momentum across our programs—Project Podium and the Foiling Pipeline—delivering structured training, world-class coaching, and smarter operations that are making a difference on and off the water. Our athletes and coaches worked hard, pushed standards higher, and represented A1R with professionalism and purpose. The integration of sport science, technology, and performance planning has taken another big step forward. Our partnerships with clubs, foundations, and private supporters have been key to that progress. We’re in a good place—focused, efficient, and ready to take the next leap in 2026. - Full report Travel Medical Insurance by Risk Strategies The travel medical and trip insurance specialists at Risk Strategies, part of the Brown & Brown Team, understand the complexities and risks that come with domestic and worldwide vacations and adventures. We provide exclusive access to domestic and international medical insurance, and trip insurance policies designed for travelers in search of the highest available benefit limits and most extensive coverage options. Our solutions include options for all types of travel and travelers, including domestic and international trips, sailing charters, business travel, adventure travel, helicopter & backcountry skiing, vacations on yachts, and other types of luxury vacations and adventure travel. We also offer group coverage for employees in locations around the world, solutions for aircraft passengers and crew, and solutions for captains, passengers, and paid crew aboard vessels.  • Learn More & Online quote: www.risk-strategies.com/travelmedical • Connect with a Specialist: travelmedical@risk-strategies.com Shakespeare was wrong “What’s in a name?” is a famous line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, meaning a name is just an arbitrary label, and the true essence, character, or quality of a person or thing is what truly matters, not the sound or label itself But SpinSheet magazine reminded us that in ancient times, boats were given names of gods or saints to safely guide them to port. The habit today typically has little to do with this tradition, though billionaire yachtsman did once buy 191-foot superyacht named for a Shinto deity. The name Izanami was deeply rooted in Japanese mythology for giving birth to the Japanese islands, but that didn’t mean much when he learned what the name spelled backwards – I’m a Nazi. Ellison, who was Jewish, renamed the boat Ronin – a samurai without a master that often becomes a mercenary. What movie has the best sailing scene? American actor W.C. Fields famously said “Never work with kids and animals” due to their chaotic and uncontrollable nature, but movie sailing scenes must be a pain too. The question was asked on the Old Boat Sailor Facebook page: What movie has the best sailing scene? With over 300 comments, Captain Ron was very popular with plenty of additional submissions: • Caddyshack • Captains Courageous • Dead Calm • Dove • Master and Commander • Tenet • The Thomas Crown Affair • Top Gun: Maverick • Waterworld • What About Bob? • White Squall • Wind For full report, click here. MORE: It was in 2020 during COVID lockdown when Scuttlebutt also compiled a list. Great Britain win at SailGP Perth Dylan Fletcher and his Great Britain team didn’t miss a beat as they won the opening event of the 2026 SailGP season on January 17-18 in Perth, Australia. A strong day two got them in the Finals against Australia and France, and the defending champions led from the start for an easy win. Here are some notables from the event: • As teams practiced in the Perth waves, the Spanish broke a foil and hull, and Australian wing trimmer Iain Jensen injured his knee, keeping both on the sidelines. Glenn Ashby joined his Aussie mates the day before racing to fill-in. • On the first race, the Swiss gybed to starboard near the leeward mark, catching the Kiwis unprepared. The resultant collision took both out for the day, with the Swiss bow repaired for day two. New Zealand will need to repair their stern in time for the next event in Auckland. • Moderate waves and mid-teen winds on day one were not too much for either the new Swedish team, or USA which had typically struggled in those conditions, with both joining France in a three-way tie for first. However, more wind and bigger seastate on day two had both slide down the standings. For full results and video highlights, click here. Records fall in RORC Transatlantic Race The 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race was a fast edition with new multihull and monohull elapsed records set for the 3000 nm course from the Canary Islands to Antigua. First in was Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA), taking Multihull Line Honors on January 16 with crew Chad Corning (skipper), Pete Cumming, Sam Goodchild, Charles Ogletree, Alister Richardson, Brian Thompson. They set a new Multihull Race Record of 04 Days 23 Hrs 51 Mins 15 Secs. “By Day Two, we were doing 30 to 32 knots in big seas,” said Corning. “The nights were long; 13 hours, very dark, very little moon. It felt like skiing a black diamond run with a blindfold on.” Helming rotations were reduced to 45-minute stints, with drivers stepping off soaked, exhausted and eyes stinging from constant spray. - Full report Jules Verne: Hot race against the clock Ever since Francis Joyon and crew on the 103-foot trimaran IDEC Sport were awarded the Jules Verne Trophy in 2017, there have been many failed attempts to better their record time around the world. Some efforts were abandoned early when wind conditions proved insufficient, while others conceded to damage. If a team is in the final ascent of the Atlantic Ocean to the finish off western France, they are in a hot race against the clock. That’s the case for Thomas Coville and his crew on the 105-foot Sodebo Ultim 3 which got underway on December 15. They crossed the equator on January 19 with a 300+ nm lead over Joyon, and will need to complete the final 3000+nm before 20:31 on January 25 to win. Also on the course is Alexia Barrier and her crew of The Famous Project CIC on the record holder IDEC Sport. While ahead of Coville, their start on November 29 has them over 2000 nm behind record pace. Their goal is to finish and establish a reference time for an all-female team. North Sails welcomes Dave Hughes as NA One Design Manager Elite performance starts with expertise. North Sails welcomes longtime North Sails collaborator Dave Hughes, a multiple-time Olympian and World Champion, to lead our One Design program in North America. With decades of racing and coaching experience, Hughes brings a clear vision: continue delivering the fastest sails on the water and help sailors dominate every start line. As the season heats up with regattas like the Bacardi Cup on the horizon, now is the time to choose sails engineered for speed. Hughes says it best: “North Sails wins more regattas than any other sailmaker.” Shop North One Design sails online today for podium-ready results and unmatched reliability. Performance starts here. Order now. DOCK TALK European Yacht Of The Year 2026 Advancing from the nominees for the European Yacht Of The Year 2026, there has not been such a promising year in yacht building for a long time. Instead of focusing primarily on increasing volume and living space or, worse still, cutting costs in production, most shipyards have now refocused on core values. The six award-winning models in particular epitomize the return to the essentials. - Full report Match Racing Tours finish in Middle East The 2026 finale for the World Match Racing Tour and the Women’s World Match Racing Tour will be hosted by AMAALA Yacht Club on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Additionally, for the first time in the history of the Tours, prize money for the Open and Women’s finals will be equalized. - Full report New 72-footer for 2027 Clipper Race When the 15th edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race gets underway in 2027, the crews will be competing on a newly launched fleet of 72-footers. Over 7000 crew have participated since the first biennial event was staged in 1996, with ten teams now racing the Clipper 70s in the 14th edition. - Full report Eight Bells: Lydia Jewell Lydia Edes Jewell, 96, crossed the final bar on January 12, 2026, closing a remarkable life defined by adventure, curiosity, and a lifelong love of the sea. Born March 7, 1929, in Boston, MA to Oliver L. and Della S. Edes, she grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts where her relationship with the water began. At the age of 12, she got her first boat, a Duxbury Duck. Learning to sail sparked a passion that would chart the rest of her life. Growing up amid the Second World War led to a keen interest in Military History and the Battle of the Bulge, in particular. She spent hours listening to her parents and their friends discuss politics at the dinner table and followed U.S. Politics her entire life. - Full report GUEST COMMENTARY Scuttlebutt strongly encourages feedback from the Scuttlebutt community. You can add your comments directly to stories on the website or submit commentary by email. Please save your bashing and personal attacks for elsewhere. US SAILING: BUILDING A STRONGER FUTURE (#6496) I read Charlie’s account and his desire to give back to the sport and all the trials and tribulations, but did not see anything about the grass roots.  We need support of the hundreds of small clubs that support US Sailing. There is a desperate need for Umpires and Craig Daniels has been alone in his efforts to increase the number of volunteers to support Match and Team Racing, and Sarah Ashton has just taken the helm of the Judges Committee. There are a small number of judges to cover all these venues, and it’s Mark Townsend that chairs the Judge’s training, making sure that we have properly trained judges. I fielded several complaints from venues (College and High School) about bad Rule 42 calls, and the first 42 seminar is about to be offered.  PROs are needed to run races and they too are few and far between.  Without this group of dedicated volunteers, we would not have quality Olympics, Trials, Regional, National, and World Championships. Judie McCann and Matt Hill at US sailing provide support but it stops there. For the past two years, dedicated volunteers have to pay for their own liability insurance. I understand that Charlie has bigger fish to fry, but without supporting the grass roots, our sport would crumble. - Richard P Sullivan, US Sailing National Judge and Umpire OLYMPIC SAILING NEEDS A LE MANS START (#6496) St. Croix used to have a Le Mans start on its annual Boxing Day regatta. There was a 100-yard slot between downtown Christiansted and Hotel on the Cay.  Classes would come in and anchor. Pick your spot. Then at the horn, one swimmer dove in.  Main can’t go up until the swimmer touched the boat. The “key” was to give yourself some headway on the anchor pull.  Different yet so interesting.  On the other end of the island, the yacht club would occasionally have “down wind” starts, which were also cool. - Maurice Cusick SEXISM AND INSPIRING GENERATION OF GIRLS (#6496) Oh barf! I raced sailboats in Seattle starting 1966 and was team captain for both men's and women's sailboat racing teams at Western Washington University. In 1976, I bought a San Juan 24 and successfully competed in the one-design fleet. Sailing is a sport where we compete on the water and cooperate with the community when we come back to the dock. Is it necessary to provide a platform for these sexist broadcast? - Shannon Morris CURMUDGEON'S OBSERVATION “I told the dentist how my teeth are going yellow. He told me to wear a brown tie.” - Rodney Dangerfield SPONSORS THIS WEEK Sail To Prevail - Risk Strategies - North Sails - UK Sailmakers - FOILFAST - Lex Risks Need Stuff? Check out our Sailing Suppliers and Resources page.

Bishop’s University Welcomes Charles Milliard as Executive in Residence - Bishop's University

Bishop’s University Welcomes Charles Milliard as Executive in Residence - Bishop's University

B.U. News

Bishop’s University Welcomes Charles Milliard as Executive in Residence

August 15, 2025

Bishop’s University is pleased to announce the appointment of Charles Milliard as Executive in Residence at the Williams School of Business (WSB) for the Fall 2025 term. Developed following a recommendation from the Dean of the Williams School of Business, Dr. Margaret Shepherd, this appointment marks a new and innovative way for Bishop’s to connect students and faculty with leaders from the business world, bridging scholarship and practice in meaningful ways.

Mr. Milliard is a seasoned executive recognized for his ability to mobilize organizations and stakeholders in diverse fields, including health, economics, and public policy. Notably, he served as president of the Fédération des Chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ). As Executive in Residence, he will engage with students, faculty, and the wider community through guest lectures, mentorship, and participation in special events, providing contemporary leadership perspectives on strategy, innovation, and responsible growth.

“I am immensely proud to be joining the team at Bishop’s University’s Williams School of Business,” said Mr. Milliard. “Bishop’s is a small gem of a university, truly one of a kind in Quebec and Canada. I am genuinely delighted to be able to contribute, in my own way, to its profile, and to have the opportunity to teach the next generation of business leaders. My career so far has brought me into contact with inspiring people in the fields of health, economics, and politics, and I am honoured to now be able to spend time with students in the region where I live. Together, we will discuss the importance of our entrepreneurial fabric as a driver of our collective prosperity, and our shared ambitions for the Quebec of tomorrow.”

Dr. Shepherd said, “Having experienced leaders like Charles share their expertise enriches our students’ learning and strengthens our ties to Quebec’s business ecosystem. His appointment reflects our commitment, outlined in Bishop’s 2025-2029 Strategic Plan, to cultivate tomorrow’s innovators and leaders through real-world engagement. By welcoming him into our academic community, we are creating more opportunities for dialogue, mentorship, and collaboration that will benefit both our students and our society.”

The Executive in Residence appointment is honorary and reflects the University’s appreciation for the expertise and perspective Mr. Milliard brings to the School. His presence on campus will contribute to Bishop’s ongoing efforts to strengthen what makes the University distinct, while fostering innovation and community connection.

About Bishop’s University  

Founded in 1843 and located on the traditional territory of the Abenaki people (W8banakiak wdakiw8k), Bishop’s University is a unique English-language, primarily undergraduate institution located in the historic and picturesque Eastern Townships region of Québec. Our 550-acre campus offers an immersive educational experience within a close-knit community.  

With a student population of approximately 2,600 full-time students, Bishop’s fosters deep academic engagement through personalized course of study, small class sizes and meaningful interaction between students and professors. We offer over 100 programs across five faculties: Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Business, and Education.  

For more than 180 years, Bishop’s has cultivated leaders and changemakers through interdisciplinary learning, experiential opportunities, and extensive student support. Whether studying abroad, conducting research, participating in an athletic team, or learning by doing, Bishop’s students are empowered to pursue academic excellence and personal growth in an inclusive and dynamic

Advocate for women receives honours - Irene Y. McNeill

 Advocate for women receives honours

Irene Y. McNeill, who’s an avid sailor and advocate for women in the sport, is one of 80 Order of Canada appointees. The Order of Canada is how the country honors people who make extraordinary contributions to Canada.

McNeill has not only helped develop the sport of sailing throughout the country and around the world, but has actively increased the number of women participating in the sport. One way she has accomplished this was by co-founding the LEAP program, which encourages girls to take up sailing.

In addition to participating in the sport, McNeill has been particularly instrumental in the leadership side of sailing and the advancement of women in race management. She has supported many initiatives to encourage women to participate in race management and improve skills development.

In 2012, McNeill was the first Canadian woman to earn the title of international race officer by World Sailing. – Full report

Meidas Humiliates Donald… Shrinkage Goes Global

Meidas Humiliates Donald… Shrinkage Goes Global

BEN MEISELAS AND MEIDASTOUCH NETWORK



JAN 23






READ IN APP

Written by Ben Meiselas

I told you it would get embarrassing, Donald.

You didn’t listen.

And now the entire world is laughing at you.

Your humiliating trip to Davos was supposed to be your big “statesman” moment at the World Economic Forum. Instead, it turned into a global intervention. World leaders openly mocked you. Business leaders rolled their eyes. Allies distanced themselves. Even authoritarians barely pretended to take you seriously.
Upgrade to paid

Trump has never looked smaller.
Never weaker.
Never more exposed.

You flew halfway around the world just to get humiliated in public.

And then came the desperation.

You announced your so-called “Board of Peace,” a group so unserious it became an instant punchline. No democracies. No NATO allies. Just you, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, and whatever other strongmen still return your calls.

Then, in a moment that will live in infamy, last night you claimed you had “disinvited” Mark Carney to this laughable board.

Mark Carney never wanted to be on it.
No serious leader wants to be on it.
What an embarrassment!

That’s the thing now, Donald. You can’t even bluff anymore. The world immediately sees through it. You announce things that don’t exist. You invent authority you don’t have. You pretend people respect you when they very publicly do not.

And while you were being laughed out of Davos, something else was happening.

We kept building.

As you know, the MeidasTouch Network is expanding globally. We’ve built Meidas Canada. There will be more international announcements in the future. We’re working with pro-democracy voices across borders. We’re building out our new DC bureau. We’ve made partnerships to get cameras on the ground in Minneapolis. While you shrink, we grow. While you isolate America, we help connect democratic movements around the world.

You backed down on Greenland because the world stood up to you.
You threatened invasion.
You blustered.
You folded.

That’s the pattern now. Loud threats, followed by humiliating retreat.

And we see what comes next.

You’re coming for independent journalists. You’re trying to sic the DOJ on us all. You want obedience. You want silence. You want state media.

And here’s the funniest part: you’re failing at that too.

MeidasTouch was the first to catch you using AI to manipulate an image of a civil rights leader your goons arrested in Minneapolis. You thought you’d get away with that, didn’t you, Donald?

Independent media is stronger than ever. People don’t trust corporate gatekeepers anymore, and they certainly don’t trust you. Every threat you make just exposes your fear. Every tantrum confirms your weakness.

Sorry, but we’re not Fox. We’re not CBS.

You’re not intimidating anyone.
You’re embarrassing yourself.

Enjoy your “peace board,” Donald. Enjoy your imaginary authority with your new “friends.” Enjoy sitting with Putin and Lukashenko while democratic nations close ranks against you.

Everyone sees you now.

They see how weak you are.
How small you are.
How utterly pathetic this all is.

And we’re not going anywhere.

The MeidasTouch Network doesn’t answer to billionaires. We don’t submit. We don’t obey. We don’t flinch.

We are building—brick by brick—across borders, across platforms, across communities that believe in democracy and truth.

Your threats don’t work on us.
Your bullying doesn’t work on us.
Your intimidation doesn’t work on us.

The corporate media may still tiptoe around you. We won’t.

As you continue to spiral on the world stage, we’ll be doing what you fear most: reporting the truth, exposing the lies, and reminding people—every single day—that you are not strong.

You’re desperate.

And everyone can see it.

Thanks, MeidasMighty.

Let’s keep building. If you are able, now is the time to become a paid subscriber if you haven’t yet.

 

NCAA players charged for allegedly rigging games

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

New year, new sports gambling scandal: Federal prosecutors revealed yesterday that they’re accusing a ring of college basketball players, alumni, professional gamblers, and one former NBA player of meddling in more than two dozen games, which netted them millions of dollars in sportsbook winnings. According to the indictment: It all started in September 2022, when gamblers paid a former Chicago Bulls shooting guard playing overseas in the Chinese Basketball Association to make fewer baskets in order to fix final game score margins in favor of their bets, in a ploy known as point shaving. The group then recruited mostly smaller-time US college ballers, who were unlikely to earn significant NIL money, with bribes ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game. All together, 39 NCAA players across more than 17 Division I teams became involved with the gambling ring, which fixed or tried to fix more than 29 games in recent years. This type of allegation is “not entirely new information to the NCAA,” and investigations into almost all named teams, which include Alabama State and Tulane, are already underway or completed, the NCAA’s president said in response to the news. Airball: One NCAA defendant allegedly texted the bagman during a fixed game to assure him that co-conspiring players would keep the ball away from a teammate who was playing too well. Zoom out: Game-fixing fiascos recently hit the NBA and MLB, too. To protect college sports, the NCAA is lobbying to ban prop bets on collegiate matchups.

Secure meetings from the team behind Proton Mail

 

Secure meetings from the team behind Proton Mail


Whether you're discussing a project, closing an important business deal, or just catching up with friends and family, your conversations stay private. No third parties — advertisers, hackers, snooping governments, or even us — can access your calls.



How to start using Proton Meet


Proton Meet is available exclusively to Proton community members with Lifetime, Visionary and Enterprise plans during early access. If you are a large organization and would like to get early access to Meet, you can contact our sales team or your account manager.
Contact us

Want to be notified when Proton Meet is available to everyone?


If you already have a Proton Account, we'll email you as soon as Meet is available for general launch.

If you're not a Proton user yet, you can create a free account and enjoy Proton Mail, VPN, Pass, Drive, and more encrypted services while you wait for Meet.
Create a free account





Over 100 million people and businesses trust Proton to protect their data.

Now you can protect your video calls, too.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke now the largest private landowner in the U.S.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke now the largest private landowner in the U.S.


America’s biggest private landowner
Published Thu, Jan 15 20268:30 AM EST

Hayley Cuccinello@in/hayleycuccinello/@HCuccinello
ShareShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via Email
Key Points
Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke is now America’s largest private landowner after buying nearly 1 million acres of New Mexico ranchland in December, according to The Land Report.
Other boldface names like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Ted Turner also made the annual rankings of private landowners.
Billionaire entrepreneurs are gaining ground as farmland investing becomes increasingly popular and more heirs choose to sell legacy properties.


Stan Kroenke of the Los Angeles Rams on the sideline during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium Inglewood, California, Oct. 8, 2023.
Ric Tapia | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images


A version of this article first appeared in CNBC’s Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide to the high-net-worth investor and consumer. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.

Stanley Kroenke owns the world’s most valuable sports empire, including the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. Now the sports tycoon is also America’s largest private landowner, according to the newly released Land Report.


At 2.7 million acres, Kroenke’s holdings are larger than Yellowstone National Park — or the equivalent of roughly 2 million football fields.

Kroenke bought nearly 1 million acres of New Mexico ranchland in December from the family behind industrial conglomerate Teledyne, per The Land Report. According to the trade publication, the Singleton Ranches transaction is the largest land purchase in the U.S. in more than a decade. Late Teledyne founder Henry Singleton started his namesake ranch in the 1980s, and it’s grown into one of the nation’s largest cattle- and horse-breeding operations.

The acquisition vaulted Kroenke from fourth to first on The Land Report’s annual ranking of the country’s 100 largest private landowners, leapfrogging the Emmerson lumber family as well as billionaire media moguls John Malone and Ted Turner.



Most of the top 100 landowners aren’t boldface names like Kroenke. The Emmerson family, which ranks second, owns an estimated 2.44 million acres through their forest-products company Sierra Pacific Industries. The Singleton family, which sold the New Mexico ranches to Kroenke, still made the cut at 98th place with 171,000 acres.

However, investing in U.S. farmland has become popular among the ultra wealthy as a hedge against inflation and stock market volatility. From 2019 to 2024, farmland values have grown at an average annual rate of 5.8%, or 2% after inflation, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.


Billionaire entrepreneurs from Bill Gates to Philip Anschutz are increasingly buying up swaths of land for farming, ranching and forestry. Gates ranks 44th overall on The Land Report list with 275,000 acres but is still the largest private owner of U.S. farmland, specifically. Owned through his investment group, Cascade Investment, Gates’ farmland grows soybeans, corn, cotton, rice and even potatoes used for McDonald’s french fries.

Online brokerage billionaire Thomas Peterffy and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also made the cut, with 647,000 acres and 462,000 acres, respectively.

Kroenke has been able to grow his land holdings relatively quickly by acquiring massive ranches that have been held in families for decades or even generations. He bought one of his largest ranches, Waggoner Ranch in north Texas, for $725 million in 2016, ending 160 years of family ownership. While these one-of-a-kind ranches are in short supply, more are hitting the market as heirs decide to sell rather than carry on the family business.

Danish pension fund to sell $100 million in U.S. Treasurys

Danish pension fund to sell $100 million in U.S. Treasurys

Protesters with Danish and Greenlandic flags attend a demonstration in Copenhagen, Denmark, Jan. 17, 2026.

Nichlas Pollier | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Danish pension operator AkademikerPension said it is exiting U.S. Treasurys because of finance concerns as Denmark spars with President Donald Trump over his threats to take over Greenland.

Anders Schelde, AkademikerPension’s investing chief, said the decision was driven by what it sees as “poor [U.S.] government finances” amid America’s debt crisis. But it also comes as tensions escalate between the U.S. and Denmark after Trump’s latest threats to tariff European countries if Greenland, an arctic territory of Denmark, isn’t sold to the U.S.

“It is not directly related to the ongoing rift between the [U.S.] and Europe, but of course that didn’t make it more difficult to take the decision,” Schelde said in a statement to CNBC.

The fund currently has a position of around $100 million in U.S. Treasurys, an AkademikerPension spokesperson confirmed to CNBC. The academics-focused fund plans to have exited that holding by the end of the month.

Schelde chiefly cited the ballooning debt bill facing the U.S. after decades of government overspending. The U.S. recorded a budget shortfall of $1.78 trillion last year, down just over 2% from 2024′s fiscal year as Trump’s broad and steep tariffs took effect.

Moody’s Ratings cut the United States’ sovereign credit rating down to Aa1 from Aaa in May, citing the budget deficit and high borrowing costs associated with rolling over debt at lofty interest rates.

The U.S.′ finances made “us think that we need to make an effort to find an alternative way of conducting our liquidity and risk management,” Schelde said. “Now we have found such a way and we [are] executing on that.”

Denmark has grown increasingly hostile toward the U.S. as Trump has ratcheted up his calls for control of Greenland to be given to the U.S. Trump said over the weekend that he would institute tariffs on several European nations beginning Feb. 1 if the U.S. did not take control of Greenland and that those levies could rise to 25% on June 1.

European leaders have reportedly considered using counter-tariffs and other punitive economic measures as a result. Some investors have worried that European countries could dump their U.S. asset holdings in response to Trump’s new tariffs.

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Monday that it would “not be pressured” and “stand firm on dialogue, on respect and on international law.”

Treasury yields in the U.S. and abroad surged Tuesday, a sign of investors feeling geopolitical turmoil rising. The U.S. dollar and stocks fell, and gold rose to new all-time highs in a session defined by the “sell America” trade.

Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio told CNBC on Tuesday that sovereign funds could start to dump U.S. investments if they stop seeing the U.S. as a stable trading partner.

“On the other side of trade, deficits, and trade wars, there are capital and capital wars,” Dalio told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “If you take the conflicts, you can’t ignore the possibility of the capital wars. In other words, maybe there’s not the same inclination to buy ... U.S. debt and so on.”

Reuters first reported the Danish pension fund’s Treasury exit.

Thomas Coville claims Jules Verne Trophy

 

Thomas Coville claims Jules Verne Trophy


Scuttlebutt Sailing News: Providing sailing news for sailors · 38 minutes ago
by Editor · Feature


French skipper Thomas Coville has claimed the Jules Verne Trophy by improving the previous mark by more than 12 hours when his team crossed the finish line at 07:46:55 (French time) on January 25.

The Jules Verne Trophy is for the fastest time around the world by any type of yacht with no restrictions on the size of the crew, starting and finishing from the exact line between the Le Créac’h Lighthouse off the tip of Brittany (FRA) and the Lizard Point in Cornwall (GBR).

Coville and teammates Benjamin Schwartz, Frédéric Denis, Pierre Leboucher, Léonard Legrand, Guillaume Pirouelle, and Nicolas Troussel finished after 40 days, 10 hours, 45 minutes and 50 seconds at sea on their 105-foot Sodebo Ultim 3.

The previous record was 40 days, 23 hours, 30 minutes, 30 seconds, set in 2017 by another Frenchman, Francis Joyon on the 103-foot trimaran IDEC Sport. Coville and his crew got underway on December 15 and had to finish before 20:31 on January 25 to win

Coville and his crew faced dramatic weather conditions on their way to the record, having to lengthen their route in the South Atlantic before they withstood Storm Ingrid near the finish. They set new benchmark times at every Cape — Good Hope, Leeuwin, and Horn.

Coville averaged 29.17 knots over 28,315 miles, also improving two intermediate records during the journey. In comparison, Joyon sailed 26,412 miles at an average speed of 26.85 knots.

All ten winners of the Jules Verne Trophy have been either catamarans or trimarans.

Tracker: https://sodebo-ultim3.sodebo.com/

Record Facts
• Start and finish: a line between Créac’h lighthouse (Isle of Ushant) and Lizard Point (England)
• Course: non-stop around-the-world tour racing without outside assistance via the three Capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn)
• Minimum distance: 21,600 nautical miles (40,000 kilometres)
• Ratification: World Sailing Speed Record Council

Here are the nine that have held the trophy:
2026 – Thomas Coville / Sodebo Ultim 3 (32m) – 40:10:45:50
2017 – Francis Joyon / IDEC SPORT (31.5m) – 40:23:30:30
2012 – Loïck Peyron / Banque Populaire V (40m) – 45:13:42:53
2010 – Franck Cammas / Groupama 3 (31.5m) – 48:07:44:52
2005 – Bruno Peyron / Orange II (36.8m) – 50:16:20:04
2004 – Olivier De Kersauson / Geronimo (33.8m) – 63:13:59:46
2002 – Bruno Peyron / Orange (32.8m) – 64:08:37:24
1997 – Olivier De Kersauson / Sport-Elec (27.3m) – 71:14:22:08
1994 – Peter Blake, Robin Knox-Johnston / Enza New Zealand (28m) – 74:22:17:22
1993 – Bruno Peyron / Commodore Explorer (28m) – 79:06:15:56

Remote work disparity: Men return to office, women stay home

Remote work disparity: Men return to office, women stay home

A return to office for men only?by Gleb Tsipursky, opinion contributor - 01/13/26 9:00 AM ET


Getty Images




A silent reshuffle is unfolding across corporate America. Office towers are refilling with men, while women continue tapping at keyboards from their kitchen tables. Far from a balanced rebound, the return-to-office push has become unmistakably gendered.

Fresh data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal a striking split: “the share of men who spent some time working at home decreased from 34 percent in 2023 to 29 percent in 2024, while the share of women who did so remained the same (36 percent).” The trend is clear — return to office is happening for men, not for women.


These figures sit atop an historic surge in women’s labor-force engagement. Brookings researchers note that prime-age female participation reached “77.7 percent, slightly below the highest level on record” in May 2025. Much of that momentum comes from mothers who can remain in the workforce precisely because remote options still exist.

Corporate policy explains only part of the divergence. Three structural forces amplify the effect.

One is optics. Managers still equate physical presence with ambition, and annual performance reviews still tend to reward the employee whose face is most often visible in the conference room. The message may sometimes be unspoken, but it’s unmistakable: the corner-office track still runs through the lobby turnstile.

Men, socialized to chase visible advancement, often respond to those cues by booking the earliest train and the latest return, ensuring their badges swipe first and last. Women, balancing caregiving or simply valuing autonomy, may weigh the same cues differently. Many have learned that a polished deliverable submitted at 6 a.m. from the breakfast table travels just as far as a handshake in the bullpen, and they refuse to sacrifice the flexibility that underpins that efficiency.

Moreover, male-dominated occupations in finance, tech infrastructure and heavy industry are facing louder calls to repopulate headquarters. Earnings calls routinely feature CEOs assuring investors that “culture and innovation happen in person,” language that filters down through layers of middle management as mandatory desk days. Women cluster more heavily in functions such as HR, marketing and design — roles that proved remote-friendly during the pandemic and remain so because collaboration happens in cloud-based suites rather than on whiteboards bolted to drywall. These divisions reinforce the gender split every time a new return-to-office memo hits inboxes.

Finally, social expectations. The domestic load still skews female despite modest progress since 2020. Remote work remains the most practical way to integrate school pick-ups, therapist appointments and elder-care errands into a salaried day. Employers tacitly recognize that reality by tolerating women’s flexibility while nudging men to reclaim cubicles. The result is a quiet re-segregation of labor: women secure autonomy at the cost of in-office visibility, while men win face time but surrender work-life balance — an imbalance that now shapes careers, household dynamics and ultimately the leadership pipeline itself.


Retention data in the work-from-home literature link hybrid options to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover; if women keep that benefit while men lose it, companies risk re-segregating career paths along flexibility lines. Career-progression research warns that remote workers, many of them women, already face proximity bias in the form of reduced visibility, fewer promotions and limited mentorship. A scenario in which men gain office face time and women do not could deepen those promotion gaps.

Conversely, male re-entry may backfire for firms hunting scarce talent. The Brookings analysis shows female participation now exceeds its pre-pandemic peaks, suggesting flexible roles attract a crucial share of the workforce. Requiring men to sacrifice that flexibility may push some to greener, hybrid pastures, compounding turnover.

Finally, when male remote days drop, the domestic rebalancing achieved since 2020 may erode, pulling women back into disproportionate housework — an outcome squarely at odds with corporate inclusivity pledges.


The evidence is unmistakable. Remote work in 2025 remains standard for more than a third of working women, as it was last year, yet it is rapidly slipping for men. Promotion politics, industry composition and entrenched social norms have funneled the genders down separate post-pandemic paths.



Employers crowing about successful return-to-office mandates should look closer: they have engineered a return-to-office for men only, reshaping talent pipelines and, potentially, future leadership ranks. Until advancement metrics truly reward results over chair time and genuine hybrid options extend to all employees, this new, subtler form of workplace inequality will persist.

Redefining commitment — that is, valuing output wherever the laptop sits — is no longer an HR talking point. It is the front line of gender equity in the post-COVID labor market, and the stakes rise each time another man swipes a building badge while his female colleague logs into the morning stand-up from home.

Venezuela Grab: Who’ll Stand Up for International Law?

 Venezuela Grab: Who’ll Stand Up for International Law? | The Tyee

Venezuela Grab: Who’ll Stand Up for International Law?
Carney muffs a chance while Poilievre celebrates Trump’s dangerous new rules.

Michael Harris 5 Jan 2026The Tyee

Michael Harris, a Tyee contributing editor, is a highly awarded journalist and documentary maker.Our journalism is supported by readers like you. Click here to support The Tyee.









US President Donald Trump boasts about his Venezuela attack as Secretary of State Marco Rubio watches on Jan. 3. Photo by Alex Brandon, the Associated Press.


Listen to this article
8 min



So, the president who falls asleep in cabinet meetings has now invaded a sovereign nation and abducted its leader and his wife to face “justice” in the United States.

Announcements, Events & more from Tyee and select partners
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson Comes to the Chan Centre

The award-winning author will discuss her bestselling book ‘Theory of Water’ on Jan. 29.

That makes it official. America has its first rogue president, Donald J. Trump. As a result, the United States and the rest of the globe are suddenly in a precarious place. The rule of law is at risk of being replaced by an old and ugly idea: might is right.

In that throwback world, the fates of the United States’ closer neighbours would be far more at risk — Canada, right next door, included. As Trump has noted in his musings about harming our economy until we are ripe for annexation, we are a nation with resources the United States covets and a far smaller population and military.

And yet Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first statement about the violent Maduro extraction mentioned nothing about its patent illegality.


It fell to his foreign minister, Anita Anand, to vaguely post on social media: “In keeping with our long-standing commitment to upholding the rule of law and democracy, Canada calls on all parties to respect international law.”

The Tyee is supported by readers like you Join us and grow independent media in Canada

At least NDP interim leader Don Davies was full-throated in his condemnation of the “totally illegal” U.S. operation.

But Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has joined with others cheering Trump on. Why? Spin and optics.

The leader who was deposed by U.S. military force is no doubt a vile dictator, credibly accused of everything from dealing drugs to murder to stealing Venezuela’s 2024 election. Hence, getting rid of Nicolás Maduro in this way was not only justified but downright admirable, right?

Absolutely not.


Billionaires Don’t Control Us


Get The Tyee’s free daily newsletter in your inbox.

Journalism for readers, not profits.

EmailSubscribe

This is not the first time Trump has appealed to the authoritarian logic that some people are so bad that they deserve whatever they get — including summary execution. No due process required.

Case in point. When the U.S. military began blowing up alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, Trump justified the killings by accusing their crews of being “narco-terrorists.” Bad guys bringing cocaine and fentanyl into the United States to kill Americans. The president called those drugs “weapons of mass destruction,” the same, bogus rallying cry that led the United States into its calamitous invasion of Iraq.

As of Dec. 25, 115 people on those boats have been killed by U.S. forces, including two who survived the initial attack and were murdered waving for help as they clung to wreckage.

The Trump administration has produced no credible evidence that they know who or what was on these doomed vessels or where they were headed.

Nor has Trump provided any legal justification for his lethal action.

Accordingly, that action has been widely denounced as illegal — not self-defence, as Trump claims. More like murder on the high seas.

And that is one of the reasons that no one should be patting Donald Trump on the back after his attack on Venezuela.

Instead, they should be taking note of the fact that Trump is fighting lawlessness with lawlessness of his own — based on a clear violation of his oath of office, in which he pledged as president to uphold the U.S. Constitution.


Towards ‘a world of violence, chaos and instability’

As the New York Times put it, by bombing Venezuela and abducting its leader and his wife, Trump is “pushing our country toward an international crisis without valid reasons. If Mr. Trump wants to argue otherwise, the Constitution spells out what he must do: Go to Congress. Without congressional approval, his actions violate U.S. law.”

Trump never sought such approval, suggesting that Congress might “leak” the details of the Venezuelan mission.

And it’s not only the highest U.S. law that Trump is breaking. The secretary-general of the United Nations, António Guterres, has described Trump’s attack on Venezuela as a “dangerous precedent.”

A statement from the UN said that “the secretary general continues to emphasize the importance of full respect — by all — of international law, including the UN Charter.” That charter calls for respecting every country’s sovereignty.

Trump’s attack on Venezuela has been widely denounced by those world leaders who understand the harrowing new order it signals. From South America, the criticism is particularly vehement.



Trump’s Coup Plans for Venezuela Are Bad News for Alberta’s Oilsandsread more

This is how Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, put it: “Attacking countries in flagrant violation of international law is the first step toward a world of violence, chaos and instability.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro described the U.S. military action as an “assault on the sovereignty of Latin America.”

Norway’s foreign minister, Espen Barth Eide, said, “The American intervention in Venezuela is not in accordance with international law.”

This throws into sharp contrast Canada’s more muted and weak-kneed response. Not only did Carney not criticize the U.S. attack on Venezuela, despite the obvious violation of international law and all that could mean. He welcomed the removal of Maduro as an opportunity for Venezuela to achieve democracy after decades of repressive dictatorship that began with Hugo Chávez.

Carney called for that march toward freedom to be led by Venezuelans. Sadly, that won’t be happening. In using military force to bring about regime change in Venezuela, Trump made a stunning announcement. The president said that the United States would “run” Venezuela for an unspecified time, because he didn’t want another Maduro in charge.

And not only would the United States rule the country for the time being, but Trump announced that U.S. oil companies would be returning to Venezuela to take charge of the country’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.

Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir dies at 78

Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir dies at 78


Grateful Dead founding member Bob Weir dies at 78
Published Sat, Jan 10 20269:40 PM EST

ShareShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via Email


American Rock musician Bob Weir plays guitar as he performs on stage, with the band Grateful Dead, at Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, California, August 5, 1989.
Steve Eichner | Archive Photos | Getty Images


Bob Weir, the guitarist and singer who, as an essential member of the Grateful Dead, helped found the sound of the San Francisco counterculture of the 1960s and kept it alive through decades of endless tours and marathon jams, has died. He was 78.

Weir’s death was announced Saturday in a statement on his Instagram page.


“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Bobby Weir,” a statement on his Instagram account posted Saturday said. “He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after courageously beating cancer as only Bobby could. Unfortunately, he succumbed to underlying lung issues.”

Weir joined the Grateful Dead — originally the Warlocks — in 1965 in San Francisco at just 17 years old. He would spend the next 30 years playing on endless tours with the Grateful Dead alongside fellow singer and guitarist Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995.

Weir wrote or co-wrote and sang lead vocals on Dead classics including “Sugar Magnolia,” “One More Saturday Night” and “Mexicali Blues.”

After Garcia’s death, he would be the Dead’s most recognizable face. In the decades since, he kept playing with other projects that kept alive the band’s music and legendary fan base, including Dead & Company.

“For over sixty years, Bobby took to the road,” the Instagram statement said. “A guitarist, vocalist, storyteller, and founding member of the Grateful Dead. Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music.”


Weir’s death leaves drummer Bill Kreutzmann as the only surviving original member. Founding bassist Phil Lesh died in 2024. The band’s other drummer, Mickey Hart, practically an original member since joining in 1967, is also alive at 82. The fifth founding member, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, died in 1973.

Dead and Company played a series of concerts for the Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary in July at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, drawing some 60,000 fans a day for three days.

Born in San Francisco and raised in nearby Atherton, Weir was the Dead’s youngest member and looked like a fresh-faced high-schooler in its early years. He was generally less shaggy than the rest of the band, but he had a long beard like Garcia’s in later years.

The band would survive long past the hippie moment of its birth, with its ultra-devoted fans known as Deadheads often following them on the road in a virtually non-stop tour that persisted despite decades of music and culture shifting around them.

Honoree Bob Weir of Grateful Dead accepts the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year award onstage during the 2025 MusiCares Persons of the Year Honoring The Grateful Dead on January 31, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Kevin Mazur | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images


“Longevity was never a major concern of ours,” Weir said when the Dead got the Grammys’ MusiCares Person of the Year honor last year. “Spreading joy through the music was all we ever really had in mind, and we got plenty of that done.”

Ubiquitous bumper stickers and T-shirts showed the band’s skull logo, the dancing, colored bears that served as their other symbol, and signature phrases like “ain’t no time to hate” and “not all who wander are lost.”

The Dead won few actual Grammys during their career — they were always a little too esoteric — getting only a lifetime achievement award in 2007 and the best music film award in 2018.

Just as rare were hit pop singles. “Touch of Grey,” the 1987 song that brought a big surge in the aging band’s popularity, was their only Billboard Top 10 hit.

But in 2024, they set a record for all artists with their 59th album in Billboard’s Top 40. Forty-one of those came since 2012, thanks to the popularity of the series of archival albums compiled by David Lemieux.

Their music — called acid rock at its inception — would pull in blues, jazz, country, folk and psychedelia in long improvisational jams at their concerts.

“I venture to say they are the great American band,” TV personality and devoted Deadhead Andy Cohen said as host of the MusiCares event. “What a wonder they are.”

230m users ask ChatGPT about health

 

Prime number: 230m users ask ChatGPT about health

Nick Iluzada

Who needs doctors when you can ask a robot if your nagging cough is just a cold or, far more likely, a rare 18th-century pulmonary disease? OpenAI says there are hundreds of millions of you doing the latter. The AI company behind ChatGPT said that 230 million users ask the chatbot health questions every week. That’s about 29% of the app’s total user base (as of late last year). Health is such a popular topic on ChatGPT that OpenAI announced it’s launching a dedicated experience with “enhanced privacy” to store all of your health-related questions. The new platform, ChatGPT Health, allows users to connect their medical records and wellness app info. OpenAI stresses that it’s meant “to support, not replace, medical care.” It added that ChatGPT Health is not intended to diagnose or treat illnesses. For that, you still need to be a human with a medical degree.

U.S. Exits UN Climate Bodies, 66 International Organizations

 BREAKING: U.S. Exits UN Climate Bodies, 66 International Organizations

U.S. Exits UN Climate Bodies, 66 International Organizations
January 7, 2026
Reading time: 9 minutes

Full Story: The Associated Press with files from The Energy Mix
Author: Matthew Lee, Farnoush Amiri, Tammy Webber




UNclimatechange/Flickr



The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are among the 66 international organizations the United States is exiting under an executive order signed by Wednesday by Donald Trump.

The order suspends U.S. support for 66 organizations, agencies, and commissions, following the administration’s review of participation in and funding for all international organizations, including those affiliated with the United Nations. A White House memorandum said the withdrawal affects organizations and treaties that are “contrary to the interests of the United States.”

“Not exactly a smart move leaving rulemaking to others,” Andreas Sieber, associate director of policy and campaigns with 350.org, said on LinkedIn. “This will hurt the U.S. influence for decades.”

Many of the targets are UN-related agencies, commissions, and advisory panels that focus on climate, population, labour, migration and other issues the Trump administration has categorized as catering to diversity and “woke” initiatives, The Associated Press reports. Other non-UN organizations on the list include the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.

“The Trump administration has found these institutions to be redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

Trump’s decision to withdraw from organizations that foster cooperation among nations to address global challenges follows Saturday’s military action against Venezuela and accelerating threats aimed at Greenland, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Canada.
Forfeiting Climate Influence

The withdrawal from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the latest effort by Trump and his allies to distance the U.S. from international organizations focused on climate and addressing climate change.

The UNFCCC, the 1992 agreement between 198 countries to financially support climate change activities in developing countries, is the underlying treaty for the landmark Paris climate agreement. Trump—who calls climate change a hoax—withdrew from that agreement soon after reclaiming the White House.

Gina McCarthy, former White House National Climate Adviser, said being the only country in the world not part of the treaty is “shortsighted, embarrassing, and a foolish decision.”

“This administration is forfeiting our country’s ability to influence trillions of dollars in investments, policies, and decisions that would have advanced our economy and protected us from costly disasters wreaking havoc on our country,” McCarthy, who co-chairs America Is All In, a coalition of U.S. states and cities concerned about the climate crisis, said in a statement.

Settled science shows that climate change is behind increasing instances of deadly and costly extreme weather, including flooding, droughts, wildfires, intense rainfall events, and dangerous heat, AP writes.

The U.S. withdrawal could hinder global efforts to curb greenhouse gases because it “gives other nations the excuse to delay their own actions and commitments,” said Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson, who chairs the Global Carbon Project, a group of scientists that tracks countries’ carbon dioxide emissions.

It will also be difficult to achieve meaningful progress on climate change without cooperation from the U.S., one of the world’s largest emitters and economies, experts said.
Building on a Pattern

The administration previously suspended support for agencies like the World Health Organization, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) serving Palestinian refugees, the UN Human Rights Council, and the UN cultural agency (UNESCO). It has taken a larger, à la carte approach to paying dues to the world body, picking which operations and agencies it believes align with Trump’s agenda and those that no longer serve U.S. interests.

“I think what we’re seeing is the crystallization of the U.S. approach to multilateralism, which is ‘my way or the highway,’” said Daniel Forti, head of UN affairs at the International Crisis Group. “It’s a very clear vision of wanting international cooperation on Washington’s own terms.”

The moves mark a major shift from how previous administrations—both Republican and Democratic—have dealt with the UN, and it has forced the world body, already undergoing its own internal reckoning, to respond with a series of staffing and program cuts.

Independent non-governmental agencies—including some that work with the United Nations—have cited many project closures because of the U.S. administration’s decision last year to slash foreign assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Washington- and London-based Center for Global Development estimates the impact of the USAID cuts at 500,000 to a million lives lost, with more to follow in the years ahead.

Despite the massive shift, AP writes, Trump administration officials say they see the potential of the UN and want to instead focus taxpayer money on expanding American influence in many of the standard-setting UN initiatives where there is competition with China, like the International Telecommunications Union, the International Maritime Organization, and the International Labor Organization.

The UN Population Fund, the agency providing sexual and reproductive health worldwide, has long been a lightning rod for Republican opposition, and Trump cut funding for it during his first term. He and other GOP officials have accused the agency of participating in “coercive abortion practices” in countries like China.

When President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, he restored funding for the agency. A State Department review conducted the following year found no evidence to support GOP claims.

Here is a list of all the agencies that the U.S. is exiting, according to the White House:
Non-UN organizations

— 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact

— Colombo Plan Council

— Commission for Environmental Cooperation

— Education Cannot Wait

— European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats

— Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories

— Freedom Online Coalition

— Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund

— Global Counterterrorism Forum

— Global Forum on Cyber Expertise

— Global Forum on Migration and Development

— Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research

— Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development

— Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

— Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

— International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property

— International Cotton Advisory Committee

— International Development Law Organization

— International Energy Forum

— International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies

— International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

— International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law

— International Lead and Zinc Study Group

— International Renewable Energy Agency

— International Solar Alliance

— International Tropical Timber Organization

— International Union for Conservation of Nature

— Pan American Institute of Geography and History

— Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation

— Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia

— Regional Cooperation Council

— Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century

— Science and Technology Center in Ukraine

— Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

— Venice Commission of the Council of Europe
United Nations Organizations

— Department of Economic and Social Affairs

— UN Economic and Social Council, or ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Africa

— ECOSOC — Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

— ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

— ECOSOC — Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

— International Law Commission

— International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals

— International Trade Centre

— Office of the Special Adviser on Africa

— Office of the Special Representative of the secretary-general for Children in Armed Conflict

— Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict

— Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children

— Peacebuilding Commission

— Peacebuilding Fund

— Permanent Forum on People of African Descent

— UN Alliance of Civilizations

— UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries

— UN Conference on Trade and Development

— UN Democracy Fund

— UN Energy

— UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

— UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

— UN Human Settlements Programme

— UN Institute for Training and Research

— UN Oceans

— UN Population Fund

— UN Register of Conventional Arms

— UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination

— UN System Staff College

— UN Water

— UN University

The main body of this story is based on two Associated Press dispatches that were republished Jan. 7 by The Canadian Press.