By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Heres everything Trump said about the opioid crisis in his State of the Union
b0aa9042ede10cc2f761f3fa0f5007772dad9669db3fa7fe91d101baf848280c
President Donald Trump spoke about opioids in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, but only for 49 seconds, according to The Huffington Post. - photo by Herb Scribner
President Donald Trump spoke about opioids in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, but only for 49 seconds, according to The Huffington Post.

Trumps entire speech lasted for anhour and 20 minutes, which is one of the longest in recent history.

Trump said that he hopes to address immigration reform and provide tougher reform on drug enforcement in the country.

Trump outlined the opioid crisis in his explanation of the four pillars that he hope will produce legislation.

Heres what Trump said about the opioid crisis in his speech, according to CNNs copy of the transcript:

In 2016, we lost 64,000 Americans to drug overdoses: 174 deaths per day. Seven per hour. We must get much tougher on drug dealers and pushers if we are going to succeed in stopping this scourge.

My administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need. The struggle will be long and difficult but, as Americans always do, we will prevail.

As we have seen tonight, the most difficult challenges bring out the best in America.

We see a vivid expression of this truth in the story of the Holets family of New Mexico. Ryan Holets is 27 years old and an officer with the Albuquerque Police Department. He is here tonight with his wife, Rebecca. Last year, Ryan was on duty when he saw a pregnant, homeless woman preparing to inject heroin. When Ryan told her she was going to harm her unborn child, she began to weep. She told him she did not know where to turn, but badly wanted a safe home for her baby.

In that moment, Ryan said he felt God speak to him: You will do it because you can. He took out a picture of his wife and their four kids. Then, he went home to tell his wife Rebecca. In an instant, she agreed to adopt. The Holets named their new daughter Hope.

Ryan and Rebecca: You embody the goodness of our nation. Thank you, and congratulations.

Trump has been notably outspoken about the opioid crisis, dating back to his campaign in 2015. In August, Trump declared an opioid crisis national emergency, according to NBC News.

"The opioid crisis is an emergency, and Im saying officially, right now, it is an emergency," Trump said at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. "Its a national emergency. Were going to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money on the opioid crisis."

The opioid crisis has been a major epidemic in the United States with nearly 35,000 people dying from heroin or opioid overdoses in 2015, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Sign up for our e-newsletters
New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
15a28f62e4e53fcceb32746533cbdfdf48abb7c7d42a28dbb1aeb1083721f23b
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
Latest Obituaries