longlasting

On a plaque, unknown artists said it was displayed ‘in honour of friendship month’ for the two men.

A mysterious bronze statue called “Best Friends Forever” has popped up on the east end of the National Mall in Washington, DC, showing United States President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, as his past connection to the deceased sex offender continues to rumble on in public discourse.

On Tuesday, the satiric pop-up statue, which shows the two men holding hands with one leg in the air, was captioned, “In honour of friendship month”.

“We celebrate the long-lasting bond between President Donald J. Trump and his ‘closest friend’, Jeffrey Epstein,” a plaque on the installation read.

While there was no immediate claim to the statue, the artwork follows a series of installations that have been critical of Trump in Washington, displayed by an anonymous group.

In June, another anti-Trump statue popped up on the National Mall, this time titled “Dictator Approved”, and showcased an eight-foot-tall sculpture with a gold thumbs up crushing the head of the Statue of Liberty.

But in response to the statue, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told The Washington Post that “Liberals are free to waste their money however they see fit”.

“But it’s not news that Epstein knew Donald Trump, because Donald Trump kicked Epstein out of his club for being a creep,” Jackson wrote in an email.

Trump’s connection to Epstein, a former sex offender who died in jail in 2019, has caused a furore among his MAGA base since Trump returned to office in January, infuriating him, with more pressure on case files related to Epstein to be released.

Earlier in September, a US congressional panel released a copy of an alleged “birthday book” that was given to Epstein to celebrate his then-50th birthday.

Within the 238-page book containing messages and photos with friends of the former financier, there was a letter with a signature similar to Trump’s.

Trump has denied that he penned a lascivious birthday message to Epstein amid the sustained scrutiny of his links to the convicted sex offender. Trump is also suing The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times for their allegations and coverage of his involvement with Epstein.

Vice President JD Vance slammed accusations of Trump’s involvement in the letter and accused Democrats of “concocting another fake scandal” to “smear President Trump with lies”.

June 18 (UPI) — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug that could prevent HIV infections with just two shots every year and possibly eradicate the disease.

The drug’s scientific name is lenacapavir and it will be marketed as Yeztugo, which requires one injection every six months to maintain its effectiveness in preventing HIV infections.

Other drugs exist that also prevent HIV, but they require daily dosages in pill form and have not significantly affected the disease on a global level.

“We’re on the precipice of now being able to deliver the greatest prevention option we’ve had in 44 years of this epidemic,” AVAC executive director Mitchell Warren told the New York Times. AVAC is an anti-HIV organization.

He said recent funding cuts by the Trump administration will make it hard to distribute the drug globally.

“It’s as if that opportunity is being snatched from out of our hands by the policies of the last five months,” Warren said.

Gilead Sciences is producing the drug, which is the second long-lasting HIV prevention drug available.

The other option is cabotegravir, which is sold under the brand name Apretude and requires an injection every two months.

About 21,000 Americans use Apretude, while about 500,000 use daily oral medications to prevent HIV.

Clinical trials showed most participants who received two shots of lenacapavir every year had nearly full protection against HIV.

More than 39,000 people in the United States contracted HIV in 2023, which carries an estimated lifetime treatment cost of $1.1 million per patient, Gilead Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel O’Day told the New York Times.

Lenacapavir already is being prescribed to treat people with HIV infections that resist other medications and at an annual cost of $42,000 per patient, but most patients don’t pay the full cost.

Health insurance coverage and patient-assistance programs would cover the cost for most people using lenacapavir, according to Gilead.

The cost for oral pills taken daily is just $1 per pill, while Apretude carries an annual cost of about $24,000.

Proposed funding reductions for Medicaid and the President’s Emergency Program for AIDs Relief, commonly called PEPFAR, might greatly reduce access to the drug, according to advocacy groups.

The PrEP oral treatment still would be available, but it does not work for many people, Health Gap Executive Director Asia Russell told the New York Times.