Detroit, Oct 27 (AP/UNB) — Former President Barack Obama criticized President Donald Trump's tenure in office Friday in fiery speeches in Milwaukee and Detroit that took aim at him and other Republicans for "making stuff up."

The speeches were among Obama's sharpest and most direct takedowns of Trump's presidency, although the former president was careful to not mention Trump by name. He said the "character of our country is on the ballot" in the first midterm election since Trump took office.

Obama cited a recent Trump comment that he would pass a tax cut before the November election. Obama then told the crowds in high school gymnasiums that "Congress isn't even in session before the election! He just makes it up!"

At one point Obama said in Wisconsin: "Here's the thing. Everything I say you can look up."

Obama's visits were to urge people to vote for Michigan and Wisconsin's Democratic candidates. While Trump was frequently the target of his criticism, he did not spare Republicans generally and said they are lying when they say they want to protect people with pre-existing conditions while trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

"What we have not seen before in our public life is politicians just blatantly, repeatedly, baldly, shamelessly, lying. Just making stuff up," Obama said. "Calling up, down. Calling black, white. That's what your governor is doing with these ads, just making stuff up," he said, referring to Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his assertions that he wants to protect health care for those with pre-existing conditions. Walker is being challenged by Democrat Tony Evers.

In Michigan, Obama credited Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer for helping to expand Medicaid and said "few people fought against it harder" than her Republican opponent, state Attorney General Bill Schuette. He said voters can trust Sen. Debbie Stabenow to protect people with pre-existing conditions because "she was there" to help pass his health law. She is facing a challenge from Republican John James, whom Obama criticized for saying he backs Trump's agenda "2,000 percent."

Obama used the subject of Hillary Clinton's private email server to accuse Republicans of trying to "scare the heck out of people before every election" and also to mock Trump about the Chinese spying on his cellphone.

"In the last election, it was Hillary's emails. 'This is terrible' ... 'This is a national security crisis.' They didn't care about emails and you know how you know? Because if they did, they'd be up in arms right now that the Chinese are listening to the president's iPhone that he leaves in his golf cart."

Obama spoke about the slow-moving migrant caravan from Central American bound for the United States as another example of a Republican scare tactic.

"Now the latest, they're trying to convince everybody to be afraid of a bunch of impoverished, malnourished refugees a thousand miles away," he said. "That's the thing that is the most important thing in this election," he said. "Not health care, not whether or not folks are able to retire, doing something about higher wages, rebuilding our roads and bridges and putting people back to work."

"Suddenly," he continued, changing his voice to a high-pitch to strike a mocking tone, "it's these group of folks. We don't even know where they are. They're right down there."

Referring to Trump's promise to "drain the swamp," Obama said that instead "they have gone to Washington and just plundered away."

"In Washington they have racked up enough indictments to field a football team," he said. "Nobody in my administration got indicted."

Obama's visit to Milwaukee was the first time he was in the city for a political event since March 2016, when he came to celebrate enrollment numbers in the Affordable Care Act. He did not campaign for Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin, a state she narrowly lost that proved crucial to Trump becoming president.

Michigan is another battleground state in the Midwest that Democrats lost in 2016, despite Obama's visit the day before the election.

"I'm hopeful Michigan," he said. "I'm hopeful that despite all the noise, despite all the lies, we're going to come through all that. We're going to remember who we are, who we're called to be. I'm hopeful because out of this political darkness, I'm seeing a great awakening."

Washington, Oct 26 (AP/UNB) — Less than two weeks before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump has announced a plan to lower prices for some prescription drugs, saying it would stop unfair practices that force Americans to pay much more than people in other countries for the same medications.

"We are taking aim at the global freeloading that forces American consumers to subsidize lower prices in foreign countries through higher prices in our country," Trump said in a speech Thursday at the Department of Health and Human Services.

"Same company. Same box. Same pill. Made in the exact same location, and you would go to some countries and it would be 20 percent of the cost of what we pay," said Trump, who predicted the plan will save Americans billions. "We're fixing it."

But consumers take note:

— The plan would not apply to medicines people buy at the pharmacy, just ones administered in a doctor's office, as are many cancer medications and drugs for immune system problems. Physician-administered drugs can be very expensive, but pharmacy drugs account for the vast majority of what consumers buy.

— Don't expect immediate rollbacks. Officials said the complex proposal could take more than a year to put into effect.

In another twist, the plan is structured as an experiment through a Medicare innovation center empowered to seek savings by the Affordable Care Act. That's the law also known as "Obamacare," which Trump is committed to repealing.

Trump has long promised sweeping action to attack drug prices, both as president and when he was running for the White House. He made his latest announcement just ahead of the Nov. 6 elections, with health care high among voters' concerns.

Under the plan, Medicare payment for drugs administered in doctors' offices would gradually shift to a level based on international prices. Prices in other countries are lower because governments directly negotiate with manufacturers.

Drugmakers immediately pushed back, arguing the plan amounts to government price-setting.

"The administration is imposing foreign price controls from countries with socialized health care systems that deny their citizens access and discourage innovation," Stephen Ubl, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said in a statement. "These proposals are to the detriment of American patients."

Trump is linking the prices Americans complain about to one of his longstanding grievances: foreign countries the president says are taking advantage of U.S. research breakthroughs.

Drug pricing expert Peter Bach of Memorial Sloan Kettering's Center for Health Policy and Outcomes called the plan "a pretty substantive proposal" but one that faces "serious political challenges."

"The rhetoric about finally dealing with foreign freeloading suggests that we are going to take steps to get other countries to pay their fair share for innovation," Bach added. But that's "quite literally the opposite of what is being proposed. What is being proposed is that we freeload off of other countries' ability to negotiate more effectively."

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill were dismissive. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California said if Trump wants to save seniors money he should seek congressional approval for Medicare to negotiate prices for its main prescription drug program, "Part D."  Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said "it's hard to take the Trump administration and Republicans seriously about reducing health care costs for seniors two weeks before the election."

The health insurance industry, at odds with drugmakers over prices, commended the administration's action.

Matt Eyles, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, said: "Drug prices are out of control, and we commend the Administration for its continued commitment to reduce drug prices."

As an experiment, the proposal would apply to half the country. Officials said they're seeking input on how to select the areas that will take part in the new pricing system. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said politics would have nothing to do with it.

In advance of Trump's speech, HHS released a report that found U.S. prices for the top drugs administered in doctors' offices are nearly twice as high as in foreign countries. The list includes many cancer drugs. Medicare pays directly for them under its "Part B" coverage for outpatient care.

Physician-administered drugs cost Medicare $27 billion in 2016. HHS says the plan would save Medicare $17.2 billion over five years. Beneficiaries would save an estimated $3.4 billion through lower cost-sharing.

The plan could meet resistance not only from drugmakers but from doctors, now paid a percentage of the cost of the medications they administer. However, HHS officials said the plan is designed so it would not cut into doctors' reimbursements.

Azar said more plans are being developed on drug costs.

"This is not the end of the road, the end of the journey," he said. "There is more coming."

Trump has harshly criticized the pharmaceutical industry, once asserting that the companies were "getting away with murder." But it's largely been business as usual for drugmakers even as Trump has predicted "massive" voluntary price cuts.

A recent Associated Press analysis of prices for brand-name drugs found far more increases than cuts in the first seven months of this year. The analysis found 96 price hikes for every price cut. The number of increases slowed somewhat and they were not quite as steep as in past years, the AP found.

The Trump administration proposal is open for public comment for 60 days.

Washington, Oct 26 (AP/UNB) — Less than two weeks before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a plan to lower prices for some prescription drugs, saying it would stop unfair practices that force Americans to pay much more than people in other countries for the same medications.

"We are taking aim at the global freeloading that forces American consumers to subsidize lower prices in foreign countries through higher prices in our country," Trump said in a speech at the Department of Health and Human Services.

"Same company. Same box. Same pill. Made in the exact same location, and you would go to some countries and it would be 20 percent of the cost of what we pay," said Trump, who predicted the plan will save Americans billions. "We're fixing it."

But consumers take note:

— The plan would not apply to medicines people buy at the pharmacy, just ones administered in a doctor's office, as are many cancer medications and drugs for immune system problems. Physician-administered drugs can be very expensive, but pharmacy drugs account for the vast majority of what consumers buy.

— Don't expect immediate rollbacks. Officials said the complex proposal could take more than a year to put into effect.

In another twist, the plan is structured as an experiment through a Medicare innovation center empowered to seek savings by the Affordable Care Act. That's the law also known as "Obamacare," which Trump is committed to repealing.

Trump has long promised sweeping action to attack drug prices, both as president and when he was running for the White House. He made his latest announcement just ahead of the Nov. 6 elections, with health care high among voters' concerns.

Under the plan, Medicare payment for drugs administered in doctors' offices would gradually shift to a level based on international prices. Prices in other countries are lower because governments directly negotiate with manufacturers.

Drugmakers immediately pushed back, arguing the plan amounts to government price-setting.

"The administration is imposing foreign price controls from countries with socialized health care systems that deny their citizens access and discourage innovation," Stephen Ubl, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said in a statement. "These proposals are to the detriment of American patients."

Trump is linking the prices Americans complain about to one of his longstanding grievances: foreign countries the president says are taking advantage of U.S. research breakthroughs.

Drug pricing expert Peter Bach of Memorial Sloan Kettering's Center for Health Policy and Outcomes called the plan "a pretty substantive proposal" but one that faces "serious political challenges."

"The rhetoric about finally dealing with foreign freeloading suggests that we are going to take steps to get other countries to pay their fair share for innovation," Bach added. But that's "quite literally the opposite of what is being proposed. What is being proposed is that we freeload off of other countries' ability to negotiate more effectively."

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill were dismissive. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California said if Trump wants to save seniors money he should seek congressional approval for Medicare to negotiate prices for its main prescription drug program, "Part D."  Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said "it's hard to take the Trump administration and Republicans seriously about reducing health care costs for seniors two weeks before the election."

The health insurance industry, at odds with drugmakers over prices, was pleased with the administration's action.

Matt Eyles, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, said: "Drug prices are out of control, and we commend the Administration for its continued commitment to reduce drug prices."

As an experiment, the proposal would apply to half the country. Officials said they're seeking input on how to select the areas that will take part in the new pricing system. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said politics would have nothing to do with it.

In advance of Trump's speech, HHS released a report that found U.S. prices for the top drugs administered in doctors' offices are nearly twice as high as in foreign countries. The list includes many cancer drugs. Medicare pays directly for them under its "Part B" coverage for outpatient care.

Physician-administered drugs cost Medicare $27 billion in 2016. HHS says the plan would save Medicare $17.2 billion over five years. Beneficiaries would save an estimated $3.4 billion through lower cost-sharing.

The plan could meet resistance not only from drugmakers but from doctors, now paid a percentage of the cost of the medications they administer. However, HHS officials said the plan is designed so it would not cut into doctors' reimbursements.

Azar said more plans are being developed on drug costs.

"This is not the end of the road, the end of the journey," he said. "There is more coming."

Trump has harshly criticized the pharmaceutical industry, once asserting that the companies were "getting away with murder." But it's largely been business as usual for drugmakers even as Trump has predicted "massive" voluntary price cuts.

A recent Associated Press analysis of prices for brand-name drugs found far more increases than cuts in the first seven months of this year. The analysis found 96 price hikes for every price cut. The number of increases slowed somewhat and they were not quite as steep as in past years, the AP found.

The Trump administration proposal is open for public comment for 60 days.

Moscow, Oct 25 (AP/UNB) — President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia plans to commission new military weapons that would be unrivaled throughout the world.

Putin's statement follows U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he intends to opt out of a 1987 nuclear arms control pact due to alleged Russian violations.

Putin has denied any breaches and accused Washington of violating the pact.

"Russia doesn't threaten anyone, and has strictly adhered to its obligations in the sphere of international security and arms control," he reiterated while speaking at a meeting with top military officers and law enforcement officials.

At the same time, Putin said Russian arsenals would be modernized to ensure protection from potential threats. The new Russian weapons "significantly excel foreign designs and are simply unrivaled," he said.

His comments came as NATO's biggest military maneuvers since the Cold War kicked off Thursday in Norway with about 55,000 military personnel.

Washington, Oct 25 (AP/UNB) — President Donald Trump condemned the series of attempted attacks on high-profile Democrats and CNN on Wednesday, declaring that "acts or threats of political violence have no place in the United States."

Attempting a bipartisan pause during a divisive campaign season, Trump called for unity after crude pipe bombs targeting Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, CNN and others were intercepted Tuesday and Wednesday. Trump called the suspicious packages "despicable" and said a "major federal investigation" was underway, but did not specifically mention the media.

Coming just 13 days before the midterm elections, the attempted attacks underscored the deeply divided moment in American politics. The packages were directed at prominent Democrats and a cable network that have been singled out and criticized by Trump. At his rallies and on Twitter, Trump has frequently lambasted Clinton, Obama, CNN and others, often with menacing undertones.

At a rally in Montana last week, for instance, Trump praised Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte, who pleaded guilty to assaulting a reporter, saying that "any guy that can do a body slam ... he's my guy." And he has repeatedly singled out CNN as he rails against the "fake news" media, egging on his crowds as they jeer reporters covering his rallies and smiling as they chant "CNN sucks!"

In his remarks at the White House on Wednesday, Trump described "suspicious packages and devices mailed to current and former high-ranking government officials," and urged the nation to come together and send "one very clear, strong, unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America."

"We're extremely angry, upset, unhappy about what we witnessed this morning, and we will get to the bottom of it," said Trump, who has sometimes struggled to show empathy at moments of national sorrow.

But Trump made no specific reference to the press, and criticism came quickly that the White House was failing to address the role that the president's incendiary rhetoric has had in stoking tensions. CNN President Jeff Zucker especially pointed in his critique.

"There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media," he said in a statement. "The President, and especially the White House Press Secretary, should understand their words matter."

In her initial statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders condemned "the attempted violent attacks recently made against President Obama, President Clinton, Secretary Clinton, and other public figures," saying, "These terrorizing acts are despicable" and calling the perpetrators "cowards." That statement was sent to reporters before news surfaced of the CNN package, but it was tweeted after the news had broken.

Sanders later tweeted that the condemnation "certainly includes threats made to CNN as well as current or former public servants." Trump's campaign also apologized for an email it sent criticizing CNN less than two hours after that network's New York headquarters was evacuated. Campaign chairman Brad Parscale said that it was an automated message and that the campaign does not condone violence against anyone who works for the network.

At his campaign rallies and in the White House, Trump has at times casually endorsed violence. At an Iowa rally in 2016, he encouraged supporters to "knock the crap" out of protesters in the crowd. More recently, he told law enforcement officers not to be "too nice" when detaining suspects. Last year, he tweeted a video that showed him tackling and punching a person whose head had been digitally replaced with the CNN logo.

But recently Trump has sought to flip the script on Democrats, citing their aggressive opposition to Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination as evidence that the party is a dangerous "mob."

Trump has also singled out, by name, all of those known to have received packages, calling Rep. Maxine Waters a "low-IQ individual" and labeling ex-CIA Director John Brennan, whose security clearance he stripped, a liar and a disgrace. The bomb sent to CNN was addressed to Brennan, who also appears on air on other broadcast and cable outlets.

Trump, who made pointed, personal attacks on Hillary Clinton a centerpiece of his 2016 bid — dubbing her "Crooked Hillary" and saying she belongs in prison — has continued to mock her in nearly every rally speech.

In tweets and interviews, he also has singled out billionaire George Soros, accusing him, without evidence, of paying the protesters who turned out to oppose Kavanaugh's nomination.

And he has recently lashed out at former Attorney General Eric Holder, zeroing in on Holder's statement that when those on the opposite side of the aisle "go low," Democrats should "kick 'em."

"He better be careful what he's wishing for, that I can tell you. He better be careful for what he's wishing for," Trump said in a recent interview on "Fox & Friends."

The president's allies pushed back on the suggestion that he contributes to a toxic political atmosphere.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said: "I don't see anything really wrong with the president. He's in a tough position, attacked on all sides, and he ought to be able to express himself."

Republicans also condemned the suspicious devices.

House Speaker Paul Ryan denounced the "reprehensible acts" as an "attempt to terrorize public figures." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it "domestic terrorism."

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who is facing a fierce challenge from Democrat Beto O'Rourke, tweeted that "violence is never OK" and said the reports were "deeply, deeply disturbing. America is better than this."

Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who was severely wounded in a 2017 shooting that targeted Republican members of Congress on a suburban baseball field, wrote on Twitter that he had experienced "first-hand the effects of political violence" and said that as a nation "we must agree that this is a dangerous path and it cannot become the new normal."