For decades, Washington has treated the decline in smoking as a public health success story—and it is. Rates are down. Awareness is up. The cultural shift is undeniable. But the job isn’t finished. It’s just become less visible. A new white paper from Philip Morris International’s U.S. arm makes a point that policymakers have largely ignored: America didn’t end smoking. It concentrated it among the hardest-to-reach populations—working-class Americans, rural communities, and t

For years, Louisiana patients and independent pharmacies have warned that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are driving up prescription drug costs while quietly squeezing community providers out of the health care system. Last week, Congress took a meaningful step to address those concerns—and Louisiana leaders are positioned to build on that progress. President Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which includes major PBM reform provisions authored