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Some Republicans defied Mike Johnson on Obamacare subsidies. How will he respond?
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson’s usual calm expression hardened last week after learning that a handful of Republicans had joined a Democratic effort to force a vote on extending
12 Days of Mercenary Day
Celebrate the season with a series of festive Borderlands 4 freebies on our social channels!
Fairview says it’s owed $100M by UCare as court orders consumer protections for patients
A Ramsey County judge backed a state petition for ‘rehabilitation’ at the health insurer, which ultimately will be liquidated.
Industry Stakeholders, Experts React to Trump’s Schedule III Cannabis Order
Business executives, advocates, attorneys, politicians, and ancillary service providers overwhelmingly applaud the order as a first step, not an end destination.
The Best Co-Op Games Of 2025 According To Metacritic
Between Borderlands 4, Battlefield 6, and Split Fiction, the co-op game genre was firing on all cylinders in 2025.
California orders Tahoe Truckee schools to leave Nevada sports over transgender athlete dispute
The California Department of Education is requiring the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District to follow state law in another clash over transgender athletes in youth sports in the state.
Tahoe-area schools ordered by California to exit Nevada sports over transgender athlete dispute
Full Episode: Recapping the 2025 Year in NYS Politics
On This Week's Edition -- It's been quite the eventful year in New York politics - from a competitive mayoral race in New York City to controversial policy items and a late state budget debated at the state Capitol. We'll dive into the headlines that drove the year with POLITICO'S Katelyn Cordero, Bloomberg's Raga Justin and Jimmy Vielkind, of WNYC, Gothamist and the New York Public News Network.
Rotary Lights expanded entertainment schedule may become permanent
For the first time, Rotary Lights is offering live entertainment throughout the weekend inside their Ice Castle.
Report claims Naughty Dog recently ordered employees take on "mandatory" overtime
A new report claims Naughty Dog recently ordered employees to take on "mandatory" overtime as it worked to get the Inte…
Trump signs order to ease restrictions on cannabis
Trump's order moves cannabis to Schedule III, potentially saving Maryland businesses millions in taxes and improving access to capital.
Trump signs order to expand access to marijuana, lower taxes on cannabis businesses
President Donald Trump signed an executive order that puts in motion the reclassification of marijuana as a Schedule III drug.
Governor Ivey Signs Executive Order Establishing Alabama Rural Health Transformation Advisory Group -
MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday signed Executive Order No. 741 to establish the Alabama Rural Health Transformation Advisory Group. The Advisory Group will advise the governor on the progress, policy development and implementation of Alabama’s Rural Health Transformation … Continued
Naughty Dog Studio Orders Employee Overtime for ‘Intergalactic’
The Sony-owned gamemakers have been racing to hit a December deadline
Trump signs order expediting marijuana reclassification after lobbying from cannabis industry
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to expedite the reclassification of marijuana – an effort to increase research on its medical use but not fully legalize it.
A Small Business Owner Noticed 'A Competitor 100x Bigger' Bought Their 'New Innovative Product.' Now They're Worried It's About To Be Copied
A small business owner selling on Amazon recently shared a dilemma that hit a nerve with the r/smallbusiness Reddit community: A massive competitor just bought their “new innovative product,” and now they fear it’s about to be copied. Fear Of Being Crushed By A Giant “A competitor 100x bigger than me just ordered my new product,” the seller wrote. “The name on the shipping label was ‘business name’ LLC and the business name is a billion dollar company… and the name of the person is someone whose
Trump marijuana order would ease taxes but leave big gaps
President Donald Trump is signaling he plans to sign an executive order to classify marijuana as a less-dangerous drug that can be prescribed by physicians.
In Memoriam 2025: Media & Entertainment
In the Media & Entertainment section of our In Memoriam issue, we remember Jerry Strobel, Dolores Seigenthaler and more.
In Memoriam 2025: Business
In the Business section of our In Memoriam issue, we commemorate Kathleen Cotter, ‘Santa’ Irwin, Jim Ayers and many others.
In Memoriam 2025: Politics
In the Politics section of our In Memoriam issue, we commemorate John Carney Jr., state Sen. Frank Niceley, Judge Randall Wyatt and more.
Owner of CT roofing business sentenced to 15 months in prison for tax evasion
He also was ordered to pay more than $1.1 million to the IRS and $578,259 to the Connecticut Medicaid program, officials said.
Charlie’s Beat: Bringing poetry to the people
You know how there can be something going on right under your nose but you are unaware for some reason? And then you discover it and it’s just the coolest
What it costs to live in America’s iconic holiday movie towns
Redfin Real Estate reports on the affordability of iconic holiday movie towns, revealing high prices in places like Winnetka, Illinois, and NYC, while others are more accessible.
Holiday stage shows in New Orleans: Mannheim Steamroller, 'Nutcrackers' and more
Discover a sleigh-full of festive shows and performances keeping the holiday spirit alive in New Orleans.
Help! American Airlines downgraded me and then refused a refund
I booked a business class seat for my American Airlines flight from St. Thomas to Charlotte, but 45 minutes before boarding, a gate agent told me my seat was broken
Venezuela condemns ‘warmongering threats’ as Trump orders oil blockade
Trump has ordered a ‘total and complete’ blockade of sanctioned oil tankers to and from the country
Thermal Energy Receives $1.5 Million in Repeat Business from Multinational Building Materials Company
Turnkey heat recovery project for four two-stage HeatSponge boiler economizers to be installed at second customer siteOttawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 17, 2025) - Thermal Energy International Inc. (TSXV: TMG) (OTCQB: TMGEF) ("Thermal Energy" or the "Company"), a provider of innovative energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction solutions to major corporations around the world, today announced an order valued at approximately $1.5 million from a leading multinational building...
Movies and TV shows casting across the US
Backstage compiled a list of movies and TV shows casting across the US.
Tennessee crushes Louisville 83-62
Tennessee delivered just what the doctor ordered to end their losing streak, dismantling the #11 Louisville Cardinals 83-62 inside the Food City Center. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led all scorers with 23 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds, going a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. Nate Ament had 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Jaylen […]
Danville aldermen approve restaurant, entertainment center agreements
The approved redevelopment agreements are with Solutions Group Real Estate for the former Red Lobster property at 3217 N. Vermilion St. and 311 W. Fairchild Danville LLC for a family
Trump orders ‘total and complete blockade’ of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was ordering a “total and complete blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving from Venezuela, ratcheting up pressure against leader Nicolás Maduro’s regime and suggesting an economic motive to the US’ military campaign in the region.
Trump expected to sign executive order reclassifying marijuana, easing restrictions on the drug
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Thursday that would reschedule marijuana to a lower drug classification — a move that would ease federal restrictions, though it would not mean full legalization, according to a source familiar with the planning and a senior White House official.
How AI Sees Science Differently Than We Do
About this episode: What if the great discoveries of science came in the “wrong” order? The Laws of Thermodynamics were discovered well after the creation of algebra, classical physics, and chemistry, but are perhaps much more important to our basic understanding of the universe. Chris Edwards argues that AI will
Attorney General Jeff Jackson Announces Health Care Fraud Sentencing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, December 16, 2025 Contact: nahmed@ncdoj.gov 919-538-2809 RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced that Giselle Alexandria Farrell was sentenced to 24 months of supervised probation and ordered to pay $12,916.56 in restitution after pleading guilty to Medicaid provider fraud. “North Carolinians rely on Medicaid for essential health care,” said Attorney General Jeff […]
Minister orders probe into foreign financial interference in UK politics
Communities Secretary Steve Reed says the country "must learn the lessons" from a recent court case.
Entertainment lineup released for county fair
After holding just the youth exhibitor event last year, the Washington County Fair has released the entertainment lineup with multiple award-winning American country music artists for its 153rd edition.
Digging up Shreveport’s past, one small find at a time in privy pits and beyond
History isn’t just taught — it’s unearthed. Meet the curator who finds Shreveport’s past in drawers, dirt and old outhouse pits.
Pentagon "escalating" its review of Sen. Mark Kelly over video urging defiance of illegal orders
The Pentagon says it is "escalating" a probe into Sen. Mark Kelly, one of six Democratic lawmakers who urged service members to "refuse illegal orders."
Task force says SF should cull commission system
Voter-approved body recommends significant reforms.
Mental health professional discusses differences between holiday blues, seasonal affective disorder
Preorder the Upcoming Book, Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology
Preorder the upcoming book, Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology, and get ready to learn about Pokémon in a whole new way.
All 1,600 Kentucky battery plant employees laid off as Ford pivots away from EV business
All 1,600 employees of the brand new electric vehicle battery plant in Kentucky will be laid off before Ford converts it to manufacture batteries for data centers and other utilities.
Who was the best boys athlete on the Northshore for the week of Dec. 7-13? Vote Now!
Help choose the best boys athlete in St. Tammany Parish for the week of Dec. 7-13. You have until Wednesday at noon to vote!
Local business surprised with order for ornaments that ended up on the White House Christmas Tree
A small 3D printing shop in Miami unknowingly helped to decorate the White House for this year’s holiday season.
Indie singers, 2 rock bands announced as latest Musikfest 2026 headliners
Indie band AJR will be coming to the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza on August 9, 2026.
Susan B. Anderson turned a passion for knitting into a family business
Anderson and her son, Evan Anderson, run Barrett Wool Co., a small business that sells knitting patterns, kits and wool yarn.
Errol Laborde: Remembering the frog found at a Christmas Eve church service
“O Holy Night,” the choir sang while a frog at floor level weaved his way through what must have appeared to be a stampede, hoping and hopping for survival.
Trumpism’s racial turn: From civilisation to whiteness
In its second phase, Trumpism has evolved into a racialised political project — a 21st century reinterpretation of Aryanism — redefining American identity not through ideological conflict, as in the Cold War, but through a rigid racial ordering, argues academic Ma Haiyun.
Rob Reiner's life in photos
Rob Reiner, one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation who directed movies such as “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally …” and “This Is Spinal Tap,” died Sunday
The impact of the EU's CBAM on business and the carbon-pricing landscape
With the EU's CBAM about to come into full effect, other jurisdictions around the world are exploring introducing border carbon adjustments of their own.
Kast wins Chile's presidency, deepening regional shift to law-and-order politics
Jose Antonio Kast won Chile's presidential election on Sunday, leveraging voter fears over rising crime and migration to steer the country in its sharpest rightward shift since the end of the military dictatorship in 1990.
Refugee and migrant health system review in Lithuania
Lithuania has experienced a substantial increase in the number of refugees and migrants, particularly following the 2021 Belarus border situation and the mass displacement from Ukraine in 2022. By late 2024, over 91,000 Ukrainians had been cumulatively registered in Lithuania, with about 47,000 holding valid temporary protection status. This increase, alongside sizeable communities of Belarusian nationals, Russian citizens and other regular migrants covered under compulsory health insurance contributions, has brought new challenges for Lithuania’s health system, especially related to continuity of care, interpretation support and equitable access across municipalities. This report presents the findings of a joint review of the health system in Lithuania, conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Lithuania, and other partners. The review examines the capacity of Lithuania’s health system to provide services for refugees and migrants. It focuses on the health challenges facing refugees and migrants, the policies and systems in place to address these challenges, and the opportunities to strengthen long-term health system capacity. Furthermore, the report offers practical recommendations for addressing the barriers refugees and migrants face in accessing health services.
Chile elects Kast as president, deepening regional shift to law-and-order politics
Jose Antonio Kast won Chile’s presidential election on Sunday, leveraging voter fears over rising crime and migration to take the country to its sharpest rightward shift since the end of dictatorship in 1990.
SNOW FOX | Business, childcare and church closings/delays for Monday, Dec. 15, 2025
This list will be updated frequently.
Franklin County's 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment prioritizes food security
The 2025 Baystate Franklin Medical Center Community Health Needs Assessment identified food security, maternal and infant health, behavioral health and substance use disorders as priority health concerns in Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, with the assessment highlighting the need for increased attention to and resources for food insecurity, mental health and substance use prevention.
Business Ins and Outs: Sushi place, Round the Clock, Honey Jam, Jimmy John's, Dunkin' and Tsunami Express opening
Business Ins and Outs: Sushi place, Round the Clock, Honey Jam, Jimmy John's, Dunkin' and Tsunami Express opening
Celebrity News | Ella McCay Release + Dick Van Dyke’s Centennial: Revisiting Three Entertainment Giants
James L. Brooks, Dick Van Dyke & Carl Reiner: Three Great Talents
The geography of grief, mapped from Louisiana all the way across Texas: Jan Risher
A long drive across Texas isn’t just about the scenery. It’s about the horizons, the small surprises, and the unexpected ways grief finds its space.
One Louisiana parish is 5th in the nation for stroke prevalence in adults. See data.
See where each parish measures up.
McGlinchey leaves father's namesake firm; new hires at Jones Walker, Mary Bird Perkins
Take a look at some of the recent promotions and new hires announced at south Louisiana businesses.
Tri-state people in business: New hires, promotions, recognitions
Ryan Hermsen joined Medical Associates Clinic of Dubuque’s physical therapy department as a physical therapist.
1897 hanging provides window into New Mexico's violent territorial politics
The 1892 murder of a prominent Santa Fe County political leader and ex-sheriff sent shockwaves across New Mexico Territory.
The Edna Karr-St. Augustine state-title winner posts familiar result in Dome away from home
For Edna Karr, this was a business trip. A ride across the Crescent City Connection and into the place that felt like home.
Affable comedy acting legend Dick Van Dyke turns 100 years old
Comedy icon Dick Van Dyke is celebrating his 100th birthday. Van Dyke hit the century mark on Saturday, some six decades after he sang and danced with Julie Andrews in
Business notes: Tommy’s Dutch Lunch reopens following renovations
The restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday at 1203 W. Pine St.
Washburn musician rocks StageNorth stage
Washburn native Yazmin Bowers performed at StageNorth Dec. 6 with her band Beat Zero, joined by the Havana Quartet and fellow Blue Canvas Orchestra member Scott Kirby.
Arts and entertainment calendar
Events coming up in the Greenville area offer music, arts, theater and family fun. Here is a sampling. In this events listing, “today” refers to Dec. 13.
St. Charles wins state title over Shaw with winning field goal after unsportsmanlike penalty
There were just 5 seconds remaining.
Jacobs Entertainment to file for demolition of Bonanza Inn in downtown Reno
Jacobs Entertainment has confirmed it will file a permit for the demolition of the old Bonanza Inn along Fourth Street in downtown Reno.
New Business: Bound Together bookstore opens in Nashua; CodeX speakeasy reopens
THE NAME of the new used bookstore in Nashua perfectly captures owner Michelle Audet’s goal of creating a space for people of all ages.
BIA Business Perspective: Connecting political and business leaders creates solutions
At the BIA’s 11th annual Leadership Summit this week a consistent theme arose: access to talent and available workforce is critical for New Hampshire’s economic future.
Saturday Pre-orders: Era of Ruin special edition guaranteed stock
This week’s new releases are live.
Trump order blocking state AI laws could slow health AI adoption, leave patients vulnerable
Trump's order to block state AI laws could help the tech industry but hurt health systems looking to adopt AI safely, and leave patients vulnerable.
Trump gives Elon Musk a win over a longtime foe
President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered a review of two major proxy advisory firms — companies that advise shareholders on votes — that had previously drawn the ire of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and others in Corporate America.
Popular Downtown Springfield business set to close after 8 years
A popular Springfield business has announced it will close its doors after eight years.
What ex-Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said in court at arraignment
Fired University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was ordered to continue mental health treatment as a condition of his bond on Dec. 12.
1 in custody, 1 injured following shooting at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Collier County
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office is responding to a shooting that occurred at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples.
SNOW FOX | Business, childcare and church closings/delays for Friday, Dec. 12, 2025
This list will be updated frequently.
The Witness and Braid Creator Jonathan Blow Announces New 250-Hour Puzzle Game, Order of the Sinking Star | The Game Awards 2025
Order of the Sinking Star is an upcoming puzzle game that features 1,000 puzzles that can take up to 500 hours to complete, and we saw it in a live demo.
Jonathan Blow has spent the past decade designing 1,400 puzzles for you
Preview: Order of the Sinking Star started small but became a “combinatoric explosion.”…
Riverside outlasts Ascension Catholic and secures second LHSAA state title
Riverside took possession for the final time knowing that it needed only to kneel out the remaining minute and 15 seconds before it could secure a football state championship.
Surprise! Capcom Is Bringing Pragmata To Switch 2, Demo Out Soon
Pre-orders are also live
Trump seeks to cut restrictions on marijuana through planned order
The president is expected to attempt to classify marijuana similar to some common prescription painkillers and other drugs.
Anderson Hay CEO says company isn’t closing after Ellensburg business files for bankruptcy
Anderson Hay Enterprise, Inc. of Ellensburg has filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Washington.
House votes to nullify Trump order and restore bargaining rights for federal workers
The House voted to repeal President Donald Trump’s executive order from earlier this year that aimed to remove collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees
Truth Beer Company to close as owners announce plans to sell business
The owners of Truth Beer Company have announced plans to close their taproom and brewery near the Lancaster Amtrak station ahead of a planned sale of the business.
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Acupuncturist Cailey Halloran talks about her duties and responsibilities in the oncology department at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center, Thursday, December 11, 2025, in Baton Rouge, La.
Big Play Entertainment opens Dunwoody center in time for holiday break
Brandon and Ray Wooldridge, the father and son who own Big Play Entertainment Atlanta, picked a spot in Dunwoody after a tornado demolished the family’s business outside of Nashville.
Navy delivers report to Hegseth on potential punishment for Sen. Mark Kelly over ‘illegal orders’ video
The US Navy has submitted its recommendations on potential punishments for Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over his participation in a video that reminded US troops they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, a Pentagon official told CNN on Thursday.
2025 College Football Playoff Coach Rankings: Kirby Smart, Ryan Day lead the pack
Stacking up all of the coaches in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff against each other
Burton entrepreneur delivers salt to area businesses
Christina Berry started a new winter business delivering buckets of sidewalk salt to businesses in the Burton area.
It’s not just Americans who are feeling US tariffs. Five charts show their global impact
There are signs steeper US tariffs, introduced by US President Donald Trump, are feeding through to higher prices for Americans. But they are also inflicting pain beyond US borders. We look at examples from around the world.
The New WHO Pandemic Treaty and Global Health Governance: Incorporating Common but Differentiated Responsibilities into PABS - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
On May 20, 2025, the World Health Assembly unanimously adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) Pandemic Agreement, an international treaty designed to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. The product of three years of arduous negotiations, the treaty marks a new era of global cooperation in public health. However, core aspects of the agreement remain unresolved—notably the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) System, which is intended to ensure equitable access to pandemic-related materials and benefits. To support the successful implementation of the WHO Pandemic Agreement, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Introduction For the first time, an international treaty has enshrined the principle of “One Health,” the compelling idea that the health of animals, humans, and the environment all contribute to pandemic risks. SARS (2003), H1N1 (2009–10), Ebola (2014–16), and COVID-19 all emerged through zoonotic spillover from animal hosts—respectively, civets, hogs, and bats. Together, they underscore the need for a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach. The Pandemic Agreement responds to this call, requiring state parties to acknowledge the ecological interplay and commit to a comprehensive “One Health” strategy. Specifically, Article 5 charges governments to address “the drivers of pandemics and the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease at the human-animal-environment interface,” including wild animal markets, deforestation, and antibiotic overuse. Yet the effectiveness of this “One Health” vision depends equally on the free flow of scientific information and data among countries and institutions. Just as environmental and animal health factors have been neglected in past global frameworks, so too has data sharing been marginalized, despite its centrality to timely detection and response. The Pandemic Agreement takes an important step by requiring governments to enhance data collection and cooperate with the World Health Organization (WHO). However, these provisions will remain aspirational without a robust Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) annex. The PABS system will determine whether countries and researchers can rapidly exchange pathogen samples and genetic data while ensuring equitable access to resulting research and development, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Without such mechanisms, the treaty’s promise to operationalize “One Health” and strengthen global preparedness will risk becoming largely symbolic, echoing earlier failures to translate shared principles into coordinated action. Equity Concerns When the 2025 Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement, it left the difficult question of access to pathogens and the sharing of resulting benefits to be addressed in a separate agreement. Negotiations on this separate agreement, PABS, are now underway in Geneva. Yet governments remain divided over fundamental questions of equity between the countries that primarily contribute to the system and those that primarily draw from it—and consequently benefit. For example, wildlife in countries bordering the equator is likely to produce PABS materials, but companies in Europe are likely to use them to develop lucrative products. The most likely contributor countries are likely to be those biodiverse countries around the equator, such as Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia, where the number of human-mammalian viral host interactions is large. Conversely, countries most likely to benefit from this material are those with the technology, investors, and infrastructure to capitalize on genomic data, such as the United States, EU member states, and Japan. This imbalance reflects a broader pattern seen in prior international frameworks. Now, as in the past, the wealthiest countries in the world (a useful heuristic is membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)) disproportionately benefit from systems in which pathogens and genomic sequencing data are contributed to a common source. Under the International Agreement on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the “Plant Treaty” or “Seed Treaty”) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework, companies from Europe and North America disproportionately withdraw biological samples and data for development into lucrative medical products. Their governments and companies have both statutory and contractual claims to the products that those companies correspondingly produce. PABS appears poised to follow the same pattern. The text calls for strong language on access to pathogens and associated data, but the corresponding benefits that should flow to poorer countries are couched in equivocal or non-binding language. Common but Differentiated Responsibilities To address these inequities, the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” should be formally incorporated into the negotiating agenda of the PABS annex. Common but differentiated responsibilities are often a feature of climate change negotiations. The basic principle is that, even though all countries should reduce carbon emissions, governments that became rich and powerful through massive carbon emissions (e.g., France, the United Kingdom, the United States) should have a greater obligation to address the resulting crises. Applied to PABS, it would require that governments hosting and supporting companies developing lucrative products carry greater obligations toward the cost of running the PABS system; share benefits or final medical products; and transfer technology to help countries worldwide develop their own capacities to innovate and manufacture vaccines during an emergency. For example, an annex could mandate that any company based in an OECD country that withdraws PABS material would be obligated to donate the resulting diagnostics, therapeutics, or vaccines to the WHO during a public health emergency or pandemic. Questions remain about how robust those donations would be, but the principle is that they should deliver highly significant lifesaving benefits to be equitably shared. Theoretically, this approach mirrors the PIP Framework, in which companies withdrawing influenza samples are required to pay half of the operating costs. In practice, however, the framework has fallen short. The PIP Framework Secretariat has struggled to secure payments from companies, with companies often disagreeing over how much is owed. Additionally, without another pandemic influenza to test the strength of the agreement during a public health emergency, corporate compliance with sharing mechanisms remains unknown. Even if these limitations did not characterize the PIP Framework, partially paying for operating expenses does not address the inequity in access to genetic data and pathogen samples that left less developed countries last in line for COVID-19 vaccines (and, before them, H1N1). Common but differentiated responsibilities would go further, addressing governments’ legitimate grievances regarding information sharing. It would make withdrawals of PABS material and resulting products more transparent, building trust across the board. Enforcement and Enduring Success A key implication of this approach is that the governing mechanism of the PABS must have real enforcement authority. The WHO Pandemic Agreement delegates its core governance responsibilities to a Conference of the Parties (COP)—a governing body composed of one representative from each participating government, similar to those established under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The proposed WHO Pandemic Agreement COP is charged with oversight functions but ultimately possesses no real authority to compel a government to take any action it does not wish to take. The text does not give the COP the ability to, for example, sanction a party that does not comply with either textual obligations or PABS provisions. In other words, there are no effective mechanisms in place to ensure compliance. Perhaps just as significant, establishing a meaningful enforcement mechanism within the PABS system would strengthen the WHO’s credibility and its ability to ensure compliance across global health governance. By setting a precedent for accountability, such a mechanism could enhance the organization’s authority not only within the Pandemic Agreement but also in enforcing the revised International Health Regulations and other frameworks for public health emergencies. Conclusion The PABS annex can—and should—be different. It should establish clear responsibilities for funding as well as for sharing the diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines that result from contributions to the system. The system, in turn, must include a dedicated body empowered to hold governments and the corporations they sponsor accountable for their responsibilities before, during, and after pandemics. Doing so would restore trust in the broader agreement, which was eroded as commitments were repeatedly diluted while parties scrambled to meet their own self-imposed deadlines during the Pandemic Agreement negotiations. A robust PABS Annex would cement a grand social bargain. Wealthier countries and their corporations would gain unimpeded access to scientific information essential for developing and manufacturing lifesaving medical products. As such, they would stand to gain considerable economic benefit. Yet that privilege must be matched with responsibility. The grand bargain must include not only the right to innovate, but also the duty to ensure that innovation serves all. As medical products are developed and produced through collective contributions, every person must have equal access. All human beings deserve an equitable chance to survive—to save their own life, the lives of their families, and the well-being of their communities. … Sam Halabi, JD, MPhil, is the Bette Jacobs Endowed Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Health and the Director of the Center for Transformational Health Law at Georgetown Law. He serves as the co-lead for the WHO’s Working Group on Regulatory Consideration on AI and Health’s training workstream. He earned his JD from Harvard, his MPhil from Oxford, and undergraduate degrees from Kansas State University. Lawrence Gostin, LLD (Hon.), JD, BA, is University Distinguished Professor and Founding Director and Timothy and Linda O’Neill Professor of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. He is the author of Global Health Security: A Blueprint for the Future (Harvard University Press, 2021); Global Health Law (Harvard University Press, 2014); Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2016); Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader (University of California Press, 3rd ed., 2018); Law and the Health System (Foundation Press, 2014); Principles of Mental Health Law & Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010). He also directs the WHO Collaborating Center at Georgetown University. Image Credit: United States Mission Geneva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Herald's weekly entertainment picks
Looking to be entertained from Thursday, Dec. 11, through Wednesday, Dec. 17? Check out the Skagit Valley Herald’s weekly recommendations.
OU football eager to face Alabama under 'Friday night lights' in College Football Playoffs
The Sooners are prepping to host a playoff game in Norman with excitement building.
Shasta County HHSA speaks on fog and connection to daylight, seasonal affective disorder
Makaylah Fazzari with Shasta County HHSA explained how fog can limit daylight hours, which may contribute to certain conditions.
Tracking Key Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Actions Under the Trump Administration
A new KFF tracker highlights key federal policy actions during President Trump’s second term that concern issues related to mental health and substance use. The second Trump administration has emphasized law-and-order strategies and scaled back several mental health and substance use-related services, while also continuing some treatment-focused initiatives. The tracker can be viewed in multiple ways, including chronological order of policy actions and by category (Mental Health; Opioids/Substance Use Disorder; Federal Infrastructure/ Data/Guidance; and Gun Violence).