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Science has always been marketed, from 18th-century coffeehouse demos of Newton’s ideas to today’s TikTok explainers
Science has always been part of a marketplace of ideas, where claims vie for audiences, resources and belief, and where power, persuasion and status shape which ideas are heard, trusted or forgotten.
Widespread diaper need poses serious health threats to families
Researchers found that 41 percent of babies screened in urban health centers lack consistent access to the diapers they need.
Great Lakes Science Center launches winter activities
Great Lakes Science Center is offering hands-on winter activities for families.
Science has always been marketed, from 18th-century coffeehouse demos of Newton’s ideas to today’s TikTok explainers
Science has always been part of a marketplace of ideas, where claims vie for audiences, resources and belief, and where power, persuasion and status shape which ideas are heard, trusted or forgotten.
Monarch Butterflies Now Wear Tiny Tags — for Scientists to Track Them in Real Time
Plus, where you can see the beauty of monarch butterflies for yourself in the Bay Area.
Behavioral health spending spikes to 40% of all children’s health expenditures
Expenditure nearly doubled in a decade; families paid $2.9 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2022
Tencent Music Entertainment Group's (NYSE:TME) largest shareholders are public companies with 61% ownership, institutions own 28%
Key Insights Significant control over Tencent Music Entertainment Group by public companies implies that the general...
How to (ouch!) relieve pain on the bottom of your foot
Here’s what to know about how common bottom-of-foot pain is, why it happens and the most reliable ways to find relief.
Kansas football's Lance Leipold reacts to Chris Klieman’s retirement
Earlier this month, Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman announced he was retiring. Here’s what Kansas coach Lance Leipold said about that.
Why heart disease is so often undiagnosed in women
As a cardiologist, I see this far too often: women come to us later in the course of heart disease, sometimes after weeks or even months of vague symptoms that were dismissed or misdiagnosed. We’ve made significant advances in cardiology, but one thing hasn’t changed enough: Heart disease in women still flies under the radar. That’s something I’m passionate about changing.
Irrelevant Hickenlooper draws a challenger
State Sen. Julie Gonzales should be ashamed of herself. Doesn’t Gonzales understand that U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper is entitled to the Democratic nomination for Senate? Doesn’t Gonzales know that, just like in 2020, Hickenlooper “needs his sleep” and cannot be bothered with some pesky, young state senator who actually knows why she is running? And […]
Meloni’s rise and Italian political stability
Giorgia Meloni is emerging as Europe’s unexpectedly resilient leader, reshaping Italy’s politics and influencing continental dynamics.
SIX FLAGS ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION (NYSE: FUN) DEADLINE ALERT: Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reminds Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Investors of Upcoming Deadline
Six Flags Entertainment Shareholder Lawsuit Filed - Contact Bernstein Liebhard For More Information...
Director Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in their Los Angeles home
Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds and a family member is being questioned, according to police sources
Frameshift: Shari Wiseman reflects on her pivot from science to publishing
As chief editor of Nature Neuroscience, Wiseman applies critical-thinking skills she learned in the lab to manage the journal’s day-to-day operations.
AI Is Getting Dangerously Good at Political Persuasion
For a while last year, scientists offered a glimmer of hope that artificial intelligence would make a positive contribution to democracy. They showed that chatbots could address conspiracy theories racing across social media, challenging misinformation around beliefs in issues such as chemtrails and the flat Earth with a stream of reasonable facts in conversation. But two new studies suggest a disturbing flipside: The latest AI models are getting even better at persuading people at the expense o
Millikan Closed For School, Sports on Monday Due to Construction Issue
Millikan High will be closed on Monday, December 15 due to an issue stemming from construction on campus. Flooding led to an electrical issue according to school administration, which sent a message out to parents and families telling them that the campus would be closed on Monday. School will
NBA Total Health Fair offers free screenings and groceries in Las Vegas
The inaugural NBA Total Health Fair, presented by Evernorth Health Services, took place at the Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA on Sunday, providing no-cost health s
Richmond's library book supplier is going out of business, but RPL has a plan
Digital books are popular, but are more expensive because they come with checkout limitations.
Mom says viral video shows her being booted from Georgia restaurant for breastfeeding her baby
Heated exchange at Georgia restaurant caught on camera as nursing mother says she was confronted by the owner, adding to the venue’s controversial history with families.
Small Business Administration unveils new initiative to roll back federal regulations
SBA unveils new initiative targeting Biden-era regulations that imposed $6 trillion in compliance costs on American families and small firms nationwide.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fans can't get over just how difficult the Update's new bosses and challenges are now
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's new patch shadow-dropped earlier this week, and Sandfall Interactive sure wasn't kidding …
Sen. Rand Paul says redistricting could lead to political violence
The Kentucky Republican said he believes redistricting efforts across the political aisle are a "mistake" that could lead voters to feel disenfranchised.
Press Pass Sports 2025 Volleyball Team
The Texas High School Volleyball season has come to an end, and it was another unbelievable year for the Texas Panhandle and South Plains. Here's a look at the 2025 Press Pass Sports Volleyball Team. SUPERLATIVE HONORS Coach of the Year Jason Culpepper, Bushland For the fourth time in six years, Bushland head volleyball coach
Google is turning any headphones into real-time translation earbuds
Starting today, Android device owners can begin testing live speech translation in the Google Translate app, which now relies on Gemini. The AI makes text translations sound...
Can Lawmakers Find a Solution to Expiring Health Care Subsidies?
The United States Senate rejected a pair of health care bills that would have delivered relief to more than 20 million Americans before the end of the year. Now, cost-saving subsidies added to the Affordable Care Act in 2021 are likely to expire on New Year’s Eve, causing patient prices to increase by as much as 100%. NBC’s Anne Thompson reports in this week’s Sunday Focus.
Florida's Latino families being squeezed financially by high health care, child care costs
The findings, released by Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors and UnidosUS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights group, paint a portrait of a rapidly growing electorate that is highly engaged on economic and social issues but increasingly strained by the rising cost of living in the Sunshine State.
Commentary: Is Newsom blazing a path to the White House? Running a fool's errand? Let's discuss
Times columnist and Newsom skeptic Mark Z. Barabak doubts the California governor's chances in 2028. Veteran Democratic strategist Garry South believes Newsom has a strong shot. The two hash it out.
Why Trump and these MAGA allies are trying to resurrect the 'r-word'
Trump's foes and friends have noticed a revival of the term, which advocates say is harmful to Americans with mental disabilities.
Carman: Hickenlooper owes Colorado voters answers, not threats
The Democratic campaign machine is already mobilizing to crush Julie Gonzales’ bid to unseat Sen. Hickenlooper
Florida's Latino families being squeezed financially by high health care, child care costs
The findings, released by Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors and UnidosUS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights group, paint a portrait of a rapidly growing electorate that is highly engaged on economic and social issues but increasingly strained by the rising cost of living in the Sunshine State.
Figure AI CEO says over 170,000 people have applied to his robot company in the last 3 years. He hired fewer than 500.
Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock said on X that his company reviewed 176,000 resumes but most of them were "slop." Less than 450 people were hired, he said.
Erika Kirk says ‘everyone has a responsibility’ to turn down political temperature in CBS town hall
Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, said in an interview released on Saturday that “everyone has a responsibility” to dial down intensifying violent rhetoric in the…
Crowd rallies in Lewiston in support of Somalis
Speakers at the Lewiston rally pushed back against Trump’s recent comments about Somalis: “We are Americans. We are citizens, right? He should respect us and protect us and serve us like any other American.”
Dogs can recognize a bad person and now there's science to prove it
A study from Kyoto University confirms that if you lie to your dog, they will remember it—and stop trusting you.
Beneath the icy face of Alaska, a long theorized ‘connector fault’ may be revealed in the wake of major earthquake
After a magnitude 7 earthquake ripped under Hubbard Glacier earlier this month, scientists believe a “connector fault” may exist between established cuts in the thick planetary crust.
ENTERTAINMENT: Repertory Theatre celebrates Christmas season
Little Rock's Arkansas Repertory Theatre celebrates the Christmas season with "Holiday Radio, Live at The Rep" and the Second North American tour production of the musical "Mrs. Doubtfire" sweeps the Baum Walker Hall stage at Fayetteville's Walton Arts Center.
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
Dell increasing prices on surging demand for memory units, Business Insider says
Starting December 17, Dell Technologies (DELL) is set to hike prices across its commercial product lines, according to an internal list of upcoming price changes sent to staff on December 9 and seen by Business Insider. The list outlines price hikes for Dell’s commercial business – meaning its sales to corporate clients rather than individual consumers, Business Insider’s Polly Thompson. The commercial business accounts for about 85% of Dell’s annual revenue in the Client Solutions Group, the di
Teen’s video a ‘Breakthrough’ in science communication
Seventeen-year-old Grace Lee from Chula Vista is gaining national attention as a finalist in the global Breakthrough Junior Challenge, an annual competition that invites students to create original videos explaining complex scientific ideas in creative and engaging ways. Founded in 2015, the contest encourages young people to break down advanced scientific theories using imagination and storytelling— “Steven Spielberg meets Albert Einstein,” as organizers describe it. Lee’s submission centers on the principle of least time in physics, a concept that explains why light always travels the path that takes the least amount of time. To bring the idea to life, she used intricate origami characters and stop-motion animation, along with simple at-home experiments, she said. “The fact that light always travels via the path that takes the least amount of time sounds simple at first, but nature is full of surprises,” she said. “This principle is actually very profound and underlies many different fields in physics that seem completely unrelated, from optics to Newton’s laws to Einstein’s theory of relativity.” Also, origami has long been one of her passions and integrating it into her project felt natural. She often makes origami gifts for friends and teaches origami in her school clubs. “A single 10-second scene would take hours to craft,” she said, noting the mixture of stop-motion and post-production editing required to animate expressions and movement. To ensure the science remained accurate and accessible, she spent time reading books and online resources, writing a script, creating a storyboard, and filming and editing repeatedly until the visuals worked.The experiments were among the biggest challenges. To demonstrate water waves, she used everyday household items — “a spatula and an electric toothbrush to vibrate the waves, glass in a baking pan for different depths, and an iPhone flashlight so the waves would be visible.” She also put careful thought into explaining the principle through analogies, including a gingerbread man and a fox. “Analogies and visuals are incredibly important,” she said. “Visual demonstrations allow viewers to see how the science actually works.” Beyond the competition, Lee is deeply involved in science leadership and advocacy. She serves as International President of miRcore, the world’s largest student computational biology organization, with 136 chapters across five countries. She leads a 20-member executive board, organizes outreach connecting schools worldwide, and has helped run workshops at locations including Scripps Research Institute and the University of Michigan. “I used to be intimidated,” she said, but she gradually grew her skills and confidence. “Now I am no longer afraid to use my voice and enthusiasm to bring out the best in others.” Her research experience includes two peer-reviewed papers on asthma and vaping. Misconceptions around vaping, she said, show why clear science communication matters. “Our research shows that there is long-term harm to your lungs on the cellular level that isn’t obvious unless you come down with an illness like the flu,” she said. Lee also founded Full Hearts at Eastlake High School, transforming the small club into one of the school’s largest, with hands-on service projects in partnership with local nonprofits. She continues mentoring younger students to sustain the mission. If she wins the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, Grace hopes the $100,000 science lab prize for her school will expand opportunities for students who have limited access to equipment and hands-on science outside the classroom.
An international relations expert explains U.S.-Europe political split over Ukraine war
There are tensions between the U.S. and Europe over how to end the Ukraine war. NPR's Rob Schmitz talks to Nathalie Tocci from Johns Hopkins University about what's fueling these political divisions.
This Week in Science: Cats Meow More at Men, Depression Relief, And More!
Our weekly science news roundup.
Salinas elementary students showcase computer science skills
Salinas Elementary School District holds its first ever Computer Science Showcase for students and their families.
Nine science-backed ways to prevent overeating this Christmas
Flavour perception and food presentation can affect our brain and make us feel fuller earlier, so we eat fewer calories
The Birth Keepers: I choose this, episode one
The Free Birth Society was selling pregnant women a simple message: they could exit the medical system and take back their power by free birthing. But Nicole Garrison believes FBS ideology nearly cost her her life
After-school student violence worries nearby businesses, prompting police action
Business owners seek relief from rising -caused chaos including vandalism and fights.
Sources: Big 12 nearing private capital deal that could raise up to $500 million
The Big 12 deal closely follows the finalization of an equity partnership that one of the league’s members, Utah, struck earlier this week.
Phillies are 'begging' teams to trade for $100 million slugger
The Phillies are begging teams to take this $100 million slugger off their hands.
Harvard Replaces Leader of Health Center Said to Have Focused on Palestinians
The center at the university’s public health school was also a focus of the Trump administration after having been examined in a Harvard antisemitism report earlier this year.
Illinois cannabis industry poised for major tax relief if Trump reclassifies marijuana
Reclassifying marijuana could save cannabis firms billions in taxes, but it won't solve all the industry's woes, Illinois operators said.
Amazon pulls AI recap from Fallout TV show after it made several mistakes
The errors included getting dialogue wrong and incorrectly claiming a scene was set 100 years earlier than it was.
First Brands Advances Business Stabilization Initiatives and Long-Term Paths to Create Value and Drive Growth
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., December 12, 2025--First Brands Group, LLC ("First Brands" or the "Company"), a leading global supplier of aftermarket automotive parts, announced today a series of decisive steps the Company has taken to stabilize its operations, strengthen leadership, and maintain continuity of supply and service for customers, including:
Person shot at Collier County sports complex, one arrested
A Shooter at Collier County sports complex is in custody after a shooting.
1 injured, 1 in custody following shooting at Paradise Sports Complex in Golden Gate Estates
According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, the shooting was reported at 10:30 a.m. Deputies responded to the scene and quickly took a suspect into custody.
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.
Whether Netflix or Paramount buys Warner Bros., entertainment oligopolies are back – bigger and more anticompetitive than ever
Hollywood has seen this movie before.
Hochul: N.Y. schools served 150M free meals since start of universal program
The program has been estimated to save families $165 per child in grocery spending each month.
I’m 24. I learned up close that politics isn’t intimidating
My earlier trepidation dissipated after covering a campaign visit
Scientists reveal the real benefits and hidden risks of medical cannabis
A sweeping review of more than 2,500 studies reveals that despite booming public enthusiasm, cannabis has strong scientific support for only a few medical uses, leaving most popular claims—like relief for chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia—on shaky ground. The findings spotlight a persistent gap between what people believe cannabis can do and what clinical evidence actually shows.
COGE report recommends New Hampshire split apart health department, embrace AI
It was one of Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s earliest priorities this year: A “Commission on Government Efficiency” that would review ways to reduce cost and waste in the New Hampshire government and whose acronym, COGE, bore a striking resemblance to DOGE, the controversial federal effort led by Elon Musk.
Scientists have been studying the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 e. Could it harbor alien life? : Short Wave
Want to be a top notch candidate for hosting alien life? Then there's a few key requirements you should be aware of: Ideally, you're a large object like a moon or a planet; scientists suspect you also have an atmosphere and water; plus, you should orbit your star from a nice mid-range distance — in the "Goldilocks Zone" of habitability. Until recently, you would be competing against TRAPPIST-1 e. It's a planet outside of our solar system. TRAPPIST-1 e is also only 40 light years away, rocky and the same size as Earth, which prompted researchers to investigate whether it also has an atmosphere — and the potential for alien life. A team of researchers has been investigating TRAPPIST-1 e to learn more about its potential. Their answers, recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, say a lot not just about this exoplanet, but about how scientists should refocus their hunt for alien life.Interested in more space science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Capcom Finally Confirms Leon S. Kennedy Is In Resident Evil Requiem | The Game Awards 2025
After months of speculation and a revealing leak earlier this week, Capcom has finally, officially confirmed what we all knew: Leon S. Kennedy is in Resident Evil Requiem, and he's here to kick butt.
A new dawn in global health: UHC as the path toward national health stewardship
The UHC High‑Level Forum in Tokyo marked an unmistakable turning point. It signaled a shift from dialogue to pragmatic action, with health and finance ministries jointly designing country‑owned, fiscally grounded UHC strategies to move beyond fragmented, crisis‑driven responses toward resilient, durable health systems that can make Universal Health Coverage (UHC) a reality. UHC means ensuring...
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
Failure of rival health bills underscores impasse in US politics
Democrats voted down a Republican bill that would have provided limited relief for out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
Failure of rival health bills underscores impasse in US politics
Democrats voted down a Republican bill that would have provided limited relief for out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
Menopause treatment is getting personal
Menopause care innovations include at-home hormone testing, virtual appointments, and new non-hormonal therapies for symptom relief.
Senator warns the clock is running out on pandemic fraud cases
Joni Ernst and Ed Markey are split over extending deadlines to pursue fraud in restaurant relief and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant programs.
Des Moines entertainment in January: 'SIX,' tribute bands, Charlie Berens and more
Feeling Champagne fatigue? A sommelier recommends 5 swaps that taste more expensive than they are
A wine expert shared the best sparkling wines under $30, from brut prosecco to Lambrusco, for those seeking cheaper alternatives to Champagne.
Gaza’s maternal and newborn health system ‘decimated’, UN warns
Gaza’s health system for mothers and newborns has been “decimated”, the UN said on Thursday, with Israeli attacks destroying almost all hospitals, cutting off medical supplies and driving sharp rises in maternal deaths, miscarriages and newborn fatalities amid mass displacement and hunger.
MLB rumors: Tarik Skubal trade talks continue, Braves sign reliever Robert Suarez
Here are your hot stove rumors for Thursday, Dec. 11
iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more.
Chico's big fashion and entertainment show on Dec. 13 benefits FUR's cat rescue work • Chico News & Review
We are a group of award-winning free alternative weekly newspapers published by Chico Community Publishing, Inc. We publish the Chico News & Review in Chico, California, the Sacramento News & Review in Sacramento, California and the Reno News & Review in Reno, Nevada. In addition to the 3 weeklies, we also have a Custom Publication division dedicated to producing high quality publications for government agencies, nonprofits and more.
How the James Webb Telescope recorded the earliest supernova ever | - The Times of India
Science News: The James Webb Space Telescope has observed the universe's earliest supernova. This event offers a rare glimpse into the early universe. It shows how
Trump’s affordability argument just got the unlikeliest champion
The main reason Americans are upset about the economy: They are still adjusting to high prices that surged during years of runaway inflation that took place during former President Joe Biden’s term.
Google's Gemini AI comes to Chrome on iPhone and iPad
After rolling it out on desktop and Android earlier in 2025, Google is finally bringing its built-in Gemini AI experience to iPhone and iPad.
Brain science, social media and a modern moral panic
In brain scans, social media addiction looks the same as gaming and gambling addictions and substance abuse, says grad student Kylie Falcione at UCSB's Media Neuroscience Lab
Mamdani and top New York rabbis will meet privately, but their core divide remains unresolved
The Friday after Zohran Mamdani won, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch gave a sermon saying that he believed the incoming New York mayor’s criticisms of Israel aligned with Hamas and that critics of Israel wanted to separate “good Jews” from “bad Jews” in a way that endangers the city’s Jewish community.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025: Six contenders announced for SPOTY shortlist
A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. Footballers Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly, rugby union player Ellie Kildunne, darts player Luke Littler, golfer Rory McIlroy and Formula 1 driver Lando Norris are the nominees.
Is the universe ending sooner than we thought? New physics suggests a much shorter lifespan | - The Times of India
Science News: A groundbreaking study from Radboud University suggests the universe may end in approximately 10^78 years, significantly earlier than the previously assumed 10^1100 years. By revisiting Hawking radiation, researchers argue that all compact massive objects will evaporate, altering our understanding of cosmic lifespans.
Sports Personality of the Year 2025: Lionesses square off on six-strong shortlist
England teammates Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are up against one another for BBC Sports Personality of the Year on a shortlist that also includes Lando Norris, Rory McIlroy, Luke Littler and Ellie Kildunne.
907 Sports: An in-depth look at the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026
The Alaska Sports Hall of Fame announced it’s Class of 2026 earlier this week, inducting three people and two moments.
Turning Passion Into Purpose Through Science and Resilience
A first-generation college student and parent, Tearica Moore is graduating Saturday with a bachelor's degree in biology.
Tiny tracker following monarch butterflies during California migration
When this monarch butterfly hits the sky it won't be traveling alone. In fact, an energetic team of researchers will be following along with a revolutionary technology that's already unlocking secrets that could help the entire species survive.
Washington Nationals active in Rule 5 Draft, select Phillies pitcher
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
ENTERTAINMENT: Gingerbread Extravaganza, ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ lead weekend list
Stage 13 Foundation for Performing Arts stages its inaugural production, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” 7:30 p.m. Friday and Dec. 18, 4 p.m. Sunday, 5 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19 and 2 and 5 p.m. Dec. 20-21 at Wildwood Park for the Arts.
Club Brugge 0-3 Arsenal - send us your thoughts
Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned. Come back on Thursday for a selection of your replies
Mega Raichu Flies Around Like Superman, And It Rules
After a decade-long wait, Pokémon's mascot finally has two Mega Evolutions in Legends: Z-A's DLC
Despite US tariff hikes, global trade remains surprisingly strong
Global trade is proving far more resilient than many economists expected in the face of escalating U.S. tariffs, The Wall Street Journal writes. Despite forecasts of a decline earlier this year, the U.N. now projects global trade in goods and services will reach $35 trillion in 2025—a 7% jump driven by both higher prices and […]
Humans were making fire 350,000 years earlier than previously thought, study finds
LONDON (AP) — Scientists in Britain say ancient humans may have learned to make fire far earlier than previously believed, after uncovering evidence that deliberate fire-setting took place in what is now eastern England around 400,000 years ago. The findings, described in the journal Nature, push back the earliest known date for controlled fire-making by roughly 350,000 years. Until now, the oldest confirmed evidence had come from Neanderthal sites in what is now northern France
Humans were lighting fires from scratch a lot earlier than previously thought
A 400,000-year-old tinderbox is found in eastern England
People made fire 350,000 years earlier than previously thought, scientists find
Stone Age site in English county of Suffolk shows evidence of crucial stage in human development
Man made fire 350,000 years earlier than previously thought, discovery in Suffolk suggests
Groundbreaking find makes compelling case that humans were lighting fires much earlier than originally believed
Danforth Plant Science Center to Lead Multi-Disciplinary Research to Enhance Stress Resilience in Bioenergy Sorghum
ST. LOUIS, MO., December 10, 2025 – Andrea Eveland, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and member at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, will lead a multi-institutional project to deepen the understanding of sorghum, a versatile bioenergy crop, and its response to environmental challenges. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program supports the three-year $2.
Ancient Humans Were Making Fire 350,000 Years Earlier Than Scientists Realized
Making fire on demand was a milestone in the lives of our early ancestors. But the question of when that skill first arose has been difficult for scientists to pin down
Neanderthals harnessed fire 350,000 years earlier than previously thought
'This is the most remarkable discovery of my career.’