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Evolv Expands Sports & Entertainment Presence in Southern California with Deployment of Evolv Express® at Pechanga Arena San Diego
WALTHAM, Mass., December 16, 2025--Evolv Technologies Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVLV), a leading security technology company pioneering AI-based solutions designed to create safer experiences, today announced that its flagship product, Evolv Express®, has been deployed at Pechanga Arena San Diego ("PASD"), the premier multi-purpose sports and entertainment venue located in downtown San Diego, California. Express uses advanced sensor technology and AI to detect concealed threats and identify the pe
Jimmy Fallon Under Fire Over ‘Disappointing’ Rob Reiner Tribute
Here's why some fans felt 'The Tonight Show' host fell flat.
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.
Miller-Meeks says GOP health care bill does more to fix rising costs
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks is the lead sponsor on a GOP bill aimed at making health care more affordable, without extending ACA subsidies.
Senate health care talks flicker to life as ObamaCare deadline nears
A bipartisan group of senators is making a renewed push toward finding a health care solution as the hour-glass winds down to the end-of-month deadline to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act (A…
Chincoteague Island featured in Business View Magazine
Chincoteague has been featured in Business View Magazine as part of the publication’s ongoing series highlighting economic growth and best practices in cities and towns across North America. The feature is based on an in-depth interview between Chincoteague Mayor Denise Bowden and Business View Magazine Editor-in-Chief Karen Surca, focusing on how the island community balances tourism-driven prosperity with long-term sustainability ... Read More
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.
Steelers edge towards NFL playoffs as Dolphins eliminated
Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers took another stride towards the playoffs with a 28-15 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday.The victory formally eliminated Miami from playoff contention but leaves Pittsburgh firmly on top of the AFC North and heading for the postseason.
Task force says SF should cull commission system
Voter-approved body recommends significant reforms.
The inappropriate business pushback toward Sheetz coming into Michigan
Consumers benefit when businesses compete for their business
WHO highlights health risks and opportunities in the global waste crisis
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report, Throwing away our health: the impacts of solid waste on human health – evidence, knowledge gaps and health sector responses, warns that poorly managed solid waste is driving a public health crisis and calls for urgent action to protect people and the environments they live in.Globally, the volume of municipal solid waste is growing at an unprecedented rate. Yet, many countries still lack the systems and resources to manage this waste safely. “Solid waste reflects how our societies produce and consume, and how we treat people and the environment in the process,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director a.i., Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health & Migration at the World Health Organization. “If we continue to treat waste as an afterthought, we will lock in avoidable disease, climate pollution and deep social inequities. This report is a clear call to put health and equity at the centre of how we design, manage and ultimately reduce waste.”The report summarizes evidence on how solid waste – especially municipal solid waste – affects health through polluted air, water, soil and food. When waste is not collected, or is dumped, burned or not poorly treated, it can release hazardous chemicals, contaminate drinking-water sources and create breeding grounds for insects and rodents.Communities underserved by waste management services, those living near dumpsites and poorly managed landfills and incinerators, children and pregnant women, as well as waste workers – particularly those working informally – face the greatest risks. For the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) community, the report underlines that safe management of municipal and health care waste is integral to safely managed, climate-resilient systems.A large share of municipal solid waste is still not collected or is disposed of in uncontrolled conditions, including open dumpsites and open burning. These practices damage ecosystems, contribute to climate change and undermine efforts to build healthy cities. When waste is properly managed, however, it can become a resource – generating energy and creating green jobs. The report calls for a coordinated, multisectoral response grounded in the waste hierarchy: preventing waste where possible, then reducing, reusing and recycling, with safe recovery and disposal.Key actions for governments and partners include reducing waste generation at source; expanding affordable and reliable waste collection services, especially in underserved communities; improving control at recovery and disposal facilities; and eliminating open dumping and burning, including hazardous waste. The new report identifies a central role for the health sector in addressing solid waste as a public health threat. The health sector can prevent and minimize health-care waste at source, improve segregation and safe treatment, invest in cleaner climate-resilient technologies, and advocate for health-protective policies and standards. The report also encourages more surveillance, research and biomonitoring to strengthen the evidence base, and promotes social protection and inclusion of informal waste workers.“This report gives countries and health authorities a very practical agenda,” said Mr Bruce Gordon, Head, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health Unit, WHO. “Health ministries can start now by ensuring safe management of health-care waste, developing strong occupational health programmes for waste workers, and working with municipalities to reduce health risks from solid waste by closing open dumps and burn sites and gradually improving towards safe services. These concrete steps save lives today and will make cities cleaner and healthier in the future.
Lexington restaurant owner says ongoing construction hurting business
A Lexington restaurant owner says business is down 50 percent for the month of November due to the double crossover diamond construction project on Leestown Road.
TeraWulf says A.I. data center is for science and education in zoning appeal. Critics call it a work around.
ITHACA, N.Y. — The land-use moratorium that would have halted the construction of a proposed data center has been withdrawn, but the company behind the project still has more bureaucratic […]
Judge expresses skepticism toward Epstein victim lawsuit against big banks alleging they facilitated sex-trafficking
The Jeffrey Epstein victims' lawsuits resembled two others, against JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, which settled for hundreds of millions.
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!
Three international companies get tax incentives for jobs in central Ohio
The Ohio Tax Credit Authority projects may result in more than $148 million in new payroll and generate over $1.1 billion in Ohio investments.
When Does ‘The Traitors’ Return? Everything We Know About Season 4
Plus, everything else we know about the upcoming season.
Clair Obscur's new Endless Tower bosses are providing quite the challenge for returning players
Whether it's rust or because the bosses are just artificially hard, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 players are reeling at the free DLC's difficulty.
Business editor Adam Daigle's top five stories of the year: Trader Joe's is No. 1
The sale of the Northgate Mall was the No. 2 story of the year.
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.
’60 Minutes’: Scott Pelley Gives Blunt Verdict on New CBS Owners
The longtime news anchor admits they were 'concerns' following Paramount-Skydance merger.
This Baton Rouge company wants to ‘dominate’ the Gulf Coast. Here's how they'll do it
“As far as I’m concerned, I want to dominate the Gulf Coast,” he said. “I want AG to be the wholesaler of choice for anybody doing business along the Gulf Coast."
Do Democrats need their own billionaire? JB Pritzker is betting on it.
The Illinois governor has tapped his wealth to climb the political ladder, moving toward a White House run while presenting himself as a champion for everyday people.
O’Neill Institute’s Center for Health and Human Rights and Ríos host High Court Justices for Second Annual Judicial Dialogues on Health and the Law in Latin America and the Caribbean
The O’Neill Institute’s Center for Health and Human Rights at Georgetown Law and Ríos Strategic Lawyering for Social Justice held the second annual Judicial Dialogues on Health and the Law in Latin America and the Caribbean event.
Can Fatawu strike inspire Foxes to go the distance?
BBC Final Score reporter John Bennett on Abdul Fatawu's long-range strike for Leicester City against Ipswich Town.
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
Andes Tower Hills sees business growth despite extreme cold closure
Andes Tower Hills closed Saturday because of dangerous cold temperatures and saw light turnout Sunday, but the ski resort says business is improving despite the extreme weather.
COP 30: entrenching the crisis of climate politics
As the dust settles after COP30 in Belém, the scale of the failure becomes impossible to ignore. The world is on a path toward catastrophic warming, ecological systems are collapsing, and millions…
Spring Lake Township launches facade grant program to boost local business visibility
Spring Lake Township trustees are launching a new program hoping to bring more attention to businesses on M-104.
SNOW FOX | Business, childcare and church closings/delays for Monday, Dec. 15, 2025
This list will be updated frequently.
Family-owned business of the year: Marcus Corp.
In the face of a shaky downtown Milwaukee hotel market in recent years, Marcus Corp. has stood steady. The Milwaukee-based lodging and movie theater
NFL Week 15 Preview: Stats and Storylines for 7 FOX Sports Games
FOX has a massive seven-game slate this Sunday, headlined by Lions vs. Rams.
‘SNL’ Weekend Update Sends Stern Warning About ‘Stranger Things’ Child Actors
Jane Wickline doesn't think AI will be the end of humanity — but the 'Stranger Things' cast could easily harness their influence.
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
Former Starbucks To Be Demolished, Replaced With New Bank: CT Business News
Longtime Business Closes / CT's Top Restaurants, Chefs Of 2025 / Downtown Landmark Celebrates 50 Years / Stop & Shop Closing Store & More...
Town acts to reduce quarry truck traffic by 75%. Attorney says move may kill local business.
Harmony Sand and Gravel faces new restrictions limiting daily truck traffic to 25 vehicles after township officials responded to resident complaints about safety hazards and property damage.
Mental Health Matters, People with Mental Illness Matter Too
Personal Perspective: Amid the mental health positive catchphrases, deep-rooted prejudice still exists toward people living with serious mental health conditions.
Rust Coreutils 0.5 Released - Inching Toward Full GNU Compatibility
Rust Coreutils 0.5 is now available as the latest milestone for this Rust-based alternative to GNU Coreutils
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.
Toledo could follow other Ohio cities with entertainment fee
In 2011, Kyle Miasek, the finance director for the city of Youngstown, went out on a limb and created an additional tax levied on admission to events at ...
Sponsored: Science vs. Spin: The Truth About Menhaden Fishing in Louisiana Waters
Louisiana’s coast supports a wide variety of uses, including conservation, recreation, commercial fishing, energy, and shipping. The debate over menhaden harvest and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC)’s proposed
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.
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…
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.
Winter Doesn't Slow Down Entertainment in Buena Vista - by Carly Winchell
Buena Vista (BV) has become known as a small town with a lively music scene. Entertainment does not die down during the winter months either. Below are a
The Entertainment Industry is About To Change Forever
The studio behind ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Batman,’ and HBO is heading toward another historic shake–up.
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.
Efforts to help small businesses in Tucson
Businesses that have closed in downtown and Fourth Avenue have all felt it, so is there anything that can be done to protect the remaining businesses?
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.
Half-Life 3 will be a Steam Machine launch title says journalist, Valve aiming for Spring 2026
Journalist says that Half-Life 3 is a Steam Machine launch game, with Valve aiming for a Spring 2026 release, with the RAM crisis causing headaches.
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.
Rihanna Gives Business Meeting Dress Codes a Very Rihanna Spin
Master of high-low, below-the-bump, and just about everything else fashion—while the rest of us limp toward the 2025 finishline, Rihanna stands on fashion business.
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.
Why both parties' health care proposals are failing
NBC News’ Ryan Nobles stopped by “Here’s the Scoop” to talk about why the Republican-controlled Senate voted to reject health care bills offered by each party as the U.S. barrels toward a cliff with steep premium hikes for millions of Americans.
Popular Downtown Springfield business set to close after 8 years
A popular Springfield business has announced it will close its doors after eight years.
News | School signs one of biggest office deals in Los Angeles entertainment hub
Concorde Career Colleges brings hundreds of students and staff to Burbank
Julianne Murray steps down as Delaware U.S. Attorney, citing politics
Delaware's top federal prosecutor for the past six months submits her resignation, and has a lot to say about it.
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.
50 Cent to get $50 million from the state for Shreveport projects. There are clawbacks.
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson gets big state support for Shreveport plans.
Embracing Entrepreneurship: Zoë Tsoukalas - Mays Business School News
From Lemonade Stands to Ledgers “I’ve always had the mindset of entrepreneurship. At a very early age, I began my journey towards entrepreneurship with the typical lemonade and snow cone stands. In high school, I launched a clothing and jewelry business, where everything I sold was handmade and one of a kind. I continued with
Walsall have extra motivation to go up
Shrewsbury Town boss Michael Appleton says the collapse of Walsall's promotion hopes last season is driving them on this term.
Trump calls affordability a "hoax"; Democrats take note
In the first year of his second term, President Donald Trump has focused his attention on foreign policy and made numerous trips abroad – with an eye toward the Nobel Peace Prize. But as he discusses peace deals with foreign leaders, his ratings domestically have fallen. Critics say that he isn’t doing enough to ease American’s economic concerns. So, this week, Trump returned his attention stateside and kicked off his affordability tour in Pennsylvania, while simultaneously branding “affordability” as a democratic “hoax.” Today on the politics roundtable, we discuss why Trump’s tour signals the administration’s concerns about the politics of affordability, and how some Democrats could use this as a way to gain an edge during the 2026 midterms. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Dan Merica, the co-anchor of our politics newsletter, The Early Brief, and White House Bureau Chief Matt Viser.
I’m 24. I learned up close that politics isn’t intimidating
My earlier trepidation dissipated after covering a campaign visit
Roper: Want to revive Uptown? Grab a ‘passport’ and show Hennepin Avenue businesses some holiday cheer
The “Holidays on Hennepin” program aims to draw traffic to the street after a lengthy road reconstruction.
2026 Flathead Valley Winter Sports Preview
The snow has fallen and the sun is officially on hiatus, which means Flathead Valley athletes are trading in their cleats and knee pads for goggles, headgear and basketball shoes. Area teams and athletes over the last few weeks have been amping up their preparation ahead of the start of the high school winter sports […]
‘This place will win’: Business leaders say West Palm Beach is becoming America’s next big boomtown
West Palm Beach has evolved from its retirement haven days, as tech firms, financial giants and entrepreneurs flock to one of the country's most sought-after business destinations.
SNOW FOX | Business, childcare and church closings/delays for Friday, Dec. 12, 2025
This list will be updated frequently.
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.
Google spinout proposes Oakland County data center nearly as large as Oracle megaproject
While controversy stirs around OpenAI’s Stargate data center project in Saline Township, another data center complex nearly as big is being quietly planned 45 miles northeast in Lyon Township.Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, a spinout of Google parent company Alphabet Inc., has submitted plans to…
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.
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...
Business owners fear wall could collapse, crush homeless encampment east of L.A.
Business owners in El Sereno, a neighborhood east of downtown Los Angeles, are raising concerns about a cement block wall along an alley, saying it could collapse and cause serious injuries or deat…
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.
The year in sports
One-time NPR host David Greene talks sports in America and running his hometown newspaper.
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.
Trump takes steps toward demolishing four federal buildings, preservationist alleges
After demolishing the White House’s East Wing, President Donald Trump is now eying four federal buildings for the same treatment and is circumventing a key government agency with his plans, according to a historic preservationist raising the alarm.
IOC urges sports bodies to let Russian youth teams and athletes compete again with flag and anthem
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — The IOC took a big step toward reintegrating Russia and Belarus into world sports Thursday by advising governing bodies to let the countries’ youth teams and athletes…
IOC urges sports bodies to let Russian youth teams and athletes compete again with flag and anthem
The IOC has taken a big step toward reintegrating Russia and Belarus into world sports. It’s advising governing bodies of Olympic sports to let youth teams and athletes compete with their full identity of national flag and anthem.
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.
Billionaires are spending massive sums on politics. A backlash brews.
An anti-oligarch protest in a small Indiana town shows the depth of the national backlash against the concentration of wealth and power.
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.
Virginia City business owners face steep rent increases from state
Virginia City business owners say new state lease agreements increasing rent to 15% of gross revenue could force closures in the historic town.
Republicans barrel toward health care cliff while Democrats claim messaging war victory: ‘The American public knows’
MHA Nation family entertainment center opens doors
NEW TOWN —MHA Nation on Wednesday, Dec. 10, opened the doors on family fun during the grand opening of the new Thrill & Chill Family Entertainment Center in New Town. The new center includes mini golf courses, a laser tag venue, ropes course, an arcade and movie theater. A family restaurant and private party rooms […]