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Ethics panel clears Life Science Hub board member for paid adviser gig under ‘hardship’ exception
The Rhode Island Ethics Commission unanimously approved a staff recommendation Tuesday allowing Patrice Milos to serve as a paid advisor to the Life Science Hub, despite Milos' recent role on the 15-person, volunteer board for the agency.
Cleveland County Commissioners approve up to $50 million bond sale for Rock Creek Entertainment District arena
The Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the sale of an up to $50 million bond anticipation note for OU’s planned arena in the Rock Creek Entertainment District
Senate sends bill to partially reopen DHS back to House
The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a bill aimed at partially reopening the Department of Homeland Security, which leaves out funding for immigration enforcement and border patrol.
LA County Studies Warner Bros Merger Job Impact
LA County Board unanimously approved motion to analyze Warner Bros Discovery-Paramount merger effects on 312,000+ entertainment jobs in region.
Senate unanimously moves to fund most of DHS, except ICE and border patrol, in rare overnight session
The Senate unanimously moved to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and part of Customs and Border Protection, in a rare overnight session.
Bipartisan Support for Small Business AI Bill » CBIA
The Commerce Committee unanimously approved a bill supporting small business adoption of artificial intelligence technologies March 24.
Supreme Court tosses $1B copyright verdict in record companies' battle over illegal internet downloads
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled Wednesday that internet providers are not liable for copyright infringement by their users, delivering an opinion in Cox v. Sony and tossing a $1 billion verdict.
Foxboro approves World Cup entertainment license - Boston News, Weather, Sports
FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - Foxboro town leaders voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the entertainment license needed for the FIFA World Cup games to move forwardRead More
Foxborough Select Board unanimously approves entertainment license for FIFA World Cup
The Foxborough Select Board unanimously approved an entertainment license for the FIFA World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium.
Bill to tighten mental health diversion passes key Senate committee
Assembly Bill 46 took a big step toward becoming law on Tuesday. The bill, designed to address what many believe is a loophole in the state’s mental health diversion program, was unanimously approved by the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Colorado committee recommends rejecting alcohol, marijuana tax hike to fund mental health care
In a rare move, Colorado’s Capital Development Committee unanimously recommended that another legislative committee reject a bill asking voters to approve higher excise taxes on alcohol and marijuana to fund a new mental health hospital in Aurora. Sponsored by Rep. Bob Marshall, D-Highlands Ranch, and Sen. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, House Bill 1301 proposes that all […]
ExxonMobil to move its legal home from New Jersey to Texas, citing business friendly environment
ExxonMobil is poised to move its legal headquarters from New Jersey to Texas in search of a more friendly business environment, the company announced Tuesday morning. The board of directors for the largest U.S.-based oil producing company, which already runs its operations from the Houston suburb of Spring, unanimously recommended to its shareholders that they vote to redomicile the company…
ExxonMobil looks to move its legal home from New Jersey to Texas
The ExxonMobil board unanimously recommended redomiciling—which is the process of moving a corporation’s legal home to a new jurisdiction while maintaining its legal existence—from New Jersey to Texas.
Minneapolis City Council unanimously votes to adopt MPD mental health leadership position
House unanimously passes bill to improve access to subacute mental health care
The bill, aimed at making nonemergency in-patient mental health care treatment programs more accessible, passed the House unanimously.
$2B entertainment and retail venue planned for Glen Carbon near I-270 and I-255 intersection
Glen Carbon’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously this week to establish the boundaries for a sales tax and revenue bond district for the development. The goal is creating “a premier entertainment, tourism and mixed-use destination,” according to the developer.
Portland extends moratorium on large entertainment venues
City councilors passed the extension unanimously as an emergency on Monday night, saying they need more time to review a proposed "buffer zone" that would block the construction of a Live Nation concert hall downtown
Jeanine Pirro's office shelves pursuit of Democrats over social video, sources say
A federal grand jury in D.C. unanimously rejected the attempt to indict six lawmakers who told military and intelligence community members on social media not to obey unlawful orders.
Happy Beer Street becomes Edmonton's newest entertainment district
City council unanimously voted on Wednesday to create the city’s third district, alongside ones on Rice Howard Way and a section of 104 Street. Entertainment districts are places where alcohol can be purchased and consumed within a specific area during pedestrian-friendly events.
Chicago Bears take key step in proposed Indiana stadium move
The Chicago Bears on Thursday hailed the "most meaningful step" yet toward building a new stadium in Indiana, as the neighboring state passed a key measure to entice the NFL franchise to make a divisive cross-border move.Bears president and chief executive Kevin Warren warned in December that Indiana had become a serious option, and on Thursday the state unanimously passed a bill allowing it to issue bonds for the financing and construction of a new stadium.
SC House passes bill to cut business property taxes for small businesses
Small business owners in South Carolina could soon see savings on their annual business personal property taxes under a bill unanimously approved by the state House this week.
Montgomery City Council revokes pizza restaurant's business license
City leaders unanimously voted Tuesday night to revoke the business license for a pizza restaurant in Montgomery.
Museum adopts new leadership model
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF DENVER AT MARSICO CAMPUS Denver News: The board of the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus has voted unanimously to adopt a co-CEO leadership model that positions the organization as a national innovator among cultural institutions embracing this forward-thinking approach. Effective this month, Mike Yankovich, who has served as president and chief executive officer […]
ESPN ‘NFL Live’ Panel Unanimously Picks Texans To Beat Patriots
If the Patriots need bulletin-board material for Sunday’s playoff game against the Texans, they need look no further than Friday’s episode of “NFL Live.” An ESPN panel consisting of Mina Kimes, Ryan Clark, Hannah Storm, Dan Orlovsky and Marcus Spears unanimously picked Houston to beat New England in the AFC divisional-round matchup. The group made […]
San Antonio, Spurs to purchase $30M in Sports and Entertainment District
In a move to take the Sports and Entertainment District from a vision to a reality, the San Antonio City Council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to execute a a $30 million private acquisition and escrow agreement between the city, the San Antonio Spurs Holdings, LLC and Chicago Title, who will act as the escrow agent for the federal government Jan. 15.
NFL GameDay Crew Unanimously Picks Patriots To Beat Chargers
The New England Patriots are set to play their first playoff game since 2022 on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. And while the Pats rattled off 14 wins in the regular season, there’s no doubt that this game will present them with the biggest challenge they have faced all season long. Much has […]
UVA Board of Visitors appoints Charlottesville resident to Health System Board
The University of Virginia Board of Visitors unanimously approved the appointment of Charlottesville resident John F. Harris to the Health System Board.
Portland Council Greenlights New Entertainment Venue Fee After Live Nation Uproar
PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland City Council unanimously approved a new fee Monday targeting large entertainment venues, a policy born directly out of the heated public fight over a proposed Live Nation concert hall. The ordinance creates a new licensing category for venues holding more than 2,000 people and requires them to pay between 1%
Commission recommends denial of late-night entertainment permit
Suffolk planners unanimously oppose late-night permit for “Thee Establishment” on N. Saratoga St., citing neighborhood, noise and safety concerns; City Council to decide Jan. 21.
City of Gautier signs off on entertainment contract extension for The Sound Amphitheater
On Tuesday, the Gautier City Council unanimously approved an extension for the entertainment contract for The Sound Amphitheater.
Orange Beach unanimously approves one-year extension on entertainment districts
The City of Orange Beach unanimously approved one-year extensions for two of its entertainment districts, maintaining current regulations surrounding alcohol consumption within these districts. …
Board approves budget modification to backfill $2.4 million in CareOregon behavioral health cuts
On Thursday, Dec. 11, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a $2.4 million budget adjustment to fill part of a $4.6 million gap in behavioral health services.
Bill to recognize Fort Ontario as National Park unanimously passes U.S. Senate
Dating back to the 1840s, Fort Ontario has been a state historic site.
Arizona city unanimously rejects AI data center after residents' outcry
The Chandler, Arizona, city council unanimously voted against clearing the way to allow for construction of an artificial intelligence data center
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
Albany County Legislature passes 2026 budget
The Albany County Legislature passed the $902 million 2026 Albany County adopted budget unanimously on Monday.
Greenville City Council approves downtown entertainment district, honors Mayor White’s 30-year tenure
Greenville City Council unanimously approved a new downtown entertainment district Monday night, limiting operating hours for future businesses in an effort to improve public safety following late-night incidents that gained social media attention.
St. Petersburg gives Science Center revival the green light
The City Council voted unanimously to sell the 4-acre lot to the St. Petersburg Group.