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Amazon is reportedly developing an AI-centric smartphone
Amazon's second smartphone could forego an app store.
Exclusive: Amazon plans smartphone comeback more than a decade after Fire Phone flop
In 2014, Amazon introduced its first smartphone, hoping to take on Apple and Samsung. Instead, the Fire Phone - overseen directly by founder Jeff Bezos - was scrapped in barely over a year, one of Amazon’s highest-profile flops.
Minnesota fires women's hockey coach Frost after 19 seasons
Minnesota dismissed women's hockey coach Brad Frost on Tuesday after 19 seasons, a decade since the program's last national championship.
Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center board approves two-year closure
President Donald Trump’s handpicked Kennedy Center board of trustees voted Monday to close the storied performing arts institution for two years for renovations.
Scientists just discovered a tiny signal that volcanoes send before they erupt
A new detection method called “Jerk” could dramatically improve how scientists forecast volcanic eruptions. By using a single broadband seismometer, the system can detect extremely subtle ground movements caused by magma pushing underground—often hours before an eruption begins. Tested for more than a decade at the Piton de la Fournaise volcano on La Réunion, the tool successfully predicted 92% of eruptions between 2014 and 2023, sometimes giving up to eight hours of warning.
Rumour: Pokemon Legends Galar to be prehistoric Pikmin-like game commanding groups of up to 30 Pokemon
The next Pokemon Legends game which is currently titled Pokemon Legends: Galar will seemingly have a Pikmin-like aspect where you can command up to thirty Pokemon in your squad. The game was leaked as…
Duquesne at the A10 tournament, Jeff Capel's future, and NFL free agency
Apple MacBook Neo emerges as company’s most repairable laptop in more than a decade
Apple's MacBook Neo, the laptop it announced last week that starts at $499 for students, is the most repairable laptop the company has released since 2014, according to an analysis released Friday by iFixit.
Eagles re-work Landon Dickerson contract, giving him free agency a year early
The Eagles have restructured three-time Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson’s contract.
El Paso health inspectors find dozens of violations at 2 businesses
El Paso health inspectors found 39 violations at Valley Supermarket and Phoenix Palace Restaurant in February inspections.
Report: Scott County Jail staff ignored inmate’s mental health crisis
Scott County Jail workers allowed a woman in mental distress to repeatedly bang her head against cell walls without intervening, a report alleges.
Kathy Ireland Accuses Business Managers of Looting Her Wealth
Kathy Ireland and her husband sued their longtime business managers, saying they had looted millions of dollars and left them deeply in debt.
Health care's exit backlog hits critical mass
Two scoops on deals show exits are still coming in fits and starts.
Everyone Will Be Talking About These Red Carpet Looks At The Actor Awards
From award-winning actors and actresses to emerging stars, read on to see who wore what on the red carpet at the 2026 Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA.
Georgia State to Host Science Olympiad Regional Tournament
Georgia State University’s College of Arts & Sciences will host the Division B Regional Tournament of the 2026 Science Olympiad Feb. 28.
Fred Loya Sr. remembered for business success, holiday spirit
El Paso business leader Fred Loya Sr., known for his insurance business and Christmas displays, has died.
Leading US Research Lab Appears to Be Squeezing Out Foreign Scientists
House Democrats are demanding answers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and urging it to halt rumored changes they say could undermine its mission.
Judge orders takeover of Arizona prison health care operations after years of violations
The decision on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver came after her 2022 verdict that concluded Arizona had violated prisoners’ rights by providing inadequate care that led to suffering and preventable deaths.
After hitting bottom twice following Olympic glory, Nick Goepper finds joy once again
The halfpipe skier experienced addiction, depression and legal troubles after he medaled at the 2014 Olympics.
Vanderbilt Health remembers C. Leon Partain, former chair of Radiology
Clarence Leon Partain, MD, PhD, professor emeritus of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, whose work in nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging helped shape the field of academic radiology, died Jan. 28 in Brentwood, Tennessee. He was 85. After beginning his career as a nuclear engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and as faculty at the University of Missouri and the University of North Carolina, Dr. Partain joined the ranks at Vanderbilt Radiology in 1980 and was promoted to professor in 1984. He later became the first Carol D. and Henry P. Pendergrass Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences and chair of the department (1992-2000), and subsequently the director of the Center for Imaging Research. Shortly after arriving in Nashville, Dr. Partain began to lead Vanderbilt Radiology’s nuclear medicine division. He remained in this role until he was named the department chair. Dr. Partain specialized in multiple fields, including nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography. Following his time as chair, Dr. Partain shifted his focus to research and spent time working clinically with radiology’s chest imaging section. In 2015, he retired and was honored for his years of service and named as emeritus faculty. Dr. Partain also held an appointment as professor of Biomedical Engineering. A Tennessee native, Dr. Partain was born in Memphis and later graduated from high school in Clarksville. He then received his BS in nuclear engineering from the University of Tennessee, his MS and PhD in nuclear engineering from Purdue University and his MD from Washington University. He completed his residency training in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Partain was clinically trained and certified in diagnostic radiology and nuclear radiology by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine. Throughout his career, Dr. Partain contributed to the growth of Vanderbilt Radiology and received many academic and research accolades across the specialty through various associations. During his time leading the department, clinical studies increased from 180,000 to 260,000 cases per year, emerging technological imaging equipment expanded the department’s capabilities, and units for angiography and fluoroscopy were added to the tool kit. The department also expanded its footprint with outpatient imaging in Nashville, Bedford County and more. Research continued to expand with continued growth in scientific findings and millions in grant funding for radiopharmaceuticals, functional MRI, nuclear medicine, X-ray, ultrasound and more. Dr. Partain is celebrated for being instrumental in bringing the first MRI and PET/CT machines to the Medical Center. His efforts helped build Vanderbilt Radiology’s prestige in the world of academics and research both nationally and internationally. His society affiliations included the American College of Radiology, the American College of Nuclear Medicine, and the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM). He served as president of the Radiological Research Alliance of the Association of Academic Radiologists and has held executive roles as a member of many radiological society boards. Dr. Partain was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging from 2000 to 2013 and a member of the editorial boards of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the American Journal of Roentgenology, Academic Radiology, the Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Investigative Radiology. He has authored/co-authored/edited six textbooks, including one of the first comprehensive textbooks on MRI, “Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Imaging.” Dr. Partain has also authored/co-authored/edited approximately 100-plus book chapters and 200-plus journal articles. In 2000, Dr. Partain received the Distinguished Service Award from the ABR. In 2014, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the ISMRM. In 2016, he received the Alumni Achievement Award from Washington University for his “contributions to advance the fields of nuclear medicine and medical imaging.” Dr. Partain served the ABR as an examiner for 20 years, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education as a member of the Nuclear Medicine Residency Review Committee, and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in multiple capacities. A devout Baptist deacon and man of committed faith, he is survived by his wife of 62 years, Judy; children, David (Rebecca), Teri (Bland), and Amy; brother, Larry (Deb); brother-in-law, Tom (Cathy); grandchildren, Sarah (Brandon), Amy, Luke, Tucker, Alex, Ryan and Jake; cousins and a host of nieces and nephews. Vanderbilt Health is grateful to Dr. Partain for his decades of service and major contributions to clinical and research imaging.
Everything you need to know about Skimo, the sport making its debut at the Winter Olympics
It’s around 102 years since the very first Winter Olympics were held in the French resort of Chamonix, but this year’s Games will be the first to feature the sport of skimo.
Congressmen introduce bill to delay controversial physician pay ‘efficiency’ adjustment
The bill has drawn support from nearly 40 medical societies, including the Radiology Business Management Association, which applauded the proposal Feb. 17.
Big concerts and free shows hit Central Valley casinos, venues
See concerts, live music, cultural events and nightlife at Central Valley casinos from Feb. 16 to March 1, including Keith Sweat’s headline show.
Scientists get clearest view ever of star collapsing into a black hole. And they very nearly missed it | BBC Sky at Night Magazine
M31-2014-DS1 is a star in the Andromeda Galaxy that underwent a brightening in infrared. Astronomers say it was a star becoming a black hole.
A&W Contractors navigates changes in federal diversity guidelines
Former respiratory therapist Adrian Mobley founded the company in 2014 and has since expanded the business into general contracting, flooring and joint sealant work, while still offering respiratory health services.
Supergiant Star Collapsed into Stellar-Mass Black Hole in Andromeda Galaxy
Using archival data from NASA’s NEOWISE mission along with data from other space and ground-based observatories, astronomers identified the clearest observational record yet of a massive star fading and vanishing into a black hole -- an event once theorized but rarely seen.
Roundup: Weber State football, basketball schedules affected by realignment
Future schedules for Weber State’s football and basketball teams have been affected by recent college sports realignment. And, speaking of realignment and schedules, Utah State released its first Pac-12 Conference football schedule as it joins with several outgoing Mountain West teams to form a new home in the fall of 2026. Changes likely for 1 […]
'I started smoking salmon from a glorified filing cabinet - it's now a £1m business'
James Eagle founded UK artisan brand The Pished Fish in 2014 and is known for its booze-infused, Scandinavian style smoked salmon.
Episode 18: Massive Attack helped me build a multi-million pound business
Join Jonathan Boyers, Head of Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Finance, and Chris Maguire, Executive Editor of BusinessCloud, as they sit down with Fernando Kufer, CEO of Emmy award-winning visual experiences giant Disguise.In this episode, Fernando Kufer discusses:How watching Massive Attack at Glastonbury in 2014 changed his life Speaking 7 different languagesTripling the size of DisguiseSurviving and then thriving after Covid
Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration suffered from high turnover, low worker morale even before departing leader took over
Current and former BHA employees alleged in a report published by The Denver Post last week that Dannette Smith fostered an unsafe and chaotic work environment, leading many employees to leave for …
Key dates for practices, games and championships in MPSSAA spring sports
Get ready for the local spring sports season. Here are key upcoming dates for practices and games, for baseball, softball, lacrosse and more.
Last Call for 2.9.26 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida
A digest of the day's politics and policy while the bartender refreshes your drink.
‘I did that’: Trump takes credit for a prisoner release that happened before he even ran for president
At the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, President Donald Trump spoke from prepared remarks as he discussed the persecution of Mariam Ibrahim. Ibrahim was unjustly imprisoned and sentenced to death in Sudan in 2014, in a case centered on her Christian faith, until she was released that same year following a global outcry.
US-South Africa funding: As American cash dries up the fight to stop Aids gets harder
Health experts fear that as testing and monitoring drops the risk of the further spread of HIV rises.
Monster.com founder Jeff Taylor returns to job-market business, with AI
Taylor's new company, Boomband, is starting with New England employers and job seekers, but aims to go nationwide by the end of the year.
Seahawks vs. Patriots Super Bowl LX Top Storylines
Super Bowl LX brings together two franchises shaped by history. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots arrive from very different paths, meeting on the same stage with something to prove. While this Super Bowl matchup happened relatively recently in 2014 and became an instant classic, only the fanbases remain since then. Russell Wilson, Pete […] The post Seahawks vs. Patriots Super Bowl LX Top Storylines appeared first on The Lead.
Sports Take: Can Baylor MBB turn things around? Just look at 2014
Baylor men's basketball's struggles aren't unprecedented. Twelve years ago, the Bears bounced back from a similar start to make a run to the Sweet 16.
6 NFL Teams Should Hunt for New Quarterbacks in 2026
In his first season with the Seattle Seahawks, Sam Darnold threw for over 4,000 passing yards and led them to the franchise’s first NFC Championship since 2014. Over in Foxborough, Drake Maye racked up 4,200 yards and 30 scores to lead New England to 13 wins in just his second season, leading many to believe […] The post 6 NFL Teams Should Hunt for New Quarterbacks in 2026 appeared first on The Lead.
‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ RiffTrax Revival Kickstarter Earns Over $1.1 Million in First Day
The Kickstarter for Rifftrax's 4 episode revival of Mystery Science Theater 3000 has earned over $1 million.
Yuba City eyes $8.5 million state grant for new regional sports complex
A new regional youth sports complex could be coming to Yuba City. The city's public works department is planning to apply for a state grant that could award up to $8.5 million through a revitalization program.
Older adults’ driving habits offer window into brain health, cognitive decline
Research Highlights: A study of over 200 adults followed for five years found that greater white matter damage in the brain was linked to decreased driving, fewer trips, repetitive routes and having more driving errors, especially in those who later ...
MLS, Polymarket join forces in prediction markets
MLS emphasized integrity as gambling scandals rock the sports world.
iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013, while the iPhone 6 launched in September 2014.
On Politics: The unwritten rule of politics Mamdani faces with 11 inches of snow
There’s little that bedevils a New York City mayor quite like a snowstorm.John Lindsay, running for re-election in 1969, could not get Queens properly plowed, and 42 people across the city would end up dead. Neither Michael Bloomberg nor Bill de Blasio encountered such carnage, but each of them faced down snow-related controversies: the billionaire Bloomberg for apparently being at his Bermuda retreat when snow struck the city in late 2010, and Bill de Blasio, in early 2014, for not allegedly sufficiently plowing the Upper East Side.Now it’s Zohran Mamdani’s turn to confront the snow. The 34-year-old newly-elected mayor, wildly popular with young leftists, must prove he can manage the city through a monster snowstorm. Partisanship is out the window. More than 11 inches fell on Central Park by the end of Sunday — a Jan. 25 record — and extreme cold is expected to remain in the city for the rest of the week.New Yorkers will, to a degree, be in danger. And it’ll be up to Mamdani to prove he can lead.
American Axle changes name ahead of Dowlais acquisition
Dauch Corp. is the new name and references the late automotive executive Richard Dauch, who founded American Axle as a spinoff of General Motors Co.
Eric Dane forced to miss event due to 'physical realities' of ALS
Eric Dane was forced to drop out of another event this weekend amid the "Grey's Anatomy" star's battle with ALS.
How 2 brothers turned Selkirk Sport into a leading pickleball brand
Brothers Rob and Mike Barnes started Selkirk Sport in 2014, when they were just 19 and 22 — and when pickleball was considered "a senior sport."
NASA to end support for planetary science groups
NASA is ending financial support for several planetary science groups as part of a broader drawdown of the agency’s advisory structure.
Blu Cow announces final day of business in Vail Village
The Blu Cow restaurant has been given until April 15 to be completely out of the building, says owner Simone Larese, making April 10 a tentative last day for the restaurant. The restaurant is located...
Voters say Trump has gone too far in immigration efforts in new WSJ poll
A majority of voters say that Trump's efforts to deploy ICE have gone too far in a new WSJ poll.
Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream ... about health care
A doctor from Nigeria tells what Martin Luther King Jr. taught him about health, Justice and inequality.
John Mellencamp says daughter, former 'RHOBH' star Teddi Mellencamp, is 'suffering' amid cancer battle
John Mellencamp says his daughter Teddi Mellencamp, a former 'Real Housewives' star, is 'suffering," following a 2022 brain cancer diagnosis.
Iowa man accused of impersonating health inspector at restaurant
A northwest Iowa man is facing charges for allegedly posing as a health inspector and threatening to close a restaurant in Cherokee.
Chuck Sullivan to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award Posthumously from College Sports Communicators
Chuck Sullivan, longtime assistant commissioner for communications of the American Conference, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously from the College Sports Communicators, the CSC announced January 15.
How Attribution Science Can Help Inform Grid Resilience
Extreme weather events were behind all high-impact power outages in the central United States between 2014 and 2024.
Is Consciousness Everywhere?
On the pseudophilosophy of panpsychism and its parallel to creationism
Local sports bar stays busy even without Chiefs in NFL Playoffs
The NFL Playoffs are underway and for the first time since 2014, the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t competing.
Sarah Michelle Gellar stepped away from acting because of Robin Williams' death: 'That loss was so huge'
Sarah Michelle Gellar said that the death of her 'Crazy Ones' costar Robin Williams inspired her to step back from acting in 2014: 'That loss was so huge.'
Developer_Direct Returns January 22: Watch Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation Gameplay, Direct from the Studios
We're kicking off 2026 with the fourth installment of Developer_Direct on January 22 – bringing you new gameplay and insights for Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Beast of Reincarnation.
Paul Miller: Will 2026 be the year Illinois GOP primary voters learn politics?
Republicans will continue to be powerless in Illinois until they can win in the Chicago suburbs.
Lee: Junk science in courts hurts everyone
Junk science admitted during trial continues to undermine our judicial system.
ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Claude vs Qwen: Which AI Chatbot Is Best Positioned for 2026
As 2025 comes to a close, AI chatbots are no longer judged on novelty or demos. Instead, investors now look at scale, daily use, work fit, and revenue reach. When
Last Call for 12.30.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida
A digest of the day's politics and policy while the bartender refreshes your drink.
The science of how (and when) we decide to speak out—or self-censor
The study's main takeaway: "Be bold. It is the thing that slows down authoritarian creep."
From 1925 to 2022, here are Cincinnati's first Ohio champs by sport
Starting from the first local state title in 1925, here are the first Greater Cincinnati Ohio state champions by sport.
University of Melbourne vice-chancellor dies, aged 52
University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Emma Johnston has died from complications associated with cancer, aged 52.
LaRosa's High School Sports Hall of Fame announces 51st class
The Larosa's High School Sports Hall of Fame announced its 2025 class on Dec. 24, 2025. See which athletes, coaches and teams were selected.
The disunity of science is a feature, not a bug
Mathematical models wield miraculous power, but mistaking them for reality has trapped science in a destructive quest for a “Theory of Everything.” Physicist and philosopher Ragner Fjelland argues that this leads to bloated, Frankenstein theories kept alive by clumsy, ad-hoc amendments, which reduce rather than boost science’s power. Fjelland calls for a radical shift in our attitude: we must reorientate towards creating entirely new theories, celebrating rather than lamenting disunity and diversity in science. Science, from the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century to the present day, has more or less developed in a “reductionist” way. The fundamental assumption is that all sciences may be ordered in a hierarchy that can be represented as an upside-down pyramid. At the top we find the human sciences, and at the bottom physics. Strong (or “ontological”) reductionism maintains that all theories at one level can be completely reduced to the lower level, all the way down to theories of atoms and elementary particles, or whatever is “at the bottom.” In the end, all diversity in the world can be unified in one fundamental theory. Hence it is called a final theory, or a Theory of Everything.One of the central figures in developing the idea of a Theory of Everything is the Dutch theoretical physicist Gerard 't Hooft, who received a Nobel Prize in physics in 1999 for his work. He emphasizes the non-empirical status of the theory:There exists no closely resembling alternative theory. This means that any slight change brought about in the rules would make the theory unlikely or inelegant. The theory will be a "package deal": take it, or leave it. This should hold both for the local laws and for the boundary conditions.This endeavor is not new. On the contrary, it goes all the way back to the birth of Western philosophy 2,500 years ago. The Babylonians made regular astronomical observations during a period of 600 years, from 747 BCE until 150 ACE. They developed mathematical techniques to predict astronomical phenomena, but they made no attempts at explaining them. However, the Greeks developed models, both material and theoretical, to explain the observed phenomena.The best example is Plato’s late dialogue Timaeus. Here he introduces a divine craftsman, the Demiurge, who has constructed the universe according to an original plan. Plato seems to have thought that the original plan is what is actually real, while the material world is merely an imperfect realization of it. He therefore does not, in the Timaeus, reconstruct the material universe, but the original plan, which can then be used to explain the material universe.Plato’s aim in producing a theoretical model is to reconstruct the original plan. That is what he carries out in Timaeus—and some modern physicists have embarked on the same project. For example, Einstein’s basic attitude is reflected in the title of Abraham Pais’ biography: “Subtle is the Lord...,” echoing Einstein’s comment, “Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not.” In an interview Einstein compared our situation to a child who enters a huge library. The child knows that someone has written the books, but he does not know the languages in which they are written. He suspects that there is a mysterious order, but he does not know what it is.___“We have all been working in what Husserl called the Galilean style; that is, we have all been making abstract mathematical models of the universe to which at least the physicists give a higher degree of reality than they accord the ordinary world of sensation.”Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics (1979)___This Platonist view is contrary to a widespread impression of science, symbolized by the picture of the “father” of modern science, Galileo Galilei, with his telescope. According to this impression, Galileo liberated himself from the dominating metaphysics of his day—basically Aristotelian philosophy—and constructed a telescope that he directed towards the sky, showing that Jupiter has four moons. He also performed experiments with bronze balls rolling down inclined planes and found the law of freely falling bodies.However, in other cases Galileo emphasized the unreliability of our senses. It is easy to see why. He defended Copernicus’ heliocentric hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, we are not at rest at the center of the universe, but moving at a tremendous speed through space. Why don’t we observe this motion? Galileo praises Copernicus because “with reason as his guide he resolutely continued to affirm what sensible experience seemed to contradict.” In other places he directly refers to Plato. SUGGESTED VIEWING The quest for a final theory With Michio Kaku Galileo’s Platonism goes back to his early writings. In The Assayer, published as early as 1623, Galileo compared the universe to a grand book that is written in the language of mathematics, and “its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.” Therefore, things that cannot be described by mathematics—for example, colors, smells and odors—are not real. They are merely subjective.This division into subjective and objective, advocated by Galileo and his younger contemporary René Descartes, is normally associated with a mechanistic world view, which is regarded as the opposite of Platonism. When we reduce something to, for example, molecules and atoms, we move “downwards.” In contrast, the Platonist moves “upwards,” to abstract entities. However, it only shows that when we address fundamental questions, we should be careful in applying everyday spatial metaphors like “up” and “down.”___Nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world.___The endeavor of finding a Theory of Everything has been heavily criticized. In 2006, the theoretical physicist Lee Smolin published “The Crisis in Fundamental Physics.” He argued that one of the most fundamental principles of science is that we should only regard theories as scientific if we have the possibility to show that they are false by experiments. Although he did not refer to Karl Popper, other critics have referred to Popper and argued that a theory is not scientific if it cannot be falsified (see for example Ellis & Silk 2014).These were not the first physicists to be anti-reductionists. In 1972, the journal Science published an article by the physicist Philip Anderson with the title “More Is Different.” This is the kind of article a scientist would normally write only after he has won a Nobel Prize. However, Anderson won the Nobel Prize for physics five years later, in 1977. The article is amazing, not primarily because it argues in favor of anti-reductionism in general, but because it argues for anti-reductionism within physics itself. Anderson’s conclusion was:At each stage entirely new laws, concepts, and generalizations are necessary, requiring inspiration and creativity to just as great a degree as in the previous one. Psychology is not applied biology, nor is biology applied chemistry.We may say that Plato started the “unity of science movement,” based on Euclidean geometry as the model of all knowledge. A distinguishing mark of geometry is that all possible constructions can be reduced to a few fundamental principles. We have to acknowledge that this approach has limitations. In general, we can easily model technological systems. In addition, we may construct simplified and idealized models that capture important aspects of systems, from various perspectives and for various purposes. But nature is complex, and we cannot in general construct mathematical models that adequately describe the world. In a complex system, each level has its distinct, emergent, properties that are characteristic of this level. Therefore, a complex system should be investigated at different levels and from different perspectives. Instead of exclusively pursuing a scientific ideal based on the unity of science, we should acknowledge the diversity—or even the disunity—of science.
Last Call for 12.22.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida
A digest of the day's politics and policy while the bartender refreshes your drink.
Stanley Black & Decker to sell aerospace manufacturing business for $1.8B
The unit provides fasteners, fittings and other engineered components for the aerospace and defense industries.
Fabio Paratici might actually join Fiorentina
Is this the man to lift the Viola out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves?
Schmidt Gives Keynote Address for Political Trust Conference
Professor Vivien Ann Schmidt gave the opening keynote address, titled Political Trust and Legitimacy in the Age of Populism, for the Political Trust conference, organized by CEVIPOF at the French Political Science School at Sciences Po in Paris on December 5, 2025. This year’s conference, named Political Trust: A Challenge for Democracies, brought together researchers from…
911 operators now ask Phoenix callers if they want mental health experts
Phoenix residents calling 911 will now be asked if they need a behavioral health expert to respond to an incident rather than a police officer.
Here's how Packers can clinch playoff spot during Week 16
The Packers can clinch a playoff spot with only two results in Week 16. Here's how.
Last Call for 12.15.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida
A digest of the day's politics and policy while the bartender refreshes your drink.
Marathon Health opens private healthcare clinic in Vestal. Who it serves
Maine-Endwell and Owego-Apalachin are offering "a departure from status quo healthcare."
NFL scores: Kansas City Chiefs eliminated from playoff contention as Buffalo Bills beat New England Patriots in thriller
Kansas City Chiefs to miss NFL playoffs for first time since 2014 season following defeat to Los Angeles Chargers; Patrick Mahomes exits the game injured in the fourth quarter; Buffalo Bills meanwhile come from behind to beat New England Patriots to keep division title hopes alive
What we're hearing: Philip Rivers' comeback, Burrow and more
Philip Rivers is expected to start an NFL game at 44 years old after a 1,800-day layoff, Joe Burrow's comments raised eyebrows across the league, and sources weigh in on what it all actually means.
Life expectancy is Summit County has declined. Here's why:
Life expectancy in Summit County has declined from 78.5 years to 76.3 years between the periods of 2014-2018 and 2019-2023, a drop of 2.2 years.
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
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