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Everton Notebook | Home Failures Continue to Mar Promising Campaign
The Blues can forget about dreams of Europe if they can’t win at home
Ford recalls over 4.3 million vehicles over software issue
Ford recalls 4.3 million vehicles over a software problem that could cause trailer brake failure and a loss of exterior lights when towing.
Story Health by Innovaccer Partners with Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute To Launch Virtual Heart Failure Management Program
SAN FRANCISCO, February 24, 2026--Innovaccer Inc., a leading healthcare AI company, today announced a strategic partnership with Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute’s Center for Healthcare Delivery Innovation to expand access to guideline-directed heart failure management across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. By using Story Health, Innovaccer’s virtual specialty care and patient monitoring platform, Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute will extend continuous Guideline-Directed Medic
Leader Jeffries on eve of State of the Union: ‘Donald Trump’s presidency has been a complete and total failure’
Country music icon’s jet aborts takeoff due to mechanical failure. Here’s the latest
The country music legend had a frightening flight.
Why Winter Olympic medals broke and what the failure revealed
A small design flaw in the medals for the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina turned a durability promise into a very public stress test
Apple's C1X Modem Faces First Reported Failure in iPhone Air
A reported hardware failure affecting Apple's new in-house C1X 5G modem in the iPhone Air has surfaced online, marking the first known real-world incident involving the company's own baseband technology. The iPhone Air is the first iPhone model to ship with the Apple's internally designed C1X 5G modem, replacing Qualcomm's X75 modem used across the iPhone 16 lineup.
Some users report Windows 11’s February update, KB5077181, is failing to install and causing a range of system issues
A small number of users report installation failures and post-update issues, putting update reliability back in the spotlight.
Heart failure on the rise among younger adults, Orlando Health says
Discover how a 32-year-old father's heart failure journey underscores the importance of recognizing symptoms early. Orlando Health offers insights.
Kevin O'Leary Warns '80% Of Businesses Fail In The First 36 Months' As High Customer Acquisition Costs Drain Startups
Investor Kevin O'Leary highlighted that excessive spending to acquire customers is the leading cause of early-stage startup failures and a critical factor for growth potential. High Customer Acquisition Costs Top Reason Startups Fail On Tuesday, O'Leary posted on X, sharing a clip from one of his recent talks, emphasizing the role of customer acquisition costs, or CAC, in startup survival. "Why do 80% of businesses fail in the first 36 months? Customer acquisition cost," O'Leary wrote. He added,
‘I blew it’: What happens when you fall short on the biggest sporting stage?
From Lindsey Jacobellis to Ilia Malinin, perceived failure on the world stage is public and permanent - but it's how you react that matters
‘It’s the most urgent public health issue’: Dr Rangan Chatterjee on screen time, mental health – and banning social media until 18
The hit podcaster, author and former GP says a failure to regulate big tech is ‘failing a generation of children’. He explains why he quit the NHS and why he wants a ban on screen-based homework
Windows 11 KB5077181 fixes boot failures linked to failed updates
Microsoft says it has resolved a Windows 11 bug that caused some commercial systems to fail to boot with an "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" error after installing recent security updates, with the fix delivered in the February 2026 Patch Tuesday update.
Windows 11 KB5077181 Security Update Causing Some Devices to Restart in an Infinite Loop
Microsoft's February 10, 2026, security update KB5077181 for Windows 11 versions 24H2 (build 26200.7840) and 25H2 (build 26100.7840) has triggered widespread reports of critical boot failures just days after deployment.
How Ilia Malinin's Olympic failure is teaching moment for kid athletes
In his free skate voiceover, Ilia Malinin tells us to, "Embrace the storm." Our youth athletes do better when we do, too.
‘They put me on there to die’: conservatives unleash on GOP’s failures to carry out DOGE cost-cutting
The budget-slashing Department of Government Efficiency that upended the federal government at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term has stalled out on Capitol Hill, a reality that’s left conservative lawmakers fuming.
Bondi, Massie spar over Epstein files redactions
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Crescent Springs, told Bondi that her department’s compliance with his bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act was a “massive failure."
American Airlines pilots, flight attendants rebuke CEO's leadership
American Airlines flight attendants union issues historic no confidence vote against CEO Robert Isom, citing operational failures and lagging competition.
US health official urges measles vaccination as outbreaks spread across states
Dr. Oz warns failure to immunize could jeopardize US measles elimination status - Anadolu Ajansı
Failure to Alert Judge to Press Law for Reporter Search Draws Ethical Scrutiny
The Justice Department may have violated a candor rule by not disclosing a 1980 law when seeking a warrant for a Washington Post reporter’s home.
FDA announces recall of Johnson & Johnson devices after multiple injuries, 1 death
The devices are being recalled due to a higher-than-expected failure to detach rate. Customers should not use them going forward.
He had shortness of breath, jitters and blamed anxiety. It was heart failure at 30.
Alex Balmes thought it was anxiety causing his symptoms, but it was heart failure at 30. Here's what this young dad wants others to know.
Democratic rival Rodriguez criticizes Crowley over health care flap
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez criticized Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley over the county's failure to renew a health benefits contract.
Hurricanes Thrashed in Controversial Overtime Loss to Capitals
Poor puck-management, bizarre calls (and lack of standard calls), and failure to maintain momentum paved the way to a 4-3 […]
Cloud storage payment scam floods inboxes with fake renewals
Over the past few months, a large-scale cloud storage subscription scam campaign has been targeting users worldwide with repeated emails falsely warning recipients that their photos, files, and accounts are about to be blocked or deleted due to an alleged payment failure.
UFC 325 loses fight after controversial weigh-in failure
UFC 325 loses fight after strange weigh-in
Sidelining Black women in clinical trials is not just a moral failure. It’s bad science
When trial participants aren't representative, the evidence for universally adopted cancer treatment guidelines is incomplete.
Political polarization in Pittsburgh communities is rooted in economic neglect − not extremism
Voters in places like Aliquippa and Braddock aren’t becoming more radical; they’re responding to decades of disinvestment and institutional failure.
Microsoft probes Windows 11 boot failures tied to January security updates
: Some machines are failing to start after security updates, prompting yet another Microsoft investigation
Lee Health: Advancing heart failure care close to home
Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart cannot pump blood and oxygen effectively enough to support other organs.
America’s health care crisis isn’t inevitable. It’s misdiagnosed.
Washington keeps arguing over who should pay the bill while ignoring what’s driving costs in the first place — a policy failure decades in the making.
UK politicians welcome Trump’s retreat over British troops’ role in Afghanistan
Home secretary says climbdown was ‘as good as it gets’ from US president despite failure to apologise for remarks
Bausch Health’s $2B pursuit of Xifaxan successor hits wall with phase 3 failure
A potential inflection point that Bausch Health hoped could diversify its portfolio has vanished with a pair of phase 3 failures for a new formulation of the company’s bread-and-butter Xifaxan—a se | A potential inflection point that Bausch Health hoped could diversify its portfolio has vanished with a pair of phase 3 failures for a new formulation of the company’s bread-and-butter Xifaxan—a setback that leaves a $2 billion hole in its growth plan.
New Windows 11 KB5074109 Update Breaks Systems - Microsoft Asks Users to Remove Update
Microsoft's January 2026 Windows 11 security update KB5074109 has triggered multiple system stability issues, including lockups and black screens, prompting users to uninstall it. Reports highlight graphics regressions and app failures affecting both consumer and enterprise setups.
If only the US was being run like a business
President Trump's failure to honor even basic principles of business is on full display now.
Fact check: The false claims in Trump’s extraordinary message to Norway
In an extraordinary message to Norway’s prime minister, President Donald Trump linked his pursuit of the self-governing Danish territory of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He repeated his long-debunked claim that he ended eight wars. And he made another false claim – that no written documents support Denmark’s ownership of Greenland.
How two acclaimed US films reveal the failures of leftwing revolutionary politics
It seems apt then that two films concerned with the failures of leftwing revolutionary politics should emerge almost simultaneously with Donald Trump’s resurgence.
Microsoft Confirms Emergency Updates For Most Windows PCs
Windows users warned new security update causes multiple failures — fixes are now here.
Two years after new leaders promised change, Louisiana Democratic Party is still a mess
It’s been nearly two years since a group of upstart Democratic Party activists and voters, frustrated by years of neglect and failure, forced out the Louisiana state party’s chair and some other entrenched leaders. But what has happened since?
Will Google Become Our AI-Powered Central Planner?
Google may monopolize the market for AI consumer services. And now it is now rolling out a service to help businesses set prices, based on what it knows about us. The failure of antitrust was costly.
Research in Yale Science Building paused due to ventilation failure
A Wednesday email announced that the building — except for Marsh Lecture Hall and concourse-level physics research labs — would be closed until further notice.
The ozone layer is still healing…thanks to science : Short Wave
In the mid-1980s, scientists published a startling finding–a giant hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. That’s the protective shield that blocks large amounts of harmful UV radiation. And without it, the rate of cancer, cataracts and crop failure would skyrocket. Today on the show, we dive into ozone science and examine how scientists successfully sounded the alarm and solved an Antarctic mystery.Check out our episode on an Antarctic plankton mystery. And, listen to our monthly series Nature Quest.Interested in more atmospheric science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.This episode was produced by Berly McCoy. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the facts. The audio engineer was Becky Brown.
Commentary: It's premature to call cannabis equity journey a failure
The cannabis industry should be afforded the opportunity to mature as other industries have, writes an industry advocate.
Hawaiʻi Needs Universal Health Care, Not Another Temporary Fix
Obamacare was never designed to fix what’s actually system failure.
Conservation’s unfinished business
Conservation often presents itself as a technical enterprise: how much land to protect, which species to prioritize, what policies deliver results. A recent paper in Nature argues that this framing misses something fundamental. Many of the field’s most persistent failures, the authors contend, cannot be understood without confronting how race, power, and historical exclusion continue […]
UCare CEO salary topped $1M as the health insurer foundered
Compensation for Hilary Marden-Resnik declined, but still stood out given insurer’s failure. The CEO is stepping down with the Jan. 1 sale of UCare assets to a competitor.
Trump vows to slash mortgage rates, revive 'American Dream' after Biden housing failures
Trump directs $200 billion mortgage bond purchase to lower housing costs, citing Biden's 'broken economy' as he promises to restore affordability.
Towards a coherent affordability agenda
Democrats are taking advantage of voter dissatisfaction with the Trump administration’s failure to reduce consumer prices, and are proposing a range of policies to increase affordability, whi…
What is the biggest lesson from the Lions’ 2025 season?
What lessons can be had from the Detroit Lions’ 2025 season failures.
Science, Resilience, and the Road Ahead
S4, E6: Jeremy Farrar, FRS, of the World Health Organization (WHO), shares personal lessons on failure, leadership under pressure, and why optimism, humility, and inclusion are essential to shaping the future of public health ...
Tim Walz, Fraud and the Costs of Trifecta Politics
The scandals that ended the Minnesota governor’s bid for a third term reflect the kind of oversight failure that comes with one-party control of government. Above all, voters expect competent administration.
Audit of Minnesota DHS grant programs finds "widespread failures in oversight"
Can the US ‘run’ Venezuela? Military force can topple a dictator, but it cannot create political authority or legitimacy
If Washington governs by force in Venezuela, it will repeat the failures of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya: Power can topple regimes, but it cannot create political authority or legitimacy.
Type 2 diabetes physically changes the human heart, study finds
Type 2 diabetes doesn’t just raise the risk of heart disease—it physically reshapes the heart itself. Researchers studying donated human hearts found that diabetes disrupts how heart cells produce energy, weakens the muscle’s structure, and triggers a buildup of stiff, fibrous tissue that makes it harder for the heart to pump. These changes are especially severe in people with ischemic heart disease, the most common cause of heart failure.
Another power outage in SF's Richmond District has residents, businesses losing faith in PG&E
"It's not if, but when it happens again." Another power failure was reported in San Francisco's Richmond District on Friday afternoon, days after PG&E apologized for repeated outages in the neighborhood. Residents say they are losing confidence in the utility.
Health policy expert analyzes what he calls 'disgusting' Minnesota fraud
Brian Blase, a former White House National Economic Council staffer and president of the Paragon Health Institute, talks to Fox News Digital about Minnesota fraud, and Obamacare's structural failures and cost overruns.
Did Rams losing NFC West also lose Matthew Stafford MVP?
Matthew Stafford’s MVP case is strong, but Rams’ late-season failures may have hurt his chances.
What Does Jared Isaacman, NASA's New Administrator, Have Planned For The Beleaguered Agency?
After an initial failure to launch, billionaire Jared Isaacman has finally been confirmed as the new administrator for NASA
Google founder Sergey Brin tells Stanford engineering students: I made the mistake of thinking I am the next Steve Jobs and can make ... - The Times of India
Tech News News: Google co-founder Sergey Brin recently shared an important tip that he said he learned from one of the company's biggest hardware failures. During a t.
This popular painkiller may do more harm than good
Tramadol, a popular opioid often seen as a “safer” painkiller, may not live up to its reputation. A large analysis of clinical trials found that while it does reduce chronic pain, the relief is modest—so small that many patients likely wouldn’t notice much real-world benefit. At the same time, tramadol was linked to a significantly higher risk of serious side effects, especially heart-related problems like chest pain and heart failure, along with common issues such as nausea, dizziness, and sleepiness.
Pinterest exec spills the defining quality she looks for in potential hires
Ayumi Nakajima said she values candidates who talk about their failures without spinning stories to make themselves look good.
Nine mental-health tips for a happier 2026
Regardless of any resolutions you may have for 2026, one thing is for sure: Everyone wants to have a happy new year.While losing weight or saving money may be great goals, the most straightforward path to happiness is caring for your mental and emotional health. A robust body of research shows that simple cognitive and behavioral strategies can reliably boost happiness and reduce stress – and they’re generally free and accessible to all.These strategies don’t have to be super time-consuming, but they do require intention: They only work if you do them.Here, psychologist Valentina Ogaryan, PhD, clinical director of the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, shares her top tips for cultivating more calm, centeredness and happiness in the new year (or anytime):Make time for playPlay isn’t just for kids, and it’s far from frivolous. The National Institute for Play says engaging in silliness, fun and just-for-pleasure activities reduces stress and increases optimism and resilience. A recent review also found that play improves mental health.“Adults can benefit from play as much as children,” Dr. Ogaryan says, “not just as a reward, but something that helps regulate.”So go ahead and dance with your dog, build something with Legos, tell a joke, sing karaoke or do anything else that feels like fun. Don’t worry about being productive, just enjoy yourself. And, if you can, opt for more analog play, Dr. Ogaryan suggests, as a respite from our ever-more-digital world. Move your bodyWhether you dance, ski, do yoga, play pickleball, ride a bike, roller-skate, hike or lift weights, physical movement benefits overall happiness and well-being. A 2018 review study of more than 1.2 million adults in the U.S. found that doing any kind of exercise was “significantly and meaningfully associated” with better self-reported mental health.The sweet spot was 45 minutes of movement three to five times a week, but even short bursts of physical activity can boost brain health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“Movement helps support mood and regulate the nervous system,” Dr. Ogaryan says.Plus: exercise can improve sleep quality, and sleep is essential for mental health.Prioritize sleep“Sleep plays a major role in managing stress,” Dr. Ogaryan says. Research shows that lack of sufficient sleep increases the risk of various diseases, including depression.While stress can interfere with sleep, practicing good sleep hygiene can make logging ZZ’s easier. That means maintaining a consistent bedtime; keeping the bedroom cool, dark and quiet; and avoiding social media, news and stimulating shows before bed.Consume lessWe live in a consumer culture, inundated by endless streams of content and advertising everywhere we go, which makes it easy to get overstimulated.“Something really helpful for stress reduction is to simply consume less,” Dr. Ogaryan says – less news, less social media, less information, less noise, less screen time. “It’s about reducing the input,” she says.Consider setting a maximum number of news articles per day, for example, or a time limit on scrolling. Maybe even go device free for an afternoon or a whole day.Practice present-moment awarenessWith so much coming at us all the time, focusing on the here and now can make life feel more manageable, Dr. Ogaryan says: “When everything feels super overwhelming, when everything feels larger than life, let’s make our world a little bit smaller for that moment in time.”She suggests taking things one day, or even one hour, at a time. Ask yourself: What’s my next right action? Release the need to know how everything turns out and liberate yourself from having to handle everything right now. Let the future take care of itself and just focus on the current moment. Then the next one. Have a daily anchorFrom work to the daily commute to family and life responsibilities, our days can feel jam-packed. Dr. Ogaryan recommends creating a centering daily anchor that can fit into even the busiest day.Maybe it’s a 10-minute walk during your lunch break or mindfully enjoying your coffee in the morning. Let your anchor adapt to your needs each day, she says, but be intentional about using that time to ground yourself and calm your nervous system. You might even say to yourself, “I choose this walk to help me become centered,” or “My day already feels stressful, so I’m going to take the next 10 minutes to enjoy this cup of coffee, feel the warm mug in my hand and just be present.” Having an anchor won’t erase the busy-ness from your day, but it will allow you to approach it more calmly.Be kind to yourselfMost of us have a harsh inner critic in our heads who works overtime. But that critical voice only increases our stress, triggering the same fight-or-flight response as caustic words from another person.To feel happier, we need to replace that inner critic with a kinder, more compassionate voice, Dr. Ogaryan says. Studies show that self-compassion is a source of eudaimonic happiness – the kind of happiness associated with purpose and meaning in life.While our knee-jerk reaction may be to self-criticize – “How could you let it get to this point? You didn’t manage your time well and now the project is going to be late. You’re so inept.” – we fare better mentally by treating ourselves with kindness, like we would a friend. That might sound like, “You’ve got a lot on your plate, but you are capable and you’ll get it done. I believe in you.”We may think that speaking kindly to ourselves means letting ourselves off the hook, so we end up becoming lazy do-nothings. But research shows the opposite: People who are self-compassionate are more likely to try harder in the face of failure and ultimately reach their goals.You can thank your inner critic for its good intentions, but resolve to talk to yourself in a kind, compassionate voice.Connect with othersHumans are social animals built for connection. Stress can be isolating and cause us to withdraw, but connecting with others is a salve for the psyche, Dr. Ogaryan says.“We know that not all relationships are always easy, but if we can think about intentional, nourishing connection – even in really small doses – it could really help center us,” she says.Take a moment to laugh with your colleagues, hug your pet, have a conversation with a friend or smile at the barista making your coffee. A study found that even tiny interactions with casual acquaintances and strangers decreases loneliness and improves happiness and well-being.Seek supportIf you try these practices and happiness remains elusive, or if you can’t access the wherewithal to follow these tips, seek support from your physician or a therapist. Mental health conditions are among the most common health issues in the U.S. and around the world – more prevalent than diabetes or heart disease. One in five people in the U.S. experiences a mental illness each year, with depression and anxiety the most common, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.“We can all think about these tips,” Dr. Ogaryan says. “But it’s important to recognize if you’ve done everything you can and you’re still really struggling, it’s really important to seek help.”
Year in review: Congress' successes & failures : The NPR Politics Podcast
As we approach 2026, the NPR Politics Podcast is taking a look back at the year that was in different political areas. Today, we look at what lawmakers were able to get done -- or not -- in 2025, and how that may influence their 2026 agenda.This episode: political correspondent Sarah McCammon, congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh, and senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith.This podcast was produced by Casey Morell & Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.
How systemic failures turn state mental hospitals into prisons
The share of people with severe mental illness in state psychiatric hospitals accused of serious crimes has risen steeply. The shift has all but halted the possibility of care before a catastrophic crisis.
The Science Behind Holiday Feasting—and Why It’s Totally Fine
Modern diet culture frames holiday eating as failure, but biology, history, and psychology tell a different story—one where feasting is not a lapse in discipline, but a deeply human ritual tied to survival, memory, and connection.
Opinion | Weighing Politics and Morality in the Israel Debate
Readers respond to an essay criticizing U.S. Democrats’ failure to resolve the conflict in Gaza. Also: Trump’s Kennedy Center rebrand; blaming immigrants after the Brown shooting.
Republicans Can’t Escape Their Self-Created Health Care Problem
Another series of failures ensures that a debate they can’t win will extend into the election year of 2026.
Ten years ago, SpaceX turned tragedy into triumph with a historic rocket landing
“It’s hard to describe how epic this comeback was after our first Falcon 9 launch failure.”…
Commentary: Trump’s callous political attack on Rob Reiner shows a shameful moral failure
Hours after Rob Reiner and his wife were murdered, President Trump blamed the beloved Hollywood figure for his own death. It's a new low, but also shows just how right Reiner was.
Deadline tonight: Enroll now for ACA health insurance or risk going uninsured
Monday is the deadline to enroll in Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance for coverage beginning Jan. 1. Many are facing tough choices for their healthcare as Congress's failure to extend pandemic-era tax credits has spiked premiums.
Deadline tonight: Enroll now for ACA health insurance or risk going uninsured
Monday is the deadline to enroll in Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance for coverage beginning Jan. 1. Many are facing tough choices for their healthcare as Congress's failure to extend pandemic-era tax credits has spiked premiums.
Microsoft: December security updates cause Message Queuing failures
Microsoft has confirmed that the December 2025 security updates are breaking Message Queuing (MSMQ) functionality, affecting enterprise applications and Internet Information Services (IIS) websites.
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…
Health insurance under Affordable Care Act to skyrocket after Senate fails to extend tax credits
Health care advocates and progressive groups across Florida said the U.S. Senate's failure to extend premium subsidies for the Affordable Care Act was a "disheartening setback" that will significantly raise the cost of health insurance for nearly 5 million Floridians, including hundreds of thousands of people in South Florida.
"Grand Pro Circuit" is a new retro open-wheel sim aiming for 1980s realism
A low-poly look, manual gearboxes and no assists meet tyre temps, changeable weather and mechanical failures in this Steam-bound open-wheel throwback
After failure in the Senate, House GOP has its own health care proposal
House Republicans released proposed legislation late Friday that would not extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax subsidies.
The year-end Obamacare crunch is yet another failure of America’s political system
Americans are being failed by their government.
Failure of rival health bills underscores impasse in US politics
Democrats voted down a Republican bill that would have provided limited relief for out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
Failure of rival health bills underscores impasse in US politics
Democrats voted down a Republican bill that would have provided limited relief for out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
Billings contractor receives “F” rating from Better Business Bureau over unfinished work
The Better Business Bureau has given Greenhaw Buildings LLC an "F" rating due to numerous customer complaints of incomplete or shoddy work, lack of communication, and failure to provide refunds.
Thirty Years of Onion Politics: Bosnia and Herzegovina on the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement
The Dayton Peace Agreement ended the Bosnian War, establishing the constitutional framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It achieved its immediate aim of ending direct violence, yet ended up creating a state apparatus that obstructs social equality and economic sovereignty. This Spotlight argues that the evaluation of its success must take two problems into account: the cementation of ethnic categories as foundational levels of governance and the resulting failure to address or transform war legacies; and the institutionalized international involvement undermining democratic self-determination.
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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