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Veteran Dem. operative offers scathing 6-word rebuke of Trump
The operative said that Trump was "done" in several states where Democrats defeated Republicans in elections this year.
Outer Banks Health honors President Ronnie Sloan, FACHE, for exemplary service and leadership
Outer Banks Health is proud to honor the legacy of President Ronnie Sloan, FACHE, after a remarkable career of nearly 15 years of dedicated service
Why affordability is the 'beating heart' of the ACA enhanced subsidy debate, health policy experts say
Health plans proposed by Senate Democrats and Republicans failed on Thursday, making it more likely enhanced ACA subsidies would expire at year end.
Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold already sold out in South Korea ahead of US launch
Samsung’s long-awaited Galaxy Z TriFold will hit store shelves in the US early next year, but if its Korean launch...
Who Really Won 2025? The Top-Earning Black Women In Entertainment This Year
From billion-dollar empires to history-making tours, these are the Black women who generated the biggest earnings in entertainment this year.
Local companies join STEM Night to showcase science careers
This year, North Godwin added local businesses to its STEM Night to highlight careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
Supporting Breakthrough Health Advancements in Eswatini Under the America First Global Health Strategy - United States Department of State
Today, the United States and the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on global health cooperation that includes strategic investments to strengthen national health efforts, leverage American technology, and facilitate the long-term sustainability of Eswatini’s health system. The Department of State, working with Congress, intends to provide up […]
New 'DNA cassette tape' can store up to 1.5 million times more data than a smartphone — and the data can last 20,000 years if frozen
Scientists have discovered that over half a mile of DNA could hold over 360,000 terabytes of data.
The 4 most innovative tech products we tested this year (includes a surprise tri-fold phone)
From AI glasses with digital overlays to robot vacuums that can pick up your leftover laundry, here are ZDNET's Breakthrough Award winners for 2025.
Our Favorite Hobby-Friendly Gifts for Science Geeks and Gamers
These science-themed gifts mix brains and fun.
The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror
Halcyon Years by Alastair Reynolds; Paris Fantastique by Nicholas Royle; All Tomorrows by CM Kosemen; The Salt Oracle by Lorraine Wilson; The Witching Hour by various authors
Flandrau Planetarium and Science Center celebrates 50 years of curiosity
The building now hosts exhibits ranging from space satellites to great white sharks.
Trump calls affordability a "hoax"; Democrats take note
In the first year of his second term, President Donald Trump has focused his attention on foreign policy and made numerous trips abroad – with an eye toward the Nobel Peace Prize. But as he discusses peace deals with foreign leaders, his ratings domestically have fallen. Critics say that he isn’t doing enough to ease American’s economic concerns. So, this week, Trump returned his attention stateside and kicked off his affordability tour in Pennsylvania, while simultaneously branding “affordability” as a democratic “hoax.” Today on the politics roundtable, we discuss why Trump’s tour signals the administration’s concerns about the politics of affordability, and how some Democrats could use this as a way to gain an edge during the 2026 midterms. Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Dan Merica, the co-anchor of our politics newsletter, The Early Brief, and White House Bureau Chief Matt Viser.
Owls Receive HERO Sports Group of Five All-America Honors - Kennesaw State University Athletics
KENNESAW, Ga. – Highlighted head coach Jerry Mack being named HERO Sports Group of Five Coach of the Year, Kennesaw State football received two All-America honors on Friday.
Why did it take Eagles so long to get Britain Covey involved in return game?
Watching Britain Covey return punts and kicks Monday night against the Chargers it was easy to wonder why he hasn’t been doing it all year.
Dueling health care plans fail in the Senate as ACA premium deadline approaches
Competing health care plans failed to meet the 60-vote threshold in the Senate Thursday. With federal ACA subsidies set to expire, health insurance costs are expected to surge in the new year.
57 things that happened to Rory McIlroy in 2025
A fast-paced look back at Rory McIlroy's eventful—and historic—year.
GOP defectors raise the heat on Republicans over health vote subsidies
GOP leaders in both chambers of Congress are under growing pressure from rank-and-file Republicans to address health insurance premiums that are expected to soar next year, fueling concerns the nat…
Which blockbuster movies defined 2025's year in film?
A year of daring originals and audience-favorite franchises top the list of 2025's most memorable films of the year.
15 Big Ten sports scandals (including Rutgers) from the last 15 years
In the past decade and a half alone, the Big Ten has been marred by massive scandals at its most renowned institutions.
After more than a year in business, this Morton restaurant has closed
The Tazewell County Health Department learned of the permanent closure in late November.
2025: The Year in Graphics, Data, Maps, and Visual Stories
Here’s how Bloomberg News used charts, maps and other visuals to tell 2025’s most important stories.
COGE report recommends New Hampshire split apart health department, embrace AI
It was one of Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s earliest priorities this year: A “Commission on Government Efficiency” that would review ways to reduce cost and waste in the New Hampshire government and whose acronym, COGE, bore a striking resemblance to DOGE, the controversial federal effort led by Elon Musk.
The year the Big Tech job market cracked
"It feels like recruiters are looking for Superman," said one job seeker who's struggled during the tech job market's brutal year.
Past Ulster disappointments driving Kilcoo
With 13 Down titles over the past 14 years, one may get the impression that success can be taken for granted in Kilcoo, but current manager Martin Corey insists there is a sense they "have left a lot behind them" beyond their county boundary.
Scientists have been studying the exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 e. Could it harbor alien life? : Short Wave
Want to be a top notch candidate for hosting alien life? Then there's a few key requirements you should be aware of: Ideally, you're a large object like a moon or a planet; scientists suspect you also have an atmosphere and water; plus, you should orbit your star from a nice mid-range distance — in the "Goldilocks Zone" of habitability. Until recently, you would be competing against TRAPPIST-1 e. It's a planet outside of our solar system. TRAPPIST-1 e is also only 40 light years away, rocky and the same size as Earth, which prompted researchers to investigate whether it also has an atmosphere — and the potential for alien life. A team of researchers has been investigating TRAPPIST-1 e to learn more about its potential. Their answers, recently published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, say a lot not just about this exoplanet, but about how scientists should refocus their hunt for alien life.Interested in more space science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
The year-end Obamacare crunch is yet another failure of America’s political system
Americans are being failed by their government.
Everything announced and all the winners at The Game Awards 2025
This year at The Game Awards, if your game wasn’t melodramatic, mechanically innovative, beautifully presented and aggressively French, it really didn’t stand a chance.
The Game Awards 2025 – Every Winner and Xbox Reveal Plus New Details on Control Resonant, Diablo IV, Tomb Raider, and More
On behalf of the creative teams at Xbox, Bethesda Softworks, Activision, and Blizzard, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to this year’s winners and nominees at The Game Awards!
Flandrau Planetarium and Science Center celebrates 50 years of curiosity
The building now hosts exhibits ranging from space satellites to great white sharks.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Storms The Game Awards 2025, Wins Coveted Game of the Year
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stormed The Game Awards 2025, winning all but one category it was nominated in, including the main prize: Game of the Year.
Game Awards Declares ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ Game Of The Year
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hollow Knight: Silksong, No Man's Sky take home wins from 2026 Game Awards. Amazon Games announces new Tomb Raider games
Lara Croft will return in Tomb Raider: Catalyst and a new remake
Amazon is publishing two new Tom Raider games in the next two years: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis in 2026 and Tomb Raider: Catalyst in 2027.
No. 18 Florida hopes to right ship vs. George Washington
The Florida Gators went 36-4 last season, winning their third national championship. This season, the 18th-ranked Gators have already equaled their loss total from all of last year.
The Legacy of Lara Croft Continues in Two New Tomb Raider Games
30 years after it all started, Lara Croft returns in one new adventure, Tomb Raider: Catalyst (2027) and a complete reimagining of her first, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (2026). Learn more inside:
Control: Resonant Announced by Remedy for 2026 Release | The Game Awards 2025
Remedy Entertainment has announced Control: Resonant, the follow-up to IGN’s 2019 Game of the Year, Control at the 2025 Game Awards. It’s due out in 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S, and it aims to be anything but a straightforward sequel.
China's new 'condom tax' draws skepticism and worries over health risks
China will soon start collecting a value-added tax on contraceptive drugs and products for the first time in over 30 years.
Pipes: Despite Dems' protests, affordable health plans are about to multiply
This year, many people can buy low-cost "catastrophic" health plans for the very first time.
A political year in review with Melissa Clarke and Michael Read
In the final episode for 2025, political editor Tom McIlroy speaks with Melissa Clarke from ABC RN Breakfast and Michael Read from the Australian Financial Review about criticisms of Albanese’s ambition for reform and the future of Sussan Ley’s leadership
Lions-Rams Preview
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) Nearly five years after the Los Angeles Rams blindsided Jared Goff by trading him to Detroit for Matthew Stafford, practically all parties involved in the blockbuster deal are thriving on the field and seemingly content about their fate.
iOS 26 Code Leak Reveals Apple Smart Home Hub Details
Apple is working on a smart home hub that will rely heavily on the more capable version of Siri that's coming next year. We've heard quite a bit about the hub over the last two years, but a recent iOS 26 code leak provides additional insight into what we can expect and confirms rumored features. Macworld claims to have access to an internal version of iOS 26 that references several upcoming Apple devices, including the home hub.
First-year Huskers boost MotoAmerica through inaugural Business Battle
"Most business schools wait until junior and senior year before introducing students to industry professionals, but we wanted to do that for our freshmen. Day one, we introduced them to corporate partners, real-world business challenges and mentors from our business community." —Laurie Miller, associate dean of undergraduate programs and curriculum, College of Business
Analysis: How the White House is using misleading comparisons to make inflation sound better
The year-over-year inflation rate in January, the month President Donald Trump returned to the White House, was 3.0%.
Taking Stock of Elevance Health (ELV)’s Valuation After Digital Health Push and Board Refresh
Elevance Health (ELV) just paired a broader rollout of its AI powered Virtual Assistant with the appointment of veteran healthcare deal maker and governance expert Amy Schulman to its board, a combination investors should parse carefully. See our latest analysis for Elevance Health. Those digital health moves and the Schulman appointment are landing against a clear shift in sentiment, with the share price up 14.3 percent over the past month but a three year total shareholder return still...
House votes to nullify Trump order and restore bargaining rights for federal workers
The House voted to repeal President Donald Trump’s executive order from earlier this year that aimed to remove collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees
Bills-Patriots Preview
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) There was a time in the not-too-distant past when it was a yearly occurrence for the New England Patriots to win the AFC East and go to the playoffs.
The future of American science and a dispatch from ASH
This week on "The Readout LOUD": Is a new obesity drug making people lose too much weight? Plus catch up on #ASH25 and hear how the country's scientific institutions have had a bruising year.
Roundup: Mortgage rates / Health care legislation / Jazz Fest lineup
Ticking up: Mortgage rates increased slightly, adding to cost pressures for buyers. The average for 30-year, fixed loans rose to 6.22%, up from 6.19% last week, Freddie Mac said in a statement Thursday. A year ago, the average was 6.6%. Read more from Bloomberg. A subscription may be required. Stalling: The U.S. Senate failed to […]
BBC Audio | BBC Inside Science | Would our ancestors have benefited from early neanderthals making fire?
New evidence shows that early neanderthals made fire 350 thousand years before we thought.
‘I didn’t want to tear it down.’ Michael Jordan, Jim France see a new day in NASCAR
Michael Jordan and Jim France stood opposed for over a year. On Thursday, they were united, “moving forward instead of moving separately.”
Gatesville man accused of misapplying business funds
Gatesville, Tx (FOX 44) – A 32-year-old Gatesville man is facing charges, accused of misapplying over $300,000 from a company he was CEO of. Timothy Austin Cottongim was the Chief Executive Officer and part owner of Mavrick Rentals LLC, a Gatesville company that rented dumpsters, portable toilets and storage containers. The charges came as a […]
Bears Big Plays Tracker Week 14
Tracking the Bears' big plays all year on one sweet @gridironborn visual!
The year in sports
One-time NPR host David Greene talks sports in America and running his hometown newspaper.
Early Earth's belly held onto its water
When the early Earth’s magma ocean crystallized 4.4 billion years ago, the deep mantle trapped an ocean’s worth of water, scientists say.
After a year of Trump-inspired inaction, some Republicans in Congress are growing restless
A year after President Donald Trump’s election and with next year’s midterms looming, congressional deference to the White House is showing signs of wearing on some Republicans.
SpaceX’s possible $1.5 trillion IPO could be big business for Texas
SpaceX, the Elon Musk-owned aerospace company, is planning to go public next year with a potential $1.5 trillion IPO, which would set a new record for a new public offering and have a huge impact on the Texas economy.
Senate rejects dueling health care bills as Obamacare deadline looms
The result virtually guarantees insurance subsidies used by more than 20 million Americans will lapse at the end of the year.
Reimbursement expected to drive implementation of CCTA, coronary plaque analysis
For years, imaging experts have predicted that CCTA may become the primary imaging modality for coronary artery disease and eliminate the need for invasive diagnostic catheterizations. That prediction is now coming true.
'Supergirl' trailer reveals Jason Momoa's Lobo, Milly Alcock taking flight
Supergirl and Jason Momoa's Lobo take flight in the first trailer for next year's Milly Alcock-fronted DC Studios movie, based on the 'Woman of Tomorrow' comic.
Universal Orlando’s New Year’s Eve celebrations feature live entertainment, characters, countdowns
Gallatin College MSU student uses certificate to bolster his business
Dan Hill, a 55-year-old entrepreneur, will graduate on Friday, Dec. 12, with a professional certificate in business management.
Dueling Senate bills to address health care affordability fail to pass
The Senate today failed to pass legislation to address health care affordability. The chamber first voted on a Republican-backed bill that failed by a 51-48 vote. The bill would have disbursed $1,000 in health spending accounts for individuals age 18-49 and $1,500 for those age 50-64. A Democrat-led plan that would have extended the enhanced premium tax credits for three years also failed by a 51-48 tally. The bills needed 60 votes to pass.
Disney bets $1 billion on OpenAI in deal that opens its vault of characters to ChatGPT and Sora
Darth Vader and other Disney characters are coming to ChatGPT and OpenAI's Sora AI video app as part of a three-year licensing deal.
The Last Days of Matthews Arena, Boston’s Overlooked Sports Cathedral
Northeastern’s 115-year-old Matthews Arena will host its final game this weekend before demolition begins for a new facility.
Man Utd financial results: Cost-cutting having an impact in first quarter numbers for new financial year
Redundancies and other cost-cutting measures at Man Utd have been reflected in their latest quarterly financial results; there have been small losses that will not be significant for a business of their size; the results will also not affect their plans for the January transfer window
Live updates: Dueling Senate health care plans come up for votes; US, Venezuela tensions rise
Senators will go on record Thursday on competing health care plans that try to address enhanced ObamaCare tax subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. A vote on the Democrats’ three-ye…
Trump’s affordability argument just got the unlikeliest champion
The main reason Americans are upset about the economy: They are still adjusting to high prices that surged during years of runaway inflation that took place during former President Joe Biden’s term.
House GOP axes $645M from funds aiding infrastructure, children, vets
House Republicans invoked a rarely used tool that allows a committee to deny administration requests to carry over funding from one year to the next.
Scientists find a massive hidden CO2 sponge beneath the ocean floor
Researchers found that eroded lava rubble beneath the South Atlantic can trap enormous amounts of CO2 for tens of millions of years. These porous breccia deposits store far more carbon than previously sampled ocean crust. The discovery reshapes how scientists view the long-term balance of carbon between the ocean, rocks, and atmosphere. It also reveals a hidden mechanism that helps stabilize Earth’s climate over geological timescales.
Meet the 77-year-old Vietnam pilot still in love with lacrosse — and scoring on opponents 50 years younger (photos)
Jon Ryan was awarded a Purple Heart in Vietnam, has kept bees for nearly 50 years and never misses a week in a lacrosse league where many of the players are young enough to be his grandchildren.
Kennebunkport business reopens after car crashes into store
Police say the 21-year-old driver was coming home from work early in the morning when he fell asleep at the wheel.
Warren Buffett watchers weigh in on Todd Combs' surprise exit
After praising Todd Combs for years, Warren Buffett gave him a "rather cool sendoff" in Monday's press release, one Berkshire watcher said.
Islanders Gameday News: Here come the Ducks
They’re not your father’s Ducks! Or at least not your older brother’s Ducks, or something. Tonight the Islanders host a Fairly Strong Ducks of Anaheim team that is first in its division at a very respectable 19-10-1. After years of “very tough negotiator” Pat Verbeek at the helm, it seems he just needed to hire […]
In search for autism's causes, look at genes, not vaccines, researchers say
After more than 50 years of research, scientists still don't know exactly what causes autism. But the data make clear that genetics are an essential piece of the puzzle.
Brazil’s Business Elite Keeps Hope Alive for Centrist Candidate
A key member of one of Brazil’s most prominent business groups is holding out hope for a centrist candidate to emerge in next year’s presidential election, criticizing the left and right for failing to address the South American nation’s economic and social challenges.
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.
I made $560,000 in revenue last year reselling products on Amazon. Here's exactly how I do it.
Damilola Olaleye bought $200 worth of sunscreen during her maternity leave and sold it on Amazon. She took this gig full-time after a tech layoff.
Lehigh Sports Central: Women's Wrestling
On the latest episode of Lehigh Sports Central, hear from Lehigh Women's Wrestling head coach Brazel Marquez and first year Genevieve An as they discuss the ...
Senate to vote on dueling health care proposals as ACA premium hikes loom
The Senate is set to vote on dueling health care proposals. Both plans are likely to fail, even as Affordable Care Act premiums are set to skyrocket at the end of the year.
Teens discovered my 57-year-old cheese shop on TikTok — and transformed my business
Dominick DiBartolomeo, who owns the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, told Business Insider that TikTok virality drew in waves of younger customers.
A dream come true: how Pöpperl sees his Schalke future
With Paul Pöpperl, Miron Muslic recently helped another young Schalke player make his professional debut. If the 22-year-old has his way, it shouldn’t stop there. He hopes for a royal blue future.�...
Steelers sign fourth-year offensive tackle ahead of Week 15
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed OT Dylan Cook to the active roster off the practice squad ahead of the Week 15 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
Postscripts from the frontlines of Trump's attacks on science: no simple happy endings
Stories from the frontlines of Trump's attack on science: Follow-ups from a year of struggles in Part 8 of our series "American Science, Shattered."
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025: Six contenders announced for SPOTY shortlist
A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. Footballers Hannah Hampton and Chloe Kelly, rugby union player Ellie Kildunne, darts player Luke Littler, golfer Rory McIlroy and Formula 1 driver Lando Norris are the nominees.
Is the universe ending sooner than we thought? New physics suggests a much shorter lifespan | - The Times of India
Science News: A groundbreaking study from Radboud University suggests the universe may end in approximately 10^78 years, significantly earlier than the previously assumed 10^1100 years. By revisiting Hawking radiation, researchers argue that all compact massive objects will evaporate, altering our understanding of cosmic lifespans.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year: England stars and 2025 champions nominated
England teammates Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are up against one another for BBC Sports Personality of the Year on a shortlist that also includes Lando Norris and Rory McIlroy.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year: England stars and 2025 champions nominated
England teammates Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are up against one another for BBC Sports Personality of the Year on a shortlist that also includes Lando Norris and Rory McIlroy.
Sports Personality of the Year 2025: Lionesses square off on six-strong shortlist
England teammates Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are up against one another for BBC Sports Personality of the Year on a shortlist that also includes Lando Norris, Rory McIlroy, Luke Littler and Ellie Kildunne.
Sports Personality of the Year shortlist announced
Find out who is on the shortlist for the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Why do players love pickleball so much?
One club has seen participation grow by 2,000% in just over a year.
Scientists say thousands of tiny black holes may be passing through your home every day | - The Times of India
Trending News: Physicists reveal that thousands of primordial black holes may drift through your home every year, undetected. Learn how these tiny, ancient black holes could be linked to dark matter and what that means for us.
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
Denver’s science museum sold out their Thanksgiving meal this year
We may or may not be responsible.
Chiefs Travis Kelce Delivers Brutal Take on His Own Struggles
On the "New Heights" podcast with his brother Jason, Travis Kelce opened up about his struggles this year on the field.
Bargy named 2025 Michigan 4-H Animal Science Youth Sportsperson of the Year - 4-H Animal Science
Antrim County 4-H member Wyatt Bargy wins prestigious sportsmanship award for his involvement in 4-H animal science projects.
Red and Blue in review: Looking back at Penn sports in fall 2025
Before moving onto the new year, let’s see how Penn sports performed over the fall semester.
Lockheed Martin moving forward with $51M expansion project in Owego
Tioga County Industrial Development Agency says construction is slated to begin before the new year.
Trump officially launches 'gold card' immigration program
The price tag is $1 million for individuals and $2 million for companies on a foreigner's behalf, who would be eligible for citizenship in five years.