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UC San Diego defeats Loyola Marymount 67-57
LOS ANGELES (AP) Leo Beath's 15 points helped UC San Diego defeat Loyola Marymount 67-57 on Tuesday night.
Nonprofit for disabled adults shines as Loudoun's small business of the year
This is how the work day gets started at Every Citizen Has Opportunities (ECHO), a nonprofit that links adults who have disabilities with jobs: More than half of the 200 participants head out for work in the community, others staff three businesses operating inside the large ECHO headquarters near Leesburg, Virginia. Michael Doolin has earned a paycheck there for two…
Daniels scores 30, Cal Baptist beats Southern 75-67
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) Dominique Daniels Jr. scored 30 points as California Baptist beat Southern 75-67 on Tuesday night.
Finally off the schneid, Oregon squares off with Portland
Oregon looks to build off the momentum of ending a five-game losing streak last time out when it hosts Portland on Wednesday night in Eugene, Ore.
Morehead State knocks off Little Rock 78-64
MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) George Marshall scored 17 points as Morehead State beat Little Rock 78-64 on Tuesday night in an Ohio Valley Conference opener.
Delaware defeats Rider 65-57
NEWARK, Del. (AP) Macon Emory's 17 points helped Delaware defeat Rider 65-57 on Tuesday.
CFP debutants Miami, Texas A&M welcome playoff proving ground
Few teams came closer to the top of the sport without reaching the College Football Playoff than Texas A&M and Miami.
Brown's 21 points help Sooners past Kansas City 89-67
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Xzayvier Brown scored 21 points as the Sooners rolled past Kansas City 89-67 on Tuesday, opening a four-game homestand with a convincing win.
Ole Miss continues quest for season turnaround vs. Alabama A&M
Ole Miss, coming off a self-described "must-win" victory over Southern Miss on Saturday, will strive to keep the momentum going when it faces Alabama A&M in a neutral-site matchup Wednesday night in Tupelo, Miss.
UCF out to continue strong start as it hosts Mercer
Since taking over as head coach in 2016, Johnny Dawkins has always prioritized putting together a difficult nonconference schedule at UCF.
North Texas health officials urge flu shots as new mutation spreads
Doctors are seeing a slight uptick in the number of positive flu cases across North Texas, largely due to a new mutation known as “subclade K."
Marquette eager to find range vs. Georgetown
Marquette will be looking to rediscover its shooting touch when it hosts Georgetown on Wednesday night in Milwaukee in the Big East opener for each team.
Redding unveils largest entertainment zone in state, boosting local business
Downtown Redding is now home to the largest entertainment zone in California, allowing people to sip on some alcohol while exploring downtown.
Redding unveils largest entertainment zone in state, boosting local business
Downtown Redding is now home to the largest entertainment zone in California, allowing people to sip on some alcohol while exploring downtown.
AI blueprint from NAACP prioritizes health equity in model development
Artificial intelligence could further widen race-based disparities in healthcare, the organization says. Its new blueprint is meant as a first step in a larger, more ambitious campaign to ensure that racial fairness is a priority for U.S. healthcare AI.
Ohio audit: Cleveland State, nine other universities not compliant with ‘science of reading’ law
Ten Ohio colleges and universities – including many of the state’s largest – aren’t following a new state law to train future educators only in the phonics-based “science of reading” method of teaching kids to read.
Larian want to complete Divinity in "three to four years", and they're making limited use of generative AI
Larian are hoping to get their latest Divinity RPG out a lot faster than Baldur's Gate 3, care of a larger development team.
I'm Happy the 2026 Moto G Power Is $300 but Bummed It Lacks Wireless Charging
Motorola switches up some of the features on its lower-cost phone while adding an improved selfie camera and a larger battery.
Grizzlies' Cam Spencer: Hits for 27 points in victory
Grizzlies' Cam Spencer: Hits for 27 points in victory
Ford is switching gears from large EVs: 'It was really the customer changing their decision'
Ford is scaling back its large electric vehicle production and prioritizing hybrid vehicles, a move that is expected to cost nearly $20 billion.
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Remaining on restriction Monday
Grizzlies' Ja Morant: Remaining on restriction Monday
Hollow Knight: Silksong Expansion Coming 2026, Hollow Knight: Switch 2 Edition Also Announced
Free update and free upgrade confirmed
WHO highlights health risks and opportunities in the global waste crisis
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report, Throwing away our health: the impacts of solid waste on human health – evidence, knowledge gaps and health sector responses, warns that poorly managed solid waste is driving a public health crisis and calls for urgent action to protect people and the environments they live in.Globally, the volume of municipal solid waste is growing at an unprecedented rate. Yet, many countries still lack the systems and resources to manage this waste safely. “Solid waste reflects how our societies produce and consume, and how we treat people and the environment in the process,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director a.i., Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health & Migration at the World Health Organization. “If we continue to treat waste as an afterthought, we will lock in avoidable disease, climate pollution and deep social inequities. This report is a clear call to put health and equity at the centre of how we design, manage and ultimately reduce waste.”The report summarizes evidence on how solid waste – especially municipal solid waste – affects health through polluted air, water, soil and food. When waste is not collected, or is dumped, burned or not poorly treated, it can release hazardous chemicals, contaminate drinking-water sources and create breeding grounds for insects and rodents.Communities underserved by waste management services, those living near dumpsites and poorly managed landfills and incinerators, children and pregnant women, as well as waste workers – particularly those working informally – face the greatest risks. For the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) community, the report underlines that safe management of municipal and health care waste is integral to safely managed, climate-resilient systems.A large share of municipal solid waste is still not collected or is disposed of in uncontrolled conditions, including open dumpsites and open burning. These practices damage ecosystems, contribute to climate change and undermine efforts to build healthy cities. When waste is properly managed, however, it can become a resource – generating energy and creating green jobs. The report calls for a coordinated, multisectoral response grounded in the waste hierarchy: preventing waste where possible, then reducing, reusing and recycling, with safe recovery and disposal.Key actions for governments and partners include reducing waste generation at source; expanding affordable and reliable waste collection services, especially in underserved communities; improving control at recovery and disposal facilities; and eliminating open dumping and burning, including hazardous waste. The new report identifies a central role for the health sector in addressing solid waste as a public health threat. The health sector can prevent and minimize health-care waste at source, improve segregation and safe treatment, invest in cleaner climate-resilient technologies, and advocate for health-protective policies and standards. The report also encourages more surveillance, research and biomonitoring to strengthen the evidence base, and promotes social protection and inclusion of informal waste workers.“This report gives countries and health authorities a very practical agenda,” said Mr Bruce Gordon, Head, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health Unit, WHO. “Health ministries can start now by ensuring safe management of health-care waste, developing strong occupational health programmes for waste workers, and working with municipalities to reduce health risks from solid waste by closing open dumps and burn sites and gradually improving towards safe services. These concrete steps save lives today and will make cities cleaner and healthier in the future.
Ford is starting a battery storage business to power data centers and the grid
Amid Ford's shift away from making large electric vehicles, the automaker is adding a new product line to find a home for its batteries. Ford said Monday
Ford is starting a battery storage business to power data centers and the grid
Amid Ford’s shift away from making large electric vehicles, the automaker is adding a new product line to find a home for its batteries. Ford said Monday that instead of scuttling plans to build the batteries for those vehicles, it will pivot that capacity into a new battery storage business. Those storage systems, which will use cheaper LFP batteries, will be […]
Fire Emblem Shadows Makes Metacritic's "Worst Games Of 2025" List
It can't quite make the top, though
On Politics: Republicans are giving Kathy Hochul a re-election gift
It was already going to be hard for Elise Stefanik, the Republican congresswoman, to beat Gov. Kathy Hochul next year.Now she’ll have to contend with Bruce Blakeman, who recently announced his plans to run for governor and will, at the minimum, make life more difficult for her in the Republican primary. Stefanik has come out swinging against the Nassau County executive, attacking him as a perennial candidate who is too liberal for Republican primary voters.Stefanik should win. A large chunk of the GOP primary vote is concentrated north of the New York City suburbs, where she is strongest. She has the support of the state party chair, Ed Cox, and a wide array of politicians and local organizations. She is a loyal ally of Donald Trump and a frequent presence on cable TV.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 Receives Surprise Free Upgrade For Xbox Series X|S
"Now available on the latest generation of consoles!"
Baldur's Gate 3 Dev's Divinity: Original Sin 2 Out Now on PS5, Offers Free Upgrade
Sintillating
Divinity: Original Sin 2 Gets Surprise Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, And It's Out Now
And it's a free upgrade for Switch 1 owners
James Madison Leads Vic Bubas Cup Standings Through Fall Semester
NEW ORLEANS – James Madison University leads the Sun Belt Conference’s Vic Bubas Cup standings through the 2025 fall sports season. The Bubas Cup is the Sun Belt’s all-sports championship, awarded to the top athletics department in the conference based on a points system.
Fallout Shelter Seasons officially launches with Viva New Vegas!
Overseers, the time has come! Since Fallout Shelter launched in 2015, over 230 million players have built, managed and protected their Vaults. Today, we’re thrilled to announce that our biggest update yet, Seasons, is now available in Fallout Shelter!
Marcus Lemonis is retiring from Camping World
Before becoming host of the TV show “The Profit," he built the largest RV retailer and took investors for a bumpy ride.
Tencent Music Entertainment Group's (NYSE:TME) largest shareholders are public companies with 61% ownership, institutions own 28%
Key Insights Significant control over Tencent Music Entertainment Group by public companies implies that the general...
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection Switch 1 & 2 Physical Release Does Not Include Mortal Kombat 4 On The Game Card
Digital Eclipse and Atari confirm you'll need to "download" it
Amazon is selling a 40-inch smart TV for only $160
Shoppers love that this laptop is user-friendly.
The mystery of the Seneca Drums persists
Researchers are plumbing the depths of the largest and deepest of New York’s Finger Lakes to explain the source of its famous booming sounds.
The world's largest truck stop makes 350,000 meals a year
Iowa 80 in Walcott, Iowa, is the Disney World for truckers. But why are family-owned truck stops like this one drying up across America?
Poised Pistons primed for third clash with Celtics
The Detroit Pistons enter Monday night's road contest against the Boston Celtics with a three-game winning streak and plenty of confidence.
School politics class: Berenberg made largest unlawful UK political donation with £300,000 for Tories
Established UK political parties
Business School Undergrads Are Still Coming — But They’re Taking Longer To Decide
Applications to undergraduate business programs climbed 38% over five years, but global enrollment remained largely flat.
Nearly half of the 19,000 games released on Steam this year went almost unnoticed
Those numbers point to a widening gap between output and engagement on the world's largest PC game marketplace. Steam's open publishing model has dramatically lowered the barrier...
Poll: Most are satisfied with their health insurance, but a quarter report denials or delays
A large majority of Americans, 82%, said they’re satisfied with their coverage in the new NBC News Decision Desk Poll.
Florida's Latino families being squeezed financially by high health care, child care costs
The findings, released by Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors and UnidosUS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights group, paint a portrait of a rapidly growing electorate that is highly engaged on economic and social issues but increasingly strained by the rising cost of living in the Sunshine State.
UNC Brewing Science Program Goes Down the Drain
The University of Northern Colorado has canceled its Brewing Laboratory Science program as part of 50 total staff layoffs implemented due to a projected $14 million budget shortfall, causing dismay among enrolled students. Sean Johnson, the program manager for eight years, who helped forge local commercial partnerships, has been laid off with his remaining classes moving online. Students praised the program's practical science and networking opportunities. Affected students expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, the university's prioritization of larger programs, and the sudden loss of learning opportunities and mentorship. UNC's Chemistry department stated the decision was part of university-wide budget cuts and is focused on supporting affected students.
Westwood High Computer Science Club Named National Winner
Westwood High School’s Computer Science Club has been named the winner of a nationwide high school...
Florida's Latino families being squeezed financially by high health care, child care costs
The findings, released by Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors and UnidosUS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights group, paint a portrait of a rapidly growing electorate that is highly engaged on economic and social issues but increasingly strained by the rising cost of living in the Sunshine State.
Avalanche's Jack Drury: Puts away goal in win
Avalanche's Jack Drury: Puts away goal in win
Pelicans, Bulls battling to build winning streak
The Chicago Bulls host the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night in a matchup of teams that just ended their seven-game losing streaks.
Massive OR 229 landslide sparks ODOT funding debate among Oregon politicians
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A massive landslide on OR 229 has reignited a debate over the funding of the Oregon Department of Transportation among state politicians. Estimated to be among the largest l…
Bill aims to safeguard small businesses operating franchise chains
A returning bill in Arizona aims to protect small-business owners operating large chain restaurants and businesses as franchisees, facing heavy opposition.
Teen’s video a ‘Breakthrough’ in science communication
Seventeen-year-old Grace Lee from Chula Vista is gaining national attention as a finalist in the global Breakthrough Junior Challenge, an annual competition that invites students to create original videos explaining complex scientific ideas in creative and engaging ways. Founded in 2015, the contest encourages young people to break down advanced scientific theories using imagination and storytelling— “Steven Spielberg meets Albert Einstein,” as organizers describe it. Lee’s submission centers on the principle of least time in physics, a concept that explains why light always travels the path that takes the least amount of time. To bring the idea to life, she used intricate origami characters and stop-motion animation, along with simple at-home experiments, she said. “The fact that light always travels via the path that takes the least amount of time sounds simple at first, but nature is full of surprises,” she said. “This principle is actually very profound and underlies many different fields in physics that seem completely unrelated, from optics to Newton’s laws to Einstein’s theory of relativity.” Also, origami has long been one of her passions and integrating it into her project felt natural. She often makes origami gifts for friends and teaches origami in her school clubs. “A single 10-second scene would take hours to craft,” she said, noting the mixture of stop-motion and post-production editing required to animate expressions and movement. To ensure the science remained accurate and accessible, she spent time reading books and online resources, writing a script, creating a storyboard, and filming and editing repeatedly until the visuals worked.The experiments were among the biggest challenges. To demonstrate water waves, she used everyday household items — “a spatula and an electric toothbrush to vibrate the waves, glass in a baking pan for different depths, and an iPhone flashlight so the waves would be visible.” She also put careful thought into explaining the principle through analogies, including a gingerbread man and a fox. “Analogies and visuals are incredibly important,” she said. “Visual demonstrations allow viewers to see how the science actually works.” Beyond the competition, Lee is deeply involved in science leadership and advocacy. She serves as International President of miRcore, the world’s largest student computational biology organization, with 136 chapters across five countries. She leads a 20-member executive board, organizes outreach connecting schools worldwide, and has helped run workshops at locations including Scripps Research Institute and the University of Michigan. “I used to be intimidated,” she said, but she gradually grew her skills and confidence. “Now I am no longer afraid to use my voice and enthusiasm to bring out the best in others.” Her research experience includes two peer-reviewed papers on asthma and vaping. Misconceptions around vaping, she said, show why clear science communication matters. “Our research shows that there is long-term harm to your lungs on the cellular level that isn’t obvious unless you come down with an illness like the flu,” she said. Lee also founded Full Hearts at Eastlake High School, transforming the small club into one of the school’s largest, with hands-on service projects in partnership with local nonprofits. She continues mentoring younger students to sustain the mission. If she wins the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, Grace hopes the $100,000 science lab prize for her school will expand opportunities for students who have limited access to equipment and hands-on science outside the classroom.
Higher cost, worse coverage: Affordable Care Act enrollees say expiring subsidies will hit them hard
Costs are poised to jump.
Scientists Detect Huge Rotating Structure in Space
An international team of researchers says it has spotted the largest rotating structure of dark matter and gas-rich galaxies.
Kraken's Philipp Grubauer: Can't get back in win column
Kraken's Philipp Grubauer: Can't get back in win column
Blackhawks' Spencer Knight: Stuck with loss against Blues
Blackhawks' Spencer Knight: Stuck with loss against Blues
Bulls' Patrick Williams: Scores season-high 16 points
Bulls' Patrick Williams: Scores season-high 16 points
The CEO of one of Asia’s largest co-working space providers says his business has more in common with hotels
“It's a hospitality business," JustCo CEO Kong Wan Sin tells Fortune.
Kirby Air Riders Dev Team Disbanding Soon, Game Updates Also Ending
It was fun while it lasted
How Mass Anti-Graft Protests Pushed Bulgaria Into a Political Crisis
Bulgaria is in political turmoil after the largest anti-corruption demonstrations in decades triggered the resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s minority government just weeks before the country is due to adopt the euro currency.
Amazon Offering Free Outfit For Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis When Linking Xbox Account
Available to claim ahead of release
Kirby Air Riders team is disbanding soon, but game could get another balance patch
According to director Masahiro Sakurai, the team behind Kirby Air Riders will be disbanding soon. At this point there largely isn’t a reason to keep everyone together. Development is finished, and as previously announced, the game isn’t getting DLC. However, we’re likely to get one more balance patch. Sakurai shared the following on social media: “As discussed in Air Riders...
SFA students blend pop culture, business innovation at Swift-Mas Showcase
NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– Students in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Nelson Rusche College of Business stepped into the spotlight during finals week for the Swift-Mas Showcase, an event supported by SFA’s Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship that highlighted student innovation and creative problem-solving throughout the fall semester.
Round Up: Everything Announced At The Game Awards 2025 - All Switch 1 & 2 Reveals
The Leon and Winding Road
Pittsburgh's Kamin Science Center opens new permanent sports exhibit
The new exhibit Sports360 is the largest permanent exhibit at the Kamin Science Center.
Blues focus on net-front play as Blackhawks arrive
The St. Louis Blues will try to tighten up their defensive-zone coverage on Friday night when they host the Chicago Blackhawks.
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.
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Keeps winning Thursday
Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood: Keeps winning Thursday
Mega Man Returns In 2027 With A Brand-New Entry For Switch And Switch 2
Here's a first look at the gameplay
Ducks' Ville Husso: Surrenders five goals Thursday
Ducks' Ville Husso: Surrenders five goals Thursday
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.
Control Resonant steps into a larger world that's inspired by Neon Genesis Evangelion
Just ahead of the reveal at The Game Awards, we got an early look at Control: Resonant, the next game in the Remedy Connected Universe.
The Game Awards statue was for Larian's new game, Divinity, a new RPG that's "even larger than Baldur's Gate 3
Larian has announced Divinity.
Sharon Osbourne says Ozzy's infidelity didn't faze her until he brought another woman into their home
Sharon Osbourne was both aware of and largely unbothered by the indiscretions of her late husband, Ozzy Osbourne — with one notable exception.
The Maker Of Baldur's Gate 3 Reveals Its Next RPG And This One's 'Even Larger'
Larian Studios teased a new game set in the Divinity franchise
Packers-Broncos Preview
DENVER (AP) For the first time in a decade, Denver Broncos (11-2) stand atop the AFC playoff race heading into the holidays. They're the league's only unbeaten team at home. They've won 10 consecutive games and they've saddled their last 11 visitors with a loss going back 14 months.
Surprise! Capcom Is Bringing Pragmata To Switch 2, Demo Out Soon
Pre-orders are also live
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.
Science Shouldn’t Rely on Corporate Software (opinion)
We need to treat the software undergirding scientific research as a public good—and make investments accordingly.
Vikings-Cowboys Preview
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Dak Prescott feels the weight of the Dallas Cowboys having to win all of their remaining four games for their best chance to make the playoffs - and, he says, not in a bad way.
Google spinout proposes Oakland County data center nearly as large as Oracle megaproject
While controversy stirs around OpenAI’s Stargate data center project in Saline Township, another data center complex nearly as big is being quietly planned 45 miles northeast in Lyon Township.Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, a spinout of Google parent company Alphabet Inc., has submitted plans to…
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.
Science Minister Seeks to Turn Korea Into a Global AI Powerhouse
Until he was named South Korea’s new science minister in July, Bae Kyung-Hoon was largely unknown in political circles, having spent his career focused on computer science.
Browns-Bears Preview
CHICAGO (AP) The Chicago Bears were rolling along and on top of the NFC before they got tripped up at Green Bay last week.
Panthers-Saints Preview
NEW ORLEANS (AP) The Saints defense, even under different coordinators, has been a repeat nemesis for Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
Chargers-Chiefs Preview
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Much has changed since the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs met for their season-opener in Brazil.
Turkey’s Largest City Is Threatened by a Lurking Earthquake
Escalating activity along a fault line in the Sea of Marmara is moving closer to Istanbul, seismologists warn.
Exodus Looks To Fill The Space-Opera RPG Void Left By Mass Effect
Our first look at gameplay for Archetype’s space epic has arrived.
PSA: My Nintendo Store's Merch Range Has Been Updated With Some Pop-Up Shop Exclusives
Metroid ice trays, Pikmin terrariums and more
The Witness, Braid Creator Teases New Game Reveal at The Game Awards
Jonathon Blow to show off next project
Red Wings take lessons learned into encounter vs. Oilers
Red Wings take lessons learned into encounter vs. Oilers
Ravens Sports Network Broadcasting DII Soccer Championship Weekend in Spanish
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- For the third straight season, Franklin Pierce's Ravens Sports Network will be on the road the NCAA DII men's and women's soccer championships this weekend. FPU students Erik Valdovinos and Elliot Scholes traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo. to live stream all six games this weekend in Spanish.
Commentary: The U.S. Senate is a mess. He wants to fix it, from the inside
Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkeley is waging a largely one-man crusade to reform the Senate filibuster. He sees it as a way to help end obstructionism and address the Senate's increasing dysfunction.
ETV Win Brings Telugu Entertainment to Life with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos
Over 20 titles are now available in Dolby on ETV Win.
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
Suns' Grayson Allen: Ejected Wednesday
Suns' Grayson Allen: Ejected Wednesday