Alexandra Phelan

as so often, the explanation is probably 'animals feel emotions that are similar to ours, and when we disregard the evidence to avoid 'anthromorphism' it's fundamentally ideological, not scientific'

I miss being a Georgetown professor when I could put this in my exam rubric

Australia is on track to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035.

Zero (0) cervical cancer cases were diagnosed in Australian women under 25 in 2021 - the first time since records began.

Put simply, Vaccines Work.

NYC Mayor-Elect @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social announces 17 transition committees and >400 appointees. Fantastic to see some brilliant names on the Health Committee, inc former NYC health cmssnr Mary Bassett, the inimitable @drdemetre.bsky.social & @tahiramin.bsky.social from @imakglobal.bsky.social

#IGWG3 @who.int

Teen Vogue took young people seriously. It's impossible to overstate how important, how rare, and how profoundly needed that is.

Process-wise, a pilot for 'Relevant Stakeholder' participation (civil society, academia) has been contested by some Member States.

A non-transparent process that limits stakeholder inclusion is concerning, as it risks undermining the trust and broad support pivotal to a treaty's long-term success.

Key unresolved areas include:
- The governance of sequence databases so as to enable benefit sharing
- Interactions with other legal frameworks (IHR, Nagoya Protocol)
- Persistent misunderstanding around contract law & licensing

Paths to good governance for equity and public health *are* possible.

Arrived in Geneva for the third round of IGWG negotiations for the WHO #PandemicAgreement Pathogen Access and Benefits Sharing (PABS) Annex.

The recently released draft text confirms several areas of potential emerging consensus but also reveals significant work ahead.

My dad was an Air Traffic Controller. He worked in Melbourne but travelled to meet colleagues in the US.

One of the American ATCs was Cory. He was so cool: he was in the Dr Pepper ad. He moved to Australian ATC and loved it.

Anyway, they’re hiring:
careers.airservicesaustralia.com/caw/en/job/5...

Photograph of the ICJ President presenting the court's annual report to the UN General Assembly Hall on 30 October 2025

The President of the International Court of Justice Yuji Iwasawa is presenting the ICJ's annual report to the UN General Assembly, including briefing on the recent Advisory Opinion on legal obligations in respect of climate change.

Parts of Jamaica may see more than 30 inches of rain from Hurricane Melissa

This is the mark of an overheated earth, and the damage it causes will be terrifying. Please be prepared to help those providing aid

Marc Lobliner post on X: "Why the hell are we giving food stamps to 40 million people? Does anyone work anymore?"

SNAP isn't about "people who don't work." It's about people who don't get paid enough to live.

Of the 40 or so million people who rely on food stamps:

* Two-thirds are children, seniors, or disabled

* Most working-age adults who receive SNAP are employed—but in jobs that pay poverty wages

Whenever people complain about the number of folks relying on food stamps, it is worth reminding them that SNAP is, by too large of a degree, a subsidy for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage and their political allies who reject public policy prescriptions to reduce income inequality.

Feeding America has a page where you can input your zip code and it'll show you all of the food banks near you overlaid on a map. If you need it, it's there. If you don't need it, think about donating money if you have it and your time if you don't.

www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-lo...

Early turnout spike could spell trouble for Cuomo in NYC mayoral race The highest turnouts were in boroughs that backed Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani in the primaries.

Turnout for the first day of early voting
here in NYC *five times higher* than 2021.

Biggest turnouts were seen in the three boroughs Zohran Mandan won in the primary:
🗽 Manhattan 24,046
🗽 Brooklyn 22,105
🗽 Queens 19,045

Not only that, but many the diy aesthetics and diy supplements communities are directly importing what they use from overseas, with less or no regulatory oversight of constituents or final product, based on “trusted seller” whastapp lists.

There’s lead in the vegan protein shakes people.

It’s such a clear cut contrast to Democratic leadership to date that descend into explanations that distract and appear to legitimize debate. Instead: Maintain outrage, refuse to concede on dignity and the rule of law, and provide tangible solutions directly relevant to constituents’ experiences.

A defining feature of Mamdani’s brilliant campaign has been persistent commitment to provide answers to New Yorkers’ real questions.

In Reconsidering Reparations, @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social points to this quote of Morrison’s, noting how “racism keeps you answering other people’s questions”.

How to tease out what’s causation and what’s just correlation Experts on causation vs. correlation explain what study designs can help identify true cause and effect.

A nice accessible piece for non-experts on how causation is discerned from correlation, without getting too deep into the weeds.

In @statnews.com today:

www.statnews.com/2025/10/23/c...

A fairly unfiltered statement from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Secretariat on the attempts by the tobacco industry to influence the Conference of Parties

Very Merchants of Doubt.

the mimalist logo trend has hit the ouroboros

A really excellent thread of examples from Dr Planey below about the cracks in AI as its costs are becoming more apparent to the public.

As a lawyer and an academic in global health and planetary health, these costs are simply so untenable for a just, effective, accountable, and equitable world.

Image shows details for a panel "Planetary Health Law: Legal Innovations for a Thriving Planet" at the Planetary Health Annual Meeting on 10 October at 11:00 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The image has photos of each of the panelists, including Michele Goodwin, Arpitha Kodivari, Marlies Hesselman, Eric Ip, and David Patterson, moderated by Alexandra Phelan

Tomorrow! Friday, 11:00-12:30 CET at the Planetary Health Annual Meeting #PHAM

An unparalleled stellar panel of Planetary Health Law, Governance & Policy experts!

Our discussion will explore how law is empowering Planetary Health, from national litigation to reshaping global governance.

For more than three decades, @UNDP.org Human Development Reports have sought to improve human lives, opportunities, and freedoms by creating environments for people to develop their full potential and well-being.

Find out more here: hdr.undp.org

This week in The Hague, I was delighted to participate in @undp.org's consultation on the 2026 Human Development Report, exploring the potential of international law, global governance & Planetary Health.

With thanks to UNDP, Georgetown's Earth Commons & Sunway Centre for Planetary Health.

WHO Director-General @drtedros.who.int ends the UN General Assembly event on Global Health pointing to the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement: "Multilateralism is alive and well despite the noise, so that gives me hope... This is an international treaty that all Member States have agreed to move on"

Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.

An incredible advancement with Huntington’s disease successfully treated for the first time, slowing disease progression by 75%.

The treatment use gene therapy and gene silencing technologies to reduce levels of the protein permanently, in a single dose.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

FYI, some people reject this term because their relationship is not discordant. One couple I interviewed preferred the term "magnetic couple" -- because she's positive and he's negative