Alexandra Phelan
Global Health Lawyer. Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security working on emerging and reemerging infectious disease outbreaks, their Planetary Health drivers, and international law in pandemic preparedness, equity & justice.
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanThe new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP) will provide the world with the science and data we need to: ✅ Prevent pollution ✅ Ensure the sound management of chemicals ✅ Manage waste better Understand more as #ISPCWP1 continues: www.unep.org/isp-cwp
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanThis week the first Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution meeting takes place in Geneva. The significance of this new Panel is clear. There are now 127+ Members & many stakeholders working together to #BeatPollution. @unep.org explains more: www.unep.org/isp-cwp
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanPregnant people laboring at home. Diabetics diluting or forgoing insulin. Children going hungry in hiding. What's happening in Minnesota is a public health crisis in the making. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanBREAKING: Bernie Sanders is introducing an amendment to cut ICE’s $75 billion funding increase, and to use those funds to restore the federal cuts to health care.
- Reposted by Alexandra Phelan"In 2023, the “Minnesota Miracle” secured one of the strongest social safety nets in the country...None of it would have been possible without years of organizing that built a multiracial constituency prepared to stand together" - @hahrie.bsky.social for @hammerandhope.bsky.social, 2024
- Reposted by Alexandra Phelan[This post could not be retrieved]
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanFlorida took another step Thursday toward banning all its public universities from hiring foreign workers on H-1B visas. The public comment period on the proposal will last two weeks: www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanLiam is sick with fever & shows extreme lethargy, according to reports from his parents—he did not wake up throughout the entire visit from his representatives—this child is clearly experiencing severe shock—he should be in an emergency room, not squalid rooms with moldy food and contaminated water.
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanI will simply never recover from reading this sentence: "Since Georgia implemented work requirements in 2020, they have spent twice as much on Deloitte consultants and administrative costs as on healthcare for people."
- Today, Luke Farrell (@lukef.bsky.social) explains how complex eligibility requirements have turned America’s safety net into a lucrative revenue stream for monopolistic private contractors.
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanHere's what ICE is up to in Northeast Minneapolis today. Absolutely heartbreaking. Warning: video is hard to watch
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanOut today: THE CROWN'S SILENCE I'm delighted to share that my new book is officially out! It traces the British monarchy's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and colonial slavery over hundreds of years. Please buy a copy, tell your library, & spread the word. bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
- Reposted by Alexandra Phelanfor me it was the fact that the author is one of the main driving forces behind the global movement to kill my trans friends and erase their existence hope that helps
- In @nytopinion.nytimes.com Younger generations “have fallen out of love with Harry Potter because they have fallen out of love with the worldview the series represents,” writes Louise Perry. “Which is to say that young people have fallen out of love with liberalism.”
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanThis is great but means nothing long-term if he isn’t prosecuted. He oversaw public executions, engaged in domestic terrorism and lied about it under oath, etc etc. If he gets away with it there will be no deterrent for the next guy who tries to do a white nationalist purge.
- BREAKING Greg Bovino has been removed as Border Patrol "commander at large" and will return to El Centro Calif, where he is expected to retire soon. A stunning turnaround after Pretti killing. Bovino's traveling blue city crackdown is over www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanEven if Bovino gets fired, ICE has to go. Even if Noem is out, ICE has to go. Even when Trump leaves office, ICE has to go. As protests grow and ICE's popularity drops, we may see concessions and leadership changes, like Bovino's departure. ICE still has to go. www.cnn.com/us/live-news...
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanImagine what’s happening in the camps.
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- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanAnd he didn’t. He tried to help a woman who’d just been assaulted. There was nothing rash, stupid, or radical about what he did. He showed kindness. And they killed him for it.
- This is so difficult to read. apnews.com/article/immi...
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanICE raids turn life into a daily terror for Minneapolis schoolkids: ‘This is a generational trauma’
- Reposted by Alexandra Phelan[This post could not be retrieved]
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- Seeing the Pandemic Agreement come to fruition after three years of intense negotiations and so much work was an absolute highlight of 2025 and my career. Here’s to the next phase of global solidarity and cooperation for preventing pandemics, prioritizing health, and realizing equity.
- It’s been a seismic year for public health. While there have been many challenges, there were also wins to celebrate and momentum on key issues going into 2026. Swipe through to read about public health breakthroughs that happened during 2025. publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/public-...
- The more corporations define information and limit our true power and freedom the more they should be regulated. This is what traditionally drove the emergence of professional duties or ethics rules for doctors, lawyers and government actors. We need adapted governance for contemporary power.
- Yeah she’s not coming inside anytime soon
- According to the index, I’m apparently cited in this book too but I’ve been avoiding spending any money on it. None of my local bookstores or libraries have it in to flick through. I assume I am misquoted or my comments mischaracterized. If someone wants to send me p59 I’d be grateful.
- Reposted by Alexandra Phelanas 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
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- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanTeen Vogue took young people seriously. It's impossible to overstate how important, how rare, and how profoundly needed that is.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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...
- 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.
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanParts 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
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanSNAP 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
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanWhenever 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.
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanFeeding 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...
- 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.
- 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”.
- As Toni Morrison said, "the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work." But she also reminded us never to lose our capacity to be shocked. Part of my conversation on @ayman.msnbc.com earlier today.
- 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 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
- The latest AJIL Unbound symposium is now available online! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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"
- 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...
- Reposted by Alexandra PhelanFYI, 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
- DRC health authorities have sadly declared an outbreak of Ebola in Kasai Province. Sample testing confirms Ebola Zaire. At 4 Sept 2025: - 28 suspected cases - 15 deaths, including 4 health workers DRC has significant expertise with Ebola and 2000 vaccine doses. www.afro.who.int/countries/de...
- Today in @thelancet.com we examine the importance of the recent ICJ Advisory Opinion in using law to protect health and human rights in the face of the planetary crisis. Link: www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
- We identify the critical aspects of the ICJ's opinion for global health and human rights, including landmark clarity on the nature of obligations under international treaties including the UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, and international human rights law, as well as under customary international law.
- We highlight the centrality of health and the WHO's submissions in the Court's assessment, as well as the role of independent scientific synthesis assessments. We consider the implications of these findings for other governance bodies into the future.
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View full threadIt has been wonderful working on this issue in recent years with brilliant colleagues @gostin.bsky.social, @benjaminmasonmeier.bsky.social, Farhang Tahzib, Marlies Hesselman & David Patterson.
- What are you doing @broadinstitute.org & @statnews.com? This demonstrates a glaring lack of insight and self-awareness at best, and completely undermines the purported goal of the event, Women's Health.
- The ICJ Advisory Opinion on State Obligations with Respect to Climate Change is significant. It provides clarity and removes many common uncertainties around the nature of obligations under international law to act to prevent harm from climate change. Live details here:
- The full text of the ICJ Advisory Opinion is available now: www.icj-cij.org/sites/defaul...
