European Commissioner for Sport Glenn Micallef expressed his respect for the International Olympic Committee's decision to disqualify a Ukrainian skeleton racer, while the World Health Organization (WHO) condemned a US-funded vaccine trial as unethical, and US senators urged a top regulator to stay out of prediction market lawsuits, according to reports released this week. These developments highlight a range of issues, from international sports and public health to financial regulations.
Micallef, speaking to Euronews, acknowledged the difficult situation faced by Ukraine, but stated his respect for the IOC's decision regarding the Ukrainian athlete's helmet. The athlete, Vladyslav Heras, was disqualified for his custom helmet featuring portraits of fallen Ukrainian athletes. Micallef expressed sadness that the situation could not be resolved.
Meanwhile, the WHO released a formal statement criticizing a US-funded vaccine trial for withholding a safe and potentially lifesaving hepatitis B vaccine from some newborns in Guinea-Bissau, Africa. According to Ars Technica, the WHO concluded the trial was inconsistent with ethical and scientific principles, citing a list of reasons for its harmfulness and low quality. The trial has drawn widespread condemnation from health experts since the US funding was announced in December.
In other news, a group of 23 Democratic US senators sent a letter Friday to the top federal regulator overseeing prediction markets, urging the agency to avoid involvement in pending court cases concerning the legality of offerings on these platforms. Wired reported that these markets, which allow wagers on real-world events, have grown in popularity, attracting attention and controversy. For example, Israeli authorities announced the arrest of two people on suspicion of wrongdoing related to these markets.
Additionally, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) closed its investigation into the bankrupt electric vehicle startup Fisker last September, approximately one year after the probe was opened. TechCrunch learned of the closure through a Freedom of Information Act request in January. The SEC's FOIA department revealed that it had identified about 21.7 gigabytes of electronically maintained records related to the investigation. The agency typically does not release records if investigations are still ongoing.
Finally, in an exclusive interview with MIT Technology Review, US Deputy Health Secretary Jim O'Neill discussed his plans to increase human healthspan through longevity-focused research supported by ARPA-H, a federal agency dedicated to biomedical breakthroughs. O'Neill, who oversees a department with a budget of over a trillion dollars, also signed the decision memorandum on the US's new vaccine schedule. Following publication of the story, Politico reported that O'Neill would be leaving his current roles within the Department of Health and Human Services.
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