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Despite Missed Deadline, WHO Pandemic Treaty Remains Urgent
Negotiators of a proposed World Health Organization pandemic accord have been unable to reach consensus ahead of a self-imposed deadline of next week’s World Health Assembly. Peter Maybarduk, director of Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines Program, issued the following statement:
“Eighteen million people have died due to the COVID emergency. For two years now, the nations of the world have shown up and worked toward a global agreement that would apply the lessons learned from the unjust past to better protect everyone in the future. Yet, the narrow, miserly interests of prescription drug corporations slowed talks and diminished ambition.
“Standing for equity means standing up against the drug giants. The world still needs a powerful pandemic accord. We must keep fighting; we must keep working. Thank you to everyone who shows up for a healthy and just world.”
Public Citizen is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that champions the public interest in the halls of power. We defend democracy, resist corporate power and work to ensure that government works for the people - not for big corporations. Founded in 1971, we now have 500,000 members and supporters throughout the country.
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'You Have Unleashed Chaos': Dems Push Trump to Come Clean on Scale of Economic Destruction From Iran War
"Americans deserve to know whether your administration considered the many ways your war would increase the day-to-day cost of living," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the president.
May 06, 2026
A group of US House Democrats is demanding that President Donald Trump be transparent with the American public about the extent to which his administration planned for the dramatic price hikes caused by the war in Iran over the past two months.
"You have unleashed chaos, undermined our national security, and escalated the conflict by threatening war crimes, including wiping out an entire civilization and destroying civilian infrastructure," says the letter sent to the president on Wednesday by the five Democrats, who all serve leading opposition roles in House committees.
The letter was signed by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), the ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce; Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), the ranking member of the Agriculture Committee; Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the ranking member on the Natural Resources Committee; and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), the senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee.
Gas is over $6 bucks a gallon in parts of California. Instead of lowering prices, President Trump is spending a billion dollars a day on a war with no mission and no end in sight. What happened to America First?
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) May 5, 2026
The Democrats accused Trump of having launched the war "without coherent or realistic strategic objectives," and without a plan in the event that Iran restricted travel through the Strait of Hormuz, which has led to economic havoc.
"The impacts of your war will be felt for years, and the consequences of your reckless decision to drag America into war are increasingly falling on the American public," the lawmakers said.
They cited reports that consumer prices are now growing faster than at any point in nearly two years, with no sign of slowing down due to a 50% spike in crude oil prices, which has also driven gas prices above $4.50 per gallon on average across the US, up more than $1 from the war's beginning.
These oil shocks have rippled through the economy, raising the cost of airline tickets, home utilities, shipping, and numerous consumer goods. The blockage of the strait has also hampered fertilizer shipments, leading to spikes in food prices.
The lawmakers also noted the cost of the actual war to US taxpayers, which was reportedly about $2 billion per day during the first week of attacks.
While the Pentagon has claimed the war has only cost about $25 billion since it began in late February, Stephen Semler, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, estimates that when armament use, troop deployments, and other factors are considered, the true cost over 60 days has been more than $71 billion, almost three times higher.
Trump said during a press conference on Tuesday that when he decided to launch the war, he expected price increases to be even worse than they turned out to be.
"I also thought oil would go up to $200, $250, maybe $300, and I knew it would be short-term, but I thought it would go. I looked today, it's, like, at $102," he said, referring to the price of a barrel of oil. "That's a very small price to pay for getting rid of a nuclear weapon from people who are really mentally deranged."
The American public does not seem to agree. Trump's approval rating has plummeted to unseen lows since the war began, with just 35% now approving of his handling of the economy, according to an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll out Wednesday.
The same poll found that more than 8 in 10 said gas price hikes were straining their household budgets, and a majority (63%) blamed Trump for the increases. Roughly the same percentage said the overall economy was not working well for them personally, while 61% said they believed the war in Iran had done more harm than good.
The Democratic lawmakers inquired about the extent to which the Trump administration had prepared for Iran to cut off the Strait of Hormuz, which they said had been "long predicted" by experts.
They pointed to statements by administration officials, including US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who said just over a week before the war was launched that, thanks to Trump's "energy dominance agenda," prices would likely only "blip," as they had during June's 12-day war.
They also cited reports that Trump "did not consult" with Wright, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, or Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to assess the likely impacts of an attack on oil markets.
The lawmakers noted predictions from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in March that the war will push inflation to 4.2% this year, up from 2.6% the previous year. Analysts have predicted that an increase in inflation to just 3% would cost the average household with $5,000 in monthly expenses an extra $1,800 per year.
Asking Trump to provide documents detailing the White House's communications with executive agencies, the lawmakers said, "Americans deserve to know whether your administration considered the many ways your war would increase the day-to-day cost of living, and what steps you are now taking to protect Americans from the fallout of your foolhardy rush to war."
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'Tragedy for Thiago': Mother of Gaza Flotilla Activist Dies as Son Suffers Torture in Israel
One Brazilian lawmaker said Teresa Regina de Ávila e Silva's death occurred "against a backdrop of extreme distress for the family, with the unjustifiable detention of Thiago in Israel."
May 06, 2026
The mother of detained Brazilian Gaza flotilla activist Thiago Ávila died Tuesday while her son is allegedly being abused in Israeli custody after being seized off the coast of Greece last week.
Brazilian media reported that Teresa Regina de Ávila e Silva, 63, died after a decadeslong affliction with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
The Civil Police Union of the Federal District in Brasília—where Luana de Ávila, Ávila e Silva's daughter, is vice president—said in a statement that "Teresa Regina is remembered as a woman of admirable joy and strength, whose life was marked by her ability to face life with lightness, dignity, and love."
"Throughout her journey, she built strong bonds with everyone around her, leaving behind a legacy of affection, presence, and care for her family," the statement continued. "Later in her life, she faced a delicate condition, which she confronted with courage and serenity, always supported by the unconditional dedication of her children, grandchildren, nephews, and all her family and friends."
Erika Kokay, a member of Brazil's ruling Workers' Party representing Brasília in the Federal Chamber of Deputies, said on X that "Teresa will be remembered as a woman of strength and joy, who faced life's challenges with dignity and left a legacy of love for her family."
"My solidarity is even deeper when considering that this grief is unfolding against a backdrop of extreme distress for the family, with the unjustifiable detention of Thiago in Israel," Kokay added. "He was arrested while on a humanitarian mission headed to the Gaza Strip, enduring violations of his rights."
Thiago Ávila and at least 175 other Global Sumud Flotilla members were intercepted and abducted by Israeli forces on April 30 approximately 45 nautical miles from the Greek coast and more than 600 nautical miles from Gaza while trying to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory in dozens of boats.
After allegedly enduring abuse and brutal attacks that left over 30 flotilla activists with injuries including concussions and broken ribs and noses, all but two of the convoy's members were released.
Ávila and another member of the Global Sumud Flotilla steering committee, Spanish-Swedish national Saif Abu Keshek, were taken to Israel, which claims without evidence that the pair have links to Hamas, the militant Palestinian resistance group that led the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Israeli authorities have twice extended the pair's detention. According to the Global Sumud Flotilla, Ávila and Abu Keshek “are being subjected to systemic psychological torture and explicit threats to the lives of their families.”
Adalah Legal Center, which represents the pair, said Ávila is being "subjected to repeated interrogations lasting up to eight hours," and “interrogators have explicitly threatened him, stating he would either be ‘killed’ or ‘spend 100 years in jail.’”
“Both activists remain in total isolation, subjected to 24/7 high-intensity lighting in their cells, and kept blindfolded whenever they are moved, including during medical examinations,” the group added.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and their respective governments have condemned the activists' detention and demanded their release.
On Wednesday, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights joined calls for the pair's release, asserting that "it is not a crime to show solidarity and attempt to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population in Gaza, who are in dire need of it."
Gazans are suffering from 31 months of what UN experts say is a genocidal war and siege perpetrated by Israel, whose leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is a fugitive from the International Criminal Court. The Hague-based tribunal accuses Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including murder and forced starvation.
Since October 2023, more than 250,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded—including thousands of bodies still buried beneath rubble—and most of the Gaza Strip's more than 2 million people have suffered forced displacement, starvation, or illness caused by Israel's onslaught.
Ávila isn't the first high-profile person to lose his mother while jailed by Israel. Samiha Abu Safiya died of a heart attack attributed to “severe sadness” after her son, Kamal Adwan Hospital director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was imprisoned by Israeli forces, including in the notorious Sde Teiman prison. Abu Safiya—who has allegedly been subjected to torture including electric shock and has suffered broken ribs—is still being held by Israel.
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‘Epic Insider Trading’: Nearly $1 Billion in Crude Oil Shorts Taken Just Before Report of US-Iran Peace Deal
"Only a select few in the top tax bracket are benefiting from this, and the majority of you ain’t in it," said former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
May 06, 2026
Observers are once again raising concerns about insider trading on Wednesday after a trader took a colossal crude oil short position just over an hour before a US-Iran peace deal was reported to be on the horizon, causing prices to fall.
The Kobeissi Letter, a financial newsletter, reported on X that at 3:40 am on Wednesday, "nearly 10,000 contracts worth of crude oil shorts were taken without any major news."
This was equivalent to $920 million in notional value, which the letter described as "an unusually large trade" so early in the morning. But it would soon pay off.
At 4:50 am, just 70 minutes later, Axios published an exclusive scoop by Middle East reporter Barak Ravid that the White House believed the US and Iran were on the verge of agreeing to a one-page "memorandum of understanding" to end the war, which included more nuclear negotiations, one of the key sticking points for US President Donald Trump.
By 7:00 am, just over two hours after Axios dropped its report, oil prices had fallen by 12%, allowing the savvy investor to make $125 million in a matter of hours, which led to accusations that it was yet another example of "epic insider trading" by those in the know about Trump's plans.
Prices have since rebounded by about 8% after Iran announced the creation of the new "Persian Gulf Strait Authority," to mediate the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz on its terms.
The Trump administration has already been deluged with accusations that its members are using insider information to take advantage of financial markets and prediction market apps.
Last month, an active-duty US special forces soldier was indicted by the Department of Justice after he made about $400,000 betting on Polymarket that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would be removed from power, a bet he allegedly placed using classified information about an operation he himself was involved with.
More bettors collected around $1 million in profits from bets on the specific timing of Trump's war with Iran in late February. The Financial Times also reported a surge of more than $580 million in oil futures trading right before Trump announced a pause in strikes on Iran's energy facilities in March.
Of course, Wednesday's bet theoretically could have been made without the aid of insider information.
The new peace framework is the latest in what has seemed to be an endless pattern over the past several weeks in which US officials tell media outlets that a peace agreement is on the horizon, causing oil prices to dip, only for it to collapse later in the week, often with Trump issuing hostile threats or making new demands.
It has become such a familiar story that some have speculated that the announcement of productive ceasefire talks is deliberately choreographed to calm oil markets and bring down prices, which have become a growing problem for Trump among voters.
But as The Economic Times explained, the bet placed Wednesday morning likely "is not a routine hedge" or "a portfolio rebalancing move."
"At that hour, in that size," it said, "a crude oil short of that magnitude is a deliberate, high-conviction directional bet."
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a one-time Trump cheerleader who's become one of his leading critics, suggested Trump's erratic approach to negotiating an end to the war was just a tool used by him and his allies to profit.
"When is everyone going to start realizing that the on-again, off-again war/peace rhetoric is really just insider trading? And sprinkle in some murder," Greene wrote on social media. "Only a select few in the top tax bracket are benefiting from this, and the majority of you ain’t in it."
Democrats in Congress have urged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate what Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) suggested could be "mind-blowing corruption" by the White House, not only related to Trump's wars, but also to his tariff regime, which has caused similar market chaos that bettors have been able to capitalize on with fortuitously timed wagers.
But critics have described profiting from the machinations of a war that has killed more than 1,700 civilians as particularly grotesque.
"This has to stop," said Fox News commentator Jessica Tarlov. "Lives on the line so they can insider trade!"
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