#Cancellation of contract

[saywhat-politics]

HHS cancels nearly $600 million Moderna contract on vaccines for flu pandemics

The decision will be seen as a significant blow to pandemic preparedness

By Helen Branswell and Matthew HerperMay 28, 2025

The Department of Health and Human Services has notified Moderna that it is canceling a nearly $600 million contract with the company to develop, test, and license vaccines for flu subtypes that could trigger future pandemics, including the dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus.

Though the possibility of the cancellation had been anticipated — the new leadership at HHS told the company in February that it was reviewing the contract, signed with the Biden administration — the move is being seen as a significant blow to the country’s capacity to respond to pandemic influenza.

[oscarsracecar]

what if you’re OSCAR PIASTRI and you FUCK UP a race that you had in the bag and so you have a little CRASHOUT and now the internet wants to BURN YOU AT THE STAKE and your FUCKASS MANAGER somehow got you a MODELLING CONTRACT and now you have to come up with a NONCHALANT CAPTION for your weekly IG DUMP and act like it’s all FINE

[asthedeathoflight]

I think a lot of how I look at ART's relationship to the University is informed by Crux's insane rant to Gideon in the first scene of Gideon the Ninth, where we really get to see the stakes of living in a necromantic economy for the first time. Gideon is trying to argue that her running off to join the military should be fine, because she'll bring more honor to the Ninth house that way, but Crux doesn't give a shit what she does with her life. He's upset because if she dies in the cohort, the Ninth will potentially lose access to her /body./ Theyre in a closed ecosystem. They need her body - her fat to make soap with, her skin to make books with, her skeleton for labor. And so she's trapped forever, because no amount of their belief in her personal autonomy will override their economic interest in the physical material of her body.

And that, I think, is very reminiscent of a certain bot pilot whose personhood seems to be respected on paper, but who is still held captive by the fact that even if the University doesn't own its mind, they very much own its body.

[rata-novus]

so say you're a streamer, and say you don't want to say anything too politically divisive and remain a safe, welcoming space for all. also say someone sends a tts dono requesting you to say something positive about a marginalized group and you decline, for the reason stated previously. and let's also say several of your mods are openly bigoted maga supporters on social media. i don't think it's a wild nor unfair leap to see how one of these groups would feel less welcome than the other. just saying.

[shanklin]

It’s the most honest job Stan’s ever had.

Sure, the company he’s working for is downright diabolical, scamming their customers in all aspects of life, but that’s not Stan’s problem.

As Le Ville Corp’s most successful customer service agent in the Oregon area his only job is to follow the company guidelines, sell as many bad deals as possible and never ever let anyone back out of a contract. 

Morality aside, nothing the company does is actually illegal, so at the end of the day Stan gets to collect his almost-minimum-wage-sized paycheck and go home in the knowledge, that no pigs will come knocking on his door anytime soon.

Life is good. Or at least as good as it gets where Stan is concerned. Last month he even got a raise for selling every bad product the company had to offer to one poor kind sucker. 

From household appliances to car insurance, magazine subscriptions and even their extremely shitty telephone and electricity contracts - the McGucket guy brought it all.

Thanks to him, Stan could upgrade from his car to an almost black mold free one room appartment with a community bathroom one block over.

Stan was finally moving up in the world and then his phone rings. He recognises the number. It’s his good friend Fiddle-not-gonna-say-the-rest McGucket.

Stan grins and cracks his knuckles. It’s about time McGucket figured out he’s gotten scammed. Time to make the poor guy’s life a living hell. No one is getting out of a contract on his watch.

“Thank you for calling Le Ville Corp. For us you are more than just a customer. You are family! This is Piers. How can I help you today?”

The moment Stan starts his greeting, he is bombarded with noise disturbances from the other side.

Ah, the good old Le Ville Corp telephone network working as intended. Maybe Stan can convince the guy to upgrade to a slightly less egregious version. 

Wait, what did he say?

His name is Dr. Stammered Lynes? Weird, but okay. Still better than Fiddle-nope-not-saying-it Hardon McGucket.

As it turns out, Stan finally met the mysterious roommate whose money McGucket has been using to pay for all of their products. Stan didn’t think the guy had it in him to ditch his roommate after the scam got discovered. Good for him!

Now, how to best screw Dr. Lynes here over.

***

An hour and a half of data security safety questions and a new phone contract later the doc hangs up to Stan’s cheery and corporate mandated farewell:

“And don’t forget we here at Le Ville Corp consider you our forever family, because you will stay with us forever!”

***

Stanford Pines just had the worst month of his life [not counting the weeks after the science fair that he refuses to think about].

The portal test was a disaster, his partner left, his muse refuses to explain himself and on top of all of that his new fridge won’t open, because this week’s subscription fee hasn’t been paid yet.

What the f-FIDDLEFORD!

[ihonestlydontknowwhattocallthis]

Taskmaster season 19 episode 3 out of context

[velvet-apricots]

everything about this little bit is so good. The sinister dialogue of the false gods, Emmrich assuring that he won't be hurt, and Rook saying she will inflict something worse then death if they even touch him.

[paperpoetryandpetrichor]

I never wanted to say anything about what's currently happening with Good Omens because how aggressive people have been on here but, well, what on earth did you think would happen? You wanted Neil Gaiman fired from a project he is co-writer of the book, writer and producer of. A project he holds rights to. Season 3 without Neil Gaiman wasn't possible. So I for one thing am ecstatic Amazon didn't cancel it because honestly, that would've been the logical conclusion from how people have been acting and reacting on here. And to me, it seems cancellation was imminent and someone fought very hard for that not to happen.

90 minutes is plenty. Season 2 without the minisodes, title sequence and end credits was roughly 120 minutes long. Death at a Funeral is 90 minutes long. Ice Age 3 is 104 minutes. Stand by me, Nightmare before Christmas and Corpse Bride are quite short as well, not to mention the old Disney films. What I'm trying to say is, a lot of (imo) great movies aren't actually that long and there are no character introductions, exposition or world building needed for Good Omens 3. It's not ideal, and don't get me wrong, I was sad at first too and part of me still is, but it's a lot considering the circumstances. Please be kind, try to be positive and don't exude all your negative energy on the Internet.

[crabussy]

shivering and shaking. I have to make a scary call today I have to ask the government for 4000 dollars so that I can continue studying. because they said they'd pay for my study and then didn't. I am so brave. phone call can't hurt me. I'm powerful

[69thatstheweednumber]

hot lilo and stitch remake take why the fuck are you expecting these hollow cynical entirely brand-name-recognition profit driven live action remakes by a trillion dollar corporation to have any artistic value whatsoever and also why are you acting like the entirely predictable failures and shortcomings of these works are some sinister malicious plot with ulterior motives beyond "brand name recognition minimum effort recognizable ip cash grab"

[edwinisms]

love seeing that the tag is trending. as if it means anything

[howtosingit]

One thing that is starting to feel inevitable is that the only way Fox will probably be able to make a deal for a 6th season is for the show to undergo more principal cast changes. I think Fox wants to keep LS and I think Rob Lowe wants to stay at Fox (he's their golden boy after all), so if Fox can lock in a deal, season 6 will definitely include Rob Lowe, but who else would be asked to stay? The departure of Sierra makes it pretty clear that Fox (and 20th Century) considers everyone else expendable to an extent and would be fine to continue the show without them. Fox has even talked for years about running this show with ever-changing casts, but which cast members would Fox fight to keep for longer outside of Lowe, and which ones would even be willing to return... and what kind of contract will they be willing to accept for it?

[jewishcissiekj]

the impending sense of doom!

it has never been more over

[awkwardrocker]

My Suzuka conspiracy theory is that Toto Wolff changing his plans to suddenly be available is because Seb might be there and he's trying to recruit him to Merc for next year.