Our picksDeadly pathogens escaping; national DNA database; terrorism & body count, and more

Published 20 March 2019

·  How deadly pathogens have escaped the lab — over and over again

·  Americans are seeing threats in the wrong places

·  The U.S. may soon have a de facto national DNA database

·  The number of people who are skeptical about science increased 3 points from last year

·  The state of science in the Trump era

·  New Zealand shooting: White supremacists and jihadists feed off each other

·  Christchurch attacks could impact counterterrorism strategy

·  Russian trolls can be surprisingly subtle, and often fun to read

·  Body counts are terrible way for the public to assess U.S. counter-terrorism operations

·  Why it’s a mistake to be a-waitin’ “the” Mueller Report (and why you should instead focus on two other reports)

How deadly pathogens have escaped the lab — over and over again (Kelsey Piper, Vox)
Research into dangerous viruses and bacteria is important, but for the deadliest pathogens, it’s not clear the benefits are worth the risks.

Americans are seeing threats in the wrong places (Janet Napolitano with Karen Breslau, The Atlantic)
Security means teaching the public which dangers are real and which are not. Trump’s rhetoric isn’t helping.

The U.S. may soon have a de facto national DNA database (Natalie Ram, Slate)
We need to close the loopholes that allow law enforcement to take advantage of consumer genetics.

The number of people who are skeptical about science increased 3 points from last year (Axios)
Katie Couric is holding an event Wednesday to promote 3M’s second annual “State of Science Index Survey,” which found that the number of people who are skeptical about science actually increased 3 points from last year, to 35%. At a time when science is under attack from the White House, Couric told Axios in an interview: “We need to talk about really important stories in a non-political way.”

The state of science in the Trump era (Union of Concerned Scientists)
The Trump administration over its first two years has shown a pervasive pattern of sidelining science in critical decision making. These efforts have not gone unanswered, however. Sustained pressure from scientists and their allies has played a key role in preventing or restraining some of the worst abuses.

New Zealand shooting: White supremacists and jihadists feed off each other (Rita Katz, Daily Beast)
From jihadists’ attacks in France and Florida to white nationalists’ attacks in Quebec City and Christchurch, each adds fuel to extremists’ stories of Crusades and ethnic invaders.