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Can New York City's infrastructure handle climate change's consequences?
Mayor Michael Bloomberg sets up a panel of experts to examine whether NYC can cope with flooded subway tunnels, rising sea levels, intense heat, and other consequences of climate change
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Global warming will reduce frequency but increase intensity of hurricanes
Two variables — ocean temperature and wind shear — are considered to be the two most important factors in predicting hurricane activity, both in operational forecasting and in consideration of climate change; new research shows that global warming will likely reduce the frequency of hurricanes, but increase their intensity
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The pandemic potential of H9N2 avian influenza viruses
Researchers show that some currently circulating avian H9N2 viruses can transmit to naïve ferrets placed in direct contact with infected ferrets — but aerosol transmission was not observed, a key factor in potentially pandemic strains
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New bird flu strain detected in Nigeria
Nigeria has reported two new highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks; laboratory results show that the newly discovered virus strain (H5N1, clade 2, EMA3) is genetically different from the strains that circulated in Nigeria during earlier outbreaks
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DHS prepares for attack during transition
Elaine Duke, DHS’s undersecretary for management: “A lot of acts of terror take place in times of political change, and there’s an awareness of that…. So we’re looking at — when our political employees leave — who acts in their place … in case of an incident”
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New virus fights other viruses by spreading at their expense
Newly discovered virsu may help fight viral infections by hijacking the replication machinery of the lethal viruses; the new virsus — called Sputnik — is the first member of a new class they call “virophages”
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Giant online security hole getting fixed, slowly
Serious DNS security flaw was discovered a month ago, a flaw which allowed criminals silently to redirect traffic to Web sites under their control; more details will be given at today’s Black Hat event
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New interim management service for the business continuity sector
One result of a disaster may be injured and traumatized employees who need time away from to office to recuperate; it may be relatively easy to replace a filing clerk, but about a manager? London-based company offers qualified temps for business continuity missions
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Bacteria were the real killers in 1918 flu pandemic
Medical and scientific experts now agree that bacteria, not influenza viruses, were the greatest cause of death during the 1918 flu pandemic
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FEMA's still struggles with IT security issues
DHS’s IG reports that “These issues collectively limit FEMA’s ability to ensure that critical financial and operational data is maintained in a manner to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability”
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Tuffin Technology's products win F&S award
Security and network operations are becoming increasingly complex. Large enterprises have multiple firewalls spread across different time zones and business units and are also required to comply with stringent regulatory requirements; Tuffin Technology offers management solutions to help businesses cope
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DHS releases national emergency communications plan
Seven years after 9/11, and three years after Katrina, DHS releases the U.S. first strategic plan aimed at improving emergency response communications
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Five ways for humans to trigger a natural disaster
Most scientists now agree that human activity contributes to a long-term changes in global climate, with serious consequences for humans, animals, and plants; human activity, though, can also trigger sudden “natural” catastrophes
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Sharp increase in "zero-day" exploits
Cyber-criminals are adopting new automation techniques and strategies that allow them to exploit vulnerabilities much faster than ever before
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Thales chooses e2v for Sentinel-3 Earth observation satellite
Sentinel-3 will be used to study sea surface topography, sea, and land surface temperature, ocean color, and land color with a high level of accuracy
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The long view
Strengthening School Violence Prevention
Violence by K-12 students is disturbingly common. Ensuring that schools have effective ways to identify and prevent such incidents is becoming increasingly important. Expanding intervention options and supporting K-12 school efforts in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) would help.
Huge Areas May Face Possibly Fatal Heat Waves if Warming Continues
A new assessment warns that if Earth’s average temperature reaches 2 degrees C over the preindustrial average, widespread areas may become too hot during extreme heat events for many people to survive without artificial cooling.
Trump’s Cuts to Federal Wildfire Crews Could Have “Scary” Consequences
President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the federal workforce have gutted the ranks of wildland firefighters and support personnel, fire professionals warn, leaving communities to face deadly consequences when big blazes arrive this summer. States, tribes and fire chiefs are preparing for a fire season with minimal federal support.