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DISASTERSWorld Risk Report: Where Are Natural Disasters Most Common?
The 2024 World Risk Report is out, highlighting which countries are most at risk from natural disasters, and what can be done to prevent catastrophes and mitigate the effects.
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WATER SAFETYPublic Trust in Drinking Water Safety Is Low Globally
A new study finds more than half of adults surveyed worldwide expect to be seriously harmed by their water within the next two years. The study sought to understand public perceptions of drinking water safety.
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FOOD SECURITYBiosecurity for Food Security
Biosecurity is a fundamental enabler for a country’s’ food security, a critical but often overlooked element of national security, and it is time for it to be treated accordingly.
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LYME DISEASEA Genetic Analysis of Lyme Disease Could Improve Diagnosis and Treatment
By mapping the complete genetic makeup of 47 strains of Lyme disease-causing bacteria from around the world, researchers have created a powerful resource for identifying the specific bacterial strains that infect patients.
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PATHOGENSWHO Updates List of Most Dangerous Viruses and Bacteria
The WHO recently published a report outlining the findings of its global pathogen prioritization process that involved more than 200 scientists who evaluated evidence related to 28 viral families and one core group of bacteria, covering 1,652 pathogens.
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GUNSImplementing Secure Firearm Storage Program for Illinois Parents
Firearm injury and mortality are the leading cause of death among youth in the U.S. From 2013-2020, firearms contributed to a staggering cumulative loss of 1.3 million years of life for young people.
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MASS SHOOTERSMass Shooters Are Often ‘Socially Stunted’ with ‘Zero Coping Skills’
“The fact that a grown man who lives with his mom and dad still enjoys playing dress-up like a preschooler is strange and yet a frequent occurrence among mass shooters,” said an expert on mass shooters. “There is a subtype of mass shooters that dress up in pseudo‐commando attire brandishing assault weapons.”
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SURVEILLANCEData Privacy After Dobbs: Is Period Tracking Safe?
Many people think all health care information is protected under the federal privacy law, known as HIPAA. But menstrual cycle tracking apps, along with other health care technologies, like texting platforms that patients can use with doctors, are not. There haven’t been any cases where a menstrual tracking app’s data has been subpoenaed yet, but that’s probably due to the slow speed of which cases proceed through the court system.
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NUCLEAR FORENSICSUranium Science Researchers Investigate Feasibility of Intentional Nuclear Forensics
Despite strong regulations and robust international safeguards, authorities routinely interdict nuclear materials outside of regulatory control. Researchers are exploring a new method that would give authorities the ability to analyze intercepted nuclear material and determine where it originated.
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WATER SECURITYResearchers Spot Potential Hazard with Private Well Water Treatment
While arsenic is a naturally occurring element, it is a known human carcinogen and dangerous to human health. Systems designed to treat arsenic in private well water may be malfunctioning and endangering the health of people who count on them to keep their water safe.
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NUCLEAR WASTEHow Do You Convince Someone to Live Next to a Nuclear Waste Site?
The world’s first permanent depository for nuclear fuel waste opens later this year on Olkiluoto, a sparsely populated and lushly forested island in the Baltic Sea three hours north of Helsinki. Engineers know how to build a site that can safeguard nuclear waste for 100,000 years. The challenge is convincing people to live next to it.
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NUCLEAR WASTEHow Do You Convince Someone to Live Next to a Nuclear Waste Site?
Engineers know how to build a site that can safeguard nuclear waste for 100,000 years. The challenge is convincing people to live next to it.
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CLIMATE CHALLENGES52% Jump in days over 35°C (95 F) in World’s Biggest Capital Cities
New analysis looking at the 20 most populous capital cities shows that there is an overall rise in the number of days of extreme heat. The world’s biggest capital cities have experienced a 52% increase in the number of days reaching 35°C over the past three decades.
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EXTREMISMHow Antisemites, Extremists and Conspiracy Theorists are Exploiting the Anti-Vax Movement
The days of lockdowns and social distancing are behind us, but anti-vaccine narratives remain prevalent on social media, and extremists continue to exploit these sentiments to recruit new members, raise money and mainstream their beliefs. Many extremists view anti-vaxxers as a massive pool of potential fresh recruits and followers primed for the “red pill.”
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CYBERSECURITYARPA-H Announces Program to Enhance and Automate Cybersecurity for Health Care Facilities
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced the launch of the Universal PatchinG and Remediation for Autonomous DEfense (UPGRADE) program, a cybersecurity effort that will invest more than $50 million to create tools for information technology (IT) teams to better defend the hospital environments they are tasked with securing.
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The long view
PATHOGENSWHO Updates List of Most Dangerous Viruses and Bacteria
The WHO recently published a report outlining the findings of its global pathogen prioritization process that involved more than 200 scientists who evaluated evidence related to 28 viral families and one core group of bacteria, covering 1,652 pathogens.