Public HealthDEA, DOJ Warn of Lethal Fake Medication Pushed by Mexican Criminal Gangs Published 7 October 2021 Mexican criminal drug networks are mass-producing illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-laced fake pills using chemicals sourced largely from China., and are distributing these pills through U.S. criminal networks. These addictive fake pills are more lethal than ever. DEA laboratory

Transportation SecurityU.S. Unveils New Cybersecurity Requirements for Rail, Air By Jeff Seldin Published 7 October 2021 DHS has unveiled new measures to make sure the U.S. air and surface transportation sectors will not be crippled by ransomware or cyberattacks. The new measures will apply to “higher risk” rail companies, “critical” airport operators, and air passenger

ResilienceProject to Look Below the Surface to Make NYC More Resilient Published 7 October 2021 Hurricanes Ida and Henri caused flooding in New York City, demonstrating the need for comprehensive, quickly accessible data about the spatial relationships between utility conduits, water and waste systems, fuel transit pipelines, transportation tunnels, and other infrastructure beneath our feet. Recent

PandemicInsights into COVID Vaccine Hesitancy Published 5 October 2021 Two recent studies looked at COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in minority groups and opinions around less-preferred vaccines, provide clues for how officials might better encourage immunization. Two JAMA Network Open studies last Thursday that looked at COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in minority groups and opinions around less-preferred vaccines provide clues for

DroughtsRecord-Breaking Texas Drought More Severe Than Previously Thought Published 7 October 2021 In 2011, Texas experienced one of its worst droughts ever, with the dry, parched conditions causing more than $7 billion in crop and livestock losses, sparking wildfires, pushing power grids to the limit, and reducing reservoirs to dangerously low levels. A new study

Vaccine PassportsVaccine Passports Are Coming. But Are They Ethical? By Julian Savulescu Published 5 October 2021 It is the foundational ethical principle of any liberal society that the state should only restrict liberty if people represent a threat of harm to others. Ethics is about weighing different values. Decisions about vaccination should be fundamentally ethical,

Digital PrivacyIn U.S. v Wilson, the Ninth Circuit Reaffirms Fourth Amendment Protection for Electronic Communications By Jennifer Lynch Published 5 October 2021 The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a new ruling which is a victory for digital privacy rights, has confirmed that the police need to get a warrant before they open your email

Nuclear WeaponsU.S. Has a Stockpile of 3,750 Nuclear Warheads Published 6 October 2021 The United States has disclosed the number of nuclear weapons in its arsenal for the first time since former President Donald Trump decided to keep the figures a secret. At the height of the cold war, in 1967, the U.S. nuclear stockpile

DroughtsRecord-Breaking Texas Drought More Severe Than Previously Thought Published 6 October 2021 In 2011, Texas experienced one of its worst droughts ever, with the dry, parched conditions causing more than $7 billion in crop and livestock losses, sparking wildfires, pushing power grids to the limit, and reducing reservoirs to dangerously low levels. A new study

Vaccine PassportsVaccine Passports Are Coming. But Are They Ethical? By Julian Savulescu Published 5 October 2021 It is the foundational ethical principle of any liberal society that the state should only restrict liberty if people represent a threat of harm to others. Ethics is about weighing different values. Decisions about vaccination should be fundamentally ethical,