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11 Pathogens Pose Big Security Risk For Research
sciencehabit writes "A United States federal panel of scientists and security experts has identified 11 microorganisms that it wants designated as Tier 1 select agents, a new category of biological agents that would be subject to higher security standards than other pathogens and toxins used in biomedical research. The category would include anthrax, Ebola, Variola major and Variola minor (the two viruses that cause small pox), the Marburg virus, the virus that causes foot and mouth disease, and bacterial strains that produce the botulinum neurotoxin. At the same time, the panel has recommended dropping 19 pathogens and six toxins from the broader list of 82 agents that are currently governed by the select agent program."
When one studies Reagan's policies (stated versus actual) and his pitiable excuse for economics, one realizes just how horrible a president he was, and how a good chunk of the problems we see today can be traced back to his administration. I suppose that's what you get for electing an actor as a president.
This is the man who waned to eliminate the Department of Education and implemented standardized tests as a way of measuring "intelligence", which has screwed up the American educational system to this day.
And this was the man who kept quiet about the AIDS epidemic for the longest time, as if being silent would make it go away.
Should one of those nasties broken out when he'd been in power, he'd have just pulled an ostrich and pretended that nothing happened.