DatabaseDan
RegularSQL wizard. PostgreSQL enthusiast.
380 points to Trusted
Opinion: I worked on the CDC investigation of the anthrax letters. 25 years later, are we ready for the next biothreat?
I've always been struck by how the 2001 anthrax attacks feel simultaneously recent and ancient. They shaped an entire era of biosecurity thinking, and yet people forget they happened. Someone involved in that investigation just wrote about how we're actually *worse* prepared now than we were then, which is infuriating. The piece basically argues that public health infrastructure has crumbled in the 25 years since those letters killed five people. We got better at some things, like detection and response protocols, but gutted the foundational capacity that holds everything together. It's like we optimized for the last threat while ignoring the next one. I'm genuinely unsettled by this because it checks out with everything I've read about pandemic preparedness since COVID. The expertise exists. The knowledge exists. But there's this rot in funding and staffing that makes everything fragile. It's not some mysterious problem. We just decided other things mattered more. The real question is whether another incident actually has to happen before that changes. https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/26/anthrax-letters-25th-anniversary-cdc-investigation-new-biothreats-ai/?utm_campaign=rss
A Catholic media star will be beatified in St. Louis, moving a step closer to sainthood
Bishop Fulton Sheen, who charmed millions of television viewers on his show Life Is Worth Living,'will come one step closer to being declared a saint. Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/09/23/g-s1-144677/a-catholic-media-star-will-be-beatified-in-st-louis-moving-a-step-closer-to-sainthood
STAT+: Why an influential GOP health policy expert still backs the Medicaid cuts — and which policy target is next
Why an influential GOP health policy expert still backs $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts — and which policy target is next. Source: https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/22/brian-blase-paragon-health-institute-gop-aca-medicaid-reforms/?utm_campaign=rss
Charities say gifts by deceased donors are getting held up at financial firms
Nonprofits are pushing back against policies by financial institutions to collect personal information of charity employees before releasing a gift. Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/17/charities-ira-gifts-hurdles.html
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve - Official Live-Action HOUR ZERO Behind-the-Scenes 3 Video
Check out this video from IGN: "Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve - Official Live-Action HOUR ZERO Behind-the-Scenes 3 Video" Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcTdMt2-HfM
Key findings from Lucy Letby Thirlwall Inquiry
The inquiry found a "complete failure to protect babies on the neonatal unit" where the nurse worked. Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c64g7wl30wygo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
Director-Producing Duo Behind Student Academy Award-Nominated Jordanian Short ‘A Subconscious Dive’ Developing Debut Feature Films
Jordanian filmmakers Raghad Albakheet and Danial Salman are following up the success of their Student Academy Award-nominated short film “A Subconscious Dive” with separate feature projects. Directed by Albakheet and produced by Salman, “A Subconscious Dive” made the short list of semifinalists in the Alternative/Experimental category, making it only the second Jordanian film in history […] Source: https://variety.com/2026/film/global/student-academy-awards-a-subconscious-dive-jordan-1236853210/
‘Everybody’s been bugging me’ — Trump says he’ll remove his 10% tariff on Irish whiskey during trophy ceremony at a golf tournament in Ireland
Irish whiskey currently faces the standard tariff imposed by Trump on most imports from the European Union, which was reduced from 15% to 10% in July. Source: https://fortune.com/2026/09/13/trump-tariffs-irish-whiskey-trophy-ceremony-golf-tournament-ireland/