US Halts Bioweapons Research At Texas A&M After Safety Screw-Ups

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The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has halted infectious diseases research at Texas A&M University over safety concerns. This is the first ban on bioweapons work across an entire institution, reports Nature. The indefinite suspension follows two reports from the Sunshine Project, a watchdog group from Austin, alleging that Texas A&M failed to report researchers’ exposure to infectious agents. The first exposure occurred in February 2006 when a student contracted Brucella, a bacterium carried by dairy animals. The student was treated with antibiotics. The second occurred in April 2006 when three workers showed signs of exposure to Coxiella burnetii, a bacterium in livestock that causes Q fever in humans. None fell ill. Although Coxiella and Brucella are considered bioweapons, and all exposures require immediate reporting, neither incident was reported to the CDC until April 2007. Texas A&M faces fines of up to $750,000, and a long-term ban on funding for similar research. JULIA WHITTY

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

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