Coping With An Anthrax Attack: What Would A City Do?

"Coping With An Anthrax Attack: What Would A City Do?" by Reut Cohen for Neon Tommy, April 26, 2012:

The investigation following the 2001 anthrax attacks in the US is referred to by the FBI as “one of the largest and most complex in the history of law enforcement.” One week after the grisly attacks on 9/11, letters containing anthrax spores reached the offices of two U.S. senators and several news media offices. Besides the subsequent fear—understandable considering the nation saw itself at war—the attacks claimed lives. At least 22 people were infected. Five died from inhaling anthrax.

Could it happen again? And is a city, like Seattle, prepared for such a calamity—especially if an attack occurs on a larger scale? While culturing large quantities of anthrax spores is complicated, many nations have the capacity for doing so. That makes it a feared biological weapon.

Using Seattle as a focal point, University of Southern California researchers at the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE) assessed the some of the consequences of a large-scale anthrax attack. Various visual scenarios examined psychological and economic impacts of hundreds of Seattle residents who participated in the study. The project, funded by the Department of Homeland Security, focused on perceptions of risk, awareness of individuals’ health, and livelihood objectives following the uncertainty of a terror attack in a situation where an anthrax attack claims the lives of 50,000 in a metropolitan city. It examines what government can do to make a difference in terms of whether people move back or pursue their lives in a different location following such an attack.

“The way we did this is by using the Department of Homeland Security’s national planning scenarios of an anthrax attack,” said Heather Rosoff, a post doctoral research associate at CREATE. “What we did is we took the language of the scenario and developed it further into short videos segments starting with the initial attack and extending out over a two year period.”

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UPDATED: Ann Romney Responds To Claim She Hasn't "Worked A Day In Her Life"

"UPDATED: Ann Romney Responds To Claim She Hasn't "Worked A Day In Her Life"" by Reut Cohen for Neon Tommy, April 12, 2012:

UPDATE: 2:40 p.m.: Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen apologized to Ann Romney Thursday over comments in which she claimed Romney hasn't "worked a day in her life." The apology comes following significant condemnation from top Republicans and Democrats. "I apologize to Ann Romney and anyone else who was offened," she wrote in a statement. She added: "Let's put the faux 'war against stay at home moms' to rest once and for all. As a mom I know that raising children is the hardest job there is. As a pundit, I know my words on CNN last night were poorly chosen."

Following criticism that she is out of touch with women and hasn't "worked a day in her life," Ann Romney, wife of presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, appeared on Fox News Thursday to respond to the claims made by Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen. "My career choice was to be a mother and I think all of us need to know we need to respect choices women make," she defended.

Rosen’s comments have not just prompted a debate about whether presidential nominees are able to relate to women, but about the status of stay-at-home moms in general.

On Anderson Cooper’s "AC360" show Wednesday, Rosen claimed that Romney is unable to relate to regular women because she hasn’t worked. Rosen also accused Mitt Romney of being "old fashioned" about women, suggesting he doesn't "see us as equals."

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Also See:
- Dog-Eat-Dog Politics: Obama Ate Dog Meat, Critics Say
- Newt Gingrich Slams Fox News

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