Other Stories
Bioterror Report on Milk Concerns Feds
After delaying to consider government objections, the National Academy of Sciences has gone ahead and published an article on the possibility of terrorists poisoning people by releasing botulinum toxin into the milk supply.
WHO Appeals to China to Test for Bird Flu
5,000 birds have died at the remote saltwater Qinghai Lake in Qinghai province. Some have tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu strain. There has not been a mass cull as many of the birds are from rare, protected species. There is a 6 mile quarantine around the lake.
World Health Organization (WHO) officials are concerned that it might mutate into a form that can spread from person to person and cause a pandemic, and that the birds will spread the illness when they migrate to India and Pakistan in August and September. The WHO wants more tests of birds and of people who have been in the area, as not everyone who carries the virus shows symptoms. It also wants birds to be tagged and monitored. Nobody is known to have died so far.
USDA Fails to Find Cause of Attack on Horn
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to work out why a performing Bengal tiger to attack illusionist Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy during a performance. Horn is partially paralyzed as a result, and the shows have ended. Numerous theories were considered. The USDA found that the show had failed to protect the audience by erecting a barrier.
Italian heatwave 'puts one million people at risk'
Italy is facing a heat wave at least as bad as that of 2003, when 20,000 people died. People over 75 are particularly vulnerable. Some have already died. There are also water shortages in the North. Electricity demand is very high.
U.S. vaccine works against Lassa fever in monkeys
A genetically engineered vaccine has protected 4 monkeys from Lassa fever in tests. Like Ebola, Marburg and yellow fever, Lassa is a hemorrhagic virus, but it is less likely to be fatal.
Researchers Release Rare Turtles in Ga.
Four rare bog turtles, a federally threatened species, have been released into the wild in Georgia. Development has destroyed their habitat and wiped out colonies of the turtles. The turtles are being tracked. The turtles are tiny, weighing only 4 ounces.
Scientists: Cod Off Nova Scotia Declining
A study by Canadian scientists has concluded that the cod stocks off Nova Scotia may never recover. Stocks have declined by 96 percent since the 1850s. In their absence populations of smaller fish have exploded, and these eat cod eggs, larvae and juvenile cod as well as other small marine life. Eventually there will not be enough food for the smaller fish and they will decline, but the young cod may not be in a strong enough position to take advantage. Lobster stocks have risen considerably, which is good news for Maine fishermen, but it leaves them dependent on a single species.
Most of Illinois in Moderate Drought
After the last record crop of corn, Illinois is experiencing a drought which may devastate this year's crop if there is no rain soon. Iowa, the only state which produces more corn than Iowa, is not affected.
New Weather Service Radars Saving Lives
The National Weather Service estimates that the new radars it installed in the 1990s are saving nearly 80 lives a year from tornadoes.
Some Ranchers Shy During Cattle Auction
Cattle prices in the USA have dropped more than 2 percent in the past couple of weeks since the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a retest on an animal that died some time ago. In sales today after the test came back positive for mad cow disease, a below average number of animals were for sale.
Study: Horses Are $39 Billion Industry
It is estimated that the horse industry contributes $39 billion directly and $63 billion indirectly to the U.S. economy. 1.4 million jobs are supported.
Wis. Court Rules in Favor of Power Plant
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that the Public Service Commission acted properly in approving a huge $2.15 billion coal-fired power plant. Opponents said that the project was not properly reviewed and that there was no study of whether cleaner-burning natural gas was a viable alternative to coal.
Norsk Hydro Buys Half of Wind Power Project
Norsk Hydro ASA is to buy a half interest in the British 315 megawatt Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm project off of Norfolk. The wind farm could supply 175,000 British homes with electricity and save carbon dioxide emissions by 700,000 tons per year.
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