Day Six.
Let's not invite Annie Jacobsen to dinner.
“News Items gives you in minutes the most important news of the day, with the bonus of clear reports on the latest research and breakthroughs in science and technology that go broader and deeper than anything you see in news summaries from other leading publications.” — Robert Delamater, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell.
1. Dwight Garner reviews Annie Jacobsen’s new book, which you probably won’t want to read:
In a sobering new book, Annie Jacobsen considers the potentially civilization-ending impacts of biological war. Jacobsen’s new book, “Biological War: A Scenario,” is a heavily researched book about contagious and potentially civilization-ending pathogens. Though banned by international treaty, these germs have been weaponized and hoarded by countries that include Russia, North Korea and Syria. By “weaponized” I don’t mean merely that they’ve been placed at the business end of ballistic missiles. I mean that these pathogens have been genetically engineered, in diabolical ways, to trick first responders and be all but untreatable. Even a small accidental spill, like wine sloshing out of glass, like Covid slipping out of a lab, could be the last mistake our species makes. Jacobsen has interviewed everyone, from former high-ranking members of the military, the C.I.A., FEMA and NATO to former secretaries of defense, counterterrorism experts, epidemiologists and Sam [expletive] Altman. That so many were willing to talk to her, and have their names affixed to this book, indicates the esteem in which she is held, especially after the publication of “Nuclear War: A Scenario” (2024), a best seller that stirred new interest in nuclear policy, technology and risks worldwide. The reason “Biological War,” like Jacobsen’s previous book, is so consuming is that she packs a lot of dense and particulate information into a ticking-clock scenario: into a story. It’s more pulverizing than a Kathryn Bigelow movie. Some of the chapter headings are phrases like “Day Two” or “Day Three.” Not to ruin your mood, but “Day Six” is about as far as civilization gets. (Sources: nytimes.com, penguinrandomhouse.com)
2. Iran launched a surprise ballistic-missile attack on American forces in Jordan, a U.S. official said, a violent escalation that piles new pressure on President Trump to renew the war in earnest. The missiles were all successfully intercepted, the U.S. military said. But the assault raised the prospect that American forces would have to respond, just as negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and eventually jump-start broader peace talks were picking up speed. The assault marked a shift for Iran, which until now had generally fired on U.S. forces in retaliation for American airstrikes on its own territory. With the unprompted missile attack, Iran showed it is willing to take the fight to the U.S. on its own terms in an attempt to force Trump’s hand. (Source: wsj.com)
3. Iran-backed militias in Iraq fired drones at oil facilities in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region for the second day in a row, piling pressure on the kingdom, which is grappling with a maritime blockade limiting its crude oil shipments. The Saudi Defense Ministry said it had intercepted the drones on Tuesday, without clarifying whether the facilities were damaged. Similar attacks were carried out from Iraq on Riyadh and the Eastern Region on Monday. (Source: bloomberg.com)
