Washington, D.C.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson offered some sobering warnings last week after announcing his resignation from President Bush’s Cabinet. Thompson said Asian bird influenza strains were “a really huge bomb” that could kill 70 million people if they mutated into a flu affecting humans. Thompson also said he worried “every single night” about the potential for terrorists to poison imported food. “For the life of me,” he said, “I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do.” A spokesman said Thompson was just trying to be candid, and that there was no reason for the public to panic.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
