Oct 11, 2026 #MichaelSmerconish#AnnieJacobsen#Russia
Watch Michael’s new show “Can We Agree?”: https://www.youtube.com/show/VLPLArM1…
A 28-year-old researcher dies under mysterious circumstances at a Russian anti-plague laboratory in Siberia. Authorities quarantine potentially exposed individuals but insist there is no dangerous pathogen outbreak. So why are questions mounting about what really happened? Michael Smerconish speaks with investigative journalist and bestselling author Annie Jacobsen, whose recent book, *Biological War: A Scenario*, explores a terrifying hypothetical: a genetically modified form of pneumonic plague escaping from a high-security laboratory in Russia and triggering a global catastrophe. Now, just months after the book’s publication, reports of a death at a Russian research institute have raised unsettling questions about biological safety, transparency, and international oversight. Jacobsen explains the similarities between her extensively researched scenario and the reported incident, while acknowledging that there is no confirmed evidence of a biological weapons accident or plague outbreak. The conversation explores: • What Russian authorities have disclosed about the researcher’s death. • Why the reported quarantines have attracted international attention. • The possibility of dual-use laboratories conducting both legitimate medical research and potentially dangerous biological work. • The limitations of international biological weapons agreements. • Whether the United States has sufficient safeguards against an emerging biological threat. Jacobsen also explains why independent verification matters when governments control the information coming out of sensitive research facilities. Could a dangerous biological incident go undetected until it’s too late? Watch Michael Smerconish’s conversation with Annie Jacobsen and share your thoughts in the comments. Subscribe for more conversations exploring national security, politics, and the stories shaping our world. #MichaelSmerconish#AnnieJacobsen#Russia#BiologicalWeapons#Plague#NationalSecurity
