[ZACKandPOOK]

Rather than being at 9 a.m. as I thought, it will be sometime Monday afternoon now. Initial press reports from the FBI science briefing on the anthrax attacks should start hitting the Internet around 6 PM on Monday evening. To the extent it focuses on the genetic investigation, I hope scientists appreciate that much of the work has already been published in the peer reviewed journal articles and are available for review. I have no problem with the genetic science — it’s the suggestion that they have sensibly moved from the 100 individuals known to have access (and an additional number not known to have access but with potential access) to Dr. Bruce E. Ivins.

[ZACKandPOOK]

On Monday August 18th, at 2 PM ET, the FBI will host an informal, on-the-record roundtable discussion with Dr. Vahid Majidi, Assistant Director of the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate; Dr. D. Christian Hassell, FBI Laboratory Director; and several independent scientific experts about the analytical techniques employed in support of the FBIʼs anthrax investigation. This will be a highly technical briefing. That said, the DOJ/FBI urged news organization to send a correspondent who has a science background or covers science-related issues.