New York Times: A Federal Ban on Making Lethal Viruses Is Lifted
“Federal officials on Tuesday ended a moratorium imposed three years ago on funding research that alters germs to make them more lethal. Such work can now proceed, said Dr. Francis S. Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, but only if a scientific panel decides that the benefits justify the risks…” (McNeil, 12/19).

NPR: NIH Lifts Ban On Research That Could Make Deadly Viruses Even Worse
“…The research involves three viruses — influenza, SARS, and MERS — that could kill millions if they mutated in a way that let the germs spread quickly among people. … On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services released a new framework for making decisions about funding research that has the potential to create a new pandemic strain…” (Greenfieldboyce, 12/19).