Russian lab plague death and the euro's fall to a 17-month low

• A lab worker in eastern Russia died after a suspected pneumonic plague exposure, and 200 contacts are now isolated while Europe watches closely.
• The euro has dropped to a 17-month low against the dollar as fears over French government debt grow.
• French borrowing costs are climbing faster than America's, and street protests are adding to the pressure on a country that holds the euro zone together.
• Rising bond rates worldwide mean governments are paying more to borrow just as this health scare lands.
• Brandon Biggs has warned for years of a second, more severe pandemic that would hit food plants, break supply chains and trigger travel bans — a claim now being tied to the Russian case.

Outlook: Watch whether the Russian containment holds and whether French debt worries keep dragging the euro lower.