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October 17, 2014

Support builds for travel ban . . . "Support is building in Congress for imposing a travel ban on West African countries that are dealing with Ebola, with some Republicans calling for a vote after the midterm elections. The number of lawmakers supporting travel restrictions surged Thursday to more than 70, according to a tally by The Hill. The majority of supporters are Republicans, with a just a handful of Democrats backing the idea." The Hill

​Outbreak boosts odds of a mutation . . . "The diagnosis of Ebola in a second health worker in Texas raises questions about how well researchers understand how the virus spreads and whether the virus is changing in a way that makes it easier to transmit. 'I suspect it may have become more transmissible,' said Ira Longini, a biostatistician at the University of Florida." Bloomberg

CDC doles out $25M in bonuses . . . "Top public health officials have collected $25 million in bonuses since 2007, carving out extra pay for themselves in tight federal budgetary times while blaming a lack of money for the Obama administration’s lackluster response to the Ebola outbreak." Washington Times

Health officials grilled on the Hill . . . Any more mistakes, and Frieden will be on his way out. CNN reports he his testimony wasn't easy: "A House panel sharply questioned health officials Thursday over the U.S. response to the Ebola virus, as well as steps to prevent an outbreak of the disease in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas Frieden and other government officials faced tough questions from members of both parties after a second Texas nurse was diagnosed with Ebola." 

U.S. Ebola capacity: Nine patients . . . "The US has space for just nine Ebola patients at specialized hospitals, according to officials. Once these spots run out, patients who contract the deadly virus will be treated where they are." Daily Mail 

Vaccine "complex," will take time . . . "Obama administration health officials are indicating that a vaccine for Ebola is still many months and possibly years away, as the handful of drugs that show some promise are no where close to being mass produced and sold to consumers." The Blaze

U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Ebola due to global warming . . . Not sure if they're blaming Bush too, but I'll check. From CNS News: "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service posted on its website an artricle that claims Ebola is a “direct consequence” of manmade climate change." 

Biden's Son Booted from Navy over cocaine . . .  "Vice President Joe Biden ’s son Hunter was discharged from the Navy Reserve this year after testing positive for cocaine, according to people familiar with the matter. Hunter Biden, a lawyer by training who is now a managing partner at an investment company, had been commissioned as an ensign in the Navy Reserve, a part-time position. But after failing a drug test last year, his brief military career ended." Wall Street Journal

Obama has a big Ebola problem . . . All the distrust and perception of incompetence he's accumulated threaten to make Ebola the final straw.

From The Hill: "The Ebola crisis in the United States has become an anchor threatening to sink the Obama presidency. Already under fire from critics who saw the federal response to the outbreak as disorganized and timid, things went from bad to worse on Wednesday, when it was revealed a second nurse had contracted the disease while treating a Liberian man at a Dallas-area hospital."

Kerry: Extremism not related to Islam . . . "Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday night rejected any link between Islam and extremism practiced by the likes of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL/Daesh), pointing instead to factors such as poverty among youthful Mideast populations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – and climate change." CNS News

ISIS recruitment accelerates in Europe . . . "The United States is worried that the Islamic State group has ramped up its recruiting in Europe. Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, told reporters Thursday, 'We see recruiting kind of accelerating. […] It’s a concern,' The Hill reported. He added that the radical terrorist group’s presence is “one of the largest threats in Europe that we see from the spillover” from Syria’s civil war." Washington Times

This time, Dems are acting stupid . . . "Something peculiar has happened. As I write, none of the Republican candidates for Senate has become a public embarrassment. On the contrary: For the first time in a decade, it is the Democratic candidates, not the Republican ones, who are fodder for late-night comics. That the Democrats are committing gaffes and causing scandals at a higher rate than Republicans not only may be decisive in the battle for the Senate. It could signal a change in our politics at large." Matthew Continetti

Does Hillary think she'll face Romney? . . .  "Hillary Clinton on Thursday in Michigan took a veiled swipe at Mitt Romney as she criticized those who would have 'let Detroit go bankrupt' following the financial crisis in 2008. On the stump for Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Gary Peters and gubernatorial hopeful Mark Schauer, Clinton said that the two stood up for Michigan in Congress. 'They could have lined up with those saying, Let Detroit go bankrupt. Let manufacturing just wither away,' Clinton said at the event at Oakland University in Rochester. 'They could have been on the side of those who were criticizing what they called Government Motors. Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, wrote a November 2008 op-ed in The New York Times titled, 'Let Detroit Go Bankrupt.'" Politico

Santorum: I'm putting a team together . . . "Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania says he continues to "seriously" mull a run for president in 2016 and is busy building a war chest as he considers seeking the Republican nomination. "[I'm] putting a team together, talking to folks about putting some money together, and looking at a team," Santorum said Thursday." Newsmax



Iran arms Palestinians for war with Israel . . .  "Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised increased support for Palestinian terrorists and urged them to stockpile arms in anticipation of a new war on Israel, according to public comments made Thursday following his meeting with members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group. 'Fighting the Zionist regime [Israel] is a war of destiny,' Khamenei said after a meeting with PIJ’s secretary general, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency." Free Beacon



Ferguson witness: Hands weren't up . . .  Witness said the Freguson officer did not fire at Michael Brown until Brown turned back toward him; Brown put his arms out to his sides but never raised his hands high; Brown staggered toward Wilson despite commands to stop;  and the two were about 20 to 25 feet apart when the last shots were fired. St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Hundreds of flags line Florida road . . . "From Country Club to Coronado parkways, American flags could be seen every few feet Monday morning in downtown Cape Coral. A couple of hundred flags were placed in the right-of-way by business owners and residents. It's a symbolic effort in support of an employee at Family Hardware and U.S. troops. Jeffrey Verzi, 56, an associate at the store, was told Thursday by a code enforcement officer that he needed to move six small American flags onto private property." News-Press