"In the stable at Bethlehem, Heaven and Earth meet. Heaven has come down to Earth. For this reason, a light shines from the stable for all times; for this reason joy is enkindled there; for this reason song is born there. At the end of our Christmas meditation I should like to quote a remarkable passage from Saint Augustine. Interpreting the invocation in the Lord's Prayer: 'Our Father who art in Heaven', he asks: what is this - Heaven? And where is Heaven? Then comes a surprising response: '... who art in Heaven' - that means: in the saints and in the just. Yes, the heavens are the highest bodies in the universe, but they are still bodies, which cannot exist except in a given location. Yet if we believe that God is located in the heavens, meaning in the highest parts of the world, then the birds would be more fortunate than we, since they would live closer to God. Yet it is not written: 'The Lord is close to those who dwell on the heights or on the mountains', but rather: 'the Lord is close to the brokenhearted' (Ps 34:18[33:19]), an expression which refers to humility. Just as the sinner is called "Earth", so by contrast the just man can be called "Heaven"' (Sermo in monte II 5, 17). Heaven does not belong to the geography of space, but to the geography of the heart. And the heart of God, during the Holy Night, stooped down to the stable: the humility of God is Heaven. And if we approach this humility, then we touch Heaven. Then the Earth too is made new. With the humility of the shepherds, let us set out, during this Holy Night, towards the Child in the stable! Let us touch God's humility, God's heart! Then his joy will touch us and will make the world more radiant. Amen."
Confronting the Scandal of the Hidden God, Theologians Created "Heaven:"
"Christian theology, which was very soon confronted by this discrepancy between expectation and fulfillment, in the course of time turned the kingdom of God into a kingdom of heaven that is beyond this mortal life; the well-being of men became a salvation of souls, which again comes to pass beyond this life, after death. But theology did not thereby provide an answeer. For what is sublime in this message is precisely that the Lord was talking not just about another life, not just about men's souls, but was addressing the body, the whole man, in his embodied form, with his involvement in history and society; that he promised the kingdom of God to the man who lives bodily with other men in this history. As marvelous as the knowledge is that has been opened up for us by biblical scholarship in our century (that is, that Christ was not just looking forward to another ife, but was talking about real people), it can also disappoint and unsettle us when we look at real history, which is in truth no kingdom of God" (J. Ratzinger, "What It Means to Be a Christian," Ignatius  28-29).
 Dogma and Preaching, Franciscan Herald (1985) 63.


text:
Q: The connection to the host server failed. Java I'm trying to run a query but I keep getting this error:
The connection to the host server=localhost, named instance sqlexpress failed. Error: "java.net.UnknownHostException: server=localhost". Verify the server and instance names and check that no firewall is blocking UDP traffic to port 1434.  For SQL Server 2005 or later, verify that the SQL Server Browser Service is running on the host.
Any ideas? Here's my code.
public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            try {
                // TODO code application logic here
                Class.forName("com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver");

           // Connection dbConnection = DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:jtds:sqlserver://127.0.0.1:1433/myDatabase; instance = SQLEXPRESS","sa","password");
            String Connectionurl="jdbc:sqlserver://server=Owner-PC\\SQLEXPRESS; DatabaseName=myDatabase;";
            Connection dbConnection = DriverManager.getConnection(Connectionurl,"sa","password");
             Statement myStmt  = dbConnection.createStatement();

                String query = "INSERT INTO People(ID, Name, Surname, Age, Contact, Location, Course) VALUES"
                        + " (1007, 'Elroy', 'Smith', 33, 21366688, 'Somewhere', 'somecourse')";

                myStmt.executeUpdate(query);

                myStmt.executeQuery(query);

                } catch (ClassNotFoundException ex) {
                Logger.getLogger(JavaApplication2.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
            }
        } catch (SQLException ex) {
             Logger.getLogger(JavaApplication2.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, null, ex);
        }
    }

A: There is one interesting site at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms378428%28v=sql.90%29.aspx
Based on this, i think connect URL should be:
jdbc:sqlserver://Owner-PC;instanceName=SQLEXPRESS;DatabaseName=myDatabase;

A: Per the answer for Connecting to SQL Server 2008 from Java by Venkatesh:

Try following connection,

 String Connectionurl="jdbc:sqlserver://localhost:1433;DatabaseName=myDatabase"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The marina and campground is located in Northern Mono County, on the East Side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in California. We are approximately 1 hour North of Mammoth Lakes, Ca and about 2 1/2 hours South of Reno, Nv.
Services include 80 ft. pull-throughs, Electric, Water, Sewer, Wi-Fi and Tent Camping as well access to Off-Road Trails to the Bodie Hills.
The resort overlooks Bridgeport Reservoir in what is akin to a "Great Basin-High Desert environment. Beautiful views and open space add to the charm and experience of staying at the reservoir.
Established in 1924, the reservoir was constructed to aid farmers and ranchers downstream in Nv. Soon after, it was realized a strong fishery could occur here too. Today, it sustains a population of Rainbow and Brown Trout as well as some Sacramento Perch. See Fish report. A rich eco-system, similar to Crowley Lake, provides an unlimited food supply for the fish to grow and populate. The Reservoir provides anglers of all ages and skill to catch fish, whether one is Trolling, Still-Fishing or Fly- Fishing.
There are many other activities besides fishing to help guarantee a great vacation. Bring all your toys!! ATV off-road riding(leave from the park), Hiking, Biking, Rock or Mountain Climbing, Photography, Birding, Horseback Riding (we have short-term boarding) , all water sports(sailing, water-skiing, etc…). are just a few..


Lake City Property Management, Lake City Property Managers, Lake City Property Management Companies.
Lake City is the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 12,046. It is the principal city of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is composed of Columbia County, and had a 2010 population of 67,531. The city's sesquicentennial occurred in 2009.
Lake City and Columbia County are known as "The Gateway to Florida" because Interstate 75 runs though them, carrying a large percentage of Florida's tourist and commercial traffic. Lake City is the northernmost sizable town/city in Florida on Interstate 75 and the location where I-10 and I-75 intersect. Interstate 10 is the southernmost east-west major interstate highway and traverses the country from Jacksonville, Florida, to Santa Monica, California. U.S. 41 and U.S. 90 (the U.S. highway versions of I-75 and I-10) have intersected in Lake City since 1927, long before the Interstate highways were built. The city relies on travelers for a considerable part of its economy.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Not Included: Cost of obtaining and maintaining a valid passport, Intl. airfare to Guatemala City; meals, drinks and touring outside the lodge; room tax of $28 per night (must be collected in Guatemala); gratuities to lodge staff, captain and boat crews, drivers, and items of a personal nature.
Deposits: Payment schedule for all trip reservations are as follows unless otherwise specified in writing by Casa Vieja Lodge, a 50% deposit is required to confirm the dates and book the trip. Trip balances are due to Casa Vieja Lodge 60 days prior the start dates of the trip (unless otherwise specified). If deposits are not received per the payment schedule, and customer fails to respond to payment notification by Casa Vieja Lodge within 10 days following notice from Casa Vieja Lodge, all deposits and payments shall be forfeited. RESERVATIONS ARE NOT CONFIRMED until your deposit is received. If no deposit is received and/or posted 10 days after you have been invoiced, your reservation is subject to cancellation. *Subject to change for last minute bookings.
Balances: The final payment (the balance on your invoice) is due in our Miami Office 60 days before the departure date of your trip. We accept checks and all major credit cards. * Last minute bookings must be paid in full before arrival.
Cancellation Policy: Due to our limited size, cancellations affect us greatly. Therefore, we adhere to a strict cancellation policy. Payments made on your trip are refundable for cancellations received in writing at least 121 days prior to your arrival date at Casa Vieja Lodge, less a $500 per person cancellation fee. If you cancel your trip for whatever reason 120 days or less prior to your arrival date at Casa Vieja Lodge all payments made on your trip are non-refundable, and non-transferable.
Cancellations due to Weather: If bad weather arises and your Captain determines that for safety sake the trip should not be taken – you will receive a credit for that day's fishing on your NEXT booking at Casa Vieja Lodge.
Boats and Captains: The boat captains listed on our web pages are the primary captains within our fleet and are the most professional in Guatemala, typically fishing 150 days a year. Occasionally, due to illness or the need for an occasional day of rest, we will substitute a captain for a given vessel. Most of our first mates are also accomplished captains with many years of experience and can stand in, in an emergency. Also, like any business, from time to time we do have changes due to promotions. These situations may also require a change of captains on certain vessels. Again, the substitution or change of captain does not happen very often, but we do reserve the right make crew substitutions and changes when necessary.
Hotel Refunds: Any cancellation within 72 hours of arrival for pre-paid reservations and/or tours are non-refundable for any 3rd party hotels throughout Guatemala.
Travel Protection: We recommend that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans can include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more.
For your convince, we offer travel protection through Travelex Insurance Services. For more information on the recommended plans or to enroll, click here or contact Travelex Insurance Services at 800-228-9792 and reference location number 09-0856.
Scope of Responsibility: Casa Vieja Lodge and its subsidiary engaged in contracting suppliers of services pursuant to or in connection with any itinerary shall act only as agents in making arrangements for air and/or ground transportation, accommodations, or any other service provided within the terms of the solicited itinerary, and do not assume any liability whatsoever for any injury, damage, death, loss, accident, failure, omission or delay to person or property due to an act of default of any carrier, hotel, company or person rendering any of the services included in the trip package, or by act of God. Furthermore, no responsibility is accepted for quarantine, government restraints, weather or other causes beyond their personal control. No responsibility is accepted for any additional expense, omissions, delays, re-routing, or acts of any government or authority. The payment rendered by the client for all reserved services as detailed in his/her billing shall constitute consent to all provisions as described herein.
Stay In the Know! Subscribe to the Lodge Newsletter.


text:
Special exemption for McIlroy
Rory McIlroy has been given the green light by the European Tour to play in the season-ending Final Series.
After suffering a nasty injury to his ankle, the Northern-Irishman was not able to complete the minimum 13 European tour events needed to qualify for the Final Series of the Race to Dubai.
McIlroy is comfortably in the lead on the rankings table, but since he was technically ineligible for the Final Series due to missing the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, the Open Championship and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational as a result of injury, he came to a compromise with Chief Executive of the European tour, Keith Pelley, to play an extra three tournaments to bring his tally of tours to 12, the revised minimum amount of tours set for him especially.
On the decision to let the number one golfer in the world compete, Pelley examined McIlroy's situation and after careful analysis and consideration, he is allowing him to compete in the Final Series, provided he completes the added three tournaments.
"After lengthy discussions, I have given him approval to play a minimum of 12 European Tour events this year," Pelley told europeantour.com.
"After reviewing and discussing all the medical reports and recommendations from Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Andrew Adair, physiotherapist Dr Steve McGregor and our Chief of Medical staff Dr Roger Hawkes – while at the same time recognising that Rory is a world golfer with global commitments – I am convinced that he could not commit to any further tournament participation without risking further injury and persistent weakness to the ankle in the future."
Hawkes, the Chief of Medical staff of the European Tour, gave his thoughts on the four-time major winner's injury and also suggested how he should manage his ankle in the future if he is to prolong his career.
"From the evidence presented to me, in my view this is a potentially serious and significant injury," added the doctor.
"There is a risk of permanent instability of the ankle which could seriously affect both his golf swing – you need stability in the left ankle during the follow through and for walking safely on uneven surfaces.
"Although he played again after a few weeks, he will need close attention for about a year. The suggestion of a reduced schedule and, wherever possible, avoiding 'back to back' events is, in my opinion, sensible and important to allow adequate healing and reduce the chance of the complications mentioned which could clearly jeopardise his career."
Now that it is confirmed that McIlroy will be eligible to compete in the Final Series of the Race to Dubai, the 26-year-old will also have a chance to defend his 2014 European Tour Golfer of the Year title.
Xander Schauffele pledges to 'fake it until I make it' after contracting Covid
Schauffele is one of 16 players in the Sentry Tournament of Champions who failed to win an official event last season.
After years with TaylorMade, Jon Rahm joins Callaway
Spaniard will have Callaway woods and irons in his bag at Sentry Tournament of Champions.
What to expect from the 2021 OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic
There are more prestigious events on the European Tour, but there's no denying that the Dubai Desert Classic just has something about it.
Organisers delay ticketing process for 2021 Masters as another fan shutout looms
Augusta National Golf Club is considering its options before making a call on 2021 Masters.
Tiger Woods' former swing coach: I think I over-coached him
Sean Foley reckons he didn't give Tiger the help he really needed.
Greg Norman returns home from hospital to await coronavirus test results
The 65-year-old spent Christmas Day in hospital after experiencing symptoms.
Greg Norman in hospital with coronavirus
The 65-year-old shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Christmas Day.
Lee Westwood sees age as no barrier to his golfing aspirations
Westwood, at the age of 47, has been crowned European Tour's Golfer of the Year for 2020.
Tiger Woods and son Charlie finish seventh in PNC Championship
Tiger said it was "incredibly special" to spend quality time with his son on the golf course.
Tiger Woods and son Charlie create media storm in Florida
Woods Jnr's swing looks an awful lot like his famous father's.


I'm back in the Bull City (that means Durham, North Carolina) and spending hot summer days splashing around, getting settled in my old house, and reconnecting with old friends. Durham is sure great at the welcome wagon, and if you ever visit I hope to extend the same wagon to you.
At some point of every day, I make an intentional effort to listen to Christian music. I'm a worship leader, and I'm also a trained musician. At the risk of sounding snobby, It takes a lot for me to be very stimulated by music. It's similar to an artist saying that there aren't enough colors in the world to express themselves with paint, or anyone who is an expert at anything wanting next level conversations or thoughts. Sometimes, tonal music is just not enough for me, and I have to go and explore other types of music. Or I go through phases where all I can listen to is ambient music from Iceland because it's about sound shapes more than musical form, or Cumbia because of the physical prowess of it. Or Hip Hop from the South, because I can actually feel humidity in the air and beads of sweat on my skin when I listen to it.
So back to listening to Christian music. I thought "worship music" was just one genre or category of music… until one day a friend of mine in a small group said, "_______'s worship songs remind me of country music. It's exactly the style of country music." Whoa, hold the phone! I thought all worship music was the same genre! But after I thought about this for a while, I thought what they said was exactly on point. Just as there are many different ways to sing about everything out there, from romantic love to a break up, there are so many ways to sing to and about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit.
I just read a book that reminded me that there are four different accounts of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were four completely different people! They had different occupations, contexts, literary styles, and things that they wanted to highlight about Jesus. They each experienced Jesus differently and told about him differently. Luke, the doctor, wrote good and succinct doctor's notes, so I imagine maybe more of a classical structure like Mozart. Mark wrote his account of Jesus during a time where Christians were being persecuted in Rome, so he would've written a lot of underground hip hop stuff. John, an actual disciple and a member of the inner circle, was more poetic and dramatic in his writing, so I think he would have been a spoken word or a singer/songwriter focusing on telling stories with dramatic flair. Matthew wrote his gospel account after Jerusalem had been destroyed but he was with his Christian community, so his songs would've been community based and all about "rising from the ashes." I'm hoping that we find different ways of listening and experiencing stories connecting the human experience with faith and culture.
In my quest to sonically experience worship in different ways, I've found some really interesting places to find Christian music, and I hope to share my top picks with you via this blog in a series I'll call "Music Mondays." I'll feature old/new music, worship music that spans all genres (and tips on how to tell the difference between them!), and hidden gems. I'll probably highlight non-Christian music as well, that's off the beaten path. Album reviews. Maybe even some cool art, too! My biggest hope is that you find more ways to experience your faith through music in new and refreshing ways.
The BEST way to get access to this list in your mailbox is to sign up to receive updates, or follow me on ALL social platforms @angiekayhong. See you on Monday!


Tagged Alzheimer's Disease, CBD, Medical Cannabis, South Florida Medical Cannabis Symposium, THC.
I think that medicinal marijuana can be helpful in many different areas. It is important that research continues, and that we continue to talk about the findings. This is great, thanks so much for sharing!
When can we in Norway expect to get a medicine for Alzheimer patients based on marihuana?
We are not sure of any timeframe for availability.
Indeed it is great to have this kind of discussion so people will know the benefits we can get from medical marijuana. Aside from that, it helps slows the progression of Alzheimer's disease, it can also help control epileptic seizures and more others.
Indeed, there have been a lot of studies about medical marijuana treatment for other conditions apart from Alzheimer's. Its neurological effects, if precisely determined by thorough research, really matters a lot.
Great, Alzheimer's is the thief of the memory. With the help of marijuana, it can be dealt more effectively.
Alzheimer's Disease is a degenerative medical condition. I'm glad cannabis has a promise to reduce the apparent signs and symptoms. Great post!
Alzheimer's disease is a complicated medical condition. I'm happy to know that cannabis can help.


text:
Home News Local news Senate Panel OKs Bill Raising WAPA Debt Ceiling
Senate Panel OKs Bill Raising WAPA Debt Ceiling
WAPA CEO Lawrence Kupfer urges the Senate Finance Committee to approve raising the Authority's debt ceiling.
Lawmakers voted Tuesday to increase the maximum amount that the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority can borrow and classify as debt – from $500 million to $750 million.
Bill No. 32-0312, heard before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, would amend current statute that authorizes WAPA to issue and sell bonds with an aggregate principal amount of up to $500 million. In a letter proposing the bill to Senate President Myron Jackson (D-STT), Gov. Kenneth Mapp said the bill aims to give the authority the "critical flexibility" it needs to fund capital programs and operations of its power and water plants.
The bill, sponsored by Jackson at Mapp's request, would also exclude from the maximum debt obligation any loans from federal agencies, as well as capital and operational leases agreed to by the utility. WAPA officials clarified that raising the debt ceiling would not increase the utility's capacity to borrow above its existing contractual obligations.
When asked by Sen. Nellie O'Reilly how the increased debt limit – and the potential projects it would fund – would impact ratepayers, WAPA Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Kupfer said it depends on what those projects are. If they promote power efficiency, which is the authority's overall goal, Kupfer said, it would drag the rates down.
Failure to raise the debt ceiling, however, may cost ratepayers. According to Kupfer, the current rates already take into account some projected savings from the lease of two higher-efficiency generating units from Aggreko LLC, which is projected to reduce the authority's costs by $18 million a year. The project is scheduled to go online in January next year, but the savings have begun taking effect in July.
The Aggreko contract requires WAPA to get $1.7 million in irrevocable bank guarantees, an amount that would be counted toward the debt ceiling.
"Come January 1, if we can't resolve this debt limit, Aggreko would not turn over the unit to WAPA, which would mean increasing the rates," said Kupfer.
Three St. Thomas generating units under a contract with Wartsila – expected to save the authority $25 million a year – are slated to go online in December, but consumers would see saving beginning in October if they raise the debt ceiling.
WAPA's debt ceiling has grown drastically since 1966, when it stood at a mere $10 million. The last increase occurred in 2008, when it rose from $350 million to $500 million. Kupfer lists the authority's debt at roughly $320 million, way below the existing debt ceiling, but recent accounting changes and the post-hurricane recovery efforts would tip the debt over the $500-million limit, he said.
According to Kupfer, the 2017 hurricanes left the authority devoid of revenue and with no choice but to seek Community Disaster Loans through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The federal law authorizing the roughly $91 million in disaster loans preempted the authority's debt limit, Kupfer said, but they need to count the amount as debt anyway.
"We must be clear that the Community Disaster Loans must nonetheless be included as debt in connection with the issuance of any non-Community Disaster Loan debt under section 106 of [the Revised Organic] Act," said Kupfer.
This puts the current debt at roughly $411 million, but another change involving accounting and regulation rules increases that amount by $160 million. The authority's propane conversion contract with VITOL Corp., which was once listed as an operating lease and therefore exempt from classification as long-term debt, is now classified as capital lease by BDO USA, the authority's auditing firm.
"Although the VITOL agreement explicitly recites the parties' intention that the lease agreement not be treated as debt, the heightened sensitivity to clarifying what constitutes a capital lease versus an operating lease required additional focus," Kupfer explained.
WAPA is in fact poised to pay VITOL a total of $310 million for the propane conversion project in the next 10 years after 12 percent in interest factored in each year. Pamela Goins, VIWAPA's bond counsel, said the auditors would consider only the principal portion of the agreed upon amount – the initial $160 million – as capital lease.
Voting to advance the bill were Sens. Marvin Blyden (D-STT), Neville James (D-STX), Tregenza Roach (I-STT), Kurt Vialet (D-STX) and At-Large Sen. Brian Smith. O'Reilly abstained while Sen. Dwayne Degraff (D-STT) was absent.
Lawmakers also voted to hold in committee Bill No. 32-0263, which would authorize some $10 million from the Limetree operating agreement toward the construction of a new hotel property in Yacht Haven Grande on St. Thomas. According to Vialet, the "loosely worded" bill is waiting for an amendment from Jackson and Blyden, which is expected to tighten the bill's definitions of the loan's scope and repayment.
Voting to hold the bill were James, O'Reilly, Roach and Vialet. Blyden and Smith abstained while DeGraff was absent.
Previous articleTom Egan's 'Thoughts Flow' Water Table Exhibit Coming to Virgin Islands Children's Museum
Next articleMapp Signs Off on Nine Road Projects; Bridge to Somewhere Opens to Traffic


text:
Home Local News Effectiveness of Pfizer COVID pill confirmed in study: company
Effectiveness of Pfizer COVID pill confirmed in study: company
Pfizer's experimental COVID-19 pill significantly reduced hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk patients — and recent lab data showed that it was still effective against the Omicron variant, the company said Tuesday.
The full results of its 2,250-person study showed that the oral medicine was around 89 percent effective in preventing hospitalizations or deaths when taken by high-risk adults shortly after initial COVID-19 symptoms.
None of the patients in the trial who were given the Pfizer treatment died, compared with 12 deaths among placebo recipients, the company said.
Separate laboratory testing showed that the treatment retains its effectiveness against the fast-spreading Omicron variant, the company said.
Pfizer also said early data from a second clinical trial showed that the treatment reduced hospitalizations by around 70 percent in around 600 standard-risk adults.
"It's a stunning outcome," Pfizer chief scientific officer Mikael Dolsten said.
Paxlovid, Pfizer's coronavirus disease pill, being manufactured in Freiburg, Germany.
Pfizer/Handout via REUTERS
"We're talking about a staggering number of lives saved and hospitalizations prevented. And of course, if you deploy this quickly after infection, we are likely to reduce transmission dramatically," he continued.
Dolsten said he anticipates authorization for the treatment from the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies soon.
The agency is also expected to rule on a competing pill from Merck, which was submitted to regulators several weeks before Pfizer's drug.
Pfizer/AFP via Getty Images
If approved, the pills would be the first COVID-19 treatments in the US that could be picked up at a pharmacy and taken at home.
The new data comes as health officials brace for the impact of the new Omicron variant, which has a record number of mutations and is believed to be more transmissible.
A large-scale study in South Africa released Tuesday showed Pfizer's two-dose vaccine was just 33 percent effective in preventing infection by Omicron compared to those who were unvaccinated during the early wave of the variant.
Separate laboratory testing showed that the treatment retains its effectiveness against the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
HANDOUT/Pfizer/AFP via Getty Images
The analysis was based on more than 211,000 positive COVID-19 test results, 41 perent of which were among recipients of Pfizer's two-dose vaccine.
The results also showed that people who had received two doses of Pfizer's vaccine had 70 percent protection against hospital admission in this same time frame.
The protection is down from the highs of 93 percent in South Africa's Delta-driven wave, according to the analysis.
Experts in South Africa suggested that the data appears to be in line with the surge of infections that the country is experiencing as Omicron has overtaken Delta to become the dominant variant.
If approved, the pills would be the first COVID-19 treatments in the US that could be picked up at a pharmacy.
"The Omicron-driven fourth wave has a significantly steeper trajectory of new infections relative to prior waves," Discovery Health chief executive Dr. Ryan Noach said.
"National data show an exponential increase in both new infections and test positivity rates during the first three weeks of this wave, indicating a highly transmissible variant with rapid community spread of infection."


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, a 360 exclusive in the fast- moving and now even more deeply troubling story of Ebola in America. Our conversation with the woman who Thomas Duncan, patient zero, was staying with when he first fell ill. She and Mr. Duncan have a child together.
Now when we spoke earlier today we agreed to only use her first name Louise. Some of what she'd told us was frankly confounding. A few of the news were the details of our conversation were released and public health officials were put on their heels.
You're going to hear all those details in a moment. Particularly the fact that the sheets that Thomas Duncan used, slept in, sweated on, was sick in, in the bed that they shared together, those sheets are still on the bed even though this woman, Louise, is in quarantine. The towels that he used, soiled towels, she still has in the apartment. She was told to put them in a plastic bag, which she did.
But they're still there. We just checked with her. They have not been collected. She's still waiting for them to pick -- be picked up. She has no idea what to do with the sheets that the first Ebola patient in the United States slept in and used.
We're going to have, first, though, a bit more background on Louise. She's the one who accompanied Mr. Duncan to the hospital last Thursday night and took him home when doctors mistakenly discharged him. For the next three nights she slept beside him, watch his condition deteriorate, saw him break out in fever and sweats and run repeatedly to the bathroom.
Tonight, Louise and three others are under county-mandated quarantine, not in hospital isolation ward either. She's in quarantine in her northeast Dallas apartment. Meantime, health officials say they are tracing the other people possibly up to 100 in all, 100 in all, whom Mr. Duncan may have come in contact with.
All of this raising a lot of serious questions, questions that will not be answered tonight by any of the officials involved. And we invited them all on the program, they declined.
Here is part one of my exclusive interview with Louise.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: So, Louise, tell me what happened. When did you first realize that Thomas was sick?
LOUISE, EBOLA PATIENT'S QUARANTINED FRIEND: It was Tuesday. Tuesday -- he had headaches and all night fever. So that's how I realized that he was sick.
COOPER: And how long had he been here? About five days, is that right?
LOUISE: Since Saturday -- Saturday night. He came Saturday night. And Sunday, Monday, Tuesday to Thursday before (INAUDIBLE), that he was not feeling well.
COOPER: So when he came Saturday, did you talk at all about Ebola? I mean, he was coming from Liberia. Had he had any contact with anybody with Ebola?
LOUISE: No, no. He didn't tell me that he had contact with anybody with Ebola. He did not.
COOPER: Because there was a report maybe he had had contact with somebody -- or he had helped a woman who had Ebola. Do you know anything about that?
LOUISE: No, not that I was concerned about. I have no idea.
COOPER: How high was his fever when you took him to the hospital?
LOUISE: We checked his fever, it was I think it was 100.1.
COOPER: So the first time you went there they asked about -- you told them twice that he had come from Liberia. When did they -- how quickly did they discharge him the first time?
LOUISE: We were not there for maybe around four hours. We were there but for three and a half hours to four hours there.
COOPER: And what prescriptions did they give him?
LOUISE: They just gave him antibiotics prescription.
COOPER: So just to be clear, that first time you went and twice you told them he is from Liberia nobody said anything to you then about well, has he had any contact with somebody who may have had Ebola? They didn't ask him about Ebola? It didn't seem to register, the fact that he had come from Liberia?
LOUISE: No, they did not ask.
COOPER: So he was having a lot of diarrhea when he got back from the hospital?
LOUISE: Yes, that's how the diarrhea started. When we went to the hospital, no diarrhea. He was not even using the bathroom until when he started taking the antibiotic. That's how he started having diarrhea.
COOPER: OK. And he still had a fever?
LOUISE: Yes, a fever, and he run a fever.
COOPER: And so that was Friday, you came home. How was he over the weekend?
LOUISE: It was Friday, when he came home. And Saturday he started with the diarrhea.
COOPER: What day did you end up going to the hospital again?
LOUISE: It was Sunday, Sunday morning when I went to work. My daughter came back to bring his tea. That's how she came to him. He was sick, then she called the ambulance.
COOPER: So it was your daughter who called the ambulance. What made her call the ambulance?
LOUISE: She said he was shaking, really shaking. Hot fever and he was shaking.
COOPER: Right, so did you go to the hospital?
LOUISE: I went to the hospital right away.
COOPER: And were you able to see him there?
COOPER: Through the glass. And they told you at that point what? What did they say to you then?
LOUISE: They say they were going to run through his, and do his blood test, get some blood from him. And his lab tests, they're going to send it for -- to check him for Ebola.
COOPER: So that was the first time they mentioned to you Ebola?
LOUISE: I was scary (sic). I was so scary.
COOPER: How did you find out he had Ebola?
LOUISE: They called me. The CDC, the health department called me and told me that he had Ebola.
COOPER: So what did they tell you then that you needed to do?
LOUISE: Stay home. I need to stay home and monitor my temp. They take my temperature. When they're going to be monitoring all of us. My son should stay home, my nephew, everyone of us should stay home for 21 days. And we should not come outside. If we have to come outside right on the porch but not get down the stairs.
COOPER: What did you think when you heard that?
LOUISE: Scary. I was -- I'm scary.
COOPER: And have you gone outside at all?
LOUISE: No, I'm inside, and they did not bring food here. They came late here last night with paperwork for us to sign that if we step outside then they're going to take us, they're going to take us to court. That we'll have committed a crime. But up to this time they have not brought us any food, any food.
COOPER: And again, you're going to hear this in the next part of the interview. The sheets that Mr. Duncan used, sweated on, those sheets are still on the bed in her apartment. The pillow cases are still there, the soiled towels are in a plastic bag, not in some sort of biohazardous containment bag, just the plastic bag said Louise that she put them in. And she's waiting for word for somebody to collect them. She doesn't know what to do with them.
One welcome note, late today, after that detail about the food, we're told that public health officials, some did arrive, we're told. However, and this really cannot be overstated, cleanup crews have still not paid a visit to take all those soiled items out of her apartment.
Part two of our conversation shortly, first though, I want to bring in our panel of experts. Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, and David Quammen, author of many books including the upcoming "Ebola: The Natural and Human History of a Deadly Virus."
Sanjay, Thomas Duncan's symptoms, his visits to the hospital, you heard Louise described how clear she was that Duncan had just arrived from Liberia. She told the person who checked them in the hospital when the person asked for a Social Security number, that's why she explained he didn't have one because he was from Liberia. She said she told the health care worker as well.
By her account, the hospital didn't misunderstand, they just didn't seem to consider that this could be Ebola.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think you're absolutely right. And you know we've heard that same sort of thing from the hospital now as well. That judge with her version of events.
At first you remember, Anderson, we couldn't quite figure out what had happened here. And we heard that the hospital hadn't asked and Mr. Duncan hadn't disclosed that he was from Liberia. We know that that's not true because the next day the hospital came back and said well, in fact, we did ask. We were told that he's from Liberia, but somehow within the team, the health care team, the information got lost somehow. It wasn't acted upon.
That's a miss. That's low-hanging fruit, you should be able to address these sort of things if you're talking about being able to adequately take care of patients with infectious diseases. And not let them turn into outbreaks. So that was a miss. It's interesting when he came into the hospital with that sort of history, it should have -- it should have raised some flags, and for whatever reason, human error, I guess, it just didn't here, Anderson.
COOPER: Well, also, Sanjay, I mean, the other question is, it seems strange that Louise didn't mention the possibility of Ebola. I mean, she's from Liberia, she certainly knows about what's happening in Liberia. And Mr. Duncan, who has just come from Liberia, certainly knows what's going on in Liberia. You'd think he might mention that to the people at the hospital as well. But apparently that didn't happen either.
GUPTA: Yes, I mean, I didn't -- I never heard that in fact Ebola was mentioned by Mr. Duncan. That wasn't anywhere. Obviously, it's a consideration I think given what's happening in the world right now.
But to your point, Anderson, someone who comes in with a fever, about 100.1, it sounds like the first time he came in he wasn't having the other symptoms of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, things like that. That could be a lot of things, even if you just returned from Liberia. Even in West Africa you have lots of different diseases that can cause mild fever. And you've got to obviously think about those things as well.
But that -- still that wasn't the pattern of events here. They just kind of missed this important part of his travel history and didn't investigate it further. So while they may have been right in thinking about other things as a possibility here, the fact that they did not consider Ebola as a possibility was the crucial mistake.
COOPER: Dr. Redlener, you mentioned yesterday to me that -- I mean, there have been big cutbacks in public health and disaster preparedness. What do you make of what Louise has said so far? And also what does this mean for other potential outbreaks out there, outbreaks that are airborne? That are even potentially more dangerous.
DR. IRWIN REDLENER, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Yes, of course, we would have had a far greater problem than we're having right now with this particular case, even though there may be up to 100 people now have been potentially exposed. I don't think it's going to be quite that many. But the point is this is a window into what's happening in our health care system in general.
public health system. Just to -- even if it's going through drills or for hospitals to check their own procedures? Because again if it's not this now it's going to be something else down the road.
REDLENER: Exactly. So when we first started giving hospitals money to get ready for any kind of disaster, we were paying about $500 million a year to all the hospitals in the country to get themselves prepared. That number has actually dropped by 50 percent over the last seven or eight years. And hospitals simply don't have the money. They do not have the resources to do the ongoing training. And by the way, this is not just a one-shot deal, you have to train and re-train.
REDLENER: And train the new staff that comes in. And we're now suffering some consequences of that cutback and these funds to that level.
COOPER: And David, hearing Louise described how her son and nephew stayed in the apartment -- her son is 13 years old, her nephews were on their 20s if my memories serve me correct. Stayed in the apartment with Duncan. How her daughter went to make him tea. She's the one who actually called the ambulance. Louise later told me she doesn't think she was in the ambulance with him. She had her own car. She thinks maybe she took her car to the hospital.
Health officials are checking as we just were discussing, as many as 100 people that Duncan may have had contact with, Louise and her family are not showing any symptoms. But you start to get a sense of how fast a disease can spread, how much effort it takes to actually contain it, even this disease, which is now airborne.
DAVID QUAMMEN, AUTHOR, "EBOLA": That's right. That's right. And this thing about -- we know that it transfers by bodily fluids, direct contact. But I was just reviewing tonight, a CDC report from the outbreak of Ebola in Kikwit, Zaire back in 1995, and they were studying the risk factors and the people who had gotten infected during that.
And one of the risk factors, a couple of the risk factors that they mention is sharing a hospital bed or sharing hospital meals with a patient during the terminal phase of the illness. Turned out to be risk factors for other people becoming infected.
COOPER: That is definitely a concern. We're going to have to take a quick break. We're going to continue the conversation shortly with our experts and also with Louise.
As always make sure you set your DVRs, so you can watch 360 whenever you like.
COOPER: Before the break you heard Thomas Duncan's partner, Louise, described how he fell ill with Ebola, how doctors saw him or told he'd just come from Liberia and still sent him home. His condition instead got worse, probably some at time until the ambulance took him away sweat and diarrhea, his body may have been shedding virus on to bathroom surfaces, towels, the sheets as you'll hear in part two of our conversation. She told the CDC about it, she says, that right now those towels and sheets are still in that apartment, just steps away in the apartment that she and three others can no longer leave.
COOPER: Who are you at home with?
LOUISE: With my son, my 13-year-old son, and nephew -- and my other nephew.
COOPER: And just so I'm clear. The three kids you have with you, how old are they?
LOUISE: 13 years old son, 22 years old nephew, and 28 years old nephew.
COOPER: So the three kids who were there when he was there are quarantined with you?
COOPER: And what about your daughter?
LOUISE: My daughter lives on her own. She is 35. She's on her own.
COOPER: Was she in the ambulance with Thomas?
LOUISE: No, she has her own car, I don't think she went with him on the way. She drove her car.
COOPER: But is she quarantined as well?
COOPER: Have you -- you haven't talked to her?
LOUISE: Yes, she is indoors, she said she's waiting for them over there. I think so because they took her kids to school. She's with the kids.
COOPER: So -- because she came in contact with Thomas when he was sick, correct? She was helping care for him, too, when she called the ambulance?
LOUISE: She brought him some tea. She brought him tea. She fixed him tea to drink. That's how she saw him and called the ambulance.
COOPER: There was a report that maybe Thomas got sick outside the apartment. Did you see that? Or did you hear about that?
LOUISE: No. Thomas, since he came he was always indoors. He was indoor.
COOPER: When you were caring for him, did you get in contact with any fluids?
LOUISE: Not I know of.
COOPER: Did the CDC recommend that you clean your apartment?
LOUISE: I told them that I just -- my daughter brought me some Clorox, and we put it -- put the Clorox on the mattresses, on my bed, and I tried (INAUDIBLE) and dirty clothes are in a plastic bag. All sealed up. And that's it. But they said we shouldn't throw anything away until they can get back with me.
COOPER: So the sheets that Thomas used and the towels that he used, what have you done with those?
LOUISE: They are in the plastic bag.
COOPER: So you put -- you took them off the bed. And put them into a plastic bag?
LOUISE: No, only the towel is in the plastic bag. But the rest of his stuff stayed the same on the bed. The bed sheets, everything is on the bed.
COOPER: So the sheets that he used, that he slept on, that's still on the bed?
COOPER: Did the CDC talk to you about that at all?
LOUISE: They told me they're going to get back with me. I told them that we are not going to use this stuff anymore. Neither the bed. We're not going to use any of those things. And if they're going to come back and tell me how to get rid of them.
COOPER: So is anybody sleeping in that bed right now?
LOUISE: No, we're sleeping in the living room.
COOPER: You're sleeping in the living room. So you were -- those are the sheets that you were using, too. That was the bed that you were using. When did you stop using that bed?
COOPER: Depending on God to save your lives.
LOUISE: Yes. And the time come let us be free because people are telling lies.
COOPER: So you feel like people are not informed about how you actually get Ebola, you actually have to come in contact with the bodily fluids of somebody who is not only infected but actually sick with Ebola.
LOUISE: Yes, we are not sick with Ebola.
COOPER: Right. And at this point, even if you had Ebola, you are not showing any signs so you would not be able to infect anybody else and you want to get that message across?
LOUISE: Yes, for them to leave me alone, leave my kids alone.
COOPER: And you're -- how often are you checking yourself for fever?
COOPER: Every hour. Wow. And does the CDC come to check you or is that something you just do yourself because you're a caregiver?
LOUISE: Yes, they came yesterday and they said they will come every day. They will come every day until the 21 days is over.
COOPER: Have you been able to talk to -- to Thomas at all?
LOUISE: Yes, I speak with him every day. I called him this morning.
COOPER: How is he doing?
LOUISE: He is trying -- he slept well last night.
COOPER: Well, I can't imagine how scary this is for you and for your whole family.
LOUISE: We can't wait to get over with everything. We can't wait.
COOPER: Well, Louise, thank you so much for talking to us. And please, you know, tell Thomas that we are thinking of him and praying for him. And for your whole family and we will continue to do so. Thank you.
waste in her apartment. How can health officials have left it that way?
GUPTA: You know, I hate to keep talking about missteps here. You know, with this whole situation. But it is another one here. You know, you have the situation where this guy clearly was very sick. It's essentially almost active like a hospital room, this bedroom where he was staying. And you know, we know Ebola as a virus can live outside the body. So the fact these that sheets, towels can be contaminated. They were not cleaned. She had no instruction on what to do with it.
In a hospital where patients are treated, Emory, just down the street from here, biocontainment bags would have been brought in. They would have been double sealed, that is specific protocol, and then incinerated. That's how they deal with that. That obviously didn't happen here.
Just the lack of -- you know, just the lack of humanity, I think, with it overall, she's really dealing with the sickness of Mr. Duncan, it's hard to imagine.
COOPER: Yes, Doctor Redlener, I'm not in any way blaming Louise here. I mean, she's, you know, coping as best she can. Does it surprise you that she hasn't gotten more help? I mean, a Hazmat team going in or people helping her clean or somebody telling her what to do with the dirty -- dirty sheets and dirty clothes. You point out it's not just stuff. It's anything he used.
REDLENER: Of course, it's paper goods, it's silverware, it's everything else that he came in contact with or his bodily fluids may come in contact with. This whole thing is actually hair-raising. I don't understand. On one hand, she's saying somebody came from the CDC. I'm assuming that means the local health department. Came to visit every day.
Didn't they ask about the sheets, the towels, what is happening, how to handle those and so forth? And the fact that they were still on the bed as of this afternoon is just absolutely remarkable. And you know the Department of Transportation federally says it's illegal for just a typical waste hauler to take this stuff. It's got to be people with appropriate training and very specific protocols that they have to follow.
So this whole thing is increasingly bizarre as you think about how it is unfolding. But if in fact there was a health care worker there every day, what exactly were they doing other than just taking a temperature and leaving? There should have been a whole lot more that she could have -- that should be expecting from local health department.
COOPER: David, I mean, Louis talked about how her neighbors and others have reacted badly when they heard about the Ebola case. She knows that they can't catch Ebola from her unless she's showing symptoms. But her neighbors certainly don't seem to have gotten that message. And that's something, you know, that Louise is concerned about. She's concerned about, you know, she has a son who's in college.
She's concerned about people pointing the finger at him even though she says he had no contact with his father, Mr. Duncan.
QUAMMEN: You're right, it's repeating the patterns that we've seen in African villages. People who are -- have loved ones who are infected, people who survived get ostracized in certain cases. There is so much fear, there's so much lack of understanding, that they face social rejection.
But, Anderson, there is one thing I think that hasn't been said that should be said about the treatment of Thomas Duncan in this hospital. It's not just an urgent necessity to treat him, it's an opportunity, just as it was with Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol at Emory Hospital in Atlanta.
We don't really know yet as far as I have heard up to recently, we don't really know exactly how Ebola kills people. About exactly how it destroys the human body. And we need to learn more about that.
Carl Johnson, one of the great infectious disease pioneers, the fellow who led the first outbreak response against Ebola in 1976.
Carl Johnson told me six years ago that we don't understand how this disease works. People are afraid to study it and we won't understand how it affects the human body until we have it in captivity.
COOPER: And this is the opportunity to do that.
QUAMMEN: This is that opportunity.
COOPER: Yes. Yes. I just want to interrupt right now. We got some breaking news. NBC News is reporting that one of their freelancers in Africa has been diagnosed with Ebola. An American who was hired as a second cameraman for NBC's chief medical correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman. He's being flown back to the United States for treatment.
And we're just getting this word in. Again, NBC News reporting that one of their freelance cameramen has been tested positive for Ebola, is being flown back to the United States.
Sanjay, Doctor Redlener, David Quammen, we're going to continue this shortly, talk to you more about some of the eye-opening developments including how Liberian officials say that Thomas Duncan managed to board a flight out of Liberia, even though witnesses say he'd been helping Ebola patients including someone who died of it. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: Welcome back to breaking news that we just learned, another American has been diagnosed with Ebola. According to NBC News, he is a freelance cameraman hired to work with NBC chief medical correspondent, Dr. Nancy Snyderman in Monrovia, Liberia.
He apparently first showed symptoms yesterday. He is being flown back to the United States for further treatment. Tonight's other breaking news CNN exclusive, for the first time we're hearing from the friend, Thomas Duncan, has been staying with in Dallas.
The mother of his son who is now under quarantine. In addition to her revelations about how he felt ill and what happened since. There is also a new question tonight, did Mr. Duncan lied to airport screeners about being exposed to Ebola.
Airport officials say that Duncan answered no to questions designed to flag exposure to the virus. But witnesses in Liberia say that Duncan had been helping Ebola patients including a pregnant woman who later died.
Here's what Liberia's president said about Mr. Duncan today.
PRESIDENT ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF, LIBERIA: He has gone there, instead of waiting, put some Americans in a state of fear and put them at some risks. So I feel very saddened by that and very angry with him, to tell you the truth. The fact that he knew and he left the country is unpardonable, quite frankly.
COOPER: The president said she would consult with lawyers to decide what to do with him when he returned home. Today, we learned the U.S. military is sending 700 more troops and 700 military engineers to Liberia to help contain the Ebola epidemic. Two hundred troops have already been deployed.
Senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joins me now. So Elizabeth, you went through these checks when you left Liberia. What exactly did they ask you? What did they test you for?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, I left Liberia, Anderson, about a week after Mr. Duncan did. They don't test you for anything because there is no Ebola test, but they take your temperature three times before you are allowed to leave.
They ask you the series of questions. You're handed a clip board with questions on it. They want to know if you are feeling nauseous, are you vomiting, all of those kinds of symptom questions.
But then there is a series of what they call exposure questions. And one of those questions is, have you had contact with someone who has Ebola or in contact with their bodily fluids.
And that is what we're hearing that Mr. Duncan said no to that question, even though there appears to be quite a bit of evidence that he actually did have contact with an Ebola patient.
COOPER: I mean, what is interesting about this, Elizabeth, is, you know, we hear they're tightly screening and taking the temperature three times. But the reality is, it is really self-purporting. They're essentially relying on the passengers to tell the truth.
And if somebody has come in contact with Ebola and wants to get out of Liberia or wants to get on a plane just because they have business to attend to, there is a high likelihood that somebody is not going to tell the truth.
COHEN: Absolutely, it is completely the honor system. I mean, as long as you're not symptomatic, you can do what you just said. Now once you're symptomatic, I think they will catch you because the nurses are looking at you. They are taking your temperature.
But if you're in the incubation period, absolutely, and Anderson, you know, I was on your show in early August and we were talking about this. And I said the nightmare scenario is that someone is infected with Ebola, but is asymptomatic, doesn't have any signs yet.
They hop on a plane and a couple of days later they get sick in the U.S. and I hate to say -- I don't mean to sound like I have a crystal ball, but that's what happened.
And then the other layer of it is that hospitals were really not prepared for it. You have a Liberian man walking into a hospital with a fever and nobody catches it.
COOPER: And let's be honest, I mean, the realty is this is likely to happen again, somebody not showing any symptoms is very likely to get on an aircraft and come here again. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.
The question is, will this hospital learn from it? Will all hospitals learn from it? Will the next time somebody presents, it be handled differently. Let's hope so.
More breaking news tonight, late word, the United Airlines is voluntarily reaching out to passengers who were on two of the flights that Thomas Duncan took.
The United Airlines Flight 951 from Brussels to Washington, Dulles, and United Airlines Flight 822 from Washington, Dulles to Dallas, Ft. Worth. According to authorities at Liberia's airport, Duncan had no symptoms of Ebola when he left Liberia.
That is important because as you heard now Ebola is only infectious when a person has symptoms. So I don't want to cause hysteria for anybody who is on that aircraft. Apparently he was not showing symptoms when he was on that aircraft.
So if that is true, and Louise said he was not showing symptoms until several days after he arrived then there is no way he could have transmit it to anybody on that aircraft. But what if someone is fine when they get on a plane and then start showing symptoms of Ebola while on the aircraft. How much danger would they be in? With that, here's CNN's Dan Simon.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Suzanne Donovan is an expert on Ebola. She recently completed a month-long stint in Sierra Leone, treating Ebola victims.
(on camera): What made you volunteer?
DR. SUZANNE DONOVAN, INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN: Well, this is what I do. You know, I'm an infectious disease physician.
SIMON (voice-over): She has come with us aboard a 767 jetliner, now out of service to discuss the risk Ebola could have to the American flying public.
(on camera): So let's say somebody has Ebola and is showing symptoms and you're sting next to them, any chance you can get it?
DONOVAN: I can understand passengers' concern about being exposed, but this is something that is transmitted with direct contact of body fluids.
SIMON: If saliva or bodily fluids gets either on a tray or arm rest and you touch it and then touch your nose or mouth?
COOPER: Had a problem there with Dan Simon's piece, we apologize for that. Still, there is quite a bit to talk about especially given how many other even more contagious diseases maybe coming our way.
We'll take up panel, how prepared are we to stop viruses that are in every sense of the word airborne because there are plenty of viruses that are, we'll tell you about them and whether we're prepared for that.
COOPER: Well, tonight's breaking news, NBC news is reporting that an American freelance cameraman working in Africa has been diagnosed with Ebola and will head back to the U.S. for treatment.
Also, the friend of Ebola patient Thomas Duncan was staying with in Dallas, the mother of his son, is speaking out for the first time in a CNN exclusive. I spoke to her earlier today.
And United Airlines is voluntarily reaching out to passengers who were on two flights that Duncan took after leaving Liberia last month. Now the fact he was able to fly from Liberia to Dallas with the Ebola virus incubating inside him has raised a host of question of concerns. Joining me again is Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Irwin Redlener and David Quammen. So Sanjay, I want to ask you about the American cameraman working for NBC who was just diagnosed with Ebola. You have been reading more details. What do you make of this?
GUPTA: Well, you know, this is an American who has been living and working in Liberia for the last three years on various projects. So he has been there for some time.
What is interesting, this past Tuesday, I guess, when he started working for NBC probably on this new project with Nancy Snyderman, and Wednesday, he noticed that he had a fever, he was getting a routine fever check.
Why he was getting a routine fever check, unclear, maybe he was already worried about an exposure. But regardless, that fever check showed that in fact he did have a slight fever, and at that point, he went to "Doctors Without Borders" camp.
He was quarantined and he was tested. It took about 12 hours for the test to come back and it came back positive for Ebola. So don't know how sick he is certainly at this point, but he is flown back to the United States to get treatment as you heard -- Anderson.
COOPER: Dr. Redlener, it really is interesting. You and I are talking about this before the break. Again, the health care system relies on people at the airport to self-report. And somebody who -- if it is true that Mr. Duncan had been in contact with an Ebola patient who died, a woman who he had been helping.
It is very possible he just wanted to get out of Liberia in order to get to a place where there was better medical treatment and it is very possible he wanted to get out or not tell the truth because they want to get on the flight.
REDLENER: The reality is he actually was helping someone who had known Ebola who was rejected from the hospital because they couldn't take her. So here he is having handled her, he knows the hospital won't take him. He says I'm exposed, perhaps, where would I rather be, in Liberia or in the United States or some other western country?
And I think that would be a big motivator and it would be for most of us if we were facing the dilemma of having Ebola. But we're depending on a lot of self-reporting in making the determination on what needs to happen.
COOPER: David, there are those who say there should not be any flights accepted from Liberia to the United States or even flights that have connected through Europe. That is not even really possible.
I mean, given -- first of all I don't think there are many flights that directly connect from Monrovia to the United States. It is virtually impossible from a town like that to track somebody I would think.
QUAMMEN: It is virtually impossible to track somebody, and impossible really to seal off those connections. Isolation is very important for dealing with this disease. But that means isolation of individual cases. You can't isolate neighborhoods or nations. It doesn't work.
And people talk about well, we should not allow any flights in from Liberia. I mean, we in America, how dare we turn our backs on Liberia given the fact that this is a country that was founded in the 1820s, 1830s because of American slavery. We have a responsibility to stay connected with them and help them see this through.
REDLENER: They get the antibody built up -- I'm actually not sure about that.
COOPER: Sanjay, do you know the answer to that?
GUPTA: So there are five different strains of the Ebola. The one is the Zaire strain, so if you get it you are immunized. You still have to protect yourself from the other strains if you're back in one of those endemic areas.
COOPER: And Sanjay, since a lot of the early symptoms of Ebola look like the flu or predictably like malaria for people who have been in Africa, Kenneth wants to ask you, does doctor recommends that hospitals include Ebola testing as part of a standard operating procedure for all walk-in patients at ERs and urgent care clinics with flu symptoms this coming season?
GUPTA: No, no, we're not at that point by any means, you know, certainly somebody who has flu-like symptoms, but also has the other very pertinent history. In this case, the travel through one of these countries where Ebola is circulating.
We're talking about Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, certainly so you have to put a bunch of pieces of the puzzle together. And even after that if you have a fever and you are coming from one of these countries there are still other pieces to the puzzle you put together.
Have you been in contact with patients who've had Ebola? Have you attended a public funeral? There are certain blood values, they indicate your ability to clot your blood is decreasing.
That will be clue so there are many components to this puzzle. The travel history and the symptoms are two big ones but the not only ones.
REDLENER: There are so many links in the chain, Anderson, even when the person is triaged in the hospital in the United States, that information that I have traveled to one of these countries that has to go someplace and be absorbed into the diagnostic procedures that are happening there.
Because if somebody says, yes, I've been there and it is written down and nothing happens to it, again there are many, many human realities in this chain.
COOPER: Dr. Redlener, it's great to have you on again. David Quammen as well. Sanjay Gupta, thank you.
Up next, a 13-year-old boy caught in the middle of this Ebola scare. He is in quarantine because he was in the apartment where Thomas Duncan became sick. He is in that apartment with Louise, tonight his father speaks out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He can't leave the house.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Because he had contact with the man who has Ebola.
TUCHMAN: It must be very scary for you as his father.
COOPER: We continue to follow breaking news from our colleagues at NBC that one of their freelance photographers, an American working in Liberia has been diagnosed with Ebola. He'll be flown back to the states for treatment.
And as we've been reporting, the partner of Ebola patient, Thomas Duncan, is in quarantine in her apartment. Also in quarantine in the same apartment, her so and two of her nephews, all of whom were there when Duncan became sick.
Her son, Timothy, is just 13-year-old. He is an eighth grader and for 21 days cannot go outside, can't go to school, can't play with his friends and can't see his dad. His father spoke with Gary Tuchman.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Peterson Wayne on the telephone with his 13- year-old son who is now in quarantine amid this Ebola scare.
PETERSON WAYNE, SON IS QUARANTINED: How are you doing? Are you OK? Where is your mommy? Is your mom home too? Is she OK?
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Yes. TUCHMAN: Peterson Wayne moved to Texas from Liberia in the early '90s. His son's name is Timothy. Timothy's mother, Louise, is in quarantine with this child in this apartment because the Ebola victim, Thomas Eric Duncan, was a guest in the apartment until a few days ago.
WAYNE: Timothy is a nice boy, a smart little boy. Respectful. Smart in school and stuff.
TUCHMAN (on camera): So he is a great kid.
WAYNE: He is a good kid. I love him.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Peterson has talked to his kid several times since Timothy has been told he can't leave the apartment.
(on camera): Timothy has told you he is in quarantine, that he can't leave the house.
WAYNE: He can't leave the house.
TUCHMAN: Because he had contact with the man who has Ebola.
WAYNE: I'm scared right now.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): But Peterson says when he talks to his son on the phone he doesn't want to let on that he is frightened.
WAYNE: I believe he knows everything. So no need for me to go and talk about Ebola.
TUCHMAN (on camera): You don't want to scare him.
WAYNE: Exactly, just to encourage him.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Timothy is in eighth grade at this middle school. His father says he loves math and sports, and although, Peterson and Timothy's mother are no longer together, he wants the best for her. And as far as Thomas Eric Duncan.
(on camera): Are you angry at him?
WAYNE: No, not at all. I'm fine.
TUCHMAN: I mean, not angry that he is with the woman who you spent all of those years with, but angry that unintentionally he left your son in this situation.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): He says before the shock of all of this changed their lives he was about to buy his son new sneakers he had been asking for. (on camera): So when Timothy gets out of this house after 21 days, you see him in person, what would you like to do with him?
WAYNE: Give him a big hug and I'm ready to go buy his shoes.
TUCHMAN: Buy the shoes he wants?
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Peterson says he wants both his son and his son's mom to know he feels they will be just fine. Before we left, I asked Peterson if I could say hello to Timothy.
(on camera): Good luck to you and we hope to see you at school soon, all right and your dad is anxious to see you at school. Your dad said I'm going to tell you a secret, he will buy you sneakers when you get out. Does that sound good?
(voice-over): Peterson cannot wait for that to happen.
COOPER: And Gary joins us now from Dallas, how did Peterson find out that his son was quarantined?
TUCHMAN: Peterson did not find out, Anderson, in any official way. He learned about it on the news that there was an Ebola diagnosis, but he didn't overthink it because he didn't hear the name of the victim.
Then he found out yesterday the name was Duncan, and he said, Duncan, that is the name of the guy who is staying with Louise. He got panicked. He called Timothy's school. They said Timothy was no longer in the school. He called Timothy's cell phone and Timothy said, I have to stay in the apartment for three weeks.
COOPER: Wow. All right, Gary, thanks very much for that. We'll be right back with more ahead.
COOPER: Well, the top CNN Heroes for 2014 have been announced, each getting $25,000, and the person whose named CNN Hero of the year based on your votes will get an additional $100,000 to continue his or her good work. I want you to meet the top ten CNN Heroes for this year.
COOPER: John Burns, mobilizing fellow soccer fans to make a difference in cities hosting the World Cup. Dr. Wendy Ross, helps autistic children and their families navigate challenging public setting. Juan Pablo Romero Fuentes, who turned his family's home into a refugee for children in his violent country. Ned Norton provides strength and conditioning training to people living with disabilities. Patricia Kelly, she uses horses to keep at- risk youth on the right path. Leela Hazzah is transforming the side culture in Kenya. This was helping turn so-called lion killers into lion protectors.
Arthur Bloom helped wounded troops at Walter Reed Medical Center tap into healing power of music. Ken Farraday reunited soldiers with stray animals they befriended while serving in Afghanistan. Annette Marksgrer grow up in her family's funeral home, now she helps children in Baltimore home for free.
And Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg lost his daughter to leukemia, today he helps the kids cope to pain and fear of their cancer treatments.
Amazing people, you can go to cnnheroes.com to vote for your choice for the hero of the year. You can vote once a day, everyday and on December 7th, tune in for CNN Heroes and all star tribute.
That does it for us. We'll see you again, 11:00 P.M. Eastern, another edition of 360.
"ANTHONY BOURDAIN PARTS UNKNOWN" starts now.


Jesus knew he would be betrayed by one of his disciples, despised by another, and deserted by all of them for a time. Still, "He loved them unto the end." God knows us completely, as Jesus knew his disciples. He knows the sins we have committed and the ones we will yet commit. Still, he loves us. How do you respond to that kind of love?
Jesus was the model servant, and he showed this attitude to his disciples. Washing guest's feet was a job for a household servant when guests arrived. But Jesus wrapped a towel around him, as the lowliest slave would do, and washed his disciples' feet. If God in the flesh is willing to serve, we his followers must also be servants: willing to serve in any way that glorifies God. Are you willing to follow Christ's example?
Whom can you serve today?
There is a special blessing for those who not only agree that humble service is Christ's way, but who also do it. Seeing his master behave like a slave must have confused Peter. He still did not understand Jesus' teaching that to be a leader, one must be a servant. This is not a comfortable passage for leaders who find it hard to serve those under them.
How do you treat those who work under you?
Jesus did not wash his disciples' feet just to get them to be nice to each other. His far greater goal was to extend his mission on earth after he was gone. These men were to move into the world serving God, serving each other, and serving all people to whom they took the message of salvation.
Dear Lord, please help us to serve people that are hard to serve. It's easy to serve those we like or fellow Christians. Help our hearts be the same to serve those who can be harsh. Lord, you know us before we were formed in the belly. You are the author of eternal salvation. Let us have the loving kindness that the Psalmist said about you. Let us follow you as Isaiah said, a servant leader. Father, you said you will never forget our labor of love. The disciples could not understand your mission of salvation, Lord. Plant it in our hearts. We love you, we magnify your precious name. To Jesus we pray, Amen.


Ala Hazrat Express (via Ahmedabad) (14311) runs from Bareilly (BE) to Bhuj (BHUJ). It has classes second ac (2A), third ac (3A), sleeper (SL). It is not a superfast train and covers a distance of 1544 kms in 31 hr 25 min. This train runs on Tue, Thu, Sat. It has 46 halts. This train runs with an ICF Rake and does not have a pantry car. Final chart for 14311 is prepared usually 3-4 hours before train departure time or a day before if train departs early morning.


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Bangs Funeral Home
Send Flowers for John
Plant a Tree for John
John Edward Rupert
October 19, 1927 ~ April 22, 2022 (age 94) 94 Years Old
Read more about the life story of John and share your memory.
John Edward "Jack" Rupert, 94, of Ithaca, NY, formerly of Lakewood, OH, passed away April 22, 2022. Born in Cleveland, OH on Oct. 19, 1927 to Edward Jackson and Emma Levegood Rupert. Husband of the late Virginia Carlson Rupert, father of Kristen Rupert (John Foote) of Watertown, MA, Karen Rupert Keating (Tom) of Vero Beach, FL and David Carlson Rupert of Lake Worth Beach, FL; grandfather of David Sheridan Keating (Riley), Anne Carlson Keating (Austin Lamon) and Asia Ondaatje Rupert; great-grandfather of William Isbrandtsen Keating and Emma Flaherty Keating.
Jack graduated from Lakewood High School and Cornell University, with an AB in 1949 and a JD (Law) in 1951. He served in the US Air Force from 1951-53 at Wright-Patterson AFB in the adjutant general's office. He then joined Broadview Savings & Loan Company in Cleveland, where he became CEO in 1974 and retired in 1986. He was National President of the American Savings & Loan Institute.
A life-long Clevelander, Jack had served as Chair of the Board of the Cleveland Zoological Society, on the Board of the Cleveland Orchestra and President of its West Shore Concert Series, and a Board member of the Western Reserve Historical Society, Canalway Partners, Cleveland READS and WVIZ-PBS-Ideastream. He was President of Cleveland Interfaith Housing Corporation from 1972-80. He served as President of the Lakewood Public School Board, a Trustee of Lakewood Hospital, and was inducted into the Lakewood High School Alumni Hall of Fame. He was previously Chair of the Clifton Park Trustees.
A proud alumnus of Cornell University, Jack served on multiple Cornell Advisory Boards, interviewed applicants, chaired the Cornell University Council, and received the Frank Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award, the highest honor for a Cornell volunteer.
Jack enjoyed genealogy, history, architecture, stone wall building, travel, tennis, small sailboat racing, and trains.
Memorial donations may be directed to the Cleveland Zoological Society, 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland OH, 44109, ClevelandZooSociety.org/memorial or 216-635-3329; the Rupert Family Scholarship, Cornell University, Box 37334, Boone, IA 50037-0334, https://giving.cornell.edu/ or 1-800-279-3099; or the charity of your choice.
Memorial Service Friday, November 18 at 11am at Lakewood Congregational Church, 1375 W. Clifton Blvd., Lakewood, OH 44107. Arrangements by Bangs Funeral Home, Ithaca, NY. www.bangsfuneralhome.com.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Edward Rupert, please visit our floral store.
Lakewood Congregational Church
1375 W. Clifton Blvd
John Rupert
October 19, 1927-April 22, 2022
© 2023 Bangs Funeral Home. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility


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'Hypocrite' Rouhani rejects war as Iran's drones target Saudi civilians
'Hypocrite' Rouhani rejects war as Iran's drones target Saudi civilians /node/1512461/middle-east
Osama Al-Sharif
IRGC has a different priority to Tehran government
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, speaking on live TV, said his country will not wage war against any nation. (AFP)
Tehran regime has fanned sectarian flames in region for four decades, analyst tells Arab News
IRGC chief says Iranian missiles capable of hitting "carriers in the sea" with great precision
JEDDAH: Iran "will not wage war against any nation," President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday — hours after two drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen targeted civilians in southern Saudi Arabia.
Rouhani's statement sounded a note of restraint after the United States announced more troop deployments to the Middle East.
"Iran will not wage war against any nation," he said in a speech broadcast live on state TV. "Despite all of the Americans' efforts in the region and their desire to cut off our ties with all of the world and their desire to keep Iran secluded, they have been unsuccessful."
But he was also contradicted by the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Gen. Hossein Salami, who said Iran's ballistic missile technology had changed the balance of power in the Middle East.
"These missiles can hit, with great precision, carriers in the sea ... they are domestically produced and are difficult to intercept and hit with other missiles," Salami said.
He said Iran's ballistic missile technology had changed the balance of power in the Middle East.
This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Opinion field)
Before both men spoke, Saudi air defenses intercepted and shot down two Houthi drones packed with explosives. One targeted a civilian area in the southern city of Abha, and the second was shot down in Yemeni air space. There were no casualties, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said.
Rouhani's offer to avoid war was "the height of hypocrisy," the Saudi political analyst and international relations scholar Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri told Arab News.
"Rouhani is the biggest hypocrite in the world," he said. "On the one hand, he is saying that Iran does not seek a conflict with anybody, and on the other it is launching attacks through its militias on oil tankers, oil pipelines, civilian airports and holy cities.
"This is nothing but the height of hypocrisy. Who does he think he is fooling with those words? Why are they enriching uranium? Why are they seeking nuclear bombs? What have they done over the past four decades? They have only caused trouble. They have only fanned sectarian flames in the region."
The Saudi Cabinet, meeting in Jeddah, also condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi civilians, and last week's terrorist attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman, widely blamed on Iran.
Confrontation fears
Fears of a confrontation between Iran and its long-time foe the United States have mounted since Thursday when two oil tankers were attacked near the strategic Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, which Washington blamed on Tehran.
Iran denied involvement in the attacks and said on Monday it would soon breach limits on how much enriched uranium it can stockpile under a 2015 nuclear deal, which had sought to limit its nuclear capabilities.
Exceeding the uranium cap at the heart of the accord would prompt a diplomatic crisis, forcing the other signatories, which include China, Russia and European powers, to confront Iran.
The standoff drew a call for caution from China. Its top diplomat warned that the world should not open a "Pandora's Box" in the Middle East, as he denounced US pressure on Iran and called on it not to drop out of the landmark nuclear deal.
Russia urged restraint on all sides.
On Monday, Iranian officials made several assertive comments about security, including the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, who said Tehran was responsible for security in the Gulf and urged US forces to leave the region.
Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Monday announced the deployment of about 1,000 more troops to the Middle East for what he said were defensive purposes, citing concerns about a threat from Iran.
The new US deployment is in addition to a 1,500-troop increase announced last month in response to tanker attacks in May. Washington previously tightened sanctions, ordering all countries and companies to halt imports of Iranian oil or be banished from the global financial system.
'Nuclear blackmail'
Iran's announcement on Monday that it would soon breach limits on how much enriched uranium it can stockpile under the deal was denounced by a White House National Security Council spokesman as "nuclear blackmail."
The move further undermines the nuclear pact, but Rouhani said on Monday the collapse of the deal would not be in the interests of the region or the world.
The nuclear deal seeks to head off any pathway to an Iranian nuclear bomb in return for the removal of most international sanctions.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi said the United States should not use "extreme pressure" to resolve issues with Iran.
Wang told reporters China, a close energy partner of Iran, was "of course, very concerned" about the situation in the Gulf and with Iran, and called on all sides to ease tension.
"We call on all sides to remain rational and exercise restraint, and not take any escalatory actions that irritate regional tensions, and not open a Pandora's box," Wang said.
"In particular, the US side should alter its extreme pressure methods," Wang said. "Any unilateral behavior has no basis in international law. Not only will it not resolve the problem, it will only create an even greater crisis."
Wang also said the Iran nuclear deal was the only feasible way to resolve its nuclear issue, and urged Iran to be prudent.
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the EU would only react to any breach if the International Atomic Energy Agency formally identified one.
The Trump administration says the deal, negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama, was flawed as it is not permanent, does not address Iran's missile program and does not punish it for waging proxy wars in other Middle East countries.
Topics: Iran iran tension Iran tensions
US shares new images of Iranian activity after tanker attack
Iran claims it has dismantled a US cyber espionage network
Turkey blocked from US F-35 program after Russian missile purchase /node/1527206/middle-east
Updated 29 min 46 sec ago
"The US and other F-35 partners are aligned in this decision to suspend Turkey from the program"
WASHINGTON: The United States said on Wednesday that it was removing Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program, a move that had been long threatened and expected after Ankara began accepting delivery of an advanced Russian missile defense system last week.
The first parts of the S-400 air defense system were flown to the Murted military air base northwest of Ankara on Friday, sealing Turkey's deal with Russia, which Washington had struggled for months to prevent.
"The US and other F-35 partners are aligned in this decision to suspend Turkey from the program and initiate the process to formally remove Turkey from the program," said Ellen Lord, the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.
"The United States is spending between $500 and $600 million in non-recurring engineering in order to shift the supply chain," she said.
Used by NATO and other US allies, the F-35 stealth fighter jet is the world's most advanced jet fighter. Washington is concerned that deploying the S-400 with the F-35 would allow Russia to gain too much inside information of the stealth system.
"The F-35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities," the White House said in a statement earlier on Wednesday.
Washington has long said the acquisition may lead to Turkey's expulsion from the F-35 program.
The Pentagon had already laid out a plan to remove Turkey from the program, including halting any new training for Turkish pilots on the advanced aircraft.
"The situation with Turkey is a government-to-government matter and we'll comply with any guidance issued by the United States Government," said a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin Corp. , the prime contractor on the jet.
World Court orders Pakistan to review Jadhav death sentence, grants India consular access


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5 killed in major fire in 2 Lucknow hotels
Raj Gopal Singh Verma June 19, 2018	Headlines 0
Lucknow: The recent increase in temperature all over the country has been affecting the daily style in a substantial way. To add to the horrors of the day a massive circle of fire broke out at the SSJ International Hotel in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh during the early half …
UK reformed visa rules for students but excluded India
Priyanka Chandrakar June 19, 2018	Education 0
British government's decision to not include India from reform of student visa application process is attracting a lot of criticism in Britain. A spokesman of the Labour Party described it as an act of self-harm which may threaten to push much more Indian students away from the places of learning …
Digital transactions are more prone to frauds, survey claims
Anirudh Singh June 19, 2018	Business 0
With the advancement of digital transactions, we are exposing ourselves to more chances of frauds with around one in four customers becoming victims of online financial complications, so infers a report. Experian– a global financial information company, claims in a survey that about 24 per cent of Indians might have …
Australia slump to lowest ICC ODI Ranking in 34 years
Kanu Priya June 18, 2018	Sports 0
This year Australian Cricket Team is dumped to the sixth position, which is its lowest ODI ranking in 34 years. It was on sixth position earlier in the year 1984. Pakistani team has substituted it on the fifth slot. England, India, South Africa and New Zealand are those which are …
Oppo Realme 1 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage variant goes on sale
Anirudh Singh June 18, 2018	Technology 0
The new craze amongst the smartphones, Oppo has launched a new variant Realme 1, which is designed to counter the popularity of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1. Oppo Realme 1 is equipped with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage and will be available only …
Four CMs visit ailing former PM Vajpayee in AIIMS
Raj Gopal Singh Verma June 18, 2018	Politics 0
Once considered a face of Bhartiya Janta Party in the country, former Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee found himself amused by the beeline of visitors at his hospital– the ward of AIIMS, to be precise. Four Chief Ministers of different states of the country, belonging to the West Bengal, Bihar, …
IT Department detects Rs.10,767 Cr undisclosed income in FY 2017-18
The Income Tax Department has found out undisclosed income of over Rs. 10,000 crores in the just concluded financial year, which comes to a 20 per cent more than the previous year. Intelligence and Criminal Investigation wing of The Directorate General of Income Tax have unearthed Rs 10,767 crore such …
Indian Railways plans to revamp 30,000 express train coaches
Anirudh Singh June 18, 2018	Travel 0
Soon the coaches of all Indian Railways' Mail and Express trains, would be saying goodbye to dark blue colour and will be repainted with a new colour scheme of beige and brown. It may be recalled that the blue colour coaches are here since the 1990s. The initiative will be …
Himachal Pradesh gets a new Medical College, 100 MBBS Students to be admitted
Hamirpur: A new government medical college has started functioning in Himachal Pradesh today. The central government accorded its nod to the state government to admit 100 MBBS students for the current academic session in the Hamirpur Medical College. The State Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Union Health and Family …
Mount Everest becomes World's Highest rubbish dump: Report
Kanu Priya June 17, 2018	Science/Environment 0
Kathmandu: The popularity of mountaineering in Nepal has adversely affected the Mount Everest into the world's highest garbage area since an increasing number of affluent climbers don't heed to the environmental concerns they leave behind. Tents made of plastic material, defunct equipment used in the expeditions, empty gas cylinders and …
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Professional Business
Coronavirus vaccine will be free for some Americans, U.S. officials say
A nurse wears personal protective equipment (PPE) as she cares for a coronavirus COVID-19 patient in the intensive care unit (I.C.U.) at Regional Medical Center on May 21, 2020 in San Jose, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
The coronavirus vaccine will be provided free of charge to Americans who can't afford it, the Trump administration announced Tuesday.
Any American who is "vulnerable, who cannot afford the vaccine and desires the vaccine, we will provide it for free," a senior administration official told reporters during a press briefing Tuesday morning.
The administration is also working with insurers, the official said. Some commercial insurers have expressed "eagerness" to cover the vaccine without a co-pay, the official said, adding most are already covering coronavirus-related services.
"We will work with them to get the vaccines distributed through the typical channels that they use" such as retail pharmacies and physician offices, the official said. "Our role in the federal government is to ensure anyone who is vulnerable, who can not afford it and desires it gets it."
Public health experts have urged U.S. leaders to make a coronavirus vaccine available to everyone, not just those who can afford it.
The coronavirus has infected more than 2.1 million Americans and killed at least 116,127 since the first reported U.S. case less than five months ago, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. U.S. officials and scientists are hopeful a vaccine to prevent Covid-19 will be ready in the first half of 2021.
U.S. health officials and researchers have been fast-tracking work on vaccine development, aiming to produce 300 million doses of a potential vaccine by January. The official said the Trump administration's goal is to have enough vaccines to protect "as much life as possible" by the height of the flu season.
Because of the pandemic, U.S. officials are investing in multiple stages of research even though doing so could be for naught if the vaccine ends up not being effective or safe. The Trump administration has narrowed its list of promising experimental vaccines to about seven from 14, the official said. The official did not say which ones have started vaccine production.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. had already produced 2 million coronavirus vaccine doses that are "ready to go" once scientists figure out whether it is safe and effective.
Scientists are still learning about key aspects of the virus, including how immune systems respond once a person is exposed. The answers, they say, may have important implications for vaccine development, including how quickly it can be deployed to the public.
The fastest-ever vaccine development, for mumps, took more than four years and was licensed in 1967.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of Trump's coronavirus task force, said he worries about the "durability" of a potential vaccine, saying there's a chance it may not provide long-term immunity.
If Covid-19 acts like other coronaviruses, "it likely isn't going to be a long duration of immunity," Fauci said during an interview on June 2 with JAMA Editor Howard Bauchner.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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