<p>A spring story but MH370’s disappearance took over the news for an amazingly long time. Contrast that with MH17 being shot down. Bigger story but Russia/Ukraine are controlling access to the site and, while that provokes “outrage”, it prevents coverage. Shows how you manage coverage and, in this case, prevent coverage of a war. I could say similar things about other conflicts but there’s no reason to inflame partisans and/or nincompoops.</p>
<p>Worldwide, the wars. Nationally, the border crisis. Also, the VA scandal, Obamacare, and IRS corruption.</p>
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<p>True, while Hep B patients aren’t usually oozing fluids. People mainly get Hep B from sexual contact or sharing needles (referencing a question from emeraldkity).</p>
<p>I think the doctor’s major point about being willing to sit next to someone with ebola was that if you are well enough to go on a trip, you’re probably still in the incubation period and not contagious yet. He says once you begin to show symptoms, you would feel too crappy to travel. I’m skeptical of that notion. People are often willing to travel when ill, especially if they are trying to get home rather than doing business or pleasure seeking.</p>
<p>Congressional gridlock.</p>
<p>I picked up Hep B someplace, which is why I asked.
Family is negative, I don’t have any sketchy habits, didn’t find out about it until I went to give blood.</p>
<p>emeraldkity, did you ever get stuck with a needle back in your hospital days (I think you were in healthcare)? </p>
<p>I think it’s the war in Gaza. Many of our family friends or children of friends are actually in the IDF, or else they live in the path of Hamas rockets (which is basically the entire country now.) We are constantly worried in a way that we are not about Ebola or Central American immigrants.</p>
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<p>Indeed. Has anyone else read “The Hot Zone”? In 1989 a man infected with Ebola flew from Kisumu, Kenya to Nairobi - and he was vomiting blood during the flight (sorry for the grossness). He desperately wanted to get to a major hospital for treatment, because no one knew what he had in his village.</p>
<p>Now, this was Africa in 1989 (not Our World in 2014), so I’m guessing that this would never happen today; for one thing, I’m guessing passengers would be screened much more closely. But to say that it wouldn’t happen because people don’t fly when they feel crappy is absurd. </p>
<p>“Also, having read and seen tons of information on the work of the Border Patrol, the walls, the steady increase in deportations, etc., I was puzzled by the idea of an “undefended border”. But googling that term showed me a whole world of wacky websites I wouldn’t ordinarily see.”</p>
<p>Open your eyes and your ears, @garland. You think there’s a steady increase in deportations because this administration claims it? Oops, turns out they’re just counting people they turn away at the border as a deportation, a new manipulation of numbers. Forget the wall, people are just walking up the checkpoints.You don’t have to look very hard to hear about the huge surge in unaccompanied children showing up, over 55,000 this year all ready. They’re trying to get billions of dollars in new funding (to speed kids through the system). Really, there are very few people pretending this is wacky extremist stuff. Just go to any mainstream news source.</p>
<p>No-one thinks this is wacky extremist stuff. There are those who think it’s compassion and those who think it’s criminal. But, it’s very real. Oh my.</p>
<p>OOOhh, you’re talking about the kids.</p>
<p>(not to mention, people being turned back at the border sort of argues against your initial observation, I think.)</p>
<p>Speaking of the wildfire, the largest fire in Washington state history is now 71% contained after burning for more than two weeks. And wildfire season has barely begun.</p>
<p>The video from a drone illustrates the destruction. Wildfires are brutal. They leave little behind.</p>
<p><a href=“Carlton Washington Fire Drone Video”>http://www.esquire.com/_mobile/blogs/news/carlton-complex-wildfire-drone-video</a></p>
<p>Climate change is the new " normal".
With dry hot weather, you get wildfires.</p>
<p>"OOOhh, you’re talking about the kids.</p>
<p>(not to mention, people being turned back at the border sort of argues against your initial observation, I think.)"</p>
<p>There are far more than just children. But the surge in unaccompanied children is a new thing.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if there is anyone being turned back at the border now. People think they will be accepted in, housed for a short time, told to return for their deportation hearing and they just don’t show up. Which is why they are coming here, now. </p>
<p>My initial observation was merely of what they were counting as “deportations”. I don’t know if they are claiming that anyone is deported now. I guess you can consider they are deporting people in a way, I suppose. Putting them in busses and “deporting” them to cities all around the US, whether the cities want them or not.</p>
<p>Calling them refugees changes everything since now they are entitled to hearings. Of course, no-one expects then to show up. And, a law meant to prevent child-trafficking has gotten slightly misconstrued in this whole mess. Also, a lot of unattached teenage boys are technically children. And trouble.</p>
<p>The biggest news for me, after estimating based on my work, that the number of unaccompanied “children” crossing the border who were boys over the age of 15 was around 80%, was that the number is actually closer to 90%.</p>
<p>Biggest news story in Tallahassee, Fl. this summer is murder mystery of law professor Dan Markel who was found shot at his home a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was murdered by an internet blogger who had a mad on at him. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.thetallahasseenews.com/index.php/site/article/markel_felt_threatened_by_letters_that_said_he_must_be_shut_down_by_all_mea”>http://www.thetallahasseenews.com/index.php/site/article/markel_felt_threatened_by_letters_that_said_he_must_be_shut_down_by_all_mea</a></p>
<p>I am struggling with the fact that two Ebola infected Americans are being transported to Emory University Hospital for treatment. </p>
<p>I know, I know, I know how difficult it is to transmit, I watched the CDC diirector give his very calming spiel on CNN, and understand how our standards of care are the very best.</p>
<p>However, even with all that, three American trained medical personnel have been infected recently. I’m not all that impressed with our potential ability to contain it once we have knowingly brought it here in two ill people.</p>
<p>I am a pretty unflappable person, but this has me a bit rattled. My first (and continuing) thoughts are Captain Trips, The Stand and Stephen King. </p>
<p>I hope this story is a big dud. Or that it leads to a leap forward in understanding and treating Ebola.</p>
<p>I completely agree with you eastcoascrazy.</p>
<p>Chances are, it will be contained.</p>
<p>Except, accidents happen. We have so many medical errors in this country, they can’t even keep track of all of them. The potential risk is huge. The CDC can give all the calming briefings they want, and to purposefully bring such a deadly disease here, is just plain arrogant. I don’t think their goal is just saving these two people, but they are taking this as an opportunity to study the disease, in a perceived safe environment for themselves. I suspect the doctors who contracted it thought they were protected.</p>
<p>I don’t know if this will end up being the right thing…the doctors saved, they find a cure for the disease before it spreads, or if they end up being responsible for spreading the disease in this country. </p>
<p>Personally, I think the rapidly falling dominoes against marriage equality should be up there- but I’m biased. </p>
<p>Ebola (even though it’s been blown out of proportion by sensationalism- not to say it’s not a big deal), Ukraine/Russia (though that was more of a spring thing I suppose), the plane disappearance, the World Cup, I think top out my list</p>
<p>7 facts you should know about the Ebola outbreak.
<a href=“7 facts you should know about the Ebola outbreak - Vox”>7 facts you should know about the Ebola outbreak - Vox; </p>