Ebola Pow Wow, Run Silent, Run Deep

Outbreak: The World Health Organization emergency committee is meeting today to discuss possible travel restrictions and screening at borders. The Obama Administration announced yesterday that it will funnel all travelers from Ebola-stricken countries into five American airports to be checked on arrival.

Despite only three cases developing in the US, a Washington Post/ABC News poll says that by more than two to one Americans back “restricting entry to the United States by people who have been in affected countries.”

Also here in the US, freelance cameraman Ashoka Mukpo, who came down with Ebola while working for NBC News in Africa, has been declared free of the virus and is scheduled for release today.

World: After lengthy negotiations, American Jeffrey Fowle has been released from custody in North Korea and returned to the United States. Fowle was arrested earlier this year just as he was leaving the country and accused of leaving a Bible in a nightclub. Religious proselytizing is illegal in the Hermit Kingdom.

Americans Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae are still being held. Bae, a Korean-American missionary, is serving 15 years hard labor.

Miller is accused of arriving in the country and tearing up his tourist visa to seek asylum.

Ping, Ping: The search for a Russian submarine that may or may not be lurking in Swedish waters has been dubbed “The Hunt for Reds in October” after the Tom Clancy thriller. Swedish ships and helicopters have been scanning the Baltic near Stockholm since Friday. Reports say the military intercepted a Russian distress call and some people claim to have seen a mysterious man in black wading into the water near a Swedish military base.

The Series: San Francisco came out swinging last night, scoring three runs in the opening inning of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals. San Francisco went on to win it 7-1. Game two is in Kansas City tonight.

The Sports Page: Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL, has been released from the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. It’s Sam’s second release. Sam says he will keep looking for a team that will put him on the field.

The Obit Page: Ben Bradlee, the editor of the Washington Post who steered the paper’s coverage of the Watergate scandal and the fall of President Richard Nixon, in the process emerging as the classic hard-nosed newspaper editor, has died at age 93. Under Bradlee the Post, once described as “a hometown newspaper in the nation’s capital,” became a national voice. The Post won 18 Pulitzer Prizes under his demanding leadership. Bradlee was an increasingly rare figure in the news business who wasn’t afraid to go to jail. After the NY Times was enjoined from continuing to print the infamous Pentagon Papers about the Vietnam War, Bradlee, with the consent of Publisher Katharine Graham, went ahead and printed.

Small Fries: The burger with fries is in trouble. McDonald’s yesterday announced a 30 percent drop in third quarter profits. That’s like a giant grease fire in the boardroom for the world’s largest restaurant company. The burger chain has been struggling to compete with healthier fast-food restaurants like Chipotle, which serves a lot of rice and beans. Mickey D’s has been hurt by political turmoil in eastern Europe and a meat supplier scandal in China that cast doubt about exactly what’s in those Big Macs in Beijing.

Face Time: The talk of the nation is actress Renee Zellweger (“You had me at hello”) or at least the actress who used to look like Renee Zellweger. Zellweger appeared Monday night at a Hollywood event and her face set off a national gasp. A little tighter here, a little narrower there. Less squint in the eyes. She just didn’t look like the 45-year-old woman who won an Academy Award. One theory posted on Twitter: “I think someone killed Renee Zellweger and then took over her life.”

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Friday, March 29, 2024

Page Two

The Most Corrupt Justice

Monday, October 2, 2023

Democracy and Video in the Dark

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Page Two: Do the Right Thing

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Page Two: Sound Recall

Monday, September 13, 2021

Page Two: Cuomo Must Go

Friday, August 13, 2021

Trump and the Truth

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

The “Great” President

Monday, March 30, 2020

The Wright Stuff

Saturday, February 29, 2020

It's Been Said

"In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn. There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate, and I should have, no excuses."

-Andrew Cuomo, resigning as governor of New York after accusations of sexual harassment

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