Ebola Patient Dies, French Literature

Ebola: A second patient in Dallas is showing Ebola-like symptoms after the death of a Liberian man who was the first person diagnosed with the virus in the US. He is reported to have had contact with Thomas Duncan, 42, who died yesterday in an isolation ward in a Dallas hospital. The new patient has not been diagnosed.

In response to pubic concern and heated news coverage of Ebola, the US government announced it will begin to test the temperature of passengers arriving from West Africa at five airports. They are JFK in New York, Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta, and Newark.

Duncan had been treated with an experimental anti-viral drug as doctors fought to maintain his fluid and electrolyte levels. He had gone to Dallas to visit the mother of his son in the hopes of re-establishing a relationship after 20 years apart.

Duncan lived alone in a room in Liberia rented from the parents of Marthalene Williams, a 19-year-old pregnant woman who died of the virus. He is believed to have been exposed when he helped carry Williams to the hospital.

Econ 101: After taking a swan dive Tuesday, stocks bounced back yesterday on news that the Federal Reserve would not raise interest rates for a “considerable time” until the economy can stand it

Permawar: Islamic State fighters have proved to be smart and operating on a surprisingly sophisticated tactical level. Yesterday they shot down an Iraqi helicopter.

Military analysts note that ISIS is using what they call a “swarm” technique to seize the town of Kobane. They are attacking the town on three sides using small units to keep the opposition confused about their immediate objectives. It requires somewhat advanced communication and planning for an army that is not professionally trained and organized. It also makes them harder to hit with aircraft.

Nation: The shooting of a black 18-year-old by an off-duty St. Louis police officer sparked protests last night. The officer was working with a private security company when he suspected the young man was carrying a gun and chased him. According to police, the young man fired his pistol three times before it jammed and the officer shot him. The officer fired 17 shots.

>Gay marriage in Idaho was put on hold yesterday when Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy stayed a lower court ruling that would have allowed same-sex marriages in that state. Opponents of same-sex marriage in Idaho have until 5pm to present an argument to extend the ban.

World: French writer Patrick Modiano has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. The academy cited the novelist “for the art of memory with which he has evoked the most ungraspable human destinies and uncovered the life-world of the occupation”.

>An American F15 crashed during combat training yesterday in Lincolnshire, England. It’s a $30 million plane. The pilot safely bailed out.

Small Screen: Actor Stephen Collins, who played a preacher in the long-running moralistic television series 7th Heaven, is under investigation for molesting underage girls. The tabloid website TMZ released audio believed to be Collins admitting in a therapy session with his wife that he repeatedly abused underage girls. In divorce proceedings Collins’ wife accuses him of “living a secret life.” The show was a darling of the Christian right. Re-runs have been pulled from the air.

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