Map, above:   from a government publication on the spread of ebola in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone as of August 7, 2014.

Ebola crisis: Liberia confirms West Point patients missing   Seventeen suspected ebola patients are "missing" in Liberia after a health centre in the capital was attacked, the government says.  The government had previously denied they were missing, saying all patients had been moved to another facility. The ebola outbreak, which has spread from Guinea to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, has killed at least 1,145. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for exit screenings on all travellers from affected countries. It wants checks at airports, sea ports and major land crossings.

Several airlines have already stopped flying to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Meanwhile, Cameroon has closed its land, sea and air borders with Nigeria, reports say. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is the world's deadliest to date. The disease has no known cure.

Security has been stepped up at health centres treating ebola patients in Liberia

Meanwhile, the UN's chief co-ordinator in Sierra Leone, David McLachlan-Karr, told the BBC that ebola had spread to 12 out of 13 of the country's districts. "While Sierra Leone was the last affected of the three Mano River countries to have confirmed [cases] of Ebola, now it's the country with the most cases," he said. There have been at least 810 cases of Ebola reported in Sierra Leone, including 348 deaths, according to WHO figures.

'Greatest setback'  The attack on the quarantine centre in Liberia, in Monrovia's densely populated West Point township, took place on Saturday evening. There are conflicting reports over what sparked the riot, in which medical supplies were stolen. Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said the protesters were unhappy that patients were being taken there from other parts of the capital. Other reports suggested the protesters had believed Ebola was a hoax and wanted to force the centre to close.  A senior police officer, speaking to the BBC on condition of anonymity, said blood-stained mattresses, bedding and medical equipment had been taken from the centre, potentially furthering the rapid spread.   On Monday, Liberia's Information Minister Lewis Brown told the BBC that 17 of 37 inmates from the quarantine centre had gone "back into their communities". He said the authorities were now trying to track them down but said he was confident they would return. "Most of the people that went into this holding facility came there voluntarily," he told the BBC.

"So our impression is that they still want to be [there], but they were forcibly removed by vandals and looters, not because they wanted to leave; so we are sure that they will return." He said the attack on the quarantine centre was Liberia's "greatest setback" since the Ebola outbreak began.

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage

Fatality rate can reach 90% - but current outbreak has about 55%

Incubation period is two to 21 days

There is no vaccine or cure

Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery

Fruit bats, a delicacy for some West Africans, are considered to be virus' natural host

Health workers flee  Lindis Hurum, from medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), says there is an urgent need for a massive public awareness campaign in Liberia. "Some people don't believe that it exists. Definitely, as the situation is getting worse and more people are getting sick, more people also start to believe it," she told the BBC. "But they don't necessarily understand or know how they should prevent it."

MSF says the ebola outbreak has had a terrible impact on Liberia's entire healthcare system, which it says is more or less falling apart. Many health facilities have closed, with patients as well as medical staff, too scared to turn up for fear of catching the disease.

The ebola epidemic began in Guinea in February, before spreading to other West African countries. The death toll of 1,145 was announced on Friday after the WHO said 76 new deaths had been reported in the two days to 13 August. There have been 2,127 cases reported in total.

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW

Hour One

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 1, Block A: Thomas Joscelyn, Long War Journal senior editor, & Bill Roggio, Long War Journal and FDD (1 of 2), in re:

US airpower supports Peshmerga, Iraqi forces to retake Mosul Dam President Obama expanded the US military mission in Iraq to include protecting "critical infrastructure" and supporting Iraqi Army and Peshmerga offensive military operations in northern Iraq.

US adds Islamic State, Al Nusrah Front leaders to list of global terrorists Abu Muhammed al Adnani is the Islamic State's controversial spokesman. Said Arif is a seasoned jihadist who has traveled to several battlefields and is now with the Al Nusrah Front in Syria.

Quetta airbase attacks carried out by Pakistani Taliban, IMU The spokesman for Omar Khalid Khorasani, the leader of the Taliban in Mohmand, said the Quetta airbase attacks were executed with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

AQAP seeks to capitalize on anti-Israeli sentiment in new English-language magazine   Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has released a new English-language magazine titled, "Palestine, betrayal of the guilty conscience." As in past AQAP publications, the magazine includes instructions for building pressure cooker bombs and car bombs.

US drone kills 3 AQAP fighters in eastern Yemen  The airstrike took place in a province in eastern Yemen where the terror group has been battling the government for control.

Taliban laud Afghan soldier who killed US general  The Taliban described Rafiqullah, the Afghan soldier who killed Major General Harold Greene, deputy commanding general of Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan, as a "martyr."

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 1, Block B: Bill Roggio, Long War Journal and FDD (2 of 2), in re: US airpower supports Peshmerga, Iraqi forces to retake Mosul Dam  President Obama expanded the US military mission in Iraq to include protecting "critical infrastructure" and supporting Iraqi Army and Peshmerga offensive military operations in northern Iraq.

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 1, Block C: Francis Rose, Federal News Radio, in re: Lois Lerner's massively famous hard drive.  Judge Sullivan, of a Washington, D.C., court, says this story doesn’t make sense.  She trashed her HD somehow; is this scandal still at the top of the news? ("The surprising thing is that you can find an Irishman gainfully employed in the US."—Th. McCotter) 

Healthcare.gov links  Shhh: “Delete this email”–top HealthCare.gov official Tavenner – administering Obamacare, wrote, "Please delete this email" – hunh?

Researcher who dispelled vaccine-autism link: “Most-wanted fugitive” A former Centers for Disease Control (CDC) researcher, best known for his frequently-cited studies dispelling a link between vaccines and autism, is still considered on the lam after allegedly using CDC grants of tax dollars to buy a house and cars for himself. Poul Thorsen, listed as a most-wanted fugitive by the Department of Health and Human . . .

Mikie Dickerson was involved in salvaging the Obamacare website, is about to be appointed Deputy Chief Information officer[?] . . .    VA scandal. Of two million peope who let Federal jobs last year, 8% were fired; the rest did so volitionally, while malfeasants are usually parked in a corner and paid, not fired.

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 1, Block D: Gordon Chang, Forbes.com, in re: So much for a new era in Chinese-Indian ties. This incursion forces us to ask this: How many enemies does Beijing think it can handle at any one time? China says it wants to be good friends with India even as it invades almost thirty km into India – which, typically, pretends there's been no incursion so it can blow off the whole situation.  Secretaries Hagel and Kerry have both visited India recently.   China projects getting oil from shale; fails  Has 31 trillion cu meters of shale.   Problem is that independent producers are forbidden to find it; whereas in the US wildcatters do the research. China failure – again; top-down, cronyistic economy, partly renationalized in the last few years. Ghost cities, high-speed rail to nowhere.  The wretched political system strangles the economy. 

Chinese troops enter 25 km deep into Indian territory in Ladakh Chinese troops are reported to have entered 25 to 30 km deep into Indian territory in Burtse area in Ladakh where they had pitched their tents last year that had led to a tense three-week standoff. Official sources said on Monday a patrol of Indian troops noticed the People's Liberation Army (PLA) personnel on Sunday while moving from their base towards the higher 'New Patrol base' post in Burtse area of North Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir. The area is at an altitude of 17,000 feet. The sources said the troops after walking barely 1.5 km from their base spotted the Chinese personnel in Indian territory 25 to 30 km from the perceived Line of Actual Control (LAC). Adhering to newly drafted Standard Operating Procedures, the Indian troops returned back to their base. The troops went on a patrol again to the 'New Patrol base' post in the wee hours of Monday.

However, the team found no change in the situation as it noticed the PLA personnel still sitting on the ground with flags reading "this is Chinese territory, go back" in their hands. A Quick Reaction Team had also accompanied the Indian patrol but nothing could be achieved as Chinese refused to budge from their position, the sources said, adding finally Indian troops returned to their base and informed their higher ups. Udhampur-based Army Spokesperson Col S D Goswami denied that any such incident had taken place but said there was no commonly delineated LAC between India and China which led to transgressions.

"There are areas along the border where India and China have differing perception of LAC. Due to both sides undertaking patrolling upto their respective perception of the LAC, transgressions do occur. However, no incursion or encroachment of Indian Territory by China has taken place along the India-China border," the spokesperson said in response to an email query.  He said India regularly takes up any transgression with the Chinese side through established mechanisms such as flag meetings, border personnel meetings and normal diplomatic channels like . . .

Hour Two

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 2, Block A:  John Fund, National Review Online, & David M Drucker, Washington Examiner Sr Congressional correspondent, in re: Obama Says Iraqi Dam Has Been Retaken From Militants Kurdish and Iraqi forces took control of the main dam compound, but fighting continued at the site of a separate dam, officials said.

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 2, Block B: John Fund, National Review Online, & David M Drucker, Washington Examiner Sr Congressional correspondent, in re: Eric Holder Is Sent to Ferguson as Curfew Is Lifted The announcements followed the Missouri governor’s deployment of the National Guard to help quell unrest over the shooting death of a black teenager.

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 2, Block C:  Dr. David H. Grinspoon, Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Astrobiology, Library of Congress, in re:  NASA Announces Mars 2020 Rover Payload to Explore the Red Planet as Never Before  The next rover NASA will send to Mars in 2020 will carry seven carefully-selected instruments to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations on the Red Planet.

NASA announced the selected Mars 2020 rover instruments Thursday at the agency's headquarters in Washington. Managers made the selections out of 58 proposals received in January from researchers and engineers worldwide. Proposals received were twice the usual number submitted for instrument competitions in the recent past. This is an indicator of the extraordinary interest by the science community in the exploration of the Mars. The selected proposals have a total value of approximately $130 million for development of the instruments.

The Mars 2020 mission will be based on the design of the highly successful Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, which landed almost two years ago, and currently is operating on Mars. The new rover will carry more sophisticated, upgraded hardware and new instruments to conduct geological assessments of the rover's landing site, determine the potential habitability of the environment, and directly search for signs of ancient Martian life.

"Today we take another important step on our journey to Mars," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden." While getting to and landing on Mars is hard, Curiosity was an iconic example of how our robotic scientific explorers are paving the way for humans to pioneer Mars and beyond. Mars exploration will be this generation's legacy, and the Mars 2020 rover will be another critical step on humans' journey to the Red Planet." Scientists will use the Mars 2020 rover to identify and select a collection of rock and soil samples that will be stored for potential return to Earth by a future mission. The Mars 2020 mission is responsive to the  . . .

Comet Hunters: Rosetta’s race to map 67P

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 2, Block D:  Ben Jacobs Daily Beast, in re: Montana’s Nose-Ring Democrat for Senate
 A week ago, Amanda Curtis was just a math teacher from Butte with a TED talk. Now she’s the last-minute frontrunner to hold on to the Democrats’ Big Sky Senate seat.

Hour Three

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 3, Block A:  Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: a new chapter in the war on the cutthroats; Cairo – an elected general, Sisi – has no interest in Hamas continuing, and it threatens the Gaza gangsters.  As the ceasefire is hours from ending, al Sisi obliges Hamas to extend it for a day: "You're embarrassing us; I will settle the score." Hamas trying to force the opening of a seaport – for an Iranian base; and (remember when the Italians ran away?) the EU is now speaking of returning to police the border between Gaza and Israel.  The populace in Gaza is increasingly terrified of the Hamas leadership; internal situation is "boiling."   Plot for a coup d'etat against Abbas to replace Fatah in the West Bank; mastermind has been in Turkey; intended widespread violence including at Temple Mount. Recruited chemistry and engineering students to help carry this out – a very serious plot. Hundred of Fatah men have been arrested in Ga za, many of them shot in the legs.  Journalists in Gaza agreed to rules of hostages: their cameras were smashed; they were prevented from reporting on Hamas activities, esp using human shields; reporters from all over the world are now testifying to this.  Oddly, only the New York Times reporter denies this.

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 3, Block B: Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents, in re: Goldstone Report failure. New investigation:  the UN Human Rights Council has Iran and other wonderfully democratic countries sitting on its commissions; new guy in charge has a lifelong past of criticizing Israel.   Calcutta has just had 20,000 people demonstrate in favor of Israel – led by Hindus Buddhists, Sikhs.  Unexpected, most welcome.  Israel ad India are working together in multiple projects; ties have long been in national security, now include trade, agricultural. Modi will visit Israel soon.  India and Israel came into existence at the same time, are two of the rare democracies to form in the Twentieth Century. Note a new axis: Cairo, Jerusalem, Amman, Delhi.  Wish that the US were more involved.  Saudis give $100 million to fight terrorism.    Oakland, California: BDS (boycott, divest, sanctions) movement blocked unloading of an Israeli ship, forced union to honor the boycott.  Run by Arab Resource Center. Money comes from Iran, Palestinian groups (an thus from the EU); don’t need a lot of money – extreme right and left groups unite. 

 

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 3, Block C: Clint Bolick Hoover Institution Goldwater Institute, in re:  A few years ago, Paulina and Jason Morris were at their 10-year-old son Diego’s soccer practice when he fell and complained about leg pains. They took him to a hospital, which performed scans and other tests. The news was as devastating as it was unexpected: Diego was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. His life was in danger. Though the doctors were able to pinpoint the problem, there was nothing they could do to cure it. Paulina and Jason began contacting doctors around the world to find help for their son. They learned that a treatment called mifamurtide was approved in Europe since 2009, but the FDA refused to make it available in the United States . . .

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 3, Block D: Andrew L. Peek,. The Fiscal Times, in re: The Israeli Solution for Kurdistan | The Fiscal Times Americans have an unfortunate tendency to moralize about the world. It’s probably the fault of our movie industry, which has, over generations, candied our national ethos into the simple plotlines of John Wayne Westerns, with a reluctant hero alone against the forces of evil. It’s unfortunate because the world is often pretty gray.

The cavalry almost never comes to the rescue, the hostile ranchers usually have a point, and the lonely frontier cowboy is often a lousy father at home.  Occasionally there are heroes, even in the Middle East, and if there's one in this third Iraq war, the Kurds might be it. Certainly, like those movie cowboys, they're alone.  The Kurds have been dealt a rough hand by history, trapped between three hostile larger nations whose antipathy for each other is exceeded only by their common resolve to prevent Kurdish independence. Theirs resembles, a tiny bit, the Jewish experience, waiting through centuries and genocides for a national security that never quite comes.  . . .

Hour Four

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 4, Block A: The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation by Harold Schechter (1 of 4)

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 4, Block B: The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation by Harold Schechter (2 of 4)

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 4, Block C: The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation by Harold Schechter (3 of 4)

Monday  18 August 2014  / Hour 4, Block D: The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation by Harold Schechter (4 of 4)