Transcripts For MSNBCW Weekends With Alex Witt 20141005

Hey there, everyone, its high noon in the east, 9 00 a. M. Out west. We begin this hour with breaking news. We are watching two live events about to unfold. First up, the president is expected to speak at any moment at a dedication ceremony in washington. Hell deliver remarks at the memorial for American Veterans disabled for life. Of course, well take you there live when he does. Also this hour, the centers for Disease Control and prevention scheduled to hold yet another briefing. Well bring that to you, as well, as it begins. Meantime. In a few hours, set to depart liberia after testing positive for ebola. Hes expected to arrive tomorrow at Nebraska Medical Center in omaha where hell receive treatment. The same Medical Center where the doctor was successfully treated. Hes now back in a hospital, though, in massachusetts with what appears to be a respiratory infection. Its been treating as pneumonia. They are treating him saying they do not believe, though, it is a recurrence of ebola. Meanwhile, a man recently in west africa who became ill on a flight from brussels to newark does not have ebola. He was discharged on saturday after a full evaluation. And lets go to the briefing there. We can say all of the things that have happened and where we are and where were likely to be going. The patient was diagnosed on tuesday. Within about two hours, we announced that, that evening we had staff on the ground helping the terrific staff in dallas and texas to respond to this case. And we have no doubt that we will stop it in its tracks in texas. Its worth stepping back and saying how ebola spreads. Ebola only spreads by direct contact with someone who is sick or with their body fluids. The core of control is identifying everyone who might have had contact with them and making sure theyre monitored for 21 days and if they develop symptoms, immediately isolating them to break the chain of transmission. Theres no doubt we can stop ebola in this country. Today id like to spend a minute talking about what happened in dallas and whats happening in the u. S. More broadly. And finally, where we are with the epidemic in west africa. In terms of dallas, the work there by the staff of the local and state Health Departments with cdc assistance has been terrific. Theyve been able to assess all 114 individuals who might possibly have had contact. Of those, they were able to rule out that 66 did not have contact. They identified ten who appeared to have had contact with the individual when he might possibly have been infectious. Of those ten, seven are Health Care Workers and three are family or community contacts. In addition, there are about 38 other people in whom we could not rule out that they had contact. And so all of those 48 people will be tracked for 21 days to determine whether they have fever. And if any developed fever, they will be immediately isolated tested and if they have ebola, given appropriate care and determine whether there were any additional contacts to their case. Thats how we have stopped every outbreak of ebola in the world until this one in west africa. And thats how we stopped it in lagos, nigeria, and thats how we will stop it in texas. Going on to the u. S. Situation. Weve seen a lot of understandable concern. Because of the deadly nature of ebola and were really hoping for the recovery of the patient in dallas. We understand that his situation has taken a turn for the worse. We know that ebola is very serious disease and were hoping for his recovery. But because its such a deadly disease, people are scared. And its normal to be scared. In fact, for the Health Care Workers who are caring for people we bith ebola, we want t to have a healthy respect of the risk of any lapse in Infection Control procedure. We want them to channel that fear into being incredibly meticulous about Infection Control. Many people have pointed out initially the individual was not diagnosed. And we have done a lot at cdc and will be doing a lot more in the coming days and weeks. Empower and inform to think about ebola. And anyone who has been in guinea, liberia or sierra leone and has any symptoms suggestive of ebola. And make sure the index of suspicion if that happens, we isolate, assess them and test for ebola. Cdc has already done reached hundreds of thousands of Health Care Professionals with alerts, information, materials, tools, a webinar at least once a week. And well continue to ramp that up working closely with medical associations, with groups of doctors and nurses and others. And this basic issue of making sure that at this time ebola remains top of mind in people who have had a traveled history is something that we will continue to focus on. At cdc, weve seen the level of interest increase. In fact, we were getting about 50 calls or emails per day before the initial patient was diagnosed here. Its up to about 800 calls or emails per day. And we understand the level of concern. We also understand that people would like to do Everything Possible to keep ebola out of the u. S. And we agree with that 100 . Our top priority at cdc is to protect americans from threats. We work 24 7 to do that. In this case, were doing that by many different ways. One of them is working to stop the outbreak at its source in africa. Because as long as cases continue there, theres a possibility that someone will travel, infect someone else, come into this country or another country and possibly have another case of ebola. As long as the outbreak is continuing in africa, theres a risk in other places. Weve long said it, and its worth repeating that an outbreak anywhere is potentially a threat everywhere. But that doesnt mean we cant do anything. One of the things we do is to make sure that everyone leaving those countries is intensively screened with their temperature being taken, questions being asked and being observed to see if they appear to be ill. That screening has removed 77 people who wouldve boarded planes and didnt because of the screening that cdc staff helped those countries implement. And i can assure you that the leadership of each of those three countries wants to make sure that screening is as good as it can be. Because they need the airlines to keep flying, otherwise they wont be able to keep their societies moving. And we wont be able to stop the outbreak there. In addition, of course, we work with Health Care Workers around the country so theres rapid identification of cases and, of course, were now looking at the issue of entry screening. And were looking at all possibilities. There have been suggestions from people in congress, from the public, from the media. Well look at those and see what works to protect americans and to make sure that whatever we do doesnt unintentionally actually increase our risk. If we make it harder to fight the outbreak in west africa, we actually increase our own risk. Those are the criteria that were using, working across the u. S. Government, there are many agencies focused on this. And well be committed to doing whatever we can to further increase the safety of americans. Getting finally to the issue of whats happening in west africa today. The situation remains very fluid. Its striking when i speak with the cdc leaders who are there and weve sent now 135 top disease detectives and they work not only at the national level, but down to the county and district level in each of the three countries. One of the things thats quite striking is the diversity of the experience. This isnt west africa. This is three individual countries. Each of the individual countries has its own patterns of disease spread. In some of them, there are districts that have not had a case of ebola. In some, there are a handful of cases in those districts. Were moving at looking at each of the 62 districts across these three countries to see what more can be done to cone down this forest fire to prevent it from spreading to areas that it hasnt spread yet. To put out the sparks and places where its got a huge problem to isolate as many people as rapidly as possible. Weve seen Real Progress in the response over the past 1 to 2 weeks. The department of defense being on the ground has made a big difference, they were moving out and helping with operations. Weve seen usaid increasing support for families who want to respectfully and safely bury people who have died. And thats very important. Because it reduces the spread of ebola. While were still not ahead of it, were certainly getting further along than we were before. Im looking forward to briefing president obama on the situation in west africa tomorrow. And to further ensuring that the president s direction that we move rapidly to do as much as we can to stop this is what we are doing not only at cdc, not only across the u. S. Government, but globally. Were seeing a tremendous Global Coalition committed to doing this. So thats a bit about where we are in dallas and the u. S. And globally. And before i turn it over to my colleagues in texas, just to highlight that one thing that happened didnt get much notice in this past week. It happened to be on tuesday. The day that we announced the diagnosis, we published a report on what happened in nigeria. When they had a single case and they didnt do any Infection Control, they ended up with 19 secondary cases, additional cases. But because of a rapid Public Health response, effectively tracking nearly 900 contacts, it appears theyve been able to stop the outbreak in nigeria. Though we cant give the all clear yet, it does look like the outbreak is over there because of good Public Health action. Im confident that anywhere we apply the fundamental principles of Infection Control and Public Health followup, we can stop ebola. Thank you, dr. Freeden. Next speaker is dr. David lakey, the commissioner of the Texas Department of state health services. Dr. Lakey . Good afternoon, this is david lakey and i want to thank dr. Frieden for the support of the cdc working on this effort right now. As one effort and one team. As i start off, again, i want to say that my thoughts and prayers and our thoughts and prayers are with the patient right now. Obviously hes critically ill. But also with the family as theyre going through this event. And the contacts that have been identified that are obviously have concern about whats going on with them right now. And with the hospital workers that are caring for this ill patient right now. As i said earlier, were doing our work in partnership with the cdc, and our local Health Department here in the state of texas. A lot of very important hard work is taking place right here in texas, in dallas to ensure that the people of dallas are safe. Now, the good news is that we have had no more cases. And no one has reported any symptoms, and were happy about that. And were reassured still very cautious to make sure we continue to care for individuals, monitor the situation the way it needs to be done. Our focus here is to closely monitor every contact and the possible contacts. And identify all the and we have identified all the contacts and our priority in Public Health is to continue tracking those individuals. We wanted to make sure that we are closely monitoring them, and thats what we are focused on. Also, as we are monitoring individuals, as we identify needs they may have, were working through our command structure to make sure those issues are addressed. Making sure that the food issues are identified, or if electricity was turned off during the storm that those issues are resolved. Weve also, you know, the neighbors, obviously have had concerns and weve tried to provide Health Educators in the community to help address those issues. Our focus is to make sure that you are informed of whats going on and understand how the Public Health system works and what the risks may be. That the Public Health system works to prevent and contain these risks and i know its been noted several times, but obviously a lot of people are listening right now. I want to reemphasize that ebolas not spread by the air. And people are not contagious unless they have symptoms. This cant be stated enough. And i think it needs to be reassuring to the individuals that are listening today. There are hospitals across the state of texas and across the nation that are on the lookout for any additional cases. And thats what we want. We want hospitals to be on high alert and identify individuals that have a travel history to the areas that are affected. And come in with any symptoms that could be consistent we bow la. So if these individuals can be identified quickly and that Health Care Workers can be protected. Were going to theyre going to call on us and thats exactly way we want the system to work so theyre identified as a concern that they can get the testing that needs to be done. So were all on high alert right now, and thats where we believe it should be. We continue to plan for contingencies and a lot of work is taking place to make sure whatever happens that we are as prepared as we need to be to address those issues. So, again, doctor, i want to thank you for the partnership between the cdc and the state of texas and dallas city and county as we Work Together to ensure the safety of the people in dallas. Thank you. Thank you, dr. Lakey. We are now listening to the end of that cdc News Conference. Most notably, the news from texas there, the headline being there are no reports of any symptoms. Anyone with increased symptoms there for ebola. They are certainly watching very, very closely, the nine people that had come in contact with mr. Duncan to remains in the hospital there on your screen. Also proceeded by the cdc director who said a couple of notable points. First, he will be briefing the president tomorrow on an update on all the ebolarelated activities and what the cdc is doing to prevent that from further spreading in the United States. Also, he spoke about 77 people having been on a plane at least bound for a plane, at different points in africa. They were prescreened and taken off of planes. These people did not make it anywhere on to a plane or heading to the United States. That is very good. Tells us that the prescreening activities there in africa are working again. 77 people that were taken off of planes who potentially couldve come here to the United States. There are federal Health Officials who say a man recently in west africa became ill on a flight from brussels to newark. This person does not have ebola. The cdc said this man was discharged from a hospital on saturday. He got a full evaluation. To pick up on what airlines and airports should be doing. Theres a new op ed in the Washington Post that suggests they should screen for ebola as they do for terrorists. And joining me now, professor, thank you for joining me. First up, the news from dr. Tom freeden at the cdc that 77 people were screened. Give me your thoughts on that. Well, the doctor made excellent points when it comes to medical interventions. But screening for ebola has tremendous number of similarities to Aviation Security screening, except its much more difficult because when a plane lands, you end up knowing if the screening has been, in fact, effective. We bow ith ebola, it may take 2 to express itself. I believe that the medical interventions which are being employed are very, very strong. However, the difficulty is that were dealing with a disease that expresses itself over such a long period of time, we have to take extraordinary actions on the transportation side, as well. By your description, it would mean you go through the prescreening process on flight, but then if youre on an eighthour flight, transcontinental or coming across the ocean, you think we should be screened on the other end, as well, to see if theres heightened temperature . Is that what you would want to have done . Well, i think the temperature screening has actually been overplayed. If you take ibuprofen, you can suppress the temperature. And the onus of the passenger to establish that 21 days before they get on an airplane that they have not had contact and are risk free. Then after they land, there should be a 21day period where they are responsible for reporting in on a daily basis. This sounds very around 5060 people a day. Were talking about maybe 1,000 people. This is doable and it would reduce the risk very, very significantly. And it would be commensurate of what we see with Aviation Security except its suppressed within a oneday period. You have heard there have been calls for the u. S. To ground flights to and from the ebola plagued countries. But youre writing it would be a draconian measure. The countries are already poor and have limited resources for health care, isolating them would have humanitarian consequences. So halting flights would have the opposite affect, is that what youre saying . Theres no evidence that halting flights at this point would add value to the situation. I agree that we have to get people into the country to cause the condition to be controlled. If we dont do that, it will continue to spread to other countries including the United States. We dont want ebola to become the next Homeland Security crisis of the year. We dont want to see another september 11th for ebola. And the only way to protect that is to get it at the source. We dont want to stop flights. Something you write that security measures implemented after 9 11 taught us a lot about what not to do. We learned that finding the one person that tends to harm out of several million passengers is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. The best way to find them and stop them from entering the u. S. Is how in your esteem . The best way is to find the people who have absolutely no risk. And thats what riskbased systems are designed around. And we can easily identify those simply because theyve had no exposure in the areas that are at risk right now. Thats why were really only talking about maybe 50 or 60 people a day who are flying out of the affected areas into the United States. Its a very controllable number. And easily, these people could be monitored before and after. The key is, its the onus of the passenger to establish they are riskfree. Not anyone else. And if they choose not to do that, they shouldnt be flying into the United States or anywhere else. Thank you very much for your time. And were going to go to washington, d. C. Lets listen to the president. Hes speaking at the disabled for life memorial dedication. Heres the president. Maybe it was there on the battlefield. As the bullets and shrapnel rain down around you. Maybe it was as you lay there, the medics tending to your wounds. Perhaps it was days or months later in that hospital room when you finally came to. Perhaps it was years later. As you went about your day. Or on the midnight hour when the memories came rushing back like a flood. Wherever you were, whatever your story, it was the moment that binds each of you forever. That moment of realization that life would not be the same. Your foot, your hand, your arm, your leg, maybe both. Your sight, your peace of mind. A part of you was gone. Speaking to his fellow veterans of the civil war. As i look into your eyes, i feel a great trial in your youth made you different. Different from what we could have been without it. And he said, we learned a lesson early, which has given a different feeling to life. A sense of duty that burns like a fire in the heart. The lois pope, art wilson and everyone at the Memorial Foundation and our incredible veteran Service Organizations who devoted so many years of effort, especially our friends at the disabled veterans of america. To all the architects and crafts people who lent your talents to bring this memorial to life, members of congress, secretaries jewel and mcdonnell, distinguished guests, but most of all to our veterans who have come to know a different feeling to life and your families. Its a great honor to be with you here today. For more than two centuries, americans have left everything they have known and loved, their families and their friends and stepped forward to serve. To win our independence, to preserve our union, to defend our democracy, to keep safe this country that we love. And when the guns fall silent, our veterans return home. Ready to play their part in the next chapter of our american story. As a nation, we have not always fulfilled our obligations to those who served in our name. This is a painful truth. And few have known this better than our veterans wounded in war. In the first years after our revolution, the idea of the standing army, veterans of the Continental Army returned to towns that could be indifferent to their service. One veteran, his hand mangled by a musket ball was deemed by Many Americans as unfit for labor. And frustrated by his inability to secure a disability pension, he wrote that many of those who aided in conquering the enemy are suffering under the most distressing poverty. After the civil war, then again after the first world war. Disabled veterans had to organize and march for the benefits they had earned. Our nation has worked to do better, to do right by these patriots. Because in the United States of america, those who have fought for our freedom should never be shunned and should never be forgotten. So today, we take another step forward. This memorial, we commemorate for the first time the two battles our disabled veterans have fought. The battle over there and the battle here at home. The battle to recover, which at times can be even harder and certainly is longer. You walk these quiet grounds, pause by the pictures of these men and women, look into their eyes, read their words, and were somehow able to join them on a journey that speaks to the endurance of the american spirit. And to you, our veterans and Wounded Warriors, we thank you for sharing your journey with us. Here we feel your fears, the shock of that first moment when you realize something was different, the confusion about what would come next. The frustrations and the worries as one veteran said that maybe i wouldnt be quite the same. And then here we see your resolve. Your refusal in the face of overwhelming odds to give in to despair or to cynicism. Your decision, your choice to overcome. Like the veteran who said its possible for a man to lose half his physical being and still become whole. It is here we can see your perseverance, your unyielding faith that tomorrow can be better, your relentless determination often through years of hard recovery and surgeries and rehab, learning the simple things all over again, how to button a shirt, or how to write your name, in some cases how to talk, or how to walk, and how when youve stumbled, when youve fallen youve picked yourself up, youve carried on. Youve never given up. Here we get a glimpse of the wounds within, the veteran who says i relive the war every day. Because no matter what war you served in, and whether they called it shell shock or battle fatigue or the thousand yard stare or post traumatic stress. You know that the unseen wounds of war are just as real as any other, they can hurt just as much, if not more. Here were reminded that none of you have made this journey alone, beside each of you is a wife or a husband, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and neighbors and friends who day after day, year after year have been there lifting you up, pushing you further, rooting you on. Like the care giver who said i love him for who he was in his heart, and he still had that. Today we salute all your families and the love that never quits. And finally, here we see that our wounded veterans are defined not by what you cant do but what you can do. Just ask the captain, in iraq, her humvee was hit, she suffered burns and broken bones, lost her right arm. She struggled physically and emotionally. With the help of her fellow Wounded Warriors, she came to focus, she says, not on what i lost, but on what i still had. And today, what she has is the respect of our fellow veterans that she mentors, a business of her own. One that hires veterans and a beautiful 6monthold son. Dawns picture, this member of the 9 11 generation now graces this memorial. And we are honored that she is here today. Dawn, please stand up. Ive seen dawns story over and over and over again. And all of the Wounded Warriors and veterans i have an honor to meet, i know in dawns life, many of you see your own. Today, i want every american to see it. After everything youve endured, after all the loss, you summoned the best in yourself and found your strength again. How many of you learned to walk again and stand again and run again . How youve competed in races and marathons and the paralympics on team usa. How you found joy and love, getting married, raising children. How you found new ways to serve, returning to your units or starting new businesses or teaching our children or serving your fellow veterans. Or leading in your communities. America, if you want to know what real strength is, if you want to see the character of our country, a country that never quits, look at these men and women. And id ask all of our disabled veterans here today if you can stand, please stand. If not, please raise your hand so our nation can pay tribute to your service. We thank you. We are inspired by you, and we honor you. [ applause ] from this day forward, americans will come to this place and ponder the immense sacrifice made on their behalf. The heavy burden bourn by few so we might live in freedom and peace. Of course, our reflection is not enough. Our expressions of gratitude are not enough. Here in the heart of our nations capital, this memorial is a challenge to all of us. A reminder of the obligations this country is under. And if we are to truly honor these veterans, we must heed the voices that speak to us here. Lets never rush into war because it is americas sons and daughters who bear the scars of war for the rest of their lives. Let us only send them into harms way when its absolutely necessary. And if we do, lets always give them the strategy, the mission and the support they need to get the job done. When the mission is over, it is our war in afghanistan comes to an end in two months, let us stand united as americans and welcome our Veterans Home with the thanks and respect they deserve. And if they come home having left a part of themselves on the battlefield, on our behalf, this memorial tells us what we must do. When our wounded veterans sit out on that long road of recovery, we need to move heaven and earth to make sure they get every single benefit, every single bit of care that they have earned, that they deserve. If theyre hurting and dont know if they can go on, we need to say loud and clear as family and friends, as neighbors and coworkers, as fellow citizens and as a nation, you are not alone. Its all right to ask for help. And were here to help you be strong again. Because our Wounded Warriors may have a different feeling to life. But when we are truly there for them, when we give them every opportunity to succeed and continue their enormous contributions to our country, then our whole nation is stronger. All our lives are richer. So if youre in america and you see a veteran, with a prosthetic arm or leg, burns on their face, dont ever look away. Do not turn away, you go up and reach out and you shake their hand and look them in the eye and say the words that every veteran should hear all the time. Welcome home. Thank you. We need you more than ever. You help us stay strong. You helped us stay free. To every wounded warrior, to every disabled veteran. Thank you. God bless you. God bless these United States of america. There you listen to the president. And he is speaking there at the dedication of the American Veterans disabled life disabled for life memorial. It is located near the capital and the botanic garden. He was speaking there in front of several thousand gathered veterans. And we should make note this granite and glass structure is a tribute to veterans alive and dead who have become disabled while serving in the military. Lets go now to another big developing story today. The u. S. Led a new round of air strikes against isis. The strikes occurred in syria. They destroyed a building and two rm armed vehicles. Meanwhile, David Cameron is apparently ready to hunt down one specific isis killer. That word came from a special meeting he held with his spice agency chiefs. And in london with the latest on that. What do we know about these new air strikes as well as this british spy meeting. Well, lets start with the air strikes, alex. Three in syria, six in iraq. The pentagon said fighter jets hit. All planes returned safely. And this is the first bombing since isis released that video of hostage Allen Henning being killed on friday. Now, on to that meeting. The Prime Minister was briefed on what was being done to take down that propaganda video, take it offline and he reportedly also asked his team for options in going after hennings killers. Including the possibility of a special forces raid. This is what minister Prime Minister cameron had to say after the meeting. We will use all the assets we have, as we have been up to now to try and find these hostages, to try to help these hostages. To help their families and do everything we can to defeat this organization, which is utterly ruthless, senseless and barbaric in the way it treats people. And this will be the work that we continue. Intelligence services are also trying to pinpoint the location of those isis fighters, obviously, thats a first step before you can launch any sort of raid. And theyre studying another video released on friday. In it, a former british supermarket Security Guard who joined isis tells muslims to launch attacks here in the uk, alex. So taking a close look at that, as well. Im sure they are. Hey, kelly, talk about the response from the british people and the media to this latest beheading of Allen Henning. Well, its interesting, the newspapers have treated this completely differently for really the first time. And i wanted to show you just the cover of one newspaper, the independent. Almost all newspapers refused to put any pictures of henning in that orange jump suit. The actual propaganda video on any of their front pages. The independent went so far as to just put this black box and a little bit of script saying on friday a decent caring human being was murdered in cold blood. Our thoughts are with his family. He was killed on camera for the sole purpose of propaganda. Here is the news, not the propaganda. So thats a definite change in news conferenverage. As for the family, they are said to be devastated. Released a statement saying they were absolutely numb with grief. And there really was a hope in his hometown that henning would be spared. So many people, even radical muslim preachers had called for his release. But, in fact, thats not what happened as we saw, alex. Yeah. Okay. Thank you very much for the latest from london. Lets go back now to the other breaking story. The cdc holding a News Conference about 20 minutes or so ago to update us on the condition of the ebola patient in texas. Lets bring in the medical correspondent. And with a welcome to you. They said that mr. Duncan, we got this from different various news sources that he is now on a ventilator. What does that tell you about his condition . And is that reversible . Does that necessarily foretell anything drastic . You know, it doesnt necessarily foretell anything drastic. But it certainly is not as good as if he were breathing on his own. As this disease progresses, many people have a very severe almost immune reaction to it. And this is what can happen. They need to be ventilated. They need to be supportive. Im hoping and hopeful that the quality of the care here is such that he can pull through this. But certainly this is not a good sign. There was some talk about the experimental serum zmapp on this mornings meet the press. Talking about that. Lets take a listen to what he said. The drug pipeline is going to be slow, im afraid. The most promising drug zmapp, theres no more of it and its hard to make. Many people are working on can that be accelerated. Why . Why so long to make this . You know, Drug Development is very difficult. Just to ramp up a single molecule to an amount that would be helpful in a situation like this can be very, very complicated. Just from an operations standpoint it can be difficult. This probably isnt the thing we should be relying on to get control of this. Although, its very important that they continue to work on all of these drugs and the vaccines. This is really about good epidemiology. Im curious why we havent gotten ahead of it. And with its production, any sense of how long itll take . Massive or larger effective quantities of it . Very hard to say. And lets not forget, we dont know that zmapp works. It has to go through trials. It seemed to have some efficacy. There are two previous thats possible. But thats not definitive. Even if they could ramp it up, wed certainly need more evidence this has efficacy in people that have ebola. An article in todays New York Times, it talks about Health Officials who want to use blood from people who have recovered from the virus as if they have antibodies in their blood. Talk about the philosophy on that and how effective you think that may be. Sure. This is actually something around for a very long time, using socall eed convolescent plasma. Guiding people who might want to consider this given the situation in west africa on how exactly to do that. Theres plenty of precedent for using plasma and blood from people who have recovered from diseases and carry antibodies that can help people who are sick with it fight it off. So it is a possible line that needs to be explored. Could it be rolled out in west africa in the amount that it would need to be rolled out under the sort of careful monitoring that would need to be done to make sure theyre not transmitting other viruses along wi with ebola. Certainly worth considering it. Can you arctticulate what its that has researchers so stymied by this virus . Why its so difficult to find medicine to treat it . It works within the immune system. And those types of viruses are difficult to manage. Also, it brings about its symptoms very, very rapidly. So in that sense, its not a very clever virus because it kills the host so rapidly, the host doesnt have a chance to spread the virus around very broadly. Although we see in west africa it certainly can. Eventually, though, i do believe they will develop drugs and vaccines that work against this. These things were under Development Long before this situation in west africa occurred. Hopefully this will spur and catalyze it even more. But this has been worked on for quite a long time. All right. Good to see you. I know well see you again. Thank you so much. A pennsylvania man takes to facebook to fantasize about killing his wife and embarking on a School Shooting rampage. Free speech or criminal threats. Ahead, a look at that case and several others. One day, machines will be sprayed to be made. And making something stronger. Will mean making it lighter. One day, factories will work with the cloud. One day. Is today. Ugh. Heartburn. Did someone say burn . Try alka seltzer reliefchews. They work just as fast and taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. Mmm. Amazing. Yeah, i get that a lot. Alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. Enjoy the relief. Years later, she still is. Sara was glowing. Nicen easy color looks lit by the sun with luminous lowlights and shimmering highlights. Shes more radiant than ever. Nicen easy, for the most natural shade of you. The Supreme Court will meet tomorrow for the first day of the new term. There are 11 new cases on the docket, but there is still no decision on whether it will take up samesex marriage. The justices attended the traditional red mass at st. Matthews this morning in washington held every year on the last sunday before the start of the new Supreme Court term. Joining me now is amy how, an attorney who has argued before the Supreme Court. Amy, with a welcome to you. The big question is, will the Supreme Court take on samesex marriage . We could know as soon as tomorrow. We may not know for a while. I think that they will. You know, it think about whats going on here. They have before them seven different petitions asking the Supreme Court to review decisions by lower courts striking down the ban on samesex marriage in five states. So if the Supreme Court doesnt step in now, all of those Lower Court Decisions go into effect and its hard to imagine the four justices who would have upheld the defensive marriage act of a little over a year ago, just throwing up their hands and saying so so be it, weve lost this one. Youre saying its not a question of if, its when. But what will be the deciding criteria of these Different Cases on which ones theyll actually take on . I think that the truth is, it doesnt so much matter which one they take on. The Supreme Court justices know what the issue is. Theyve done this before with proposition 8 in california. I think its very important, obviously, to the lawyers and the parties in the case. And its been interesting to watch them, trying to convince the Supreme Court that their case is the right one to take up. So i do think theyre going to take one of these cases. Utah is one of the favorites, perhaps, because state officials there are defending their ban. Virginia is for many people sort of a sentimental favorite because of the Supreme Courts decision, but in the end, i dont think its going to matter which one. Okay. Another case that could have major implications about free speech and the internet is this suit i was describing earlier over facebook threats. What is the argument there . So the First Amendment doesnt actually let you say whatever you want. Making all kinds of posts on facebook about blowing up in Elementary School and harming his exwife and when an fbi agent came to interview him about those posts, then posted about potentially harming her, as well. The government charged him with making these threats online. He said i was venting about my personal problems, i wasnt going to hurt anyone. His exwife said i certainly felt threatened. The question is, when you put up these kinds of posts on Something Like facebook, are those actual threats . Or is there some sort of different status . Because people say things on facebook that they dont necessarily mean. And how do you figure out what is a true threat . Do you look at whether or not his exwife felt harmed or someone objectively might have felt harmed . Or do you look at what he meant to do . He said i didnt mean to hurt anyone. And so, theres really a whole new world in terms of social media, and what kind of First Amendment protection there is for things that you say online. That is going to be something we very closely watch, absolutely with great interest. Well see you again. Thanks for having me. Defining a new class of workers, how the Creative Class is hoarding real estate and pushing everyone else to the outskirts. More amazing than ever. sniff uh honey, isnt that the dogs towel . dog noise hey, mi towel, su towel. More gain scent, plus oxi boost and febreze for 3 big things in one gain fling. Its our best gain ever today, more and more people with type 2 diabetes are learning about longacting levemir®, an injectable insulin that can give you blood sugar control for up to 24 hours. And levemir® helps lower your a1c. Levemir® is now available in flextouch® the only prefilled insulin pen with no pushbutton extension. Levemir® lasts 42 days without refrigeration. Thats 50 longer than lantus®, which lasts 28 days. Today, im asking about levemir® flextouch. female announcer levemir® is a longacting insulin, used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. Do not use levemir® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. The most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion, and headache. Severe low blood sugar can be serious and lifethreatening. Ask your doctor about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. Other possible side effects include injection site reactions. Tell your doctor about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. Check your blood sugar levels. Your insulin dose should not be changed without asking your doctor. Get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, swelling of your face, tongue or throat, sweating, extreme drowsiness, dizziness, or confusion. male announcer todays the day to ask your doctor about levemir® flextouch. Covered by nearly all Health Insurance and medicare plans. New insight today on how working class neighborhoods are vanishing from major u. S. Cities. It started as the country transitioned from a manufacturing economy and is now restructuring entire neighborhoods and cities. Joining me now, the coauthor of that new study, Richard Florida from the university of torontos martin prosperity institute. With a welcome to you. You say that the Creative Class is fueling this. What is the Creative Class . Well, its knowledge workers, its managers, its professionals. But its also the scientists and technologists. The entrepreneurs who generate the new innovations and industries. And its artists, musicians, designers who are the cultural creative. So its all of those groups. Taken all told, its about a third of the u. S. Workforce. It makes about half of all salaries and wages of all american workers. Okay. And then you have the Service Class and the working class. Can you briefly identify those . Sure, the working class are the folks that built america. Theyre the folks that work in factories and work in construction and move things around in transportation. Tragically, that group shrunk down to about 1 in 5 workers. And only about 6 of americans work in factories. Its about 45 of americans who work in food preparation, retail sales, personal home health care. Its the Fastest Growing occupations. But what were finding is that city by city that we looked at in this report on the divided city, that these groups are occupying different areas that were seeing a level of inequality in segregation that is quite severe and extremely troubling. Okay. What do you mean by different areas . How does the Creative Class expand into cities . Whats the effect . You know, many urbanists like myself have been positive and optimistic about the comeback of our cities. The migration of technology businesses, of young professionals. Back to downtown new york. Out of silicon valley, into downtown san francisco, in washington, d. C. And boston. And what we did, we mapped at the neighborhood level the location of these three groups. The advantaged knowledge workers and Creative Class. The low income struggling Service Class and the disappearing working class. We found very few working class locations left in america. Even in detroit or boston or philadelphia. We found the Creative Class is colonizing the best areas. Its moving back to the core of cores. But its also locating around all these transit hubs. You know, transit used to be a way for lowincome people to get to work. But these knowledge workers and professionals want to live in the walkable suburbs around transit. But also, we found the knowledge workers and the professionals clustering around universities, hospitals, knowledge institutions, in the city and suburbs and finally, if you look at a los angeles, or you look at a miami. And we looked at all of these places. Any water front. Any kind of natural amenity. So what we found is the old divide that we used to think of as affluent suburb and poor city no longer holds. But nor is it rich city, poor suburb. We have a literal patchwork in america of concentrated areas of advantage and affluence, juxtaposed to concentrated areas of disadvantage with a missing middle. Those good middle class neighborhoods that workers and middle class people used to be able to live in are gone and our geography is one of the haves and have nots. Richard, looking specifically, youve talked about manhattan, chicago. I understand its a little different in houston. Well, you know, houston is one of a number of cities. There has been a migration back to the core. Were finding this in a number of places where literally part of the city is the western edge, the northern fringe of the southern fringe. Washington, d. C. Is like this is well this is atlanta where a whole segment of the city is colonized by the more affluent knowledge workers with the lower income, less affluent, more Unemployed Service Workers and Blue Collar Workers shunted in the other half. And houston kind of conforms to that pattern where there are whole chunks of the city are one way and other chunks disadvantaged. Its an interesting study from you, richard, at the university of toronto martin prosperity institute. Thanks for sharing it with us. I appreciate it. Thank you, alex. And i think it gives americans a different way to look at inequality. Not only what we do but where we live. Thats troubling for our national future. Good point there, sir. Thanks so much. Ahead, meet joe clancy following major breakdowns at the secret service, a new leader is appointed to run the agency. Our visionary cloud infrastructure, and dedicated support, free you to focus on what matters. Centurylink. Your link to whats next. Therlike a new meticulouslyones engineered german sedan. Finely crafted. Exactingly precise. Desire for such things often outpaces ones means. Until now. Hey matt, new jetta . Yeah. Introducing lots of new. The new volkswagen jetta. Isnt it time for german engineering . But now were karate parents. One day i noticed her gi looked dingier than the other kids. So i used tide plus bleach alternative and now shes all. Pow she looks as sharp as a serpent strike. [ female announcer ] tide plus bleach alternative. Thats my tide plus. New information on two men fighting ebola in two different parts of the world. Now the cdc trying to ease the publics fears. We understand the level of concern we also understand people would like to do Everything Possible to keep ebola out of the u. S. We agree with that 100 . Enthusiasm gap for the run for the white house in 2016. How most voters feel about all the potential candidates. And the changing of the guard. Whether the interim head of the secret service is up to the job. Hey there, everyone. Welcome to weekends with alex witt. A couple of minutes past the hour. An update just a short time ago saying there is no doubt debow la can be stopped here in the u. S. Our top priority at dcd is to protect americans from threats. We work 24 7 to do that. In this case, were doing that by many different ways. One of them is working to stop the outbreak at its source in africa. Because as long as cases continue there, theres a possibility that someone would travel, infect someone else, come into this country or another country and possibly have another case of ebola. The doctor says screenings at airports in the western african countries experiencing ebola outbreaks led to 77 people being denied boarding planes, preventing them from leaving those countries. Meantime, the cdc also says a man who fell ill on a United Airlines flight from brussels to newark on saturday does not have ebola. Were learning new details today from dallas about the first patient diagnosed we bow ith eb the u. S. What are the doctors saying about Thomas Eric Duncans condition . Well, theres not great news to report right now, alex. They say he has taken a turn for the worse as you know. He was downgraded from serious to critical condition. His family members were told by members of the dallas medical staff that he is on a ventilator and a dialysis machine. Not able to talk to him while hes on that ventilator. Currently Public Health officials are monitoring 48 people. That number is new. 48 people who came into some type of contact with duncan. That includes ten people who had direct contact with him, seven Health Care Workers and three family members. Right now, theyre doing monitoring of their temperature, looking for symptoms like that, they say so far, no one has showed any symptoms of ebola. That is important right here. Of those 48 people and the direct contact. No symptoms so far from anyone. They say if that happens, though, they are prepared, they are ready to treat them immediately and get them the help that they need. They stress right now that there is no public threat to health. No threat to Public Health. And there are monitoring the situation and keeping the public and the medical staff updated. Im curious, youve been there in dallas, what is the reaction from the community there . Do you get a sense that people are fearful . That their jitters have been calmed . Whats the sense . Its very mixed, alex. And you can go on to social media and get an idea of that mix. Some people very supportive of the doctors, the medical team, prayers, of course, for the patient here. Others who are fearful that this could lead to a wider outbreak. Now, we just heard cdc officials stressing this can be stopped here, its been done in the past and that the monitoring of people who have come into contact with the ebola patient, that is the key right now. They did isolate those four family members at a private residence in a gated community. We dont know the location of that. And they said they did that at that residence rather than the hospital because they felt that some people might be afraid to come to the hospital if they knew there were people who maybe possibly might develop ebola, had had exposure to someone who has it. So they, for the moment, have chosen to monitor them at that private residence to kind of help relieve some public fears and to keep people coming to the hospital to have their own illnesses and their own conditions treated right now. Okay. Thank you, sarah, for that. So what is the government doing to ensure that the ebola scare does not spread in the u. S. . Joining me now, democratic senator robert casey, always a pleasure. Alex, thank you. So you, sir, last year passed into law the pandemic and all hazards preparedness act. What was lacking to make this law necessary . And how is it being used potentially with this ebola scare . Well, alex, this is, i think, a good news bad news story in the sense that this all hazards pandemic bill was a bipartisan effort several years ago. Even before i got to the senate, we had it reauthorized last year, which is the washington word for doing it again and trying to improve it. So the good news is, weve got a strategy for preparedness. Weve got all kinds of programs in place that allow a surge to happen when you need vaccines or medication. And all of the preparedness activities that surround that. The bad news is with sequestration cuts as well as other cuts, the centers for Disease Control has been cut by several hundred Million Dollars the last couple of years. So we have to focus, i think, mostly on the funding. The legislation is good. But we have to focus on the funding. Well also have to focus on whats happening at the local level with regard to hospitals that should be prepared that have the Training Programs to be prepared but sometimes either lack the funding or lack the practice or the drilling that it takes to make sure you can handle these kinds of threats. Senator, just to make my point here, im going to review some of these details in the case of Thomas Eric Duncan. We saw nearly all of the safeguards break down. He was able to get on a plane without being detected. He passed through customs without being detected. He went to a hospital with symptoms of ebola, told a nurse he had just landed from liberia. He was still sent away. Then to cap it all off, it took days to clean up the apartment where he was violently ill. For all of the assurances, sir, do you think the system is that secure . No, i dont think its secure enough nearly. But i think the outlines of it, the strategy and the elements are there and the federal legislation. I dont think theres any new federal policy we can enact to change this. What has to happen, though, there has to be a much more concerted effort at the local level. And also, the only way that local level will be successful with regard to what hospitals are doing is make sure the Public Health system has the resources that it needs. When youre cutting cdc, and youre cutting the hospital preparedness program, a specific program that these hospitals benefit from, then youre going to be in trouble. So this, i think, puts a whole new light on sequestration. Its Proof Positive why sequestration the across the board indiscriminate cuts were a bad idea. They were a bad idea when they were put into place. Theyre still a bad idea. We should get rid of sequestration. But we should specifically focus on better funding for cdc and the hospital preparedness program. Senator, i know you heard this. Some people put forward blocking flights. Should that be on the table . Well, i think, alex, if youre a member of congress, a senator or house member, democrat or republican, the first thing you should do is listen to experts. And sometimes members of Congress Come up with ideas before talking to experts. I know youre shocked by that. We should listen to dr. Frieden at the cdc and other experts who understand from a medical point of view, as well as a strategic and preparedness point of view what we should do before we start throwing out proposals about flights or about what we do in these circumstances. Im going to wait and make sure that i listen to the experts. Yeah, i appreciate your invoking a little bit of humor at the start of that answer, sir. And speaking of serious subjects, i want to talk to you about isis. Lets go to london with the latest news for us. Kelly, i know that we have a new round of air strikes and also british Prime Minister David Cameron ratcheting up his countrys efforts for the hunt for isis. Why did the Prime Minister call in an emergency meeting of a spy agency . Well, a couple of reasons, alex. First, theres one video which appears to show yet another british jihadi calling for attacks on the homeland. Attacks in the uk. The second reason, of course, is this video of alan henning, the aid worker being murdered by isis fighters, by someone with a british accent some place in syria, presumably. And hes asking for options in going after. Im sorry, there was something with my audio. So he wants to specifically target this guy . He wants to go after, from what we understand, he wants to go after this group of fighters who were Holding Hostages who continued to release these propaganda videos now four propaganda videos of hostages being killed. What do we know about the latest round of air strikes . Well, we understand they were u. S. Led. There were three in syria, six might have my numbers slightly off here. Several in northern and eastern syria. Three, in fact, four in western and Northern Iraq today. U. S. Led, there were many targets, isis targets, mortar teams, humvees, a couple of isis units, and the pentagon says all aircraft returned safely. U. S. Led. Thank you for that information, ill take this back with robert casey who joins me again. You heard kelly reporting, the Prime Minister considering a special forces raid to get these terrorists who have beheaded these four westerners. Do you think the u. S. Should join the potential raid on the ground in syria . Well, alex, i think that has to be guided by the intelligence and by the determinations that are made by military commanders on the ground or who were making that assessment. Id leave that to them. But i think youre seeing in the last couple of days and weeks really now a coming together, a coalition which is substantial. Its going to require a lot of work to keep the coalition together. But i think we have to be cognizant that this strategy is going to take a long time to be implemented, its going to take a long time to be effective. I think were sometimes in the debate in washington and across the country. Its like a daily box score. I dont think thats a very good way to look at this. This has to be first and foremost, not just led by the United States as it has been. I think the president s made the right decision to implement a strategy. I think its going to take a while before we can assess whats working and whats not working. Senator, lets take a listen together to your colleague. Republican Lindsey Graham in an interview this morning. Theres no way i can see how we fix the problem in iraq and syria without american ground troops. Will need a lot of american hand holding. American soldiers need to go back to syria and iraq as part of a coalition and were going to need more than 4,000 to destroy isil. First up, is this Coalition Arab ground army mythical as he says . No, i dont think it is. But theres no question theres a challenge here. What has to happen on the ground is you have to have the Iraqi Security forces taking the fight taking on the fight in iraq. The crux of that is making sure the government has a government of national unity. If youre a sunni soldier in the iraqi army and you dont feel you have the support of your own government, or youre not part of a government that includes your own people, its going to be difficult to fight. I think that has to happen. Our military folks tell us that there are plenty of iraqi and Security Forces by way of the number of brigades that are prepared. Despite what happened over the last couple of weeks, theres better indication now that theyre fighting. But that has to be ramped up and improved. Secondly, the kurdish forces, the peshmerga have been some of the best fighters in the world. The Syrian Opposition fighters that have to be trained after vetting and a lot of the vetting has been taking place. Its going to take a while. Weve already said that. The president said that over and over again. I would hope, and we dont know this for sure. But based upon what the turks have done recently, maybe the Turkish Forces can help. Theyre very well trained fighters. That has to happen. The combat forces have to be the countries in the region. That makes sense for a lot of reasons. But it doesnt mean the United States cant use very good intelligence to help the air strikes, the coalition building, the economic sanctions, the efforts that this whole comprehensive strategy should bring to bear. But the answer shouldnt be, and i hear this from our republican friends all the time, the answer should not always be american combat forces. Weve already tried that. And it didnt work out very well. So i think we should stay with the strategy weve begun but knowing that this is going to take months just to assess whether its working or not. I think weve got to give it some time and make sure that we have a bipartisan support for what the president s going to do and come back to that image from not too many years ago where partisanship stops at the waters edge. And i would hope that both parties would be faithful to that principle. Senator, always a pleasure. And i thank you for the extended interview this afternoon. Koreas kim jongun falls after the radar. Is north korea really ready for Nuclear Talks . And the significance of the incredible pictures out of alaska. Walruses gathering on a remote coastline. Le announcer ] we love our smartphones. And now telcos using hp Big Data Solutions are feeling the love, too. By offering things like onthespot data upgrades an idea that reduced overcharge complaints by 98 . No matter how fast your Business Needs to adapt, if hp Big Data Solutions can keep wireless customers smiling, imagine what they can do for yours. Make it matter. Imagine what they can do for yours. I know. This third shift is rough. Its just a few more weeks max what are you doing up . Its late. I just wanted to have breakast wih you. Never miss a chance to dance. Introducing a revolution in bladder leak protection. New always discreet. Up to 40 thinner, for superior comfort. Absorbs 2x more than you may need. For danceallyouwant protection. No wonder more women already prefer new always discreet pads over poise. New always discreet. Now bladder leaks can feel like no big deal. Because hey, pee happens. Curious . Visit alwaysdiscreet. Com. When folks think about wthey think salmon and energy. But the energy bp produces up here creates Something Else as well jobs all over america. Engineering and innovation jobs. Advanced Safety Systems technology. Shipping and manufacturing. Across the United States, bp supports more than a quarter million jobs. When we set up operation in one part of the country, people in other parts go to work. Thats not a coincidence. Its one more part of our commitment to america. Two female teachers in louisiana accused of engaging in group sex with an underage Male High School student are out of jail today after posting 7,000 bond. Shelly dufrane and Rachel Respes are charged. Saying they engaged in a sexual encounter with the student on september 12th at an apartment. Nothing surprises me anymore, really. But i do believe its lack of a better judgment. Everyone should be outraged. When you have an educator tha s thats, i guess, the responsibility is the safety and education of children. Investigators say the school became aware of the alleged incident after the student bragged about it to others. Kim jongun top deputies made a surprise visit meeting with the Prime Minister in the first visit in five years. The meeting comes amid intense speculation about the health of kim jongun who has not been seen in public for more than a month now. Joining me a former senior north korea analyst at the cia who later served as deputy Intelligence Officer for east asia. With a welcome to you. North korea said this weekend, theres nothing wrong with kims health, but theres video of him limping. Hes not been seen since september 3rd. What are you hearing about whats going on . Theres rampant speculation of all kinds of things. I dont think theres any truth to them. I think in reality, hes really recovering from ankle surgery. But of course, this is north korea, so no one really knows. I think we should be careful about speculating so wildly. Okay. What about what we should read into yesterdays meeting in south korea . Whats your take away . Well, north korea has always employed this stick and carrot strategy or provoke and then turn to Charm Offensive or peace offensive strategies in dealing with foreign countries. So while the visit is unusual in that three high officials went as a lastminute visit. I dont think its unusual that north korea has decided to turn to Charm Offensive stage at this period. And i think the main reason behind it is mostly economic. North korea is seeking to for south korea to lift the sanctions that has been imposed since 2010 when north korean navy torpedoed a vessel and killed 46 sailors. What about the Nuclear Angle . They said theyre ready to go back to the negotiating table for the stalled talks on the nuclear program. Do you think were seeing something broader from north korea . I think it remains to be seen. I think north korea has no problem returning to talks. But are they really serious about giving up Nuclear Weapons . I dont think any serious watcher thinks so. I think we have to watch and see. Its a Charm Offensive stage now and thats all part of it. How much does u. S. Intelligence really know about what happens in north korea and what the leaders are thinking . Well, the Intelligence Community calls north korea a hard target or a black hole for a reason. Its one of the hardest targets hard target countries to analyze. Particularly because its so closed off and information is very limited. And particularly when it comes to leadership, its very difficult to figure out whats going on in north korea. I would like to get your takes on the demonstrations going on in hong kong. Do you think the protests have the power to incite real change . That remains to be seen. Whats most important is to see how xi jing ping reacts ultimately. He has complete control over china, hes a strong leader. He has not shown, you know, he is showing to be a hard liner in many aspects. So thats the most interesting question. He doesnt have a lot of room for error here and he has to be very careful in how he reacts. Because if he reacts too forcefully, i think it might lead to potential instability. Okay. Many thanks for your insights. Thank you. Some dramatic details are emerging at this hour about the nbc freelance camera man soon headed back to the u. S. Were going to get an update next. There are two reasons why i need to keep an eye on my health. Ugh we won thats why i take metabiotic, a daily probiotic. With 70 of your immune system in your gut, new multihealth metabiotic with bioactive 12 helps maintain digestive balance and is proven to help support a healthy immune system i take care of myself, so i can take care of them. Experience the meta effect with our new multihealth wellness line and see how one small change can lead to good things. Introducing a pm pain reliever that dares to work all the way until the am. New aleve pm the only one with a sleep aid. Plus the 12 hour strength of aleve. Dad,thank you mom for said this oftprotecting my future. You. Thank you for being my hero and my dad. Military families are uniquely thankful for many things, the legacy of usaa Auto Insurance could be one of them. If youre a current or former military member or their family, get an Auto Insurance quote and see why 92 of our members plan to stay for life. Faster than dcon. What will we do with all of these dead mice . Tomcat presents dead mouse theatre. Hey, ulfrik hey, agnar whats up with you . Funny you ask. Im actually here to pillage your town. [ villagers screaming ] but we went to summer camp together. Summer camp is over. [ male announcer ] tomcat. [ cat meows ] [ male announcer ] engineered to kill. Whats in a can of del monte green beans . grown in america. Picked and packed at the peak of ripeness. With no artificial ingredients. Del monte. Bursting with life. This is just into us. The white house is strongly considering a big increase in ebola screening at major u. S. Airports for flights originating in west africa. Msnbcs Andrea Mitchell is reporting that Administration Officials are telling her right now that passengers could be more thoroughly questioned and have their temperatures taken. Were going to stay on top of this developing story. We are also learning some new details about the nbc news camera man infected with ebola in liberia. Hell arrive in the u. S. Tomorrow for treatment at the Nebraska Medical Center in omaha. His parents and girlfriend say theyre going to travel to nebraska to be with him. His father adds he is eating and drinking. Hes requesting gatorade and anxious to leave liberia. The photo journalist is walking and feeling, quote, not that ill. Were going to speak with a doctor from Harvard Schools of Public Health after a short break here on msnbc. I take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn. Because it gives me. Zero heartburn prilosec otc. The number 1 doctorrecommended frequent heartburn medicine for 9 straight years. One pill each morning. 24 hours. Zero heartburn. Mm. Feel it. J. J. Watt . You know theres a game on tonight right, amy . Oh, i know, but its my turn to chaperone. Right, but you could do both. How . Nfl mobile is now free with the more everything plan from verizon. I have verizon download it, you can watch the game right here. Come on, lets boogie oh, helen. For the first time watch live local sunday games on nfl mobile. Included with the more everything plan exclusively from verizon. Ring ring progresso its ok that your soup tastes like my homemade. Its our slow simmered vegetables and tender white meat chicken. Apology accepted. Im watching you soup people. Make it progresso or make it yourself. Welcome back to weekends with alex witt. The rapid spread of ebola in west africa, a quote, enormous challenge with potentially serious implications for the u. S. And during a News Conference just over an hour ago, dr. Tom frieden said the top priority is to protect americans. Because its such a deadly disease, people are scared. And its normal to be scared. In fact, for the Health Care Workers who are caring for people with ebola, we want them to be scared. We p want them to have a healthy respect of the risk of any lapse in control procedure. We want them to channel that fear into being incredibly meticulous about Infection Control. And just a few hours from now, the camera man is set to depart liberia after testing positive for ebola after working in that western africvenufrican. Joining me now is the doctor with the Harvard School of Public Health. And doctor, with a welcome to you, sir. First up, the news that we heard via msnbcs Andrea Mitchell reporting. Going through testing procedures for anyone coming from these western african nations. Talk to us about your thoughts on that. I think, look, the cdc is acting out of an abundance of caution. I think theyre trying to be as careful and meticulous as possible. This does not worry me that somehow the epidemic is going to spread in the u. S. Or were going to see hundreds of new cases. Im not worried about that. I think what the cdc is doing really just trying to be as careful and meticulous as possible so we can identify anybody who might have ebola symptoms when they come into the country. All right. And our nbc news camera man who is headed back in a couple of hours taking off from liberia, latest word is he feels pretty good. Hes up and around. We dont know for certain how long hes had the disease because of the incubation period. But what does that tell you . Do you think hes getting the proper care there . Yeah. So, you know, look. Some people do obviously a lot of people get very sick from ebola. A lot of people die from ebola. Some people have milder cases, and hopefully he has a milder case or hes gotten good treatment or maybe its early in the disease course. Either way, i think its good news that hes doing well. And i think if he can come back to the u. S. And get treatment here, which sounds like he will, thats going to make a big difference in terms of his ability to get through it. Well, and juxtapose what youre saying about that patient versus Thomas Eric Duncan here in the u. S. And taken a turn for the worse they say. Assess that. Hes on a ventilator, i understand, his renal functions have shut down . Yeah, obviously i dont know all the details. But this is one of the things that happens in the advanced cases of ebola. People get very, very sick, obviously, it has a high fatality rate and even getting the best health care in the world doesnt guarantee youll be able to survive it. Obviously his treatment got started somewhat late. So, i think were all praying for his recovery, hoping he can get through this. But it sounds like he is very, very ill. And, doctor, you bring up a point, and ive asked this question of several physicians on my shows and have gotten different answers. But in your esteem, does it stand to reason that if you are treated sooner for ebola virus that will have a direct effect on your outcome . Well, we are still learning how to treat this virus. Its not like weve had years of experience managing this disease. It stands to reason that if you can get treatment started earlier, if you can get rehydration is a really key part because these people get very dehydrated from all the diarrhea and sweating and everything else. Rehydration started earlier. If theres another infection thats on top of it, getting that treated earlier. All of that should help. In his case, do i know for sure that if he had started three days earlier, he wouldve done better . I dont. Thats hard to say. But in general, early diagnosis, early treatment should help people get through it better. Doctor, as im sure youve heard, one of the infected american patients that was given blood from dr. Kent brantley, the First American patient treated here in the u. S. , that blood is believed to have certain antibodies that could help fight the virus. Do you think thats a viable option for treating other ebola patients . Yeah, you know, again, were really in the experimental phase, right . We dont know. I mean, it does, again, it stands to reason the way the immune system works, once you survive ebola, your body builds up immunity to that strain. You have a lot of proteins in your blood that have given you immunity. So, again, its reasonable to think if you took that and gave it to somebody who has an active infection, it should really help. You know, how much do they need . When should the treatment start . We dont really know any of that stuff. But i think at this point, its a perfectly reasonable thing to try. There was that scare yesterday, sir, aboard that united flight from brussels to newark. There was a sick passenger who was traveling from west africa. Removed from the plane by people in hazmat suits. Doctors examine him, they say he does not have ebola. But certainly a scary experience for everybody onboard. What is your advice for Airline Passengers . Right. So it was a scary event. I think were going to have more of those, by the way, were going to have more instances of patients being pulled off of airplanes. And ill tell you why, were in a phase right now where were trying to be extra careful. So anybody who might remotely have symptoms of ebola who might have traveled to west africa, youre going to see people acting cautiously. Thats okay. And i think the lesson for viewers is, first of all, its extremely safe to travel on airplanes. It was before the ebola outbreak, it is now. Its safe to travel to west africa on an airplane. And the bottom line is, unless someone is showing you active symptoms of ebola, theyre not infectious. So i think of the flights that mr. Duncan took from liberia all the way to the u. S. If i was seated next to him during those flights, i would have felt safe, i would have been fine. So i think for people who were on the flight yesterday to newark to others, unless somebody is has a high fever, is vomiting, has diarrhea. As long as those active symptoms are not there, you are perfectly safe sitting next to that person. May i ask you . Im going to give you a specific scenario. Its going to have to do with bodily fluids, as well. Lets say youre going on the airplane into the lavatory. Those are small, cramped spaces. And a potential ebola patient coughs, sneezes, perspires perfupe profusely, what about that . Is there a chance that could lead to the spread . I think the chances are extremely low even in that circumstance. First of all, coughing doesnt shouldnt have anything because its not spread through the air. Its not spread through coughing. You know, if an ebola patient is sweating profusely, theres sweat everywhere. Theres a theoretical risk that you can pick it up, but i think its so small, i personally would not be worried about that. But the bottom line is, if somebodys very sick and theyre bleeding, again, if they are, if theyre vomiting in the bathroom, if theyre that obviously then starts increasing the risk. And you want to, you know, im sure the Airline Staff are going to try to isolate that bathroom or isolate that patient. But thats really rare. If somebodys coming in with, lets say, without any symptoms, theyre not infectious. If they do have symptoms and leave a little sweat residue, its totally safe. The chances that youre going to walk in 15 minutes later and pick it up is very, very low. So i would not personally worry about it. All right. Thank you so much, sir. Appreciate your insights and expertise. By the way, everyone, the cdc is getting about 800 calls and emails daily up from about 50 or 100 or so before Thomas Eric Duncan was diagnosed on tuesday. Were going to bring you the latest as news warrants on this. Meantime, police are hopeful they are finally getting closer to ending a massive man hunt for the suspect believed to have killed a Pennsylvania State trooper. Kristen, whats the latest on this . Hi there, alex, well, this manhunt into the fourth week. Authorities hope the cooler weather and time might soon be on their side. They say they think eric frein may be forced out of hiding. That could a very dangerous time. Reporter in the deep and dark pennsylvania woods, the search never stops. Round the clock, officers scan for any sign of eric frein. A survivalist believed to be living off the land after allegedly opening fire on a State Police Barracks last month killing one trooper and wounding another. I feel like its a dream. I mean, just going down the road the other day, they were all lined up facing the woods with shotguns on the ground. Residents here hope the colorful leaves that usually bring so many tourists to the Mountain Retreat i feel hes getting tired. Hes dropping things, theyre getting closer, im hoping. Police are hopeful, too. They found camp sites they believe frein used. Clothing, food, ammunition and two explosive devices left behind. It is possible that frein will seek out other locations for food such as dumpsters at restaurants and grocery stores. We are asking Business Owners to be alert to such activity and if possible, to review surveillance video. At the blooming onion restaurant, owner tom neville says the manhunt has already hurt business. Were all 50 number wise. And people seem not to come out after the dark. Something his wife eve understands. In a community that wont truly rest until he is caught. Im watching my back, dont get me wrong. As soon as everybody leaves, im locking this door. Theres some tense times. Freins sister told a local paper she doesnt think her brother was in the area at all. And if she could speak to him, she would tell him to turn himself in. This has gone down to the fourth week. Thanks for the latest. Tomorrow, a secret service chief takes the reins. Who is he and how can he help . The setting is perfect. You know what . Plenty of guys have this issue, not just getting an erection, but keeping it. Well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. And you only take it when you need it. Good to know, right . If ed is stopping what you started. Ask you doctor about viagra. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. Do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. Side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach and abnormal vision. To avoid longterm injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. Stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. Ask your doctor if viagra is right for you. Tomorrows the changing of the guard at the white house. Interim secret Service Director Joseph Clancy will take over at the agency that has been plagued with revelations of security lapses. Most recently after an intruder made it all the way to the east room last month. Joining me now, nbc News White House correspondent Kristen Welker. Does washington think that clancys up to the job . Reporter hey, good afternoon, alex. Joe clancy has something few people have in washington and that is broad bipartisan support. He is a 30year veteran of the secret service. But he spent the past three years working in the private sector. So Senior Administration Officials Say he has a really intimate knowledge of the way that security works here at the white house. But enough distance to have the fresh perspective thats needed. Few people have gotten as close to president obama as 58yearold Joseph Clancy. He has tremendous confidence of the first family. And hes highly respected within the organization. Clancy served as the head of the president s security detail for more than two years. A 30year veteran, hes protected president s dating back to bill clinton. Clancys mission, to clean up an agency in crisis. Director Julia Pearson resigned last wednesday under pressure after this unprecedented security breach. A fiery hearing on capitol hill and revelations of widespread misconduct and dysfunction. Its not just one or two isolated incidents that the agency is falling apart. While clancy has headed security at nbcs Parent Company comcast for the past three ye s years, a few critics have privately suggested hes still too much of an insider to bring change. But those who know him say hell hit the ground running. The first few days, hell sit down with everyone. Everyone on the white house detail, whether its agents or whether its uniform division. And for now, clancy has something few people in washington ever get, broad bipartisan support. Its a hard job, but i believe under director clancys leadership, they can get back to the basics. The president and the first lady feel he is, as they told me, that he would take a bullet for them. Now, clancy has already requested a briefing on his first day. He wants to know what has changed, what has been upgraded since Omar Gonzalez made it over the fence last month. One more point, alex, it runs in the family, clancys son is also a secret service agent. Not surprising. Okay. Thanks so much, Kristen Welker at the white house. Theres a new poll that shows most voters are not enthusiastic about any potential president ial candidate for 2016. The New York Times poll reveals 79 of republicans and 73 of democrats are not overly passionate about any one candidate. Joining me now, lauren fox. With a welcome to you, lauren. What do you think these numbers say about the field of potential president ial hopefuls, at least at this point . Well, we have to remember, were about a month out to the midterm elections, first of all. So i think voters arent necessarily thinking about a president ial contender at this moment in time. But i also think this poll reflects name recognition, right. Somebody like mitt romney was mentioned as a 2016 nominee that people are excited. And i think we have to remember in 2012, there was a lot of discussion that mitt romney didnt fire up the republican base. At this point, this is really about name recognition, who do people know . And who have they heard on news programs lately. Is there any reason to be talking about mitt romney for 2016 . Have you heard anything that suggests that . I think what weve been hearing is that mitt romney has said that, you know, hes not interested. And i think part of the discussion in washington, d. C. Has been surrounded by just him not completely closing the door on a potential 2016 run. Okay. All right. Lets go from the gop to the registered democrats in which the numbers read 24 are enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton. But 73 of democrats arent crazy about anyone. What do you think this means for clinton if she decides to run . I think because shes going out and shes been in the public eye, people know who she is, obviously. They know that shes interested in a potential run. But she certainly has a lot more work to do in terms of getting more democrats enthusiastic about her. And getting more democrats comfortable with the idea of her in the white house. Back to the republicans, we talked about mitt romney. That element there. But hes followed by Chris Christie who comes in at about 4 . But, again, 79 still dont have a favorite. Okay. Youve made the point, were a couple of years out. What does it say overall about the position the gop is in right now . Is this to be expected given where we are . I think they have a lot of young potential 2016 contenders who are still getting their feet wet. I mean, this is going to be a broad group and coalition of republicans running. You have people like marco rubio who are considering a bid. People like jeb bush considering a bid. And rand paul and ted cruz. I think it shows there are a lot of people considering a run. And voters are enthusiastic to voters are enthusiastic to hear what they have to say. It is anybodys game at this point. Is there something to be taken from the fact that we have 6 of republicans excited about mitt romney and 24 of democrats excited about Hillary Clinton. Granted, that is a huge spread right there. Mmhmm. I think Hillary Clinton has been out in the public eye for a long time. People are comfortable with her moving forward. They know shes interested in a bid. I think thats what the enthusiasm now is. People are excited about a potential first woman president. I think that always makes people come out in large numbers for somebody like Hillary Clinton. Okay. Lauren fox, good to see you. Thanks. Thank you. What federal officials are considering to keep more people infected with ebola from entering the country. This is charlie. His long day of doing it himself starts with back pain. And a choice. Take 4 advil in a day or just 2 aleve for all day relief. Honey, you did it baby laughs whenwork with equity experts who work with regional experts thats when expertise happens. Mfs. Because there is no expertise without collaboration. Are the largest targets in the world, for every hacker, crook and nuisance in the world. But systems policed by hps Cyber Security team are constantly monitored for threats. Outside and in. Thats why hp reports and helps neutralize more intrusions than anyone. In the world. If Hp Security Solutions can help keep the Worlds Largest organizations safe, they can keep yours safe, too. Make it matter. Healthy is not on the menu. Luckily, i always keep my Meta Health Bars handy. Its my favorite bar hands down. From the makers of metamucil, new multihealth Meta Health Bars have natural psyllium fiber that helps promote heart health with a taste consumers prefer. Would you like one of these instead . Yummy thanks experience the meta effect with our new multihealth wellness line and see how one small change breaking news on the ebola emergency. The white house is considering a big increase in ebola screening at major u. S. Airports for flights originating in west africa. Msnbc host Andrea Mitchell says Administration Officials are telling her passengers could be more thoroughly questioned and have their temperatures taken. Well have more at the top the of the hour on msnbc. Stay right here. New insight into unforgettable images. 35,000 walruses gathered on an alaskan shore. The trend called hauling out is on a new one. Walruses have come ashore in large numbers since at least 2007 as the Arctic Sea Ice the animals usually resting place melts faster. The culprit is Global Warming. Join us. Ecologist and author dr. Sefina. The significance of haul out for the animals is what . They dont have the ice they normally use as platforms. Not just for resting which they need, but also to get to the food which is directly below them. They really cant keep going back and forth from the beach to where the food is. They need platforms. Thats something i think in the coverage of this has been overlooked. The young ones, if left ashore, will starve. The mothers dont have time or energy to keep foraging far offshore and come back. Thats why. The mothers prefer to give birth on the ice platforms. Hay prefer it because p its safer than being ashore. Also because thats where the food is. If this trend continues whats next . They would probably start starving depending on how long they have to go without these platforms for diving. As we look at the incredible pictures of walruses a new Study Suggests that Global Warming actually has benefits like faster tree growth. Is that an upside . Not if youre a walrus. Not if youre most things actually. Trees have been growing fast enough for millions of years. There are a lot of things at risk. They depend on stability and are adapted to the way things have been for a long time. Walruses, all the arctic animals, a lot of temperate animals. Also part of the reason this situation is bad for the walrus is right there. This hauling out. These are huge massive animals. They stampede to each other. Can they crush one another . They can injure each other that way, too. Its not a natural thing for them. Its something of desperation for them. Do you think they are at risk of extinction at some point . I dont know how far into the range of walrus. They live around the arctic. I dont think this is affecting every one of their populations right now. Without any ice, if they cant access the food they are in trouble. Doctor, thank you for your insights. Beautiful pictures. Thats a wrap of weekends with alex witt. Up next, meet the press with chuck todd. Have a great sunday. At first, we were protecting networks. Then, we were protecting the transfer of data. And today its evolved to infrastructure. Finance. And military missions. Were constantly innovating to advance the front line in the cyber battle, wherever it takes us. Thats the value of performance. Northrop grumman. We have a serious hairball issue. We clean it up, turn around, and there it is again. Its scary. Little bit in my eye. [ michelle ] underneath the kitchen table, underneath my work desk, weve got enough to knit a sweater. [ doorbell rings ] zach, what is that . The swiffer sweeper. The swiffer dusters. Its some sort of magic cloth that sucks in all the dog hair. Its quick and easy. Pretty amazing that it picked it all up. I would totally take on another dog. [ kevin ] really . This sunday on meet the press america is on edge. Ebola has been diagnosed on u. S. Soil for the first time. The country is absolutely not ready for a largescale epidemic. The head of the secret service had to resign after a series of blunders that compromised the security of the president. The secret Service Needs someone to come in with a fresh set of eyes. Has our government got a grip on all of these challenges facing the country . And can president obama keep his promise about combat troops . I wont commit our troops to fighting another ground war in iraq or syria. An iraq war veteran who thinks he has already broken it. They are actively engaged in combat. With less than a month until the mid terms im going to