Transcripts For ALJAZAM America Tonight 20141014

With questions about how to stop ebola from spreading. Also ahead, an america tonight investigation. They worked on one of the nations most Critical Nuclear projects at what became the most contaminated site in america. Now as they suffer serious illnesses and beg for help the government has turned them away. Thats what theyre waiting to do. They dont want to take care of you. They want you to die. America tonights Lori Jane Gliha investigates Hanford Nuclear reservation, time is running out. This hour tornado watches and warnings for millions of people. Also watching tonight the sixth name hurricane of the season. The latest on the storms path ahead. Good evening thanks for joining us, iming joie chen. Insisting the ebola crisis can and will be kept under control. But now theres word that American Health care worker then contracted the virus herself. She was on the team for Thomas Eric Duncan, and authorities are identifying others who might be at risk. Seven people are part of that team and need ton monitored. Meantime the cdc is reviewing safety protocols and helping Health Care Workers with a new sense of urgency. This is a scene Health Care Workers hadnt accounted on. A well trained professional who helped care for eric duncan after he was placed in the Isolation Unit of a top flight dallas hospital. The grim reality that despite all the cautions applied here for the first time the ebola virus jumped from one infected person to another on u. S. Soil. If this one individual was infected and we dont know how within the Isolation Unit then it is possible that other individuals could have been infected as well. So we consider them to potentially be at risk and we are doing an in depth review and investigation. That includes tracing her contacts already one person close to the infected worker has been isolated as well and ensures dallas and the rest of the u. S. That every precaution is being taken to ensure the virus isnt spread further. The existence of the first case of ebola spread within the u. S. Changes some things and it doesnt change other things. It doesnt change the fact that we know how ebola spreads. It doesnt change the fact that its possible to take care of ebola safely. But it does change substantially how we approach it. So far federal officials have made their first steps to block the virus from arriving. Launching ebola screenings at one of the nations busiest arrival points, jfk at new york. Four other points, newark, atlanta, chicagos ohare and dulles outside washington, d. C, set to begin later this week. At the jumping off point for ebola the death toll has reached nearly 4,000 and threatens to spiral into another disaster for those who survive the outbreak, starvation. The epic in the height of the planting season, the estimate is 20 of crops may be lost, and 30 million is needed just to make sure devastated communities have enough to eat. Just people cant go to their field by fear. They didnt know where the disease was coming from so they didnt go to their field. They have not been weeding their field and therefore in this area we expect that there will be a drop in production of ten to 25 . And those charged with saving lives and stopping the spread feared they dont have enough to do the job, either. More than three quarters of registered nurses surveyed said their hospitals still havent told them how to handle patients suspected of having ebola. And do their work safely when suspected cases arrive. I feel there is a gap in information from the cdc down to the doctors on the front line. The reality that the second ebola patient in the United States is a Health Care Worker a professional who was dressed in full protective gear while she was involved in caring for eric duncan has raised questions about whether hospitals or other medical facilities are equipped to face the outbreak. Robert ray visited an ebola Training Facility in aston alabama. Reporter dressed in full body protective suits Health Workers are working 247 to stop the spread of the deadly ebola virus. Though this may look like a clinic in west africa, it is not. This is aniston alabama. The fight against ebola is occurring right here. One option would be to tie it holding both ends and then wrapping it around. Were teaching them the equipment to wear. Were teaching them how to put it on and how to take it off. While wearing this equipment so theyre used to it. With a dallas Health Care Worker now infected and isolated with the ebola virus, the cdc and hospitals across america are doubling down on training and education. The reality is that what has happened in texas is an opportunity for every single hospital around this 61, and around the world, to understand that we have got to be vigilant moving forward and if were not its not only going to put our workforce at risk, its going to put everybody in the community at risk as well. In a simulated situation like this, the amount of steps it takes is remarkable and that is part of the key of containing the Ebola Outbreak of spreading. Precision is the difference between life and potential death. It takes up to 20 minutes just to suit up with the protective gear. This part can be tricky. Reporter and taking it all off is perhaps the most difficult. This moment is when the Health Care Worker is at most risk. Youre going to pull it off in one swift movement. A pediatrician living in liberias capital city, she is gaining information before returning to monrovia. Its very bad. Monrovia is a very congested city. We have 1. 5 million people. Marshall says the population thought the doctors and nurses were killing patients helped to contribute to the fast spread of the epidemic. This specific training is what the cdc is open to expanding for Health Care Workers in american hospitals and with the head of the cdc stating that they will not be surprised if more people who treed Thomas Eric Duncan become infected in the coming days. Time is of the essence. I think everyone myself included has low level of anxiety. You have to have a certain amount of balance and a certain amount of dexterity and patience. There is no rushing. There is no time or place to screw this up, is there . No. We are operating under the no errors mentality. Reporter with the number of infected continuing to rise, aid workers say that international support, infrastructure and continued education is key to stopping the spread in west africa, and here in the United States. I think the greater risk to be quite honest with you is west africa spiraling completely out of control. That will pose the greatest risk to the world. Because people will flee they will run and they will go to other countries some way somehow. On the front lines of the battle to treat ebola the key is to get the right equipment and learning how to use it properly. Joie, the cdc is also doubling down on their training efforts as dr. Thomas frieden said today. He is concerned what is happening in hospital he around the country. Theyre going to try educate hospital workers, teletraining on the internet, like the story you saw in alabama, theyre going to send that out to 5,000 Health Care Workers across the country joie. Robert, a lot of this has to do with not only what is done but what is said, dr. Frieden came back from an earlier statement about breach of protocols. Whats happening here . Indeed. On sunday with the announcement that the Health Care Worker was infected with ebola, he said it was a breach in protocol, a breakdown somewhere. He had said that because of the gear, the garb they put on and maybe that Health Care Worker did not follow the protocols that crfdz has put into the cdc has put ininto place. He came out and apologized to not only the Health Care Worker, he didnt want to have those statements misconstrued, he wasnt trying to point the finger at anyone and quote he felt awful that another Health Care Worker is infected with the ebola virus especially here in the u. S. A little bit of back pedaling but you know what as he also said this is a very fluid situation joie. Every day something new seems to come up in the fight against ebola. Joie. Dr. Gavin skinner is an expert, who helped train the nigerian public. Im struck with a couple of things that are happening. One thing it seems to be so much more frightening. We understood that eventually some cases would come from africa. But in this case, so quickly a Health Care Worker becomes the object of transmission within days. Is this cause for greater alarm than we have seen before . No, it calls for vigilance and training. We trained hospital workers following a very regimented standard of approaches and again the cdc has this. But what were seeing now is when we say that all hospitals in the u. S. Need to be prepared we dont have the resources to do that. So lets regionalize, and focus down and make that training more intensive and provide the resources they need. The information given by the cdc, you pointed a point in the website where there seems to be a disconnect. Theyre showing a picture of people wearing complete garb, permanent head coverings yet they show another illustration that doesnt show any of these things. Why is there a disconnect . There is a disconnect on the cdc website. There is a but ton where you click for Health Care Workers, in the u. S. And internationally. When you see the vision on the tv and the photos from west africa everybody is completely covered up. In dallas hospital and emory and even today a possible suspect at boston airport, everyone is covered up. On the paper based document on the cdc website, the putting on and taking off of personal protective equipment, it tells you to put on a gown. We dont do that. We put on a suit, cover up your hair. We dont put on one pair of gloves but two pair of gloves. The cdc guidance on the website shows you to put on two pair of gloves. We dont do that for ebola. This is important to get to everybody that need to have it. Its easy to deliver the training information if we provide training videos. We havent done that. Read understand train and encourage everyone else this is the gold standard. This is how were going to protect your health and your safety and that is not way to do it. Thats the way you did in nigeria and you were able to get it to everyone that needed it in nigeria quickly. We appreciate you being here with us, Gavin Mcgregor skinner. Later adam may with the mayor of dallas. How a Health Care Worker at a top medical facility became infected. How the community will be prepared when the next patient arrives. Facing devastating illness and a tough bureaucracy that rejects any connection. Everybody goes out there because the money is supergood. And its not worth it. Its not worth it. America tonights Lori Jane Gliha investigates the illnesses of workers at the Hanford Nuclear facility and whether theyll get help in time. Weve been talking about a Health Crisis still in the making. Now heres one that was in generations in development and its come to this. They went to work every day putting their lives at risk. Tens of thousands of employees that worked at the federal government, at the nations Largest Nuclear waste site, they are entitled to compensation and benefits but in this america tonight investigation, america tonights Lori Jane Gliha found many had been denied benefits for so long time is no longer on their side. On the tiny family farm in terry wattenbergers side, there is new life emerging. Probably its a female so no more baby rooster. The 50yearold has been battling cancer and lung disease since he was 37. I have copd. I have cancer on the bottom of my lung. I have cancer back up here again. A few years ago, another tumor drove doctors to remove wattenbergers stomach. At his lowest, he was 106 pounds. On this frame its hard to put on weight. Wattenberger blames his illness at his brief contract work at hanford, a federal facility that is the most contaminated Nuclear Waste site in the country. I dont know anything else that would cause that. Everybody goes out there because the moneys supergood and its not worth it. Its not worth it. All this is stuff that i need. Like many hanford workers hes fighting to get medical benefits for the government for himself and his wife but so far hes had no luck. When you filed a claim asking for benefits did you receive the benefits . No. Reporter what happened . They deny you. What do you worry about the most . Leaving her. Because i wont notice. She will. At hanford, washington where 200 million is being spent cancer was key to the hanford project, a top bomb making project in the 1940s. It was on this 546 site, where workers developed the First Nuclear reactor and produced the first plutonium. Hundreds of billions of gallons of liquid waste until the last reactor shut down in the late 80s. The federal department of energy hired thousands of workers to help with the massive cleanup still going on today. Dale goodyear worked at hanford for nearly 30 years. How often did you walk around with no mask at all . Most of the time, almost all the time. Yeah. How often did you think about your health . Um you sure wonder what you were breathing in. As a Nuclear Chemical operator gear worked in the tank farms. His job included making sure million gallon underground Storage Units filled with chemical and radioactive waste functioned properly. Now retired, and suffering from the lung disease copd, his priority is his health. I cant get a good breath of air. Im okay if i dont do a bunch of exertion. I cant mow the lawn anymore. Without fear of collapsing. Even going up and down a flight of stairs. Recognizing the risk to the workers, in 2001 congress set up a fund that helps pay medical bills for qualified Nuclear Weapons employees who can prove a link between their job and their illness. Gear applied for benefits. Ive got this one for my providing doctor. There is no other plausible explanation for his elevated heavy metal levels other than occupational exposure at the Hanford Nuclear reservation. Reporter even with documentation from a doctor the process he says is designed to make people give up. It took me five years for my copd to get approved. Five years for your copd 1 to get approved so youve been getting denial letters like this for five years. Yes. Thats what theyre wanting to do, they dont want to take care of you. They want to you die. Gear says he filed more paperwork for toxic encephalopathy. The illness is related to contact with toxic vapors. That one says my claim for toxic encephalopathy is denied. Reporter so far hes been unsuccessful. Theat regardetheyd rather he because if they let their finger out of the dike theres probably going to be a lot of people that fall into this category and they dont want this out because theres at least 600,000 Nuclear Workers that had the possibility of being affected by this. Reporter the department of labor would not agree to an on camera interview but answered written questions saying they had approved nearly half of the hanford claims paying out 723 million. It takes on average 166 days to get a decision. But thats not what we heard from the workers we spoke to. In a 2010 government assessment, took one to three years and some as many as one to seven. Time to process a claim is time they dont have. I take one day at a time. Thats all. And thats just about it. Jerry furson worked as a pipe fitter on the Hanford Nuclear facility for yearly three years. He suffered contact with lead, cadmium, and now suffers toxic encephalopathy. Its persuade severe. I will go down the hall to get something and ill forget what it was by the time i get down the hall. The mental equity spact of it is the mental aspect of it is the worst. He cant remember how to run the mikmicrowave. 87 whole body impairment. He eventually received medical care. We could depend on the nurses to see was getting the right medications. On time. That the doctors appointments were coming when they needed to come. But when furson recently requested increasing nursing care, he instead was sent to a new doctor who reported furson does not have this disease and does not need home medical care. Can you tell me when you started this . We started in 2011 and had it until december the 5th. Since 2011 to 2013 has your husband godden better . No. Has he gotten worse . Much worse. Furson has done without any nurses since september. How can they do this . They tell us one thing and do Something Else all the time and thats really heartbreaking because they have said that they will take care of these guys. How much do you feel the federal government is helping people who worked for the federal contractors like yourself . As little as possible. The department of labor said in their written response we realize that employees at covered facilities may have been put in harms way putting their health in danger. Our desire is to pay all employees or survivors as soon as possible. Terry wattenberger doesnt believe it. He said he wasnt even seen by the person that rejected his claim. What would you say to the department of labor the people who will be looking at your future claims . If they sat down and talked to me the way you and me are talking, they would say okay, i totally understand. But without even seeing you and he makes a decision, so, ugd it, youknow, its not really f. For terry wattenberger whose health is deteriorating, the challenge is, the government says there is no toxin that can be thrirchgd ohis stomach links to his stomach cancer. He says he has no other explanation for his declining health. I try not to think about it. I try the think about the best things, even though i hurt or whatever, you know,. How do you do that . I just try put it, not worry about it, just one day at a time. Reporter for now unable to work and with mounting bills he focuses on his family and his farm. And worries about the future. Come here manny. America tonights Lori Jane Gliha joins us. This is such an incredible story but it must be complicated to try to prove the connection between the work and the illnesses. It is a really complex process. First of all somebody has to figure out theyve been diagnosed with something then they have to prove their diagnosis and then they have to prove that they worked at hanford or one of these Nuclear Facilities and then they go further and prove the causal relationship, there is a way to prove causal relationships for somebody to use as a tool but can you imagine doing this while you are sick, with a fatal illness and a lot have hired are spokespersons and that has definitely helped. This is as just not a place that they want to work. The main goal is to get this whole thing cleaned up so there are people that work there but there are a lot of concerns still going on about what kind of vapors or chemicals people are breathing in and what combinations of chemicals they are breathing in and what kind of adverse effects, and people to speak up, when people do speak up they are silenced. It was a horrible feeling to know that youre being laid off for doing your job. And doing it right. And yet it hurt. It was humiliating. 23 years my entire career shot. They just destroyed it in one fell swoop. So that is shelly doss. She was an environmental specialist who worked at hanford. She lost her job forking be a whistle borrower. Lost her job. Recently the department of labor ruled in her favor that she should get her job back but still after three years shes still not back on the job. Were going to have her details and another whistle blower, tomorrow night. Lori jane gliha, thanks so much. When we return, america tonights adam may with the mayor of dallas on the missteps that led his city to face a second ebola emergency and what dallass emergency can teach other cities about the spread of the virus. Tennessees tough approach to pregnant drug offenders. America tonights Sheila Macvicar brings us an in depth look at the controversial law and whats already happened because of it. Use of it. Alaska, a state that depends on its Natural Beauty we need to make sure that we have clean air some are living off natures bounty were rich cause of all the resources we have. While others say they cant even afford Health Insurance the owners of this restaurant pay an extra 5. 20 an hour to provide Health Insurance communities trying to cope i just keep putting one foot in front of the other what can people hope for come election day . An Al Jazeera America special report amererica votes 2014 5 days in alaska all this week and now a snapshot of stories making headlines often america tonight. Protesters again facing off with police in riot gear this time at the Ferguson Missouri Police station. A topping of a day of civil unrest, arrested 20 people including the author and activist cornell west. Typhoon Tropical Storm vongeong has hit tokyo. Thousands remain without power. Officials in orange county, california confirm three new cases of a deadly respiratory ailment known as enterovirus d68. Spread through 36 states and two children have died directly as a result of the virus. When a Health Care Worker in dallas was diagnosed with ebola over the weekend it was a shock not just to the public of course but to Public Health officials. America tonights adam may spoke to the mayor of dallas to identify the missteps and the lessons dallas can teach others. Before becoming mayor of dallas mike adams was kerry of pizza hut. He tells america tonight helping to coordinate the response to ebola has been much more challenging than he imagined. Were anxious, every day a look at the reports about our monitoring of people. And its a concerning thing. Thomas eric duncan was the first man to be diagnosed with ebola on american soil and the case raises numerous red flags about americas ebola containment plans. First of all, duncan was originally turned away from texas Presbyterian Hospital despite reports he said he recently traveled to liberia. Then theres concerns about the quarantine of his girlfriend and their children. Initially she was told to stay inside their dallas apartment which was filled with filthy linens. Are risking exposure. How satisfied were you with the response . At the very beginning i would have liked everything to move about 24 hours quicker but that is probably unrealistic. You do have federal state county and city and private organization you have to work with. I think real definition is important early on the process. Reporter a Health Care Worker who treated duncan has tested positive for ebola. What the cdc calls a broach in protocol. Based on everything you read how did this Health Care Worker get ebola . Its hard to say. I have done investigations on hospital infected outbreaks and you go through all the data all the records you interview people and even then sometimes you cant single out that one incident that caused an infection. Dr. Sema y asmin is a Public Health investigators in dallas. Taken by surprise, the virus is in a new area, suddenly spreading so much further and so much quicker and going on for a much longer time than any other outbreak we have seen. As long as the outbreak is in west africa well find outbreaks in other parts of the world. Five airports across the country have now started screening passengers for ebola. But Dallas Fort Worth vfw is not one of them. On the front line, some lawmakers, including john cornan are calling for screening here as well. 97 of flights from west africa arrive at the five airports with ebola screenings but there is also debate the effectiveness of the screenings. We can look back at sars or swine flu where other airports did institute airport screening, and it didnt really seem to make a difference in the spread of the disease. Whether it will make a difference now with ebola is a different disease, different set of circumstances will remain to be seen. Mayor rawlings tells us, he has been talking to big city mayors about the Lessons Learned here in dallas. With the cdc with state Health Officials should this happen somewhere else in the u. S. Are we adequately prepared for this . You know i think each of the organizations are adequately prepared. The trick part, tricky part is what we talked about before. Is clarifying roles and responsibilities as a team, and so Everybody Knows what play theyre supposed to run to make this thing work. And if theres a new place, thats what i would be coaching them on. That probably that first 12 hours clarifying each and everybodys role will help you move faster through the process. Thats got to be done realtime. And just an enormous outpouring of support here in dallas for that Health Care Worker. The Mayors Office told me that shes apparently extremely concerned about her pet dog, a really cute small dog that she has so the mayor told me that they actually have that dog right now in quarantine at her apartment. Theyre providing services to this dog to make sure it is taken care of. This kind of comes among the concern of what happens to that nurse in spain, she contracted ebola her dog was euthanized and a lot of people were very upset all around the world for that. And the mayor says that that will not happen to this Health Care Workers dog here but they are monitoring that dog because dogs can in fact also get ebola. Joie. Adam let me ask you. You were there when eric duncan was hospitalized and this weekend when this Health Care Worker her case became known about. Do you see indication that authorities know something are they handling things different . I would say to the naked eye i have seen stark differences in how we saw the treatment of duncans living quarters versus what were seeing here in relation to this Health Care Worker. I mean after duncan was taken to the hospital we were outside of the apartment that he was staying in and there were simply people Walking Around there without protect itch gea protec. There were people who were Power Washing his vomit out into the street. Now, the house was immediately decontaminated, more contamination work was done on it. And if more changes need to be made joie. Adam may in dallas thanks so much. Infectious disease expert William Schaffner joins us, doctor, you have been helpful helping us understand what the risks are what the cautions are. Now spread person to person in the United States. Well, its happened, we anticipate it might happen, certainly not quite so quickly. It is a disappointment and a caution to all of us, of course. Hospitals awld around the country we in Infection Control are reevaluating and deciding that were going to have to do even more training. Were talking about the possibility that people may be arriving at minute clinics as these emergency cares not aware of what the risk might be to others. Is it possible for us to be able to train all the people who would need to be trained quickly enough before this spreads again . Well, we dont expect that ebola patients are suddenly going to have a surge coming here. We do have some time. The important thing is those initial things to anyone who has a fever, have you traveled anywhere outside the u. S. And if so where . If so, stop the music, call the Health Department and they can take over. Lawmakers have come forward and said, look, each though we had a very good hospital here, it is clear this spread somehow to a Health Care Worker within that facility who has done what she could to protect herself. Maybe this is so infectious that we arent able to take care of it, maybe all the patients should be immediately sent to one of the four biocontainment units that have been identified for ebola and nowhere else. Thats a reasonable thought but walk down the road with me a little bit. Number 1, every hospital has to be ready to receive such a patient because they walk in the door. Number 2 theyre not going to be transferred from the emergency room to atlanta. So it will take a time for patient to be stabilized so they will have to be admitted for a day or two for evaluation and waiting for transparent and then for the transport and some patients like mr. Duncan may arrive too sick to transport. So we all have to keep on the ebola alert. Realistically there is no way to isolate everyone. I think we all have to be ready to deal with an ebola patient even if, quickly, we can transport them for extended care, to these biocontainment facilities which is not a bad idea. Infectious disease exert dr. William schaffner, from vanderbilt university. Thank you joie. When we return, a mothers fears. Towards the end of the pregnancy i was so terrified to social services and her being born addicted and the consequences of what could happen to her if she was born addicted. America tonights Sheila Macvicar, following up on a controversial law and whats more to it. Young offenders, convicted of drug crimes in tennessee. Tennessee. Coming up on consider this. Our Health Care May be to blame for the issues with response. Also another threat to Public Health, that kills tens of thousands, our growing resistance to antibiotics. I. S. I. L. Takes over another Iraqi Military base not far from baghdad. And why reading from an erighter may not be ereader may not be as good as a plain Old Fashioned book. Top of the ho hour. In the last few years prosecutors have been going after another target, pregnant women. Maints sheilamerica tonightsa macvicar has been following this closely. A woman who visited a meth lab was sentenced to 12 years in prison, half of that sentence six years was solely because she was pregnant at the time. A coalition of activists has sent a letter to attorney general eric holder, calling him to give out harsher sentences, america tonight first covered the issue last month after the state passed a controversial law that allows prosecutors to charge pregnant women who use drugs with aggravated assault against their unborn babies. Ive been on both ends of this. Ive been the pregnant addict and ive been the daughter of an addict. Shannon castile has been on both sides, the daughter of an addict growing up in tennessee, almost inevitably she became an addict, opiates, heroine and marijuana too. It was like my breath, i couldnt breathe without it, it was my very existence. Shannon has been free and sober for three years. She cares for her three lively girls but she has struggled hard and after one of the struggles after the birth of her eldest daughter, shannon relapsed and found out she was pregnant again. I knew what kind of fight i had ahead of me the next nine months. Shannons doctor wrote her a prescription for more opiates. He said you cant stop. If you stop the detox would be so harsh you could possibly miscarry. Towards the end of the pregnancy i was so worried about the consequences of what could happen to her if she was born addicted. Thank you for mommy thank you for daddy. Thank you for shannons daughter was born healthy and drug free but if shannon did the same thing today using opiates under a Doctors Orders in tennessee she could land in prison. As of july 1st, women can be jailed with charges as severe as aggravated assault against their own babies for using drugs during pregnancy. Addicts often give birth to newborns dependent on drugs and going through painful withdrawal symptoms called neonatal abstinence syndrome or nas. Tennessee leads the country in babies born with nas and the problem is getting worse. Barry stauvus is the District Attorney in the area and 30 of the area, 30 , tested positive for drugs. He is a big supporter of the new law. A lot of the attention is on the plight of the mother. You have to shift the light. What about the plight of the babies . Why is threatening these women with prison jail time the right thing . It holds women responsible for their conduct and we hope it deters future behavior. Reporter until this year the state didnt allow prosecution of pregnant women using drugs. But tennessee legislators were alarmed with the number of babies born with nas. The new law is the first in the nation to specifically target pregnant women for drug use. About they can avoid they can avoid jail by getting drug treatment. Jessica lyons, manages a medical facility at the meharry medical facility. A three month intensive Rehab Program that focuses on getting women clean and sober before their babies are born and helping them stay that way. What kind of shape are these women in when they come to you . Desperate. Most of the women that come are pretty desperate because theres limited space. I get a lot of phone calls, ms. Jessica can you get me in, can you get me in . Two of the six spreads at the center. It was a struggle to gel get here. I was trying to get help but nobody would help me because i was pregnant. They said insurance factors risks, liabilities. Were seen as a liability. Were seen as an issue that they cant handle. And i feel that thats heartbreaking. Do you know that when you call up Treatment Centers, treatment programs one of the questions that you are asked is are you pregnant or could you be pregnant . And in almost every center in this state a positive answer to that question will screen you out of the program. They will not take you if you are pregnant. Let mee me put it this way. There are plenty of other programs and what im telling you is when we go through our child protective investigative programs were going to find programs if we can to put these women in. If there are programs most women havent found a way to access them. According to the department of health and Human Services only 129 pregnant women in the entire state received Addiction Treatment last year. The handful of clinics that accept pregnant women require them to go through detox first and for a woman on opiates, going cold turkey can harm the baby or cause miscarriage. State officials made it clear they have little regard for difficulties womens wh women we addicts face. Again these ladies are the worst of the worst, these ladies are not thinking about prenatal care, again, i want to emphasize what they are thinking about is money for next high. Dr. Ron bailey is a psychiatrist in charge of Addiction Treatment at meharry medical college. He warns that the new law will discourage women from seeking treatment. For fear of doing jail time. You can have a significant effect to decrease the interest and the willingness of future patients who may have a problem to seek treatment. You can be afraid. You think your doctor or clinician is going to be the Law Enforcement arm. What im hearing is some of the women are not even going to go to the doctor because they ar frayed the doctor may they are afraid that the doctor may report them. They are not going to seek medical care . No, no, some women are saying that. Law enforcement directing us rather than other way around. Decades of research has led the medical community to define addiction as a chronic brain disorder not a behavioral problem. In tennessee, state lawmakers and law officers reject that view. People say addiction is an illness but its a different kind of illness, put it that way. Its not like cancer. If i have cancer i cant get into a program and get rid of it. People that are alcoholics, getting help and overcoming it. Why signal out women and pregnant women in particular . This is an effort to get women into programs and eliminate the program and bring the numbers down. That woman has a choice the baby never had. It takes more than just making a decision. There was many, many many times i used and i didnt want to. Shannon is now working with Addiction Specialists trying to start a Treatment Center called mothers mosaic. Facing the same battle she faced with addiction. That battle may be harder now because the penalty these women face becomes more harsh and the help they need is so hard to get. We checked in with ms. Jessica and the meharry program. Since the time we reported that their waiting list has become even longer. They have no free beds, katherine has successfully graduated around some are still there and one of the people in tennessee say women who face potential prison sentences for this assault against their unborn children may contemplate abortions instead of having children that are born with drug problems. Unintended consequence one with a disturbing outcome. America tonights Sheila Macvicar thanks so much. In our final story this hour, we take a turn at news still developing this hour. Severe weather moving across the country and a hurricane brewing in the caribbean. After the break. Its a chilling and draconian sentence. It simply cannot stand. This trial was a sham. They are truth seekers. All they really wanna do is find out whats happening, so they can tell people. Governments around the world all united to condemn this. As you can see, its still a very much volatile situation. The government is prepared to carry out mass array. If you want free press in the new democracy, let the journalists live. Breaking News Development now, there is Severe Weather impacting states along the gulf coast. There louisiana governor bobby jindal has declared a state of emergency, and to make things worse, hurricane warnings in the caribbean where Tropical Storm has turned into a hurricane. Kevin corriveau is joining us. Kevin. A tornado going through parts ofarkansas, ef 2 tornado that moved through this area here. And since then we have seen quite a bit of activity. Half a dozen tornadoes as well as many, many tornadoes. On this line, we are seeing the tornadoes which will continue through evening as well as wind damage is going to continue as well. Were talking about louisiana as you mentioned down here through new orleans, that is going to continue through gus gulf port,d montgomery, this is going to be a very, very dangerous evening as this line goes through. This hurricane going through anguilla now. We dont really get the radar all the way out here towards the east but is now classified as a category 1 hurricane going to be making its way towards the northwest, increasing in intensity, talking about a category 2 but im really concerned about whats going to be happening as we get towards the weekend, this storm is going to be a major hurricane by the time we get to friday. But then well watch it very carefully, bermuda, this wont be the first storm bermuda has seen this year, but a Tropical Storm right over the island, the only thing torts United States, only thing we could see is storm surge as well as rip currents in that area. Of course, it has been a quiet season here but this storm is probably going to be one of our strongest joie. Meteorology kevin corriveau. Thats it for us. If you would like to comment on any of the stories youve seen on our program, log on to aljazeera. Com americatonight. Good night, well have more of america tonight tomorrow. Hundreds of days in detention. Al jazeera rejects all the charges and demands immediate release. Thousands calling for their freedom. Its a clear violation of their human rights. We have strongly urged the government to release those journalists. Journalism is not a crime. The growing fight over americas response to ebola, whos in charge . Also the u. N. Glenl, slams israeli provocations and another Iraqi Military base not far from baghdad. Im antonio mora, welcome to consider this those stories and much more straight ahead. Texas nurse who treated thomas