With the Ebola virus going around in Africa and spreading rapidly, there is no wonder why one in four people in the United States are worried they or someone in their family will become the victim of this deadly virus, according to an international poll by CNN. Because the Ebola virus has no treatment or vaccine available, “Ebola outbreaks have a 90% fatality rate,” according to CNN. Symptoms include severe fever, intense weakness, and internal and external bleeding. President Obama says that chances of the Ebola outbreak in the United States are extremely low and he said on Tuesday that the United States is leading international efforts to combat the virus. One of the efforts to combat this is shipping hospital equipment from the United States to Liberia starting on Friday. United States Aid Official Nancy Lindborg said, “The United States hopes its expanded effort to contain the spread of the virus will help rally other countries to respond to this epidemic.” The plane will arrive at a facility where it will be staffed by 65 Americans who will help treat about 2500 people who were affected. Finally, according to Reuters,, United States Secretary of State John Kerry will hold discussions with other countries to discuss about the response to Ebola.
On the side of the Senate, the NRA (National Rifle Association) will start its multimillion dollar ad beginning on Wednesday on this year’s Senate races. According to CNN, the NRA effort is aimed at boosting Senate challengers in Arkansas, Colorado, and North Carolina. These outcomes can likely determine which party controls the chamber. NRA believes that the second amendment rights are under attack by the Obama Administration and they believe they need the Senate to fight back. In addition to gun rights, NRA believes “the country is on the wrong track about issues regarding IRS targeting scandal and NSA surveillance.”
Barack Obama announced that the United States will not fight another ground war in Iraq. He said that airstrikes would be the central United States contribution to the fight in Iraq. Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives voted to let United States military personnel to train members of the Syrian opposition in the fight against Islamic State in Syria. According to VOA news, the vote was 273 to 156. United States Secretary of State John Kerry told a Senate committee on Wednesday that Senate’s mission is to “train and support” Iraqi forces and to let the Iraqis do what they must do.
In the world of technology, Microsoft has bought Minecraft for $2.5 billion and the deal will be finalized later this year. According to CNN money, Minecraft has been downloaded more than 100 million times since it launched in 2009. Microsoft said it reached an agreement with Minecraft’s Swedish game developer Mojang to buy the company and Microsoft can make it tax-free by using money it keeps overseas.
Cyborg Unplug has created a portable router that detects drones, surveillance cameras, and mobile tech, like Google Glass, trying to access your Wi-Fi signal and boot them off. The creators have also created an “All Out Mode” that would let users knock devices off of any wireless network. However, the company does not recommend this because it is illegal to do. “We take no responsibility for the trouble you get yourself into if you choose to deploy your Cyborg Unplug,” the company says on their website. Two versions will be on sale for $50 and $100 in October.
