Five Things to Know for Your New Day – Wednesday, October 15
More bad news in the fight against Ebola. Female employees at Facebook and Apple like a benefit. And Oscar Pistorius' sentencing hearing enters day three.
It's Wednesday, and here are the "5 things to know for your New Day."
1. EBOLA OUTBREAK
More bad news: A union made troubling allegations yesterday about the Texas hospital where a nurse contracted Ebola, claiming "guidelines were constantly changing" and "there were no protocols" on how to deal with the deadly virus. But a hospital spokesman said patient and employee safety is the hospital's top priority. Meanwhile, the WHO warned there could be 10,000 new Ebola cases per week in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone by the end of this year.
2. FACEBOOK, APPLE GAME CHANGER
Female employees like this: Facebook and Apple have good news for their female employees: They will pay to freeze your eggs. Facebook is already covering the procedure as part of its insurance benefits, while Apple plans to offer coverage starting in January. The practice allows women to put their fertility on hold so they can still have children later in life.
3. HONG KONG PROTESTS
Getting violent: Hong Kong police arrested dozens and moved to stop protesters from reoccupying a major road outside the government headquarters. Pro-democracy protesters repelled the first police attempt to move them, encircling officers who fired pepper spray before retreating from the epicenter of the standoff.
4. TEXAS ABORTION CLINICS
Staying open for now: The Supreme Court ordered Texas not to enforce a law that had effectively shut down several clinics that provide abortions. The court's order means those clinics can reopen immediately. The restrictions had gone into effect in recent days, but a number of abortion rights supporters asked the justices to intervene on an emergency basis.
5. OSCAR PISTORIUS
Track star's sentencing: It's day three of Oscar Pistorius' sentencing hearing. When will we find out his fate? In the next few days. Meanwhile, new details emerged at the hearing, including the fact that Pistorius offered a large sum of money to the parents of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, after he killed her. The family rejected it as "blood money" but accepted monthly payments, a prosecutor said.
Those are your five biggies for the day. Here are a few others that are brewing and have the Internet buzzing.
- Game goes to the dog: This adorable pooch interrupted a soccer match for some belly rubs. If ever there was a reason to stop a game, this is it.
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMUHagtC0nI&feature=youtu.be"%5D
- Kitty evolution: A cat bounces on two legs. Let's just say the other two legs are just an accessory.
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bly09nJnNHE&feature=youtu.be"%5D
- Who wins this battle of the drums? U.S. Marines take on South Korea in the military version of drumline. May the U.S. - er we mean best men - win.
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPD4Ae-Zv_Y&feature=youtu.be"%5D
- Thinking outside the wheel: This must be the laziest or most drunk hamster ever. On second thought, let's go with most creative.
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gIH94st0mY&feature=youtu.be"%5D
- Likes her veggies: Michelle Obama is getting turnt up - with a turnip. And it's amazing. #turndownforwhat
There you go. All you need to know to get an early start to your morning.
Be sure to tune in to "New Day," from 6 to 9 a.m. ET, join us at NewDayCNN.com and go and have a GREAT NEW DAY!
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I meant quality time with the players. Thanks.
I'll just comment on two of the happy things for today that have me smiling. The United States Marines and South Korea taking on each other in the military version of drumline was a first for me. Would love to enjoy it up close and personal. And the dog who interrupted the soccer match for a belly rub and some quality with the players. Loving this New Day!!!!!!!!
I watched the interview with the Congressman from Texas who repeatedly calls for a travel ban on people entering the U.S. from West Africa due to the known cases of Ebola in those countries. If we take his flawed logic and extrapolate it and apply it to our current situation, we would have to ask-Should other countries ban individuals from the U.S.? Should other states ban visitors from Texas? Should planes avoid lay-overs in DFW? Obviously that is ridiculous. Just as infuriating as listening to him "educate" himself on CDC protocols and equipment needed for our "front-line" healthcare workers from listening to the 2 commentators who appeared before him on the show. He claims to be protecting U.S. citizen yet he hasn't taken the time to find out where the system failed our brave nurses in Texas and direct his energy into securing proper equipment and protocols. A person in his position has the duty and obligation to inform himself and become an expert on Ebola transmission among healthcare workers so he can work tirelessly to craft policy and secure funds to make sure our healthcare workers have the equipment they need to save lives and provide comfort to the future victims of Ebola throughout the U.S. . Calling for a closure of the borders is a short-sighted approach. We thought we could ignore it because it was "over-there" but it is here now so do your job Congressman-you're supposed to be smarter than that! His answer "uh, well I'm not a Dr. so I don't understand all that medical stuff but I do know 11,000 people have applied for VISA's". That is scary! and it is why the hospitals in his district were ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deal with this disease. What has he done since learning about the first nurse to contract Ebola at that hospital?? Has he jumped up and down begging and pleading for equipment to protect nurses? Has he read over the medical records to review just how this case was handled versus how it should have been handled?
Thanks, Susan. We'll include your questions and comments in the list forwarded to shows. Throughout the day, CNN will be discussing the developments in the newest case of Ebola in the U.S.
For more on CNN's comprehensive coverage, please visit CNN.com/Ebola.