A person has set his outer jacket on fire near The White House. The U.S. Secret Service uniformed division responded quickly and provided first aid and detained the suspect.
This event and many others were covered live in our breaking news app. Below are alerts from the app we began to send about 45 minutes ago. You can customize alerts within our news app to receive only the notifications you would like.
Breaking: Secret Service personnel are responding to a police/medical incident on Pennsylvania Ave. along the White House North Fence Line.
UPDATE: A male subject operating an electronic wheelchair-type scooter lit his outer jacket on fire while sitting along Pennsylvania Ave. outside the North Fence Line. Uniformed Division Officers immediately responded, extinguished the fire and rendered first aid. The male subject has been transported to a local hospital with what appears to be non-life threatening injuries.
Today the CDC posted an E. coli outbreak alert. Source is currently unknown. So far 72 people have been infected over an area of 5 states in the eastern side of the USA.
The CDC has posted a notice today about an outbreak of E. Coli over 5 states. As of posting time 8 people have been hospitalized, and a total of 72 people have been infected so far. This is early information and more states could be linked to the outbreak.
April 5, 2019
CDC, several states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O103 infections. This investigation includes E. coli O103 infections recently reported by the Kentucky Department of Public HealthExternal.
Public health investigators are using the PulseNet system to identify illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. PulseNet is the national subtyping network of public health and food regulatory agency laboratories coordinated by CDC. DNA fingerprinting is performed on E. coli bacteria isolated from ill people by using techniques called pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). CDC PulseNet manages a national database of these DNA fingerprints to identify possible outbreaks. WGS gives a more detailed DNA fingerprint than PFGE. WGS performed on E. coli from ill people in this outbreak showed that they are closely related genetically. This means that the ill people are more likely to share a common source of infection.
As of April 4, 2019, 72 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O103 have been reported from five states. CDC is reporting the 72 illnesses that PulseNet has confirmed are part of this outbreak. States are investigating additional illnesses that might be a part of this outbreak. A list of the states and the number of confirmed cases in each can be found on the Map of Reported Cases page.
Illnesses started on dates from March 2, 2019, to March 29, 2019. Ill people range in age from 1 to 74 years, with a median age of 17. Fifty-five percent are female. Of 47 people with information available, 8 (17%) have been hospitalized. No deaths and no cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) have been reported.
This investigation is still ongoing and a specific food item, grocery store, or restaurant chain has not been identified as the source of infections. State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures in the week before their illness started.
CDC will provide more information as it becomes available.
Pres. Trump: “We’re going to be issuing an emergency order of prohibition to ground all flights of the 737 MAX 8 and the 737 MAX 9, and planes associated with that line.”
The USA is the last country to ban the Boeing 737 Max aircraft due to a safety concern. Klamath Alerts has been following this story for several days and will have an additional report soon. The ban follows Canada who ordered the aircraft grounded just a few hours ago.
Currently American and Southwest have flights airborne with this aircraft in US airspace with passengers aboard.
Actor Luke Perry who starred in Beverly Hills 90210 and “Riverdale” has died at 52 after suffering a massive stroke according to breaking news reports.
This incident happened outside our normal reporting area but we wanted to share it with you anyway because it’s incredible. Today, British Airways flight #492 made a “go around” which is a aborted landing attempt near Gibraltar today. The aircraft encountered turbulent winds as it attempted to land and here are some videos both onboard and from the ground. The aircraft safely diverted to another airport.
The TSA has released it’s annual report showing a 7% increase in 2018 of firearms found in carry on bags being screened for flights. Just over 80% of the found firearms were loaded. If the TSA is finding this many firearms, it makes you wonder how many are actually making it on flights!
A total 813.8 million (813,791,287) passengers and crew members passed through TSA screening, with record-breaking screening numbers during the spring, Thanksgiving and summer travel periods.
A record setting 4,239 total firearms were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints across the country, averaging 81.6 firearms per week. That’s an average of 11.6 firearms per day.
3,656 (86.15 percent) of the total firearms discovered were loaded – another record.
1,432 (33.74 percent) of the total firearms discovered had a round chambered.
The most firearms discovered in one month – a record setting 32 – were discovered in August at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Firearms were intercepted at 249 of the 440 federalized airports.
That’s more than a 7 percent (282 more) increase in firearm discoveries from 2017’s total of 3,957.
Below are the top 10 airports that led in firearm discoveries in 2018:
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL): 298 – an increase of 53 compared to 2017 (253 loaded)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): 219 (193 loaded)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): 129 (120 loaded)
Denver International Airport (DEN): 126 (95 loaded)
Orlando International Airport (MCO): 123 (112 loaded)
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH): 117 – a decrease of 25 firearms compared to 2017 (115 loaded)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL): 96 (80 loaded)
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS): 93 (76 loaded)
Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL): 89 (83 loaded)
Nashville International Airport (BNA): 86 (80 loaded)
Firearms were not the only thing found! It’s interesting what people try to bring onboard aircraft! Fireworks, lighter fluid, grenades…..
Starting at the top left and moving clockwise:
Three smoke grenades were discovered in a checked bag at Nashville International Airport on Nov. 19.
An inert grenade was detected in a carry-on bag at McCarran International Airport on Nov. 27.
A bottle of lighter fluid was discovered in a carry-on bag of a passenger traveling from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Dec. 12.
Fireworks were discovered in the carry-on bag of a passenger traveling from Orlando International Airport on Dec. 13.
Five replica mortar shells were discovered in the checked bag of an Orlando International Airport passenger on Dec. 1. We had to stop baggage screening operations until an explosives specialist could respond and declare the items safe.
Anything resembling an explosive item is prohibited in carry-on and checked bags. If you are not sure if an item is allowed in your bag, check out our What Can I Bring tool, snap a photo and Tweet or Facebook Message us, call us at (866) 289-9673 or shoot us an email (pun intended).
We previously reported on a very handy TSA app that can help you decide what is allowed on your flight, and it can provide you with security wait times.
BREAKING: Pedestrian seems to have been hit by the presidential motorcade outside the White House. Ami's WH team went over to investigate but was stopped by Secret Service. (Stay tuned…) pic.twitter.com/KVkeqL4LCj
Witness says motorcade was approached by someone in the street, a secret service office tried to intervene and was struck. Separate witness says both a protestor and a secret service officer Sergeant were involved. @cgtnamericahttps://t.co/jHaCbYcYOH
As I sit down to write, I make note of today’s date; January 27. It was on this date in 1700 the last major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake unleashed its energy on the Pacific Northwest. It was one hundred years later when Lewis and Clark arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River. At the time of the quake, the only residents were First Nations people and they had no means of conveying events to their descendants other than storytelling. Some native stories tell of a giant wave that put canoes in the treetops and other tales of destruction caused by a gigantic shaking. It is believed the landmass dropped by as much as ten feet during the event. At the mouth of the Copalis River in Southwestern Washington is a salt water swamp containing several cedar stumps. Conventional knowledge says cedar trees don’t grow in salt water, therefore the only logical conclusion is this grove of trees was once on higher ground and when the quake struck, the high ground dropped to sea level. An analysis of the growth rings on the trees narrowed down the date of the quake and confirmed suspicions.
The reason scientists know the exact date is because an “orphan tsunami” struck the coast of Japan on that date. An orphan tsunami is one which has no earthquake associated with it. Several fishing villages were wiped out and thousands of lives lost. Later scientists were able to connect the data and determined the tsunami was caused by a Cascadia Subduction quake off the coast of Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
Seismologists have determined by taking core samples from coastal estuaries there have been some 41 large quakes in the region over the past 10,000 years. That’s an average of one very major seismic event every 242 years. If you do the math, we are now 319 years since the last quake making us several decades overdue.
Municipalities, county governments and state agencies are all making preparations to be able to survive the next big quake. Private electrical utilities, along with many public entities, including the U.S. Postal Service, all have plans to quickly resume operations following a disaster. One state agency planner I spoke with recently informs me their vehicles (and they have several) are now equipped with a disaster kit contained in a backpack. Each pack includes items for shelter, safety, food and water. The packs are evaluated yearly and various essential items are added. In addition, every vehicle carries a comprehensive first-aid kit. Most employees receive training and are certified in caring for the injured.
My point is, government agencies are taking the threat seriously. Most communities along the coast have identified tsunami zones, escape routes and plans are in place to deal with the aftereffects of a large earthquake. Every hospital is required to have disaster drills and most medical facilities have temporary tent-style shelters ready to erect when needed. One hospital combines an annual drill with a free, drive-through flu shot clinic. Not only are hospital staff trained in emergency procedures, the public is being conditioned as to where to go and what to expect. While at the same time, getting a free flu shot. All these things will save lives.
Send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com. Previous columns are on my blog at www.disasterprepdave.blogspot.com. Dave Robinson is an author, pastor, and freelance writer. His book, “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us,” is available on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble and other online booksellers.
Update: Congressional leaders, Trump agree to three-week stop-gap spending deal to end government shutdown, according to a senior House Democratic aide
Pres. Trump: “I am very proud to announce today that we have reached a deal to end the shutdown and reopen the federal government.” Trump says he will sign bill to reopen government until February 15
PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Oregon has returned two indictments charging six people with running sex trafficking organizations operating in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Read more
President Donald and First Lady Melania Trump have greeted military personnel at a dining facility during an unannounced visit to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.
Speculation had built because President Trump’s usual Twitter activity had slowed and he seemed to be “unusually absent” according to some press reports.
The secret mission is President’s first visit to an active combat zone.
If you travel on airlines from time to time or are a frequent traveler you might be interested in this smartphone app from TSA. This app will let you search for items that are allowed to carry onboard an aircraft, as well as items allowed only in your checked bags. The app will also tell you what items are not allowed to bring with you at all.
The app also gives weather reports and app users at airports can report security line wait times. Another feature is the ability to “bookmark” your favorite airports by clicking on the star to the left of the airport name.
+ Quickly search which items you can bring with you through the checkpoint onto the airplane.
+ Request live assistance from TSA through the AskTSA social media integration.
+ Check how historically busy the airport will be on your specific day and time of travel.
+ Check crowd-sourced TSA security checkpoints wait times at the airport of your choice.
+ Add your own TSA security checkpoints wait time for others to see (NOTE: You must be at the airport in order to report wait times).
+ Check the delay information and current weather conditions at your favorite airports nationwide.
+ Consult the TSA Guide on how to prepare for and get through the security checkpoint quickly.
+ Discover which airports and airlines support TSA PreCheck®, and learn how to sign-up.
Above: Earlier yesterday morning, Air Force One waits on the tarmac in Texas to transport President Bush to Washington, D.C.
With the media coverage over the next few days of the upcoming State funeral, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share my experience as a U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard for President Bush while he was in office.
You may have noticed the joint service military members (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard) who are and will be carrying the casket of President Bush. They will also be posted as guards at the US Capitol while President Bush is lying in state. Those members are part of an elite group of the military known as “guardsmen” or ceremonial honor guards.
The honor guard is an elite unit consisting of members from each branch of the U.S. military. The unit is directly attached to The White House and President.
New Guardsmen Hand Picked From Boot Camp
Most new members of the honor guard are hand picked by special recruiters who usually select new members as they are in boot camp of the military service for which they enlisted. The recruiters have authority to change military contracts and orders. Most tours of the honor guard are between two and four years. Once selected, the new member will have their original military orders changed so they can complete the honor guard tour of duty.
Top Secret Security Clearance Required
Once selected, new members of the presidential honor guard undergo a very detailed background investigation that starts while they are still in bootcamp. Federal agents travel to the home town of the recruit and investigate all the way back to childhood. If the background investigation is favorable, the new member is issued a top secret security clearance.
Additional Bootcamp
New honor guard recruits complete additional boot camp style training when they first arrive at their respective honor guard command. The training includes precision march and drill techniques and training to stand for very long periods of time without moving. Also included in the training is detailed uniform care.
Joint Service and Local Service
Upon graduation new members of the guard are assigned to a division within the local guard command. For the U.S. Navy, assignments include firing party, casket bearers, colors (flag bearers), and drill team.
Anytime there is a major function at The White House, Pentagon, or other location where honor guardsmen are needed they work with members from each military service. This is known as a joint service mission. You will be seeing a lot of these joint service missions in the news coverage during the upcoming memorial.
When there is no joint service mission honor guard members spend most of their time training or participating in military funerals in the local Washington, D.C. area.
My Experience:
I was selected in my 3rd week of bootcamp. A recruiter invited me to attend a presentation where I was shown a video and information about the guard was presented to me. Once I agreed, the recruiter had my original military orders changed so that I could complete my newly assigned duty. I reported to Washington, D.C. in the fall of 1989 to start my honor guard training.
The training was intense and I remember having to endure hours of standing at attention while instructors tried various tactics to make us laugh or flinch. One of many methods used by instructors was employing a Gumby doll and the instructors would make voices for it and put it through amazingly funny situations only inches from your face. You didn’t dare crack a smile or you would find yourself outside running around the building and doing extra work after hours. I also remember standing for long periods of time at attention (sometimes two hours or more) and before breakfast while instructors played long games of chess in front of us.
After making it through the training I was assigned to firing party. We were responsible for the 21 gun salutes at funerals. My primary job was Navy funerals around the Washington, D.C. area when I wasn’t needed for a presidential function.
Working for President Bush
The Honor Guard is directly attached to The White House, on call and ready to provide immediate services anytime they are needed. Anytime a State dinner or other high profile White House function occurs, the ceremonial guard is there.
I had the privilege of serving under President H.W. Bush for the majority of his time in office. One day after working at an arrival ceremony and an evening State dinner, President Bush jokingly told us to go ahead and take the rest of the night off after we had been working there all morning, day, and evening. His grin after saying that to us has stayed with me.
Above: President Bush inspects our unit on the White House front lawn during an arrival ceremony in the early 1990’s.
I feel blessed and fortunate to have served in the honor guard for President Bush 41. Aside from what your political views might be, he was a good president to work for and he appreciated the work we did.
