WOULD A MALE OFFENDER HAVE GOTTEN SUCH LOW BOND? 2 teachers accused of sex with student out of jail.

TAXPROF: The IRS Scandal, Day 512.

THE PERILS OF BEING NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON: “Tyson himself has not come out of this imbroglio well. He may not have actively assembled his clique, but, as the fake George W. Bush quotation demonstrates, he does play to it at least a little. Whatever he may claim now, the intention of his tale was absolutely clear: to demonstrate for his audience who in the world was stupid and who in the world was smart, truth be damned. Unsurprisingly enough, those who had paid to come and see him speak were classed firmly in the latter category — and they loved every second of being so praised. And who wouldn’t? The world is full of performers whose sole role is to flatter their customers. That’s why we have cable news.”

BUT THEIR WELFARE BENEFITS FOR TURKISH IMMIGRANTS ARE GENEROUS, SO THERE’S THAT: German Troops Stranded In Afghanistan, And Germany Has So Few Planes They May Have To Use Merkel’s Jet.

This is the fourth air-related embarrassment for the German military in the last few weeks. First, a team of military advisors en route to Kurdistan was stranded in Bulgaria for a few days when their plane broke down; then, the Germans actually had to borrow a plane from the Dutch to carry a shipment of arms to the Kurds. Farcically, that plane also broke down. On September 30, another plane malfunction forced a plane carrying aid intended for Ebola victims in Africa to land in the Canary Islands, where the aid is still stuck.

As we wrote yesterday, it is admirable that postwar Germany confronted its past, embraced non-aggression, and transitioned to democracy. But part of being a mature democracy, as well as being a member of a defensive alliance like NATO, is being able to defend yourself. Like many European nations, Germany may have fallen below that threshold—and these stories increasingly suggest that, in a world on fire, even its low, on-paper strength may mostly be nominal.

Putin smiles.

WHY IS OBAMA OUT OF THE LOOP? As the Obama administration crashes and burns, insiders begin to blame Valerie Jarrett.

THEY TOLD ME IF I VOTED FOR MITT ROMNEY WE’D SEE HEADLINES LIKE THIS. AND THEY WERE RIGHT! CIA sued over Senate spying.

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VIDEO: Cartoonist Michael Ramirez says cartoonists have gone soft in the Obama era.

QUID PRO QUO: McAuliffe aide offered job to daughter of Democrat who left VA state legislature. “The Post asked McAuliffe’s office to respond to the new revelation, and they started out by denying it. Unfortunately, Laura Vozzella had the recording and the transcript of the voice mail.”

HOW’S THAT HOPEY-CHANGEY STUFF WORKIN’ OUT FOR YA? (CONT’D): WaPo: The middle class is poorer today than it was in 1989.

INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY: Obama’s Response To Ebola Not Confidence-Inspiring:

Now that Ebola has arrived in the U.S., Americans should ask why. After all, our government knew that the outbreak in Africa was severe but has done little to keep the disease from reaching our shores.

Sure, the medical professionals involved — doctors, nurses and epidemiologists — are working hard and bravely to contain an outbreak, which so far includes a Liberian man in Dallas and as many as 100 people he came in contact with.

But the government’s response, as is too often the case, has been far less than competent and remains so. . . .

Given the clear danger to the U.S., why hasn’t the White House imposed travel limits on those flying in from Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and other nations in West Africa where the disease has broken out?

That would seem a minimal response to containing this deadly hemorrhagic fever that causes many victims to suffer a horrible, lingering death.

Both France and Britain immediately halted flights from the afflicted countries in West Africa. Why not us?

We’re not counseling panic here. The U.S. should be able to control an outbreak. But the White House’s blase and even lackadaisical response isn’t reassuring.

Well, to be fair, that’s the White House response to pretty much anything that isn’t about fundraising or golf.

UPDATE: Flashback: Senator Obama rips Bush for being unprepared for avian flu epidemic. That Senator Obama fellow seemed a lot more on top of things than this President Obama fellow does.

EVERYTHING HE TOUCHES. . . Obama Nixed Bush-Era Quarantine Proposal. “The new rules would have required air passengers to submit more information to airlines and strengthened the government’s authority to detain travelers suspected of carrying disease. . . . Liberals like to say that President Bush and Republicans generally are ‘science deniers.’ But in this instance, Bush followed the path recommended by the Centers for Disease Control — no science deniers, they. It was Obama who elevated ideology over science thereby (to borrow the CDC’s words) denying Americans ‘critical’ protection against ‘dangerous diseases spread by travelers.'”

Note that Obama was quick to ban flights to Israel, but won’t ban flights from infected areas in West Africa.

COSMOPOLITAN COMPLAINS ABOUT PARODY, then discovers that it is the parody.

ROLL CALL: Montel Williams Urges Obama to ‘Make the Call!’ on Jailed Marine.

THE JOBLESS RATE HAS FALLEN, BUT IS MASKING UNDERLYING PROBLEMS: “One reason for the sharp decline in the official unemployment rate is that the overall pool of workers has fallen dramatically since the downturn. That has sent the labor-force participation rate to three-decade lows. Fed officials believe many of those workers will come back as the labor market strengthens and offers them hope of once again getting a job. But a large share of them are baby boomers entering retirement who won’t return. Participation among those of prime working age—25 to 54 years old—remains low historically.”

CONFIDENCE NOT INSPIRED: The Hill: Health officials clam up about effort to contain Ebola in Texas.

Health officials are refusing to answer growing questions about their response to the first Ebola case in the United States.

Under intense questioning from reporters, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Texas health department and the City of Dallas repeatedly declined Thursday to provide details about the steps being taken to prevent an outbreak.

Texas Health Commissioner David Lakey, who participated in one press call Thursday, would not identify or describe the four individuals who have been quarantined due to possible exposure to Ebola. They were later referred to as “family members” at a separate press conference.

Officials confirmed that roughly 100 people are being questioned about possible exposure to the virus — up from reports of more than 80 earlier in the day. Only a “handful” likely could have caught the virus, they said, and no one but the patient is showing symptoms.

Lakey would not explain why the quarantine order was necessary, saying only that it brings “confidence” that key medical monitoring will take place. Another official said later that the four individuals sought to leave home, but would not provide more detail.

Lakey also declined to answer questions about the hospital communication error that allowed the Ebola patient, identified by media outlets as Thomas Eric Duncan, to return home Friday after seeking treatment.



”Unfortunately, connections weren’t made related to travel history and symptoms,” he said. 

”I don’t have that final analysis right now. … We’re still investigating how the information fell through the cracks.”

While health officials have vowed transparency as they deal with the Ebola patient, they are also charged with maintaining calm. Officials stress that they are trying to avoid spreading misinformation.

The best way to maintain calm is to be trustworthy.

ED DRISCOLL: Making Sense of #GamerGate.

MENTAL CONFUSION. PROBABLY FROM THAT CONCUSSION. Hillary flubs history lesson; thinks Alexis de Tocqueville visited America in the 1930s.

TEACH WOMEN NOT TO RAPE! (CONT’D): Teacher Accused of Having Sex With Teen Student: A Treasure Coast teacher was arrested and accused of having sexual relations with a teenage foreign exchange student who lived with her and her husband.

ON REPORTS OF THE “ARMED” WHITE HOUSE INTRUDER, Tam notes that a pocketknife is only a “weapon” to the weenie pantywaists of the media. Yeah, pretty much. Used to be, everybody carried a pocketknife with a 3 1/2 inch blade. It was called. . . a pocketknife. “Jesus, you cud-chewing Eloi, how do you people open packages? With your teeth, like an animal?”

BUMPS IN THE ROAD: Delay in Dallas Ebola Cleanup as Workers Balk at Task.

More than a week after a Liberian man fell ill with Ebola and four days after he was placed in isolation at a hospital in Dallas, the apartment where he was staying with four other people had not been cleaned and the sheets and dirty towels he used while sick remained in the home, health officials acknowledged on Thursday afternoon.

Even as the authorities were reaching out to at least 80 people who may have had contact — either directly or indirectly — with the patient, Thomas E. Duncan, while he was contagious, they were scrambling to find medical workers to safely clean the apartment.

The four family members who are living there are among a handful who have been directed by the authorities to remain in isolation, following what officials said was a failure to comply with an order to stay home. Texas health officials hand-delivered orders to residents of the apartment requiring them not to leave their home and not to allow any visitors inside until their roughly three-week incubation periods have passed.

The orders – known as communicable disease control orders – are permitted under the state’s health code. Violations could result in either criminal prosecution or civil court proceedings.

I wouldn’t be very happy about being quarantined in a place full of Ebola-contaminated linens.

YES: George Will on Ebola – Americans Want to Trust Government But Can’t.

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SO PEOPLE ARE MOCKING JULIA PIERSON FOR SAYING “We need to be more like Disney World. We need to be more friendly, inviting.” But I don’t think that’s so crazy. Disney World is friendly and inviting — but they’re hell on fence-jumpers.