Ebola in America
- New Jersey reverses course and releases the nurse it had quarantined because she had treated Ebola patients in West Africa. The nurse, Kaci Hickox, had threatened legal action, saying the involuntary quarantine -- imposed when she was asymptomatic and found to be free of the Ebola virus -- violated her constitutional rights. (Washington Post)
- Hickox, who was detained after landing in Newark, told her story to her hometown paper, the Dallas Morning News. She wrote: "I am scared about how health care workers will be treated at airports when they declare that they have been fighting Ebola in West Africa. I am scared that, like me, they will arrive and see a frenzy of disorganization, fear and, most frightening, quarantine."
- A medical researcher asks, "Why don't we have an Ebola vaccine?" Writing in the Providence Journal, Dr. Anne S. De Groot says the answer lies in years of funding cuts to vaccine research. She adds that the most important investment to fight Ebola now and in the future is funding for basic health care infrastructure in poor nations like those in West Africa.
Localish:
- The San Francisco Chronicle's Matier & Ross are raising questions about whether taxpayers should get some benefit from the $50 million "Left Coast Lifter" crane built for the Bay Bridge's eastern span. Under its agreement with the state, the bridge contractor retained ownership of the crane, which it's now put to work on New York state's new Tappan Zee Bridge.
- The Oakland Tribune published a piece Friday containing allegations that two women told police -- in 2003 and 2006 -- that mayoral candidate Bryan Parker physically abused them. Parker has acknowledged acting "ungentlemanly," but says he was never physically violent. Now, popular Oakland blogger (and Parker supporter) Zennie Abraham, aka @zennie62, is blasting the Trib report as condescending and racist.
- Uber lands in Nevada, and quite a dustup ensues, complete with police impounding UberX drivers' cars and a fight in court.
- UK-based Hailo, a taxi-hailing app, announced last week it's pulling out of the North American market, citing difficult market conditions arising from the war between Uber and Lyft. The BBC reports that Hailo says it had another problem, too -- with San Francisco-based Uber actively trying to undermine its talks with investors.
- San Francisco's Yellow Cab refuses to adopt taxi-hailing app Flywheel -- though many of its drivers appear to be using it. (San Francisco Examiner)
- Nation's first "permanent" cat cafe opens in Oakland, and Time is there.
World Series
- OK, there's no doubt about the World Series story that matters. It's Madison Bumgarner. Deadspin says that in his Game 5 triumph he "was the best version of himself." And that's saying something.
- Kansas City Royals reliever Brandon Finnegan made history the other day by becoming the first pitcher to appear in both the College World Series (for TCU) and the major league World Series in the same year. But in 1962, a Stockton native named Bob Garibaldi almost pulled off that unlikely feat. Benicia blogger J.G. Preston recounts Garibaldi's astonishing College World Series performance, pitching for Santa Clara University, and how that led to a spot on the Giants World Series team. And for extra coincidence points, the Giants traded Garibaldi to the Royals after the 1970 season; he was with Kansas City through 1971 spring training -- long enough to show up on baseball cards in a Royals uniform, though he was traded again, to the Padres, before he pitched for them in a regular-season game. (Hat tip to KQED colleague Nina Thorsen for this wonderful item.)
- FiveThirtyEight analyzes the skyrocketing cost of tickets to the Fall Classic, which are going for an average -- AVERAGE -- of $930 apiece.
- If you think 930 bucks is too much to pay for your precious baseball memory, this Bud's for you: The Giants are selling aluminum Budweiser bottles that may have been handled by one of your heroes -- for just $69 each. (CBS San Francisco)