Here at the FOX News bureau in Atlanta, we’re awaiting a 12 PM Eastern media briefing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases is scheduled to update reporters on the latest H1N1 activity and the distribution of vaccine.

Last week, the CDC reported a downward trend in influenza activity, but cautioned that it was too early to declare the worst was over. Health experts say holiday travel may cause temporary spikes.

AAA projects 38.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday (a 1.4 percent increase over last year when Thanksgiving travel decreased by more than 25 percent amid concerns over the economic meltdown),

In addition to the usual recommendations to wash hands, cover coughs and get vaccinated as soon as possible, the CDC is urging people not to travel if they’re sick.

As of yesterday, 49,584,300 doses of H1N1 vaccine have shipped nationwide, according to flu.gov.

Although state health departments continue to focus vaccination campaigns on high risk groups, such as children, health care workers, pregnant women and persons with underlying health conditions, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell told reporters, vaccine could become available to the general public within the next few weeks.

Canadian health officials have advised doctors in that country to stop using a specific batch of H1N1 vaccine, representing 170 thousand doses, after half a dozen patients had severe allergic reactions. A CDC spokesman says the batch in question is an adjuvanted version of the H1N1 vaccine that is not distributed in the US.

Adjuvants are ingredients added to a vaccine to increase the body’s immune response, which often allows for the use of smaller doses — thereby extending limited vaccine supplies. Although widely used in Europe, Asia and Canada, adjuvants are not currently authorized for use in influenza vaccines here in the US.

Experts say it’s still unclear whether adjuvants played a role in the adverse reactions, or whether some other factor came into play.

Meanwhile, China has reported eight cases of H1N1 mutation. However, Chinese health officials say the variant form of the virus is still prevented by vaccines and responds to anti-viral drugs.

And four patients in an isolated unit at Duke University Medical Center have contracted a strain of H1N1 that shows resistance to Tamiflu, a leading anti-viral drug. However, doctors say this new form of the virus is no more severe than the original.

Early on, researchers warned that the H1N1 virus could mutate or develop resistance to anti-viral drugs. So far, variant forms of the virus do not appear to be in wide circulation.

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“If I could wave the vaccine magic wand or we could consult the Hogwarts Medical School, we’d have had a vaccine back in May,” said Jay Butler, MD. The director of the CDC’s H1N1 Vaccine Task Force was jokingly referring to the fictitious Hogwarts boarding school of wizardry in J.K. Rowling’s popular Harry Potter book series.

In the real world, the amount of time it took researchers and public health officials to develop and begin distribution of an H1N1 vaccine is on the faster end of the spectrum of what experts had predicted.

“We anticipated that it would probably be six to nine months after a pandemic is identified before a vaccine would actually be available,” Butler said. “Here we are, barely six months into the pandemic, and we’re starting to see vaccine available for administration.”

Today, the first doses of H1N1 vaccine arrived at hospitals in Memphis, Tenn. and Indianapolis, Ind. in the form of a nasal spray.

At these two locations, health care workers are getting vaccinated first. Local health officials said this is to prevent health care workers from getting sick and missing work at a time they are most needed, as well as to reduce the chances of them spreading the virus among hospital patients — who often have weakened immune systems.

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State and local governments have begun placing orders for H1N1 vaccine. The first 600-thousand doses will be distributed by Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 250-million doses are expected over the course of the fall and early winter. Federal health officials say this will be enough to accommodate everyone who wants to get the vaccine, however its availability will be sporadic during the first days and weeks.

One of the top priorities during the initial phase of the vaccination campaign will be pregnant women. They are at much higher risk for suffering complications from H1N1 than from seasonal flu.

According to CDC figures released today, H1N1 has caused the deaths of 28 pregnant women in the U.S. so far, and is responsible for approximately 100 intensive care unit hospitalizations.

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by Faith Mangan, FNC Field Producer

Najibullah Zazi, 24, and his father, Mohammed Zazi, 53, had an initial appearance together before Judge Craig Shaffer in federal court in Denver today.  They are charged with knowingly and willfully making false statements to the FBI in a matter involving international and domestic terrorism.

Both defendents were escorted into the crowded courtroom in handcuffs.  The elder Zazi was clad in a grey t-shirt and running pants, while his son was in a short sleeved, button-down yellow, plaid shirt.  Before the official start, they each spent some time looking over sheets of paper, while quietly conferring with defense attorney Arthur Folsom.  The courtroom was packed early on with media representatives from all the main news organizations.  It was standing room only.

The hearing got underway with a request for a court appointed attorney for Mohammed Zazi.  The judge said he knew things had been busy for Arthur Folsom’s office, but he needs to be in good standing with this district to have an appearance in it.  Folsom said he had taken care of paperwork earlier in the day and the problem was that he was still credentialed under his last law firm.  The judge said he’d accept Folsom’s representation for today, but if he’s going to have future court appearances, the paperwork needs to be properly resolved going forward.

The initial appearance continued with the judge advising the defendants of their rights: the 5^th amendment (self-incrimination) and the 6^th amendment (right to counsel).  Najibullah indicated he intends to keep Folsom as his attorney.  Mohammed affirmed he wanted court-appointed counsel.  The judge reviewed Mohammed’s affidavit of financial need and said he qualifies for the help.

The judge then moved onto citizenship, stating if someone is not a citizen, he or she has a right to have the consular office contacted.  Both men are from Afghanistan. Najibullah is a legal resident of the United States, his father is a naturalized citizen of this country.

Folsom consulted with Najibullah and said they do not wish to have that done at this time, but they reserve the right in the future.  A representative from the public defender’s office then jumped in on behalf of Mohammed, even though the case has not yet been assigned to a particular attorney.

It was then time to go over the charge each of them is facing and the penalty if convicted, a potential 8 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and three years supervised release.

The men were told they’re entitled next to a preliminary hearing.  The government is not seeking detention of the father, Mohammed, but prosecutors do want to keep Najibullah in custody.  The judge set 9 a.m. MT on Thursday, September 24, 2009 as a preliminary and detention hearing for Najibullah.  Judge Shaffer said he understands evidence gathered under the Surveillance Act (known as FISA) is part of the case, and he asked if that would be a problem for Thursday.  Prosecutors said they did not expect it to be an issue.

Mohammed’s expected release was the next thing on the agenda.  The public defender pointed out Mohammed was having issues following along with the proceedings in English and asked for an interpreter next time.  Conditions for Mohammed’s release include: $50,000 unsecured bond (he does not have to post, but can forfeit that money if he violates conditions), he’ll have to report to a court officer on a regular basis, his travel is restricted to the state of Colorado and he has to get permission before crossing the state’s lines, he has to surrender his passport and may not obtain new travel documents, he can not become an informant without the court’s prior consent, he can not have firearms and he may not leave his home except for preset reasons such as employment, medical reasons, court appearances, education or religious reasons.  Mohammed must also pay the cost of electronic monitoring.  Even though the government does not intend to hold him on an ongoing basis, he cannot be released until his home is certified for electronic monitoring.  The judge set Thursday, September 24 for t a status conference to check up on progress towards Mohammed’s release.  The prosecution said they want the full amount of allowable time, 20 days, until they have to hold a preliminary hearing for Mohammed, because they are still collecting evidence and interviewing people.

The public defender who was present finished out the hearing by taking the podium to state Mohammed has not waived his right to counsel, so further attempts by law enforcement or the government to contact Mohammed Zazi must go through counsel.

Afterwards, outside the courtroom, the wall of silence returned. The prosecution team left without saying a word to reporters. The defense, would only say they will be back Thursday.

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At a time H1N1 influenza has heightened awareness and concern about the spread of infectious diseases, two British companies — BAE Systems and Quest International UK — have announced new technology to inhibit the spread of pathogens on board aircraft.

The AirManager cabin air management system “eliminates all airborne viruses and bacteria,” according to a news release posted on BAE’s website. The company also writes:

The patented AirManager uses a revolutionary Close Coupled Field Technology (CCFT) – a contained and safe electrical field that eliminates smells, and breaks down and destroys airborne pathogens, contaminants and toxins.

BAE says it has successfully tested the filtration system on eight BAe 146 and Avro RJ aircraft. Both of these models are regional passenger jets. The company is currently conducting trials in much larger Boeing 757 jetliners and expects to design similar filters for use in two workhorses of commercial aviation — the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.

Even before H1N1, airline cabin air quality had come under scrutiny. Because jet engines have to work harder to pull in fresh air from outside, many aircraft recycle cabin air to reduce fuel costs. The practice has caused considerable debate within the aviation industry and the medical community as to whether it increases the transmission of disease.

BAE officials claim their AirManager will allow air conditioning systems to operate even more efficiently — essentially paying for the system in fuel conservation within the first year of use.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority has begun weekly cleaning of common areas to reduce the spread of flu among its estimated 1 million daily passengers. For more on that, and other H1N1-related information, see my Liveshots Blog.

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The Food and Drug Administration has approved the new H1N1 vaccine.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told Congress a limited number of doses may be distributed in early October, with a bulk shipment in the middle of that month.

This year’s response to H1N1 marks one of the fastest research and development phases of an influenza vaccine. In an interview earlier this month, Jay Butler, MD, director of the CDC’s H1N1 Vaccine Task Force told me:

I think the news is really good in terms of what we’ve been saying over the past several years — how we’ve planned, particularly at the state level, for the next pandemic. We’ve anticipated that a vaccine wouldn’t be available for about six to nine months after the first cases are identified. If, indeed, we can be getting vaccine out to the public by mid-October, we’re actually a little bit ahead of schedule.

Public health officials first discovered this H1N1 outbreak in April.

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America’s hospitals are preparing for a resurgence of H1N1 flu. But a limited number of beds will require some out of the box thinking.

“Hospitals have taken the same approach the airlines have. They’ve tried to fill every seat,” said Art Kellermann, MD, professor of emergency medicine at Emory University. “A full hospital is an economically efficient hospital. But a full hospital to start a flu season is a very, very tough place to manage.”

According to Kellermann, many hospitals already have contingency plans in place — opening separate waiting areas for people with flu symptoms and expanding patient treatment into areas normally used for administration.

Kellermann said the general public can also play an important role by getting vaccinated, covering coughs, washing hands and staying home when sick to slow the spread of H1N1. “If you can spread the epidemic season out, that means — on any given day or any given week — doctors like me have less severely ill patients to take care of,” he said.

According to public health experts, the vast majority of those infected with H1N1 will not require a visit to the emergency room. Convincing people with mild cases to recover at home will be key to freeing up America’s ERs for those who need them most, Kellermann said.

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Swimmers beware.

Residents and visitors along North Carolina’s Outer Banks appear to be taking Tropical Storm Danny in stride as it continues to churn out in the Atlantic.

Although the eye of the storm is expected to miss the Carolina coast, forecasters have warned of the potential for rip tides. Here at Nags Head, a lifeguard’s ATV carries a warning sign: “Strong Currents.”

Children play close to shore — while further out, surfers take advantage of the larger than usual waves. And, other than a ten minute rain shower that passed through here just minutes before writing this blog, beach-goers have been enjoying a sunny day with minimal winds.

On the drive to Nags Head, we saw no businesses or homes that had been boarded up — as you would expect during the approach of a more powerful storm.

On this Friday afternoon, most residents and visitors appear to be taking Danny in stride — watching, but not worrying.

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The idea of testing a vaccine on children makes many parents squeamish. But for Amanda Strudwick, it was a chance for the Atlanta mother and nurse to protect her children and the nation from H1N1.

“There are children in school getting sick already,” Strudwick said. “If my children are vaccinated,  it means hopefully that they won’t pass it along to somebody else who may have a lower immune system.”

Strudwick;s daughters Nina, 7, and Hannah, 9, are among 100 children participating in an H1N1 vaccine study being conducted at Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. For more details on that study, see my related blog or watch my video report.

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Press room at the CDC in Atlanta.

As researchers continue to test vaccines against H1N1 influenza, public health officials are addressing the concerns of many Americans about the risks — both real and perceived.

Approximately 100 million people in the U.S. get vaccines for seasonal influenza each year, according to Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The way that the H1N1 vaccine is being made is the same way that the seasonal influenza vaccines are made, and so we have a good track record there,” she said. “On the other hand, unexpected things can happen and we’re going to have a very strong safety system in place that we’re increasing in intensity right now to make sure that if there are any problems — that we don’t expect, but could happen — we’re on top of them and we take steps quickly.”

Five manufacturers are producing H1N1 vaccines, which are currently undergoing clinical trials in human volunteers, including children. Researchers say, so far, the studies have raised no red flags in terms of safety.

CDC officials expect the vaccines to become available to the general public in mid-October. They emphasize that the immunization program will be voluntary.

Approximately one in three Americans gets vaccinated for seasonal flu each year. Seventy percent of Americans 65 and older — among those at highest risk for suffering complications from seasonal flu — get the shots. The numbers are much lower for young people.

But young people are at highest risk for H1N1. What remains uncertain is whether the increased risk will translate into more young people getting immunized.

The CDC is planning public information campaigns on H1N1, not only using traditional outlets such as radio and TV, but new media and social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Related post: Tracking H1N1 – Reporting from the CDC

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When I first came to Gaffney, North Carolina to cover a serial killer on the loose, my first thought was,”what if he shoots me?” It’s the sort of fear we can all relate to. For a week now, folks here have kept doors locked, and their eyes open. Many are tormented by thoughts that they could be next. With good reason.

Five of their own were shot and killed over a period of days. Three were at the one place many of us feel most comfortable and safe … home. It started last Saturday near this small town of about 12, 000, where neighbors know neighbors. A 63 year old peach farmer was gunned down after his wife had answered the door to a stranger inquiring about hay. She left the house and returned to find her beloved husband of many years dead. The victim advocate for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office said,”The worst part is, she can’t even go back home, where all her memories are.” Lives changed forever.

On Wednesday, terror struck the town again. 83 year old Hazel Linder was visiting with her 50 year old daughter Gena Linder Parks before they were both found bound and shot to death. I imagine what that must have been like. Knowing you’re about to die, and being powerless to stop it. My words may seem shocking, but so was seeing the picture of the killer’s latest victim. A beautiful 15 year old named Abby Tyler ruthlessly gunned down. She and her dad were closing up shop at the family’s furniture store on Thursday afternoon before the July fourth holiday. I wonder, did they see him coming? Did he look scary to them, or like any other customer who didn’t know it was closing time. Stephen Tyler died at the store, and his little girl clung to life for two days before she passed.

Now comes word that a suspect has been killed in Gastonia, South Carolina during a shootout with police. His vehicle fits the description of the one driven by the killer. South Carolina state investigators are at the scene determining if there’s a connection to the Gaffney killer. An eerie sketch of him is tacked to almost every pole, street lamp, and drive-thru window in town. Everyone is wondering,”Is it him?” and hoping and praying it is … so the town can breathe a collective sigh of relief together.

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by Courtney Walsh,  FNC Contract Reporter

Friday morning. The heartbreaking public funeral in the center of L’aquila has just ended.

The hardest part is seeing the little white coffins of the babies who’ve died, lying on top of their mothers coffins…a last embrace. (Of the 289 dead, more than 20 were children).

When the quake struck on Monday at 3:32 AM, I was jolted out of my bed in Rome, some 70 miles away.

My first thought was get the kids and go outside. But the rocking subsided shortly.

There was no information at all on the TV. I contacted FOX in New York and found out from the desk that the quake had hit Aquila.

For almost two hours there was still no news on Italian media. And no sleep, either, as colleagues from sky UK called for reports.

The day after the quake struck, I drove up with producer Mario Biasetti and reporter Greg Burke to Onna, a village of 300 outside of Aquila.

Here are a few photos from that day.

I interviewed many of the survivors who had slept in their cars, some still in their nightclothes, and were passing time in the tent set up in a field.

The emergency relief effort was impressive. There was food, basic necessities, but the terror was palpable.

One woman told me how she had been lying on a sofa nursing her 3 month old baby when she felt the quake hit. She grabbed the baby and raced out, just in time to see part of the house collapse.

Simona In the Tent With Her Baby

What would have happened if the baby hadn’t woken her up, she asked.

Just then an aftershock hit. We were both scared. She grabbed my hands and told me how she felt tremors all the time, even when there were none.

What are we going to do, where are we going to go, she asked.

Later that night I got a ride back to Rome with a colleague from The Washington Post.

The traffic snarled as many roads were blocked. Ambulances continued to speed around the city of Aquila.

But how fortunate we were, we kept repeating, with homes to go to, and our children  safe and snug in bed.

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Boy this better have been worth it. I’m sure that’s what a lot of people are thinking.  About the G20 summit that is.     Never have I seen London so turned on its head.   Convoy after convoy of top leaders whisking around the city.    As my cameraman Olaf asked, “Where the heck did they get all those motorcycles?”

The big newsmaker of course was not the twenty most important people in the world deciding the fate of our future.    It was four thousand scruffy kids and aging hippies making noise and a bit of mayhem.

I was rooted to my Buckingham Palace live shot position, so was spared most of the up close and personal of that.  But it seemed as pointless and anarchic as ever.

Except maybe not completely pointless.      The hooligans made a point of hitting out at the Royal Bank of Scotland branch for a reason.   It and its exiting CEO were beneficiaries of a massive UK bank bailout.  A practice even law-abiding folks in the States are getting a bit steamed up over.

No, as mentioned, I was on Queen watch.   President Obama and Michelle met Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh to be exact.    As I said in my live shot, it was arguably the high point of the Obamas’ visit.

He was actually early for a change and sneaked in without us barely noticing.  The video of the meeting has since been carefully scrutinized.   He gave her a two handed handshake. Ouch.  And she clasped hers behind her back.   Eeeek.   And an ipod as a gift?     Hopefully the greatest hits of Queen not included.

So here I sit overlooking the Excel Center as the G20 leaders wrap up their deliberations.     We already know what’s going to be in the final document.    A little bit of money and little bit of verbiage to appease everybody.   More or less.

And oh yes, one more chance for another scruffy bunch of protesters to keep a few thousand policemen occupied.

Hmmmm. Worth it?   Next time I recommend G20 Twitter.

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“Why?” That is the question residents of Southern Alabama keep asking in the wake of Tuesday’s shooting spree that has left 11 people (including the gunman) dead.

By all accounts, 28-year-old Michael McLendon was a soft-spoken, normal guy. He had no criminal record and, in fact, had worked briefly for the Samson, Ala. Police Department until he failed to pass training requirements.

Coffee County District Attorney Gary McAliley said investigators found a “target list” in the home McLendon shared with his mother Lisa McLendon.

The list apparently included the name of a food company that had recently laid off the 52-year-old woman. But, why then, would Michael McLendon want to kill his mother, covering her body with household items and setting them on fire?

Why would he target additional family members and then go on a, seemingly random, shooting spree before finally taking his own life?

The DA concedes that, with the gunman dead, we may never completely understand his motives.

In the Samson neighborhood where four of McLendon’s relatives died along with two neighbors — the wife of a sheriff’s deputy and her 18-month old daughter — residents are responding in different ways.

“From now on, I’m carrying a gun whenever I leave the house,” one neighbor told me. “If I’d had my gun with me when this happened, I might have been able to stop it.”

“Hug your children and keep telling them how proud of them you are” another neighbor said. “You can never take anything for granted.”

Local law enforcement officers have set up a fund to help the Deputy who lost his wife and daughter in the shooting spree. Donations to the Joshua Myers Family Fund can be sent to any branch of the Alabama Telco Credit Union.

Deputy Myers’s other daughter, who is only 4-months old, survived the shooting, but is hospitalized with serious injuries. Deputy Myers asked the community to pray for the infant’s recovery.

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This is Phil Keating on the scene in Tampa, Florida today for the highly anticipated “face the media” news conference with New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, the highest paid player in Major League Baseball history.  More than 200 representatives from the media showed up at George Steinbrenner Field, where the Yankees hold spring training, which is now underway.  A-Rod, a three-time American League MVP and A.L. leader in home-runs during the three seasons he was at the Texas Rangers, ’01, ’02, ’03.  As it turns out, these were years that he was juicing.  Sports Illustrated broke the story earlier this month that in 2003, he’d tested positive for testosterone and Primobolan, both currently banned by the league but not specifically at that time.

A-Rod confessed he and his cousin injected the steroids about two times a month, for 6 months during those three years.  He blames it in curiosity, immaturity and a desire to have more energy, under the pressure of having signed a 250-million dollar contract with the Rangers.

He says he’s sorry and that he will now participate in doing a nationwide anti-steroids campaign.  During his opening statement, he got to the very end where he said “and to my teammates…,” and as he looked over to the teammates gathered there in support, A-Rod clearly became almost overwhelmed and on the verge of tears.  He bit his lip.  He sat back.  He breathed.  He looked at the packed tent.  And, 37 absolutely silent seconds later, he leaned back up to the mic and said “….thank you.”

The day here, opening for Spring Training, absolutely gorgeous.  Cloudless skies, 74 degrees.  I think I am a little bit sunburned.  Life is good when you work out of the Miami Bureau!!

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One of the most unusual manhunts has come to an end.

Marcus Schrenker, the Indiana businessman accused of trying to fake his own death by parachuting out of a small plane, is under arrest in Florida. He’s also hospitalized after apparently trying to take his own life.

Late yesterday, Federal and local authorities discovered large amounts of blood around Schrenker’s tent in a remote campground, north of Tallahassee, Fla. They found Schrenker inside with a large cut on his left wrist, which investigators believe was self-inflicted.

Assistant Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Frank Chiumento was on the scene and describes what happened:

He wasn’t resistant physically, but he was verbally when he was muttering words… I took it where he was trying to say that he didn’t want any medical attention. He mentioned the word ‘die’ one or two times.

Authorities administered first aid at the scene. A helicopter flew Schrenker to a hospital in Tallahassee, where he is listed in fair condition.

Schrenker is expected to make a full recovery and face extradition to Indiana to answer charges of financial fraud.

The 38-year-old financial adviser is under investigation for allegedly selling investment products after his state license expired, and for allegedly redistributing some of his clients’ funds without their authorization.

Schrenker now faces additional charges stemming from allegations of making a fake distress call and intentionally crashing his plane. On Sunday, Schrenker radioed ground controllers that a cockpit window had imploded, spraying him with glass.

But when military pilots located the plane in flight before it crashed in the Florida Panhandle, they reported the windows undamaged  and the aircraft’s door open with no sign of anyone inside.

Authorities say Schrenker left the plane on auto-pilot and parachuted over central Alabama, where he reclaimed a motorcycle he had left at a storage facility the day before. Investigators say they found the motorcycle near Schrenker’s tent at the campsite in Florida.

Just hours before Schrenker’s arrest, his wife’s attorney released a written statement about another issue facing the Indiana businessman — the pending breakup of his marriage. Attorney Mary Schmid writes:

I represent Michelle Schrenker. Michelle first contacted me this past summer to discuss a divorce this past summer because her husband was having an affair.  At the time, she wanted to work on reconciling with her husband. However, he continued his affair. and, as a result, on December 30th 2008, she filed a petition for dissolution of her marriage from Marcus Schrenker. Her decision to file for divorce was based on her husband’s infidelity and in no way was based on the investment fraud of which he is accused.  In fact, Michelle first learned of the allegations against him when, on December 31st 2008, the police and investigators came to her door to search her home. To Michelle’s dismay, at the time her home was being searched, Marcus was in Florida with his girlfriend. Clearly, Michelle and her three young children are victim’s of this man’s deceitfulness as well. She is not guilty of anything other than trusting her husband of 13 years. Everyone should remember that Michelle and her children are suffering through a terrible time right now. Through no fault of their own, they are having to deal with the repercussion’s of this man’s behavior and will be doing so for a long time to come.

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Update 4:17 pm in Gaza: I moved to a hotel in Ashkelon. I got to the room at 7am my time after hitting the “Geraldo at Large” show last night. By 11 the sirens and rocket strikes got me out of bed. I have my little handicam in the room. Producer Ian Rafferty and I chased after some of the grad strikes earlier.

It took us a while to get back to the hotel because the sirens kept wailing warning of new inbound rockets. We had to keep jumping out of the car and taking cover. The car doesn’t protect you from a rocket strike. The shrapnel can cut right through the doors and break the windows.

I got back and tried to sleep. No luck.  I read the wires and watched other newscasts. Now, I’m starting to feel a little tired.

Keep checking back for updates from Gaza – There’s more to come!

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3:00- drove back down to Gaza border.

4:20 – arrived to find art and air strikes “softening” the ground. A strange new smoke bomb was fired laying out fog by Gaza border.

5:30 – Eli fastman and I drive to see tank unit that had been staging near Erez crossing.

5:39 – Tanks are moving. We shoot with my little handheld video camera.

6:00 – We’re back at LIVE location. Air strikes and Artillery shake the night sky.

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UPDATES LIVE FROM THE GAZA BORDER

6:00 – We changed the location of our live shot. The hilltop spot doesn’t show anything in the dark. It was also dangerous. Lots of rocket fire today. We moved to Sderot. It is the town most frequently targeted and we’ll see something in the background.

4:45 – I’m driving to catch a few minutes of the Livni briefing. The red alert sounds warning of an incoming rocket. I’m close to a bomb shelter. I leave the car running and take cover.

2:46 – Israel’s security cabinet adjourns. The 48 hour cease fire has been rejected.  I get an e-mail from the foreign press association that the border crossing into Gaza is still closed. There may be an opportunity for pool reporters to go in. I want to get into Gaza. I don’t feel like I’m close enough to this story.
My right thumb hurts. With a cast on my broken left hand, I write everything on my BB with my right thumb. That’s a lot of thumb work.

2:15 - Arrive in Sderot. FM Tzippi Livni is having a press conference. I was told at 3:00. Now I learn it’s at 5:00. I won’t be able to make it. I run into my buddy Avi Issakarov, a respected reporter for Haaretz newspaper. We have coffee and discuss how this reminds us of the 2nd Lebanon war. “Same S—” says Avi. Only more rain this time.

12:30 – I drive for sderot and call my mother. She doesn’t answer. I call an advisor to the PA, Diana Bhuttu. She says Hamas is winning the PR game amongst their Gaza constituents. I call ahead to my favorite little Yemeni restaurant on the way and get a spicy Yemenite chicken sandwich to go.

11:45 – I have time for a haircut. Call Nael in Gaza on the way. He tells me Hamas gunmen are really feeling their hubris.  The Gaza public does not blame them for inviting the offensive, they support Hamas.

11:00 – It’s raining. I check with bureau chief Eli Fastman. The military operations are slow. The rocket teams are having a field day. The clouds provide them cover. Planes can’t see them very well. They let wave after wave of rockets fly. The Israeli tanks sit Idle. The rain turns desert dirt into soup. They could get stuck and become sitting ducks for RPGs or anti-tank missiles.  If the ground offensive was planned for today, it will wait.  Eli + I predict the 48 hour cease fire proposal will be rejected.

10:20 – I made coffee and checked the papers on line. The tone of the Israeli columnists has changed. They have all taken a critical tone of the Government and the Gaza operation.

10:00 am – I hit Greta’s show last night at 5:49 am my time. I intended to sleep longer but my phone was jumping off the nightstand.

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Keep checking back for updates from the Gaza border!

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We visited the site where the terrorists sailed in from.

Check it out in the video below:

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By Phil Keating

I’m here, in the land of the infamous 2000 confusing butterfly ballot.

In Florida today, thanks to massive early voting, is for the most part an example of how it is supposed to go on Election Day.  A few long lines, a few equipment problems, but overall, an easy day for voters. We were at a fire station polling precinct and there were rarely more than 3 people voting. Compare that to the lines of early voters (in 20-times fewer locations) where the waits were 1, 3 and on Sunday in Broward county, a 6 hour wait. The skies have cleared, Venus and the Moon are in the sky and the county canvassing commission is tabulating the absentee votes.

10 counties in the panhandle of Florida are in the Central Time Zone, so no numbers come out of Fla until 8 eastern.

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People on the beach taking advantage of the day!

The trees were blowing and it was raining hard this morning at 5 am when we reported for our first live shots.  What a difference a few hours makes!  Hanna wasn’t expected to be a big storm or hang around very long and she lived up to that forecast.  By Noon, there was barely a cloud in the sky and the beach is filled with people taking advantage of the sun, blue skies and slight breeze.

While walking the beach and looking for someone to take my picture in the ocean, I bumped into Paula and Jay Morris from Raleigh, NC.  I asked them to snap a shot of me, but quickly realized they had an interesting story to tell, so I turned the camera on them.  Jay and Paula were just married in Minnesota last week — that’s where Paula grew up.  Initially, like many newlyweds, they planned to go to Cancun for a honeymoon.  But their plans were canceled because of Hurricane Gustav.  Paula and Jay decided instead to stay close to home and as far away from Gustav as they could.  So they made their way to Myrtle Beach, not realizing that a smaller storm named Hanna was attempting to wreck their Plan B Honeymoon.

Good news for the Jay, Paula and everyone else on the Carolina Coast that Hanna was a very minor storm.  Twelve hours after landfall and you wouldn’t even know she was ever here.  The beaches are busy, the pool is full and life is back to normal here on the Grand Strand of South Carolina.  What a perfect day to cover the aftermath of a Tropical Storm.

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