News Brief: Alaska Governor Declares Emergency Disaster; Apple Juice Product Recalled Due to Arsenic Levels; WHO Launches Global Mpox Strategy

Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some thought-provoking stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
A deadly landslide in Alaska prompts an emergency disaster declaration, the families of the 13 service members killed in Afghanistan three years ago will be honored by Congress, and one brand of apple juice sold by Walmart is being recalled in several states. Also, snow in California has some eyebrows raised, and the World Health Organization launches a global strategy targeting a potentially deadly virus.
Ketchikan, which is located in southeastern Alaska, is about 300 miles south of Juneau, the state’s capital. The city had a population of nearly 8,200 in the 2020 Census.
The National Weather Service (NWS) also issued a special weather announcement saying that more than two and a half inches of rain drenched the city over a 36-hour period, and between 5 and 9 inches of rain soaked the mountains near Ketchikan, causing the landslide.
Dunleavy is also directing state agencies to make all resources and staff available for the emergency response effort.
By the way, Ketchikan’s mayor, Dave Kiffer, issued a separate declaration of emergency after the natural disaster. He said that the loss of life in the landslide was “heartbreaking,” and his heart goes out to those who lost their homes. Kiffer went on to say that in his 65 years in Ketchikan, he’s never seen a landslide of this magnitude.
You should know that the slide caused several road closures and major power outages, some of which have been restored. Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Department of Transportation will head to the disaster area to evaluate whether a federal response is needed.
You should also know that officials remain concerned about the possibility of a second landslide near the original area and an evacuation order for certain areas of Ketchikan remain in effect.
You should know that this award is the equivalent of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is America’s highest civilian award, and the Sept. 10 event will be held in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
The 13 service members were killed in the blast at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, which also killed dozens of Afghan citizens. To refresh your memory, ISIS-K, the South-Central Asia affiliate of ISIS, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the suicide blast.
To commemorate the third anniversary of the bombing yesterday, former President Donald Trump laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend; however, Biden issued a statement describing the 13 as “patriots in the highest sense“ and that ”we owe them and their families a sacred debt we will never be able to fully repay.”
Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, also issued a statement saying the service members represented the best of America.
Once again, this significant ceremony will be taking place in just a few weeks.
Arsenic is one of 10 chemicals that the World Health Organization (WHO) has listed as being of major public concern. According to the WHO, arsenic is a natural component of the earth’s crust, but its inorganic form can be “highly toxic” to humans and is a confirmed carcinogen, meaning it’s a type of substance that can cause cancer.
You should know that the recall was issued in 25 states, including Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, the District of Columbia, South Carolina, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and Tennessee, among others. The recalled items are sold at Walmart stores in these states and have a “Best If Used By” date of Dec. 28, 2024.
The FDA labeled this recall as “Class II” last week, indicating that the product “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.” They have not said whether there have been any reports of illnesses related to the apple juice.
Interesting to note, the FDA made an announcement last year saying that the action level for inorganic arsenic in apple juice should be 10 parts per billion and that while arsenic cannot be completely removed from the food supply, its levels can be reduced through changes in manufacturing.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus says that the mpox outbreak, which originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, can be controlled and stopped.
Yesterday, WHO officials announced their plan, which they say will focus on several things including implementing comprehensive surveillance, prevention, readiness, and response strategies—as well as advancing research and equitable access to medical countermeasures like diagnostic tests and vaccines; minimizing animal-to-human transmission; and empowering communities to actively participate in outbreak prevention and control.
The plan also includes a “strategic vaccination” campaign over a six-month period, beginning this September and lasting through February 2025.
You should know they define strategic vaccination efforts as targeting people at the highest risk of contracting the virus, including those who’ve had close contact with people recently diagnosed, as well as health care workers.
Interesting to note, since January 2023, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported more than 27,000 suspected mpox cases and more than 1,300 deaths.
By the way, just two weeks ago, the U.N. health agency declared mpox to be a public health emergency of international concern.
Pictures showed a high-elevation blanket of white dust on Mount Rainier in Washington along with a dusting of snow at Minaret Vista, a lookout point southeast of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The National Weather Service says it also snowed at Mammoth Mountain, a popular ski resort in that same area.
You should know that Madera County Deputy Sheriff Larry Rich said it was “definitely unexpected” to see snow at Minaret Vista in August.
Also over the weekend, record rainfall moved through Redding, Red Bluff, and Stockton in Northern California and Northern Nevada. The rain prompted officials at the annual Burning Man festival to close the entrance gate for most of Saturday.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Tuesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
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Before we go, today is National Banana Lovers Day. A sliced banana with watermelon is a stellar treat, as is banana nut bread with a cup of coffee.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
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Enjoy the remainder of your Tuesday and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another, and have an absolutely superb day today! Bye for now.