US declares public health emergency over spread of swine flu

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today at a news conference that the U.S. has declared a public health emergency in light of the swine flu outbreak. The total number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States stands at 20.

Secretary Napolitano said that the United States’ declaration follows suit with the “standard operating procedure” of such an outbreak to make more government resources available to combat the disease. One direct result of the declaration is the government’s mobilization of approximately 12 million doses of Tamiflu to locations where the states can quickly access their share of the medication if needed.

Secretary Napolitano urged residents not to panic saying that the government is issuing a “declaration of emergency preparedness.” Secretary Napolitano added, “Really that’s what we’re doing right now. We’re preparing in an environment where we really don’t know ultimately what the size of seriousness of this outbreak is going to be.”

John Brennan, a Homeland Security assistant, added that “at this point, a top priority is to ensure that communication is robust and that medical surveillance efforts are fully activated.”

This afternoon, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reported that 8 students from the St. Francis Prepatory School in Queens, New York have contracted the swine flu. All in all, more than 100 students from that high school were absent last week with flu-like symptoms.

Meanwhile, public health officials in Ohio today announced one confirmed case of swine flu in the state. Thus far, California has reported 7 confirmed cases of swine flu, while Kansas and Texas have each reported two confirmed cases.

At the same news conference Dr. Richard Besser, the acting director from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said to expect additional cases of swine flu to be reported in the short term. Dr. Besser added that the U.S. could also start seeing cases of the disease where the effects are more dramatic: “We’re going to see more severe disease in this country”. So far, no one in the U.S. has died from swine flu.

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Shaving Your Face Is An Art Form And So Is Male Skin Care

By Jayne Miller

Shaving a mans face is truly an art form. Well, shaving a mans face without producing rashes, cuts, and dry leathery skin is an art form. Ask any professional barber. For those men who want to get the most out of a ritual that they will repeat 20 thousand times during the course of their lives there are great shaving and skin care products available to them.

Shaving is no doubt a chore that probably no man enjoys, unless he is getting paid for it. Here are a few tips to help you get the best result out of shaving your face.

Shave in the shower. Shaving after you have soaked yourself in the shower prepares your skin for the best shave. Hot steamy showers open pores and plump them up.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oEefhBXJOU[/youtube]

Face scrubs. Believe it or not, a mild face scrub will help prime hair follicles and raise hair stubs for a closer shave. It also helps prevent ingrown hairs.

Moisten your skin with a high-end shaving product. For a close shave, a man needs something that will produce a slick lubricating surface to prevent the blades from scraping the skin.

Use a sharp blade. Yes, having to buy overly-priced razor blades should be a crime but do it anyway. Shave gently; pressing down with the razor does not give you a closer shave. Do not pull the skin tight and shave with downward strokes in the direction of beard growth. Try not to repeat strokes; if you simply must, reapply your high-end shaving product to re-lubricate your skin. These tips will help prevent ingrown hairs, aka razor bumps.

Dont put stinging aftershaves on your freshly shaved mug. If it stings, tingles, or makes your face numb, dont use it. This includes products containing alcohol, menthol, and peppermint.

Last step: use a soothing and moisturizing product after you shave to calm irritation and add needed moisture. It may sound like a girly thing to do but you will see and enjoy the positive results from using a good product.

There are really great products on the market to help men through the daily ritual of shaving and for basic skin care. They are formulated for mens skin and have fragrances designed to please male olfactory senses. Adding a basic skin care regimen to complement good shaving practices really involves adding a good cleanser and toner, plus using a face scrub at least once a week (remember, face scrubs help provide a closer shave).

There are many brands of shaving and skin care products for men. One of the oldest established brands is Truefitt & Hill, established by barber William Truefitt in London, England, in 1805, who became so well known in the art of shaving that King George III appointed him court barber. The Art of Shaving is a new popular brand that is aromatherapy-based and specifically blended for every skin type. Order these high-end shaving and skin care products online at Heroes and Legacies, http://www.heroesandlegacies.com/index.shtml.

About the Author: Jayne Miller is a freelance writer and marketing consultant from Austin, Texas. She has been associated with Heroes and Legacies for several years. Visit their website at

heroesandlegacies.com/index.shtml

.

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Wikinews interviews Democratic candidate for the Texas 6th congressional district special election Daryl Eddings, Sr’s campaign manager

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Wikinews extended invitations by e-mail on March 23 to multiple candidates running in the Texas’ 6th congressional district special election of May 1 to fill a vacancy left upon the death of Republican congressman Ron Wright. Of them, the office of Democrat Daryl Eddings, Sr. agreed to answer some questions by phone March 30 about their campaigns and policies. The following is the interview with Ms Chatham on behalf of Mr Eddings, Sr.

Eddings is a federal law enforcement officer and senior non-commissioned officer in the US military. His experience as operations officer of an aviation unit in the California National Guard includes working in Los Angeles to control riots sparked by the O. J. Simpson murder case and the police handling of Rodney King, working with drug interdiction teams in Panama and Central America and fighting in the Middle East. He is the founder of Operation Battle Buddy, which has under his leadership kept in touch with over 20 thousand veterans and their families. He was born in California, but moved to Midlothian, Texas. He endeavours to bring “good government, not no government”. Campaign manager Faith Chatham spoke to Wikinews on matters ranging from healthcare to housing.

An Inside Elections poll published on March 18 shows Republican candidate Susan Wright, the widow of Ron Wright, is ahead by 21% followed by Democrat Jana Sanchez with 17% and Republican Jake Ellzey with 8% with a 4.6% margin of error among 450 likely voters. The district is considered “lean Republican” by Inside Elections and voted 51% in favour of Donald Trump in last year’s US presidential election. This is down from 54% for Trump in 2016’s presidential election, the same poll stated.

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How To Make Your Breasts Grow Bigger And Faster Naturally

By Xiella Andrews

You could be looking for pieces of reliable information how to make your breasts grow bigger and faster naturally. There is nothing wrong with that, neither is it something to be surprised about. Lots of women nowadays are preferring natural methods to synthetics and invasive techniques. Breast augmentation used to be the only means you could have bigger breasts, and even though it is still widely popular among actresses, models, and those who can afford the procedure, it does not come without certain risks. Given the economic situation, too, looking for ways how to make your breasts grow bigger and faster naturally is not at all strange.

By and large, you must have heard of breast massages, specifically those that enhance the breasts. A breast massage, besides being a good way to detect breast lumps or other abnormalities, is also very useful when you want to have naturally bigger breasts. To do an effective breast massage, push from the nipple down using three of your fingers. Use light to moderate pressure only as you would not want to impede the flow of blood going to the breast area. Proceed with the next step, that is, to lightly massage your breasts. Form a cup with your two hands and hold one of your breasts in it. Then light massage it as if your are kneading a pizza dough.

Do the same thing with the other breast. Make sure not to apply too much pressure. This step should not hurt; if it does, stop immediately. Completing this step makes you ready for the next one, and this involves cupping your breast again and then twisting it clockwise and then counter-clockwise for ten times for each breast. Now move your palms downwards, your fingers rubbing the sides of your breast. Keep away from the nipple as much as possible, though. Go over these steps again and again, until you already know each step by heart. Don’t attempt to do a breast massage if you cannot follow these steps to the letter as this could backfire. So instead of having bigger breasts, you might end up with deformed ones.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpbsA_N8KCY[/youtube]

Doing breast exercises will also help to give your breasts a lift. There are lots of breast exercises around, and it is always wise to start with those which you think are easy enough for you to do. This should keep you motivated to continue on with the program. You have to remember always that breast exercises have to be done at least three times a week, if you cannot do them every day. This means that once you have gotten into an exercise program, make sure that you go through with it long enough for you to see results. You cannot engage in breast exercises this week and then forget about them the following week – this is simply not going to work.

Actually, it also goes the same thing with breast massages. They, too, have to be done regularly, otherwise you will not be seeing your desired results in due time. So when you think of all these, if you want to know how to make your breasts grow bigger and faster naturally, the very first thing you must work on is your attitude, then doing all these techniques will not be so difficult for you.

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Jawbone found in Aruba is not Natalee Holloway’s

Thursday, November 25, 2010

A jawbone found in Aruba is not that of missing American Natalee Holloway, who was a recent high school-graduate at the time of her disappearance. Officials confirmed the news after Dutch scientists completed tests on the bone. The jawbone, which also had a wisdom tooth with it, was found by an American tourist close to the Phoenix Hotel. A second bone had also been found by another tourist earlier this month.

The bone was sent to the Netherlands Forensic Institute where scientists completed tests. They compared the bone to dental records given to them by Natalee’s father, from which they confirmed the the bone was not that of Natalee, although it was human. It was said to be unlikely that the bone was Holloway’s as there is no physical evidence that she was murdered.

Beth accepts the forensic conclusions, is emotionally exhausted from the inexplicably long wait, and deeply disappointed in the time and manner in which she learned of the results.

Taco Stein, the Aruban Solicitor General, released a statement after the announcement was made. He commented on the speed of the identification; he said that they had quickly ruled out Holloway because her records had shown that she had her wisdom teeth previously removed.

Tim Miller, the Director of the Texas EquuSearch, released a statement after talking to Natalee’s father. He said “Dave [Natalee’s father] has been in contact with Aruban authorities and spoke with FBI this morning, the agent working the case. Dave believes it is Natalee.”

An attorney for Natalee’s mother, Beth Twitty, released a statement saying “Beth accepts the forensic conclusions, is emotionally exhausted from the inexplicably long wait, and deeply disappointed in the time and manner in which she learned of the results.” He commented on the Aruban authorities saying that “Apparently Aruban prosecutors were more sensitive to media concerns than the painful vigil of a mother.”

Natalee Holloway disappeared on the island in 2005 while on a school trip. She was last seen leaving a nightclub with three men, one of which was later identified as Joran van der Sloot. Van der Sloot was detained twice by police but has never been charged with Holloway’s disappearance. He is currently in Peru facing a different murder charge. Aruban authorities have said that they are checking neighboring islands to find a match for other missing persons.

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US swimmer Phelps suspended over ‘pot pipe’

Friday, February 6, 2009

United States swimmer Michael Phelps has been banned from competition and his training stipend revoked for three months by USA Swimming after Phelps was photographed smoking from a glass pipe, often used for smoking cannabis. The picture was published last Sunday by British tabloid News of the World.

USA Swimming, which is the governing body of swimming in the United States, however said that no “anti-doping” rules had been violated.

“This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero,” it stated. “Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust.”

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The suspension will end in time for Phelps to train for the US Championships, which are to be held on the 7th of July.

Phelps has also lost sponsor Kellogg, who said that it would not renew its deal with the swimmer next month.

Phelps won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing last year, and has since become one of the world’s most famous athletes.

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U.S. Coast Guard investigation finds ‘poor safety culture’ contributed to Deepwater Horizon disaster

Sunday, April 24, 2011

An investigation by the United States Coast Guard has concluded the largest oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry was partly the result of a “poor safety culture” aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The April 2010 explosion aboard the rig, which is located in the Gulf of Mexico, triggered a disaster that led to widespread environmental damage.

The report squarely blames Transocean, which managed the Deepwater Horizon, for being largely responsible for the explosion that claimed eleven lives. The rig had “serious safety management system failures and a poor safety culture,” the report says. Transocean fiercely rejected allegations that crews aboard the rig were badly trained and equipment was poorly maintained.

Deepwater Horizon and its owner, Transocean, had serious safety management system failures and a poor safety culture.

A slapdash safety environment on Deepwater Horizon would mean equipment was not mended or replaced if it meant losing valuable hours of drilling, the Coast Guard found. Electrical equipment believed to have caused a spark that ignited flammable gas was described as being in “bad condition” and “seriously corroded.” The report found that other deficiencies—improperly assembled gas detectors and emergency equipment; audible alarms switched off because of nuisance false warnings; complacency with fire drills; and poor preparation for dealing with a well blowout—all contributed to the disaster.

Transocean attacked the report’s conclusions and suggested the Coast Guard may have played a role in the disaster. A spokesperson for the company said Deepwater Horizon had been inspected by Coast Guard officials only months before the explosion, officials who said it complied with safety standards. “We strongly disagree with—and documentary evidence in the Coast Guard’s possession refutes—key findings in this report,” the company said.

This week, Deepwater Horizon owner BP launched legal action against Transocean. It also filed a lawsuit against Halliburton, the company that cemented the well, and Cameron, which manufactured the rig’s failed blowout preventer. BP is reportedly seeking to claim US$40 billion in damages, and alleges it has taken a massive financial hit and loss of reputation. In a statement, BP said it filed the lawsuits “to ensure that all parties … are appropriately held accountable for their roles in contributing to the Deepwater Horizon accident”.

In the lawsuit against Transocean, BP claims the company missed signs that a disaster was imminent and that it “materially breached its contractual duties in its actions and inactions leading to the loss of well control, the explosion and the loss of life and injuries onboard the Deepwater Horizon, as well as the resulting oil spill.” Halliburton, BP alleges, was riddled with “improper conduct, errors and omissions, including fraud and concealment” which led to the disaster, and continues to refuse to cooperate with investigators.

Transocean dismissed the lawsuit as “desperate” and “unconscionable,” and announced a countersuit against BP, which it claims was responsible for the disaster “through a series of cost-saving decisions that increased risk, in some cases severely.” Halliburton and Cameron, which is also countersuing, announced they would defend themselves against BP’s allegations.

U.S. President Barack Obama marked the anniversary of the explosion by conceding that although “progress” has been made to ensure the safety of deep water drilling rigs, “the job isn’t done.” Obama’s comments came less than a week after leading experts raised serious questions over the security of deep water drilling as the U.S. government approves more exploration without improving safety measures.

Charles Perrow, a professor at Yale University, said the oil industry “is ill prepared at the least” to deal with another oil spill, despite repeated assurances from the industry and the government, which insists lessons have been learned from the Deepwater Horizon disaster. “I have seen no evidence that they have marshaled containment efforts that are sufficient to deal with another major spill,” he said. “Even if everybody tries very hard, there is going to be an accident caused by cost-cutting and pressure on workers. These are moneymaking machines and they make money by pushing things to the limit.”

However, politicians have insisted they are doing all they can to help clean the coast of oil. “Cleanup efforts in some places are still ongoing, and the full scale of the damage done to our state has yet to be calculated, but the good news is that most all of our fishing waters are back open again,” said Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal at a press conference. “All of us here today want the entire nation to get the message that Louisiana is making another historic comeback.”

I don’t see any hope at all. We thought we’d see hope after a year, but there’s nothing.

Gulf Coast residents, activists and relatives of the crewmen who were killed in the explosion paused this week for the anniversary of the oil spill’s beginning. A helicopter took the victims’ families from New Orleans to over the site where the rig stood, where it circled. “It was just a little emotional, seeing where they were,” said one victim’s mother. Remembrance services and candlelight vigils were held in the Gulf Coast region, which continues to suffer from the fallout of the catastrophe. The families have expressed anger at BP, who they say is being unfair and slow in paying out compensation from a $20 billion fund.

The area is still heavily affected by the disaster and reconstruction of the seafood industry that once thrived is slow. While tourists are beginning to return to the region, many are angry at BP and the Obama administration over how they handled the disaster. All the fishing waters in the area have now opened again, but people who live in the area remain dissatisfied. “I don’t see any daylight at the end of this tunnel,” one fisherwoman said. “I don’t see any hope at all. We thought we’d see hope after a year, but there’s nothing.”

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Six Wood Refinishing Products Which Can Enhance The Life Of Your Fine Furniture!}

Six Wood Refinishing Products Which Can Enhance the Life of Your Fine Furniture!

by

AnuradhaInstall a wooden floor is one of the best ideas to add value and style to a house. Once a customer identifies the quality of flooring, it is suggested that they can hire a home reformation company to install the material to obtain maximum value. Sometimes, the company will need to apply wood refinishing products to enhance appearance and durability of the floor.

Here are some different types of wood floor refinishing products. You can purchase them online or offline from the company.

– Oil Modified Urethane:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88b9T16TQgE[/youtube]

Oil-modified urethane is one of the highly developed wood floor finishing products in the market. Homeowners and home renovation professionals prefer it because it is easy to utilize and long-lasting. It is made from a mixture of synthetic resins, film forming elements, and plasticizers that increase the floor’s moisture resistance capability.

– Water-Based Urethane:

Water-based urethane is also made from the same ingredients that used to make oil modified urethane. The minor difference between these two products is that water-based urethane has dries faster, milder odor, and is more costly. An additional primary feature that puts it separate from other wood finishing products is that it generates different levels of polish.

– Penetrating Sealers:

As its name, this product is customized to seal the floor thereby avoiding penetration of water. Many sealers are made from fortified and linseed oil with additives to enhance its drying properties and inflexibility. Aside from sealing the surface, these sealers can also be used to stain hardwood floors.

– Moisture-Cured Urethane:

Moisture-cured urethane is one of the most strong finishes products on the market because it has an advanced moisture resistant ability than other similar wood floor finishing products in the market. It is available in both yellowish and non-yellowing varieties, so selecting the right variety for your floor will not be difficult. The only shortcoming of this product is that it is difficult to apply. For this reason, it is necessary to hire home renovation experts who have the vital skills and proficiency. It is also important to remember that it is self-curing, means it soaks up a small quantity of vapor and moisture from the air, which allows it to harden and dry faster.

– Paste Wax:

This finishing product is very easy to apply, easy to repair, affordable, and can durable for decades. The paste wax will enter deep into the wooden products and create a protective cover to secure the furniture from moisture damage and staining. After the request, the expert will burnish it to the desired polish to get uniform results.

– Vanish:

Old-fashioned natural varnishes were commonly used before the introduction of urethane-based finishes products into the wooden market. They are made from vegetable oils by using modern systems.

These six products are the most reliable and common wood refinishing products

that one can use after laying down with new flooring. Due to the complex submission steps that should be taken, it is sensible to hire a skilled person that is legally certified, trustworthy, and reliable.

WRP is America’s leading distributor of

wood finishing products

, Mohawk refinishing, mohawk stains, mohawk coatings, mohawk touch up and wood repair products.

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Satirist Stephen Colbert runs for U.S. President

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

The American satirist Stephen Colbert has announced that he will run for the Presidency of the United States. He made his announcement on his mock news show The Colbert Report.

However, Colbert said that he would only run in his home state of South Carolina as a favorite son. He also said that he would represent both major political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. It is not known how far Colbert will go with his character during his electoral run.

Colbert has hosted The Colbert Report, a spin-off to another satirical television series, The Daily Show, since its creation in 2005. “I didn’t have a job back then. I wonder what it was like to have a job back then. I am sure I could ask a dentist or a surgeon. He would know.” On the show he plays a right-wing political pundit, based on real-life pundits such as Bill O’Reilly and Stone Phillips. Colbert has been credited with popularizing certain words such as “Truthiness”, meaning to believe something intuitively, without regard for actual facts, logic or evidence.

Filling in for New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd on Sunday, Colbert wrote: “I am not ready to announce yet — even though it’s clear that the voters are desperate for a white, male, middle-aged, Jesus-trumpeting alternative.”

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Race to save Chilean miners trapped underground from spiralling into depression continues

Thursday, September 2, 2010

It has emerged that the 33 Chilean miners trapped underground after the mine they were working in collapsed could be brought to the surface in a shorter time than was initially feared. While officials publicly announced that the men would not be brought to the surface until Christmas, sources inside technical meetings have revealed that they could in fact be on the surface by early November. The news comes as families were allowed to speak by radio-telephone to their trapped loved ones on Sunday. Over the weekend, video images filmed by the miners emerged showing the miners playing dominoes at a table and singing the Chilean national anthem. The miners also used the camera to send video messages to their families on the surface, saying that they regularly broke into tears, but were feeling better having received food and water.

The grainy nightvision images, filmed on a high definition camcorder that was sent down a small shaft to the mine, show the men in good spirits, chanting “long live Chile, and long live the miners.” They are unshaven and stripped to the waist because of the heat underground, and are seen wearing white clinical trousers that have been designed to keep them dry. Giving a guided tour of the area they are occupying, Mario Sepúlveda, one of the miners, explains they have a “little cup to brush our teeth”, and a place where they pray each day. “We have everything organized,” he tells the camera. Gesturing to the table in the center of the room, he says that “we meet here every day. We plan, we have assemblies here every day so that all the decisions we make are based on the thoughts of all 33.” Another unidentified miner asks to rescuers, “get us out of here soon, please.” A thermometer is shown in the video, reading 29.5C (85F).

As the film continues, it becomes evident that the miners have stuck a poster of a topless woman on the wall. The miners appear shy, and one man puts his hand to his face, presumably dazzled by the light mounted on the cameraman’s helmet. One miner sent a message to his family. “Be calm”, he says. “We’re going to get out of here. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your efforts.” Another said that the miners are “sure that there are people here in Chile that are big people, that are powerful people, that are intelligent people, and they have the technology and they will all work together to get us out of here.” Speaking to the camera, one says: “we have had the great fortune that trapped in this mine there are good, professional people. We have electricians, we have mechanics, we have machine operators and we will let you know that while you are working to rescue us on the surface, we are down here ready to help you too.” It has been reported that Mario Gómez, 63, has become the group’s “spiritual leader”, having worked in the mines for over fifty years. He has requested that materials to build a shrine be sent down to the cavern.

Upon seeing the video in a private screening, family members, who are living in a small village of tents at the entrance to the San José copper-gold mine—which they have named Camp Hope—were elated. “He’s skinny, bearded and it was painful to see him with his head hanging down, but I am so happy to see him alive”, said Ruth Contreras, the mother of Carlos Bravo, who is trapped in the mine. The video, of which only a small portion has been released to the public, shows the miners, many of them wearing helmets, cracking jokes and thanking the rescuers for their continued efforts. The supplies are being sent to the men through a small shaft only twelve centimeters wide, and a laboratory has been set up with the purpose of designing collapsible cots and miniature sandwiches, which can be sent down such a narrow space.

CNN reported on Friday that “officials are splitting the men into two shifts so one group sleeps while the other works or has leisure time .. On average, each man has lost 22 pounds (10 kilograms) since they became trapped three weeks ago, and dehydration remains a threat. But a survey of the men indicates that at least nine miners are still too overweight to fit through the proposed rescue shaft. Initially, the miners survived by draining water from a water-cooled piece of equipment. To stay hydrated in the 90-degree mine, each miner must drink eight or nine pints of water per day.”

But while there are jubilant celebrations on the surface that the miners are alive, officials are now nervous that the miners could become depressed, trapped in a dark room the size of a small apartment. Chilean health minister Jaime Mañalich said that, on the video, he saw the telltale signs of depression. “They are more isolated, they don’t want to be on the screen, they are not eating well”, he said. “I would say depression is the correct word.” He said that doctors who had watched the video had observed the men suffering from “severe dermatological problems.” Dr. Rodrigo Figueroa, head of the trauma, stress and disaster unit at the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile, explained that “following the euphoria of being discovered, the normal psychological reaction would be for the men to collapse in a combination of fatigue and stress … People who are trained for emergencies – like these miners – tend to minimize their own needs or to ignore them. When it is time to ask for help, they don’t.” NASA has advised emergency workers that entertaining the miners would be a good idea. They are to be sent a television system complete with taped football matches. Another dilemma facing Mañalich is whether the miners should be permitted to smoke underground. While nicotine gum has been delivered to the miners, sending down cigarettes is a plan that has not been ruled out.

With the news that drilling of the main rescue tunnel was expected to begin on Monday, officials have informed the media that they hope to have the miners out of the mine by Christmas—but sources with access to technical meetings have suggested that the miners could actually be rescued by the first week of November. A news report described the rescue plan—”the main focus is a machine that bores straight down to 688m and creates a chimney-type duct that could be used to haul the miners out one by one in a rescue basket. A second drilling operation will attempt to intercept a mining tunnel at a depth of roughly 350m. The miners would then have to make their way through several miles of dark, muddy tunnels and meet the rescue drill at roughly the halfway point of their current depth of 688m.” Iván Viveros Aranas, a Chilean policeman working at Camp Hope, told reporters that Chile “has shown a unity regardless of religion or social class. You see people arriving here just to volunteer, they have no relation at all to these families.”

But over the weekend, The New York Times reported that the “miners who have astonished the world with their discipline a half-mile underground will have to aid their own escape — clearing 3,000 to 4,000 tons of rock that will fall as the rescue hole is drilled, the engineer in charge of drilling said Sunday … The work will require about a half-dozen men working in shifts 24 hours a day.” Andrés Sougarret, a senior engineer involved in operating the drill said that “the miners are going to have to take out all that material as it falls.”

The families of those trapped were allowed to speak to them by radio-telephone on Sunday—a possibility that brought reassurance both the miners and those on the surface. The Intendant of the Atacama Region, Ximena Matas, said that there had been “moments of great emotion.” She continued to say that the families “listened with great interest and they both felt and realized that the men are well. This has been a very important moment, which no doubt strengthens their [the miners’] morale.” The phone line is thought to be quite temperamental, but it is hoped that soon, those in the mine and those in Camp Hope will be able to talk every day. “To hear his voice was a balm to my heart … He is aware that the rescue is not going to happen today, that it will take some time. He asked us to stay calm as everything is going to be OK … He sounded relaxed and since it was so short I didn’t manage to ask anything. Twenty seconds was nothing”, said said Jessica Cortés, who spoke to her husband Víctor Zamora, who was not even a miner, but a vehicle mechanic. “He went in that day because a vehicle had broken down inside the mine … At first they told us he had been crushed [to death].”

Esteban Rojas sent up a letter from inside the mine, proposing to his long-time partner Jessica Yáñez, 43. While they have officially been married for 25 years, their wedding was a civil service—but Rojas has now promised to have a church ceremony which is customary in Chile. “Please keep praying that we get out of this alive. And when I do get out, we will buy a dress and get married,” the letter read. Yáñez told a newspaper that she thought he was never going to ask her. “We have talked about it before, but he never asked me … He knows that however long it takes, I’ll wait for him, because with him I’ve been through good and bad.”

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