>> on "america tonight": how did it happen? a dallas health worker becomes the first in the u.s. to contract ebola while trying to help a sick patient. are u.s. health officials doing enough fast enough do they know enough to protect us? fears from the airport gates to hospital corridors. >> we're anxious every day. i look at the reports about our monitoring of people and it's a concerning thing. >> with "america tonight's" adam may in dallas, a city reeling with questions about how to stop

ebola from spreading. also ahead, an "america tonight" investigation. they worked on one of the nation's most critical nuclear projects at what became the most contaminated site in america. now as they suffer serious illnesses and beg for help the government has turned them away. >> that's what they're waiting to do. they don't want to take care of you. they want you to die. >> "america tonight's" lori jane gliha investigates hanford nuclear reservation, time is running out. this hour tornado watches and warnings for millions of people. also watching tonight the sixth name hurricane of the season. the latest on the storm's path ahead.

>> good evening thanks for joining us, i'ming joie chen. insisting the ebola crisis can and will be kept under control. but now there's word that american health care worker then contracted the virus herself. she was on the team for thomas eric duncan, and authorities are identifying others who might be at risk. seven people are part of that team and need ton monitored. meantime the cdc is reviewing safety protocols and helping health care workers with a new sense of urgency. this is a scene health care workers hadn't accounted on. a well trained professional who helped

care for eric duncan after he was placed in the isolation unit of a top flight dallas hospital. the grim reality that despite all the cautions applied here for the first time the ebola virus jumped from one infected person to another on u.s. soil. >> if this one individual was infected and we don't know how within the isolation unit then it is possible that other individuals could have been infected as well. so we consider them to potentially be at risk and we are doing an in depth review and investigation. >> that includes tracing her contacts already one person close to the infected worker has been isolated as well and ensures dallas and the rest of the u.s. that every precaution is being taken to ensure the virus isn't spread further. >> the existence of the first case of ebola spread within the u.s. changes some things and it doesn't change other things. it doesn't change the fact that we know how ebola

spreads . it doesn't change the fact that it's possible to take care of ebola safely. but it does change substantially how we approach it. >> so far federal officials have made their first steps to block the virus from arriving. launching ebola screenings at one of the nation's busiest arrival points, jfk at new york. four other points, newark, atlanta, chicago's o'hare and dulles outside washington, d.c, set to begin later this week. at the jumping off point for ebola the death toll has reached nearly 4,000 and threatens to spiral into another disaster for those who survive the outbreak, starvation. the epic in the height of the planting season, the estimate is

20% of crops may be lost, and $30 million is needed just to make sure devastated communities have enough to eat. >> just people can't go to their field by fear. they didn't know where the disease was coming from so they didn't go to their field. they have not been weeding their field and therefore in this area we expect that there will be a drop in production of ten to 25%. >> and those charged with saving lives and stopping the spread feared they don't have enough to do the job, either. more than three quarters of registered nurses surveyed said their hospitals still haven't told them how to handle patients suspected of having ebola. and do their work safely when suspected cases arrive. >> i feel there is a gap in information from the cdc down to the doctors on the front line. >> the reality that the second ebola patient in the united

states is a health care worker a professional who was dressed in full protective gear while she was involved in caring for eric duncan has raised questions about whether hospitals or other medical facilities are equipped to face the outbreak. robert ray visited an ebola training facility in aston alabama. >> reporter: dressed in full body protective suits health workers are working 24-7 to stop the spread of the deadly ebola virus. though this may look like a clinic in west africa, it is not. this is aniston alabama. the fight against ebola is occurring right here. >> one option would be to tie it holding both ends and then wrapping it around. >> we're teaching them the equipment to wear. we're teaching them how to put it on and how to take it off. while wearing this equipment so

they're used to it. >> with a dallas health care worker now infected and isolated with the ebola virus, the cdc and hospitals across america are doubling down on training and education. >> the reality is that what has happened in texas is an opportunity for every single hospital around this 61, and around the world, to understand that we have got to be vigilant moving forward and if we're not it's not only going to put our workforce at risk, it's going to put everybody in the community at risk as well. >> in a simulated situation like this, the amount of steps it takes is remarkable and that is part of the key of containing the ebola outbreak of spreading. precision is the difference between life and potential death. it takes up to 20 minutes just to suit up with the protective gear. >> this part can be tricky. >> reporter: and taking it all off is perhaps the most difficult.

this moment is when the health care worker is at most risk. >> you're going to pull it off in one swift movement. >> a pediatrician living in liberia's capital city, she is gaining information before returning to monrovia. >> it's very bad. monrovia is a very congested city. we have 1.5 million people. >> marshall says the population thought the doctors and nurses were killing patients helped to contribute to the fast spread of the epidemic. this specific training is what the cdc is open to expanding for health care workers in american hospitals and with the head of the cdc stating that they will not be surprised if more people who treed thomas eric duncan become infected in the coming days. time is of the essence.

>> i think everyone myself included has low level of anxiety. you have to have a certain amount of balance and a certain amount of dexterity and patience. there is no rushing. >> there is no time or place to screw this up, is there? >> no. we are operating under the no errors mentality. >> reporter: with the number of infected continuing to rise, aid workers say that international support, infrastructure and continued education is key to stopping the spread in west africa, and here in the united states. >> i think the greater risk to be quite honest with you is west africa spiraling completely out of control. that will pose the greatest risk to the world. because people will flee they will run and they will go to other countries some way somehow. >> on the front lines of the battle to treat ebola the key is to get the right equipment and learning how to use it properly. joie, the cdc is also doubling

down on their training efforts as dr. thomas frieden said today. he is concerned what is happening in hospital he around the country. they're going to try educate hospital workers, teletraining on the internet, like the story you saw in alabama, they're going to send that out to 5,000 health care workers across the country joie. >> robert, a lot of this has to do with not only what is done but what is said, dr. frieden came back from an earlier statement about breach of protocols. what's happening here? >> indeed. on sunday with the announcement that the health care worker was infected with ebola, he said it was a breach in protocol, a breakdown somewhere. he had said that because of the gear, the garb they put on and maybe that health care worker did not follow the protocols

that crfdz has put into -- the cdc has put ininto place. he came out and apologized to not only the health care worker, he didn't want to have those statements misconstrued, he wasn't trying to point the finger at anyone and quote he felt awful that another health care worker is infected with the ebola virus especially here in the u.s. a little bit of back pedaling but you know what as he also said this is a very fluid situation joie. every day something new seems to come up in the fight against ebola. joie. >> dr. gavin skinner is an expert, who helped train the nigerian public. i'm struck with a couple of things that are happening. one thing it seems to be so much more frightening. we understood that eventually some cases would come from africa. but in this case, so quickly a

health care worker becomes the object of transmission within days. is this cause for greater alarm than we have seen before? >> no, it calls for vigilance and training. we trained hospital workers following a very regimented standard of approaches and again the cdc has this. but what we're seeing now is when we say that all hospitals in the u.s. need to be prepared we don't have the resources to do that. so let's regionalize, and focus down and make that training more intensive and provide the resources they need. >> the information given by the cdc, you pointed a point in the website where there seems to be a disconnect. they're showing a picture of people wearing complete garb, permanent head coverings yet they show another illustration that doesn't show any of these things. why is there a disconnect? >> there is a disconnect on the cdc website.

there is a but ton where you click for health care workers, in the u.s. and internationally. when you see the vision on the tv and the photos from west africa everybody is completely covered up. in dallas hospital and emory and even today a possible suspect at boston airport, everyone is covered up. on the paper based document on the cdc website, the putting on and taking off of personal protective equipment, it tells you to put on a gown. we don't do that. we put on a suit, cover up your hair. we don't put on one pair of gloves but two pair of gloves. the cdc guidance on the website shows you to put on two pair of gloves. we don't do that for ebola. >> this is important to get to everybody that need to have it. >> it's easy to deliver the training information if we provide training videos.

we haven't done that. read understand train and encourage everyone else this is the gold standard. this is how we're going to protect your health and your safety and that is not way to do it. >> that's the way you did in nigeria and you were able to get it to everyone that needed it in nigeria quickly. we appreciate you being here with us, gavin mcgregor skinner. later adam may with the mayor of dallas. how a health care worker at a top medical facility became infected. how the community will be prepared when the next patient arrives. facing devastating illness and a tough bureaucracy that rejects any connection. >> everybody goes out there because the money is super-good. and it's not worth it. it's not worth

it. >> "america tonight's" lori jane gliha investigates the illnesses of workers at the hanford nuclear facility and whether they'll get help in time. >> these people have decided that today they will be arrested >> i know that i'm being surveilled >> people are not getting the care that they need >> this is a crime against humanity >> hands up! >> don't shoot! >> hands up! >> don't shoot! >> what do we want? justice! >> when do we want it? >> now! >> they are running towards base... >>...explosions going off we're not quite sure... >> fault lines al jazeera america's emmy winning, investigative, documentary, series...

real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can.

real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >>on tech know, the agricultural community is in crisis. >> more prolonged drought could become the new normal >> desperate for solutions >> we can make clean drinking water just using the sun >> conservation, science and hope... >> the snow is really a critical resource... >> tech know's team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> this is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future? >> can effect and surprise us... >> sharks like affection >> tech know, where technology meets humanity only on al jazeera america

>> alaska, a state that depends on it's natural beauty >> we need to make sure that we have clean air >> some are living off natures bounty >> we're rich cause of all the resources we have... >> while others say they can't even afford health insurance >> the owners of this restaurant pay an extra $5.20 an hour to provide health insurance >> communities trying to cope i just keep putting one foot in front of the other >> what can people hope for come election day? an al jazeera america special report amererica votes 2014 5 days in alaska all this week >> and now a snapshot of stories making headlines often "america tonight." protesters again facing off with police in riot gear this time at

the ferguson missouri police station. a topping of a day of civil unrest, arrested 20 people including the author and activist cornell west. typhoon tropical storm vongeong has hit tokyo. thousands remain without power. officials in orange county, california confirm three new cases of a deadly respiratory ailment known as enterovirus d-68. spread through 36 states and two children have died directly as a result of the virus. when a health care worker in dallas was diagnosed with ebola over the weekend it was a shock not just to the public of course but to public health officials.

"america tonight's" adam may spoke to the mayor of dallas to identify the missteps and the lessons dallas can teach others. >> before becoming mayor of dallas mike adams was kerry of pizza hut. he tells "america tonight" helping to coordinate the response to ebola has been much more challenging than he imagined. >> we're anxious, every day a look at the reports about our monitoring of people. and it's a concerning thing. >> thomas eric duncan was the first man to be diagnosed with ebola on american soil and the case raises numerous red flags about america's ebola containment plans. first of all, duncan was originally turned away from texas presbyterian hospital despite reports he said he recently traveled to liberia. then there's concerns about the quarantine of his girlfriend and their children.

initially she was told to stay inside their dallas apartment which was filled with filthy linens. are risking exposure. >> how satisfied were you with the response? >> at the very beginning i would have liked everything to move about 24 hours quicker but that is probably unrealistic. you do have federal state county and city and private organization you have to work with. i think real definition is important early on the process. >> reporter: a health care worker who treated duncan has tested positive for ebola. what the cdc calls a broach in protocol. >> based on everything you read how did this health care worker get ebola? >> it's hard to say. i have done investigations on hospital infected outbreaks and you go through all the data all the records you interview people and even then sometimes you can't single out that one

incident that caused an infection. >> dr. sema y asmin is a public health investigators in dallas. >> taken by surprise, the virus is in a new area, suddenly spreading so much further and so much quicker and going on for a much longer time than any other outbreak we have seen. as long as the outbreak is in west africa we'll find outbreaks in other parts of the world. >> five airports across the country have now started screening passengers for ebola. but dallas fort worth vfw is not one of them. on the front line, some lawmakers, including john cornan are calling for screening here as well. 97% of flights from west africa arrive at the five airports with

ebola screenings but there is also debate the effectiveness of the screenings. >> we can look back at sars or swine flu where other airports did institute airport screening, and it didn't really seem to make a difference in the spread of the disease. whether it will make a difference now with ebola is a different disease, different set of circumstances will remain to be seen. >> mayor rawlings tells us, he has been talking to big city mayors about the lessons learned here in dallas. >> with the cdc with state health officials should this happen somewhere else in the u.s. are we adequately prepared for this? >> you know i think each of the organizations are adequately prepared. the trick part, tricky part is what we talked about before. is clarifying roles and responsibilities as a team, and so everybody knows what play they're supposed to run to make this thing work.

and if there's a new place, that's what i would be coaching them on. that -- probably that first 12 hours clarifying each and everybody's role will help you move faster through the process. that's got to be done realtime. >> and just an enormous outpouring of support here in dallas for that health care worker. the mayor's office told me that she's apparently extremely concerned about her pet dog, a really cute small dog that she has so the mayor told me that they actually have that dog right now in quarantine at her apartment. they're providing services to this dog to make sure it is taken care of. this kind of comes among the concern of what happens to that nurse in spain, she contracted ebola her dog was euthanized and a lot of people were very upset all around the world for that. and the mayor says that that will not happen to this health care worker's dog here but they are monitoring that dog because

dogs can in fact also get ebola. joie. >> adam let me ask you. you were there when eric duncan was hospitalized and this weekend when this health care about. do you see indication that authorities know something are they handling things different? >> i would say to the naked eye i have seen stark differences in how we saw the treatment of duncan's living quarters versus what we're seeing here in relation to this health care worker. i mean after duncan was taken to the hospital we were outside of the apartment that he was staying in and there were simply people walking around there without protect itch gea protec. there were people who were power washing his vomit out into the street. now, the house was immediately decontaminated, more contamination work was done on it.

and if more changes need to be made joie. >> adam may in dallas thanks so much. infectious disease expert william schaffner joins us, doctor, you have been helpful helping us understand what the risks are what the cautions are. now spread person to person in the united states. >> well, it's happened, we anticipate it might happen, certainly not quite so quickly. it is a disappointment and a caution to all of us, of course. hospitals awld around the country we in infection control are reevaluating and deciding that we're going to have to do even more training. >> we're talking about the possibility that people may be arriving at minute clinics as these emergency cares not aware of what the risk might be to others. is it possible for us to be able to train all the people who would need to be trained quickly

enough before this spreads again? >> well, we don't expect that ebola patients are suddenly going to have a surge coming here. we do have some time. the important thing is those initial things to anyone who has a fever, have you traveled anywhere outside the u.s. and if so where? if so, stop the music, call the health department and they can take over. >> lawmakers have come forward and said, look, each though we had a very good hospital here, it is clear this spread somehow to a health care worker within that facility who has done what she could to protect herself. maybe this is so infectious that we aren't able to take care of it, maybe all the patients should be immediately sent to one of the four biocontainment units that have been identified for ebola and nowhere else. >> that's a reasonable thought but walk down the road with me a little bit.

number 1, every hospital has to be ready to receive such a patient because they walk in the door. number 2 they're not going to be transferred from the emergency room to atlanta. so it will take a time for patient to be stabilized so they will have to be admitted for a day or two for evaluation and waiting for transparent and then -- for the transport and some patients like mr. duncan may arrive too sick to transport. so we all have to keep on the ebola alert. >> realistically there is no way to isolate everyone. >> i think we all have to be ready to deal with an ebola patient even if, quickly, we can transport them for extended care, to these biocontainment facilities which is not a bad idea. >> infectious disease exert dr. william schaffner, from vanderbilt university. >> thank you joie.

>> when we return, a mother's fears. >> towards the end of the pregnancy i was so terrified to social services and her being born addicted and the consequences of what could happen to her if she was born addicted. >> "america tonight's" sheila macvicar, following up on a controversial law and what's more to it. young offenders, convicted of drug crimes in tennessee.

so many money stories sound complicated. but don't worry. i'm here to take the fear out of finance. every night on my show i break down confusing financial speak and make it real. e-righter may not be -- e-reader may not be as good as a plain old fashioned book. top of the ho hour. >> in the last few years

prosecutors have been going after another target, pregnant women. maint's sheil "america tonight's" sheila macvicar has been following this closely. >> a woman who visited a meth lab was sentenced to 12 years in prison, half of that sentence six years was solely because she was pregnant at the time. a coalition of activists has sent a letter to attorney general eric holder, calling him to give out harsher sentences, "america tonight" first covered the issue last month after the state passed a controversial law that allows prosecutors to charge pregnant women who use drugs with aggravated assault against their unborn babies. i've been on both ends of this. i've been the pregnant addict

and i've been the daughter of an addict. >> shannon castile has been on both sides, the daughter of an addict growing up in tennessee, almost inevitably she became an addict, opiates, heroine and marijuana too. >> it was like my breath, i couldn't breathe without it, it was my very existence. >> shannon has been free and sober for three years. she cares for her three lively girls but she has struggled hard and after one of the struggles after the birth of her eldest daughter, shannon relapsed and found out she was pregnant again. >> i knew what kind of fight i had ahead of me the next nine months. >> shannon's doctor wrote her a

prescription for more opiates. >> he said you can't stop. if you stop the detox would be so harsh you could possibly miscarry. towards the end of the pregnancy i was so worried about the consequences of what could addicted. >> thank you for mommy thank you for daddy. thank you for -- >> shannon's daughter was born healthy and drug free but if shannon did the same thing today using opiates under a doctor's orders in tennessee she could land in prison. as of july 1st, women can be jailed with charges as severe as aggravated assault against their own babies for using drugs during pregnancy. addicts often give birth to newborns dependent on drugs and going through painful withdrawal symptoms called neonatal abstinence syndrome or nas. tennessee leads the country in

babies born with nas and the problem is getting worse. barry stauvus is the district attorney in the area and 30% of the area, 30%, tested positive for drugs. he is a big supporter of the new law. >> a lot of the attention is on the plight of the mother. you have to shift the light. what about the plight of the babies? >> why is threatening these women with prison jail time the right thing? >> it holds women responsible for their conduct and we hope it deters future behavior. >> reporter: until this year the state didn't allow prosecution of pregnant women using drugs. but tennessee legislators were alarmed with the number of babies born with nas. the new law is the first in the nation to specifically target pregnant women for drug use. about they can avoid -- they can

avoid jail by getting drug treatment. >> jessica lyons , manages a medical facility at the meharry medical facility. a three month intensive rehab program that focuses on getting women clean and sober before their babies are born and helping them stay that way. >> what kind of shape are these women in when they come to you? >> desperate. most of the women that come are pretty desperate because there's limited space. i get a lot of phone calls, ms. jessica can you get me in, can you get me in? >> two of the six spreads at the center. it was a struggle to gel get here. >> i was trying to get help but nobody would help me because i was pregnant. they said insurance factors risks, liabilities.

>> we're seen as a liability. we're seen as an issue that they can't handle. heartbreaking. >> do you know that when you call up treatment centers, treatment programs one of the questions that you are asked is are you pregnant or could you be pregnant? and in almost every center in this state a positive answer to that question will screen you out of the program. they will not take you if you are pregnant. >> let mee me put it this way. there are plenty of other programs and what i'm telling you is when we go through our child protective investigative programs we're going to find programs if we can to put these women in. >> if there are programs most women haven't found a way to access them. according to the department of health and human services only 129 pregnant women in the entire state received addiction treatment last year. the handful of clinics that accept pregnant women require

them to go through detox first and for a woman on opiates, going cold turkey can harm the baby or cause miscarriage. state officials made it clear they have little regard for difficulties women's wh women who are addicts face. >> again these ladies are the worst of the worst, these ladies are not thinking about prenatal care, again, i want to emphasize what they are thinking about is money for next high. >> dr. ron bailey is a psychiatrist in charge of addiction treatment at meharry medical college. he warns that the new law will discourage women from seeking treatment. for fear of doing jail time. >> you can have a significant effect to decrease the interest

and the willingness of future patients who may have a problem to seek treatment. >> you can be afraid. >> you think your doctor or clinician is going to be the law enforcement arm. >> what i'm hearing is some of the women are not even going to go to the doctor because they ar frayed the doctor may -- they are afraid that the doctor may report them. >> they are not going to seek medical care? >> no, no, some women are saying that. >> law enforcement directing us rather than other way around. >> decades of research has led the medical community to define addiction as a chronic brain disorder not a behavioral problem. in tennessee, state lawmakers and law officers reject that view. >> people say addiction is an illness but it's a different kind of illness, put it that way. it's not like cancer. if i have cancer i can't get into a program and get rid of it. people that are alcoholics,

getting help and overcoming it. >> why signal out women and pregnant women in particular? >> this is an effort to get women into programs and eliminate the program and bring the numbers down. that woman has a choice the baby never had. >> it takes more than just making a decision. there was many, many many times i used and i didn't want to. >> shannon is now working with addiction specialists trying to start a treatment center called mothers mosaic. facing the same battle she faced with addiction. that battle may be harder now because the penalty these women face becomes more harsh and the help they need is so hard to get. we checked in with ms. jessica and the meharry program. since the time we reported that their waiting list has become even longer. they have no free beds,

katherine has successfully graduated around some are still there and one of the people in tennessee say women who face potential prison sentences for this assault against their unborn children may contemplate abortions instead of having children that are born with drug problems. >> unintended consequence one with a disturbing outcome. "america tonight's" sheila macvicar thanks so much. in our final story this hour, we take a turn at news still developing this hour. severe weather moving across the country and a hurricane brewing in the caribbean. after the break.

>> consider this: the news of the day plus so much more. >> we begin with the growing controversy. >> answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> why did so many of these people choose to risk their lives? >> antonio mora, award winning and hard hitting. >> people are dying because of this policy... >> there's no status quo, just the bottom line. >> but what is the administration doing behind the scenes? >> real perspective, consider this on al jazeera america >> now available, the new al jazeea america mobile news app. get our exclusive in depth, reporting when you want it. a global perspective wherever you are. the major headlines in context. mashable says... you'll never miss the latest news

>> they will continue looking for survivors... >> the potential for energy production is huge... >> no noise, no clutter, just real reporting. the new al jazeera america mobile app, available for your apple and android mobile device. download it now >> breaking news development now, there is severe weather impacting states along the gulf coast. there louisiana governor bobby jindal has declared a state of emergency, and to make things worse, hurricane warnings in the caribbean where tropical storm has turned into a hurricane. kevin corriveau is joining us. kevin. >> a tornado going through parts

ofarkansas, ef 2 tornado that moved through this area here. and since then we have seen quite a bit of activity. half a dozen tornadoes as well as many, many tornadoes. on this line, we are seeing the tornadoes which will continue through evening as well as wind damage is going to continue as well. we're talking about louisiana as you mentioned down here through new orleans, that is going to continue through gus gulf port, and montgomery, this is going to be a very, very dangerous evening as this line goes through. this hurricane going through anguilla now. we don't really get the radar all the way out here towards the east but is now classified as a

category 1 hurricane going to be making its way towards the northwest, increasing in intensity, talking about a category 2 but i'm really concerned about what's going to be happening as we get towards the weekend, this storm is going to be a major hurricane by the time we get to friday. but then we'll watch it very carefully, bermuda, this won't be the first storm bermuda has seen this year, but a tropical storm right over the island, the only thing torts united states, only thing we could see is storm surge as well as rip currents in that area. of course, it has been a quiet season here but this storm is probably going to be one of our strongest joie. >> meteorology kevin corriveau. that's it for us. if you would like to comment on any of the stories you've seen

on our program, log on to aljazeera.com/americatonight. good night, we'll have more of "america tonight" tomorrow. the top doctor at the centers for disease control now says his experts need to rethink their strategy to stop the spread of ebola. now that a healthcare worker has been infected. tonight i am asking that that's too little too late to protect the rest of us. also economic war games in washington i'll tell you what america and britain hope to find out from a financial disaster drill. plus plunging oil prizes put some of opec's member nations at odds, i'll tell you why this global supply ship could mean for america.