10 things you need to know today: October 1, 2014

(Image credit: (AP Photo/LM Otero))

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1. First Ebola case is diagnosed in the U.S.
2. Secret Service chief vows White House breach "will never happen again"
3. Iraq retakes border post from ISIS
4. Hong Kong protesters block streets on China's National Day
5. Judge rules against the White House on some ObamaCare subsidies
6. Microsoft introduces Windows 10
7. Thailand responds to backpackers' murders with wristbands for tourists
8. Taliban suicide bombers kill seven in Afghan army
9. EBay, reversing course, says it will spin off PayPal
10. 18-time gold medalist Michael Phelps faces DUI charge

last updated 13 January 2015

1. First Ebola case is diagnosed in the U.S.

A man who arrived in Dallas on a flight from Liberia has become the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday. The patient did not show symptoms until several days after he landed on Sept. 20. He is now being treated at a Dallas hospital. A CDC team is tracking down people who came into contact with the man, who has not been publicly identified, to make sure no others were infected.

The director of the Secret Service, Julia Pierson, promised a full review of White House security measures in response to a breach that let an armed intruder hop a fence and run into the first floor of the presidential residence last week. It was the sixth breach of the grounds this year. "It will never happen again," Pierson told a House subcommittee on security. A whistleblower also informed the panel of an incident in which an armed contractor with a criminal record was allowed on an elevator with President Obama, violating Secret Service protocols.

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Iraqi Kurdish forces took control of a post on the Syrian border from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters on Tuesday. The Kurdish Peshmerga fighters also won the support of a major Sunni Muslim tribe in the area, marking one of the most significant victories yet for Kurds over the Sunni extremists of ISIS. The loss of the strategic border crossing was expected to create problems for ISIS on both sides of the border.

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters returned to the streets in Hong Kong on Wednesday, the National Day holiday marking the anniversary of China's Communist Party founding in 1949. Organizers were aiming to bring out the largest crowds yet as a symbolic show of force in defiance of a government crackdown. Riot police have tried to disperse crowds with tear gas but the demonstrators vow not to back down until they win assurances of free elections to pick Hong Kong's next leader.

A federal judge in Oklahoma ruled on Tuesday that people who bought health insurance policies through the federally run exchange are not eligible for ObamaCare subsidies, due to how President Obama's signature health-care reform law is worded. The language suggests that only those enrolling through state-run exchanges should get the subsidies, Judge Ronald A. White said. Other courts have split on the issue. If the ruling stands, subsidies would be invalidated in 36 states.

Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled the latest version of its industry-dominating computer operating system. The software giant jumped from the old Windows 8 and is naming the new version Windows 10 — skipping Windows 9. "When you see the product in its fullness, I think you will agree with us that it is a more appropriate name," said Microsoft executive Terry Myerson. The new operating system retains some of Windows 8's tablet-style changes, such as live tiles, but also brings back some familiar features from the more widely adopted Windows 7.

Thailand's tourism minister, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, said Tuesday that he was backing a proposal to make tourists wear wristbands in an attempt to improve security following the murders of two British backpackers two weeks ago. The travelers — Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24 — were killed after leaving a bar on the resort island of Koh Tao. The wristbands will have a serial number matching the wearer's I.D. and hotel data. Electronic tracking devices are also being considered.

Taliban suicide bombers struck two buses carrying Afghan soldiers early Wednesday in separate strikes, killing seven and wounding 21. The attacks in Kabul came a day after Afghanistan's new government signed a security agreement with the U.S. that will allow 10,000 American soldiers to stay behind to train and support Afghan forces after international forces withdraw at the end of the year. The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts.

EBay announced Tuesday that it was spinning off PayPal as a separate company next year. The move was seen as a response to rising competition from Apple Pay and other new services offering to let consumers pay for everyday purchases with their smartphones. Activist investor Carl Icahn had been pushing eBay to reverse its insistence on keeping the companies mingled, arguing that PayPal would be freer to innovate on its own. EBay's stock jumped by 7.5 percent after the announcement.

Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps, 29, was arrested for driving under the influence early Tuesday in Baltimore. Police said Phelps was driving 84 mph in a 45 mph zone. The bust was the 18-time gold medal winner's second for DUI — he pled guilty to his first charge in 2004. In 2009 he lost a major sponsor — USA Swimming — and a cereal endorsement deal after being photographed appearing to smoke a marijuana pipe. His latest troubles come as he attempts a comeback to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.

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Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.