USA Basketball cancels Senegal trip amid Ebola fears
A planned visit to the Senegalese capital of Dakar is no longer in the cards for Team USA, reports the Chicago Tribune.
USA Basketball had planned an August 27 arrival in Senegal, where the team was to conduct basketball clinics and tour the capital ahead of its World Cup opener in Spain three days later. But, "the circumstances just don't allow us to go," Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball's chairman, said.
He cited the World Health Organization's Thursday statements, which described the Ebola outbreak in West Africa as "vastly underestimated." WHO officials said while the official death toll stands at 1,069 people, staff on the ground at outbreak sites believe the number of people infected or killed by the disease could be much higher. The Center for Disease Control has not reported any Ebola cases in Senegal, Colangelo noted, but the country's proximity to Guinea, which has recorded cases since the outbreak began in March, heightened the team's concerns.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
-
Montenegro offers Adriatic adventures without the crowds
The Week Recommends There is room for everyone in this Balkan destination
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
'Although deepfake porn is a global problem, South Korea has been hit particularly hard'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The deadliest plane crashes in US history
The Explainer American Eagle Flight 5342 was the first deadly U.S. passenger crash since 2009
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
FDA approves painkiller said to thwart addiction
Speed Read Suzetrigine, being sold as Journavx, is the first new pharmaceutical pain treatment approved by the FDA in 20 years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Study finds possible alternative abortion pill
Speed Read An emergency contraception (morning-after) pill called Ella could be an alternative to mifepristone for abortions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
California declares bird flu emergency
Speed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu one mutuation from human threat, study finds
Speed Read A Scripps Research Institute study found one genetic tweak of the virus could enable its spread among people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dark chocolate tied to lower diabetes risk
Speed Read The findings were based on the diets of about 192,000 US adults over 34 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published