Obama says he may name ‘Czar’

President Obama raised the possibility on Thursday that he might appoint an “Ebola czar” to manage the government’s response to the deadly virus as anxiety grew over the air travel of an infected nurse. Some schools closed in two states, hospitals and airlines kept employees home from work, and Americans debated how much they should worry about a disease that has captured national attention but has so far infected only three people here. Mr. Obama spoke Thursday night after meeting with several top aides working on the Ebola issue. The president praised their work but said they were also responsible for other tasks, including national security matters and other health care concerns. It may be appropriate for me to appoint an additional person, not because they haven’t been doing an outstanding job, really working hard on this issue, but they are also responsible for a whole bunch of other stuff,” Mr. Obama told reporters. He added that appointing an Ebola chief would make sense “just to make sure that we are crossing all the t’s and dotting all the i’s going forward.” He declined to say when he might do so.

In Other News Mixed martial arts fighter Jonathan Koppenhaver, who is accused of brutally attacking his ex-girlfriend, tried to kill himself in a Las Vegas jail. Koppenhaver, 32, is known as War Machine on the MMA circuit. After beating his girlfriend and another man on August 8 he went on the run. Police captured him a week later in his hometown of Simi Valley, California. He's been held at the Clark County Detention Center since then. He was found seated on the floor with a torn piece of linen around his neck, which was attached to his bunk. He was unresponsive and struggling to breathe, had left behind a suicide note. Authorities cut the linen and called medical personnel, who later cleared the fighter and put him on suicide watch at a medical isolation unit. Details of his suicide note were not released. The Navy Reserve discharged Vice President Joe Biden's son Hunter this year after he tested positive for cocaine. The discharge of Biden, a 44-year-old lawyer and managing partner at an investment firm, was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. The U.S. official said the Navy never had contact with the vice president's office over the issue, and that standard procedure for failed drug tests is administrative discharge. The vice president's office didn't comment on the report. Neil Patrick Harris revealed he will host the Academy Awards next February. Harris hosted the Tonys four times and Emmys twice. If he can also land the Grammys gig, then he would be the first person to host all four top showbiz award ceremonies. A pet parrot named Nigel and his owner were reunited last week after the bird went missing four years ago. Nigel, an African grey parrot, disappeared in 2010 from his home in Torrance. Back then, the bird was known for speaking in a British accent, but now that he's back, Nigel is speaking Spanish.