San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
NEWS OF THE DAY
_1 Park reopens: A national park in Hawaii has reopened after being closed for more than four months because of Kilauea volcano’s latest eruption, which caused widespread damage to park infrastructure and dramatically changed its landscape. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park officials said there were no lines or waiting for visitors to catch a glimpse of the volcano that made headlines across the world when it began erupting in May. The summit crater floor sunk 1,500 feet, and the overall Kilauea caldera widened, expanding more than 1 square mile, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. One of the park’s biggest draws, the radiant red light from the lava lake that has been a Kilauea hallmark for over a decade, is completely gone. _2 Hurricane anniversary: Dozens of vehicles slowly approached President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday afternoon, blasting reggaeton and salsa as they drove by. They honked their horns and waved Puerto Rican flags draped from their car windows and trunks. They were on their way to a rally a few miles away to mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Maria. Hundreds of activists showed up at the Meyer Amphitheater in West Palm Beach. To one side of the stage, a giant balloon of Trump depicted as a baby had been inflated. Crowds waited in line to take photographs in which they gave the orange balloon the middle finger. _3 Copter threatened: A Deland, Fla., man is facing a felony charge after authorities say he told a TV station and sheriff ’s deputies that he was going to shoot down the sheriff ’s helicopter if it didn’t stop flying over his house. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported Saturday that 54-year-old Robert Moni is charged with making a false report of a bomb, arson or weapon of mass destruction. Volusia County Sheriff ’s deputies said they received a call Thursday from a TV station employee who said that a man had claimed in a phone call that he would shoot down the sheriff ’s helicopter if it didn’t stop flying overhead. Investigators say Moni had made similar threats before and espoused conspiracy theories. Records show Moni was released on $20,000 bail. _4 Aviation bill: Lawmakers have scuttled a plan to prohibit airlines from charging “unreasonable” fees for changing or canceling tickets. But U.S. House and Senate leaders say they will direct the Federal Aviation Administration to set minimum dimensions for passenger seats as part of a new spending bill. The bill also prohibits airlines from removing passengers against their will from overbooked flights. Lawmakers were crafting a compromise bill over the weekend in an effort to meet a Sept. 30 deadline. Airlines opposed efforts to crack down on change fees, which are as high as $200 per ticket. The Senate supported limiting those fees, but Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said Saturday the provision was left out after negotiations with House lawmakers.