Nation & World Glance
Job in jeopardy, HHS chief promises to repay charter costs
WASHINGTON — Fighting to keep his job, health secretary Tom Price said Thursday he’d write a personal check to reimburse taxpayers for his travel on charter flights taken on government business and pledged to fly commercial — “no exceptions.”
The repayment — $51,887.31, according to Price’s office — covered only the secretary’s seat. Price did not address the overall cost of the flights, which could amount to several hundred thousand dollars and is under investigation.
“I regret the concerns this has raised regarding the use of taxpayer dollars,” Price said in a statement. “I was not sensitive enough to my concern for the taxpayer.” His mea culpa came a day after a public rebuke from President Donald Trump.
A former congressman from Georgia regarded as a conservative policy expert, Price said he hopes to keep his Cabinet seat. At the White House, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wouldn’t go that far.
“We’re going to conduct a full review and we’ll see what happens,” Sanders told reporters. Travel by other top officials is also attracting scrutiny.
Illinois governor agrees to allow Medicaid for abortions
CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner ended months of speculation Thursday and signed legislation allowing state health insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortions, a reversal of the first-term Republican’s stance on the proposal last spring.
The Legislature, which is run by Democrats, approved the measure in May but delayed sending it to Rauner until Monday, in part because he has wavered on where he stands. As a candidate, Rauner supported expanding coverage for abortions, but in April said he opposed the legislation and Illinois should focus on economic issues.
Rauner’s final word came at a news conference Thursday before signing the bill privately. He said while he’d talked to advocates on both sides, he always supported abortion rights and had to take action “consistent” with his views.
“The passions, the emotions, the sentiments on both sides of these issues are very powerful. I respect them very much,” Rauner said. “I believe that a woman living with limited financial means should not be put in a position where she has to choose something different than a woman of higher income would be able to choose.” The law takes effect immediately.
Climber: Rock fall strikes Yosemite for a second day
SAN FRANCISCO — A massive new rock fall hit Yosemite National Park on Thursday, injuring one person, cracking with a thundering roar off the iconic El Capitan rock formation and sending huge plumes of white dust surging through the valley floor below. On Wednesday a slab dropped from El Capitan, killing a British climber and injuring a second.
Ken Yager, president and founder of the Yosemite Climbing Association, said he witnessed the most recent rock fall that appeared to be “substantially bigger” than the earlier one.
Driving past the base of El Capitan, Yager said he saw the dust cloud and emergency workers rushing to the scene. Images posted on social media showed a massive cloud of thick dust spreading across Yosemite Valley.
Climber Ryan Sheridan had just reached the top of El Capitan, a 7,569-foot (2,307 meter) formation, when the rock slide let loose below him Thursday.
“There was so much smoke and debris,” he said by cellphone from the top of El Capitan. “It filled the entire valley with smoke.”
FAA bans drone flights near major U.S. landmarks
NEW YORK — The Federal Aviation Administration is banning drone flights within 400 feet (122 meters) of several national landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore.
The FAA announced the no-fly drone zones at 10 Department of the Interior sites on Thursday. They take effect Oct. 5.
The restricted sites also include Boston National Historical Park, Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park and Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louise, Missouri.
Five dams also are on the list: Nevada’s Hoover Dam, Shasta and Folsom Dams in California, Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam and Washington’s Grand Coulee Dam.
Drone violators may face civil penalties and criminal charges.
The FAA says the new restrictions came at the request of U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies.