Trump Administration

Happening Today: Puerto Rico, Yosemite, Flu Season, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

What to Know

  • A day after a deadly rock fall on El Capitan at Yosemite National Park, another larger rock fall injured at least one person at the peak
  • It's flu shot time, and health officials are bracing for a potentially miserable fall and winter
  • Comedian and actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus announced she has breast cancer, and used the announcement to advocate for universal health care

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Puerto Ricans Says U.S. Relief Efforts Failing Them

The Trump administration declared its relief efforts in Puerto Rico are succeeding, but people on the island said help was scarce and disorganized while food supplies dwindled in some remote towns eight days after Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory of 3.4 million people. President Trump cleared the way for more supplies to head to Puerto Rico by issuing a 10-day waiver of federal restrictions on foreign ships delivering cargo to the island. And House Speaker Paul Ryan said the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief account would get a $6.7 billion boost by the end of the week. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke declared that "the relief effort is under control." Outside the capital, San Juan, people said that was far from the truth. In the town of San Lorenzo, about 40 miles west of the capital, people walked through calf-high water to get supplies because the bridge over the Manati river outside town was washed away in the storm. San Lorenzo residents are collecting spring water to drink and taking turns cooking food for each other because residents are running low on basic supplies.

1 Injured After Another Rock Fall at Yosemite National Park

A day after a deadly rock fall on El Capitan at Yosemite National Park, another larger rock fall injured at least one person on the popular peak. Initial reports had it being much larger than the slide a day earlier. One person was airlifted from the scene, and search and rescue personnel were searching through the rubble for more possible victims. Climber Ryan Sheridan had just reached the top of El Capitan when the rock slide let loose below him. "There was so much smoke and debris," he told the Associated Press by cellphone from the top of El Capitan. "It filled the entire valley with smoke." Sheridan had also reached the top of El Capitan a day earlier, when the first rock slide occurred and said this one was huge in comparison. Authorities closed Northside Drive exiting Yosemite Valley due to slide debris, park officials said. They directed visitors to use Southside Drive to exit the valley. Park rangers said rock falls are a common occurrence in Yosemite Valley, and the park records about 80 rock falls a year, though many more go unreported. However, it is not typical that there are victims. On Wednesday, a man died and a woman was injured after a rock fall on a popular climbing route where at least 30 people were climbing.

NBA Chief Expects Players to Stand During National Anthem

Adam Silver expects NBA players to continue standing for the national anthem. Not only because it's a league rule, but because they are aware of what it means in what the commissioner believes is a divided America. Silver said the playing of the national anthem has always been a time for respect and reflection — even in a league where 25 percent of the players are not American — and recalled that many teams locked arms last season. He wants them to continue showing unity during the anthem — but to do it while standing. Silver didn't say what would happen if any players refuse to stand. He spoke following the NBA's Board of Governors meetings, during which owners passed rules designed to prevent healthy players from sitting out games, and teams from losing games on purpose to improve their draft position.

U.S. Health Officials Brace for Potentially Bad Flu Season

It's flu shot time, and health officials are bracing for a potentially miserable fall and winter. The clues: The Southern Hemisphere, especially Australia, was hit hard over the past few months with a flu strain that's notorious for causing severe illness, especially in seniors. And in the U.S., small clusters of that so-called H3N2 flu already are popping up. "We don't know what's going to happen but there's a chance we could have a season similar to Australia," Dr. Daniel Jernigan, influenza chief at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press. The worrisome news came as the government urged Americans to make sure they get a flu shot before influenza starts spreading widely. Last year, only about 47 percent of the population was vaccinated. CDC's Jernigan cautions there's no good way to predict how bad the upcoming flu season will be. That H3N2 strain caused infections here last year, too. And although strains that circulate in the Southern Hemisphere often spread to North America and Europe, there's no guarantee it will make a repeat performance.

FDA Approves 1st Blood Sugar Monitor Without Finger Pricks

Federal regulators have approved the first continuous blood sugar monitor for diabetics that doesn't need backup finger prick tests. Current models require users to test a drop of blood twice daily to calibrate, or adjust, the monitor. The discomfort of finger sticks and the cost of testing supplies can discourage people from keeping close tabs on their blood sugar. Abbott's Labor new FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System uses a small sensor attached to the upper arm. Patients wave a reader device over it to see the current blood sugar level and changes over the past eight hours. Abbott isn't disclosing the price for the reader or the sensors, which should be available in pharmacies within months.

“Veep” Star Julia Louis-Dreyfus Has Breast Cancer

Comedian and actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus announced she has breast cancer, and used the announcement to advocate for universal health care. The "Seinfeld" and "Veep" star tweeted a statement saying she is among the "one in eight women who get breast cancer." She said she has "the most glorious group of supportive and caring family and friends, and fantastic insurance through my union." But she noted that not all woman have that, "so let's fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality." Earlier this month, Louis-Dreyfus won her sixth straight best actress in a comedy Emmy for her role as Selina Meyer in "Veep." The HBO show will air a final, seventh season next year.

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