Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 20 OctOber 2017
Trump on his Puerto Rico response: ‘I’d say it was a 10’

“There’s never been a case ing hundreds when levees
where power plants were broke and flooded the city.
gone,” Trump said, seated Trump’s comment was in-
alongside Gov. Ricardo terpreted by some as mini-
Rossello in the Oval Office. mizing Puerto Rico’s suffer-
“So it’s going to be a peri- ing at a time when residents
od of time before the elec- were struggling to get food
tric is restored.” and drinking water, and
Trump was also asked by a coping without electric-
reporter to rate, on a scale ity. Seated beside Trump,
of 1 to 10, the White House Rossello tried to strike an
response to Puerto Rico. upbeat note despite say-
“I’d say it was a 10,” Trump ing “it’s a catastrophic situ-
said. “I’d say it was proba- ation” in Puerto Rico. But
bly the most difficult -- when he said, “We are going to
you talk about relief, when beat this. We know we’re
you talk about search, going to build better than
when you talk about all before,” he said. Rossello
the different levels, and has been supportive of
even when you talk about Trump, saying again Thurs-
lives saved, you look at the day that every request he’s
number -- I mean, this was made of the president has
-- I think it was worse than been answered. The gov-
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Governor Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico in Katrina, it was, in many ernor, who also met with
the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, in Washington. ways, worse than anything key lawmakers on Capitol
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) people have ever seen.” Hill, said Trump “has been
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE as he met with Trump at the replied: “It’s a very, very Trump said the administra- clear that no U.S. citizen
Associated Press White House. good question, actually.” tion had personnel nearby will be left behind.” Mem-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- More than 80 percent of Trump said it will take “a before the storm hit, ready bers of Congress from both
dent Donald Trump gave households in Puerto Rico while” to build a new pow- to go afterward, and that parties have criticized the
himself a “10” on Thurs- remain without electricity er plant or substantially ren- a “fantastic job” was done response to Puerto Rico
day for his response to the about a month after Hur- ovate what was damaged under the circumstances. as lackluster compared
widespread devastation ricane Maria, the second by the storms. The president “I would give a 10,” he re- to the administration’s re-
Puerto Rico suffered after storm, dealt the island a se- said most of the power that peated. action after hurricanes in
back-to-back hurricanes vere blow. Asked when the exists is being supplied by During a visit to Puerto Rico Houston and parts of Loui-
created a situation that 3.4 million U.S. citizens living the “massive numbers” of earlier this month to survey siana, and later in Florida.
the island’s governor de- there could expect power generators he sent to the damage, Trump compared The mayor of San Juan has
scribed as “catastrophic” to be fully restored, Trump island. what happened there to a also been a vocal critic of
“real catastrophe” like Hur- the response and of some
ricane Katrina, which struck of Trump’s comments on
New Orleans in 2005, kill- Twitter.q
Bipartisan Senate bill aims to

prevent West Coast wildfires

Located in the Riu Antilles Resort (Formerly the Westin Resort) By MATTHEW DALY, Associ- burns over 100,000 acres.
FREE TRANSPORTATION TO THE CASINO FROM ALL ated Press Sen. Maria Cantwell of
HIGH RISE AND LOW RISE HOTELS AND TIMESHARES. WASHINGTON (AP) — As Washington state said the
CALL 525-7777 FOR MORE INFORMATION wildfires rage across Cali- bill would “create new
fornia and the West, Dem- tools to reduce fire risk and
LIVE POKER ocratic and Republican help better protect our
especially
senators have joined forces communities,”
to help rural communities those in the Northwest
GAMES START 8 PM TO THE WEE HOURS better prepare for and pre- near fire-prone pine forests.
vent catastrophic wildfires. Cantwell, top Democrat
A bill introduced Thursday on the Energy and Natu-
1-2.....2-5......5-5 1-3.....2-5......5-5 by senators from three ral Resources Committee,
$100 HIGH HAND BONUSES EVERY HOUR Northwestern states would co-sponsored the bill with
authorize more than $100 Democrats Patty Murray
OVER $20,000 PER WEEK GIVEN OUT IN HIGH HAND BONUSES million to help at-risk com- of Washington state, Ron
CRAPS munities prevent wildfires Wyden of Oregon and Re-
and create a pilot program publicans Jim Risch and
ONLY CASINO IN ARUBA TO OFFER 3, 4 & 5 TIME ODDS to cut down trees in the Mike Crapo of Idaho. The
most fire-prone areas.
bipartisan bill is a compro-
Under a streamlined ap- mise between Republicans
SPORTSBOOK proval process, forest man- eager to make it easier for
federal land managers to
agers would “thin” pine for-
LIVE SIMULCAST OF ALL MAJOR TRACKS ests near populated areas thin overgrown woodlands
and do controlled burns and Democrats dubious of
THROUGHOBRED AND HARNESS in remote regions. The bill allowing timber companies
also calls for detailed re- greater access to harvest
views of any wildfire that federally owned forests.q