The Boston Globe - 19.09.2019

A2 The Boston Globe THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

The Nation

NEW YORK — The number
and rate of abortions across
the United States have
plunged to their lowest levels
since the procedure became le-
gal nationwide in 1973, ac-
cording to new figures re-
leased Wednesday.
The report from the Gutt-
macher Institute, a research
group that supports abortion
rights, counted 862,000 abor-
tions in the United States in

2017. That’s down from
      926,000 tallied in the group’s
      previous report for 2014, and
      from just over 1 million count-
      ed for 2011.
      The new report illustrates
      that abortions are decreasing
      in all parts of the country — in
      Republican-controlled states
      seeking to restrict abortion ac-
      cess and in Democratic-run
      states protecting abortion
      rights. Between 2011 and
      2017, abortion rates increased
      in only five states and the Dis-

trict of Columbia.

One reason for the decline

in abortions is that fewer

women are becoming preg-

nant. The Guttmacher Insti-

tute noted that the birth rate

and the abortion rate declined

during the years covered by

the new report. A likely factor,

the report said, is increased ac-

cessibility of contraception

since 2011. The Affordable

Care Act required most private

health insurance plans to cov-

er contraceptives without out-

of-pocket costs.

The 2017 abortion rate was

13.5 abortions per 1,000 wom-

en aged 15-44 — the lowest

rate since the Supreme Court’s

1973 Roe v. Wade decision le-

galizing abortion. Following

that ruling, the number of

abortions rose steadily —

peaking at 1.6 million in 1990

before starting a steady, still-

continuing decline.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Abortion rate is lowest in decades

HOUSTON — Imelda del-

uged parts of Southeast Texas

with more than 12 inches of

rain, but officials in Houston

and surrounding communities

said Wednesday that so far

there have been no severe im-

pacts from the tropical depres-

sion.

Coastal counties got the

most rainfall. Some parts of

the Houston area had received

up to 9 inches of rain, while ar-

eas of Galveston County had

received up to 10 inches.

A rain gauge from the Low-

er Colorado River Authority

indicated that Sargent, a town

of about 2,700 residents in

Matagorda County, had re-

ceived more than 20 inches of

rain since Tuesday.

In the Houston area, the

rainfall flooded various road-

ways, stranding some drivers,

and had caused several creeks

and bayous to rise to high lev-

els. But Imelda had not caused

any major disruptions.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Imelda drenches parts of Texas

MIAMI — A mechanic ac-

cused of sabotaging an Ameri-

can Airlines jetliner had ex-

pressed a desire for Allah to

hurt non-Muslims, stored vio-

lent Islamic State videos on his

cellphone, and has a brother

in Iraq possibly involved with

the extremist group, according

to new evidence unveiled at

his bail hearing Wednesday.

US Magistrate Judge Chris

McAliley cited those revela-

tions from prosecutors in or-

dering pretrial detention for

Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed

Alani at the hearing in Miami

federal court. Alani is accused

of disabling a critical naviga-

tion component on the Boeing

737, which had 150 passen-

gers and crew aboard.

Other evidence revealed

Wednesday included that Al-

ani, 60, recently sent a $

wire transfer to someone in

Iraq, where he has extended

family, and that he traveled to

Iraq in March but did not dis-

close that to authorities.

Prosecutors also presented

evidence that Alani has a

brother in Iraq who may be in-

volved with the Islamic State

extremist group, as well as

statements Alani made about

wishing Allah would use ‘‘di-

vine powers’’ to harm non-

Muslims. Alani had videos on

his cellphone depicting Islam-

ic State mass murders, accord-

ing to prosecutors.

Alani is a naturalized US

citizen from Iraq who has

worked as an airline mechanic

for 30 years, with no prior

criminal record. He’s not

charged with a terror-related

crime, but Assistant US Attor-

ney Maria Medetis said the po-

tential links to the Islamic

State give rise to the possibility

that his actions had a darker

purpose beyond what he in-

sisted was a labor issue.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mechanic may have links to terrorism

Daily Briefing

MATT MCCLAIN/WASHINGTON POST

PATRICK SEMANSKY/ASSOCIATED PRESS

After a three-year closure, the Washington

Monument is reopening to the public.

The 555-foot stone obelisk was closed in

September 2016 so that the aging elevator could

be replaced and security systems upgraded.

Visitors looked out from the observation deck

during a preview on Wednesday. The monument

will reopen to the public at noon on Thursday,

and first lady Melania Trump is expected to

attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

AMONUMENTAL

RESTORATION

By John Wagner
and John Hudson
WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON — President
Trump named Robert O’Brien,
who has served as the US hos-
tage negotiator, as his new na-
tional security adviser Wednes-
day, replacing the ousted John
Bolton.
‘‘I am pleased to announce
that I will name Robert C.
O’Brien, currently serving as
the very successful Special Pres-
idential Envoy for Hostage Af-
fairs at the State Department,
as our new National Security
Advisor,’’ Trump said in a tweet.
‘‘I have worked long & hard
with Robert. He will do a great
job!’’
O’Brien, who becomes
Trump’s fourth national securi-
ty adviser, was boosted by Sec-
retary of State Mike Pompeo,
with whom he had worked on a
number of hostage cases, in-
cluding the release of Pastor
Andrew Brunson in Turkey and
several other detained Ameri-
cans in Afghanistan, Yemen,
and Libya.
Inside the Trump adminis-
tration, O’Brien was viewed as
the ‘‘safest option’’ at a time
when the national security
team wanted as little ‘‘drama’’
as possible going into the 2020
elections, said a senior US offi-
cial, who requested anonymity
to speak more candidly.
‘‘He gets along with every-

body,’’ the official said. ‘‘He’s the

nicest guy on the planet.’’

His friendly demeanor con-

trasts with that of his predeces-

sor Bolton, who rankled offi-

cials at the Pentagon and the

State Department with his

sharp-elbowedmanagement

style and revamp of the policy

process that involved fewer

meetings for senior officials to

air their views.

Officials said a policy pro-

cess that doesn’t create new

competing factions would be

welcome, particularly by acting

White House chief of staff Mick

Mulvaney.

Upon taking the job, O’Brien

will become the highest-rank-

ing Mormon in the US govern-

ment, an important milestone

for a religious community that

has shown some skepticism of

Trump and will be an impor-

tant voting demographic in cer-

tain states, particularly Arizo-

na. O’Brien converted from Ca-

tholicism in his 20s.

The position of national se-

curity adviser does not require

Senate confirmation.

O’Brien was a founding part-

ner of a Los Angeles law firm

and has also served in US gov-

ernment roles focusing on Af-

ghanistan and the Middle East.

According to his law firm’s

website, O’Brien has main-

tained a ‘‘robust’’ commercial

litigation practice while serving

as a special presidential envoy.

O’Brien has praised Trump

for having ‘‘unparalleled suc-

cess’’ in bringing home hostag-

es, though his appearance in

Stockholm in July to monitor

the trial of US rapper A$AP

Rocky raised eyebrows as critics

assailed Trump for what they

viewed as an inappropriate in-

tervention in an allied nation’s

legal matters.

O’Brien’s prior work with

the State Department included

serving as cochairman of its

Public-Private Partnership for

Justice Reform in Afghanistan

from 2007 to 2011. His law

firm’s website notes that he

served under two secretaries of

state, Condoleezza Rice in the

Bush administration and Hil-

lary Clinton in the Obama ad-

ministration.

The announcement of

O’Brien’s appointment came a

day after Trump publicly

named five finalists for the po-

sition, none of whom were well-

known.

As he flew to California for a

political fund-raising swing on

Tuesday, Trump said others on

his short list were Army Major

General Ricky Waddell, the as-

sistant to the chairman of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff, who also

has served as deputy national

security adviser; Lisa E. Gor-

don-Hagerty, Energy Depart-

ment undersecretary for nucle-

ar security; former Bolton chief

of staff Fred Fleitz; and retired

Army Lieutenant General Keith

Kellogg, who serves as the na-

tional security adviser to Vice

President Pence.

Bolton was ousted last week,

ending a stormy tenure marked

by widening rifts between an

unorthodox president seeking a

foreign policy victory and an

irascible foreign policy hawk

who had been deeply skeptical

of much of the president’s agen-

da.

Bolton’s opposition to ele-

ments of Trump’s approach on

North Korea, Iran, and Afghan-

istan put him at odds with his

boss and other advisers. Trump

also largely blamed Bolton for

overselling the strength of Ven-

ezuela’s political opposition ear-

lier this year.

TRENTON, N.J. — A 74-

year-old woman and a 15-year-

old boy are among three peo-

ple who allegedly took turns

shooting a man to death inside

a New Jersey laundromat.

Mercer County prosecutors

say 74-year-old Eudean Mc-

Millan, 37-year-old Darryl

Parker, and the 15-year-old

have been charged in the slay-

ing of 21-year-old Geovahnie

FanFan in Trenton on Monday.

Authorities say the confron-

tation began after a group of

people attacked Parker near

the laundromat.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

74-year-old, teen charged in shooting

Trump names hostage negotiator as securityadviser

Insiders view

O’Brien as ‘safest

option’ for role

EVAN VUCCI/ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Trump and new national security adviser Robert

O’Brien spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One.

By John Wagner

WASHINGTON POST

WASHINGTON — The

US military has spent

more than $184,000 at

President Trump’s golf re-

sort in Scotland since he

took office, far more than

previously known, accord-

ing to documents released

Wednesday by the House

Oversight Committee.

The figure was dis-

closed in letters exchanged

between the Pentagon and

top Democrats on the

committee, which is prob-

ing whether Trump has vi-

olated a constitutional

provision that prevents

presidents from enriching

themselves through the of-

fice.

The Air Force has used

Glasgow Prestwick Airport

with greater frequency

during Trump’s presiden-

cy, placing some of its

crews at Trump Turnberry,

which is about 30 miles

away, during overnight

stopovers in Scotland.

In a letter dated

Wednesday, leaders of the

Democratic-led committee

voiced frustration with the

limited scope of a re-

sponse last week from the

Pentagon to requests for

detailed information on

the cost of the stays.

‘‘Although the Depart-

ment’s response is belated

and deficient, it still re-

veals that far more tax-

payer funds have been

spent at the President’s

resort than previously

known,’’ said the letter

signed by House Over-

sight Chairman Elijah

Cummings, a Maryland

Democrat, and Represen-

tative Jamie Raskin, a

subcommittee chairman

and fellow Maryland

Democrat.

The congressmen said

information provided by

the Pentagon indicated

that taxpayer funds had

been used to pay for more

than three dozen separate

stays, significantly more

than have come to light in

recent news coverage.

In their letter Wednes-

day, Cummings and

Raskin wrote that ‘‘it ap-

pears that US taxpayer

funds were used to pur-

chase the equivalent of

more than 650 rooms at

the Trump Turnberry just

since August 2017 — or

the equivalent of one room

every night for more than

one-and-a-half years.’’

The congressmen said

that the Pentagon had not

provided the total number

of rooms that were booked

nor the actual rates that

were paid.

Military spent $184k at

Trump’s Scotland resort