Evening Edition: Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigns after criticism for taking charter flights at taxpayer expense

Veterans Affairs chief and his wife went to Europe. The government paid for her flight and meals.; Report: GOP tax plan would provide major gains for richest 1%, uneven benefits...

Democracy Dies in Darkness     The day's most important stories   Top Stories Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigns after criticism for taking charter flights at taxpayer expense President Trump, who had signaled earlier in the week that Price's job was on the line, accepted the resignation Friday. The White House said Deputy Assistant Secretary Don Wright would serve as acting secretary. The dismissal followed Price's announcement Thursday afternoon that he would reimburse the government for a portion of the costs of charter flights he'd taken over the last several months. He said that while the travel had been approved by legal and HHS officials, he regretted "the concerns this has raised regarding the use of taxpayer dollars." By John Wagner  •  Read more » Veterans Affairs chief and his wife went to Europe. The government paid for her flight and meals. David Shulkin was accompanied by his wife on the working vacation during which he attended Wimbledon and took in a river cruise. The government paid for her expenses because she was traveling on "approved invitational orders." By Jack Gillum, Alex Horton, Drew Harwell and Lisa Rein  •   Read more »   Report: GOP tax plan would provide major gains for richest 1%, uneven benefits for the middle class The analysis by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center challenges President Trump's promise about the effects of the proposal, estimating that nearly 30 percent of taxpayers with incomes of $50,000 to $150,000 would see a tax increase within a decade — despite Republican promises that the plan is designed to provide relief to the middle class. The majority of Americans making $150,000 to $300,000 would also be hit with higher taxes. By Carolyn Y. Johnson  •   Read more »   U.S. to slash embassy staff in Cuba; Americans warned not to travel there More than half the diplomatic personnel are being yanked from the U.S. Embassy in Havana, and Americans are warned not to visit the island nation. Officials said it's for citizens' own safety after a string of mysterious injuries harmed at least 21 Americans stationed in Cuba. The diplomatic drawdown means no visas will be processed at the embassy because there won't be enough people to do the work. By Carol Morello  •   Read more »   'I'm going to work until I die': The new reality of old age in America People are living longer, more expensive lives, often without much of a safety net. As a result, record numbers of Americans older than 65 are working — now nearly 1 in 5. Although some work by choice rather than need, millions of others are entering their golden years with alarmingly fragile finances. By Story by Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan | Photos by Linda Davidson  •   Read more »   'It's not a good-news story': San Juan mayor slams administration comments on hurricane response "This is a life-or-death story," Carmen Yulín Cruz said after the Homeland Security secretary reported that relief efforts to Puerto Rico are "proceeding very well." The territory has struggled without electricity, drinking water and medical supplies since Sept. 20, when Maria stormed through. By Samantha Schmidt and Mark Berman  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Amid criticism of hurricane response, Trump again refers to 'tremendous' debt in Puerto Rico At the top of a speech devoted to tax policy, President Trump ticked off a series of issues he said are making the recovery more difficult, including that Puerto Rico is an island, that its infrastructure was already in "very, very poor shape" and that the U.S. territory is saddled with debt. By John Wagner  •   Read more »   Racial slurs written on the doors of 5 cadet candidates at Air Force Academy Preparatory School The superintendent of the Air Force Academy warned that dignity and respect are his "red line" after the incident. By Susan Svrluga  •   Read more »   Alleged text from suspect in attempted poisoning of infant: 'I don't have an ounce of guilt' Court documents said the Indiana woman researched how much over-the-counter pain reliever would be fatal, then crushed the equivalent of nine Excedrin tablets and put the powder in a bottle of breast milk. By Lindsey Bever  •   Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT Retropolis • The Past, Rediscovered The dark side of Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the murder of Dorothy Stratten In a memoir about the Playmate, who was brutally killed in 1980, Hollywood producer Peter Bogdanovich blamed Hefner and the Playboy lifestyle for contributing to her death. By Theresa Vargas  •   Read more »   Why Baltimore has become the symbolic center of protests in the NFL The Ravens — from the city where rockets' red glare inspired Francis Scott Key — got a head start on the league in setting the tone for how athletes would respond to President Trump. But the anthem isn't the first time football and fandom have been fraught with political weight. By Dave Sheinin  •   Read more »   A mother went on an 11-day vacation — but her 4 young children were home alone, police say The 30-year-old Iowa woman set out for a European adventure but was ordered to return much sooner when authorities realized she had not made any plans for child care. By Lindsey Bever  •   Read more »   Darrell Hammond was a star as Trump. So what went wrong? The man famous for his lip-chewing Bill Clinton and, for more than a decade, his Donald Trump was sitting on a bench near his apartment when he got the call. The country had changed. The candidate had changed. And Lorne Michaels decided "Saturday Night Live" needed a new Trump. By Geoff Edgers  •   Read more »   My future daughter-in-law is planning a pitiful wedding. Should I speak up? The advice columnist takes your questions about the strange train we call life. By Carolyn Hax  •   Chat Transcript   •   Read more »           Share Evening Edition:    Twitter     Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Evening Edition or because it is included in your subscription. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071