In the Nation

WASHINGTON - The Senate confirmed Craig Fugate last night as FEMA director after Sen. David Vitter (R., La.) agreed to stop blocking the vote amid bipartisan criticism that the agency was left vulnerable with hurricane season just a few weeks away.

Fugate, a former Florida emergency management chief, was approved to take over the Federal Emergency Management Agency on a voice vote. He had garnered broad bipartisan support.

Vitter had put a hold on the confirmation until FEMA officials provided answers on several lingering questions involving Hurricane Katrina rebuilding. But the hold drew growing criticism from the American Red Cross, the White House, and others, including other GOP lawmakers.

After meeting with FEMA officials last week, Vitter agreed to relent if he got written confirmation that the agency was working in good faith to resolve his concerns, and that it would keep him updated. - AP

ALBANY, N.Y. - Former Surgeon General Antonia Novello pleaded not guilty yesterday to forcing state employees to work overtime to handle her personal chores when she was New York's health commissioner.

Novello, 64, entered the plea in Albany County Court, where prosecutors unsealed a 20-count indictment that included a charge of defrauding the government, a felony. Novello could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

Prosecutors said Novello, who was surgeon general under George H.W. Bush from 1990 to 1993, used state workers to chauffeur her on shopping trips and rearrange heavy furniture at her apartment while she was New York's top health official from 1999 to 2006. The state inspector general said the workers' 2,500 hours of overtime cost taxpayers about $48,000. - AP

WASHINGTON - President Obama's choice to lead a federal highway safety agency has withdrawn his name for the post, the White House said yesterday.

The administration said in April that it would nominate Chuck Hurley to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hurley, who was not formally nominated, is chief executive officer for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

The White House and MADD declined to comment on why he withdrew. Some environmental groups had questioned Hurley's commitment to tougher fuel-efficiency requirements and his ties to automakers. MADD has received funding from several auto companies.

The NHTSA sets fuel-efficiency and safety requirements for automakers and oversees highway safety programs. - AP

The owner and operator of Utah's Crandall Canyon mine yesterday settled lawsuits filed by the families of the 12 miners and rescuers killed or injured by two cave-ins in 2007. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, passing on an easy reelection bid, said he would instead run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican Mel Martinez. The decision excites Washington Republicans who desperately want to avert further losses in 2010.