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☆ 850 people still missing after Maui wildfires, mayor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Search and recovery team members check charred buildings and cars in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on August 18, 2023. A total of 850 people are still missing in connection with the deadly wildfires that devastated Maui earlier this month, the county's mayor announced. In an overnight update posted to Facebook, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said there were now 850 people officially believed to be missing. Bissen said the number of missing people was the result of the FBI combining and refining various lists of missing people. "The death toll number is always provisional, in a way," Goldman said.

Persons: Richard Bissen, Bissen, We're, Lynn Goldman, Hurricane Maria, Goldman Organizations: Facebook, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, NBC, FBI Locations: Maui, Lahaina , Hawaii, Maui County, Puerto Rico, Lahaina

☆ Earth, wind and fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Earth, wind and fire The wildfire that ripped through Lahaina last week, reducing what had once been the jewel of the historic Hawaiian kingdom to rubble, was decades in the making, scientists say. Illustration of smoke rising above mountains How wind spreads fire As wind cascades over mountains, sinking air compresses, heats up and loses moisture. Over Aug. 7 to 9, gale-force wind gusts reached 67 miles per hour (108 kilometres per hour) in Maui County, according to the National Weather Service. Hot and dry air, colored in orange, moves over Hawaii throughout the timelapse. Today, over 90% of Hawaii’s native dry forests have disappeared, and non-native grasses cover roughly a quarter of the state, according to scientists.

Persons: didn’t, ”, Abby Frazier, Dora —, John Bravender, Dora, Hurricane Dora, “ Dora, Bravender, climatologist Frazier, Thomas Smith, Jennifer Balch, Mike Opgenorth, ” Smith, Matthew A, Foster, Handout Organizations: U.S . Drought Monitor, Clark University, National Weather Service, National Oceanic, Pacific Hurricane Center, North Pacific, London School of Economics, Political, University of Colorado Boulder, Pacific Fire Exchange, University of Hawaii, U.S . Army National Guard, Staff Locations: Lahaina, Lahaina —, West Maui, Lahaina simmered, Maui, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Maui County, Honolulu, Canada, India, South America, Caribbean, Lahaina , Hawaii, U.S

☆ Biden Visiting Hawaii to Inspect Wildfire Damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Peter Baker | More About Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“My heart, my prayers and my focus are on the victims of the Maui wildfires and their families,” Mr. Biden said in a written statement released by the White House on Sunday. I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy.”He added that the federal government would respect sacred lands, cultures and traditions in its recovery efforts. Mr. Biden arrived at Lake Tahoe on Friday evening and has made no public appearances other than participating in Mass at a local church Saturday evening. White House officials said the president is renting the house for “fair market value” but did not disclose details. Staying with him are Dr. Biden and several family members, including Hunter Biden, just a week after a special counsel was appointed to investigate the president’s son.

Persons: ” Mr, Biden, “, “ Jill, ”, Tom Steyer, Hunter Biden Organizations: White, FEMA, Democratic Locations: Maui, Lahaina, ”, Nevada

☆ Hope is tested as search drags on for people missing in Maui fires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] A view of a 'MISSING' flier featuring a photo of Joseph Lara, 86, who is missing since the Maui Fire raged through Lahaina, in Hawaii, U.S., August 20, 2023. Laborte asked at a volunteer-run aid distribution site in a park near Lahaina, which lies in blackened ruins. Hawaiian authorities have confirmed that the Aug. 8 fires killed at least 114 people on the island. So had another person listed on the whiteboard: Toni Molina, whom Hiraga had known since childhood. "He's about 86," said Laborte, who had flown in from Oʻahu to join relatives in the search for Lara.

Persons: Joseph Lara, Liliana Salgado, Tim Laborte, Laborte, Leslie Hiraga, Toni Molina, Hiraga, Molina, Lara, Jonathan Allen, Colleen Jenkins, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Maui, Lahaina, Hawaii, U.S, HONOKOWAI, Napili, Lara, Oʻahu

☆ Hawaii wildfires: Fights over water amid west Maui's charred ruins ignite new fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Bill Weir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Wailuku, Hawaii CNN —On a Hawaiian tourist brochure, fire and water are selling points for a volcanic paradise where lava flows and waterfalls mist. “There has been a great deal of water conflict on Maui for many years,” Hawaii Gov. “It’s disaster capitalism at its finest.”A rushing canal is seen on Hokuao Pelligrino's family farm in Wailuku on Maui on August 20, 2023. After watching Pellegrino and his Wailuku community litigate their streams back to life, locals around Lahaina followed suit. You restore the water and families are going back to their ancestral land.”Hokuao Pellegrino poses for a portrait on August 20, 2023.

Persons: Josh Green, Green, ” Hokuao Pellegrino, “, ”, Evelio Contreras, Eha, Pellegrino, ’ ”, they’ll, Glenn Tremble, couldn’t, ” Pellegrino, Taro, Joe Biden’s Organizations: Hawaii CNN, ”, Maui Land Company, New York Times, CNN, West Maui Land Company Locations: Wailuku, Hawaii, Lahaina, Maui, ” Hawaii, Venice, Hawaiian Kingdom, West Maui, Maui County

It was the firestorm that wildfire experts and residents on Maui had warned about for years — a blaze fueled by hurricane winds roaring through untamed grasses and into a 13,000-person coastal town with few ways in or out. Local officials had released plan after plan acknowledging that wildfire was all but certain. Cellphone sites were burned and lost power, leaving people unable to communicate or receive emergency alerts. And while fire departments and wildfire-preparedness groups have long urged people in fire-prone areas like West Maui to be ready and leave early, other advice from the authorities was far less concrete. The state of Hawaii’s own guide for how people should respond to hurricanes, tsunamis and other disasters does not include any direction on what to do in a wildfire.

Locations: Maui, Lahaina, West Maui

☆ Biden to visit fire-ravaged Maui on Monday as search efforts continue, with more than 800 people still missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Biden is planning to name a senior federal emergency official to oversee long-term recovery efforts during his visit. Josh Green, Biden sought to ensure the large footprint required for a presidential visit would not obstruct ongoing response and recovery efforts. “If President Biden could just teleport himself over, he would’ve come here in five seconds,” Green said at a news conference last week. Bob Fenton, an experienced disaster response official, will serve as the chief federal response coordinator. During the visit, Biden plans to reassure residents that the federal government will support their recovery, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said Sunday.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Biden’s, curt “, Biden couldn’t, Josh Green, ” Biden, “, ” Green, “ I’ve, Jill Biden, Bob Fenton, Fenton, Deanne Criswell, “ He’s, ”, Criswell, Isabella Guzman, ” Guzman, CNN’s Kayla Tausche, ” Criswell Organizations: CNN, Hawaii Gov, Biden, FEMA, White, Federal Emergency Management, Union, US Small Business Administration, SBA Locations: Maui, Maui County, Delaware, Salt Lake City, Green, Lahaina, Hawaii, “ State

☆ Biden Visits Hawaii Biden Heads to Maui to See Wildfire Devastation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Peter Baker | Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Terri Thomas’s family has been waiting for days. “It’s tragic — this hopeless feeling,” said Ms. Thomas’s niece, Terra Thomas, who lives in North Carolina. Spotty-to-nonexistent phone reception, especially in the immediate aftermath, made it hard for survivors to contact loved ones. Chief John Pelletier of the Maui Police Department urged people searching for loved ones to take a DNA test that could help identify their remains. Once the couple was able to inform loved ones they were safe, the social media attention proved helpful.

Persons: Terri Thomas’s, Thomas, Thomas’s, “, ”, Terra Thomas, Jill Tokuda, “ It’s, Noelle Manriquez, John Pelletier of, Pelletier, ” Terra Thomas, Terri Thomas, Harry, Toni Troupe, Toni, Max Whittaker, ” Emily Cochrane Organizations: Democrat, Maui Police Department, ”, The New York Times, huskies, Credit, Facebook Locations: Lahaina, Hawaii, North Carolina, Maui, Congress, West Maui, State, Napili, Honokowai, Ohio, Midwest, Bali

☆ Biden Arrived in Maui to See the Wildfire Devastation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Joined on the trip by Jill Biden, the first lady, and the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Biden is scheduled to meet with survivors, emergency workers and officials. So far, the federal government has provided more than 50,000 meals, 5,000 cots, 10,000 blankets and $7 million in short-term aid. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser warned that “a warm welcome may not be assured” in part because of frustrations over applying for aid. Biden has come under criticism from Republicans for not saying enough publicly about the fires that turned the town of Lahaina into an inferno. Only 11 victims have been publicly identified — all but one over 70 years old — and many families are still enduring a wrenching wait.

Persons: Biden, Jill Biden, ” Organizations: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Honolulu Star, Advertiser Locations: Hawaii, Maui, Lahaina

☆ Climate change and extreme weather, like Maui wildfires, are hurting affordable housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

For people on Maui and across the US, climate change is making the affordable housing crunch even worse. “This is why they have been building these affordable housing buildings. It is a safe place, but it doesn’t feel like home.”Affordable housing picture on Maui was already ‘pretty grim’For people on Maui and across the US, climate change is making the affordable housing crunch even worse. But not fires damaging buildings and taking lives.”“The affordable housing picture was pretty grim on Maui even before the fire,” he said. “There was more than one kitchen, more than one family living there.”These types of cobbled-together solutions to affordable housing are now gone, as are other recent hard-won affordable housing projects.

Persons: Josh Green, Hannah Harris, Tony Ellett, ”, Harris, “, ” Harris, Ellett, Jae C, Shantal Catanach, Keanu, ” Catanach, she’s, Stan Franco, Franco, –, Diane Yentel, ” Yentel, Yentel, Hurricane Sandy, Sandy, Peter Niess, Justin Sullivan Organizations: DC CNN, Urban Institute, UN, University of Hawaii’s Economic Research Organization, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, NOAA National Centers for Environmental, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, Income Housing Coalition, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Hurricane, Maui Architectural Locations: Washington, Maui, Lahaina, Catanach, Maui County, Hawaii, Corelogic, Maui –, Lahaina , Hawaii

☆ Has climate change made utilities a risky bet? What income investors need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The wildfires in Maui are just the latest example of severe weather and the peril facing utilities. However, investors can pick up about 4% yield on stocks that have dividends that are considered safe, which makes them attractive to investors seeking income. Climate change's impact Climate change is altering not only the Earth's temperature, but also precipitation patterns, said Zachary Zobel, risk associate director at Woodwell Climate Research Center. Climate change could impact utilities in other areas, like sustaining damage during hurricanes and floods. "You don't have to just rely on just one sector to get dividend income," said Cheng.

Persons: hasn't, Michael Lonegan, Neil Kalton, Kalton, Zachary Zobel, Zobel, Berkshire Hathaway, PacificCorp, Wells Fargo's Kalton, it's, Marguerita Cheng, Cheng, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric, Electric, NBC News, Evercore ISI, Wall Street, Wells, Wells Fargo Securities, FEMA, Woodwell Climate Research Center, Gas & Electric, Blue, Global, CNBC, & $ Locations: Maui, Lahaina, Wells Fargo, California, Berkshire

Bret Stephens: Before we get to Donald Trump’s indictment in Georgia or the upcoming G.O.P. Gail Collins: Maui is going to be hard for any of us to forget. There are certainly a heck of a lot of serious questions about whether the folks who were supposed to be responsible did their jobs. Bret: There’s a story in The Wall Street Journal that made me want to scream. The weather’s been awful in all sorts of scary ways this summer, all around the planet.

Persons: Bret Stephens, Donald Trump’s, Gail Collins, Bret, There’s, Gail Organizations: Street, Electric Locations: Georgia, Hawaii, Maui

☆ Biden heads to Maui, where 850 people are still missing after catastrophic Hawaii wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden board a plane as they depart for Maui from Reno, Nevada, U.S., August 21, 2023. President Joe Biden will visit Maui, Hawaii, on Monday, as authorities race to locate and recover nearly 850 people who are still missing after catastrophic wildfires swept the island and burned for weeks. The wildfires are the worst disaster in Hawaii state history and the deadliest wildfires in the United States in more than a century. While in Hawaii, Biden will also announce the appointment of FEMA regional administrator Bob Fenton to oversee the long-term federal effort to support Maui's recovery. "I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy," Biden said in a statement Sunday ahead of the trip.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Biden, Bob Fenton, Fenton Organizations: FEMA Locations: Maui, Reno , Nevada, U.S, Hawaii, United States, Lahaina

☆ Biden heading to Maui to meet with wildfire survivors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/8] U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden board a plane as they depart for Maui from Reno, Nevada, U.S., August 21, 2023. "It’s going to be an emotional day for everyone," White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton told reporters on Air Force One. Biden, who is seeking reelection in 2024, has been criticized by some Republicans and others for his initial response to the Maui fires. Biden said on Aug. 10 he would expand federal aid to Hawaii and promised help to anyone who needed it. Biden himself said he did not want to travel to Maui until he was assured he would not interfere with emergency response efforts.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden's, Biden, Olivia Dalton, Dalton, Deanna Criswell, Richard Bissen, Bob Fenton, Criswell, Steve Holland, Jarrett Renshaw, Colleen Jenkins, Michael Perry, Jonathan Oatis, Heather Timmons, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, FORCE, Air Force, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Facebook, Monday, FEMA, Southwest, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Maui, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Maui, Reno , Nevada, U.S, Tahoe, Lahaina, Hawaii, Delaware, Maui County, Southern California

But that can take time, analysts say, since airlines must manually override automated systems that raise fares in the case of higher demand. Here is a look at how airlines deal with a sudden surge in demand on a particular route. DISASTERS VERSUS HIGH DEMANDAirlines set a range of ticket prices based on factors like purchase timing and demand. They then allocate seats to each fare, explained Chris Amenechi, founder of startup SeatCash, which offers subscribers a product that predicts future flight prices. Travel site Expedia Group (EXPE.O) said air partners set flight prices and availability on its site.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Chris Amenechi, ”, Amenechi, Robert Mann, Mann, Allison Lampert, Doyinsola, Denny Thomas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Air Canada, HIGH, CAP, Air, Expedia, Airlines, WestJet Airlines, U.S, Amtrak, Thomson Locations: Okanagan, West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, Yellowknife, Air Canada, Calgary, Maui, Honolulu, U.S, Washington, New York

A sign at the site of the destroyed Pioneer Hotel and Pioneer Theater is seen after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S. August 10, 2023. The wildfires incinerated the town of Lahaina on Aug. 8, destroying 2,200 homes and businesses and leaving hundreds unaccounted for. Biden has faced criticism from Republicans for not speaking publicly about the tragedy until five days after it occurred. Criswell said she was in communication in the days that followed the wildfires, helping Biden understand the magnitude of the situation and what resources were needed. Some will be too traumatized to attend when their schools in Lahaina reopen while some parents will opt to move rather than rebuild.

Persons: Deanne Criswell, Joe Biden, Criswell, Biden, Jonathan Allen, Brendan O'Brien, David Morgan, Mary Milliken, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Pioneer, Hawai'i Department of Land, Natural Resources, REUTERS Acquire, . Federal Emergency Management Agency, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Kihei, Chicago, Washington

☆ A Maui restaurant owner is 'praying visitors will start to come back soon'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Local businesses on Maui say they're suffering as tourism falls following deadly wildfires. Coconut's Fish Cafe owner Michael Phillips told Insider that "Maui is in mourning" following the devastating wildfires that have killed at least 114 people and left thousands homeless. He said "tourists have to start coming back soon" before the local economy suffered long-term harm. The business owner said he'd already had to close one restaurant and make layoffs as it was losing $5,000 a day. "We ask that they shop at local small businesses and eat at local restaurants," she said.

Persons: Michael Phillips, Phillips, he'd, We've, YUKI IWAMURA, Tara Lee Murphy Organizations: Service, Getty, Panna, Aloha Locations: Maui, Wall, Silicon, Hawaii, Lahaina, AFP, Wailea

☆ Biden to reassure Maui's Lahaina residents they will control rebuilding after devastating wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden step off Air Force One upon arrival at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, Reno, Nevada on August 18, 2023. The wildfires incinerated the town of Lahaina on Aug. 8, destroying 2,200 homes and businesses and leaving hundreds unaccounted for. Biden has faced criticism from Republicans for not speaking publicly about the tragedy until five days after it occurred. Criswell said she was in communication in the days that followed the wildfires, helping Biden understand the magnitude of the situation and what resources were needed. — Biden on Friday authorized additional federal support for Hawaii, the White House said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Deanne Criswell, Criswell, Biden, —, — Biden Organizations: Air Force, Tahoe, . Federal Emergency Management Agency Locations: Reno, Reno , Nevada, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

☆ Wildfire spreads on Spain's Tenerife, forcing thousands from homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

No major tourist areas have been affected. Weather conditions overnight were "better than expected" Tenerife's fire brigade said on Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter. Fernando Clavijo, Canary Islands' regional leader, said the largest firefighting deployment in the history of Tenerife had so-far prevented the loss of any homes. Evacuations were ordered throughout Saturday due to worsening weather conditions. Popular tourist areas on Tenerife, part of the Canaries archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, have so far been unaffected and its two airports have been operating normally.

Persons: Fernando Clavijo, Rosa Davila, Jessica Jones, Nacho, Frances Kerry, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Rights TENERIFE, Europe, Spain's La Palma, Canada, Maui, Lahaina

Hours before the wildfire became an inferno that wiped out the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina, officials at the West Maui Land Company reached out to the state with an urgent request. The company, a real estate developer that supplies water to areas southeast of Lahaina, took note of the dangerous combination of high winds and drought-parched grasses Maui was facing. It asked for permission to fill up one of its private reservoirs in case firefighters needed it. In the interim, a brush fire that had been contained that morning flared up once again and swept through Lahaina, burning everything in its path. It is unlikely that filling up the private reservoir would have changed the course of the Lahaina wildfire, state officials say, and winds were so high that day that helicopter crews would have been unable to reach it.

Organizations: Maui Land Company Locations: Lahaina, Maui

☆ Opinion: A powerful weapon for prosecutors is now in the hands of Fani Willis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. In the US, prosecutors are given enormous power to apply the law as they see fit, choosing who to charge and what to charge them with. Evidence of their misdeeds can secure convictions and allow for strict sentences that otherwise couldn’t be imposed. Bill Bramhall/Tribune Content AgencyThe 97-page indictment unveiled by Willis last week cites a lot more evidence than could be arrayed against a sandwich served at lunch. “We are the chief law enforcement officers in each jurisdiction, with the weighty power to deprive others of their freedom,” Aronberg observed.

Persons: CNN — Caesar Enrico “ Rico ” Bandello, Caesar, ”, Edward G, Robinson, Rico, Rudolph Giuliani, Fani Willis, Willis, Giuliani, Donald Trump, Sol Wachtler, Bill Bramhall, Jennifer Rodgers, “, Trump, Ruby Freeman, Shaye Moss, Dave Aronberg, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Aronberg, Jack, Smith, ” Aronberg, Trump Walt Handelsman, James Antle III, ” Antle, ” Trump, Biden, Dean Obeidallah, Clay Jones, Tucker Carlson, Ron DeSantis, Lanhee Chen, Joe Biden, DeSantis, David Axelrod, Axelrod, Vivek Ramaswamy, Rich Lowry, “ Ramaswamy, … ”, Lowry, ” Carrie Sheffield, ” Lisa Benson, GoComics.com, ‘, Julian Zelizer, Jeff Zelevansky, Sandra Bullock, Leigh Anne Tuohy, Jill Filipovic, “ it’s, Michael Oher, Sean, Leigh Anne Tuohy —, … Oher, …, Facebook Filipovic, “ Oher, ” Bradley Cooper’s, ’ “, Leonard Bernstein —, Bradley Cooper, ’ —, David M, Perry, Bernstein, Felicia Montealegre, Carey Mulligan, Cooper, ‘ Maestro, ’, Joel Pett, Agency “, Celia Wexler, Joan Meyer, ” Wexler, Don’t, Ric Ward, Sigrid Fry, Alden Wicker, Jay Michaelson, Al Gore, Lauren Hersh, Rebecca Zipkin, David Andelman, Africa —, Michael Coren, Elsie Robinson, UC Berkeley Elsie Robinson, “ Robinson, Allison Gilbert, ” Gilbert, — Organizations: CNN, ”, New, Appeals, New York Daily News, Department, Electoral, Palm, Manhattan, Attorney, “, White House, of Justice, Trump, Agency, GOP, Republicans, Florida Gov, Republican, Fair, Politico, Hawaii, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, NFL, Oher, Twitter, Netflix, Rican, ” Press, Marion County, Russia, Hearst, San Francisco Examiner, Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley, Google, Smithsonian Locations: Rico, Fulton County, Atlanta, county’s, Georgia, Coffee County, Palm Beach County , Florida, “, Milwaukee, Iowa, GoComics.com Maui, Maui, Delaware, Hawaii, Tennessee, Costa, Rican American, Marion, The Kansas, Revere, Africa

☆ The doctors, dentists and anthropologists striving to identify Maui's victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

While the work can be emotionally taxing, DMORT members already confront death in their day jobs as funeral directors, medical examiners and coroners. DNA samples have become a crucial tool; Sebastian said the Maui team has partnered with a company that can process DNA in just hours. But the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks represented a pivot point, when DMORT teams helped city authorities sift through thousands of remains. Wildfires represent a relatively new response area for DMORTs; teams responded to the 2018 Camp fire that killed 85 in California and the 2020 Oregon wildfires. "As we're starting to see this era of 'polycrisis,' making sure we have enough DMORT team members that we can deploy is going to be really important," O'Connell, the senior HHS official, said.

Persons: Mike Blake, it's, Frank Sebastian, Kathryn Pinneri, Sebastian, Paul Sledzik, Sledzik, Dawn O'Connell, I've, DMORTs, Hurricane Maria, David Hunt, I'm, Hunt, O'Connell, Joseph Ax, Paul Thomasch, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Maui, federal, HHS, World Trade Center, Thomson Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, U.S, Seattle, United States, hijackings, Montgomery County , Texas, MAUI, Long, Shanksville , Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, New York, Indiana, DMORTs, California, Oregon

☆ Maui’s Fires and the Electric Grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hawaii Electric workers make repairs to electrical lines on Thursday. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesThe deadly fires in Maui last week are still being investigated, and there may have been more than one contributor. But one culprit that seems to be emerging is the tradeoff the local utility had to navigate between power grid safety and the government-mandated green energy transition.

Persons: Justin Sullivan Organizations: Hawaii Electric Locations: Maui

☆ Tens of thousands evacuated as wildfire burns out of control on Spain's Tenerife
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TENERIFE, Canary Islands, Spain, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Thousands more people were evacuated from their homes on the Spanish island of Tenerife on Saturday as a wildfire raging in the north of the island remained out of control, but the flames have so far avoided major tourist areas. The Canary Islands emergency services said more than 26,000 people had been evacuated by Saturday afternoon, according to provisional estimates, a sharp rise from 4,500 on Friday. The fire was at a scale that has never been seen before in the Canary Islands, Tenerife Council President Rosa Davila told reporters. [1/6]Samuel, 34, uses binoculars in the village of La Victoria, as wildfires rage out of control on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain August 19, 2023. In La Victoria, in the north-west of the island, some people who had been evacuated were receiving medical help.

Persons: Fernando Clavijo, President Rosa Davila, Samuel, Paulina Fernandez, Nacho Doce, Jessica Jones, Clelia Organizations: Saturday, President, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TENERIFE, Canary Islands, Spain, Tenerife, La Victoria, Europe, Spain's La Palma, Canada, Maui, Lahaina

☆ As Maui rebuilds, residents reckon with tourism's role in their recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Maui Economic Development Board says tourism is "irrefutably" the economic engine of Maui, which saw 1.4 million visitors in just the first half of 2023. About 70% of every dollar generated in Maui can be attributed to tourism, according to the board. Yet as the island looks to rebuild, residents like Keahi wonder what role tourism should play in the long road ahead to recovery. "So if they're saying Maui is closed, then there are no tourists coming in, and then we lose our jobs." "We just wanted to stay out of the way," Bailey said, adding that he understands the local residents "need time."

Persons: Hawaii's, Kapali Keahi, Keahi, Rafael Villanueva, Villanueva, that's, " Villanueva, Josh Green, Julie Sumibtay, Sumibtay, Tom Bailey, Bailey Organizations: Maui Economic Development Board, Tourism Expert, Las Vegas Convention, Visitors Authority, Las, Las Vegas, Hawaii Gov Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Nahale St, Long, America, Las, West Maui, It's, Kihei, Sacramento, California, Kaanapali, Oahu

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