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Mr. Pierce wanted to show off a property that he described as “the most important passion in my life”: a once-glamorous beachside resort that he had recently bought for more than $15 million. In its heyday, the resort, a W Hotel, boasted a 6,000-square-foot spa, restaurants run by a Michelin-starred chef and sweeping views of the ocean; it was a key source of tourism jobs in Vieques. Then, in 2017, the hotel was damaged by Hurricane Maria, forcing it to close. Mr. Pierce planned to reopen it, using his crypto riches to revitalize both the glistening property and the local economy. A former child actor, Mr. Pierce knew how to put on a show.

Persons: Brock Pierce, Pierce, Hurricane Maria Organizations: Michelin Locations: Vieques, Puerto Rico

☆ Tropical Storm Ernesto eyes Puerto Rico while plowing through Caribbean islands
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Tropical Storm Ernesto is slamming the northern Caribbean with heavy rain, gusty winds and rough seas Tuesday as it sets up to take a swipe at Puerto Rico. Satellite imagery captures Tropical Storm Ernesto churning over the northeastern Caribbean as the sun rises Tuesday morning. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Puerto Rico and the Leeward Islands, including the US and British Virgin Islands. Rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches will be widespread, with up to 10 inches possible in parts of Puerto Rico. Flash flooding and mudslides are possible as a result, especially in the higher terrain areas of eastern and southern Puerto Rico.

Persons: Ernesto, It’s, Barthélemy, Bart’s, Hurricane Maria, ” Juan Saca Organizations: CNN, Puerto, National Hurricane Center, NOAA, US, British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico Tuesday, National Guard, Associated Press, Hurricane, Luma Energy, AP Locations: Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Leeward, British Virgin, British, Puerto, Hispaniola, Bahamas, Bermuda, It’s, US East Coast

☆ If the Vicious Drug Lord Doesn’t Get Them, the Deadly Storm Might
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-08 | by ( Christopher Bollen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It’s a shame Gabino Iglesias’ ferocious new novel, “House of Bone and Rain,” couldn’t have been included as supplemental reading. “The Devil Takes You Home” (2022) was, like the two books that preceded it, a horror-noir thriller with elements of other genres thrown in. “House of Bone and Rain” ranges from vigilante thriller to supernatural horror to coming-of-age friendship saga with a strong dose of folklore fantasy. We had each other’s backs,” Gabe declares. So when Bimbo’s mother, Maria, is gunned down while working the door of a nightclub in Old San Juan, Gabe and his friends make a pact to track down the killers no matter the cost.

Persons: Gabino Iglesias, Hurricane Maria, Roque Raquel Salas Rivera, “, ” Iglesias, Gabe, — Bimbo, Paul, Tavo, Xavier —, Xavier, ” Gabe, Maria Organizations: Whitney Museum of American, Puerto Rican Locations: Hurricane, Puerto Rican, “, San Juan, Old San Juan

☆ Opinion: Destined to be a lame duck
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | 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. When Biden and Trump meet in a debate on CNN Thursday, expect part of the audience to be wondering exactly who and what will come next. Biden, who’s battling low approval ratings, is sticking with Vice President Kamala Harris, whose polls are also bleak. There were 28, and we’ve had 11 so far this year, Bridget Johnson noted in the first of a CNN Opinion series about America’s preparedness. “It’s a measure of his hold on American society that he’s still revered a half-century later,” wrote Frederic J. Frommer.

Persons: Franklin D, Roosevelt, “, ”, Alexander Wiley of, Adolph Sabath, Sabath, can’t, Joe Biden, Donald Trump —, Biden, who’s, Kamala Harris, Ronald Reagan’s, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Trump, Julian Zelizer, Zelizer, it’s, Facebook “ Trump, ’ Trump, Hunter Biden, ” Terry Szuplat, Barack Obama, I’ve, that’s, Obama, Dan, ’, don’t, … Don’t, Melinda French Gates, Douglas Heye, Bob Good, Trump Dean Obeidallah, Clay Jones, we’ve, Bridget Johnson, Johnson, “ we’re, Richard Serino, Irma, Maria, Hurricane Maria, Mark Wolfe, ” Drew Sheneman, Anna Bershteyn, Michael Diamond, Roe, Wade, Karen Finney, Jennifer Tucker, Chuck Schumer's, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, he’s, John Kasich, Bill DeBlasio, Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Biden’s, Jill Filipovic, Walt Handelsman, Luther Terry, Vivek H, Murthy, ” Kara Alaimo, Dolly Parton, Allison Hope, Dolly Parton “, Parton, ” Hope, Ericka Andersen, ’ Andersen, Andersen, Dolly, Nathan B, Baskind, Weeks, Samantha Baskind, Uncle Nate, Nathan Baskind, David, ” Samantha Baskinshe, ” Don’t, Phil Hands, Nadine Pienede, Frida Ghitis, Adam Plowright, Sara Stewart, Andrew McCarthy, Rohit Chopra, Willie Mays Bill Bramhall, Willie Mays, Frederic J, Frommer, ” Frommer, Mays, —, ” Mays, Vic Wertz, It’s Organizations: CNN, Republicans couldn’t, Democratic, GOP, Alexander Wiley of Wisconsin . Rep, Illinois Democrat, New York Times, Trump, Biden, Twitter, Facebook, UFC, Democrats, Braver, Trump Dean, US, FEMA, Hurricane, Ricans, Ledger, Agency, “, Independence, ”, Times, Federalist, Army, Journal, Tribune, New York Daily, Cleveland Indians, New York Giants Locations: Illinois, George H.W ., New York, American, ” “ Ohio, John Kasich , New York City, Donald Trump , Alaska, Switzerland, France, Normandy, Wisconsin, Juneteenth, Haiti, Putin’s, Korea, “

☆ Opinion | Puerto Rico Will Not Go Quietly Into the Dark
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-23 | by ( Yarimar Bonilla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2020 the Puerto Rican government transferred management of the electric grid to a newly minted Canadian-American private company, Luma Energy. It promised to bring clean, reliable energy to Puerto Rico after the state-owned Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority filed for bankruptcy and Hurricane Maria knocked out the island’s ailing electric grid. So why is it that four years later, my mom is still cursing in the dark? Puerto Rico’s power crisis illustrates the consequences of putting essential services in the hands of a private entity. Puerto Ricans deserve a power grid that works for them, not against them.

Persons: Hurricane Maria Organizations: Puerto, Luma, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, Hurricane, Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rico Locations: San Juan, P.R, Puerto Rican, American, Puerto Rico, Puerto

☆ I went to a food festival where Latina chefs shared their culinary journeys — and fed my Boricua soul
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Sofía Viera | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

I spoke with Latina chefs about their culinary crafts at a Latin food festival in New Jersey. On a warm, sunny April day in Paramus, New Jersey, the Westfield Garden State Plaza parking lot transformed into a Latin food festival. Children enjoy the warm weather and live music during a Latin food festival in Paramus, New Jersey. Cynthia Soto, owner of Empanada Lady stands for a portrait near her food stand during the Latin food festival. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much when I heard about a Latin food festival in Paramus.

Persons: —, Hurricane Maria, Alvarado Jr, Cynthia Soto, Soto, I've, Franny Reyes, Kathy Quiroga —, Reyes, Sweets, they've, they're, Quiroga, Kathy Quiroga, Karla, Bianca, Margarita, Amores, Fernandez, Sofía Viera Organizations: Puerto Rican, Service, Westfield Garden, Hurricane, BI, BI Entrepreneurship, Latina, Puerto Locations: New Jersey, Puerto, Paramus , New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Jersey, José, Puerto Rican, Piñones , Puerto Rico, Dominican, Long, Kathy Quiroga — Dominican, Reyes, Puerto Rican Cuban, East Coast, mayo, Paramus, Brooklyn

And when Russia invades Ukraine, he immediately decided it was time for World Central Kitchen to step into a war zone. michael barbaroAfter the break, my colleague Adam Rasgon on what happened to the World Central Kitchen workers in that caravan. So Adam, what ends up happening to this convoy that our colleague Kim Severson just described from World Central Kitchen? adam rasgonSo what we know is that members of the World Central Kitchen had been at a warehouse in Deir al-Balah in the Central Gaza Strip. michael barbaroAnd so what is the reaction from not just World Central Kitchen, but from the rest of the world to this airstrike?

Persons: michael barbaro, ” I’m Michael Barbaro, Kim Severson, Adam Rasgon, Kim, kim, José Andrés, you’re, kim severson, tapas, He’s, severson, he’s, kim severson He’s, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Harvey, Maria, Hurricane Maria, José, he’d, Goya, couldn’t, Nobody, there’s, they’ve, — michael barbaro, Chef Olivier, We’re, we’ve, Michael Jordan, Adam, adam rasgon, Al Rashid, Israel, adam rasgon There’s, adam rasgon President Biden, —, David Cameron —, david cameron, adam rasgon —, benjamin netanyahu, adam rasgon — Benjamin Netanyahu, Herzi Halevi, WCK, rasgon, that’s, michael barbaro Adam, it’s Organizations: The New York Times, Hurricane, Army, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, National Guard, Kitchen, Central, Central Kitchen, Gaza, UN, Red Crescent, White, British, IDF, Jerusalem Bureau Locations: Gaza, Haiti, Spanish, America, Washington ,, New York, DC, Miami, Hurricane, Houston, Puerto Rico, José, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lviv, Israel, North Gaza, Great Britain, Asia, Central America, Deir al, Rafah, Palestine, Jerusalem, Cyprus

☆ Five workers with World Central Kitchen killed in Israeli attack in Gaza, group says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Caitlin Stephen Hu | Abeer Salman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Videos obtained by CNN show the bodies of multiple people wearing World Central Kitchen vests following an airstrike in the central city of Deir Al-Balah. World Central Kitchen provides meals to disaster-struck regions and communities. World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés confirmed the five deaths to CNN. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” he added. The shipment included enough ingredients for 500,000 meals that World Central Kitchen planned to distribute in the strip, where hundreds of thousands people are on the brink of famine.

Persons: José Andrés, @WCKitchen, ” Andrés, “, ” “, ”, Andrés, Hurricane Maria Organizations: CNN, “, Twitter, Central, Israel Defense Forces, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, United Nations Locations: Gaza, Deir Al, Britain, Poland, Australia, Haiti, Hurricane, Puerto Rico, Southern California, Venezuelan, WCK, Ukraine

☆ Puerto Rican tax breaks are luring wealthy newcomers. A millennial says that's bad news for members of her generation with dreams of careers and homeownership.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Puerto Rico is becoming an increasingly popular destination for mainland Americans looking to relocate for tax purposes without giving up their US citizenship. Maridav/Getty ImagesBetween 2021 and 2022, about 27,000 individuals moved from the US mainland to Puerto Rico, according to data collected by the US Census Bureau . Related storiesIn 2021, the cost of living in Puerto Rico rose by 7%, the largest jump seen in 40 years. According to data from Realtor.com, the median home price in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in February was $950,000, up 37% in the past year. AdvertisementAccording to the Associated Press, there are now 25,000 short-term rentals in Puerto Rico, up from 1,000 in 2014.

Persons: —, Anna, Brock Pierce, Anna aren't, Adrián González Costa, Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans Organizations: Service, Puerto Ricans, Business, US Census Bureau, Federal Housing Finance Agency, San Juan, Puerto Rican Independence Party, San Juan Daily Star, Associated Press, AP Locations: Puerto Rico . Puerto Rico, Europe, Puerto Rico, Maridav, Puerto, Realtor.com, San Juan , Puerto Rico, Aguas Buenas, San Juan, San Juan ., AFP

☆ Opinion | Kamala Harris’s Epic Fail in Puerto Rico
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Yarimar Bonilla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kamala Harris arrived in San Juan, P.R., last Friday for her first official visit as vice president. The trip was meant, in part, to highlight the Biden administration’s dedication to aiding the island’s recovery. Ms. Harris’s roughly five-hour visit began in the community of San Isidro, in the municipality of Canóvanas. Many of the residents lack land titles, which made them ineligible for the Federal Emergency Management Agency programs Ms. Harris aimed to promote. The area was originally an informal settlement built on public wetlands by those displaced after Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Biden, ’ missteps, Harris’s, María Ramos de Jesús, Harris, Hugo, Ramos’s, Hurricane Maria Organizations: Department of Housing, Urban, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Hurricane Locations: San Juan, P.R, San Isidro, Canóvanas, Puerto Ricans

☆ Climate crisis: You don’t have to admit there’s one to be fighting climate change
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

The climate crisis ends up touching on all of those issues, as CNN’s chief climate correspondent Bill Weir told me. Removing politics from climate changeWOLF: It’s interesting to hear you say that about Texas, because the governor and the Republican-dominated legislature there would seemingly be opposed to doing anything specifically because of climate change. Joe Biden has tried to make the argument that addressing climate change should be an economic boom. It seems clear that we’re going to burst through the 2-degree tipping point that had been previously suggested as the tipping point for climate change. What that means for marine ecosystems and coral reefs, which are the cradles of life in the oceans, and what it means for the power of storms as we head into hurricane season has scientists really, really worried.

Persons: Bill Weir, ”, Weir, You’re, WEIR, don’t, Syd Kitson, It’s, Hurricane Ian, CNN WEIR, Hurricane Maria, they’ve, it’s, It’ll, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Matt Yglesias, WOLF, I’ve, we’ve, We’ve, Kena Betancur, they’re, There’s Organizations: CNN, NFL, Hurricane, Babcock, Buffalo, UN, Republican, Act, Citi Bikes, Getty, Greyhound Locations: Hope, Massachusetts, Salisbury , Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Florida, America, , Florida, Puerto Rico, Buffalo, Puerto Rican, Niagara Falls, Texas, Alaska, United States, Portland , Maine, Portland , Oregon, Central America, Charleston, South Carolina, New York City, Dallas, Chicago, New York, AFP

Becoming a resident of Puerto Rico isn't hard but involves strict rules to get the tax breaks. Sean Flynn, a semi-retired IT consultant, moved to Humacao, Puerto Rico, in 2021 from Austin. If you want to take advantage of the tax breaks in Puerto Rico, you can't leave your children back on the mainland. Ricky Santana, Founder and Managing Partner of Colectivo Group, a firm that helps mainlanders move to Puerto Rico. Moving to Puerto Rico can give some Americans the best of two great worlds — financial incentives in an island paradise.

Persons: Sean Pavone, Hurricane Maria, Sean Flynn, Flynn, Mark Rubens, Ricky Santana, mainlanders, Puerto Ricans Organizations: of Columbia, IRS, Puerto, Colectivo, Congress, Puerto Rico Locations: Puerto Rico, San Juan, Miami, Puerto Rican, San Juan , Puerto Rico, Humacao , Puerto Rico, Austin, Texas, Puerto, United States

☆ Moving to Puerto Rico comes with lifestyle perks and tax breaks. Trade-offs include healthcare, schools, and furniture.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Americans are moving to Puerto Rico for the climate, adventure, and tax breaks. Newcomers to Puerto Rico told Business Insider they've had difficulty navigating the complexities of healthcare, education, and even buying goods like furniture. From 2021 through 2022, about 27,000 people moved to Puerto Rico from the US states, according to data collected by the US Census Bureau. Lindsey noted that if somebody expressed interest in moving to Puerto Rico, she would first ask them about their health. "You must understand that in Puerto Rico, it's going to be a little laid back," he said.

Persons: —, they've, it's, Ricky Santana, Santana, Jessica Peterson, Sarah Lindsey, Sean Flynn, Hurricane Maria, Lindsey, Flynn, Kimberly Sue Walker Organizations: Service, Puerto Rico, Colectivo, US Census Bureau, Puerto Ricans, Getty, Hurricane, Collectivo Locations: Puerto Rico, Puerto, Caribbean, Miami, Dorado, San Juan, San Juan ., Humacao , Puerto Rico, Austin, New York, American, Dorado , Puerto Rico

Zuckerberg has accumulated a long history of public apologies, often issued in the wake of crisis or when Facebook users rose up against unannounced — and frequently unappreciated — changes in its service. Whether or not the public always buys his apologies, there's little doubt that Zuckerberg finds it important to make them himself. BLINDED BY BEACONPhotos You Should See View All 45 ImagesFacebook's first big privacy blow-up entailed a service called Beacon, which the platform launched in 2007. VR TOUR OF A DISASTER ZONEZuckerberg's fascination with virtual reality long predated his decision to rename the company Facebook as Meta Platforms. That data was reportedly used to target voters during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign that resulted in Trump's election.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, “, you've, Meta's, Zuckerberg, it's, Here's, Beacon, — Zuckerberg, “ we’ve, we’ve, who'd, ”, Hurricane Maria, Trump's, Steve Bannon Organizations: FRANCISCO, Facebook, TechCrunch, Business, Yorker, Federal Trade, VR, CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA, Cambridge, CNN Locations: It's, Puerto Rico, Hurricane, CAMBRIDGE

☆ A semi-retired couple moved to Puerto Rico for an adventure and some tax benefits, but a healthcare crisis may soon change their plans
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"We were looking for an adventure of some sort, a pirate adventure, and Puerto Rico was perfect." AdvertisementThe lure of Puerto Rico comes with some strict guidelinesFor Lindsey and Flynn, an incentive to move to Puerto Rico was the territory's tax incentive Act 60. AdvertisementThe catch is that to take advantage of these perks, you must be what Puerto Rico calls a "bonafide" resident. For example, if you are a mediocre golfer from outside Puerto Rico and are looking for similar people in Puerto Rico, there is a WhatsApp group for that. If you moved to Puerto Rico for tax incentives and want to share your experiences, contact this reporter at cgaines@businessinsider.com.

Persons: Puerto Rico, —, Sarah Lindsey, Sean Flynn, Flynn, Lindsey, Sarah Lindsey Additionally, Hurricane Maria, Sarah Lindsey Lindsey, Max Organizations: Service, Puerto Rico, AFI Technologies, Hurricane, AFP, Pillsbury, Supply Locations: Puerto, Texas, Austin, Puerto Rico, Humacoa , Puerto Rico

☆ Climate change: 20,000 children displaced every day by extreme weather, UNICEF report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Rosa Rahimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That works out to 20,000 children displaced every single day due to extreme weather fueled by climate change. “Until now, children displaced by weather-related events have been statistically invisible,” the organization said in a statement. In 2020, Cyclone Amphan led to 1.5 million child displacements across India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan. In 2021, Typhoon Rai caused 1.5 million child displacements across the Philippines, Palau and Vietnam. Scott Olson/Getty ImagesA different picture emerges when looking at the number of children displaced relative to the size of each country’s population.

Persons: ”, Catherine Russell, Cyclone Amphan, Rai, Shakeel Ahmed, Hurricane Harvey, Scott Olson, Hurricane Maria, Eduardo Soteras, it’s, UNICEF’s Russell, ” Russell Organizations: CNN, UNICEF, “, East, Cyclone, Anadolu Agency, Getty Locations: East Asia, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Philippines, Palau, Vietnam, China, Sindh province, Pakistan, Houston , Texas, Dominica, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, El Gel, Kenya, AFP, Canada

Public schools with no air conditioning or whose cooling systems are inoperable due to power outages blamed on a hurricane-battered electric grid are seeking relief, but it’s unlikely they’ll find it soon. Pedro Pierluisi quietly vetoed a bill that called for air conditioning systems for public schools. But air conditioning remains rare at public schools, which depend on fans and trade winds that blow through windows with metal shutters. It's unknown how many public schools lack air conditioning or have air conditioners that don't work because of electrical problems. More than 50% of public schools also have reported a heat-related emergency.

Persons: Ángel Muñiz, ”, Puerto Rico, Odalys Martínez, Pedro Pierluisi, “, Yasim Sarkis, “ There’s, ” Sarkis, Hurricane Maria, Sheila Angleró, Edwin Morales, it's, Raúl González, they've, Ángel Matos García, Sarkis ’, Sarkis, you’ll Organizations: JUAN, —, National Weather Service, Puerto Rico, “, Gov, Hurricane, Associated Press, Department of Education, island’s Federation of Teachers, Puerto Rico’s Association of Teachers, Puerto Rico’s, Representatives Locations: Puerto Rico, U.S, Caribbean, Puerto, San Juan, saunas, Bermuda

☆ Who Profits After Natural Disasters Like Hurricanes and Wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Anthony Dimauro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

After Hurricane Michael struck Florida in 2018, home sales rose significantly, allowing disaster investors to reap the rewards. This venture has the potential to be even more rewarding given the increasing frequency of natural disasters in the US. But federal disaster relief is painfully slow to respond and often doesn't cover most of the costs. And while moratoriums on damaged land sales aren't a long-term, legally tenable solution, there are ways state officials might be able to deter disaster investors. As the threat of natural disasters increases, so will disaster profiteers.

Persons: Josh Green, Ian, Hurricane Michael, Hurricane, Joe Raedle, Hurricane Maria, Congress —, Hurricane Sandy, it's, Anthony DiMauro Organizations: Nashville Metro Council, FEMA, Hurricane, Centers for Environmental, Federal Reserve's Survey, Consumer Finances, Emergency Managment Agency, Small Business Administration, Urban Institute, Office, Congress, of Housing, Urban, Bloomberg, Newsweek, L.A Locations: Hawaii, Maui, Hawaii's, Tennessee, Nashville, Florida, Wilsey, New Orleans, California, Puerto Rico, Lahaina, New York

☆ Opinion | A Legacy of Colonialism Set the Stage for the Maui Wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Yarimar Bonilla | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Hawaii residents, like Puerto Ricans, who faced disasters before them, are not asking to be saved. They ask only to be allowed to help themselves in the face of failing emergency services and federal aid. But the entrenched vulnerabilities produced by colonialism are not so easily overcome. For example, some residents have been begging tourists to stay away as the community recovers. It will only worsen if weeks of absent federal aid turn into months of bureaucratic labyrinths and endless red tape, as has happened so often.

Persons: Hurricane Maria Organizations: Puerto Ricans, Hurricane, FEMA Locations: Hawaii, Puerto, The State

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ FEMA Outlines Maui Wildfire Support as Victims Critique Government Response
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Eileen Sullivan | More About Eileen Sullivan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“We understand that connectivity is still scarce in some areas,” Deanne Criswell, the FEMA administrator and one of about 300 agency employees on the ground in Hawaii, told reporters on Monday. There are questions about whether wildfire warnings were loud enough and early enough and whether government officials were adequately prepared to deal with the fires. FEMA is typically the first agency to face intense scrutiny after disasters. It is most often associated with its role responding to hurricanes, particularly because of its history of bungled reactions to previous disasters. While the federal agency plays a critical role in disaster response, it is not meant to be the first on the scene.

Persons: Deanne Criswell, Andrew, Hurricane, Hurricane Maria Organizations: FEMA, Hurricane, Defense Department Locations: Hawaii, Lahaina, Florida, Orleans, Puerto Rico

☆ Portable cell sites arrive in Maui to bring internet to residents and tourists
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Many cell towers have backup power generators but they have limited capacity to keep towers running. Cell service is down. Why cell phone service went downAlthough strong winds can sometimes threaten cell towers, most are strong enough to handle the worst that even a Category 5 hurricane can bring. “When the fires get too close to cell sites, they will obviously burn equipment, antennas, and feedlines,” said Glenn O’Donnell, VP of research at market research firm Forrester. Cell towers have backup technology built in, but this is typically done through optical fiber cables or microwave (wireless) links, according to Dimitris Mavrakis, senior researcher at ABI Research.

Persons: “, Gov, Sylvia Luke, ”, Glenn O’Donnell, Forrester, O’Donnell, Dimitris Mavrakis, ” Mavrakis, Hurricane Maria Organizations: New, New York CNN, Verizon, CNN, Maui Verizon, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Emergency, Center, Cells, Mobile, Wireless, ABI Research, Google Locations: New York, Maui, Maalaea, Lahaina, Northern, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Hurricane

☆ Why cell phone service is down in Maui — and when it could be restored
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Cell service is down. Although strong winds can sometimes threaten cell towers, most are strong enough to handle the worst that even a Category 5 hurricane can bring. The smoke and flames can also attenuate signals because of the particulate density in the air.”If a tower collapses, cell networks could take months to restore. This means satellite phones, which often feature large antennas, can help provide voice, SMS, and data services anywhere on Earth, even without cell service. Although it’s unclear how long cell phone service could be down in affected regions, companies have been able to bring connectivity to disaster regions in the past.

Persons: Gov, Sylvia Luke, ”, Glenn O’Donnell, Forrester, “, O’Donnell, Dimitris Mavrakis, ” Mavrakis, Apple, Hurricane Maria, Hawaii’s Organizations: CNN, Wireless, ABI Research, Mobile, Emergency Management Team, FEMA, Verizon, Motorola, Huawei, Apple Watch, Google Locations: Maui, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Hurricane

☆ Puerto Rico solar switch a life and death matter -US energy chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Timothy Gardner | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] Cars drive under a downed power pole in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico September 21, 2022. Puerto Rico has not typically been a large focus of U.S. energy chiefs. Colon covets the solar power Granholm offered, as it could also lower electricity bills, typically twice those on the mainland. Granholm said some 400,000 homes need rooftop solar but the $1 billion is only enough for up to 50,000 homes. Puerto Rico only generates about 3% of its electricity from renewables and the rest from fossil fuels.

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