3 Things To Know Today

Vintage movie countdown, illustration

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1 Maui Wildfires The Deadliest In Modern U.S. History

The official death toll in the Hawaiian fires that destroyed the town of Lahaina rose to over 90 yesterday, and officials say they’ve barely begun their efforts to find all of the victims. With the toll at 93 early yesterday, the fire is now the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history, topping the 85 who lost their lives in the 2018 Camp Fire in California. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says the damage is estimated at around $6 billion, and the fire will most likely be the largest natural disaster in the state’s history. Access to the most affected area is being restricted by officials, even to people whose homes were there. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said at a press conference yesterday that 89 of the 93 victims found so far “are John and Jane Does,” and will require time to identify. “You want it fast, or you want it right?,” Chief Pelletier said before adding, “We’re going to do it right.”

2 Kansas Police Raid On Newspaper Sparks Outrage And Leads To One Death

A police department in Marion, Kansas conducted a raid on a local newspaper and its staff Friday morning, seizing computers and leading to the death of one of the paper’s owners. The raids, led by Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody, came about because of a dispute between the Marion County Record and a local restaurant owner, Kari Newell. Newell is accusing the newspaper of invading her privacy and illegally accessing information about her, targeting her after she threw paper staff out of her restaurant during a political event with U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner. The editor and publisher of the Marion County Record, Eric Meyer, said during an interview that “This is the type of stuff that, you know, that Vladimir Putin does, that Third World dictators do.” Meyer says he believes the paper’s coverage of local politics and issues played a role. The raid was conducted under a warrant issued by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laur Viar, which some experts say violated federal law protecting journalists. The raid didn’t just involve the paper’s offices, with police also raiding the home of Meyer. His 98-year-old mother Joan Meyer, a co-owner of the paper who was present when the police came into the home to confiscate electronics, collapsed and died at her home the day after the raid. Eric Meyer said she had been “stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief.”

3 Five Dead After Explosion Destroys Three Pennsylvania Homes And Damages A Dozen Others

Few details are available about what could have caused a massive house explosion in western Pennsylvania on Saturday morning. The blast destroyed three homes and damaged at least 12 others, and left five people dead including a child. First responders reported that people were trapped under debris after the blast, and crews from at least 18 fire departments were needed to put out the resulting fires. The cause of the explosion is under investigation by officials, but they warned yesterday during a press conference that it would be a long process that could last months if not years. The president of Peoples Gas, Michael Huwar, said the company found no evidence of gas leaks either underground or in the air, and that consistent pressure indicated that “our system was operating as designed.” Gas and electric service was shut off to the neighborhood as a precaution.


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