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Fatalities from Maui wildfire reach 100 after death of woman, 78, injured in the disaster

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — The death toll from the wildfire that devastated the historic Maui town of Lahaina last summer has risen to 100 after a 78-year-old woman injured in the disaster died last month, officials said Tuesday.The victim was among those who had been flown to Oahu after the Aug. 8 wildfire, the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, Maui police spokesperson Alana Pico said in an email. The woman died Oct. 16, according to the Honolulu medical examiner’s office.Authorities have identified 99 victims in a process that has proved long and complicated. Forensic experts and cadaver dogs sifted through ash searching for bodies that were possibly cremated, and authorities collected DNA samples from victims’ family members.The youngest victim was 7 and the oldest was 97. Several were residents of a low-income senior apartment complex. Of the victims, 44 were 70 or older. Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, The Associated Press

Firefighters extinguish small Maui wildfire that broke out during wind warning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

HONOLULU (AP) — Firefighters fully contained and extinguished a small wildfire on Maui that broke out Tuesday during a warning that gusty winds and low humidity posed a risk that fires could spread rapidly in the western parts of each Hawaiian island. Firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire in the south Maui community of Kihei, said Darryl Oliveira, interim administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency. It took less than an hour to extinguish the fire, which burned about an acre (less than half a hectare) of brush, the Maui Fire Department said. The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for leeward sides of the islands — the sides normally sheltered from wind — through Tuesday evening, warning of winds of 20-30 mph (32-48 kph) and winds with gusts up to 50 mph (80 kph).“We’re going to act aggressively with any fire during a Red Flag Warning,” Oliveira said. A deadly blaze tore through the coastal Maui town of Lahaina during a similar warning in...

White Sox select contracts of 2 minor league pitchers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox have selected the contracts of two minor league pitchers to add toward the 40-man roster Tuesday.The contract selection of left-hander Jake Eder from the Class AA Birminham Barons, and right-hander Cristian Mena from the Class AAA Charlotte Knights, brought the White Sox 40-man roster to 37 in total.Aside from preparing to chase after big name free agents, the reason why Major League Baseball teams are also adding minor leaguers to their 40-man roster at this time of year is to protect their most coveted prospects from the Rule 5 Draft that happens next month. Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. wins Silver Slugger Award Eder, 24, combined to go 2-6 with a 6.35 ERA and 70 strikeouts over 14 starts, good for 11.1 K's per nine innings pitched, between Class A Jupiter and Class AA Pensacola in the Miami Marlins organization, and with Birmingham in Chicago's minor league system last season. He was acquired by Chicago from Miami in exchange for third bas...

Zelle banks are reimbursing victims of imposter scams

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – Banks that use Zelle are refunding money to customers who were the victims of imposter scams carried out using the peer-to-peer network."As of June 30, 2023, our bank and credit union participants must reimburse consumers for qualifying imposter scams," a spokesperson for Early Warning Services, LLC, the network operator of Zelle, told Nexstar. Anyone who hasn't yet filed to report an imposter scam should do so immediately, either with their bank or credit union if that's how they used Zelle, or directly with Zelle if they used the Zelle app.Zelle, which is owned by JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and five other large banks, allows customers to quickly send money to loved ones and friends in the way they might with payment services Paypal and Venmo. There’s a new most popular baby name, 2023 report finds The payment tool came under intense scrutiny after a March 2022 New York Times report detailed the tactics that scammers, often posing as bank and credit union repres...

Taylor Swift-themed cruise set to sail in October 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF) -- Taylor Swift is taking over the land and now the sea.Swift fans will have the chance to swap bracelets and show off their best "Eras" outfits next year during a Swiftie-themed, four-night cruise. Video: Taylor Swift changes lyrics during concert in nod to Travis Kelce A Royal Caribbean "In My Cruise Era" vacation is being planned by Marvelous Mouse Travels, and it will depart on the Allure of the Seas next October.However, those who are interested should know that Swift is not anticipated to come on the ship, nor is she associated with the planning.The cruise is set to sail out of Miami the day after Swift's Miami tour dates on Oct. 21, 2024. Marvelous Mouse said they will provide Taylor-themed events, new Swiftie friends, nightly opportunities to dress up in your favorite eras, friendship bracelet trading, and other things the ship has to offer. Taylor Swift’s net worth exceeds $1 billion, analysts say So far, they hope to have themed cocktail partie...

Authors of George Floyd book told not to discuss systemic racism at event 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

(The Hill) -- Two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists were restricted from reading from their book or discussing systemic racism at a high school event in Tennessee last month. Journalists Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa told NBC News that two days before they were set to speak at Whitehaven High School, they were informed they were not allowed to read from their acclaimed book, “His Name Is George Floyd,” and that the book would not be available at the event. The book, a biography about Floyd and the systemic racism that led to his murder by a former Minneapolis police officer, sparking a global movement against police brutality, won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in nonfiction and was recognized by several other organizations and awards. House votes to avert government shutdown But Tennessee is one of several states to have passed legislation restricting what and how students can be taught about race. Olorunnipa and Samuels, reporters for the Washington Post, said they be...

APD sergeant, who was on scene when Pastore was killed, honors him in charity run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

A photo of Officer Jorge Pastore displayed at a growing memorial outside APD headquarters. (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey)AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Sergeant Ben Mewis said he also responded to the call that ultimately resulted in a suspect shooting and killing Austin Police Department Senior Officer Jorge Pastore on Saturday. Search warrant provides new details about suspect involved in APD officer’s death For months, Mewis had planned to go on a running endeavor from Goliad to Gonzales to the Capitol to support a local animal rescue. Now, this project includes honoring Pastore. Austin corporal runs from Alamo to Texas Capitol, uses passion to connect with community "We stopped at mile 90.97 to honor officer Pastore who we also lost this past weekend," Sgt. Mewis said. "Officer Pastore gave his all, gave everything he had for serving this community."Mewis is set to complete the run Tuesday night.

Texas legislators approve bill allowing police to arrest people who cross the border illegally

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

AUSTIN (The Texas Tribune) -- The state House of Representatives approved immigration bills Tuesday that would appropriate more than $1.5 billion for additional border barriers and make illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border a state crime.Senate Bill 3 would allocate $1.54 billion for border barriers and to pay for state troopers to patrol Colony Ridge, a housing development near Houston that far-right publications claim is a magnet for undocumented immigrants.During Tuesday’s debate in the House, lawmakers adopted an amendment to SB 3 introduced by state Rep. Tracy King, D-Uvalde, that would allow some of the money to be used to help local police and governments enforce the new state crime proposed in Senate Bill 4.SB 4 would make it a state misdemeanor to illegally cross the border from Mexico into Texas, empower Texas peace officers to arrest undocumented immigrants and require that a state judge order the person to leave the U.S. to Mexico in lieu of prosecution.“If we're go...

‘The Hunger Games’ starts fresh, without Katniss, in ‘The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

Everyone had resigned themselves to the fact that “The Hunger Games” ended in 2015. The four-film blockbuster franchise had made nearly $3 billion at the global box office and helped Jennifer Lawrence skyrocket to superstardom. But Suzanne Collins’ Katniss Everdeen saga was over. And, frankly, everyone, including Collins, director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson, was eager to take a break and do something else.For several years after “ Mockingjay — Part 2,” “Hunger Games”-related text conversations between Lawrence and Collins rarely went past sending one another screenshots of their films on Jeopardy categories. Then, in 2019, Jacobson and Lawrence got a call: Collins was putting the finishing touches on something new, a prequel set 64-years before Katniss volunteered as tribute. It would be focused on a young Coriolanus Snow, and there would be a big musical element.“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” arrives in theaters nationwide Friday at anothe...

Minnesota man charged with Jan. 6, 2021, attack on U.S. Capitol

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:43:14 GMT

A southern Minnesota man is accused of participating in the Jan 6. riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021.Paul Orta Jr., 34, of Blue Earth, was charged Monday with one felony count of obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder, as well as misdemeanor counts of entering restricted buildings or grounds and disorderly or disruptive conduct in restricted buildings or grounds, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Washington.Orta walked into an FBI field office in Minneapolis on Jan. 25, 2021, and identified himself as the person in a photograph the bureau had published of an alleged Jan. 6 rioter, court documents said. He was arrested Tuesday.The Jan. 6 attack occurred as Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol in an effort to disrupt the certification of electoral votes and reverse the former president’s loss to Joe Biden.Investigators reviewed footage of the riot at the Capitol and allegedly observed Orta removing police barricades, throwing an ob...