A Sudanese officer speaks to civilians recruited by the army as they take part in a military training in the Kassinger area of Sudan’s Northern State on August 9, 2023. — AFP via Getty Images
(LONDON) — Sudan is facing the risk of “major disease outbreaks,” with medics reporting “thousands of corpses” decomposing in the streets of the Khartoum, the capital, as morgues are stretched to “breaking point,” health officials said.
Sudan has recorded a “horrifying combination of rising numbers of corpses, severe water shortages, non-functioning hygiene and sanitation services,” according to Save the Children, a nongovernmental organization.
The situation amounted to “unfortunately perfect for an outbreak of cholera and other such disease,” World Heatlh Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said in a statement this week.
Doctors in the war-torn African country had previously warned that the nation’s health-care system was in danger of collapse as a combination of power and water outages, shortages of health workers and attacks on healthcare facilities by armed militias push the system to the brink.
“The result of the war and its repercussions since April15th of 2023 has led to the paralysis of the healthcare system in the country,” the Sudan Doctors’ Trade Union said. “This is what we have been warning about since the outbreak of this conflict.”
As warring generals from the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continue to exchange fire as they battle for control of the country, the U.N. has announced they are recording an increase in malnutrition cases, disease outbreaks and related deaths.
Over 300 deaths — mostly among children — were reported by the U.N. due to rising malnutrition and outbreaks of disease between 15 May and 17 July.
“We are seeing a health crisis in the making, on top of a crisis of sorrow, fear and pain,” said Dr. Bashir Kamal Eldin Hamid, health and nutrition director at Save the Children.
Since the start of the conflict in Sudan, about 80% of Sudan’s main hospitals have gone out of service, the remainder operating at partial capacity.
“As casualties increase, hospitals are closing, completely emptied of medicines and doctors, and looted of any remaining supplies,” he said.
He added, “Where hospitals are still open, they are stretched beyond capacity and nearly non-functional due to staff fatigue and a lack of supplies.”
Healthcare systems in the states of Khartoum and Darfur are most affected, Sudan Doctors’ Trade Union said.
The lives of over 8,000 patients suffering from kidney problems face may also soon face a crisis as many dialysis centres remain out of service, the remainder expected to be closed next week “unless dialysis equipment is provided urgently,” Sudan Doctors’ Trade Union announced.
Speaking to ABC News in June, Dr. Mohamed Karrar, recounted the scene when he arrived at an abandoned hospital in Khartoum that had been occupied by RSF soldiers: “When we arrived, it was empty and there was blood on the floor in the emergency room, corpses belonging to soldiers and civilians laying on the ground and on trolleys.”
At least 53 attacks on healthcare officials were recorded between April 15 and July 31, leading to the deaths of 11 healthcare staffers, the World Health Organization said.
As the conflict enters its fourth month, at least 3,000 people have been killed across the North African nation according to Sudanese government, and at least 4 million displaced.
“Despite these harrowing conditions, brave Sudanese health workers and humanitarians continue to serve as a lifeline for those in urgent need of medical care, and the United States continues to stand with the Sudanese people,” the U.S. Agency for International Development said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — With the Iowa State Fair now underway, much of the nation’s attention will soon turn to Des Moines as Republican and Democratic presidential hopefuls descend on the Midwestern city to show face and make their cases to future caucus-goers.
But while other candidates pose with butter sculpted into the shape of a cow and munch assorted fried foods, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, now a GOP candidate for president, is continuing to hone his campaign’s focus on New Hampshire, evidenced in part by a new $400,000 media buy from the pro-Christie Tell It Like It Is PAC in the Granite State. The purchase marks the largest to date by the PAC.
“The first primary goal for our efforts was to do everything we could to make sure he [Christie] got on the debate stage, and that was accomplished,” a senior adviser from the PAC told ABC News. “And now it’s about supporting the broader mission in the state of New Hampshire, and he’s made no secret of the importance he’s placed on that state. It’s a state he knows well. It’s a state that he spent a lot of time in the last campaign on. And it’s a state that is going to be a big focus in this race.”
The 30-second ad spot, shared exclusively with ABC News, seeks to emphasize Christie’s legacy as a “successful blue-state governor” — a message the former governor has placed at the center of his pitch to voters as he attempts to bill himself as a uniting figure in an increasingly polarized nation.
“Tired of the drama, the distractions, the lies? It’s time for conservatives to win again,” the ad states. “Christie took on the teachers’ union and won, turned around Jersey’s most violent city, and got Democrats to cut taxes. A real conservative, Christie tells the truth, and he’ll beat Joe Biden — easily.”
Christie’s PAC said undeclared voters will be key in the New Hampshire primary since the Granite State allows undeclared voters to cast their votes in primary contests.
“Don’t forget there’s a lot of independents. Independents can vote in the Republican primary as well. Don’t forget that’s a factor. And Governor Christie has got a very clear message as to why he’s running and what he’s attempting to do,” the senior adviser said. “We feel good that that’ll resonate, and we will do everything we can to drive that home from the outside.”
Set to hit the New Hampshire broadcast and cable airwaves on Friday, the release of the television spot followed a town hall hosted by the PAC in Salem, New Hampshire, on Wednesday. It capped off several days of campaigning in the state by Christie, which included another town hall at Colby-Swayer College the night before and stops at two mental health and addiction treatment facilities.
Speaking to a crowd of a few hundred people Wednesday outside of an Elk Lodge on a muggy summer evening, Christie emphasized his desire to bring the country together to do “big things” and derided former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for “distracting” voters from issues that matter.
“They want to keep you in the little fights because the more they divide us, the easier we are to dominate. When we unite behind great causes, this country is undefeated,” Christie said.
“I’m tired of arguments and anger that lead to nothing but more arguments and anger. I want those arguments to lead to accomplishments for the American people. That’s what I did as the Governor of New Jersey, and that is what I will do as President of the United States if you give me the chance,” he told the crowd.
Christie blasted Trump several times throughout the evening, at one point calling him a “rotted building with the nice facade” and predicting New Hampshire voters would cause his demise despite the former president’s strong poll numbers in the state.
“When that facade gets broken through by the people of New Hampshire, the building will collapse. You will end his career in New Hampshire in January of 2024,” Christie said.
“I made some progress in two months,” Christie told the crowd on Wednesday night. “But it’s not enough. When your friends ask you, ‘Well, why the hell should I support Christie? He can’t win,’ you tell them, ‘He won’t be ahead in one poll until election night in New Hampshire, not one.'”
Two attendees at Wednesday night’s town hall, Michele and Bill Edwards, who said that they typically leaned towards Democrats in the past, told ABC News that Christie’s message resonated with them.
“He seems to be very close to the middle, which is a huge thing for us. That’s what we want,” Michele Edwards said following the town hall. “We want somebody in the middle. No arguments, no fighting, no cruelty. Just do what’s best for the country.”
“We just changed our designation to independent so that we can choose the right candidate who we think is best for the country. And it is clear that Chris Christie has something going for him,” Bill Edwards said.
(WAILUKU, Hawaii) — As a funeral director at the Nakamura Mortuary in Wailuku, Maui, Carol Chaney is no stranger to dealing with death — but usually, it’s other people’s losses. Now, with the wildfires having caused what Hawaii Governor Josh Green called “likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history,” loss has hit home in an unimaginably painful way. She says she’s still in shock and can’t reach family members in Lahaina.
“We’re still trying to gather ourselves. It’s still very fresh. There’s still a lot to be done,” she told ABC News over the phone.
Since the Maui wildfires, the calls she says she’s received aren’t to make funeral arrangements for those lost — it’s people calling to see if she has information on their missing loved ones. She doesn’t.
“We really have no answers for them which makes it even harder,” Chaney said. “It is getting a little overwhelming, but I know there’s more that’s coming.”
“I don’t know how to explain it, we want to do so much, but you can’t because you’re stuck. This has never happened,” she said.
Even as the death toll continues to rise, Chaney said she’s still coming to terms with what has happened.
“I’m kind of just trying to — I’m in shock. I just don’t want to believe that this happened,” she said. “And today it’s raining. Where was the rain yesterday? Where was it the day before?”
Chaney says she has relatives who lost their homes — and family members are still missing, both elderly and teenaged. They were last in Lahaina, and haven’t been heard from in 48 hours, she said.
“I am hoping they will be found but it’s in the back of my mind, I just don’t want to get that call,” she said.
The not knowing is hard, too.
“I’m hoping for the best,” she said. “I pray this will bring us together to help each other.”
Alani Wun is a funeral arranger at Norman’s Mortuary. She’s lived in Maui all her life.
“This was my childhood playground,” she said. “This doesn’t ever happen here. … It’s hard to imagine.”
Wun says she thinks it’s too early for any calls about arrangements for wildfire deaths — that process will take time, she said.
She says Norman’s is “prepared and ready to help” their community when the time comes.
“I am part of the ohana of Lahaina,” Wun said.
Another funeral arranger at Norman’s, Aloha Puaa, described this as a “devastating moment,” adding, “we just ask that everyone pray for the Lahaina family and all of Maui.”
(SANDUSKY, Ohio) — Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose put Ohio’s Issue 1, a measure that could have ultimately hindered statewide attempts at protecting abortion access, at the center of his recently announced campaign for Senate.
But now, after voters defeated the Republican-backed ballot measure, LaRose is left searching for a new campaign message.
LaRose said he had “left it all on the field” campaigning in support of the ballot measure over the past eight months, including the past three weeks, when he was also canvassing for his U.S. Senate bid. Then, Ohioans voted “no” on Issue 1.
The referendum’s 14-point loss Tuesday sent Republicans not only scrambling to address a drumbeat of losses after last year’s overruling of Roe v. Wade, but also speculating over the lifespan of LaRose’s nascent Senate campaign.
“I think the issue for LaRose is, what is the thing that would reinvigorate his campaign? Because Issue 1 was supposed to be the thing,” said David Niven, a political scientist at the University of Cincinnati. “I don’t want to call the crash cart in, but what’s the thing that’s gonna make this a healthy campaign? It’s hard to see what that would be right now.”
LaRose’s Issue 1 campaign work could have been an attempt to win over a voter like Nancy McKeen from Sandusky, who, after LaRose’s stop at Berardi’s Catering in Sandusky, told ABC News she was poised to vote for LaRose’s opponent Bernie Moreno, but was swayed by LaRose’s stump speech defending the ballot measure.
“I’ve made a choice because I think he’s more in tune,” McKeen said after LaRose’s Sandusky stop.
“I liked – I loved everything [LaRose] said. He did a good job,” she said.
The GOP-led Issue 1, which would have raised the threshold for a ballot initiative amending the state constitution from over 50% to 60%, went down by a 57-43 margin.
The Issue 1 vote took on national significance given an Ohio referendum set for later this year over whether to add abortion protections to the state constitution — a vote that would have been subjected to the 60% threshold had Tuesday’s vote succeeded.
The referendum’s thorough thumping was seen across Ohio – from Butler County near Cincinnati, which Trump won by 30 points three years ago but supported the referendum by 0.6 points, to Montgomery County, where Trump lost by 2 points in 2020 but the referendum lost by 14 points Tuesday.
All three of the major GOP Senate candidates– LaRose, businessman Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan, all supported Issue 1. But none made it the cornerstone of their bids the way LaRose did – and now the knives are out.
“Frank LaRose is staking his entire political career on Issue 1. He’s our elected Secretary of State, and he has spent the entire summer campaigning for the ‘Yes’ campaign at the cost of doing his job of administering this election,” Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters told ABC News.
“I think the really interesting thing is how Republican politicians are going to use this issue to make political games and support their own ambitions.”
LaRose spun the loss as evidence of his bonafides as a fighter despite the results.
“I’ve said for months now that there’s an assault coming on our constitution, and that hasn’t changed,” he said in a statement. “I’m just getting started in the fight to protect Ohio’s values.”
In a phone interview after the election, LaRose noted that he didn’t regret fighting for a cause he called “worthwhile.”
“Of course, that’s the message that the Democratic Party is trying to drive because, I mean, they know that this race comes down to me vs. Sherrod Brown, and I’m the clear front-runner on the GOP primary side. And, you know, they’re already focused on trying to attack me because they know I’m the one that can be sure. But here’s what’s clear, Ohio, recognize who will go to battle for them and stand up for their values,” LaRose said.
“I don’t think there’s a reasonable person who could say that I didn’t give a full effort to winning the Issue 1 campaign and nobody worked harder than I did. Seventy-six different events throughout the state. Tens of thousands of miles.”
Missteps by LaRose?
Some Republican strategists in the state cautioned against drawing straight lines between a single-issue campaign and a Senate primary or general election that will see actual candidates debate a whole host of policies.
“I don’t think Issue 1 is going to affect, because the Republican base, Republican primary voters, I think they were supportive of Issue 1,” said one Ohio GOP strategist. “Any issues for Frank in the primary aren’t going to be from Issue 1, it’ll be from other things.”
Still, other strategists and critics pointed to what they said were missteps by LaRose that contributed to Tuesday’s results.
While many observers drew a connection between Issue 1 and the abortion referendum later this year, Republicans had made a concerted effort to argue Tuesday’s vote was about protecting the state constitution from what they warned as a wave of special interest spending that could sway such referenda in the future.
However, at a local event in June, LaRose seemed to say the quiet part out loud, telling the crowd Issue 1 was “100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution,” jolting Republicans’ messaging and shifting the debate toward an issue where Democrats have taken the offensive, even in other red states.
LaRose later clarified that his comments were spliced out of context, telling ABC News that abortion is “just one of many reasons” for his support of Issue 1.
“It’s simply about protecting the Constitution from a whole lot of bad ideas,” he said.
Still, the anti-Issue 1 campaign and even his primary opponent Moreno seized on the remarks.
“The one thing I would knock Frank on is that he said it’s ‘100% about abortion,’ which has screwed up the messaging. It’s 100% about protecting the constitution,” Moreno said in a podcast ahead of the vote.
Moreno also kicked off his Senate run amid the Issue 1 campaign, but hung his political future much less on the issue. In Cuyahoga County on the Southern edge of Cleveland on the Monday morning before the Issue 1 vote, the two-time Senate hopeful made a few mentions of Issue 1 while delivering a robust introductory speech on the stump, where he pitched himself as a savvy businessman (like Trump) who was uninterested in political ambition (unlike LaRose).
“Anytime something you say is being used by the other campaign, anytime something you say is viewed as so productive that the other side’s putting it in their campaign ads, it’s really, really emblematic of failure,” Niven said.
Critics also went after LaRose for not investing his own money in the referendum, especially after telling NBC News he had put in “sweat equity” but that Republicans ultimately lost because of a wave of Democratic spending against Issue 1.
LaRose raised $1 million for Leadership for Ohio, an outside group that is now supportive of his Senate campaign. While he could have directly coordinated with the group before he launched his run, LaRose did not send any of that money to back up the referendum.
“He blamed the loss on Republicans getting outspent by Democrat dark-money groups, yet despite raising a million dollars into an organization to assist with his Senate run the past six months, he admitted that he didn’t direct a single dollar towards passing Issue 1, despite being legally allowed too,” said one GOP strategist backing a rival candidate.
LaRose told ABC News that the outside group did not invest money through the group to avoid illegal “coordination,” though he did not explain why the organization didn’t donate money before his Senate campaign’s launch.
Fight for Senate control
The GOP setback Tuesday takes place in the broader context of Republicans’ hopes of taking back the Senate next year with the help of a highly favorable map.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, along with fellow Democratic senators in West Virginia and Montana, is a top GOP target next year. Losing the chance to unseat him would mark a significant blow to flipping the chamber in Republicans’ favor in 2025 — and his opponents are warning that a LaRose nomination could throw off the GOP’s focus in 2024.
“Make no mistake about it, if Frank is the Republican nominee, the entire campaign against him is going to be about abortion. Is that what Republican voters, operatives and donors want?” asked the strategist working for a rival.
The Issue 1 results also could energize Democrats to boost Brown after being burned by a string of losses in the erstwhile swing state.
“This is really the first proof of life that we’ve seen from Ohio Democrats, Ohio progressives, since Sherrod Brown won in 2018,” he said.
Brown is still undoubtedly headed for a knife fight in a state that jolted to the right during the Trump years. But for now, at least, Democrats are celebrating, in part at LaRose’s expense.
“Tonight was an important victory for our state, the voters of Ohio and the principle of majority rule,” Walters said in a statement. “Ohio Democrats were proud to play our part in stopping this political power grab by out-of-touch politicians at the statehouse – most notably Frank LaRose, who made himself the face of this effort and is now officially Ohio’s biggest loser.”
Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily blocked Purdue Pharma’s plan to emerge from bankruptcy that shielded the founding Sackler families from liability in the nation’s opioid epidemic.
The application for a stay, brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, was presented to Justice Sonia Sotomayor and referred by her to the wider court, which agreed to hear argument on whether the nation’s bankruptcy laws allow a court to approve, as part of a plan of reorganization under Chapter 11, a release from litigation for third parties who are not themselves filing for bankruptcy.
A bankruptcy court judge had approved the reorganization plan for Purdue Pharma that reconstituted the company under another name while paying out billions of dollars to cities, states and Native American tribes afflicted by the opioid crisis — and insulated the descendants of the founding Sackler brothers from liability claims.
A federal judge in New York initially blocked the reorganization, however, ruling that bankruptcy laws do not allow liability shields to be given to parties that aren’t actually filing for bankruptcy.
An appellate court disagreed, reinstating the bankruptcy plan, and the DOJ asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.
In a statement, Purdue Pharma said: “We are confident in the legality of our nearly universally supported Plan of Reorganization, and optimistic that the Supreme Court will agree. Even so, we are disappointed that the U.S. Trustee, despite having no concrete interest in the outcome of this process, has been able to single-handedly delay billions of dollars in value that should be put to use for victim compensation, opioid crisis abatement for communities across the country, and overdose rescue medicines.”
Edward Neiger, an attorney at the firm ASK LLP who represents more than 100,000 people affected by drug abuse, said in a statement that “although the Supreme Court’s decision to grant cert is very disappointing because it will, at minimum, delay payment to victims, the Supreme Court demonstrated great compassion in expediting the case.”
“This demonstrates that the Supreme Court appreciates the plight of the victims waiting for recovery and the terrible toll the opioid crisis is still taking on our country,” Neiger said. “Ultimately that’s the most pressing issue, separate and apart from the legal issues. The opioid crisis must be defeated one way or another.”
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the next term, which begins in October.
(NEW YORK) — Dangerous wildfires are spreading rapidly on Maui due to very dry conditions stemming from a drought combined with powerful trade winds being squeezed across Hawaii.
At least 36 people have died from the wildfires on Maui and much of the coastal town of Lahaina has been “destroyed,” according to officials. A state of emergency has been declared for the whole island, while all nonessential travel to the popular vacation destination is being discouraged, officials said.
The Big Island of Hawaii has also been affected by wildfires.
The winds are being caused by a strong high pressure system to the north and a strong low pressure system — Hurricane Dora — well to the south.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Aug 10, 7:30 PM EDT
Death toll increases to 53
The death toll from the Maui fires has increased to 53, officials said Thursday.
“As firefighting efforts continue, 17 additional fatalities have been confirmed today amid the active Lahaina fire” as of 1:10 p.m. local time, Maui County said. “This brings the death toll to 53 people.”
No other details were available.
Aug 10, 6:56 PM EDT
Perfect storm of weather conditions led to devastating wildfires
A perfect storm of weather conditions led to the massive inferno that has killed dozens of people in Maui and caused widespread destruction.
The fires, which sparked Tuesday night, were fueled by an unfortunate combination of a landscape parched by drought conditions and strong winds.
Aug 10, 6:46 PM EDT
Husband, wife reunite after losing Lahaina home in fire
While fleeing their burning home in Lahaina overnight Tuesday, Steven Scott got separated from his wife, Patricia, and had been unable to get ahold of her — until now.
After more than 30 hours without a phone, Scott told ABC News he was able to borrow someone’s phone with just 6% battery life left and his wife answered. She had made her way to Walmart and found a way to charge her phone.
Scott quickly told his wife to meet him at the McDonald’s before the phone ran out of battery, telling her he would wait “as long as it takes.” They were soon reunited at the restaurant.
That wasn’t the only reunion for the family on Thursday; Scott said he was also able to locate his son and daughter-in-law, who had fled the flames with only their pets and a few dollars. The whole family lost their homes and business in the fire.
Scott previously recounted to ABC News his harrowing escape. He said he tried to fight the fire with a hose before managing to flee.
“I was trapped,” the 70-year-old said. “We had to run to the harbor.”
-ABC News’ Bonnie McLean
Aug 10, 6:19 PM EDT
Lahaina residents wait to return to check on homes
At the road block to Lahaina, dozens of residents who have slept in their cars are parked along the street waiting for the opportunity to check on their homes and neighbors. Right now, officials are only allowing emergency response crews to pass the blockade.
Lahaina resident Al Crisostomo told ABC News through tears about his escape from the flames days ago.
“It was a huge black smoke and it’s indescribable, it’s like apocalyptic,” he said.
Crisostomo said he fears his home is gone, among the hundreds decimated.
Since the early morning, dozens of emergency resources have passed through the blockade. Multiple Hawaiian Electric trucks are en route to restore power, and several truck loads of food have also gone through.
-ABC News’ Melissa Adan
Aug 10, 5:38 PM EDT
Wildfire in Lahaina 80% contained, officials say
The wildfire that has caused significant damage in Lahaina is reported to be 80% contained, Maui County officials said.
Among the other two active fires in Maui, the Pulehu fire, in an area of Kīhei, is reported to be 70% contained, officials said.
There is no update at this time on the Upcountry fire, in the areas of Olinda and Upper Kula, officials said.
Amid the disaster, Lahaina remains without power.
Some 1,400 people stayed at Kahului Airport overnight Wednesday while waiting to evacuate, the county said.
Aug 10, 5:17 PM EDT
Some tourists just learning extent of the fires
Three buses with 168 tourists just arrived at the packed Kahului Airport in Maui. Passengers told ABC News that they have not had power or cell service for two days. Some said they had no idea how bad these fires were until half an hour ago when they first got cell phone service back and were able to see the extent of the devastation.
Some don’t have plane reservations, while others have tickets for the weekend. They said the resorts told them they had to leave and to get on the buses, so they did without much of a plan and little information.
-ABC News’ Will Carr and Timmy Truong
Aug 10, 4:55 PM EDT
Lahaina resident ‘scared’ to learn death toll
Lahaina resident Leif Wright held back tears as he told ABC News Live he is “scared” to learn the death toll of the fire.
“I don’t even know what the body count is going to be. I’m very scared to hear, but I’m really nervous. A lot of friends are missing,” Wright said.
Wright evacuated after trying to help save neighbors and pets in his neighborhood. He lost his home in the fire.
He urged anyone who wants to help to donate to food drives or help give clothing to residents who lost everything.
Leif Wright, a resident of Lahiana, joins @kyraphillips with an emotional account of the wildfires that burned down his home.
“The entire neighborhood was covered in smoke…a lot of people are still missing.” pic.twitter.com/TWWCenLVLu
In an interview with ABC News Live, Malika Dudley, meteorologist for ABC Honolulu affiliate KITV, said residents are “feeling so, so sorrowful” as more damage is being surveyed and the death toll continues to rise.
“So many people are missing,” Dudley said during the emotional interview. “We’re seeing a lot of things coming up on Instagram, my grandma, my grandpa, my son. I just saw one and a 12-year-old that’s missing. There’s no words. There’s no words.”
Dudley said that Maui residents will need “a lot of support to get out of this.”
“Those are people’s homes, people’s businesses, people’s livelihood,” Dudley said. “And this is on top of the you know, what is most poignant to us right now, which is just the loss of life and trying to reunite families right now.”
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
Aug 10, 3:43 PM EDT
Survivor jumped into water to escape flames: ‘It seemed like I might drown’
Shawn Dougherty is recovering from burn injuries at a shelter set up at the War Memorial Gym in Maui after jumping into water to escape from the flames.
Dougherty told ABC News the “first sign of peril” on Tuesday was when a tree in his backyard snapped from strong wind gusts. When a house in his Lahaina neighborhood started to fill with smoke, he and his girlfriend drove toward the harbor, where businesses were on fire.
He and his girlfriend ended up leaving their car and jumping in the water to escape the flames. Dougherty said he got cuts and bruises from getting knocked against the rocks and coral.
“At one point, it seemed like I might drown,” he said. “I’m a good swimmer, but the water was just really rough because of the wind and the turbulence.”
They had to temporarily swim away from the rock wall because of the intense heat from the fires, he said. A first responder eventually told them to get out of the water because “it’s not going to get any better,” so he and his girlfriend took the chance and climbed out.
“I couldn’t even make it across the street because the pavement was so hot. And now I have second degree burns on the bottom of my feet,” Dougherty said.
Dougherty said he had difficulties walking due to his burns and lost track of his girlfriend after getting out of the water. He ended up waiting in the water and on the rock wall until firefighters carried him to a truck and ultimately brought him to a hospital for treatment.
He’s been at the shelter since Wednesday morning and hasn’t been able to get ahold of his girlfriend since.
“I’ve got to find a way to procure a phone so I can start making contacts with people and find my beautiful girlfriend,” he said. “I’m so scared.”
-ABC News’ Izzy Alvarez
Aug 10, 1:12 PM EDT
Biden approves Hawaii emergency disaster declaration
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration in Hawaii and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires.
The declaration unlocked grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property loses and other programs to help residents and business owners recover from the wildfires. It also unlocks federal funding for state and eligible local governments for debris removal and emergency protective measures in Maui and assistance for emergency protective measures for Hawaii County.
Biden also spoke with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green about the wildfires to express his condolences for the lives lost and the vast destruction of land and property.
“President Biden confirmed he signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Hawaii that will deliver additional federal resources and support on top of the actions already underway by FEMA, the National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal agencies to support the emergency response,” the White House said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Aug 10, 12:31 PM EDT
United cancels inbound flights to Kahului Airport, as airlines add extra flights from Maui
In the aftermath of the Hawaii wildfires, airlines flying to Maui have added extra flights to take people off the island. United Airlines canceled Thursday’s inbound flights to Kahului Airport so planes can fly empty and be used as passenger flights back to the mainland.
Other airlines told ABC News they are continuing their scheduled operations and have issued waivers or flexible travel policies.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it is monitoring the fires and winds, but operations remain normal. According to FlightAware, 14 flights at Kahului Airport have been canceled and 18 are delayed.
-ABC News’ Clara McMichael
Aug 10, 11:21 AM EDT
Chaos at Maui’s main airport as hundreds try to leave
Hundreds of people spent the night at the Kahului Airport on Maui, after local authorities asked everyone who does not need to be on the island to leave amid raging wildfires.
Many raced to the airport on Wednesday only to find out that their flights had been canceled or delayed. So, they slept there on the ground, on baggage carts and on X-ray machines — whatever they could find that was relatively comfortable.
Some people told ABC News that they are hoping to fly out on Thursday. Others said they were informed by airlines that they won’t be able to get on flights until the weekend.
One mother told ABC News that she has rented a car that she will sleep in with her two young children for the next two days. But that, she said with a tear in her eye, is nothing compared to losing your house or the life of a loved one.
Aug 10, 10:46 AM EDT
Hawaii governor to tour wildfire damage on Maui
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green is scheduled to arrive in Maui early Thursday.
Green is expected to hold a joint press conference with Maui Mayor Richard Bissen after touring the wildfire damage.
Aug 10, 8:01 AM EDT
3 wildfires remain active, uncontained on Maui
There are three active wildfires burning on Maui as of Thursday morning, according to Maui County spokesperson Mahina Martin.
Martin told ABC News that those fires are still not contained, though improved weather conditions have helped the situation.
There was no update for the number of acres that the blazes have burned. The Kula fire was a little over 1,000 acres as of early Wednesday.
-ABC News’ Alyssa Pone
Aug 10, 6:41 AM EDT
Latest wind forecast for Hawaii
The National Weather Service has canceled all high wind and red flag warning alerts for Hawaii as wind speeds are expected to decrease slightly on Thursday.
But wind gusts are still forecast to get up to 25 to 35 miles per hour, which will not help the fight to contain raging wildfires on Maui.
Over the last few days, winds have gusted to as high as 82 mph in parts of Hawaii. In Maui County, wind speeds got up to 67 mph.
This is due to very strong trade winds and the increased pressure gradient between the high pressure to the north of Hawaii and Hurricane Dora to the south.
Dora never hit Hawaii, only coming as close as 700 miles to the south. So the winds are not due to Dora but rather the pressure gradient effect.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Aug 10, 4:35 AM EDT
Death toll rises to 36 on Maui
At least 36 people have died as wildfires tear through the Hawaiian island of Maui, according to officials.
During a press conference early Thursday, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen confirmed that the death toll is “growing.”
“We knew of six earlier. We are probably around 36 as of now,” Bissen said.
Maui County also confirmed in a statement late Wednesday that “36 total fatalities have been discovered today”
-ABC News’ Alyssa Pone
Aug 09, 11:15 PM EDT
More than 271 structures impacted
Authorities say more than 271 structures have been impacted, as fires continue to burn into early evening local time.
A federal team has arrived on the island to assist in search and rescue efforts in Lahaina, Maui County said Wednesday.
Close to 100 Maui firefighters have been on duty around the clock, including 11 from the state airport, the county said. The Maui Fire Department has reached out for additional support, requesting 20 more firefighters from Honolulu, Oahu and an incident management team.
Firefighters are addressing spot fires in Lahaina. Two Chinooks, along with four Windward Aviation helicopters, have been battling all three fires with water drops. Three additional helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy have conducted search and rescue along the West Maui coastline, the county said.
The Maui FD reported no significant changes for the Lahaina, Upcountry and Pūlehu fires as of the afternoon local time.
There are no new evacuations, however, motorists are prohibited from entering Lahaina while the fire is active, with police on hand to prevent entry into the area. Residents who are still in Lahaina have been advised they can evacuate via Kahakuloa.
Aug 09, 9:37 PM EDT
FEMA approves disaster relief as wildfires rage, thousands without power
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Hawaii’s request for a disaster declaration for help with a wildfire on Kohala Ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii, according to Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency.
Around 200 homes in and near Kohala Ranch have been impacted by the fires that began on Tuesday, the state’s emergency management agency said in a press release.
“The fire was also threatening a volunteer fire department, local electrical transmission lines and an AT&T cellular communications tower in the area,” Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency said.
There are 12,400 customers without power, according to Hawaiian Electric. The company is working to get some power restored.
Aug 09, 7:30 PM EDT
Helicopter pilot on Maui devastation
When helicopter pilot Richard Olsten flew above Lahaina, Maui, on Wednesday, he said he was not prepared for what he saw.
“It was heartbreaking,” Olsten told ABC News Live. “There’s hundreds of homes burned down to the ground. The entire area of Front Street, the whole historic area, is gone, burned to the ground.”
“We were just speechless with one another as we viewed this horrible destruction of the town,” Olsten said.
Aug 09, 7:27 PM EDT
Latest from airlines
So far on Wednesday, there have been 17 cancellations and 46 delays at Kahului Airport (OGG) in Maui, according to FlightAware.
Delta Air Lines said it anticipates operating a full schedule out of Maui on Wednesday, adding two more flights to help accommodate customers from flights canceled the day before.
American Airlines said it canceled all flights to Kahului Airport on Wednesday but expects to operate the majority of flights out of the airport “to ensure customers evacuating OGG are able to do so.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said earlier it’s monitoring the wildfire and winds in Hawaii, but operations remain normal. A spokesperson said that, if necessary, the agency will take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into areas that experience reduced visibility from wildfire smoke.
-ABC News’ Amanda Maile
Aug 09, 6:47 PM EDT
‘I was trapped’: Maui fire survivors speak out
A Maui resident recounted escaping from his burning home in an interview with ABC News’ Gio Benitez on Wednesday.
“We started smelling the smoke, and that’s when we knew we had trouble,” Steve Scott said. “It came, and it came quick.”
Scott said he tried to fight the fire with a hose before managing to flee.
“I was trapped,” he said. “We had to run to the harbor.”
Scott said the loss is “horrible,” especially along Front Street in downtown Lahaina, just as the tourist-driven area started to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I don’t know if we can recover from this,” he said.
Aug 09, 6:43 PM EDT
Biden on wildfire response
President Joe Biden and the first lady said they are sending condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the Maui wildfires.
In a statement Wednesday evening, Biden said he has ordered “all available Federal assets on the Islands to help with response” and is urging “all residents to continue to follow evacuation orders, listen to the instructions of first responders and officials, and stay alert.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
Aug 09, 4:43 PM EDT
‘Our beautiful island has been ravaged by fires’
Maui Chamber of Commerce President Pamela Tumpap detailed the level of devastation in a phone interview with ABC News Live.
“Our beautiful island has been ravaged by fires from the mountain to the ocean,” Tumpap said.
Tumpap said some areas look like they have been “completely leveled.”
“We’ve lost a lot of homes and we’ve lost a lot of business places and we’ve lost cultural and historic resources that were in the Chinatown that have burned to the ground,” Tumpap said. “We are seeing fires unlike what we’ve ever seen before.”
Tumpap cautioned travelers against coming to the island, saying it is “not going to be the Maui vacation that you planned” and visitors will have a hard time finding resources.
Aug 09, 4:20 PM EDT
At least 6 deaths reported in Maui, mayor says
There have been at least six deaths reported in Maui County amid devastating wildfires, officials said.
“We’re still in a search and rescue mode, and so I don’t know what will happen to that number,” Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said during a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.
More than 2,100 people are in shelters in Maui County, he said.
Shelters are “overrun” amid the disaster, Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said while urging tourists not to travel there.
“This is not a safe place to be,” she said.
Aug 09, 4:01 PM EDT
Mother evacuates in middle of the night with 2 children
Maui resident Malika Dudley described to ABC News Live her experience evacuating from the raging wildfires in Hawaii with her two children in the middle of the night.
Currently in Haliimaile, which is on the slopes of Haleakalā, Dudley can still see the fire from the mountain growing and spreading.
“We were in the very first evacuation at 1 a.m.. I started to smell smoke in my home, and I woke my husband up and he said, ‘Oh, don’t worry about it.’ At 1:30, I thought, ‘No, something’s on fire in our house.'”
Eventually, Dudley, who is also a meteorologist for ABC affiliate KITV, got a call from their neighbor and the fire was right above their property.
“We got a call from our neighbor who said, ‘Get out of your house.’ And we looked out the window and there was a red glow outside of our window,” she said. “The fire was right above our property.”
Aug 09, 3:50 PM EDT
Hawaii governor: ‘Some loss of life is expected’
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green warned “some loss of life is expected” amid the wildfires.
“Heroic efforts by first responders have prevented many casualties from occurring, but some loss of life is expected,” Green said in a statement Wednesday. “Our entire emergency response team, including the Hawai‘i National Guard has mobilized and is being supported by FEMA.”
Green will be returning to the islands immediately due to the wildfire emergency, his office announced.
(NEW YORK) — A perfect storm of weather conditions led to the massive inferno that has killed dozens of people in Maui and caused widespread destruction on an island best known as paradise.
The fires, which sparked Tuesday night, were fueled by an unfortunate combination of a landscape parched by drought conditions and strong winds.
As Hurricane Dora passed through the Pacific Ocean about 750 miles south of the Hawaiian islands, the storm system collided with a tight pressure gradient sitting north of the islands, creating strong trade winds up to 60 mph that allowed the fire to spread quickly overnight once it was ignited.
In addition, parts of Maui, including much of the the island’s west coast, are currently under severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
The fires seemed to ignite out of nowhere, Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke told reporters in a news conference on Wednesday.
“We never anticipated in this state that a hurricane, which did not make impact on our islands, would cause this type of wildfires,” Luke said. “Wildfires that wiped out communities. Wildfires that wiped out businesses. Wildfires that destroyed homes.”
The devastation has been widespread on the island, with before-and-after satellite images showing miles of scorched earth and infrastructure. On the west coast of the island, much of the historic town of Lahaina has been devastated.
While the winds died down to about 30 mph on Thursday, they still posed some difficulties for firefighters, who managed to get the fires to about 80% contained by Thursday afternoon.
The origin of the fire has not yet been determined.
Mass evacuations were in place on the island as hundreds tried to flee to the Maui airport.
President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration to make federal funding available to help those affected in Maui County.
ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke and Ginger Zee contributed to this report.
(DES MOINES, Iowa) — Grilling pork chops, chowing down on corn dogs, visiting the famous “Butter Cow” dairy sculpture: these festivities and more await the 2024 presidential candidates starting Thursday at the Iowa State Fair.
The fair, an annual celebration of Iowa’s agriculture industry, is a rite of passage for presidential candidates looking to mingle with early-state voters. And with so many unscripted interactions, and a selection of unique foods, it also presents landmines for White House hopefuls.
In 2011, Democrats seized on then-candidate Mitt Romney’s offhand response to a heckler that “corporations are people, my friend” to paint him as out-of-touch for the rest of the campaign.
Former candidates Michelle Bachmann, Bernie Sanders and Rick Perry have all struggled to eat the Iowa State Fair’s famous corn dogs with dignity in front of the cameras.
While running for president in 2004, John Kerry made the faux pas of ordering a strawberry smoothie at the fair, rather than the typical beer.
The moment followed Kerry for years: “In my defense, it was delicious — but you’re right Matt, that smoothie clearly killed me in the Iowa caucuses,” he tweeted in 2019.
This year, as always, the political dramas of the race are sure to follow the candidates through the festivities.
At the center of those dramas is former President Donald Trump, who remains in the lead in the race for Iowa’s Republican nomination, according to statewide polling amassed by FiveThirtyEight. Trump is consistently garnering support from about half of Iowa Republicans, according to the polls.
Trump is the only candidate in attendance who has declined Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ invitation to sit down one-on-one for a “Fairside Chat.” Trump soured on Reynolds last month, after she affirmed that she would be staying neutral in the nomination contest.
“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won. Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL,'” he wrote in a blistering Truth Social post last month.
Trump, who currently faces three federal indictments, will arrive prepared to jab his chief rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appears to be gaining on Trump in the Iowa polls, despite a turbulent few weeks for DeSantis’ campaign. Trump is bringing to Iowa a contingent of Floridian politicians who have endorsed him over their own governor.
The fair will also see visits from underdog candidates who are growing desperate for a “break-out moment” that can launch their popularity. Among them are Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who was the lone candidate to step off at Wednesday night’s parade commencing the event. Former Vice President Mike Pence is in a similar position, having just barely qualified for the Republican debate stage despite his formerly prominent position in the party.
The only Republican candidate who has not announced plans to attend the fair is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, whose late entry into the race has caused his campaign to focus on New Hampshire, another early state, rather than Iowa.
On the Democrats’ side, the two candidates challenging President Joe Biden for the nomination – author Marianne Williamson and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – will make brief stops at the fair. Biden himself, who remains the race’s clear frontrunner, has no plans to attend.
Democrats also will host programming on the fairgrounds to “contrast 2024 Republicans’ MAGA agenda with President Biden and Democrats’ record of success.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart will hold a press conference to tout the party’s legislative victories.
The issue of abortion may loom over the festivities, since on Tuesday Ohio voters became the latest red-leaning state to side with Democrats on an abortion-related ballot measure.
Iowa recently passed its own law banning abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, though the tightest restrictions are temporarily blocked while it faces legal challenges. Republican candidates’ stances on abortion are especially important to Iowa’s evangelical voters, who make up a large voting bloc in the early primary state.
Since festivities began Thursday morning, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has squeegeed the window of the fair’s famous “Butter Cow,” after the refrigerated environment caused it to cloud; presidential candidate Larry Elder sat down with Reynolds; and presidential candidate Perry Johnson has toured the fair’s sheep barn.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Republicans suffered their latest electoral setback on a vote related to abortion, this time over a referendum in Ohio on Tuesday, leaving party operatives who spoke with ABC News saying the same thing: The GOP still hasn’t figured out how to talk about the issue.
The conservative-led effort in Ohio would have raised the threshold for future changes to the state constitution via ballot initiative from 50%-plus-one to 60%. It failed by a 14-point margin.
Citing comments by a leading Republican in the state who said the change was an effort to curb future abortion access, opponents of the effort linked the vote to a special election later this year over whether to add abortion protections to the Ohio constitution.
The defeat compounds similar results since last year that were about or associated with abortion in other states, included in typically Republican-leaning terrain like Kansas and Kentucky.
With Ohio, specifically, some strategists argued there may have been obstacles with the nature of the proposal.
“The way this initiative was written in the first place was probably not the best way to go about it,” said one GOP strategist with experience in Ohio.
“Swing voters and a lot of Republicans just don’t like the idea of changing the state constitution. So if you go into a ballot initiative and you’re undecided, you’re going to err on the side of ‘don’t make any changes.’ … I also think people forget about this a lot: If you poll it, around 30% of Republicans nationally identify as pro-choice [favoring abortion access],” the strategist said.
Abortion is thought to have played an outsized role in the 2022 midterms — the first after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade — and exit polling showed it was top of mind for voters in some states.
In those elections, Democrats limited their losses in the House and expanded their Senate majority despite widespread expectations of a red wave given President Joe Biden’s unpopularity and concerns over inflation.
Critics said Tuesday’s ballot measure was organized during a rushed August special election in order to head off the abortion access amendment that was recently added to November’s election.
“We know that the special election was put ahead of the November vote because our opposition saw the support … And they wanted to get ahead of us,” Lauren Blauvelt, co-chair of Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, the umbrella organization leading the effort to enshrine abortion access in the Ohio Constitution, told ABC News at an election night victory party in Columbus.
Democrats knew ahead of Tuesday’s vote that a victory for their anti-ballot initiative coalition would add to the pile of wins they’ve racked up during their battle for increasing abortion access protections via referenda. (Anti-abortion proponents counter that they have seen state success as well, with governors like Georgia’s Brian Kemp supporting major restrictions and remaining popular.)
“Kansas was an emphasis for the anti-abortion movement in this country for many years. But that amendment [winning] last year gave me hope. Why? Because people there rose up. It wasn’t just Democrats. It wasn’t just independents. It wasn’t even just moderate Republicans,” Democratic National Committee Vice Chair Ken Martin said at a canvassing kick-off in Dublin, Ohio on Saturday.
Nearly 700,000 Ohioans voted early, either in-person or by mail, which is nearly five times the amount of voters who cast ballots in last August’s primaries and far outpaces the 288,700 people who voted early for the May 2022 primary election, when competitive U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races were on the ballot.
Total turnout came close to some recent general elections. The unofficial election results from Tuesday show a 38.54% turnout across the state, which is just a 14% drop in-person election day ballots cast during the November 2022 general election.
The Republican operatives who spoke with ABC News said Ohio’s election underscored the risk the issue still poses to the GOP’s aspirations for taking back the White House and Senate.
The Ohio referendum’s supporters initially cast their campaign as an effort to protect the state constitution from outside special interests who might use ballot measures to make unacceptable changes to public policy.
But opponents mounted their own campaign around drumbeat messaging that Tuesday’s vote was a proxy for the issue of abortion.
“You need to get up early and define the issue. The other side got up with more than three weeks of saturating level advertising, defining the issue before the ‘yes’ side even got up,” said one Ohio GOP strategist. “And you look at the early voting returns, the die was cast.”
The referendum took place against the backdrop of the Republican presidential primary, with White House hopefuls in the party staking out their own messaging on abortion.
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the two leading contenders in the race so far, have largely avoided answering when asked about what kind of abortion legislation they’d sign into law if they become president.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott has said he’d fight for a 15-week ban at the federal level, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley earlier this year teased a major policy speech on the issue only to call for “compassion.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence has been the strictest in his policies, citing his long-standing commitment to restricting abortion as part of his Christian faith and saying he would ban the procedure even for nonviable pregnancies.
Pence was the only GOP candidate for president to urge a vote on the ballot measure ahead of the election, coming out with a video on Tuesday morning where he said a “yes” vote would “save Ohio.”
Beyond a cutoff time for abortion restrictions during pregnancy, Republicans across the country have also found little consensus on exceptions for instances of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.
But the results in Ohio and elsewhere are leading some in the party to say that there is too great an electoral risk in supporting too strict of a ban.
“A six-week abortion ban at the federal level is absolutely a loser. Part of this is how you message it,” said the strategist with experience in Ohio. “How about a 15-week national minimum standard with the three exceptions? That doesn’t sound as terrifying as an abortion ban. I don’t think you lose the middle when you get to something like 15 weeks with the reasonable exceptions.”
Anti-abortion groups, who are influential among the Republican base, have repeatedly and publicly pressed candidates to support strict stances, saying anti-abortion voters favor that commitment.
After Tuesday’s vote, the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said in a statement that “it is a sad day for Ohio and a warning for pro-life states across the nation.” The group added, “A broad coalition of passionate pro-life Ohioans came together to … try to take victory from the jaws of defeat.”
Conservative operatives said candidates’ lack of flexibility on policy can make some races harder to win.
“In more competitive districts, you oftentimes have Republican candidates whose position on abortion is not as hard-line as more rural or right-to-life-type organizations positions are. And that’s why that issue in different places needs to be litigated differently by those candidates,” said Ohio GOP strategist Nick Everhart.
Until that happens, though, the Republicans who spoke with ABC News forecasted more defeats — including in November, when Ohioans will vote on adding abortion protections to the state constitution.
“While it might have been possible to keep this campaign away from the issue in the fall, I think messaging-wise, some things get crossed-winded,” Everhart said. “I think what we saw is really an early version of what the result in the fall election is going to be on this specific issue in Ohio.”
(WASHINGTON) — Five American citizens considered to be unjustly detained have all been moved into house arrest in Iran after previously being imprisoned there, U.S. officials said Thursday.
Four of the five were released from Iran’s notorious Evin prison on Thursday, according to a lawyer for one of the detainees. The fifth had been in prison but was already under house arrest as of Thursday.
The White House and State Department confirmed Thursday in separate statements that the citizens were out of prison and moved to house arrest.
The development is part of an agreement reached by Iran and the U.S., after months of quiet negotiations, that would ultimately see all five nationals released from custody and allowed to leave the country, ABC News has learned.
In exchange, Tehran would receive roughly $6 billion worth of Iranian assets held in a restricted account in South Korea.
Here’s what is known about the five American citizens: Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz as well as two others, a man and a woman, who asked that their identity not be made public.
Namazi, Tahbaz, and Shargi were all accused of espionage by Iran — charges that the U.S. calls baseless.
Siamak Namazi
Namazi, 51, is an oil executive who was first detained in 2015 when he traveled to Iran on business. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Siamak Namazi’s father, Baquer Namazi — a former UNICEF official — was also imprisoned by Iran in 2016 when he traveled to the country to attempt to see his son. Baquer Namazi was later released from custody but barred from leaving the country until October, when the then-85-year-old was allowed to leave Iran to seek medical treatment.
The younger Namazi was granted a furlough to see his father at this time but then forced to return to Evin prison a little more than a week later. Siamak Namazi marked the seventh anniversary of his detention in early 2023 with a seven-day hunger strike intended to urge the Biden administration to do more to free Americans imprisoned in Iran.
Morad Tahbaz
Tahbaz, 67, is an Iranian American conservationist who also holds British citizenship; he was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
He was granted a two-day furlough in March, when Tehran approved the release of two other foreign nationals, but ultimately was forced to return to Evin.
Emad Shargi
Shargi, 58, was traveling in Iran with his wife in 2018 when he was detained without explanation.
Iranian authorities initially confiscated his American passport, inhibiting him from leaving the country, before re-arresting him in 2020 and handing down a 10-year sentence for espionage.
A fourth American national
Their identity and Iran’s allegations against them are still unknown. This person was arrested last year and was detained in Evin.
A fifth American national
The identity of the fifth detainee, a female, is also unknown. She was already under house arrest when the agreement was reached but had previously spent time in prison.
