Hawaii wildfire updates: Maui fires rage as hurricane passes south of Hawaii

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Ferocious wildfires, whipped by strong winds and very dry conditions, are wreaking havoc in Hawaii, prompting evacuations, rescues and school closures and prompting an emergency proclamation from the acting governor.

The proclamation was issued for Hawaii’s Maui and Hawaii counties on Tuesday by acting Gov. Sylvia Luke. The eye of Hurricane Dora was “churning far south of the islands,” but the winds were still reaching much of the state, she said in a statement.

“We are closely following the wildfires caused by the strong winds of Hurricane Dora,” Luke said. “The safety of our residents is paramount, and this emergency proclamation will activate the Hawaii National Guard to support emergency responders in the impacted communities.”

In addition to Hawaii’s National Guard being activated to assist with the fires on Maui and the Big Island, the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division will be sending helicopters to help with fire suppression if the winds die down enough, according to Jeff Hickman, a spokesman for Hawaii’s Department of Defense.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the leeward portions of all Hawaiian Islands.

Wildfires are spreading rapidly in very dry conditions stemming from a drought over West Maui combined with powerful trade winds being squeezed across Hawaii. 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.

There have been no confirmed fatalities as of Wednesday morning, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Communication is spotty on the island and 911 is down in areas of West Maui, according to the state’s EMA.

As of Tuesday night, six fires have burned over 1,800 acres across Maui and the Big Island. Officials said the situation on Maui is very dynamic and fast-moving.

Evacuations were in place Tuesday near two fires burning near Maui — the Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires, county officials said.

“Multiple structures have burned and multiple evacuations are in place, as firefighter crews continue battling brush and structure fires in Upcountry and Lahaina areas,” officials said in a statement, “In West Maui, fire crews from Napili, Lahaina, Kihei and Wailuku responded to the fast-moving fire, which was fueled by strong winds as Hurricane Dora passed well south of Hawaii.”

The U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies are also responding.

“A @USCG 45-foot Response Boat Medium crew from Station Maui has successfully rescued 12 individuals from the waters off Lahaina,” the guard’s Hawaii Pacific patrol said on social media.

The individuals are believed to have jumped into the water to escape the flames, according to the state’s EMA.

The guard’s Cutter Kimball was headed to Maui to “enhance efforts,” the statement said.

Travel headaches

There has been no formal closure of Kahului Airport, the main airport on Maui, but there have been disruptions from the smoke. Travelers should check with their airlines for their flight status, according to the EMA.

About 1,800 people sheltered at Kahului Airport overnight, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation.

The Hawaii DOT has also urged visitors to leave Maui if possible and not travel to the island. The warnings have caused panic on flights headed to the island.

An Alaska Airlines flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Maui has been delayed for hours and twice allowed passengers off the plane after being told about the conditions on the island.

“I was going to West Maui but don’t know if I am anymore because I guess it’s on fire and they’re evacuating people to Honolulu,” Sam Herring, a passenger still on the plane, told ABC News. “I was going to stay with somebody I know on the west side but now I guess I’m going to sleep in the rental car.”

Weather conditions

Due to weather conditions — east winds 30 to 45 mph with gusts up to around 60 mph and 35% to 45% humidity through the afternoon hours on Wednesday — any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly. Strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior, according to the NWS.

Wind speeds will continue to trend lower Wednesday and Thursday as the high pressure center north of the islands and Hurricane Dora, currently south of the state, continue to move westward.

Very dry fuels combined with strong and gusty easterly winds and low humidity will produce critical fire weather conditions through the afternoon hours.

ABC News’ Luis Martinez, Will Carr, Timmy Truong and Marilyn Heck have contributed to this report.

11 dead after fire at vacation home for people with disabilities in France: Report

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(LONDON) — Eleven people are dead after a fire engulfed a vacation home in eastern France on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.

The blaze broke out around 6:30 a.m. local time at a private accommodation in the French town of Wintzenheim, near the border with Germany. It wasn’t long before “violent flames” enveloped about 300 square meters (3,200 square feet) of the 500 square meter (5,400 square foot) structure, according to a press release from the local administration of France’s Haut-Rhin region, where Wintzenheim is located.

Dozens of firefighters were deployed to the scene and the blaze “was quickly brought under control,” the Haut-Rhin prefecture said. Seventeen people were evacuated, including one person who was transported to a hospital in a “relative emergency,” according to the prefecture.

The prefecture said the house was hosting a group of adults who were visiting for the summer holidays from the French city of Nancy, about 90 miles northwest of Wintzenheim.

The group included people with disabilities and their companions, according to French President Emmanuel Macron.

“Faced with this tragedy, my thoughts go out to the victims, to the injured, to their loved ones,” Macron said in a statement posted on social media.

Man killed during FBI raid in connection with threats against Biden, other officials

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(SALT LAKE CITY) — A Utah man was shot and killed during an FBI raid early Wednesday morning, the FBI confirmed to ABC News. The raid was in connection with an investigation into alleged threats against President Joe Biden and others, according to two officials briefed on the case.

One of the officials told ABC News that the investigation began in April and the U.S. Secret Service was notified by the FBI in June. In addition to threatening posts, the official said, the man under investigation suggested online he was making plans to take physical action. The threats had been deemed “credible,” the official said.

The FBI in Salt Lake City said the shooting occurred around 6:15 am. local time while special agents attempted to serve arrest and search warrants at a residence in Provo.

“The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously,” the FBI said in a statement. “In accordance with FBI policy, the shooting incident is under review by the FBI’s Inspection Division. As this is an ongoing matter, we have no further details to provide.”

ABC News has reached out to the U.S. Secret Service for comment.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends second state prosecutor, Monique Worrell

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Michael Laughlin/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday morning that he is suspending the state attorney for Orlando, Monique Worrell, effective immediately. This marks the second time in a year that DeSantis has made the rare move to suspend a state attorney.

Worrell fired back Wednesday, calling DeSantis a “weak dictator” who was removing elected officials for political gain.

Worrell’s suspension comes after receiving criticism that her office should have done more to keep Daton Viel, the man accused of shooting two Orlando police officers on Friday, locked up when he was arrested earlier this year.

“The state of Florida is a law and order state and that means we support the men and women who wear the uniform who protect and serve,” said DeSantis, a Republican running for president. “It means we have strong policies to hold criminals accountable for their misconduct.”

DeSantis announced in his Wednesday press conference that he is appointing Judge Andrew Bain to replace Worrell as State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, saying that Worrell neglected her duty as a prosecutor.

“Monique Worrell’s administration of criminal justice in the Ninth Circuit has been clearly and fundamentally derelict so as to constitute both neglect of duty and incompetence,” DeSantis said.

Worrell was elected the state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in 2020. She was the second African American elected to the position.

The governor said the grounds for Worrell’s suspension included patterns or practices to avoid seeking minimum mandatory sentences for gun crimes and drug-trafficking offenses, and for allowing juvenile offenders to avoid serious charges and incarceration.

DeSantis said that Worrell was too lenient toward some criminals and was not holding them accountable.

“But what this state attorney has done is abuse that discretion and is effectively nullified certain laws in the state of Florida that breaches her duties that she owes to the people of Florida under our state constitution, and provides the basis for the suspension and we can look to see all these different instances of people who have committed criminal offenses victimize people because they were not held accountable in accordance with the laws of Florida when they had the opportunity to hold them accountable.”

Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Worrell said during a Wednesday morning news conference that DeSantis’ decision won’t keep her from running for reelection.

“I am your duly elected state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit, and nothing done by a weak dictator can change that,” Worrell said.

Worrell said elected officials are being targeted for political agendas in Florida and that removals aren’t passing the very high threshold needed.

“Under this tyranny, elected officials can be removed simply for political purposes, and by a whim of the governor,” Worrell said.

Earlier this year, the Orlando Sentinel reported that Worrell said DeSantis was building a case to suspend her from office for political reasons.

“I am an elected Democrat who is not in alignment with the governor’s politics,” Worrell said at a news conference. “This has been an attempt to build a basis for a suspension.”

“This isn’t about whether I follow the law, this isn’t about whether or not my policies are a danger to public safety,” she said. “This is about the governor wanting to control the politics across this state. And quite frankly, it’s dangerous because this is a democracy, not a dictatorship.”

In August of 2022, DeSantis suspended State Attorney Andrew Warren, a Democrat, after Warren signed two joint statements, saying he would refuse to prosecute crimes related to abortion and gender transition treatments for children.

Warren sued DeSantis over his suspension, with the case eventually making its way to the Florida Supreme Court, where it was dismissed. A federal judge later upheld DeSantis’ suspension of Warren, but condemned the governor for violating Warren’s right to free speech.

DeSantis’ most recent announcement came one day after he reshuffled his presidential campaign staff as he works to catch up with former President Donald Trump in the polls.

Worrell took a jab at how DeSantis’ campaign is struggling, saying that the governor “needed to get back in the media in some positive way that would be red meat for his base and he would have accomplished that today.”

“He will be in the news nationally and internationally for the individual who has single-handedly destroyed democracy in the state of Florida,” Worrell said.

ABC News has reached out to DeSantis for comment.

Jack Smith previously got search warrant for Trump’s Twitter, new court docs show

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Special counsel Jack Smith obtained a search warrant for records and data from former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account earlier this year, newly revealed court documents show.

The existence of the search warrant was confirmed in a new order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which has upheld a $350,000 fine against Twitter imposed by a judge in D.C. District Court that found the company in contempt for initially failing to comply with the warrant.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Hawaii wildfire updates: Island fires rage as hurricane passes south of Hawaii

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Ferocious wildfires, whipped by the winds of Hurricane Dora, wreaked havoc in Hawaii, prompting evacuations, rescues and school closures and prompting an emergency proclamation from the acting governor.

The proclamation was issued for Hawaii’s Maui and Hawaii counties on Tuesday by acting Gov. Sylvia Luke. The eye of the hurricane was “churning far south of the islands,” but the winds were still reaching much of the state, she said in a statement.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the leeward portions of all Hawaiian Islands.

As of Tuesday night, six fires have burned over 1,800 acres across Maui and the Big Island. Officials said the situation on Maui is very dynamic and fast-moving.

Evacuations were in place Tuesday near two fires burning near Maui — the Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires, county officials said.

“Multiple structures have burned and multiple evacuations are in place, as firefighter crews continue battling brush and structure fires in Upcountry and Lahaina areas,” officials said in a statement, later adding, “In West Maui, fire crews from Napili, Lahaina, Kihei and Wailuku responded to the fast-moving fire, which was fueled by strong winds as Hurricane Dora passed well south of Hawaii.”

The governor’s proclamation also authorized appropriate actions by the director of the state’s Emergency Management Agency and the Administrator of Emergency Management, according to the statement.

The U.S Coast Guard and other agencies were also responding.

“A @USCG 45-foot Response Boat Medium crew from Station Maui has successfully rescued 12 individuals from the waters off Lahaina,” the guard’s Hawaii Pacific patrol saidon social media.

The guard’s Cutter Kimball was headed to Maui to “enhance efforts,” the statement said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Marilyn Heck contributed to this report.

Dianne Feinstein at home following fall, her office says

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Dianne Feinstein is at home after briefly going to the hospital following a fall, according to her office.

“Senator Feinstein briefly went to the hospital yesterday afternoon as a precaution after a minor fall in her home. All of her scans were clear and she returned home.”

Story developing…

Extreme weather blasts US with severe thunderstorms and record-breaking heat: Latest forecast

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Extreme weather — from destructive storms to blistering heat — continues to wreak havoc across the United States.

Since Monday, there have been more than 850 damaging storm reports nationwide with nearly two dozen tornadoes reported from Colorado to Massachusetts. Ten of those twisters have been confirmed by the National Weather Service, including an EF3 in northern New York state and an EF1 in eastern Massachusetts.

The National Weather Service currently uses the Enhanced Fujita scale to rate tornado intensity based on wind speeds and the severity of the damage caused. The scale has six intensity categories from zero to five (EF0, EF1, EF2, EF3, EF4 and EF5), representing increasing wind speeds and degrees of damage. There is also an unknown category (EFU) for tornadoes that cannot be rated due to a lack of evidence.

Thunderstorms also dumped 6 to 7 inches of rain in Massachusetts within a short period of time, producing major flash flooding that inundated roadways and neighborhoods.

At least two people were killed by severe weather on Monday — a 28-year-old man in Florence, Alabama, and a 15-year-old boy in Anderson, South Carolina, according to local authorities.

The weather forecast for Wednesday shows a new threat of severe thunderstorms is on the move, stretching from Kansas to Georgia. Major cities like Little Rock, Arkansas; St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama, could see damaging winds, hail and a few tornadoes.

On Thursday, the severe weather threat shifts east to the Carolinas, including the cities of Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina. The biggest threat there will be damaging winds but an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out.

That same storm system is forecast to produce more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall to the north, from New York, New York to Boston, Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, down south, a record-smashing heat wave is expected to persist in Texas, Louisiana and Florida. Heat index values — a measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature — are forecast to be around 110 degrees Fahrenheit there this week.

On Tuesday, the heat index value hit 113 degrees in Miami, Florida — the hottest ever recorded in the city. Parts of Florida’s Tampa Bay metropolitan area reached a heat index of 123 degrees. Temperatures in Naples, Florida, hit 98 degrees — a tie for the hottest recorded in the city during the month of August.

Lafayette, Louisiana, has gone a record 10 straight days of temperatures at or above 100 degrees.

The hotter-than-normal temperatures are expected to continue into the weekend and next week.

The National Weather Service has issued heat alerts in effect Wednesday morning for 50 million Americans across nine states, from New Mexico to Florida.

American woman, child freed after being kidnapped in Haiti last month

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti) — American woman Alix Dorsainvil and her young child have been freed and are safe after being kidnapped in Haiti roughly two weeks ago, according to a statement from El Roi Haiti, the nonprofit where she worked.

“It is with a heart of gratitude and immense joy that we at El Roi Haiti confirm the safe release of our staff member and friend, Alix Dorsainvil and her child who were held hostage in Port au Prince, Haiti,” El Roi Haiti said in a statement Wednesday.

Dorsainvil and her young daughter were taken from the El Roi compound outside of Port-au-Prince on July 27 and had been held since then. Negotiations to free her started shortly after she was taken, according to a Haitian law enforcement source.

Dorsainvil — originally from New Hampshire — has been living and working in Haiti “for some time now,” El Roi Haiti confirmed to ABC News. She works as a school and community nurse for the organization and is married to its director, with whom she shares the child, according to El Roi Haiti.

The kidnapping came as the U.S. Department of State ordered the evacuation of family members of U.S. government employees and non-emergency U.S. government employees in Haiti on July 27. The U.S. government’s travel advisory for Haiti is “do not travel due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure,” according to the State Department.

“Kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens. Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked. Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings. Victim’s families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members,” the State Department said in its advisory.

“U.S. citizens wishing to depart Port-au-Prince should monitor local news and only do so when considered safe,” it continued.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.

Inside DeSantis’ debate prep: Meeting with coach, prepping weekly — and ready for attacks

August 9, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Ahead of the first Republican primary debate in Milwaukee, in two weeks, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is ramping up his prep and bracing for a potential onslaught of attacks from his rivals when he steps on stage, sources familiar with his strategy told ABC News.

As DeSantis gears up for the Aug. 23 debate — which will offer him the chance to make a renewed pitch to a national audience amid stagnant early poll numbers against Donald Trump — the Florida governor has enlisted the help of seasoned debate coach Brett O’Donnell and has been holding regular Q&A sessions at least once a week, the sources said.

But questions remain about whether former President Trump, who remains the GOP primary front-runner, will attend the first debate and how his decision will impact the other candidates as they attempt to erode Trump’s persistent lead in the polls.

Trump has repeatedly teased that he will skip the first debate, pointing to his commanding lead so far.

“Why would I want to debate as opposed to doing something else that night? Why would I want to debate when you have people at zero and 1% asking me hostile questions?” Trump previously said.

His potential absence from the debate would likely place an even larger target on DeSantis, who is No. 2 in many polls — a scenario the governor’s team has been strategizing for, the sources said.

DeSantis’ campaign is actively preparing him to withstand “nonstop” attacks from his fellow candidates, according to the sources.

But if Trump ultimately skips the debate, sources told ABC News that the DeSantis campaign believes the move could hurt the former president with primary voters who want to see him on the stage. DeSantis’ campaign has been conducting polling on the issue with Republican voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

Despite the uncertainty around Trump’s participation, DeSantis and his campaign are working to capitalize on either scenario, sources said. If Trump does attend, the sources said to expect DeSantis to leverage the face-to-face opportunity to highlight differences between himself and Trump.

On the trail, DeSantis has pointed to how he handled COVID-19 — and eschewing many of the related public health restrictions — compared with Trump, who in the early months of the pandemic often echoed medical experts on the value of temporary shutdowns.

“Regardless of whether or not Donald Trump is afraid to debate, Ron DeSantis is looking forward to being on stage in Milwaukee talking about his plans to beat Joe Biden, reverse the decline in our nation, and revive America’s future,” DeSantis’ campaign communications director, Andrew Romeo, said in a statement to ABC News.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News in late July, DeSantis underscored that he has been preparing for the possibility that Trump will show up at the debate.

“We prepare for both eventualities,” DeSantis said then. “He says he’s not going to go, maybe he shows up.”

“I think he should show up. I think everyone should show up. You owe it to make the case to the people about why you should be president. And at the end of the day, nobody’s entitled to a nomination,” he added.

DeSantis for months avoided directly criticizing Trump with the same intensity that Trump has attacked him, but DeSantis has recently argued on the trail that Trump’s mounting legal woes — including three indictments, each of which he denies — could weaken Republicans in the 2024 election.

“If the election becomes a referendum on trivial matters like what document was found near the toilet at [Trump’s club] Mar-a-Lago, victory is unlikely for us,” DeSantis said during an interview with ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott at one of his campaign events in Iowa.

“Our attention should be directed towards the people’s aspirations for their future,” he said then. “In 2024, we must avoid distractions to succeed.”

DeSantis’ campaign has been undergoing multiple changes this summer, ABC News previously reported: He recently swapped out his campaign manager and cut several dozen staffers as part of a pivot on spending, with his team evaluating that they had burned through cash too quickly and hired too many people.

The governor also has begun embracing a new approach to the media, including sitting for multiple interviews with non-Fox News, mainstream news outlets.

Behind closed doors, senior aides have had discussions with donors addressing concerns about his White House bid so far.

He said in July that “this is going to be a state-by-state contest.”

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