Death toll rises to 67 in Maui wildfire

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

Death toll rises to 67 in Maui wildfire Officials in the County of Maui have confirmed the wildfire death toll has risen to 67.In an update posted online Friday, the county confirmed 12 additional fatalities as of 1 p.m. local time due to the active Lahaina fire.“Thirty-six fatalities were confirmed Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Another 19 were confirmed Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023,” the county said, noting, “the Lahaina fire is not yet contained.”Officials say firefighters continue to battle the blaze, which rendered large swaths of the centuries-old town of Lahaina into ashen rubble.The update came as some residents of the community were being allowed to return home for the first time to assess the damage.Related articles: Canadians flying back from Maui on Air Canada ‘ferry’ flights share wildfire horrorsDeath toll from Maui fires rises to 53, governor saysIncinerated cars crushed by downed telephone poles, charred elevator shafts standing as testaments to the burned-down apartment buildings ...

Massachusetts man pleads guilty to bomb threat aimed at then-Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

Massachusetts man pleads guilty to bomb threat aimed at then-Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs PHOENIX (AP) — A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to sending threats two years ago to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs when she was the secretary of state, the U.S. Justice Department said Friday. James Clark, 38, entered a guilty plea to one count of sending a communication containing a bomb threat to an election official, according to a news release.The FBI arrested Clark last year over online threats he made in February 2021. According to prosecutors, Clark, of Falmouth, Massachusetts, sent a message through an online form maintained by the Secretary of State’s election department. He warned Hobbs she had to “resign by Tuesday Feb. 16 by 9 a.m. or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated.”He also was accused of doing Internet searches of Hobbs’ name with phrases like “how to kill” and “address.”Clark’s threat was one of countless threats made against Hobbs for her role in certifying the 2020 presidential election, which then-Republican Preside...

Amazon delivery driver hospitalized after South Side stabbing

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

Amazon delivery driver hospitalized after South Side stabbing CHICAGO -- An Amazon delivery driver has been hospitalized after being attacked Friday evening.According to the Chicago Police Department, officers responded to the 3000 block of South Michigan Avenue around 3 p.m. on Friday. Officer-involved shooting in Morgan Park under investigation A 22-year-old woman reportedly parked in front of a residence when her Amazon delivery truck would not start. An individual became upset she was blocking the driveway and exited their vehicle. CPD said the individual produced a knife and stabbed the 22-year-old woman in the knee, right arm, and lower back.The 22-year-old woman was transported to a local hospital in good conditions.No arrests have been made at this time.No further information has been made available at this time.Stay with WGN-TV as this story develops.

At least 67 people died in fires on Maui. Residents had little warning

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

At least 67 people died in fires on Maui. Residents had little warning LAHAINA, Hawaii (NEXSTAR) — Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives from wildfires on Maui that killed at least 67 people and wiped out a historic town. Instead, officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations — but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.Hawaii boasts what the state describes as the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning system in the world, with about 400 sirens positioned across the island chain to alert people to various natural disasters and other threats. Newest photos show devastation from Maui fire But many survivors said in interviews Thursday that they didn’t hear any sirens or receive a warning that gave them enough time to prepare and only realized they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions nearby.The wildfires are the state’s deadliest natural disaster since a 1960 tsunami that kille...

Mayor Johnson fires Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

Mayor Johnson fires Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner CHICAGO -- Mayor Brandon Johnson fired Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady on Friday.Mayor Johnson's office confirmed the termination of Dr. Arwady to WGN-TV on Friday.Dr. Arwady was with the Department Of Public Health since 2015, where she initially served as Chief Medical Officer before being confirmed as Commissioner in January 2020. Illinois Supreme Court upholds state’s ban on semiautomatic weapons Dr. Allison Arwady released the following statement Friday night:"Over a decade of working in public health in Chicago--including four years as the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health--my top priority has always been protecting the health of all Chicagoans.It has been the best chapter of my life (so far!) leading the CDPH team, especially through the COVID pandemic, when public health was needed more than ever. Public health must always be driven by science and medicine, and never politics.It is critical that this work receives t...

Watch: Vivek Ramaswamy Town Hall with NewsNation

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

Watch: Vivek Ramaswamy Town Hall with NewsNation (NewsNation) — NewsNation is hosting a Town Hall with 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, which can be watched live here starting at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT Monday.It's Ramaswamy's first presidential town hall with a national television news network, moderated by NewsNation’s chief Washington anchor Leland Vittert. Ramaswamy is set to answer questions from viewers in New Hampshire and Iowa on immigration, the economy and health care. NASA’s Curiosity rover discovers evidence for life on Mars The businessman has spoken to NewsNation before: In an interview with Dan Abrams earlier this month, he talked about how his policies differ from Donald Trump, saying he will "go further" than the former president did while in office. "I don’t believe in just putting Betsy DeVos on top of the Department of Education and telling her to figure it out. I’ve said that I will shut down the U.S. Department of Education, which should not have existed,” Ramaswamy told Abrams. ...

3-year-old migrant child dies on Texas' border bus

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

3-year-old migrant child dies on Texas' border bus AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A child died on one of the buses that Operation Lone Star has been using to move migrants from the Texas border to other parts of the country, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) said Friday.According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the 3-year-old child died in Marion County in southern Illinois. The bus was heading for Chicago.The child started showing signs of "health concerns," and the bus pulled over and security personnel on board called 911, the release said.An ambulance arrived, and the bilingual security personnel translated for the parents and the paramedics who were providing care for the child, according to TDEM.The child was taken to a local hospital to receive additional medical attention and was later pronounced dead, the release said."Every loss is a tragedy," the statement said in part.The child came into the country in Brownsville with her parents.After being processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the City of ...

APD to share update on southeast Austin SWAT callout

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

APD to share update on southeast Austin SWAT callout AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Friday night, the Austin Police Department will provide an update on a SWAT situation in southeast Austin.APD will hold a media briefing around 7:45 p.m. near Richard Moya Park on Burleson Road, which is close to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.This story will be updated with more information.

Village of Cobleskill hires new police chief

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

Village of Cobleskill hires new police chief COBLESKILL, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Village of Cobleskill has hired a new police chief. The mayor confirmed to NEWS10 that former New York State Investigator James McGrum was hired by the village board on Wednesday night. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! McGrum will lead the department along with the new lieutenant supervisor George Bird, who was hired after eight officers resigned in July over a dispute about overtime pay. Village leaders said the amount of money going towards overtime pay for police was unsustainable.

Saratoga boat launch dedicated to former supervisor

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 18:26:24 GMT

Saratoga boat launch dedicated to former supervisor SARATOGA, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The town of Saratoga came together on Friday to honor the life of one of its former leaders. The town's boat launch was dedicated to former supervisor Thomas Wood, who passed away in July.He served the community in a variety of roles for more than 40 years, including helping protect farmland and expand recreational spaces like the boat launch. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! "People can come and launch their kayaks and launch their boats for recreational purposes, for fishing purposes, that we built in the town over the past six years, and it's developed into a great property that we want people to utilize all the time," Saratoga Town Supervisor Ian Murray said.Town leaders developed the boat launch for six years after buying the property from the New York State Canal Corporation.