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The death toll from the Maui wildfires has climbed to 96. Here’s what we know about the deadliest US fire in over a century

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

(CNN) — Crews in west Maui are continuing the heart-wrenching work of sifting through the ashes of what used to be homes and beloved landmarks as the death toll from the deadliest US wildfire in more than 100 years is still rising.Ninety-six people have been confirmed dead, officials said Sunday night, an uptick from the previous count of 93. An unknown number of people are still unaccounted for as search teams with cadaver dogs look for remains in devastated neighborhoods.Live Updates: Maui wildfires leave a trail of death and destructionAs the death toll rises, officials are facing questions about their preparation for a disaster of this scale and their response to it:• While the deadly fires spread rapidly into neighborhoods, the largest siren system in the world was silent. Emergency communications with residents were largely limited to mobile phones and broadcasters at a time when most power and cell service was already knocked ...

Many Americans wrongly believe exposure to marijuana smoke is safer than tobacco, study finds

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

(CNN) — Is inhaling marijuana smoke safer than inhaling smoke from tobacco? A majority of American adults say yes, according to a new survey, and they also believe there is less harm to adults and children from secondhand marijuana smoke than tobacco smoke.However, those beliefs are just not true, said lead study author Dr. Beth Cohen, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and co-director of UCSF’s program in residency investigation methods and epidemiology.“When you burn something, whether it is tobacco or cannabis, it creates toxic compounds, carcinogens, and particulate matter that are harmful to health,” she said in an email. “It’s the combustion that’s the problem, so this idea that because cannabis is ‘natural’ burning and inhaling it is fine is just wrong.”While many longitudinal studies on the health impact of inhaling marijuana are still under way, there are “plenty of toxins and tar” in cannabis smoke that can hurt th...

Orioles reset: Baltimore’s schedule is finally easing up. It won’t change players’ mentality.

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

If one of Brandon Hyde’s players were to ask him the difference between the major leagues’ regular season and postseason, the Orioles’ manager would point to this weekend in Seattle as a close comparison.Baltimore’s mid-August meeting with the Mariners — featuring a consistently packed stadium, ace-level pitching and games where, as Hyde put it, “every little thing matters” — evoked thoughts of October in Hyde, who frequented the playoffs while on the Chicago Cubs’ coaching staff but has yet to reach them in five years guiding the Orioles. This year’s team is well-positioned to end that drought.Despite owning baseball’s most challenging schedule thus far, the Orioles have fully established themselves as one of the sport’s best teams. Through Sunday’s series finale with Seattle, Baltimore has played 83 of its 118 games against teams with winning records, the most of any club. But over the next month, the Or...

Gallery: Maui wildfires rage on as death toll, damages continue to rise

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

The wildfires in Maui continue to wreak havoc on the Hawaiin island’s population and environment, with roughly 3% of the affected area searched as of Sunday, according to officials.A wildfire burns in Kihei, Hawaii late Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Thousands of residents raced to escape homes on Maui as blazes swept across the island, destroying parts of a centuries-old town in one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in recent years. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil)Charred remains of an apartment complex in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 12, 2023. Hawaii's Attorney General, Anne Lopez, said August 11, she was opening a probe into the handling of devastating wildfires that killed at least 80 people in the state this week, as criticism grows of the official response. The announcement and increased death toll came as residents of Lahaina were allowed back into the town for the first time. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP) (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via G...

Hawaii’s governor warns that scores more people could be found dead following wildfires on Maui

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

By CLAIRE RUSH, AUDREY MCAVOY and CHRISTOPHER WEBER | Associated PressLAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Hawaii’s governor warned that scores more people could be found dead following the Maui wildfires as search crews go street by street through neighborhoods where the flames galloped as fast as a mile a minute across the landscape.The blazes that consumed most of the historic town of Lahaina, are already the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century, with a death toll of at least 96.“We are prepared for many tragic stories,” Gov. Josh Green told “CBS Mornings” in a recorded interview that was aired Monday. “They will find 10 to 20 people per day, probably, until they finish. And it’s probably going to take 10 days. It’s impossible to guess, really.”As cellphone service has slowly been restored, the number of people missing dropped to about 1,300 from over 2,000, Green said.Twenty cadaver dogs and dozens of searchers are making their way through blocks reduced to ash.“Right now,...

Six former Mississippi officers have pleaded guilty to state charges for torturing two Black men

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

BRANDON, Miss. (AP) — Six white former Mississippi law officers pleaded guilty to state charges on Monday for torturing two Black men in a racist assault. All six had recently admitted their guilt in a connected federal civil rights case.Prosecutors say some of the officers nicknamed themselves the “Goon Squad” because of their willingness to use excessive force and cover it up, including the attack that ended with a deputy shooting one victim in the mouth.In January, the officers entered a house without a warrant and handcuffed and assaulted the two men with stun guns, a sex toy and other objects. The officers mocked them with racial slurs throughout a 90-minute torture session, then devised a cover-up that included planting drugs and a gun, leading to false charges that could have sent one victim to prison for years.Their conspiracy unraveled months later, after one of them told the sheriff he had lied, leading to confessions from the others. Each one agreed to sentences recommend...

CNN revamps schedule, with new roles for Phillip, Coates, Wallace and Amanpour

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — CNN is making dramatic changes to its lineup, announcing Monday that it was giving Abby Phillip and Laura Coates new weeknight shows and launching new weekend programs with Christiane Amanpour and Chris Wallace.Virtually no daypart goes unchanged in the revamp, as the network struggles with ratings challenges worsened by the quickening pulse of people cutting the cord on cable television. The changes were a swift move from CNN’s new leadership team of Amy Entelis, David Leavy, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling. They replaced former CNN chief executive Chris Licht, who was fired this spring.Phillip, a political correspondent, and Coates, a CNN legal analyst, will host back-to-back weeknight shows starting at 10 p.m. Eastern, under the plans. With Kaitlan Collins at 9 p.m. and Erin Burnett at 7 p.m., that gives CNN an evening schedule led by women, with the exception of Anderson Cooper’s hour at 8 p.m.Wallace and Amanpour will both host live hours on Saturday mo...

Just how much are fans spending on Taylor Swift Toronto concert tickets?

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

Canadian fans who managed to score tickets for one of Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated six shows in Toronto have already spent a good chunk of money. Those who live outside the Toronto area are now also budgeting for the cost of travel and accommodation in November 2024.The Canadian Press spoke to several Swifties about how much they’re expecting to spend.Winning the golden ticketAshley Stewart, 24, saw Taylor Swift during her Fearless tour when it made a stop in her home province of Prince Edward Island back in 2010. This time around, she knew the pop star wouldn’t be stopping anywhere east of Toronto.“Being from the Atlantic provinces, we fully knew that we would have to travel somewhere if we wanted to see her. So, we were expecting that if we wanted to go to the Eras Tour, we would have to pay to travel,” the longtime Swifty said.Stewart said getting the presale code for Swift tickets felt like a scene straight out of a movie.Ashley Stewart shows o...

75% of Canadians had COVID-19 immunity in March: Study

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

In the latest study on COVID-19 by the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF), it is believed that as of March 2023, three-quarters of Canadians had immunity against SARS-CoV-2.The CITF team collected data using blood samples to estimate trends around the virus.Using three time periods: pre-vaccination (March 2020 to November 2020); vaccine roll-out (December 2020 to November 2021); and the Omicron waves (December 2021 to March 2023), they were able to determine during the first two phases of the pandemic that very few Canadians had SARS-CoV-2 in their blood.In May 2020, when COVID-19 was relatively new in Canada, less than 0.3 per cent of Canadians were showing a previous infection. By November 2021, that percentage rose to 9 per cent.RELATED: StatsCan finds 98% of Canadians have COVID-19 antibodies“Despite high vaccine coverage in Canada, the rate of infection rose rapidly with the highly contagious Omicron variant,” explains Dr. Bruce Mazer, study co-lead, Associate Scientific Direc...

Biden administration urges colleges to pursue racial diversity without affirmative action

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 16:45:45 GMT

New guidance from the Biden administration on Monday urges colleges to use a range of strategies to promote racial diversity on campus after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in admissions.Colleges can focus their recruiting in high minority areas, for example, and take steps to retain students of color who are already on campus, including by offering affinity clubs geared toward students of a certain race. Colleges can also consider how an applicant’s race has shaped personal experience, as detailed in students’ application essays or letters of recommendation, according to the new guidance.It also encourages them to consider ending policies known to stint racial diversity, including preferences for legacy students and the children of donors.“Ensuring access to higher education for students from different backgrounds is one of the most powerful tools we have to prepare graduates to lead an increasingly diverse nation and make real our country’s promise of opportunity ...