WWII soldiers posthumously receive Purple Heart medals 79 years after fatal plane crash
The families of five Hawaii men who served in a unit of Japanese-language linguists during World War II have received posthumous Purple Heart medals on behalf of their loved ones nearly eight decades after the soldiers died in a plane crash in the final days of the conflict.
Growing wildfire risk leaves states grappling with how to keep property insurers from fleeing
Months after a catastrophic fire burned more than 2,200 homes and killed 101 people in Hawaii, some property owners are getting more bad news โ their property insurance wonโt be renewed because their insurance company has deemed the risk too high.
Maui Fire Department report on deadly wildfire details need for more equipment and mutual aid plans
When wildfires broke out across the Hawaiian island of Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety and sheltered survivors inside their fire engines.
Hawaii's high court cites 'The Wire' in rebuke of US Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights
A ruling by Hawaiiโs high court saying that a man can be prosecuted for carrying a gun in public without a permit uses pop culture references in an apparent rebuke of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights nationwide.
Judge in a bribery case against Honolulu's former top prosecutor is suddenly recusing himself
A month before the start of a trial against Honoluluโs former top prosecutor for allegedly taking campaign donation bribes in exchange for prosecuting an employee of an engineering and architectural firm, the judge who has been presiding over the case for several years is unexpectedly recusing himself.
Lahaina family finds cherished heirlooms and devastation in first home visit after deadly wildfire
Among the first families to return to the burn zone in Lahaina is that of Leola Vierra, who spent nearly 50 years living in a home she designed before it burned down Aug. 8 in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century.
Lahaina residents brace for what they'll find as they return to devastated properties in burn zone
Lahaina residents are bracing for what they'll find when they return to the ruins of their homes after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century killed at least 97 people and destroyed thousands of buildings.
The number of people missing following devastating Maui wildfires has dropped to 66, governor says
One month after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century leveled the historic town of Lahaina, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says the number of missing has dropped to 66, the death toll remains at 115, and authorities will soon escort residents on visits to their property.
Biden says federal government will help Maui 'for as long as it takes' to recover from wildfire
President Joe Biden told survivors of Hawaiiโs wildfires that the nation โgrieves with youโ and promised that the federal government will help Hawaii โfor as long as it takesโ to recover from the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.
FEMA has paid out more than $5.6 million to Maui survivors, a figure expected to grow significantly
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday it has approved more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households in Maui so far as the federal government tries to help survivors of the devastating wildfires.
Identifying victims of the Maui wildfire will be a challenging task. Here's what it entails
Officials face a formidable challenge identifying the remains of more than 100 victims of the Maui blaze as agonized loved ones yearn for information on those missing after the United Statesโ deadliest wildfire in more than a century.
Maui fire survivors are confronting huge mental health hurdles, many while still living in shelters
Many survivors of the wildfire that consumed Lahaina are experiencing depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder even while still living in mass shelters filled with grim reminders of their escape.
As Maui rescue continues, families and faith leaders cling to hope but tackle reality of loss
For scores of families still hoping to reunite with loved ones, it was not yet time to give up, even as Hawaii authorities predict that more remains would be found in the ashes left behind by a wildfire that gutted the once-bustling town of Lahaina.
In deadly Maui wildfires, communication failed. Chaos overtook Lahaina along with the flames
In the hours before a wildfire engulfed the town of Lahaina, Maui County officials failed to activate sirens that would have warned the entire population of the approaching flames and instead relied on a series of sometimes confusing social media posts that reached a much smaller audience.
'Ash and debris': Journalist covering Maui fires surveys destruction of once-vibrant Hawaii town
A Las Vegas-based video journalist for The Associated Press dispatched to cover devastating wind-fueled wildfires in Hawaii says the scene over Maui was one of the worst heโs seen in more than eight years of covering the disasters.
Flash drought, invasive grasses, winds, hurricane and climate change fuel Maui's devastating fires
A dangerous mix of conditions appear to have combined to make the wildfires blazing a path of destruction in Hawaii particularly damaging, including flash drought, high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation.
Dirty money: Ex-lawmaker gets 2 years for cesspool bribes
A former Hawaii lawmaker has been sentenced to two years in prison in a federal corruption case thatโs drawn attention to a perennial problem in the islands: the tens of thousands of cesspools that release 50 million gallons of raw sewage into the stateโs pristine waters every day.