The death toll rises after wildfires tear through parts of Hawaii. And look before you end that call – a big change is on the way for iPhone users. It’s time for The Rundown for Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023.
Death toll rises in Maui wildfires
The death toll has risen on the Hawaiian island of Maui after wildfires quickly burned through residential communities. At least 36 people are confirmed dead and thousands are displaced.
The island is covered in smoke and ash as the burning glow of red flames overtook portions of Maui, fueled by strong winds from a nearby hurricane. According to local officials on the ground, at least 300 homes have been destroyed.
There were reports of people jumping into the ocean in order to escape the raging wildfire.
Helicopter pilot Richie Olsten described the devastation as something the island has never experienced before.
“What we saw looked like an area that had been bombed and burned by in a war zone. It was unbelievable. I’ve flown out of Maui for 52 years and all the different fire things that we had going on here in 52 years, I’ve never seen anything 1/100th as the devastation there,” Olsten said.
Airports in Hawaii have been overwhelmed by tourists trying to get off the island. Shelters are packed as residents have nowhere else to go.
Ecuadorian presidential candidate assassinated at campaign event
A presidential candidate in Ecuador’s upcoming presidential election has been killed. Fernando Villa-Vicencio was assassinated at a campaign event in the country’s capital on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
The small country in South America has seen a rise in deadly and violent crime. The candidate was a vocal critic of the corruption and organized crime.
The suspected gunman died following an exchange of gunfire with authorities. Local media reported 30 shots had been fired as Villa-Vicencio was leaving a political rally at a school.
In an effort to stop the violence, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso mobilized its armed forces and announced a state of emergency last month. The election is scheduled for Aug. 20 and will go on as planned.
Special counsel obtained warrant for Trump’s Twitter account
Special counsel Jack Smith obtained a search warrant for records from former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account earlier this year, and when Twitter failed to make the deadline to comply, the social media company was fined $350,000.
These new details were confirmed in court documents released Aug. 9 in an order from a three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington.
The court rejected Twitter’s claim that it should not be held in contempt for initially failing to comply with Smith’s warrant.
Federal prosecutors obtained the search warrant on Jan. 17, along with a nondisclosure agreement that prohibited Twitter from disclosing the warrant to anyone — including Trump himself.
According to the ruling, Twitter, now known as X, “did not question the validity of the search warrant” but objected to the non-disclosure agreement – four days after the compliance deadline – arguing it violated its first amendment rights. The judges however sided against Twitter.
It’s unclear what information the special counsel was seeking from Trump’s Twitter account. His team has charged the former president in two federal cases: one for mishandling classified documents and the other for attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Biden bans new investments into Chinese tech sectors
President Joe Biden has signed an executive order that restricts new American investments in certain high-tech sectors in China.
The order prohibits venture capital and private equity firms from putting money toward China’s efforts to develop semi-conductors, advance its artificial intelligence, or strengthen its military, weaponry and surveillance capabilities.
Beijing is likely to push back against the new ban.
Company behind Coach looks to buy owner of Michael Kors
A major deal in the fashion industry could be announced as soon as Aug. 10. Tapestry, the company behind brands Coach and Kate Spade, is in talks to buy Capri Holdings which owns Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The report says the move would make the U.S. companies more competitive with their European counterparts who have been striking their own deals.
Capri had moved reporting its fiscal first-quarter earnings from earlier this week to Aug. 10, but did not provide a reason. Currently Capri has a market value of $4 billion and Tapestry sits at around $10 billion.
Apple plans to move end-call button with iPhone update
iPhone users will soon have to be cautious when it comes to their thumbs’ muscle memory because Apple is planning to bring some big changes to their phones’ displays.
It appears the end-call button is moving with the upcoming release of iOS17. Right now, iPhone users are familiar with the red button’s placement – in the center towards the bottom of the screen. But when the new updates launch in the fall, the red button will be in a different location.
In beta versions of the software update, the button sits in the lower right corner of the screen among a group of other options such as mute, FaceTime and the keypad.
Apple is still testing the new features and has not said if the end-call button’s location could be customizable.