MAUI’S EMERGENCY CHIEF STEPS DOWN BUT SAYS IT”S NOT DUE TO THE CRITICISM HE’S FACING OVER THE WILDFIRE RESPONSE

AND — A 1 MILLION DONATION TO FIRE VICTIMS COMES IN THE FORM OF CANS SPECIAL TO THE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY

THE RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS.

BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

TODAY IS FRIDAY– AUGUST 18TH.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

A TOP OFFICIAL RESPONSIBLE FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN MAUI HAS RESIGNED —

AS THE CITY’S ACTIONS — OR LACK OF — LEADING UP TO LAST WEEK’S DEADLY WILDFIRES ARE IN QUESTION.

MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE STILL CONSIDERED MISSING — MANY FEARED TO BE YOUNG CHILDREN —

AS THE DEATH TOLL IS NOW AT 111.

MAUI’S EMERGENCY SERVICES **CHIEF “HERMAN ANDAYA (ANNE-DIE-UH)” HAS RESIGNED CITING HEALTH REASONS A DAY AFTER **REJECTING CRITICISM FOR NOT ACTIVATING **SIRENS IN THE COMMUNITY OF LAHAINA AS THE WILDFIRE RUSHED THROUGH.

HIS RESIGNATION ALSO COMES AS HAWAII’S ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNOUNCES AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW TO ASSESS HOW STATE AND COUNTY AGENCIES PREPARED FOR AND RESPONDED TO THE EMERGENCY SITUATION.

THE RELENTLESS SEARCH EFFORTS THIS WEEK HAVE BEEN PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY TAXING ON CREWS ON THE GROUND —

WHO SAY MANY OF THE REMAINS BEING FOUND ARE UNRECOGNIZABLE.

RESCUE TEAMS WITH CADAVER DOGS WILL CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR HUNDREDS OF MISSING PEOPLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS REQUESTED HIS FEDERAL CRIMINAL CASE INVOLVING THE 2020 ELECTION NOT BEGIN TRIAL UNTIL APRIL OF 2026.

THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LATER THAN WHEN SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH PROPOSED THE FEDERAL TRIAL TO BEGIN — ON JANUARY SECOND.

LAWYERS FOR TRUMP SAY THE EXTRAORDINARY DELAY IS NEEDED GIVEN THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THE CASE AND THE VOLUME OF DISCOVERY MATERIALS.

ONE TRUMP LAWYER SAID THERE ARE MORE THAN 11 MILLION PAGES FOR THE TEAM TO SORT THROUGH.

IN TRUMP’S CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS FEDERAL CASE — HE IS SLATED TO BEGIN TRIAL IN MAY.

IN TRUMP’S MOST RECENT INDICTMENT OUT OF GEORGIA — THE D-A THERE HAS REQUESTED A MARCH START DATE —

THE SAME MONTH HIS NEW YORK TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN.

MORE THAN TWO DECADES SINCE 9-11 AND THE FIVE MEN ACCUSED OF ORCHESTRATING THE ATTACKS ARE **STILL AWAITING TRIAL —

JUSTICE PUT ON HOLD FOR THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES OF 9/11 VICTIMS.

THOSE FAMILIES ARE EXPRESSING NEW OUTRAGE AFTER RECEIVING A LETTER FROM THE PENTAGON —

SAYING THEY ARE NEGOTIATING DEALS WITH THE 5 SUSPECTED TERRORISTS THAT WOULD TAKE THE DEATH PENALTY OFF THE TABLE.

THE LETTER FROM THE PENTAGON TELLS FAMILIES THAT A PLEA AGREEMENT COULD END THE DECADES-RUNNING SETBACKS IN PROSECUTION.

THE AGREEMENT WOULD HAVE THE FIVE MEN “ACCEPT CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND PLEAD GUILTY.”

BUT THE MEN WOULD AVOID TRIAL AND NOT FACE THE POSSIBILITY OF THE DEATH PENALTY.

THE PENTAGON SAYS NO PLEA AGREEMENT HAS BEEN FINALIZED —

AND ONE MAY NEVER BE.

THE LETTER SENT TO FAMILIES ASKS THEM TO SHARE THEIR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS OVER THE POTENTIAL PLEA DEAL BY MONDAY —

THE PENTAGON SAYS THE VIEWS OF THE VICTIMS’ FAMILIES WILL BE CONSIDERED BEFORE A FINAL DECISION IS MADE.

A RARE FLESH-EATING BACTERIA HAS KILLED THREE PEOPLE IN THE NEW YORK AREA AND NOW OFFICIALS ARE ISSUING WARNINGS TO PREVENT ANY MORE DEATHS.

THE VICTIMS, ONE FROM LONG ISLAND AND TWO FROM CONNECTICUT, DIED FROM INFECTIONS RELATED TO AN ILLNESS CALLED VIBRIOSIS — STEMMING FROM BACTERIA FOUND IN SEAWATER OR IN RAW AND UNDERCOOKED SEAFOOD.

THIS COMES AFTER 3 NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS DIED FROM THE INFECTION LAST MONTH.

NEW YORK GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL’S OFFICE URGED NEW YORKERS TO “STAY VIGILANT AND TAKE RESPONSIBLE PRECAUTIONS.”

TO HELP PREVENT VIBRIOSIS, HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY PEOPLE WITH WOUNDS OR CUTS SHOULD AVOID EXPOSING SKIN TO WARM SEAWATER IN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS OR COVER THE WOUND WITH WATERPROOF BANDAGES.

THOSE WITH COMPROMISED IMMUNE  SYSTEMS SHOULD AVOID EATING RAW OR UNDERCOOKED SEAFOOD

THEY SAY WHEN HANDLING RAW SHELLFISH — WEAR GLOVES

AND THOROUGHLY WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER WHEN FINISHED

THE CDC SAYS VIBRIOSIS CAUSES AN ESTIMATED 80,000 ILLNESSES AND 100 DEATHS IN THE U.S. EACH YEAR.

LONG-TERM MORTGAGE RATES JUMPED THIS WEEK TO MORE THAN SEVEN PERCENT – AND ARE NOW AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN 21 YEARS.

THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE HOME LOAN MORTGAGE COMPANY FREDDIE MAC.

THE 30 YEAR FIXED RATE MORTGAGE IS AT AN AVERAGE OF “7.09” PERCENT.

THE LAST TIME WE SAW MORTGAGE RATES THAT HIGH WAS IN 2002.

SPIKES IN MORTGAGE RATES ARE A CONSEQUENCE OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE’S HISTORIC RATE-HIKING CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT INFLATION —

WHICH WE LEARNED THIS WEEK THE RESERVE COULD POTENTIALLY CONTINUE TO RAISE RATES.

HOME AFFORDABILITY IS AT ITS LOWEST LEVEL IN SEVERAL DECADES — AND HOME SALES NATIONALLY ARE ABOUT 20 PERCENT LOWER THAN THEY WERE ONE YEAR AGO.

FINALLY THIS MORNING – A SIGN OF GENEROSITY COMING IN THE FORM OF ONE SPECIAL KIND OF DONATION FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE MAUI WILDFIRES.

HORMEL FOODS HAS ANNOUNCED THEY WILL BE DONATING 264,000 CANS OF ITS PRODUCT – SPAM – TO A RELIEF ORGANIZATION. THE VALUE OF THOSE CANS — $1 MILLION.

THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN SPAM AND THE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY. THE PRODUCT GREW IN POPULARITY DURING WORLD WAR II. TODAY, HAWAIIANS CONSUME MORE THAN 7 MILLION CANS OF SPAM PRODUCTS EVERY YEAR – THAT’S MORE THAN ANY OTHER U.S. STATE!

CONVOY OF HOPE – A NONPROFIT WHO AIDS THOSE AFFECTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS – WILL BE DELIVERING THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CANS. THEY SAY BECAUSE SPAM DOESN’T NEED REFRIGERATION IT’S A PERFECT ITEM FOR THOSE IN NEED OF HELP IN HAWAII.

THOSE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES THIS FRIDAY MORNING.THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS AS YOUR TRUSTED SOURCE.

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