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Firefighters make progress against deadly wildfires in Maui, as officials estimate it will cost billions of dollars to rebuild

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

(CNN) — As the Maui wildfire death toll mounts and search teams and their cadaver dogs continue the grim work of sifting through the ruins of burned buildings, officials estimated on Saturday that it will cost billions to restore the once-picturesque town of Lahaina.Firefighters have made some progress in containing the blazes, which have killed at least 80 people and leveled entire communities, but officials warn they do not know exactly how many people are still missing after wildfires earlier this week began eating through neighborhoods in western Maui.The blazes, fanned by powerful winds from Hurricane Dora hundreds of miles offshore, have become the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since statehood in 1959.As of Friday evening local time, all three fires were still active after initial reports came Tuesday. And while there have been some improvements in containment, the risk of flare-ups remains.People in Kaanapali were evacuating Friday night after spotting a fire...

Trump and DeSantis woo Iowa Republican voters in separate appearances at state fair

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

(CNN) — The 2024 Republican presidential race is playing out in close quarters Saturday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, as former President Donald Trump and his top-polling rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, join the crowd of thousands of potential caucus-goers.The Iowa State Fair in Des Moines has been a quintessential stop on the presidential campaign trail since the Democratic Party moved the state to the first position in its nominating calendar in 1972 and Republicans made the same shift four years later.Trump and DeSantis are both skipping one state fair mainstay – making their pitches to crowds gathered around The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox. But DeSantis, like most other GOP contenders, is participating in a one-on-one “fair-side chat” with Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. Trump, who has repeatedly questioned Reynolds’ neutrality in the race and accused the popular governor of cozying up to DeSantis, is skipping the chat with her.The former president, meanwhile, is tr...

Scooter rider airlifted after hit-and-run in SW Miami-Dade

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

One person was airlifted to the hospital after they were struck in Southwest Miami-Dade while riding a scooter by a driver who fled the scene, authorities said.Florida Highway Patrol and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the hit-and-run along Krome Avenue, near Southwest 136th Street, just after 1 a.m., Saturday.FHP troopers arrived to find the rider of a black scooter suffering from serious injuries.The victim was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in critical condition.Detectives have not provided details about the vehicle that struck the victim, as they continue to investigate.As of late Saturday afternoon, the motorist has not been located.Officials urge anyone with information about this crash or the driver’s whereabouts to dial *FHP (*347).

Mets allow 6 homers to powerhouse Braves in blowout loss, 21-3

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

A group of Triple-A pitchers and a lineup of mostly Triple-A hitters faced the best team in baseball Saturday afternoon at Citi Field. The results were predictable.In the first game of a twin bill, the Mets were walloped by the Atlanta Braves, 21-3. Daniel Vogelbach’s three-run homer off right-hander Michael Tonkin put the Mets (52-54) on the board in the bottom of the eighth to prevent a second shutout in as many days. They couldn’t even manage a hit off of shortstop Nicky Lopez, who pitched the ninth.It was a meaningless game in the grand scheme of the season, but it did cast a harsh spotlight on the club’s lack of organizational depth. The trade deadline was used to address that depth, but it’s clear there is still a long way to go, especially at the upper levels of the system. Other teams in baseball have long questioned the Mets’ ability to scout its own system and this game did little to answer those questions.Denyi Reyes was called up from Triple...

Future of Roxbury’s Clifford Playground hamstrung by Mass and Cass, neighborhood residents say

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

Caiden Coleman just wants to play football with his teammates, but the conditions at the dilapidated Clifford Playground are making it difficult for the 11-year-old to truly find joy in the game he loves.On the first day he came to the 8-acre park in Roxbury, Coleman said he had to pick up needles with his coach. Over the past five years he’s been involved with the Boston Bengals Pop Warner football program, conditions have slightly improved, he said, but more needs to be done to ensure safety.“It’s still not perfect,” Coleman said. “We shouldn’t have to play and worry about stepping on needles. Last year, a kid was over there … I’m running, taking a lap, and he has a needle inside his leg. He shouldn’t have to go through that.”Coleman confidently pleaded for help Saturday when city officials led residents through Clifford Playground to receive feedback on what needs to be done to ensure a future where children can play their favorite game without fearing for their safety.Residents ...

Morgues short of space to handle rising death toll from Maui fires. Follow live updates

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

By REBECCA BOONE (Associated Press)Follow live updates about wildfires that have devastated parts of Maui in Hawaii this week, destroying a historic town and forcing evacuations. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which passed south of the island chain, was partly to blame for strong winds that initially drove the flames, knocking out power and grounding firefighting helicopters.As the death toll from the fires on the island rises, it’s unclear how morgues will be able to accommodate the number of victims considering there is just one hospital and three mortuaries.The number of deaths has risen to 80, according to a statement by Maui County on Friday. The number of confirmed fatalities in the 9 p.m. announcement increased from the previous figure of 67.The fire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise. Beyond the confirmed deaths in Maui, hundreds of other people remai...

What WooSox manager Chad Tracy wants people to know about Triston Casas and Ceddanne Rafaela

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

Chad Tracy does a very important job for the Red Sox.As manager of their Triple-A affiliate, the Worcester Red Sox, also known as the WooSox, it’s his responsibility to prepare the organization’s top prospects for their future, and help injured and demoted Major Leaguers work their way back.And he has to get the job done in the ever-rainy Worcester, where he’s lost count of how many rain delays and postponed games his squad has weathered this season. In April alone, the club postponed six games due to inclement weather or wet grounds.When a torrential downpour forced the WooSox to postpone yet again on Thursday, the skipper sat down with the Herald to discuss two of the organization’s brightest stars, one who’s knocking at his debut’s door, and another making his case for American League Rookie of the Year.Ceddanne RafaelaRed Sox executives already considered their No. 2 prospect a Major League-caliber defender, but plate discipline was among the areas in need of i...

Mets Notebook: Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor out of lineup for first game vs. Braves

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

The Mets are without Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor as they begin a Saturday doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves. The two might be available later in the series, but their injuries have left the Mets with a lineup full of Triple-A players against the league’s best team for a long day of baseball.Nimmo was removed from the series opener Friday night as a precaution and diagnosed with a left quad contusion Saturday. The leg tightened up on him in Kansas City two weeks ago and the Mets have been playing it safe with their center fielder ever since. Lindor was scratched shortly before the series opener Friday night with tightness on his right side and underwent imaging Saturday morning, which revealed nothing that might land him on the injured list.“Francisco had an MRI this morning that came back with pretty good news, all things considered,” said manager Buck Showalter. “We’ll see about his availability for the second game.”The lineup the re...

American player Julian Green racially abused in German Cup soccer game

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

HALLE, Germany (AP) — American soccer player Julian Green was the victim of racist abuse in a German Cup game on Saturday.Green, who is Black, was playing for Greuther Fuerth against host Hallescher FC in the first round of the competition. On the Fuerth club website, Green said a spectator racially abused him during the game. Fuerth coach Alex Zorniger said the abuse occurred repeatedly and called for other fans to intervene in cases of racist abuse. “The stadium was 95% full. There were enough people there who could have intervened,” Zorniger said in comments reported by German news agency dpa.The dpa agency also reported that Halle club spokeswoman Lisa Schöppe issued an apology on behalf of the club. Green has played for Fuerth in Germany since 2017 and also played 15 times for the United States national team from 2014 through 2018.Second-tier Fuerth beat third-tier Halle 1-0.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerThe Associated Press

Trump’s Iowa state fair spectacle clouds DeSantis as former president is joined by Florida officials

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 19:25:07 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gone was the helicopter, but Donald Trump on Saturday renewed his reputation for defying norms and creating a mega-celebrity’s spectacle at the Iowa State Fair. Trump, in fewer than two hours on the steaming fairgrounds in Des Moines, attracted thousands of sweating, chanting supporters to his stops at the Iowa Pork Producers tent, a baby farm animal exhibit and a popular Grand Concourse pub. All the while, Trump not-so-subtly tried to set himself apart from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump’s main rival with more than five months until Iowa’s leadoff caucuses and who was on the fairgrounds at the same time. Just as DeSantis and his family were wrapping up their day at the fair, meeting with Iowa Republican leaders and activists, Trump descended into the huge scrum of backers accompanied by about a dozen Florida U.S. House members, a shot at DeSantis who is making an aggressive pitch to Iowa Republicans. Trump spoke little to the public in hi...