Crews search Maui for unaccounted people after devastating fires

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Wednesday 08.16.23

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, is facing renewed scrutiny for apparently slowing load times for links to its competitors. While the platform has been plagued by technical issues after Elon Musk bought the site last year, many link delays this week appeared intentional, cybersecurity experts said, as the issues mainly affected X's rivals and news outlets that Musk has previously criticized. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.

By Alexandra Meeks

Members of FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams Washington Task Force 1 and Nevada Task Force 1 search through destroyed neighborhoods in Lahaina.

Maui wildfires

The death toll from the Maui wildfires has climbed to 106 as Hawaii's governor warns identifying all the victims will be difficult. Identification is challenging and will likely take weeks because the remains are largely unrecognizable and fingerprints are rarely being found, Gov. Josh Green said Tuesday. So far, family members of missing people have provided 41 DNA samples, trying to see whether their loved ones are among the dead, county officials said. As the search expands for more unaccounted people, President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he will travel to Maui soon to visit the devastation. "I want to go and make sure we got everything they need," Biden said, adding he wants to make sure his possible presidential visit wouldn't impede recovery efforts.

Trump arrest

Former President Donald Trump and his allies charged on Monday in the Georgia 2020 election subversion case have until the end of next week to surrender for arrest. Trump is expected to surrender at the Fulton County jail, the local sheriff said Tuesday, though it remains unclear exactly when that will occur. Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat previously suggested he wants to treat the defendants charged in the election subversion case the same as any other defendant would be treated. "Unless someone tells me differently we will be following normal practices. It doesn't matter your status we will have mug shots ready for you," Labat told CNN earlier this month. The sheriff will now have to negotiate with the Secret Service and Trump's attorneys about the logistics of Trump's surrender as the leading 2024 GOP presidential candidate continues to juggle time between courtrooms and the campaign trail.

Water shortage

Federal officials are easing water restrictions on the Colorado River next year after a blockbuster winter helped shore up water levels amid crucial shortages. The US Bureau of Reclamation on Tuesday announced that Lake Mead and the Lower Colorado River will operate in a Tier 1 water shortage in 2024, easing water restrictions in Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. That will give back billions of gallons of Colorado River water to those states and allow them to pad their water savings accounts instead of relying heavily on other states. This comes after last year's winter brought a series of atmospheric rivers to drought-parched states in the West and reversed the freefall at Lakes Mead and Powell — the nation's two largest reservoirs. Lake Mead, for example, is around 20 feet higher now than it was in August 2022.

North Korea

North Korea confirmed publicly today for the first time that US Army Pvt. Travis King crossed into its territory. King's story garnered international attention last month after he became the first US soldier to cross into North Korea since 1982. US defense officials said King "willfully and without authorization" ran into North Korea while taking a civilian tour inside the demilitarized zone. State-run Korean media issued a statement today that claimed King had expressed "his willingness to seek refugee" in North Korea or a third country. It also claimed King confessed that he had decided to enter North Korea as "he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army." The announcement has prompted an appeal from his family to treat him humanely as questions remain about why he entered one of the most hostile countries on Earth.

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Landslide

A landslide at a jade mine in Myanmar has killed at least 32 people. The collapse of a large sand cliff in the mountainous town of Hpakant sent water surging into a nearby lake and trapped the miners, according to state-run media. The tragedy is once again drawing attention to Myanmar's jade industry, which is rife with conflict, corruption, exploitation and environmentally destructive practices, non-profit watchdog groups say. Myanmar produces about 70% of the world's jade and Hpakant is home to some of the world's biggest and most lucrative jade mines, worth billions of dollars. However, miners are often impoverished migrants and are at constant risk of injury and death as the industry remains largely unregulated.

Australia takes on England for a spot at the Women's World Cup final
The second semifinal match between Australia and England at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is underway. The winner will face Spain on Sunday for the championship trophy.

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Jay-Z-themed library cards spark increase in Brooklyn Public Library
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Limited-edition library cards with artwork from Jay-Z albums have resulted in 14,000 new accounts at the Brooklyn Public Library.

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237,000

That's around how many people in Japan have received evacuation warnings as Typhoon Lan rips through the western region of the country. The typhoon made landfall Tuesday with winds nearing 100 mph, equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane. Thousands of homes are without power across 11 prefectures and all commercial flights out of Kansai, Chubu and Nagoya airports are currently suspended for the day.

I was not aware that these mushrooms had hallucinogenic properties.

— US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, confirming in a CNN interview this week that she ate a "magic mushroom" on a recent trip to Beijing. Yellen's "mushroom experience" set off a social media frenzy last month and dramatically boosted business for a Yunnan restaurant chain, where she ate the local jian shou qing.

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