Claire Rush

A controversy over whether a landfill is truly temporary — and over where toxic debris might finally wind up — has sparked a fierce legal fight with tens of millions of dollars at stake, not to mention a priceless ecosystem rich with coral, manta rays and other sea life just offshore.

World News |
Maui’s toxic debris could fill 5 football fields 5 stories deep. Where will it end up?

September 8, 2024 at 11:44 a.m.

A controversy over whether a landfill is truly temporary — and over where toxic debris might finally wind up — has sparked a fierce legal fight with tens of millions...

The mother of the 14-year-old who has been charged with murder over the fatal shooting of four people at his Georgia high school called the school before the killings, warning staff of an “extreme emergency” involving her son, a relative said.

National News |
Mother of Georgia shooting suspect called school to warn of emergency, aunt says

September 8, 2024 at 9:16 a.m.

The mother of the 14-year-old who has been charged with murder over the fatal shooting of four people at his Georgia high school called the school before the killings, warning...

When a deadly wildfire tore through Lahaina on Maui last August, the wall of flames scorched the 151-year-old banyan tree along the historic town’s Front Street. But the sprawling tree survived the blaze, and thanks to the efforts of arborists and dedicated volunteers, parts of it are growing back — and even thriving.

National News |
How Lahaina’s more than 150-year-old banyan tree is coming back to life after devastating fire

August 7, 2024 at 8:56 a.m.

When a deadly wildfire tore through Lahaina on Maui last August, the wall of flames scorched the 151-year-old banyan tree along the historic town’s Front Street. But the sprawling tree...

An Oregon teen who saved a baby during an ice storm in Portland is being praised for her heroism. Majiah Washington shared her story at a news conference Thursday.

National News |
Oregon teen saves 9-month-old baby after she saw its 3 family members get electrocuted

January 19, 2024 at 12:27 p.m.

An Oregon teen who saved a baby during an ice storm in Portland is being praised for her heroism. Majiah Washington shared her story at a news conference Thursday.

National News |
Alaska Airlines’ decision not to ground Boeing jet despite warning signs comes under scrutiny

January 8, 2024 at 8:23 p.m.

The decision by Alaska Airlines to stop flying one of its planes over the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii due to warnings from a cabin-pressurization system — yet keep flying it...

Pearl Harbor survivor Ira Schab returned to the Hawaii naval base 82 years after Japan’s bombing propelled the U.S. into World War II. Schab was one of just five survivors at a remembrance ceremony for the more than 2,300 servicemen killed on Dec. 7, 1941. Six men had been expected, but one of the increasingly frail men wasn't able to attend. The aging pool of Pearl Harbor survivors has been rapidly shrinking. There is now one crew member of the USS Arizona still living. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs doesn’t have statistics for how many Pearl Harbor survivors are alive.

National News |
Centenarian survivors of Pearl Harbor attack return to honor those who perished 82 years ago

December 7, 2023 at 5:43 p.m.

Pearl Harbor survivor Ira Schab returned to the Hawaii naval base 82 years after Japan’s bombing propelled the U.S. into World War II. Schab was one of just five survivors...

An off-duty pilot riding in the cockpit of a Horizon Air passenger jet tried to shut down the engines in midflight. It happened Sunday on a flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. The plane diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it was met by law enforcement officers. Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon, said Monday that the crew reported “a credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the flight deck jump seat" — one of its pilots, who was off duty. Authorities in Oregon identified the man as Joseph David Emerson. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office says he is being held on 83 counts each of attempted murder and reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.

National News |
An off-duty pilot is accused of trying to shut down the engines of a Horizon Air jet in midflight

October 27, 2023 at 3:13 a.m.

An off-duty pilot riding in the cockpit of a Horizon Air passenger jet tried to shut down the engines in midflight. It happened Sunday on a flight from Everett, Washington,...

Authorities in Hawaii are pleading with relatives of those missing after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century to come forward and give DNA samples. Officials said Tuesdsay that the low number provided so far threatens to hinder efforts to identify any remains discovered in the rubble. Some 1,000 to 1,100 names remain on a tentative, unconfirmed list of people unaccounted for after wildfires destroyed the historic seaside community of Lahaina on Maui. But authorities say that so far, DNA samples have been collected from from just 104 families. That's lower than what has been seen in other disasters. It's not immediately clear why. As of Tuesday, there are115 confirmed deaths from the fire.

National News |
Hawaii officials urge families of people missing after deadly fires to give DNA samples

August 22, 2023 at 11:24 p.m.

Authorities in Hawaii are pleading with relatives of those missing after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century to come forward and give DNA samples. Officials said Tuesdsay...

Unlike factory pollution or forest fires where scientists have a strong grasp about the kind of toxins emitted, fires like the one in Maui can leave a less unpredictable trail of destruction in their wake. As towns like Lahaina burn, propane tanks explode, pipes melt and oil spills.

National News |
Maui officials and scientists warn that after the flames flicker out, toxic particles will remain: ‘It was like a war’

August 14, 2023 at 7:55 a.m.

Unlike factory pollution or forest fires where scientists have a strong grasp about the kind of toxins emitted, fires like the one in Maui can leave a less unpredictable trail...

Parishioners mourned the dead and prayed for the missing in Hawaii churches as communities began looking ahead to a long recovery from last week’s wildfire on Maui. The blaze demolished a historic town and killed more than 90 people. Hawaii officials urged tourists to avoid traveling to Maui because many hotels are preparing to house evacuees and first responders. Authorities are also warning that the effort to find and identify the dead is just beginning. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said Saturday that crews with cadaver dogs have covered just 3% of the search area.

National News |
Hawaii churches offer prayers for the dead and the missing after devastating Maui wildfires

August 14, 2023 at 4:35 a.m.

Parishioners mourned the dead and prayed for the missing in Hawaii churches as communities began looking ahead to a long recovery from last week’s wildfire on Maui. The blaze demolished...

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