<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dwayne-johnson"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> weighed in on the controversy related to the People’s Fund for </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maui"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maui</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which he created with Oprah Winfrey to help aid victims of the devastating wildfires which ravaged the island in August 2023.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 51-year-old </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities"><span style="font-weight: 400;">actor</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> teamed up with Oprah to launch the fund by pledging a combined $10 million to kick things off. But many followers </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oprah-responds-to-vitriol-over-maui-wildfire-fundraising-campaign-whoa-what-happened-here"><span style="font-weight: 400;">criticized the move</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, accusing the wealthy celebrities of not contributing enough themselves, plus of being presumptuous that people who are struggling with inflation could afford to contribute at all. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When we first launched the fund, there was some backlash that came with launching the fund, and I want to address that backlash,” Johnson said in a video he posted to Instagram. “I get it, and I completely understand, and I could have been better. And next time, I will be better.”</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “Black Adam” actor went on to say how he understands that “money ain’t falling out of the sky, and it’s not growing on trees,” and that many Americans are &#8220;living paycheck to paycheck&#8221; in the current economy.</span></p>
<p>&#8220;I get it. I know what it&#8217;s like. I&#8217;ve lived paycheck to paycheck,&#8221; Johnson continued. &#8220;When you are living paycheck to paycheck&#8230; the last thing you want to hear is someone asking you for money, especially when the person asking you for money already has a lot of money.&#8221;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The actor admitted he could have handled launching the campaign differently and promised to learn from this experience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Johnson expanded on this in the caption, writing, “Our connection is everything because we only know how to be REAL with each other. You always tell me the truth — good or bad — I’ll always appreciate and protect that straight talk between us — you have my word to always listen, learn, grow and do better.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;I’ve never launched a fund before —but I’m a quick study and learn my lessons fast,” he added. “I totally get it and I appreciate you.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “Fast X” star concluded by telling fans that “thousands and thousands of survivors, the families, have now, over the past couple of weeks, started to receive their first round of funds. They&#8217;re receiving their money, and I gotta tell you, it&#8217;s been the most gratifying and moving thing.&#8221;</span></p>


Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson Addresses Maui Relief Fund Backlash: ‘I Completely Understand’

Dwayne Johnson Addresses Maui Relief Fund Backlash: 'I Completely Understand'

Celebrities

Maui

Oprah Winfrey

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">House Republicans are investigating the Biden administration&#8217;s response to the deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maui" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maui</a> fires, questioning aspects of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s handling of the catastrophe which left nearly 100 people dead and dozens missing, </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Republicans on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Subcommittee on Government Operations sent a <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/letter-to-FEMA-re-Lahaina-fire-response.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a> Administrator Deanne Criswell on Friday asking for a detailed description of how much aid the agency has provided, plans for housing federal responders, and how Hawaiians who lost their home doing the fires are being housed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The deadly wildfire in Maui shocked the nation and left many, especially those directly impacted by the tragedy, with serious questions that remain unanswered today. President Biden built his entire reputation on empathy and compassion but failed to deliver an appropriate response when it mattered most. To ensure locals are receiving the assistance they need, and taxpayer dollars being used effectively, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability is taking action and seeking information from FEMA on all ongoing recovery efforts in Maui,” committee chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) said in a <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-sessions-oversight-republicans-launch-probe-into-biden-administrations-response-following-devastating-maui-wildfire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the letter, Comer and Sessions said that there had been reports of Hawaiians whose help was delayed because the FEMA responders lacked knowledge or authority to make decisions and red tape had slowed down the process. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Residents expressed frustration after waiting in line for considerable periods of time only to be given a number and told to call a different FEMA official. In other instances, they had been instructed to provide certain documentation, only to be told still more information would be required in order to receive benefits. We appreciate and share the desire to protect taxpayer interests, but we also encourage FEMA to streamline processes to the extent possible,” the lawmakers said.  </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The lawmakers also asked Chriswell to respond to <a href="https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/24/anger-grows-fema-workers-stay-luxury-hotels-amid-maui-wildfires-disaster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> of FEMA employees staying in luxury hotels, asking for FEMA to give context for why house federal employees were housed. FEMA has previously responded by saying that the hotels in question had wanted to help and that the government workers needed somewhere to say while on the island. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While initial reports indicated that the fires had claimed the lives of 115 people with hundreds missing, the numbers were just revised to show that 97 people were killed and only 31 people reported missing. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That number dropped a little bit because the Department of Defense and all of their physical anthropologists were able to help us discern better who was in cars or in houses,” Governor Josh Green (D-HI) <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/15/maui-fire-death-toll-missing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “So thank God, fewer people have passed away.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Federal and state officials have been criticized for their response to the fires, which was the deadliest series of fires in years. President Joe Biden’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-after-lounging-on-beach-says-no-comment-on-deadliest-wildfire-in-modern-u-s-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public response</a> when asked about the fires was “no comment.”</span></p>


Supplies are deliverd to Lahaina

House Republicans Investigating Biden Admin’s Response To Deadly Maui Fires

Biden Administration

Congress

Disasters

FEMA

Hawaii

James Comer

U.S.

Wildfires

<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oprah-winfrey" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oprah Winfrey</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> addressed the intense backlash she faced for creating a </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/charity" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fund</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> which was meant to help the victims of the </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maui" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maui</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> wildfire.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The billionaire TV personality appeared Tuesday on CBS Mornings to promote her new book, “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier.” The topic of conversation shifted to some of the criticism she and fellow Hawaiian property owner Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have received for starting the People’s Fund of Maui, per </span><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12511983/Oprah-Winfrey-responds-criticism-Dwayne-Johnson-Maui-fires.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Mail</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Winfrey and Johnson each contributed $5 million to kick off fundraising efforts and petitioned followers to donate as well. This led to a lot of negative comments from people who believed Oprah and Johnson should have given more because they are so wealthy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oprah connected the situation back to some concepts she explores in the book, saying, “Well, this is a really great point about being happier in the midst of an onslaught of being terrorized and vilified online. I will say this: I came out of this experience with so much more compassion for young kids, because I was thinking, what if I didn&#8217;t really know who I am? It will take you out.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“So all of the online attacks, lies, conspiracy theories, really took the focus off of what was the most important thing, which is the people of Maui,” Oprah said. “So this idea came about because I was on the ground, talking to lots of people, trying to figure out how I can best help.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She mentioned how she started out by donating “material things” such as generators and towels to the victims of the fire. But then the talk show host decided it would be better to give money to the victims directly. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Then I started talking to people and people really wanted their own agency,” she said. Oprah mentioned how she tried to mimic Dolly Parton’s method of providing aid to victims of the 2017 Gatlinburg, Tennessee, fires. Parton did a benefit concert and handed out the proceeds herself, The Daily Mail noted. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I thought, &#8216;Whoa! That’s the idea. Getting the money into the hands, directly into the hands of the people; set up the infrastructure for that,&#8217;” Oprah explained. “[Johnson and I] thought, because both of us have given to charities our whole lives, that starting the fund with $10 million would be a great idea. We&#8217;ll do what Dolly did, get other people to give money and then we&#8217;ll put it directly into people&#8217;s bank accounts,” she went on.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was so excited. I was so excited about it, and then I got up the next morning, and I saw all of this vitriol, and I was, like, ‘Whoa, what happened here?’”Oprah said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is what I want to say. I want to say that, in the beginning, so many people were calling, asking, ‘Where do we give our money to?’ So I thought, I&#8217;m going to give people a place to give it,” she went on.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oprah also mentioned how the fund is a success despite that backlash and that 2,200 people will be getting money from the fund deposited into their accounts. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said it’s “sad that we&#8217;re in this state in our country,” referring to the online criticism.</span></p>


Oprah

Oprah Responds To ‘Vitriol’ Over Maui Wildfire Fundraising Campaign: ‘Whoa, What Happened Here?’

Oprah Responds To 'Vitriol' Over Maui Wildfire Fundraising Campaign: 'Whoa, What Happened Here?'

Charity

Entertainment

<p>Popular podcast host Joe Rogan unloaded on Governor Josh Green (D-HI) over comments he made about future plans for the land destroyed during the recent wildfires that ravaged Maui&#8217;s west coast and devastated the historic village of Lahaina.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youre-not-saving-jack-s-joe-rogan-unloads-on-climate-activists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rogan</a> spoke with former Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tulsi-gabbard-torches-biden-over-trump-prosecution-the-death-rattle-of-any-democracy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tulsi Gabbard</a> (I-HI) about the horrific damages, and said he&#8217;d been shocked to see Green suggest that the state would take over some of the burned land to create a memorial.</p>
<p><strong>WATCH:</strong></p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">“How bout give the fucking people their homes back.”</p>
<p>Joe Rogan and Tulsi Gabbard on the government screwing over the residents of Maui to take their land. <a href="https://t.co/K2aaLNBWSo">pic.twitter.com/K2aaLNBWSo</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) <a href="https://twitter.com/MythinformedMKE/status/1699863971505807546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;A governor going on television after a massive tragedy, where you have — we don&#8217;t even know the number of people dead yet,&#8221; Rogan said. &#8220;You have this massive area that&#8217;s been burnt to the ground, and then he starts talking about taking it over for the state.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s an insane position to take, post tragedy — when people are suffering at their most, they can&#8217;t even believe it happened,&#8221; Rogan continued. &#8220;And then all of the sudden he&#8217;s saying we&#8217;re going to take it for the state and make a memorial? How about give the f***ing people their homes back?&#8221;</p>
<p>Rogan was responding to a news clip of Green, who told Hawaii&#8217;s KHON2 News about his plans for preserving Lahaina: &#8220;I&#8217;m already looking for ways for the state to acquire that land so we can put it into work force housing, we can put it back into families, or to make it open spaces in perpetuity as a memorial for people who were lost.&#8221;</p>
<p>Green later clarified that the goal was to prevent wealthy people from overseas from coming in and snapping up the land — which was why he had suggested the state should take it and preserve it first.</p>
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<p><strong>WATCH:</strong></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="The realities of the scene on Front Street in Lahaina" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JQIoWu19O5w?start=189&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Gabbard agreed with Rogan&#8217;s assessment on that particular point, and also criticized President Joe Biden&#8217;s overall response to the disaster.</p>
<p>&#8220;Hawaii has the highest cost of living in the entire country — the entire country,&#8221; Gabbard said. &#8220;And how fricking insulting is it to have the lead disaster response administrator from the Biden administration stand there and proudly say, &#8216;Hey, we&#8217;re giving everybody one $700 payment.'&#8221;</p>


UFC 282: Ponzinibbio v Morono

‘Give The F***ing People Their Homes Back’: Joe Rogan Unloads On Hawaii Governor Over Plans For Lahaina

'Give The F***ing People Their Homes Back': Joe Rogan Unloads On Hawaii Governor Over Plans For Lahaina

Joe Rogan

Tulsi Gabbard

<p>Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a> slammed the Biden administration and the mainstream media over the weekend for largely ignoring the tragic fire that burned a historic Hawaiian town to the ground.</p>
<p>DeSantis made the remarks during a press conference on Sunday while talking about his state&#8217;s recovery efforts from Hurricane Idalia.</p>
<p>&#8220;Do you trust the federal government to help, seeing what happened in Hawaii just a few weeks ago and in East Palestine a few months ago?&#8221; a reporter asked at the press conference in Yankeetown, Florida.</p>
<p>DeSantis responded, &#8220;I think that Maui is a total catastrophe, what happened there. And I don&#8217;t think we have all the answers to that. I think we should have all the answers to that. It&#8217;s interesting how incurious our corporate media is about what happened in Maui. I mean, I don&#8217;t see them interviewing parents who can&#8217;t find their kids and people we know, there&#8217;s a lot of people missing. So that was a total disaster, really, really heartbreaking to hear some of the stories, even though they&#8217;re not being publicized.&#8221;</p>
<p>The governor said that the situation in Maui and the Hurricane in Florida were different in large part because Florida, especially under his administration, extensively prepares for these types of events ahead of time.</p>
<p>&#8220;And really what the federal government&#8217;s role is, is just turning on programs that Congress has enacted over many, many years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And so it&#8217;s basically serving as a checkbook to get people reimbursed for debris cleanup, to give people individual assistance. And so in that sense, I think that that has been turned on, I anticipate that that will go smoothly. But most of the nuts and bolts is done by our local communities, and by the state of Florida. And that&#8217;s really how it should be, disaster response is really bottom up.&#8221;</p>
<p>DeSantis said that things in Florida are so fine-tuned that the local governments in some respects play an even more important role than the state government when it comes to warning residents that their homes may be in the path of an incoming storm surge.</p>
<p>&#8220;And so you had that, you had the state managing and assisting and that&#8217;s really the bread and butter,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The checkbook from the feds is great and we&#8217;re going to &#8211; whatever resources are available as the governor, I&#8217;m going to pull those levers to be able to help Floridians. But we&#8217;re certainly not relying on the federal government to do the day to day heavy lifting.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to do that as Floridians, as people in the counties and municipalities and of course at the state level,&#8221; he concluded.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">MUST WATCH: <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonDeSantis</a> rips Biden and the media over the “total catastrophe” in Maui.<br /> <a href="https://t.co/lodv1PXvS1">pic.twitter.com/lodv1PXvS1</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) <a href="https://twitter.com/GiancarloSopo/status/1698487757704708324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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Ron DeSantis

DeSantis Rips Biden And The Media Over ‘Total Catastrophe’ In Maui

Joe Biden

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/09/03/house-speaker-kevin-mccarthy-visit-maui-witness-damage-caused-by-wildfires-hold-press-conference/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visited</a> the town of Lahaina on Saturday to tour what he described as the “sheer devastation” inflicted by the deadly wildfires last month.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the visit, McCarthy focused on how to help residents rebuild after a fire practically destroyed the entire city of Lahaina on the island of Maui, which experienced a series of blazes. He also vowed to get to the bottom of what many say is a lackluster response by all levels of government, vowing to use the resources of Congress to investigate. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We want to get the resources to individuals that could rebuild their life, we’ve got to focus on the children for the schools, get them back into the education so they don’t miss out,” McCarthy <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4184849-mccarthy-travels-to-maui-after-deadly-wildfires/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We will investigate to find out why did it happen, what went right, what went wrong, so other communities won’t ever have to see this,” he later added. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The California Republican said the House would look into various factors that may have led to the rapid spreading of the fire and the inability to contain it, including overhead power lines, invasive grasses, resources for the fire department, and the adequacy of the county building codes, according to the <a href="https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/09/gop-leader-promises-help-for-maui-and-an-investigation-into-the-deadly-wildfires/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Honolulu Civil Beat</a>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McCarthy was touring Lahaina with a bipartisan group of legislators, including Hawaii Democratic Rep. Jill Tokuda, Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz, Ohio Republican Rep. David Joyce, and Idaho Republican Rep. Russ Fulcher. The investigation, according to the Speaker, should also be a bipartisan effort. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I&#8217;m in Hawaii right now with a bipartisan group of lawmakers because tragedies unite us as Americans. This isn’t a place for partisan politics,” McCarthy posted to X along with photos of his visit. “It is a place to say thank you to the first responders and to act quickly for the survivors as they rebuild after the deadly fire.” </span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">I&#39;m in Hawaii right now with a bipartisan group of lawmakers because tragedies unite us as Americans.</p>
<p>This isn’t a place for partisan politics. It is a place to say thank you to the first responders and to act quickly for the survivors as they rebuild after the deadly fire. <a href="https://t.co/9CoYstMXSH">pic.twitter.com/9CoYstMXSH</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1698147931243655325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The death toll from the fires is at least 115, while there are 385 people still missing, according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/total-missing-after-maui-fires-remains-near-400-after-governor-indicated-number-might-drop-under-100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">numbers</a> released by the FBI. But Hawaii Democratic Governor Josh Green says, “Exact numbers are going to take time, perhaps a long time, to become finalized.”</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two weeks ago, McCarthy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-federal-response-seems-very-delayed-mccarthy-blasts-biden-administration-on-maui-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called for</a> a congressional investigation into the fires, calling the federal government’s response “very delayed.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We still have hundreds of individuals that are missing. I think there’s gonna have to be a congressional investigation in response of what happened. How could we lose that many Americans in today’s age?&#8221; McCarthy said at a Syracuse, New York, press conference. “The president’s response to have no comment? That’s unacceptable,” he added later. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A week after McCarthy floated the idea, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) announced a probe into the federal government’s response to the tragedy, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/08/29/house-republicans-oversight-investigate-biden-response-maui-fires-hawaii/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling</a> the Daily Caller News Foundation, “Americans, especially those impacted by this tragedy, deserve answers.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In addition to the Oversight Committee’s investigation, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/e-and-c-republican-leaders-open-investigation-into-hawaiian-electric-following-deadly-maui-fires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> an inquiry into Hawaiian Electric. Rodgers sent a letter to the electric company, the State Energy Office, and the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission “seeking information regarding the role of electric infrastructure in the August fires that broke out.” </span></p>


Speaker McCarthy

Speaker McCarthy Visits Maui Following Deadly Wildfires: ‘We Will Investigate’

Kevin McCarthy

Politics

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The total number of missing people from the devastating <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maui" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maui</a> wildfires last month remains near 400 even as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hawaii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hawaii</a> Governor Josh Green said that he believed the number would drop below 100.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to new <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-maui-lahaina-fire-property-offers-proclamation-5c4db4072dc4237da4213800444f4f17" target="_blank" rel="noopener">numbers released</a> on Friday by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI,</a> there are still 385 people missing after fires tore through Maui and left at least 115 people dead. Last week, the number of missing people stood at 388. While 245 people were removed from last week&#8217;s list, another 242 people were added, keeping it at nearly the same number. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The updates came a day after Green said he believed the number of missing was somewhere in the double digits.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;We think the number has dropped down into the double digits, so thank God,&#8221; Green said in a video posted to X. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He responded to the new numbers by saying that exact numbers would take awhile to be complete. &#8220;Exact numbers are going to take time, perhaps a long time, to become finalized,&#8221; he told the Associated Press. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The brunt of the fire damage destroyed Lahaina, where 60 mph winds rapidly spread the fire. The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but some have blamed downed power lines for starting the blaze. Hawaiian Electric has said that firefighters did not adequately put out an electrical fire that later reignited. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maui County <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maui-county-sues-hawaiian-electric-alleges-intentional-and-malicious-mismanagement-led-to-fires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged in a lawsuit</a> that “intentional and malicious” mismanagement of power lines by Hawaiian Electric led to the deadly fires. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Maui Police Department <a href="https://www.mauicounty.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=12798" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> on Friday that they have been able to identify 55 of the 115 victims. Fifty of the victims&#8217; families have been notified, while authorities are still working to notify families of the other five. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Police have requested help in identifying both the missing and dead, asking the public to come forward with any relevant information. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If you have a loved one that you know is missing and you are a family member, it’s imperative that you get a DNA sample,” Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Maui wildfires, which were some of the worst in American history, have led to a host of scrutiny on Hawaiian officials who have faced criticism for not broadcasting the emergency siren and for reportedly blockading a road out of Lahaina due to downed power lines. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Witnesses who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maui-fire-survivors-say-authorities-blocked-only-paved-road-out-of-lahaina-as-town-burned-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survived</a> the blaze said that traffic quickly backed up as residents attempted to flee to the south, but the road was blocked as a crew worked on downed power lines. One family ignored the barricade and swerved past the cones placed in the road, making it safely to another town nearly an hour later. </span></p>


An aerial view of Lahaina devestation.

Total Missing After Maui Fires Remains Near 400 After Governor Indicated Number Might Drop Under 100

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Television personality </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oprah-winfrey"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oprah Winfrey</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and actor </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dwayne-johnson"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are creating a fund for victims of the Maui wildfires that ravaged the island earlier this month and cost at least 115 people their lives.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The two </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities"><span style="font-weight: 400;">celebrities</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> announced on Thursday that they were launching the People&#8217;s Fund of Maui by donating a combined $10 million to kick things off.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://www.eifoundation.org/peoples-fund-of-maui/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fund</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> promises to &#8220;distribute cash directly to those who were displaced and affected by the fire,&#8221; pledging &#8220;all net proceeds&#8221; from donations &#8220;will go to those directly impacted in </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maui"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maui</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I have been meeting with people throughout the community that were impacted by the fires over the last few weeks, asking what they most needed and how I could be of service,” said Winfrey. “The main thing I’ve been hearing is their concern about how to move forward under the immense financial burden.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;The community has come together in so many wonderful ways, and my intention is to support those impacted as they determine what rebuilding looks like for them,&#8221; she continued.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Johnson added, &#8220;As people around the world watched the catastrophic loss and devastation caused by the Maui wildfires, they also witnessed the great spirit and resilience of our Polynesian culture and the tremendous strength of the people of Maui. Even in the most difficult of times, the people of Maui come together, and we rise — that’s what makes us stronger.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Winfrey and Johnson shared a joint video on Instagram announcing the fund and explaining more details about how it will work to help residents. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;Every adult resident who lives in the affected area and was displaced by the wildfires in Lahaina and Kula is eligible to receive $1200 per month to help them through this period of recovery,&#8221; the caption said in part. &#8220;All you have to do is go to PeoplesFundofMaui.org to apply.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Government officials in Maui are blaming mismanagement by the utility company for the fire that devastated the community of Lahaina on August 8. Maui County filed a lawsuit against the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) on August 24, accusing it of “intentional and malicious” mismanagement of power lines. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fires are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maui-county-sues-hawaiian-electric-alleges-intentional-and-malicious-mismanagement-led-to-fires">estimated</a> to have cost Maui County $5.5 billion in damages</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p>


Oprah and the Rock

Oprah Winfrey And Dwayne Johnson Create ‘People’s Fund Of Maui’ For Wildfire Victims

Oprah Winfrey And Dwayne Johnson Create 'People's Fund Of Maui' For Wildfire Victims

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Democrat state senator in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hawaii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hawaii</a> has announced his resignation over a potential conflict of interest between his political position and legal profession as lawsuits loom </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">over the devastating <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maui" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maui</a> wildfires that left at least 115 people dead and hundreds more missing. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maui Senator Gil Keith-Agaran will step down by October 31 after <a href="https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2023/08/30/lawmakers-potential-role-lawyer-fire-victims-described-an-ethical-gray-area/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local media</a> outlets raised ethical concerns. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the Honolulu Civil Beat, the controversy started after Keith-Agaran was featured in a flier for a community discussion on “Maui Wildfire Impact” with </span><a href="https://www.takitanilawmaui.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Takitani Agaran Jorgensen &amp; Wildman</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and several other law firms. As vice chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, legal experts said that his political office might give him non-public information that could help him if he took on any cases related to the Maui fires. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I believe that this decision best serves the interests of the Maui people especially given what they have gone through over the last three weeks, and what they continue to experience,” Keith-Agaran <a href="https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/maui-senator-to-resign-amid-questions-over-possible-conflict-of-interest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As we know, the Maui community — including members of my extended clan who lived and worked in West Maui — have suffered tremendous losses, including losing loved ones. Some, to this day, are still not identified or found,” he added. “The choice for me has always been and will always be my family and community, and this decision is consistent with that overriding value.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are expected to be a plethora of lawsuits following the devastating fires, which could lead to ethical questions if his firm is involved in litigation.</span></p>
<p>“I’ve always had a legal practice, my professional responsibilities are to my clients so I would pick my clients,” Keith-Agaran told Civil Beat earlier this month when asked if he would prioritize his law firm or political responsibilities.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Democrat Governor Josh Green has 60 days to name a replacement after Keith-Agaran officially vacates his government role. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The lawsuits <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maui-county-sues-hawaiian-electric-alleges-intentional-and-malicious-mismanagement-led-to-fires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have already begun</a>, with Maui County suing the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), alleging “intentional and malicious” mismanagement of power lines led to the blaze that eventually turned much of the town of Lahaina to ash.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Defendants knew of the extreme fire danger that the high wind gusts posed to their overhead electrical infrastructure, particularly during red flag conditions,” the lawsuit said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hawaiian Electric </span><a href="https://apnews.com/article/maui-hawaii-wildfires-electric-utility-c3513c2f8e451df6dab2e59a6c2f670d" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">responded</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to the lawsuit, saying it is “very disappointed that Maui County chose this litigious path while the investigation is still unfolding.” </span></p>


Hawaii Dem State Senator Resigning After Ethical Concerns Over Potential Wildfire Litigation

Natural Disaster

<p>What is with this guy?</p>
<p>President Joe Biden, for the second time in less than two weeks, compared the devastation of a widespread natural disaster to that time his house was struck by lightning. Biden&#8217;s most recent comments came as he addressed the devastation wrought by Hurricane Idalia as well as the wildfires in Hawaii.</p>
<p>&#8220;I didn’t have anything like that, but lightning struck my house,&#8221; Biden said from the White House Wednesday. &#8220;We had to be out of that house for about seven months while it was repaired because so much damage was done to the house.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Half the house almost collapsed,&#8221; he tacked on for good measure.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Biden again compares his kitchen fire to the wildfires in Hawaii and Hurricane Idalia. <a href="https://t.co/7dUIm8KUDj">pic.twitter.com/7dUIm8KUDj</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Conservative War Machine (@WarMachineRR) <a href="https://twitter.com/WarMachineRR/status/1696962225213215168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>What actually happened was a small kitchen fire that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whats-lower-bidens-emotional-intelligence-or-his-approval-rating" target="_blank" rel="noopener">happened</a> in 2004. Here’s how the Associated Press covered it at the time:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Lightning struck the home of Sen. Joseph Biden, starting a small fire that was contained to the kitchen.</em></p>
<p><em>No one was injured in Sunday’s fire, which started amid a storm that caused serious flooding in Pennsylvania and knocked out power to hundreds of Delaware homes and businesses.</em></p></blockquote>
<p>“The fire was under control in 20 minutes,” Cranston Heights Fire Company Chief George Lamborn said at the time.</p>
<p>While in Hawaii, Biden&#8217;s comments were even worse than Wednesday&#8217;s remarks.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense —  Jill and I — of what it’s like to lose a home. Years ago now — 15 years ago … lightning struck at home on a little lake that is outside of our home,” he droned. “And it hit a wire and came up underneath our home into the heating ducts — the air conditioning ducts.”</p>
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<p>“To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my ’67 Corvette and my cat,” he said with a chuckle. “But all kidding aside, I watched the firefighters, the way they responded.”</p>
<p>Those comments, of course, came after lives and livelihoods were utterly destroyed by a wildfire exacerbated by government incompetence.</p>
<p>The man cannot help himself from lying in broad daylight — even after he has been busted repeating the same fib countless times.</p>
<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.</em></p>


Biden, Again, Lies About Small Kitchen Fire In Response To Hurricane Idalia

Executive

Hurricane Idalia

<p>White House Press Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/karine-jean-pierre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karine Jean-Pierre</a> claimed on Wednesday that President Joe Biden reacted to the fires in Maui in &#8220;record time&#8221; despite facing widespread criticism over his apparent lack of interest tending to the matter while he was on vacation.</p>
<p>&#8220;It seems like the hurricane response so far is robust,&#8221; a reporter said to Jean-Pierre during the press briefing. &#8220;Did you guys realize that the initial Hawaii wildfire response was not that good or is it just easier for people to get help from the White House when the president is not on vacation?&#8221;</p>
<p>Jean-Pierre said she disagreed with the premise of the question, claiming: &#8220;So, if you talk to — if you were to do your reporting and speak to the governor of Hawaii, the senators of Hawaii, the folks on the ground, they would say that the president reacted in record time when it came to dealing with the wildfires, when it came to dealing and making sure that they got everything that they need on the federal level to deal with what was going on on the ground.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Let’s not forget, there were more than 600 federal employees on the ground already to assist with the wildfires in Maui,&#8221; she claimed. &#8220;So, your question is — is wrong — it’s flawed in many, many ways. And I would — I would — I would advise you to go speak to the governor and the local and state officials in — in Hawaii.&#8221;</p>
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<p>WATCH:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">KJP to Doocy on whether <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Idalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Idalia</a> response is better than Hawaii&#39;s wildfires b/c Biden isn&#39;t on vacation: &quot;So, the premise of your question &amp; the way you posed [it], I disagree&#8230;If you talk to&#8230;the governor&#8230;the folks on the ground, they would say&#8230;[he] reacted in record time&quot; <a href="https://t.co/rhvoSsTFv9">pic.twitter.com/rhvoSsTFv9</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1696952573058564507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>


US-POLITICS-JEAN-PIERRE-BRIEFING

White House Claims Biden Reacted To Maui Fires ‘In Record Time’

White House Claims Biden Reacted To Maui Fires 'In Record Time'

Fire

Karine Jean-Pierre

<p>Maui wildfire survivor Mike Cicchino called out President Joe Biden and his administration during a <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/west/hawaii-wildfires/maui-resident-were-not-being-treated-like-were-us-citizens/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent interview</a>, saying that Lahaina residents like himself were &#8220;not being treated like&#8221; American citizens as they try to rebuild their lives with little help from the government.</p>
<p>Cicchino spoke with &#8220;NewsNation Prime&#8221; host Natasha Zouves on Sunday, recounting the moment he and his wife Andreza had run into the ocean as flames engulfed the historic village — and the following three hours that they spent just trying to keep their heads above water.</p>
<p>&#8220;Being on fire, not knowing where land is, at points, the currents pulling us out where we can’t touch the ground,&#8221; Cicchino recalled. &#8220;At times, I remember just telling her to make sure that she saves herself. &#8216;Don’t worry. If I start drowning out here, you save yourself.&#8217; It’s the most terrifying experience of our life.&#8221;</p>
<p>By the time Cicchino and his wife were able to return to shore, both their home and business were gone — and thus far, all the federal government has offered them and others affected by the wildfires is a one-time payment of $700 per household. Cicchino said he has not yet seen that payment.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are the 50<sup>th</sup> state here and we’re not being treated like we’re U.S. citizens. We feel like we just got out of a fight for our life. Now, we’re back in another fight for our life to find a home, to find a place to rest our head at night,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We’re not getting any help from (the) federal government so far.&#8221;</p>
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<p>&#8220;We never received the $700, which I mean wouldn’t go very far here in Hawaii. We’re mostly getting help from private organizations and nonprofits,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I can’t speak for everybody, but we feel like we’re not getting any help out here at least from the federal government. They are helping, from what I understand, down on the ground to look for bodies, to clear out rubble, those types of things. But as far as the people that were displaced, financially they’ve been no help.&#8221;</p>
<p>President Biden has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-comment-wh-comms-director-roasted-for-bizarre-defense-of-bidens-maui-response" target="_blank" rel="noopener">widely criticized</a> for his overall response to the deadly fires, which have thus far claimed 115 lives while hundreds remain missing. While he was praised for declaring a state of emergency early on, he later took heat for offering &#8220;no comment&#8221; to questions about the rising death toll and for waiting nearly two weeks to visit the devastated island.</p>
<p>Biden&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-praises-biden-for-signature-empathy-despite-tone-deaf-maui-response" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eventual trip</a> to survey the damage — a brief day trip bookended by vacation days in Lake Tahoe — got him into even more trouble when he compared the massive, deadly blaze to a small kitchen fire some years earlier in his Delaware home.</p>


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Maui Wildfire Survivor Says Biden Admin Is Not Helping: ‘We’re Not Being Treated Like We’re US Citizens’

Maui Wildfire Survivor Says Biden Admin Is Not Helping: 'We're Not Being Treated Like We’re US Citizens'

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