West Maui opens on Oct 8 to visitors. We need you to come back — so many of my friends' jobs are resting on the return of visitors. https://t.co/ydB4OYGWag
— HawaiiDelilah™ 🟦 #MauiStrong (@HawaiiDelilah) September 16, 2023
Death toll from Maui wildfires drops to 97, with 31 missing https://t.co/B7hrjsuADQ
— Jeffrey Levin 🇺🇦 (@jilevin) September 16, 2023
Good (if gruesome) explainer from the Washington Post — “Death toll from Maui wildfires drops to 97, with 31 missing”:
The death toll from the devastating wildfires on Maui dropped unexpectedly to 97 on Friday, a decrease that officials attributed to more precise testing done by military experts who found that some body bags contained human remains belonging to the same people and cautioned that a final count is still not finalized.
The blaze, which began Aug. 8, was already the deadliest in modern American history, far outstripping the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in Paradise, Calif. Previously, Hawaii officials said at least 115 people died in the fires that quickly subsumed the historic town of Lahaina, but Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) said Friday the confirmed number of deaths has gone down.
“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,” Green said in a video statement. “So thank God, fewer people have passed away.”
There are still 31 open reports of missing people. “And not all of those who are lost have been identified,” Green added.
During a news conference Friday, Maui police said they’ve positively identified 74 individuals.
John Byrd, the laboratory director for the Pentagon’s agency in charge of identifying remains of U.S. war dead, said his team is assisting in the process but is not prepared to offer a final count for the number of fatalities…
Driving past Lahaina is so difficult. Nothing left of the town I call home. The news cycle moves so quickly. Don’t forget about us. Rally your representatives and senators to do the right thing and vote for the funding to help us. pic.twitter.com/Iz8yE9hgjm
— HawaiiDelilah™ 🟦 #MauiStrong (@HawaiiDelilah) September 15, 2023
My research on the disinformation campaign(s) targeting the Hawaii fires —which was amplified by Russia and China — is featured in this new piece by @HawaiiNewsNow.
The takeaway: Crises are a target for disinfo and social media is an attack surface.https://t.co/ddRXAHnYWe
— Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) September 13, 2023
And it’s arguably good news that the local media is warning Hawaiians against the Space Laser! conspiracists…
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A disinformation campaign that sprung up almost immediately after wildfires ravaged Maui was spread by China and Russia, researchers have concluded.
And, they say, that campaign made the government’s response to the disaster even more difficult.
From weather warfare to floating bodies on another island to thousands of missing children to a Maui land grab, experts say online posts about the wildfires might have started as genuine concern.
But they also said China and Russia are now using artificial intelligence to amplify false messages and spread fear, division and distrust in government.
Caroline Amy Orr Bueno, a University of Maryland postdoctoral research associate and digital deception expert, said the online rumors started the day after the Aug. 8 fire.
One phrase “Hawaii, not Ukraine” was similar in messaging to what was seen online after the Ohio train derailment disaster.
“They link that to the U.S. providing support to Ukraine. The idea is the reason that the aid to Hawaii was inadequate was because our attention and our resources were going to Ukraine,” said Bueno.
“It was the same narrative with this overarching idea pitting the support for Ukraine against support for a local community,” she added.
Gov. Josh Green reacted to research on HNN’s “Spotlight Now,” saying the disinformation is disappointing — and dangerous.
“When you start talking about laser beams and heat rays coming from space that would take out a people on Maui, coming on let’s get real,” Green said…
New York Times correspondent Steven Lee Myers, who covers misinformation, told Hawaii News Now that Maui wildfire rumors had photos generated by artificial intelligence.
They were on all digital platforms and in multiple languages.
He says it’s hard to tell if China and Russia started the rumors or amplified once it was online…
“People are hurting, people are upset, they are looking for answers and in that space I think people can be vulnerable,” he added.
Experts also said that platforms like Facebook have taken down several pages linked to China, but say they need to do more.
Baud
Thanks. AL. Next year will be the mother of all disinfo campaigns.
raven
I’ve mentioned that I sent some money to the captain of the boat I went on 11 years ago. He lost everything including the boat and his house. I got on his Facebook and it was full of insane bullshit and anti-Biden vids. I wish I’d sent all my money to the Maui Humane Society.
NotMax
Some further info and updates included in a recent nighttime thread.
Baud
@raven:
That sucks. You’re a good man.
Frankensteinbeck
The Banyan tree is recovering and is expected to live. It was less damaged than originally thought and is already putting forth new shoots. They expect to have to cut off about 10% of its branches as completely dead. The expert assessment is that some nearby monkey pod trees, being very tall, channeled the fire up and away from the Banyan. It is still being tended to constantly, and probably will be for years.
Baud
@Frankensteinbeck:
Excellent. Banyans are one of my favorite trees.
cain
So, does he also cover the NYT or is it just other places?
@Raven – hope you’re feelin better.
schrodingers_cat
@Baud: The banyan tree has the best shade. In India people build platforms under the banyan trees and enjoy the shade in hot afternoons.
WaterGirl
@Baud: It’s all around us, every day. Just a different kind of cold war. And maybe even pretty warm.
WaterGirl
@raven: Ugh, I’m sorry.
WaterGirl
@Frankensteinbeck: It’s good to have friends, even if you’re a tree.
ColoradoGuy
Adam Silverman is right; we’re already in World War Three, and it started in 2014 or even earlier. And social media is the primary attack surface.
FastEdD
I’m going to spend the holidays in Maui visiting with my brother. It sounds like an extravagant thing to do but flights from SoCal are cheap, $235-$500 round trip nonstop. He is arranging accommodations in Kihei because he’s a local and that’s cheap too. Holidays are magical in Hawaii and they can use the business.
Sure Lurkalot
NBC’s new Press the Meat anchor Kristen Walker stood by idly while Trump regurgitated disinfo all over the airways.
It was a taped interview…but apparently NBC had no choice to air lies?
Then today, NBC posts this:
In at least 11 points during the interview, former President Donald Trump flubbed numbers, misstated facts or omitted critical context.
Flubbed? Misstated? Omitted? What’s that shorter word that describes what goes on every time Trump opens his piehole?
In at least 11 points during the interview, former President Donald Trump lied, lied and lied. There’s your fucking headline, NBC.
Mousebumples
If anyone is planning a future scuba trip to Maui, I recommend Tiny Bubbles Scuba. I’m not sure if they’re temporarily out of commission (based near Lahaina on West Maui), but they seem to still be active at least.
My sister and I did our open water training dives with Tim, and then my husband and I went diving on our honeymoon. No boat involved, so a bit less expensive than some other options. Plus, a great way to see some great underwater sights.
I can’t make a Maui trip work with time off/2 young kids, but I’m hopeful people will go support Maui as they rebuild.
mrmoshpotato
@Sure Lurkalot: Fuck you, NBC. Call a liar a liar.
Pupjoint
I have kin who live and do catering business in Kihei. Business is way down, but they are surviving, keeping everyone employed. Major resorts in Kihei laid off a lot of staff (Grand Wailea, Four Seasons and that resort formally known as Prince). But hopefully things will rebound.
StringOnAStick
@Mousebumples: We’re going to Maui late this October as an anniversary celebration; we decided to go because they need the tourists to come back. I hope we can find the outrigger canoe paddling that we did many years ago, it was one of my favourite travel memories.
Mousebumples
@StringOnAStick: Sounds like fun! Enjoy. 😊