10 things you need to know today: August 18, 2023

1. Maui emergency leader resigns after fire response backlash

Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya resigned Thursday after facing criticism over the response to the wildfires that left at least 111 people dead on the Hawaiian island. Andaya said Wednesday he didn't regret the decision not to sound emergency sirens as the flames threatened the historic town of Lahaina, which was destroyed by a fast-moving blaze. The alerts are typically used for tsunamis, sending residents to higher ground, he explained, and in this case the higher ground was on fire. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said he would replace Andaya quickly, "given the gravity of the crisis we are facing." The death toll is expected to rise, as crews have searched just 45% of burned-out Lahaina.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser

2. Trump attorneys ask for 2026 D.C. election trial date

Former President Donald Trump's lawyers on Thursday asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington, D.C., to set an April 2026 start date for the federal trial on his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. Trump is the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and the request would delay his trial until 18 months after the election. "The public interest lies in justice and fair trial, not a rush to judgment," Trump's attorneys wrote. Prosecutors had asked for the trial to begin Jan. 2, 2024. Separately, Trump abruptly called off a news conference he had scheduled for next week, saying his lawyers had advised him to save his "irrefutable" proof of election fraud in Georgia for legal filings.

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Reuters New York Post

3. Georgia grand jury members who indicted Trump receive threats

The Fulton County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office announced Thursday it was investigating threats posted online against members of the grand jury that indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies this week. The grand jury found it reasonably likely the 19 defendants participated in a "criminal enterprise" to overturn Trump's 2020 election loss in Georgia. "We take this matter very seriously and are coordinating with our law enforcement partners to respond quickly to any credible threat," the sheriff's office said. Unidentified people in right-wing forums posted the names and addresses of grand jury members after the indictment was released. A Texas woman was charged earlier this month with threatening the judge presiding over Trump's federal prosecution on election-tampering charges.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

4. Mortgage rates surge to 21-year high

Mortgage rates jumped above 7% to a 21-year high this week, in the latest fallout from the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes to fight inflation. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reached 7.09%, up from 6.96% last week, Freddie Mac said on Thursday. The rate on the 30-year mortgage — the most popular U.S. home loan — was 5.13% a year ago. Rising mortgage rates are putting homes out of reach for an increasing number of would-be buyers. Sales of existing homes fell nearly 19% in June compared to a year earlier, according to the National Association of Realtors. "The new reality has jolted the housing market," Jeff Ostrowski, an analyst at the personal finance company Bankrate, wrote in a note.

The New York Times

5. Dozens of Nigerian soldiers killed in ambush

Armed gangs ambushed Nigerian soldiers in the African nation's north-central region. At least 36 Nigerian soldiers were killed and seven more wounded in the ambush and the crash of a helicopter sent to the scene, the military said Thursday. Armed gangs shot down the aircraft, The Associated Press reported, citing local residents. "The ambush and the firefight resulted in the death of three officers, 22 soldiers," defense ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Edward Buba said. The rest of the casualties were in the helicopter. The attack added to security challenges facing Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who chairs the regional ECOWAS bloc that has threatened to use force to restore democracy in Niger following a coup.

The Associated Press

6. Biden hosts Japan, South Korea leaders at Camp David

President Biden is hosting the leaders of Japan and South Korea at Camp David on Friday in a summit intended to show a united front to counter China's rising influence. The meeting between Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential retreat in Maryland is the first time the leaders of the three allied nations have gathered for a stand-alone summit rather than a conversation on the sidelines of a larger meeting. The Global Times, a Chinese tabloid controlled by the Communist Party, wrote that the three nations were trying to "form a 'mini NATO' structure that will be destructive to regional security."

The New York Times

7. Walmart sales beat expectations as shoppers seek bargains

Walmart on Thursday reported second quarter sales and earnings that exceeded analysts' expectations, thanks to shoppers seeking bargains. Walmart posted quarterly sales of $161.6 billion, beating analysts' estimates of $160.2 billion, according to FactSet. Its earnings were $1.84 per share, topping consensus estimates of $1.71 a share. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said the big-box retailer got a boost from shoppers trying to stretch their budgets as higher interest rates, rising gas prices, and the resumption of student loan payments left them short of cash. Walmart raised its full-year profit outlook by roughly 2%. Its stock price rose nearly 1% to a near-record $160.

Forbes

8. 60 migrants feared dead after boat from Senegal capsizes near Cape Verde

More than 60 migrants were missing and feared dead after a boat that left Senegal capsized near the Cape Verde islands in the Atlantic, authorities and migrant advocates said Thursday. The vessel departed Senegal with more than 100 migrants on board. A Spanish fishing vessel rescued 38 people earlier in the week. Seven bodies were found in the boat. Fifty-six people remained missing. Spanish migration advocacy group Walking Borders said the migrants' pirogue, a large fishing boat, left the seaside town of Fass Boye on July 10. "They had to leave for Spain to feed their families," said Mamour Ba, a 30-year-old student whose 23-year-old brother died in the accident.

USA Today

9. Hurricane Hilary, headed for California, intensifies to Category 4 strength

A tropical storm in the Pacific strengthened into Hurricane Hilary on Thursday, with meteorologists warning it could slam the southwestern United States with torrential rains and flash flooding. The storm intensified rapidly, with its maximum sustained winds reaching 140 miles per hour early Friday, making it a powerful Category 4 storm faster than expected. Forecasters urged people on Mexico's Baja California peninsula and in the southwestern United States to monitor the storm closely. Hilary is expected to continue strengthening early Friday as it approaches Baja California before weakening some on Saturday. The U.S. Southwest is expected to get heavy rains peaking Sunday and Monday, with high winds reaching San Diego, California, on Sunday.

National Hurricane Center Accuweather

10. Vlatko Andonovski resigns as US women's soccer coach after World Cup loss

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced Thursday that Vlatko Andonovski has resigned as head coach of the United States women's national team. His departure follows the once-dominant team's disappointing elimination in the round of 16 at the Women's World Cup, as well as a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Assistant coach Twila Kilgore, who in 2021 became the first American-born woman to earn the national regulating body's pro coaching license, will step in as interim coach and lead the team in a pair of September friendly matches against South Africa. U.S. Soccer will hurry to decide on a permanent replacement to lead the team in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Andonovski steps down with a 51-5-9 record, although he was 3-2-5 in major tournaments.

ESPN