10 things you need to know today: August 13, 2023

1. Maui blaze becomes deadliest wildfire in a century as death toll rises to 93

At least 93 people have died from the wildfire that struck the island of Maui, Hawaii, making it the deadliest wildfire in modern American history. The fatalities were confirmed Saturday evening in a news release from Maui County, which added that only two of the dead have so far been identified. Search-and-rescue teams have begun combing through the rubble, though estimates say they have only searched around 3% of the affected area. More deaths are expected, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) said, especially in the coastal town of Lahaina, which was totally destroyed by the fire. The deaths come as reports began emerging that Hawaii may have downplayed the threat of wildfires in Maui.

NPR The New York Times

2. Trump and DeSantis face off at Iowa state fair

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) traded jabs at the Iowa state fair on Saturday, months before the state's key Republican caucuses are set to take place. The former president was seen attracting fairgoers at a number of stops throughout the fair. Notably, Trump met with Republican activists that included around a dozen Florida U.S. House members, in a clear jab at DeSantis' attempt to woo backers from his own state. The Florida governor continued pushing back against Trump, who is beating him by large margins in most polls, and participated in a sit-down chat with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R).

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CNN The Associated Press

3. At least 21 dead in China following Xian mudslide

At least 21 people have died in the Chinese city of Xian following a large mudslide, city officials said Sunday. Six people remained missing as the northwestern region — and China as a whole — continued battling unusually heavy rainfall throughout the summer. Videos taken from Xian show widespread destruction, including mangled trees, roads caked in mud and housing and infrastructure destroyed throughout the city. Officials reported that at least 900 people in Xian had initially been left without power following the mudslide, as workers began the process of restoring electricity to the area. Heavy rain from Typhoon Khanun also presented a risk to other cities in China, officials stressed.

Reuters

4. At least 7 people killed in Kherson, including 23-day-old baby

At least seven people, including a 23-day-old baby girl, were killed by Russian shelling in the Ukrainian region of Kherson on Sunday, officials said. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on social media that five people, including an entire family of four, were killed in a small village in the region. The deceased family included the newborn baby girl, her 12-year-old brother, and their parents. Two men were additionally killed by a missile that struck a nearby village, with a number of buildings reportedly damaged in both strikes. Russian shelling has been increasing in recent weeks as Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive of its own using drone strikes.

The Guardian The Kyiv Independent

5. Kenosha police to investigate wrongful arrest of Black father at Applebee's

Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said Saturday they were launching an internal investigation into the wrongful arrest of a Black man inside an Applebee's restaurant. According to the criminal complaint, Kenosha police officers were responding to the restaurant following reports that a pair of hit-and-run suspects may have been inside. The complaint alleges that the officers saw the man, identified as Jermelle English, with his partner and baby, and wrongfully identified him them the hit-and-run suspects. The Applebee's manager told ABC News that police forcibly arrested both English and his partner, and alleged that they also pepper sprayed his baby. The actual suspects were reportedly found in the Applebee's bathroom.

ABC News The Associated Press

6. Father of children who survived Amazon plane crash charged with sexual abuse

The father of two Indigenous children who survived a plane crash in the Amazon rainforest was charged with sexual abuse, Colombian officials said Saturday. Manuel Ranoque was arrested and accused of sexually abusing his 13-year-old stepdaughter. The unnamed stepdaughter was credited with saving the lives of her three siblings and stepsiblings, leading them to safety for five weeks in the Amazon after their plane crashed. The children were hospitalized for more than a month and have since been in the care of Colombian family welfare groups. The children included Ranoque's stepdaughters, aged 13 and nine, and his biological sons, aged one and four.

Reuters The Associated Press

7. New pack of endangered gray wolves found in California

A new pack of gray wolves was discovered in California, around 200 miles away from any other known pack, officials said, in a large victory for the state's conservation initiatives. The wolves were first discovered this past July in Sequoia National Forest in Tulare County, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a statement Friday. Researchers collected samples and confirmed that all of the pack members were gray wolves, including five individuals that hadn't previously been detected. This is the farthest south that a pack of gray wolves has been seen in California in a century. The species was hunted to extinction in the state in the 1920s, and sightings remain fairly rare.

NPR SF Gate

8. Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2

A Norwegian mountain climber has been accused of leaving an injured porter to die on Pakistan's K2 mountain during an ascent, allegedly choosing to continue her record-breaking climb instead. The climber, Kristin Harila, along with her guide, Tenjin Sherpa, became the fastest two people to ascend all 14 of the world's highest mountains when they conquered K2. However, following her climb, Harila was accused of leaving Muhammad Hassan, an injured 27-year-old Pakistani father of three, to die on the mountain after he fell from a treacherous part of the trail. It was alleged that Harila, her team and around 70 other climbers ignored Hassan because they wanted to reach the summit instead. Harila has denied these allegations.

The New York Times BBC News

9. Women’s World Cup semifinal matches set

The semifinal matchups have been set for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Australia, one of the host countries along with neighboring New Zealand, will meet England in a highly anticipated opportunity to advance to the World Cup final. Australia undoubtedly has a large advantage due to its status as a hosting country, but England is considered one of the best clubs in the tournament. The other semifinal will pit Spain against Sweden, two European teams who were also heavily favored in betting lines to go far. None of these countries have ever won a Women's World Cup, meaning history will be made when the semifinal games take place this coming week.

The Washington Post

10. Tom Jones, creator of musical ’The Fantasticks,’ dies at 95

Tom Jones, the creator of the longest-running musical "The Fantasticks," has died at the age of 95. Jones' son Michael confirmed his father's death, stating that he passed away from cancer, though no further details were provided. Jones, along with composer Harvey Schmidt, became famous for creating "The Fantasticks," which first opened in New York City in 1960. It ran as an off-Broadway production for an unparalleled 42 years. While the show did not get great reviews at first, it ended up living on until 2002, with its 17,000 performances making it the longest-running musical in American history. A revival of the show ran from 2006 to 2017.

Variety