ZWF: How did the Hawaii fires become so destructive?
Zander's Weekend Facts #79: Sunday, August 13, 2023
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a look at how the wildfires in Hawaii became so destructive, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 114 features a preview of the club soccer season getting underway in Europe. Zander predicts the champions in the top leagues along with providing the facts you’ll need to know before the new season kicks off. Download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, August 13, 2023:
Wildfires kill dozens in Hawaii
At least 89 people have been confirmed dead on the Hawaiian island of Maui after devastating wildfires swept across the island, including through the city of Lahaina, apparently unexpectedly to many.
Lahaina, a town of just over 11,000 residents, helps Maui normally attract over two million tourists each year.
How the devastation of a massively popular tourist destination on Maui Island’s west side occurred appears to have been from a confluence of extremely unfortunate events.
First, weather conditions certainly did not aid matters. Although the cause of the fires, which began Tuesday night, has still not been determined, the National Weather Service had issued alerts for dry weather and high winds, prime wildfire conditions.
Those high winds were assisted by Hurricane Dora, moving a couple hundred miles south of the islands at the time, along with a low-pressure system near Japan. The presense of easily-flammable non-native grasses, which make up over a quarter of the state’s land, also appears to be a factor.
Images that have come out in recent days show hundreds of structures through Lahaina’s historic town center scorched as news trickles out that residents had little warning of the oncoming flames. Details will surely be learned later on regarding why that was the case, as Hawaii’s Attorney General has announced an investigation will take place.
The fires weren’t contained to Lahaina, either. Seperate fires near the center of the island have also been burning near the communities of . And just to the north of Lahaina in the community of Kaanapali, evacuations took place on Friday due to another new fire.
It may take years to rebuild what was lost in what is now the deadliest wildfire in modern American history, but there is hope to be found in Lahaina’s iconic Banyan tree, which still appears to be standing.
For more information on this week’s top story, here’s an article from NBC News - Maui fires live updates: Toll rises to 89 in Hawaii, making it the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history
What Zander’s been reading
Out of the many national sub-sandwich chains, there’s no doubt that Jersey Mike’s stands above the rest (at least according to Zander.) The founder of Jersey Mike’s, Peter Cancro, was recently profiled and detailed how the chain has risen from a small shop in a New Jersey beach town to a massive sub empire, without sacrificing the quality they’re known for.
Check out this week’s featured article at Entrepreneur - Jersey Mike's Grew From a Seaside Deli to a Franchise Giant, and Never Lost Its Charm. This Is How, Its Founder Says - (Apple News link)
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Ohio Election: Voters in Ohio rejected a proposal that would have required consitutional amendments recieve 60% of the vote to pass instead of the 50% simple majority. Final results show that on Issue 1, a proposal backed by Ohio Republican lawmakers, 57% of voters voted “No.” The election drew national attention as Ohio is the only state expected to have a direct referendum on abortion rights on the ballot in November. A proposed amendment would enshire abortion rights into the state constitution if passed by voters in November. The amendment only needs 50% of the vote to pass after Tuesday’s Issue 1 vote failed.
Montgomery Brawl: A brawl caught on video that has gone viral online at a ship dock in Montgomery, Alabama has led to five people charged. Three men and one woman were originally charged with third-degree assault, while another man was charged with disorderly conduct on Friday. The incident began after a pontoon boat was docked in the space reserved for the Harriott II, a riverboat cruise. When asked to move the pontoon boat by the Harriott II’s captain, police say the boaters responded with cursing, gestures, and taunting.
Inflation Numbers: The consumer price index, a key inflation measure, rose month-to-month for the first time in over a year in July. The CPI rose 3.2% year-over-year last month, two ticks higher than June’s 3.0% but still lower than expectations of 3.3%. The 0.2% month-over-month increase in the CPI was in line with the estimate from Dow Jones. While inflation numbers are way off from the 9.0% highs of last summer, they are still above the Federal Reserve’s goal of 2.0%. The lower inflation numbers allowed real wages to grow 0.3% from June to July and 1.1% from 2022 to 2023. The Fed will meet in September to determine whether another interest rate hike is necessary to curb inflation.
Hunter Biden Special Counsel: Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss was named special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in the Hunter Biden case last week. Weiss, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump in 2018, had been investigating Biden previously and struck a plea deal earlier this year that was rejected by a judge. Weiss has since said that talks between the two sides have broken down and that a trial is likely. Biden is accused of not paying taxes in 2017 and 2018 on over $1.5 million in income and unlawfully owning a firearm while using illegal drugs. Weiss noted that additional charges may come in California or Washington.
Ecuador Assassination: Fernando Villavicencio, a candidate in Columbia’s upcoming presidential election, was assassinated during a campaign rally on Wednesday. Villavicencio was a member of the country’s National Assembly and had alleged connections between rising gang violence and organized crime with government officials in the country. Current President Guillermo Lasso, who has faced impeachment in the National Assembly and is not running for re-election, has claimed that organized crime was behind the killing. Ecuador’s presidential election is still set to take place next Sunday, with National Assembly member Luisa González and former Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner currently leading in polls.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
Women’s World Cup: The semifinals for the 2023 Women’s World Cup are set, with a first-time champion certain to be crowned. All four of the remaining nations, Australia, England, Spain, and Sweden, have not previously won the tournament. On Tuesday at 4:00 am et, Spain will take on Sweden in the first semifinal. The second semifinal takes place on Wednesday at 6:00 am et, with Australia facing England. The winners will meet up in the final on Sunday at 6:00 am et, while the losers of the semifinal matches will face off in the third-place game on Saturday at 4:00 am et. All four remaining matches in the tournament will air in the U.S. on Fox in English and on Telemundo, Universo, and Peacock in Spanish.
English Premier League: The top soccer clubs in Europe are beginning their domestic league seasons over the next few weeks, with the English Premier League getting underway this weekend. In Friday’s first match of the season, defending league champion Manchester City easily took down promoted club Burnley 3-0. Saturday’s notable results saw Arsenal take down Nottingham Forest 2-1, Fulham beat Everton 1-0, and Newcastle pick apart Aston Villa 5-1. Later this morning, Brentford host Tottenham at 9:00 am et, and Liverpool visit Chelsea at 11:30 am et with both matches airing on Peacock. On Monday, Manchester United host Wolves at 3:00 pm et on USA Network.
ESPN Bet: ESPN, a division of The Walt Disney Company, and PENN Entertainment announced a deal on Wednesday that will bring the launch of ESPN Bet. ESPN Bet will be a sportsbook that operates in 16 states when it launches in November as a rebrand of Barstool Sportsbook. The deal will see PENN pay ESPN $2 billion over the next ten years, with PENN also selling its stake in Barstool Sports back to founder Dave Portnoy for just $1.
Leagues Cup: The semifinals of the Leagues Cup tournament between MLS and Liga MX clubs take place later this week on Tuesday. At 7:00 pm et, Philadelphia Union host Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami CF, while CF Monterrey take on Nashville SC in Nashville at 9:30 pm et. Both matches will air in English and Spanish with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The winners of Tuesday’s semifinal matches will face off in the final to be played on Saturday night, airing on MLS Season Pass and on Univision in Spanish.
Basketball Hall of Fame: The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023 was inducted Saturday night. Among those headlining a star-studded class were champion players Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, and Dwyane Wade. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was one of five coaches to be inducted by the North American Committee. Current Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon was also inducted for her playing career in the WNBA. In other basketball news, the full schedule for the upcoming NBA season is expected to be announced later this week.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment! That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, August 20, 2023.
