Lahaina, Maui — one year later



It’s been one year since wildfires ravaged the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui, killing 102 people and displacing thousands.

You likely haven’t heard much about the state of Lahaina and its remaining residents in the mainstream media because the Biden administration has moved on from the tragedy. Of course it’s still funding illegal aliens using American taxpayer dollars, but it’s abandoned the U.S. citizens of Hawaii who are still homeless a year after fires claimed their homes, jobs, and loved ones.

Mercury One Inc., a nonprofit organization providing humanitarian aid, education, and disaster relief founded by Blaze Media’s Glenn Beck, has not forgotten. Mercury One is still on the ground in Lahaina providing hope and resources to citizens who remain in the throes of homelessness, poverty, and grief.

Mercury One executive director J.P. Decker joins Glenn on the show to give an update about the state of Lahaina and its people.

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For starters, Mercury One has “been providing mental health [support] because there's been a mental health crisis of multiple suicides,” says J.P., adding that “most people still feel uncertain,” especially when it comes to housing and jobs.

“About 72% of all people in Maui were affected by these fires; 59% said they have moved over three times [since the disaster],” he tells Glenn.

In addition to mental health support, Mercury One has also funded another nonprofit that provides “sports for kids” when the organization ran out of funds.

“A lot of the kids can't even come into Lahaina without crying and screaming because of what they saw that day one year ago,” says J.P.

“We have also worked with a nonprofit who has built a whole community for the survivors,” he reports. However, the facilities, despite being ready to use, are currently going to waste because “the governor and the mayor continue to fight with each other on who's going to get the credit … so they're not allowing these people to move to this nonprofit [community].”

“So many of these people feel left by our government. They feel left alone. They feel as if no one is talking about them any more,” says J.P., adding that it’s clear that “our government has forgotten about them.”

To make matters worse, yesterday the governor chose to bring up climate change.

“The governor even said yesterday, ‘Well, I know that you like Front Street … but you have to remember that climate change is taking Front Street away,”’ J.P. recounts.

“How do you say that on the one-year anniversary? What kind of a leader are you?” he asks, disgusted. “These people are trying to find hope. Out of the 11,000 that lived there and were displaced, there's only about 3,000 left because they've had to move to find jobs.”

To hear more about the state of Lahaina and what Mercury One is doing to continue meeting the needs of the residents, watch the clip above and visit https://MercuryOne.org.

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Historic church spared by the Maui fires towers above ash and rubble: 'It's like a miracle'



The wildfires that ravaged the Hawaii island of Maui are the deadliest in over a century, having claimed at least 96 lives. Authorities expect the death toll to rise.

Thousands of acres of land have been torched along with the historic Lahaina area, which KHON-TV reported will cost well over $5.5 billion to rebuild.

In downtown Lahaina, there appears to have been at least one historic structure the fires could not claim, now standing defiantly amid the ash and ruin.

Maria Lanakila (Our Lady of Victory) Catholic Church, established by Fr. Aubert of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Mary and Jesus in 1846, appears to have been spared from the worst of the smoke and flame.

Viral footage taken out front of the church pans from side to side, showing the largely untouched church surrounded by smoldering verges, collapsed buildings, and immolated trees.

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USA Today reported that the original structure comprised an adobe building with grass hut chapels. The modern stone structure that stands today was completed in 1873.

The church, which serves between 700 and 800 families, contains artwork rumored to be gifts from King Kalakaua or his sister, Queen Liliuokalani.

Msgr. Terrence Watanabe, pastor of St. Anthony’s, told the Pillar, "Basically what we know is the fact that all of Lahaina Town has been consumed by fire. It’s all gone. The church, Maria Lanakila [Our Lady of Victory], is still standing."

Although the rectory is reported to have suffered some damage, it appears to have fared better than the nearby Sacred Hearts School, which had its roof torn off.

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"For us, it’s like a miracle," Watanabe told the Star Advertiser. "When we saw the news and saw the church steeple rise above the town, it was a great sight to see."

"May She be the beacon of hope…to help the rest of the community," said parishioner Jeffrey Chang, reported the New York Post.

The pastor of the church, Fr. Kuriakose Nadooparambil, indicated all of his staff escaped the fire and found temporary residence with members of the Catholic community in Central Maui.

The Waiola Church, home of a United Church of Christ congregation and Hawaii's first Christian cemetery, was not so fortunate, having been razed in the inferno.

Lay minister Anela Rosa told USA Today, "It's gone, the social hall, the sanctuary, the annex, all of it."

The Waiola Church celebrated its 200th anniversary in May and is the final resting place of the Kingdom of Hawaii's royal family, according to the church's website.

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Maui blaze now deadliest US wildfire in over 100 years, vacationing Biden's 'heartless' reaction to American tragedy ignites firestorm



The Maui blaze is now the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years. However, vacationing President Joe Biden's recent reaction to being asked about the American tragedy in Hawaii has been deemed as "heartless" by many.

As of Sunday, the death toll had risen to 93 people, plus more than 1,000 are still missing, according to Newsweek. The Lahaina wildfire is the deadliest in the United States since the 1918 Cloquet fire that killed 453 people in drought-stricken northern Minnesota.

Cadaver dog teams are slowly searching the remnants of the scorched region for human remains. As of Saturday, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said the cadaver dog teams had cleared just 3% of the search area due to the harsh, burnt terrain.

Pelletier said the number of casualties is expected to increase.

"We've got an area that we have to contain that is at least 5 square miles, and it is full of our loved ones," Pelletier said.

Pelletier explained it has been challenging to identify the deceased because "we pick up the remains and they fall apart," adding that the remains have been through "a fire that melted metal."

In anticipation of many more casualties, the FBI has set up a mobile refrigerated morgue to store dead bodies in Lahaina, according to the Daily Mail.

Death toll rises in Maui | WNT www.youtube.com

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said over 1,600 people are being housed in shelters, and possibly thousands of displaced people need sanctuary.

"It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced," Green declared. "We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding."

According to Maui County officials, 2,207 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, with an estimated 87% of the structures being residential. An estimated 80% of the town of Lahaina was destroyed by the devastating wildfires. There is an estimated $5.52 billion worth of damage in Maui County. There are 2,170 acres burned.

PBS reported, "Maui water officials warned Lahaina and Kula residents not to drink running water, which may be contaminated even after boiling, and to only take short, lukewarm showers in well-ventilated rooms to avoid possible chemical vapor exposure."

President Joe Biden spent the weekend vacationing at his beach home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

On Sunday evening, Bloomberg White House correspondent Justin Sink wrote on Twitter, "After a couple hours on the Rehoboth beach, POTUS was asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii, 'No comment,' he said before heading home."

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Biden's lack of providing a comment on the tragedy in Hawaii caused disheartened and furious reactions from netizens.

Radio host Jason Rantz: "Wow. How embarrassing and heartless."

Writer Pradheep J. Shanker: "Absolutely embarrassing. The largest wildfire tragedy in modern American history, and the President has nothing significant to say about it?"

Writer Rita Panahi: "The president who promised to restore decency and empathy."

Commentator Stephen L. Miller: "100 people dead. Entire communities wiped out. President of compassion. Just incredible stuff. Biden is like 'well at least I'm not on THAT beach.'"

Former Trump advisor Stephen Miller: "Callous."

Commentator Matt Walsh: "Wow. What a scumbag."

Liberal journalist Yashar Ali: "Absolutely terrible."

Commentator Kurt Schlichter: "Pay him and maybe he'll pretend to care."

Radio host Dana Loesch: "Vacationer-In-Chief."

On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris was asked if she or President Biden would visit Maui in the aftermath of the apocalyptic wildfires.

Harris responded, "We don’t want to distract from the resources that need to go in to the victims of this tragedy, and of course the needs of the first responders have to be able to focus on that issue and not worry about focusing on us [because] we’re there."

Harris added, "We are coordinating federal resources to swiftly get there to support the work in terms of recovery, but to just support the folks on the ground. It is tragic."

Following the last major disaster – the train derailment that released toxic chemicals into East Palestine, Ohio – President Biden said in March he would visit the catastrophe site "at some point." Biden has yet to travel to East Palestine.

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