(LOS ANGELES) — A 4.7 magnitude earthquake centered in Malibu, California, rocked the Los Angeles area Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A 2.8 magnitude aftershock was registered in Malibu two minutes after the initial quake.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — The islands of Hawaii have been sold to travelers as a dream destination paradise, but the Maui wildfires pulled back the curtain on a complicated history and reality that few tourists see.
In August 2023, wildfires on the island left 102 people dead and more than 2,000 properties destroyed, displacing more than 7,000 residents. It was the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history.
The destruction forced open deep wounds in the community about housing, water rights and tourism.
Within days of the fire, a new generation of leaders emerged to fight for their town, their community, and ultimately a more equitable future for all Hawaii. They call themselves Lahaina Strong.
“We turned our passion and aloha for our place into law that can protect and reshape this place through the lens of our people,” said Lahaina Strong organizer Pā’ele Kiakona.
Organizer Courtney Lazo was left without a home following the disaster; she worked to save the house five generations of her family had lived in by hosing it down but ultimately it was lost.
Kiakona drove around downed power lines and through smoke to save his grandmother from the growing blaze.
Jordan Ruidas, another organizer, is a young mother thrust into local community organizing after the tragedy.
The wildfires took lives, homes, businesses, and landmarks both historic and personal to the people of Lahaina.
The deadly blaze forced the community into action, while highlighting the need for change.
“We do have the unique opportunity where we can build back and we can build back better,” Lazo said.
“I’ll fight tooth and nail, fighting to protect our environment, our water, our people – all of those things that would have helped prevent the fire,” Kiakona added in a separate interview.
The Lahaina fire accelerated an ongoing exodus of Hawaiian and local families that has been happening for decades, due to the high cost of living and lack of affordable housing.
“This beautiful Hawaii that everybody comes to see and partake in will no longer be here if Hawaiians are not here and local people are not here,” Ruidas said.
The U.S. Census found in 2020 that more Native Hawaiians lived outside of the state than inside.
“If we continue to be displaced outside of our home, then what does that mean for Hawaii?” Noah Dolim, assistant professor of history at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, told ABC News.
After the fires, protests on concerns about housing and cultural preservation — at local and state meetings and on public beaches — helped result in substantial legislative action. Despite lacking political backgrounds, the young activists taught themselves how to lobby for bills and have been met with much success.
The group played a key role in advocating for Gov. Josh Green to sign a bill into law on May 3, 2024 that gave counties more authority to regulate short-term vacation rentals amid the ongoing state housing crisis and aftermath of the wildfires.
Before the fire, almost half of the dwellings in West Maui were used solely as short-term vacation rentals, according to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. This means they were rented out to tourists by owners who may charge thousands a month and leaving fewer options for long-term renters.
“To actually have the entire community across the state pushing for this change, it’s almost like an exhale,” said Lazo.
The impact will be felt beyond the coasts of Lahaina — the law applies to the entirety of the Hawaiian Islands.
“Every single island has issues with short-term rentals,” said Kiakona. “This was an issue that has been going on way too long. Those who just look at Hawaii as a money-making vehicle rather than people’s homes.”
Members of Lahaina Strong feel this is just the beginning of their movement — they remain committed to the work necessary to regenerate Lahaina, reforest the land, and to fight for change on such issues as overtourism and for increased water rights.
(NEW YORK) — A judge in New York on Monday banned former National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre from serving in a role at the NRA or affiliate organizations for 10 years after he was held liable for financial mismanagement of the nation’s most well-known gun lobby.
The judge gave the NRA itself and the New York Attorney General’s office one week to discuss potential reforms.
“The NRA and its senior leaders broke the law, and funneled millions of dollars in cash and lavish perks to themselves, their families, and NRA insiders,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “The damages portion of the case we presented, as well as the earlier trial before the jury, demonstrated that the NRA had a stunning lack of accountability and it’s leaders engaged in illegality and self-dealing. As a result of this case, Wayne LaPierre will be banned from the NRA for 10 years for spearheading this fraud, and the court called for additional proposed reforms to the NRA. After years of corruption, the NRA and its senior leaders are finally being held accountable.”
After five days of deliberations in February, a jury in New York held the National Rifle Association liable for financial mismanagement and found that LaPierre, the group’s former CEO, corruptly ran the nation’s most prominent gun rights group.
LaPierre and a senior executive at the NRA were ordered to pay a combined $6.35 million “for abusing the system and breaking our laws,” James, whose office brought the lawsuit against the organization, said following the verdict.
The jury determined that LaPierre’s violation of his duties cost the NRA $5.4 million in damages, though he already repaid more than $1 million to the organization. He must pay $4.35 million, the New York Attorney General’s Office said at the time.
The New York Attorney General’s Office sued the NRA and its senior management in 2020, claiming they misappropriated millions of dollars to fund personal benefits — including private jets, family vacations and luxury goods. The accusations came at the end of a three-year investigation into the NRA, which is registered in New York as a nonprofit charitable corporation.
(BEL AIR, Md.) — At least one person was found dead and two others were injured when an explosion Sunday morning leveled a home and damaged multiple neighboring residences in a suburban Baltimore neighborhood, authorities said.
The blast was reported around 6:42 a.m. on Arthur Woods Drive in the Harford County city of Bel Air, about 32 miles north of Baltimore, according to officials.
A photo posted on X by Harford County Fire and Emergency Medical Services showed firefighters battling a small fire and searching the remains of the home, which was reduced to splintered pieces of wood, insulation and other debris.
“I’ve been on the job for 18 years and this was one of the largest explosions I’ve seen,” Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire said during a news conference Sunday.
Alkire said firefighters from the Harford County Fire Department were responding to a report of a gas leak in the area when the explosion occurred.
Jeffrey Sexton, a spokesperson for the Harford County Fire and EMS Association, confirmed that one person was found dead in a large debris field caused by the explosion. The name of the deceased person was not immediately released.
Sexton said search-and-rescue crews are still combing the rubble as of mid-morning Sunday.
Alkire said workers from the Baltimore Gas and Electric company had also responded to the area before the explosion to investigate an electrical issue. Alkire said a BG&E worker was injured by the blast.
He said a woman in a neighboring home damaged by the explosion was also hurt and treated at the scene.
Alkire said multiple homes were damaged and that a damage assessment was being conducted. He said no evacuations have been ordered.
Alkire confirmed the house that exploded was for sale.
Residents in the neighborhood reported hearing the loud explosion and feeling their houses shake, authorities said.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Harford County Sheriff’s Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
ABC News’ Davone Morales contributed to this report.