Monday morning news: August 14, 2023

Hawaii wildfire » At least 93 people are now confirmed dead in Hawaii after devastating wildfires razed a historic town on the island of Maui.

Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda toured the area.

TOKUDA: It was shocking, surreal. We’ve heard all those words. But to actually walk these streets and to still see fires smoldering in the distance, to see cars literally melted into puddles that have hardened over on the road.

The blaze is already the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, and the death toll is expected to climb.

Gov. Josh Green said counting the dead is still a dangerous job.

GREEN: We have to go with caution. There are heavy metals there. There are toxic states. Where the houses have come down and the businesses have come down. The recommendations are to avoid those structures because they could still fall on people. And we’ve lost too much life already.

Crews with cadaver dogs have so far covered just 3% of the search area.

GOP Biden special counsel » Republicans are sounding off on the Justice Department’s decision to give special counsel status to the US attorney probing Biden family business dealings.

David Weiss is the same prosecutor who negotiated Hunter Biden’s probation-only plea deal, which a federal judge rejected.

GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn:

BLACKBURN: David Weiss is not a prosecutor. He’s not a special counsel. He is a collaborator. And the sweetheart deal that he cooked up with Hunter Biden — Now they’re going to give him a sweetheart deal with a special counsel and run out the clock.

House Republicans are also investigating what they say was an influence-peddling scheme that netted the Biden family millions of dollars from foreign nationals when Joe Biden was vice president.

Democrats growing unease with Biden » And with the allegations swirling around President Biden, some Democrats are voicing doubts as to whether he’s the man to deliver victory in next year’s election.

Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips told NBC’s Meet the Press that he loves Joe Biden, but Americans are—quote— “ready to turn the page.”

PHILLIPS: The call to action is to ask the president to pass the torch. There is an extraordinary bench, an extraordinary bench of people ready to go.

But for now the president may be reassured by an average of recent polls … which give Biden a slight lead in a hypothetical rematch with former President Trump.

Iowa fair » Meantime, some of Trump’s Republican rivals are also making the case that America’s are ready to move on. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie:

CHRISTIE: Is he really the guy, under indictment in four different cases, given the conduct that he committed, someone who can beat Joe Biden or any other Democrat in 2024?

Trump is hitting back at Christie, recently mocking his weight during a campaign stop in New Hampshire.

TRUMP: No, Christie is, he’s eating right now. He can’t be bothered.

The former president over the weekend joined a full slate of GOP candidates campaigning at the Iowa State Fair.

TRUMP: It’s a beautiful day in Iowa.

His second-place rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis also addressed fair-goers …

DESANTIS: I’m a blue-collar kid. I came from working minimum wage jobs. I volunteered to serve this country in Iraq. I’ve been a governor who’s been able to have massive success.

Unlike Christie, DeSantis has largely avoided talking about Trump, who maintains a large lead in Republican polls.

Ukraine » Seven people are dead in Ukraine’s Kherson region after intense shelling from Russian forces. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: Among those killed in the attack were a 12-year-old boy, his infant sister and their parents.

Elsewhere, the Kremlin says its forces have shot down drones just over the Ukrainian border in Russia.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for any drone attacks on Russian soil.

Meanwhile, British defense officials say there is reason to believe that the Kremlin may no longer be funding the Russian mercenary Wagner Group.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Gas prices » Gas prices have ticked once again in the U.S. The national average is now $3.84 a gallon. That’s up 2 cents from a week ago.

That continues an upward trend since major oil producing countries began cutting supplies.

Mississippi has the lowest statewide per-gallon average at $3.32. California once again has the most expensive gas in the country at $5.14.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: The story of a girl and her goat test the limits of government power. That’s ahead on Legal Docket. Plus, something that’s ahead but not immediately straight ahead.

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