Lahaina family finds cherished heirlooms and devastation in first home visit after deadly wildfire

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Leola Vierra stepped gingerly among the hardened pools of melted metal, charred wood and broken glass that are almost all that remain of the home where she lived for nearly 50 years. Sifting through the rubble, she found two cow-patterned vessels, part of her...

In a landmark court case, 6 young climate activists take on 32 European nations

STRASBOURG, France (AP) — Six young adults and children argued that governments across Europe aren’t doing enough to protect people from climate change at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday in the latest and largest instance of activists taking governments to court to force climate...

How did the Maui fire spread so quickly? Overgrown gully, stubborn embers may be key to probe

Melted remains of an old car tire. Heavily burned trees. A charred stump of an abandoned utility pole. Investigators are examining these and other pieces of evidence as they seek to solve the mystery of last month’s deadly Maui wildfire: How did a small, wind-whipped fire sparked...

Takeaways from AP report on Maui fire investigation

Investigators are trying to solve a mystery about the origin of last month's deadly Maui wildfire: How did a small, wind-whipped fire sparked by downed power lines and declared extinguished flare up again hours later into a devastating inferno that killed at least 97 people? Here are...

How climate change could affect where and when people travel

Travelers encountered many weather surprises this summer, from wildfires in Europe to knee-deep mud at Burning Man. Indeed, it was the hottest summer on record around the globe, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. “The dog days of summer are not...

Flood-hit central Greece braces for new storm as military crews help bolster flood defenses

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Emergency services in central Greece were on alert Tuesday as storms headed toward areas hit by massive floods this month. Municipal and military crews using excavators reinforced flood defenses along rivers near the central cities of Larissa and Trikala....

First of thousands of Lahaina residents return to homes destroyed by deadly wildfire

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — The first of thousands of residents who lost their homes in the wildfire that destroyed the Hawaii town of Lahaina returned to their devastated properties Monday, with some stopping for a moment of reflection and others searching for mementos among the ruins. ...

Six young activists devote years to climate fight with 32 governments. Now comes their day in court

COSTA DA CAPARICA, Portugal (AP) — Sofia Oliveira was 12 years old when catastrophic wildfires in central Portugal killed more than 100 people in 2017. She “felt it was now or never to raise our voices” as her country appeared to be in the grip of deadly human-caused climate change. ...

The first Lahaina residents return to the wildfire burn zone on supervised visits to devastated properties

After summer's extreme weather, more Americans see climate change as a culprit, AP-NORC poll shows

Kathleen Maxwell has lived in Phoenix for more than 20 years, but this summer was the first time she felt fear, as daily high temperatures soared to 110 degrees or hotter and kept it up for a record-shattering 31 consecutive days. “It's always been really hot here, but nothing like...