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Ravenna Koenig

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Friday

Thursday

Maui County sues Hawaiian Electric Co. for damages from disastrous fires

Electrical wires and telephone poles were downed in Lahaina, Hawaii, after the deadly wildfires. Maui County has filed a lawsuit targeting Hawaiian Electric Co., or HECO, and several of its subsidiaries, seeking "punitive and exemplary damages" and to recoup costs and loss of revenue from the fires. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption

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Claire Harbage/NPR

National

Maui County sues Hawaiian Electric Co. for damages from disastrous fires

The civil suit filed Thursday seeks a jury trial and "punitive and exemplary damages" to recoup costs and loss of revenue from the deadly wildfires.

Thursday

The embattled leader of Maui County's Emergency Management Agency has resigned

Maui Emergency Management Agency Administrator Herman Andaya speaks during a news conference in Wailuku, Hawaii, on Wednesday. Mike Householder/AP hide caption

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Mike Householder/AP

National

The embattled leader of Maui County's Emergency Management Agency has resigned

Herman Andaya has faced increasing scrutiny following last week's fires in Lahaina that killed more than 110 people. He's defended his decision not to activate emergency sirens as the town burned.

Tuesday

Death toll from from Maui's fires surpasses 100, according to Hawaii's governor

Volunteers stack boxes of pineapple that will be transferred to shore by a small boat on Aug. 14, 2023, in Kaanapali, Hawaii. Volunteers are continuing to bring much needed supplies to the West Maui area. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

National

Death toll from from Maui's fires surpasses 100, according to Hawaii's governor

The death toll from the Maui wildfires rose again on Tuesday as officials warned that number would rise while also acknowledging public frustration from residents still barred from visiting Lahaina.

Friday

Wednesday

Hawaii faces its 'greatest emergency in decades' from Maui fires, governor says

Myrna Ah Hee reacts as she waits in front of an evacuation center at the War Memorial Gymnasium, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, in Wailuku, Hawaii. The Ah Hees were there because they were looking for her husband's brother. Rick Bowmer/AP hide caption

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Rick Bowmer/AP

Weather

Hawaii faces its 'greatest emergency in decades' from Maui fires, governor says

Gov. Josh Green warns that the death toll, currently at 53, will continue to rise.

Hawaii faces its 'greatest emergency in decades' from Maui fires, governor says

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Thursday

If you want to fix your own clothes, try this easy style of mending

Tools for visible mending. Arounna Khounnoraj, Visible Mending, © BOOKHOU 2023 hide caption

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Arounna Khounnoraj, Visible Mending, © BOOKHOU 2023

Life Kit

If you want to fix your own clothes, try this easy style of mending

There's no need to give up on a sweater with a hole in the elbow or a shirt with a tear in the collar. Visible mending is beginner friendly, highly creative and helps extend the life of your clothes.

If you want to fix your own clothes, try this easy style of mending

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Saturday

This 8-year-old's book is a hit at his library. He offers advice for aspiring authors

At just 8 years old, Dillon Helbig of Boise, Idaho, is a self-publishing sensation. The Helbig Family hide caption

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The Helbig Family

Author Interviews

This 8-year-old's book is a hit at his library. He offers advice for aspiring authors

Dillon Helbig wrote a book over winter break and slipped it onto a local library shelf in Boise, Idaho. After librarians found it, they entered it into their catalog. Now it's on a long waiting list.

This 8-year-old's book is a hit at his library. He offers advice for aspiring authors

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Sunday

National

Beloved Seattle Antique Store Closes Due To Coronavirus Crisis

More than 100,000 small businesses have closed due to the pandemic. That's an economic loss, but also an emotional one for patrons of a beloved art and antiques shop in Seattle.

Beloved Seattle Antique Store Closes Due To Coronavirus Crisis

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Saturday

Science

Arctic Researchers Return Home To A Pandemic

An Arctic research expedition faces a carefully orchestrated crew change. Members reflect on how they feel about emerging from the ship into a pandemic, or from social isolation into close quarters.

Arctic Researchers Return Home To A Pandemic

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Sunday

Monday

A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 2

The German icebreaker Polarstern is moored to a piece of ice that scientists hope to drift with and study for the next year. Ravenna Koenig/NPR hide caption

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Ravenna Koenig/NPR

Short Wave

A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 2

Our journey continues on MOSAiC: the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate. Physicists, chemists, and biologists are all working to understand more about why Arctic ice is diminishing, and what it means for the planet. In this episode, Reporter Ravenna Koenig introduces us to some scientists, what they're studying, and life aboard a floating research center. You can find photos from her trip here. Follow Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia or Ravenna @vennkoenig. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

A Polar Expedition To The Top Of The World: Part 2

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Friday

Polar Bears, Ice Cracks, And Isolation: Scientists Drift Across The Arctic Ocean

Scientists on the research vessel Akademik Fedorov spent a week or so setting up a network of scientific monitoring equipment up to about 25 miles from the MOSAiC ship. Ravenna Koenig for NPR hide caption

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Ravenna Koenig for NPR

Short Wave

Polar Bears, Ice Cracks, And Isolation: Scientists Drift Across The Arctic Ocean

A massive scientific mission is underway in the Arctic. Physicists, chemists, and biologists are studying the changing region, so they can better predict what might be ahead for the Arctic...and the planet. But first, they had to find a patch of ice suitable to get stuck in, so they could freeze in place and study it for an entire year. Reporter Ravenna Koenig was along for the journey. You can find photos from her trip here. Follow Maddie Sofia on Twitter @maddie_sofia or Ravenna @vennkoenig. Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.

Polar Bears, Ice Cracks, And Isolation: Scientists Drift Across The Arctic Ocean

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Monday

Young Researchers Feel Excitement And Sadness To See Arctic Ice That May Disappear

Chunks of ice float past the hull of the Akademik Fedorov as the ship moves through the southern edge of the Arctic Ocean ice pack. Ravenna Koenig/NPR hide caption

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Ravenna Koenig/NPR

Environment And Energy Collaborative

Young Researchers Feel Excitement And Sadness To See Arctic Ice That May Disappear

Some projections say that by 2040 the Arctic Ocean may see its first ice-free summer in modern history. That means mixed emotions for young scientists seeing the ice for the first time.

Young Researchers Feel Excitement And Sadness To See Arctic Ice That May Disappear

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Sunday

Environment

Young Researchers Feel Excitement And Sadness To See Arctic Ice That May Disappear

Young Arctic researchers get their first glimpse of sea ice — and reflect on how the ice caps may melt away over the course of their careers.

Young Researchers Feel Excitement And Sadness To See Arctic Ice That May Disappear

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Monday

Science

The Challenges Scientists Face While Working In The Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is a stunning place that not many get the chance to see. But if you're a scientist there to do field work, that beauty comes with some pretty unique challenges.

The Challenges Scientists Face While Working In The Arctic Ocean

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Sunday

Studying The Ripple Effects Of Shrinking Arctic Sea Ice

Scientists on the research vessel Akademik Fedorov spent a week or so setting up a network of scientific monitoring equipment up to about 25 miles from the MOSAiC ship. Ravenna Koenig/NPR hide caption

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Ravenna Koenig/NPR

Environment And Energy Collaborative

Studying The Ripple Effects Of Shrinking Arctic Sea Ice

Scientists have frozen their ship to an ice floe to study the causes and consequences of diminishing Arctic ice, in the hopes of improving how the Arctic is represented in climate models.

Studying The Ripple Effects Of Shrinking Arctic Sea Ice

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Tuesday

Searching For Solid Ice As Scientists 'Freeze In' To Study A Warming Arctic

Russian research vessel Akademik Fedorov helped search for the MOSAiC ice floe. It made its way through the ice of the central Arctic Ocean. Ravenna Koenig/NPR hide caption

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Ravenna Koenig/NPR

Environment And Energy Collaborative

Searching For Solid Ice As Scientists 'Freeze In' To Study A Warming Arctic

A ship of researchers is crossing the Arctic for a year attached to an ice floe. But finding the right chunk of sea ice was a challenge, in part because warmer temperatures are making it thinner.

Searching For Solid Ice As Scientists 'Freeze In' To Study A Warming Arctic

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Friday

Environment

Finding The Right Chunk Of Arctic Ice

A ship full of researchers is crossing the Arctic attached to an ice floe. But finding the right chunk of sea ice was a challenge, in part because warmer temperatures are making it thinner.

Finding The Right Chunk Of Arctic Ice

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Friday

Wednesday

Environment

An Ambitious Research Expedition Is Getting Underway In The Central Arctic Ocean

An ambitious research expedition is getting underway in the Arctic Ocean. The first challenge is to find a massive chunk of ice to freeze into for the year long voyage.

An Ambitious Research Expedition Is Getting Underway In The Central Arctic Ocean

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Friday

To Better Understand The Arctic, This Ship Will Spend A Year Frozen Into The Ice

The German icebreaker Polarstern sits in Breivika harbor in Tromso, Norway, on Tuesday. If all goes according to plan, it will spend the next year frozen into the Arctic sea ice. Ravenna Koenig/NPR hide caption

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Ravenna Koenig/NPR

Science

To Better Understand The Arctic, This Ship Will Spend A Year Frozen Into The Ice

A group of scientists is embarking on a bold plan to better understand an extremely understudied part of the rapidly warming Arctic — the central Arctic Ocean.

To Better Understand The Arctic, This Ship Will Spend A Year Frozen Into The Ice

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Thursday

Research News

Scientists Will Deliberately Encase Their Ship In Arctic Sea Ice

An ambitious Arctic expedition launches Friday. Scientists want to get their icebreaker stuck in the ice for a year so they can study the ice, ocean and atmosphere and how it's changing.

Scientists Will Deliberately Encase Their Ship In Arctic Sea Ice

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Saturday

Move Over, Goat Yoga. Alaskans Now Have Reindeer Yoga

A reindeer calf scratches its head with its hoof. Their ability to move their bodies into extreme positions was one of the reasons owner Jane Atkinson thought that reindeer would be a good fit for a yoga class. Ravenna Koenig/KTOO hide caption

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Ravenna Koenig/KTOO

Animals

Move Over, Goat Yoga. Alaskans Now Have Reindeer Yoga

KTOO Service

A ranch in Fairbanks, Alaska, offers yoga classes with reindeer. An owner says the animals are particularly well-suited to it because they are twisty creatures.

Move Over, Goat Yoga. Alaskans Now Have Reindeer Yoga

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