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Some of the nation’s most beautiful places were destroyed this week when wildfires ripped through parts of Maui, leaving much of the idyllic town of Lahaina in charred ruins. President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration yesterday, greenlighting assistance from the federal government. But that doesn’t mean this disaster aid response will happen quickly and smoothly.
To get an idea of what kind of help Hawaiians should expect, I turned to Ivis García, a Texas A&M University urban planner who has researched disaster recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. “Everything about the immediate response to a disaster in places like Hawaii and Puerto Rico is more expensive than on the mainland,” she explained. And the state’s high housing costs could lead some local residents to leave – possibly for good.
Tourism plays a huge role in the economy across Hawaii, especially on Maui. Rich Harrill, a professor of hospitality and tourism at the University of South Carolina, predicts that the long-term outlook for an economic rebound on Maui is strong.
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Emily Schwartz Greco
Philanthropy + Nonprofits Editor
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A wildfire burns in Kihei, Hawaii, on Aug. 9, 2023.
AP Photo/Ty O'Neil
Ivis García, Texas A&M University
An expert on Puerto Rico’s recovery from Hurricane Maria explains why it’s hard for the US to deliver disaster aid in places like Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
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Economy + Business
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Jennifer Mayo, University of Missouri-Columbia
Two economists calculated that the Paycheck Protection Program saved more than 450,000 nonprofit jobs in the first six months after the pandemic was declared.
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Environment + Energy
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Rich Harrill, University of South Carolina
Wildfires on Maui are a crippling blow to the island’s tourism industry, which generates half of its jobs. But New Orleans and Kauai show that comebacks are possible.
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Health + Medicine
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Enrique Torchia, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Neil Box, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Tamara Terzian, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Widespread screening for skin cancer may not be necessary, but it is important to understand the risks behind UV overexposure and to get checked early if you have concerns.
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Christopher Damman, University of Washington
Nurturing your gut microbiome can go hand in hand with nurturing your social community, with health benefits all around.
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Science + Technology
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Tara S. Carpenter, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
A chemist explains how the structure of your hair follicles, your genetic code and environmental factors like humidity influence how hair behaves on a day-to-day basis.
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Education
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Leo M. Lambert, Elon University; Isis Artze-Vega, Valencia College; Oscar Miranda Tapia, North Carolina State University; Peter Felten, Elon University
Forming study groups and reaching out to professors can greatly improve a first-year student’s chances for success.
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Arts + Culture
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Nick Lehr, The Conversation; Jamaal Abdul-Alim, The Conversation; Matt Williams, The Conversation; Molly Jackson, The Conversation; Howard Manly, The Conversation
On Aug. 11, 1973, a block party in the Bronx spawned a genre that would go on to influence nearly all aspects of US culture – and the music, fashion and art of countries around the world.
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Politics + Society
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Stefanie Lindquist, Arizona State University
Donald Trump’s trial for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election will promote accountability – but could this show trial have a dangerous outcome, too?
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Jonathan Schulman, Northwestern University; Matthew A Baum, Harvard Kennedy School
New findings by political scientists at Northwestern University and Harvard Kennedy School provide a clearer picture of which demographic groups support Trump.
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