Biden: Fire in Hawaii, deadliest wildfire…

Speaking about his economic policies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US President Biden opened his speech with efforts to fight the fires in Hawaii, where criticism was directed at his attitude.

Biden called the fires “the deadliest wildfires in more than a century” in the US, noting the damage they caused and the high number of deaths.

“My wife Jill and I are going to Hawaii as soon as possible.” Biden said they discussed this issue with the state governor.

Biden said he wanted to go to Hawaii, but sent the message that he wanted to make sure ongoing search-and-rescue efforts weren’t disrupted.

Announcing that a one-time payment of $700 per household will be made to those displaced by the fires, Biden spoke about the work of the Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the victims of the disaster.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Asked for comment on the rising death toll from the Maui fires over the weekend, Deputy White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton said: “I have no comment.” She said Biden, who was heavily criticized for saying that and then not responding to questions about it, had “active discussions” about when he might visit Hawaii.

The US state of Hawaii has been battling wildfires for the past week. The death toll is expected to rise as the fires, in which 99 people lost their lives, register as the “deadliest natural disaster” in state history to date. (AA)