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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 22 december 2020
Volcano erupts on Hawaii's Big Island, draws crowds to park

By CALEB JONES the sky.
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii's David Phillips, a Hawai-
Kilauea volcano on the Big ian Volcano Observatory
Island erupted and shot a spokesman, said the agen-
steam and ash cloud into cy was monitoring the "rap-
the atmosphere that lasted idly evolving" situation.
about an hour, an official "We will send out further no-
with the National Weather tifications on Kilauea and
Service said early Monday. other Hawaiian volcanoes
The eruption began late as we observe changes,"
Sunday within Kilauea's he said.
summit crater, the U.S. Geo- A magnitude 4.4 earth-
logical Survey said. The cra- quake hit about an hour
ter, named Halemaumau, after the volcano began
is located within Hawaii erupting.
Volcanoes National Park The USGS said it received
and was home to a long- more than 500 reports of
standing lava lake that was people who felt the earth-
present for years before a quake but significant dam-
2018 eruption caused it to age to buildings or struc-
drain. tures was not expected.
Tom Birchard, a senior fore- Kilauea last erupted in
caster with the National 2018, destroying more than
Weather Service in Hawaii, 700 homes and spewing
said lava interacted with a enough lava to fill 320,000
pool of water that had ac- Olympic-sized swimming
cumulated inside the cra- In this April 25, 2019, photo, a group of Native Hawaiians stand next to the collapsed caldera floor pools. An area more than
ter, leading to a short-lived of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. half the size of Manhat-
but fairly vigorous eruption. Associated Press tan was buried in up to 80
When lava interacts with feet (24 meters) of now-
water it can cause explo- the National Weather Ser- there are high amounts of she said. hardened lava. The lava
sive reactions. vice in Honolulu, warning of hazardous sulfur dioxide Ferracane also said people flowed over the course of
All the water evaporated fallen ash from the volcano. gas and particulates and should be mindful of the four months.
out of the lake and a steam Excessive exposure to ash is those are billowing out of coronavirus pandemic and The 2018 eruption occurred
cloud shot up about 30,000 an eye and respiratory ir- the crater right now and take measures to remain along a rift zone on the vol-
feet (9 kilometers) into the ritant, it said. The agency those present a danger to safe. cano's flank where many
atmosphere, Birchard said. later said the eruption was everyone, especially peo- "We're not doing crowd residential neighborhoods
The water was the first ever easing and a "low-level ple with heart or respiratory control yet, but that could had been developed. Last
recorded in the summit steam cloud" was lingering problems, infants, young happen," she said. "Right night's eruption was con-
crater of Kilauea volcano. in the area. children and pregnant now, we're urging people tained to the summit cal-
In 2019, after a week of Hawaii Volcanoes National women." to wear a mask to reduce dera within the national
questions about a myste- Park spokeswoman Jessica She also said cars are lining the spread of COVID-19. park.
rious green patch at the Ferracane said in a tele- up at the park entrance to We did see quite a few visi- The volcano had not erupt-
bottom of the volcano's phone interview that the get a glimpse of the lava. tors last night unmasked." ed since 2018 but before
crater, researchers con- volcanic activity is a risk to "There is a lot of cars wait- By 1 a.m., USGS officials then had active lava flows
firmed the presence of wa- people in the park and that ing on Crater Rim Drive to told Hawaii News Now that for more than three de-
ter. The lake had continued caution is needed. get out to Kilauea overlook. there were reported lava cades. Kilauea is one of the
to fill since then. "It's pretty spectacular this People should expect long fountains shooting about most active volcanoes on
An advisory was issued by morning," she said, "but waits for parking places," 165 feet (50 meters) into earth.q

Kansas City Star apologizes for racially biased coverage

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — residents only as criminals past racially biased cover-
The Kansas City Star's top or people living in crime- age. The Montgomery, Ala-
editor has apologized for plagued neighborhoods bama, Advertiser in 2018
past decades of racially and ignored segregation apologized for "shameful"
biased coverage and the in Kansas City, Missouri, and decades of coverage of
newspaper has posted a its public schools. lynchings, and National
series of stories examining "It is well past time for an Geographic magazine
how it ignored the con- apology, acknowledging, apologized the same year
cerns and achievements of as we do so, that the sins for its past racist coverage.
Black residents and helped of our past still reverberate Fannin wrote that The Star
keep Kansas City segregat- today," Star President and had reinforced segrega-
ed. The newspaper said a Editor Mike Fannin wrote. tion, "disenfranchised, ig-
detailed examination of its The Star's apology and its nored and scorned gen-
past coverage and that of lengthy series of stories, erations" of Black residents
its longtime sister newspa- posted on its website Sun- and for decades "robbed
This undated file photo shows men in the newsroom of the The
Kansas City Star on 18th Street and Grand Avenue in Kansas per, the Kansas City Times, day, followed a Los Ange- an entire community of op-
City, Mo. documented how they les Times editorial in Sep- portunity, dignity, justice
Associated Press often wrote about Black tember apologizing for and recognition."q