under way after that deadly wildfire disaster, but now many are wondering if they should here's steve patterson. >> reporter: instead of cookouts and conversations, the sounds of lahaina today has matt cruz plucking up propane tanks and paint cans, painful pieces of past lives for families who called lahaina home. >> you know, our whole way of life is just gone that was it. >> reporter: pamela reeder, her husband keenan, and their two girls lost their home of 13 years. she'd like to rebuild in the community she loves, but restarting seems so far away, and so much here, including the air itself, has changed. >> when we moved into lahaina, we didn't even have air-conditioning, and then all of a sudden it's noticeably hotter. fire was never any part of what we thought about here, and now it's definitely something >> reporter: pamela's fears are grounded in science. researchers say the hawaiian islands have been consumed by a 20-year drought. how many of these weather stations are there in the state >> about 40 of them up right now. >> reporter: hydrologist chris schuller says dry grasses spike fir

tonight, what her family is now saying steve patterson reports. >> but she is dead. >> reporter: tonight, anger simmering in seattle over what appears to be an officer's callous laughter in a disregard for human life seattle police releasing body cam video of officer daniel auderer, who appears to be making light of the death of jaahnvi kandula hours after she was struck and killed by another officer's squad car in january. >> i think she went up on the hood, hit the windshield, then when he hit the brakes, flew off the car. >> reporter: kandula, a 23-year-old grad student, was crossing the street when she was struck by a patrol car reportedly going more than 60 in 25-mile-an-hour zone responding to a call >> it does not seem like there's a criminal investigation going on >> reporter: auderer, who serves as vice president of the seattle police officers guild, was on the phone with guild president mike salon recorded on body cam. only auderer's portion of the call is audible, but later he appears to joke about settling with the victim's family. >> yeah, just write a check. $11,000. she wa

steve patterson is in simi valley, california, steve, california has been a blue state for decades, that'solding their debate tonight. >> california republican voters are important. there are a lot of fund-raising here a few key things that have to do with primary, number one, 169 delegates up for grabs in california the most out of any state in the country and because of new rules this year, if a candidate gets more than 50% of the vote they get the intiert of that 169 delegates a big deal for the race and it matters because just a few days after this midweek debate in just a few hours the california gop is holding their falcon vengs, so there's lot of momentum going into this week, desantis will be there and trump will be there. because the map looks blue on this side of the country, coming election night >> beyond the politicians you spoke with some voters, some women involved local republican politics there, what do they want to hear tonight >> reporter: well, the california gop is the house that reagan built, more moderate, more, you know, involved in theish hues voters that's what th

nbc's dasha burns and steve patterson are both in simi valley, california, site of tonight's debate. ined by former republican congressman, charlie dent. good to have all of you here. steve, you have been speaking to republican women about the candidates they're looking at. what are they telling you? >> this is very much the party reagan built, especially here in california, we're 2 miles from the library. the legacy of ronald reagan looms large. it is more centrist republicans, moderate republicans, with more moderate takes on key issues. that does not, however, mean, according to the republicans i spoke to that they won't vote for whoever the nominee is, even if that means voting for donald trump for the first time or the second time. it also means, though, that they are looking at this field, those seven candidates on stage, and hoping that somebody break outs that is more prez dental, keys in on issues harder that they would like to see person nominated. if i'm really honest, they're hoping that person, according to the republican women that i spoke to is nikki haley. not only do

steve: that's right. so fox business correspondent madison alworth is live from the hohokus school of trade in patterson,. >> yeah. that is absolutely what we are seeing turn to. as you mentioned that four year degree continues to get more expensive. since 1995, the cost of college up over 57%. student loan debt up over 700 percent in that same time period. when you look at the average borrower, federal loans for students, they are taking out $37,000 on average. private student loans the average borrower taking out 55,000. the biden administration wants to try to forgive that debt. the young students are now saying i don't want any part of it. i want to turn to trades and do things with my hands. i want to bring in tom, the president of who he hocus school. do you think students want to take on that debt and want to do something different. >> there is alternative to traditional school, no doubt about it. this program is only nine months in length. they can finish up and get their apprenticeship and have a second year apprenticeship right off the bat after nine months. >> this is also at a time when we ar