Apparent drowning reported in waters off Puna
A person was kiled on Christmas Day after being swept into the ocean while on the coastline in Puna.
Washington crossing the Delaware: Reenactment is revived
WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. — Hundreds gathered on both sides of the Delaware River to watch an annual Christmas Day reenactment of George Washington’s 1776 crossing, a year after pandemic restrictions forced viewers to watch it online.
Development and conservation clash at Komodo National Park
JAKARTA, Indonesia — On a dirt path, forked yellow tongue darting from its mouth, a member of world’s largest lizard species lazes on an island in eastern Indonesia’s Komodo National Park as tourists snap photos. And about 18 miles (30 kilometers) away on another park island that harbors Komodo dragons, trees have been removed and concrete poured for new tourist facilities that have aroused the ire of residents and environmental activists.
Christmas weekend an opportunity to share aloha
This is the perfect weekend with Friday being Christmas Eve, Saturday Christmas and Sunday Boxing Day. Many Americans are not familiar with the history of the latter, but it is perhaps second only in importance to celebrating the birth of Jesus. The tradition of Boxing Day may be traced back to the early Christian era when the rich used to box up gifts to the poor. Today it is much more popular in the UK and Commonwealth Nations and is concurrent with the Christian holiday, Saint Stephan’s Day or Day of Goodwill.
EXPLAINER: How will Biden’s COVID-19 test giveaway work?
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden says the federal government will buy half a billion COVID-19 rapid test kits and distribute them free of charge to people to use at home. But despite the high public demand for tests, it will still be several more weeks before these kits are available to be shipped. The administration is still working on details for how the program will work.
Sharing the love: King’s Daughters Ministry helps make Christmas a little merrier
Christmas was made a little merrier for families attending the King’s Daughters Ministry celebration Friday at the Kainaliu thrift store.
COVID puts a damper on Christmas Eve again around the world
From Bethlehem and Frankfurt to London and Boston, the surging coronavirus put a damper on Christmas Eve for a second year, forcing churches to cancel or scale back services and disrupting travel plans and family gatherings.
A month of giving: Jonathan Dale Miller Foundation spreads holiday cheer
The holiday season, the Jonathan Dale Miller Foundation’s kicked off its month of giving on the Big Island with a tremendous bash Dec. 11 in Miloli’i.
Western storms bring flood threats, snow for Christmas
LOS ANGELES — Two people died in a submerged car, evacuations were ordered for wildfire-scarred California, and Seattle and Portland faced the rare chance of snowy streets as a wave of storms rolled through the West.
Airlines scrap 1,000 US holiday-weekend flights as COVID bites
Air carriers scrapped more than 1,000 U.S. flights for one of the busiest weekends in the year, stranding passengers at airports during the Christmas holiday, as surging COVID infections led to crippling air-crew shortages.
National and world news at a glance
Travel between US and Southern Africa will Resume, White House says
Shark kills man, 31, in waters off California
LOS ANGELES — A 31-year-old man was pronounced dead Friday morning due to a shark attack off the coast of Morro Bay in what is believed to be San Luis Obispo County’s first such fatality in 18 years.
TSA officer saves infant who stopped breathing at airport
NEWARK, N.J. — A security officer leapt over conveyor belt rollers and saved a 2-month-old boy who stopped breathing at a security checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, newly released video shows.
Off-duty Honolulu officer arrested for alleged assault
HONOLULU — Honolulu police have arrested an off-duty police officer for alleged assault as part of an investigation into an accidental shooting that injured a man.
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out.
Island life: Floating in the blue
Evening clouds in Kona.
‘Touched by an Angel’: Food and gift distribution held in Ka‘u for Christmas
A community food and gift distribution drive was held Dec. 18 in Ka’u.
Editorial: Packing the Supreme Court should be off the table, but (long) term limits may well make sense
In a 288-page report as long and detailed as any Supreme Court ruling, a 34-member, bipartisan presidential commission couldn’t reach consensus on whether the nation’s highest judicial panel should grow from nine, where it’s been since 1869, to some larger number. It should’ve been easy, especially for a panel so large, to grasp: Of course having a president pack the court won’t solve any of its underlying problems.
Veterans fill 2021 sports year with memorable moments
Not even Father Time could get one over on Tom Brady.
Holiday hoops: What to know about the NBA’s Christmas Day games
The NBA has long looked to Christmas Day as a highlight of the young season, a made-for-TV spectacle that brings together many of the best teams and best players for a daylong extravaganza of basketball fireworks.
What to Watch For in NFL’s Christmas Day Games
It’s not a misprint.
Browns activate QB Mayfield, Colts’ Nelson on COVID-19 list
CLEVELAND — Baker Mayfield moved a step closer to playing against Aaron Rodgers on Christmas as the Browns activated their quarterback from the COVID-19 reserve list Friday before leaving for Green Bay.
NHL postpones 14 games; won’t resume play until Tuesday
The NHL pushed back its return from an already extended holiday break an extra day by postponing its entire 14-game Monday schedule for COVID-19 testing reasons.
Editorial: Attention, Joe Biden: 500 million free COVID-19 tests aren’t nearly enough
When Joe Biden took over as president, millions of Americans were relieved to finally have a leader who could be counted on to consistently shepherd the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in a coherent and fact-driven way. But Biden’s record has been far from spotless.
Earthquake strikes submerged volcano south of Big Island
HONOLULU — A magnitude-4.9 earthquake struck a submerged volcano south of Hawaii’s Big Island on Friday.
