Maunakea groups discuss transition of powers
Newly inaugurated Mayor Kimo Alameda has joined the board of the Maunakea Stewardship and Oversight Authority.
Achilles tang aquarium fishing ban extended
A West Hawaii reef fish will be safe from human harvesting for another two years, but no longer, decided the Board of Land and Natural Resources Friday.
Pohoiki dredging could soon begin: $9.2M contract awarded; work expected to begin in February
Puna residents and lawmakers are eager to get boats back in the water when the Pohoiki Boat Ramp reopens late next year.
Block by block: Hilo team takes Lego robot to state competition
A team of Hilo keiki will pit their Lego robot against 49 others in Honolulu today at the FIRST Lego League State Tournament.
Murder suspect found fit to stand trial
A 34-year-old Mountain View man accused of a shooting death and two nonfatal shootings four years ago has been found fit to stand trial.
Indigenous People in Canada Weigh Costs of a Gas Windfall
KITAMAAT, British Columbia — With her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, her arms and legs covered with 20 tattoos, and her compact frame fitted out in athleisure, Crystal Smith, the elected chief of the Haisla people, looked more like the hometown basketball star she once was than the fossil fuel exporter she’s about to become.
Uber and Lyft found a loophole in a driver pay law. Drivers pushed back.
NEW YORK — New York City was the first place in the United States to mandate minimum pay rates for drivers for companies such as Uber and Lyft. But after the companies found a loophole that made it much harder for some drivers to get by, the city is looking to change its law, prompting dueling pressure campaigns as both sides seek to influence the outcome.
McKinsey to pay $650 million in opioid settlement with Justice Department
McKinsey &Co. has agreed to pay $650 million to settle a Justice Department investigation of its work with opioid maker Purdue Pharma. A former senior partner, Martin Elling, has also agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying internal company records in connection with that work.
Kennedy’s lawyer has asked the FDA to revoke approval of the polio vaccine
The lawyer helping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pick federal health officials for the incoming Trump administration has petitioned the government to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine, which for decades has protected millions of people from a virus that can cause paralysis or death.
Trump says his first acts will include deportations and Jan. 6 pardons
President-elect Donald Trump said in a new interview that he will use the opening hours of his presidency to pardon people convicted of participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol assault, begin deportations of immigrants lacking permanent legal status and increase oil production.
Biden commutes the sentences of 1,500 Americans, a record for one day
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 people and pardoning 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes in a sweeping act of clemency during his final weeks in office. The White House said it was the largest number of commutations by an American president in a single day.
New Federal rule limits overdraft fees at large banks
WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday finalized a rule that would limit overdraft charges at large banks and credit unions, a move that federal officials said could help save Americans billions in fees each year.
Can a US missile defense system shield Guam from Chinese threat?
An SM-3 interceptor erupted into the night sky over Guam late on Tuesday, its engine briefly illuminating the northeast corner of the island as it accelerated toward its target: a ballistic missile. U.S. Missile Defense Agency and military personnel monitored the radars and telescopic cameras tracking both projectiles; this was not an attack, but a complex test.
Can the US climb out of its ‘unprecedented’ housing crisis?
A young family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been looking for a larger house for three years, losing countless bidding wars. In Portland, Maine, a 29-year-old data analyst has been anxious to get out of their rental for a year, but hasn’t found a home to buy.
DOH to continue testing for bird flu on Big Island
The state epidemiologist said Wednesday that the discovery last week of avian influenza in Hilo wastewater samples is a “heads up” to poultry owners, but described ongoing wastewater testing — while important — as “a pretty blunt tool.”
Cell tower bills head to council
A duel between two proposed regulations on Big Island cell towers ended with both bills victorious, after the Windward Planning Commission punted them both to the County Council on Thursday.
Kealakehe H.S. engineering team Hawaii’s lone entrant in NASA competition
So many high schoolers are contemplating their futures, but for those on Kealakehe High School’s student engineering team, the future is now.
November rainfall a one-day deluge
Much of the Big Island received normal to near-normal rainfall totals in November. In some areas, however, especially in East Hawaii, much, if not most fell on Nov. 4.
Kona man sentenced to 20 years for fatal crash
A judge has sentenced a 21-year-old Kailua-Kona man to 20 years for a 2022 traffic crash that took the life of a 63-year-old woman.
Agency sees uptick in marine debris
Oceanborne debris has washed ashore on Hawaii coasts at higher rates than usual this year, and cleanup teams are expecting more of the same through 2025.
