Maui’s mayor prioritizes housing and vows to hire more firefighters after Lahaina wildfire
HONOLULU — Maui’s mayor says he is prioritizing housing, evaluating evacuation routes and hiring more firefighters as his Hawaii community recovers from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
Coffee labeling bill advances
A bill that would establish a timeline by which roasted coffee, instant coffee and ready-to-drink coffee beverages that use a geographic origin in labeling or advertising are required to contain a certain percentage of coffee by weight from that geographic origin is headed to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection on Wednesday.
State Medicaid offices target dead people’s homes to recoup their health care costs
WASHINGTON — As Salvatore LoGrande fought cancer and all the pain that came with it, his daughters promised to keep him in the white, pitched roof house he worked so hard to buy all those decades ago.
Across the US, batteries and green energies like wind and solar combine for major climate solution
In the Arizona desert, a Danish company is building a massive solar farm that includes batteries that charge when the sun is shining and supply energy back to the electric grid when it’s not.
Progress made on Waimea food processing plant
Farmers in Waimea are one step closer to having a refurbished food processing facility after the partial demolition of the Kamuela Vacuum Cooling Plant.
Prosecutor leaves Georgia election case against Trump after relationship with district attorney
ATLANTA — A special prosecutor who had a romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis formally withdrew Friday from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump after a judge ruled he had to leave or Willis couldn’t continue to pursue the charges.
Why are so many voters frustrated by the US economy? It’s home prices
WASHINGTON — Lori Shelton can’t fathom ever having the money to buy a home — and that’s a major reason why so many voters feel down on the economy ahead of this year’s presidential election.
Habitat set aside for 12 endangered Big Island species
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated nearly 120,000 acres of land on Hawaii island as protected critical habitat for 12 endangered species.
SpaceX’s 3rd Starship launch makes it to space without exploding, but lost on reentry
SpaceX’s powerful Starship and Super Heavy rocket completed a more successful third orbital test flight from Texas on Thursday morning with no explosive endings on the way up that marred the first two test flights in 2023. The way down, though, still saw more destructive ends as the first-stage booster came in at more than 600 mph hitting the Gulf of Mexico and the upper stage spacecraft broke up on reentry halfway around the Earth. The overall mission, though, was considered a success by SpaceX officials.
US lawmakers see TikTok as China’s tool, even as it distances itself from Beijing
WASHINGTON — If some U.S. lawmakers have their way, the United States and China could end up with something in common: TikTok might not be available in either country.
‘This is a part of our culture’: Hawaii residents oppose measure targeting cockfighting
A state proposal to impose greater criminal penalties relating to cockfighting drew outcry from residents Thursday.
House passes a bill that could lead to a TikTok ban if Chinese owner refuses to sell
WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a national security threat.
Judge dismisses some charges against Trump in the Georgia 2020 election interference case
ATLANTA — The judge overseeing the Georgia 2020 election interference case on Wednesday dismissed some of the charges against former President Donald Trump and others, but the rest of the sweeping racketeering indictment remains intact.
Captain Zodiac turns 50: Popular Kona ocean tour company reaches milestone
An ocean adventure tour company is celebrating 50 years in business in Hawaii.
Never-before-seen act documented in humpback whales off Hawaii coast
When Brandi Romano and Lyle Krannichfeld scanned the crystal blue waters off the Hawaii coast and two humpback whales came into view, they killed the engine of their boat, retrieved their cameras and started snapping away.
Biden and Trump clinch nominations, setting the stage for a grueling general election rematch
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump clinched their parties’ presidential nominations Tuesday with decisive victories in a slate of low-profile primaries, setting up a general election rematch that many voters do not want.
Waikoloa Village closer to getting a roundabout
A new traffic roundabout in Waikoloa Village is one step closer to becoming a reality after Friday’s release of a draft environmental assessment with an anticipated finding of no significant impact.
The Democratic protest vote movement over the Israel-Hamas war spreads from Michigan to other states
LANSING, Mich. — The protest-vote movement over President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war has spread to several states and raised more questions about whether a small but significant number of Democrats angry at Biden might abandon him in November.
House Republicans move ahead with TikTok vote even as Trump voices opposition to possible ban
NEW YORK — House Republicans are moving ahead with a bill that would require Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the United States even as former President Donald Trump is voicing opposition to the effort.
Good news and bad news for astronomers’ biggest dream
The United States should commit $1.6 billion to building an “extremely large telescope” that would vault American astronomy into a new era, according to the National Science Board, which advises the National Science Foundation.