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Biden marks Earth Day by going after GOP
TRIANGLE, Virginia — President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities — while criticizing Republicans who want to gut his policies to address climate change.
Aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan heads to Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate is returning to Washington on Tuesday to vote on $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, taking the final steps in Congress to send the legislation to President Joe Biden’s desk after months of delays and contentious internal debate over how involved the United States should be abroad.
Hawai‘i lawmakers take aim at vacation rentals
HONOLULU — Amy Chadwick spent years scrimping and saving as a single mother of two to buy a house in the town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
Takeaways from two reports on deadly Lahaina Fire
HONOLULU — More than half a year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century burned through a historic Maui town, officials are still trying to determine exactly what went wrong and how to prevent similar catastrophes in the future. But two reports released this week are filling in some of the blanks.
Communications breakdown left authorities in the dark amid Lahaina Fire
HONOLULU — As unpredictable wildfires roared across Maui last August, the head of the emergency management agency dragged his heels about returning to the island amid the unfolding crisis, while a broad communications breakdown left authorities in the dark and residents without emergency alerts, according to a report released Wednesday.
Maui Fire Department releases report on deadly wildfire
HONOLULU — When wildfires broke out across Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety and sheltered survivors inside their engines. Another drove a moped into a burning neighborhood again and again, whisking people away from danger one at a time.
Three men rescued from remote Pacific atoll
Three men stranded on an uninhabited Pacific island survived for more than a week and used palm fronds to spell out HELP on the beach — leading to rescue by U.S. Navy and Coast Guard aviators who spotted the sign from several thousand feet in the air.
County of Kaua‘i settles racial discrimination lawsuit for $350K
HONOLULU — A county in Hawai‘i has agreed to pay $350,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused the police chief of discriminating against a captain for being Japanese American, including one instance when the chief squinted his eyes, bowed repeatedly and said he couldn’t trust Japanese people.
U.S. military drains fuel from tank facility
HONOLULU — The U.S. military said it’s finished draining millions of gallons of fuel from an underground fuel tank complex in Hawai‘i that poisoned 6,000 people when it leaked jet fuel into Pearl Harbor’s drinking water in 2021.
Report details grueling conditions in India’s shrimp industry
SAN FRANCISCO — Noriko Kuwabara was excited to try a new recipe she’d seen on social media for crispy shrimp spring rolls, so she and her husband headed to Costco’s frozen foods aisle. But when she grabbed a bag of farm-raised shrimp from the freezer and saw “Product of India,” she wrinkled her nose.
Pearl Harbor attack survivor dies at 102
Richard C. “Dick” Higgins, one of the few remaining survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died, a familyw member said Wednesday. He was 102.
Murderer encased lover’s body in concrete in bathtub
HONOLULU — A man pleaded guilty to murder Monday, about two years after his lover’s decomposing body was found encased in concrete in a bathtub in one of Hawai‘i’s most exclusive gated communities.
Maui mayor prioritizes housing and vows to hire more firefighters in aftermath of Lahaina Fire
HONOLULU — Maui’s mayor says he is prioritizing housing, evaluating evacuation routes and hiring more firefighters as his Hawai‘i community recovers from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
Climate a major separator in election year
RALEIGH, N.C. — The race for the White House isn’t the only one with big stakes for climate policy. In campaigns for Congress and for governor around the country, candidates are talking about how green the grid should be, too.
Acid attack suspect plotted second strike
HONOLULU — A man accused of dousing a woman with acid in Hawai‘i last year allegedly tried to cast doubt on himself as a suspect by plotting with a fellow inmate to carry out a second, similar attack, authorities said.
5 people found dead in Honolulu home in apparent murder-suicide
HONOLULU — Honolulu police said Sunday they were investigating what appears to be the murder-suicide of a family, including three children, at a Manoa home.
Regulatory costs have huge impact on condo prices
HONOLULU — A University of Hawai‘i report published Monday found regulatory costs account for more than half of the price of a new condominium in Hawai‘i, a place where high housing costs are fueling an exodus of local-born residents searching for cheaper places to live.
Biden wins Democratic caucuses in Hawai‘i
HONOLULU — President Joe Biden won the Democratic caucuses in Hawai‘i on Wednesday, propelling him closer to winning his party’s nomination again after romping through the Super Tuesday contests earlier this week.
Hawai‘i Democrats to hold presidential caucus
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hawai‘i Democrats will hold a presidential preference vote on Wednesday, as President Joe Biden moves closer to securing the delegates needed to clinch nomination for a second term in the White House.
Delicate reef ecosystems being examined in Lahaina
LAHAINA, Hawai‘i — Abraham “Snake” Ah Hee rides waves when the surf’s up and dives for octopus and shells when the water is calm. The lifelong Lahaina, Hawai‘i, resident spends so much time in the ocean that his wife jokes he needs to wet his gills.