A lamentable move by the Jan. 6 committee
The decision by the House committee investigating last year’s riot at the U.S. Capitol to refer Donald Trump for criminal prosecution was unsurprising. The committee had spent nearly a year and a half building its case, which it presented in focused detail at its final hearing on Monday. Issuing criminal referrals to the Department of Justice was within the panel’s mandate. It was a lamentable move nonetheless.
New label law has unintended effect: Sesame in more foods
A new federal law requiring that sesame be listed as an allergen on food labels is having unintended consequences — increasing the number of products with the ingredient.
As flu rages, US releases medicine from national stockpile
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Wednesday it will release doses of prescription flu medicine from the Strategic National Stockpile to states as flu-sickened patients continue to flock to hospitals and doctors’ offices around the country.
Zelenskyy thanks ‘every American,’ sees ‘turning point’
WASHINGTON — Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy told cheering U.S. legislators during a defiant wartime visit to the nation’s capital on Wednesday that against all odds his country still stands, thanking Americans for helping to fund the war effort with money that is “not charity,” but an “investment” in global security and democracy.
Family, friends mourn woman killed in Hawaii shark attack
BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Family and friends are mourning a Bellingham, Washington, woman who died in an apparent shark attack during a Hawaii vacation earlier this month.
EXPLAINER: Arctic blast sweeps US, bomb cyclone possible
NEW YORK (AP) — An arctic blast is bringing extreme cold, heavy snow and intense wind across much of the U.S. this week — just in time for the holidays.
Last Ohana Food Drop today in Hilo
The Hawaii Island Food Basket held an Ohana Food Drop last Friday in Pahoa. It was the third of four food giveaways scheduled recently by The Food Basket to coincide with the holiday season.
Christmas light displays, activities planned for Liliu‘okalani Gardens
The public is invited to the sixth annual “Christmas in the Park — Garden Enchantment” this Friday and Saturday night in Liliu‘okalani Gardens and Park.
‘An incredible occasion’: Adoptions finalized for 16 Hawaii Island keiki
National Adoption Day recently took on a local flavor as 16 Hawaii Island keiki joined their “forever families” after their adoptions and guardianships were finalized in November by the Third Circuit Family Court.
Maunakea road remains closed near the summit; crews work to clear snow, ice
The Maunakea Access Road above the Visitor Information Station likely will remain closed for at least the next couple of days, according to the University of Hawaii at Hilo Center for Maunakea Stewardship.
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport takes No. 2 spot in analysis of 100 busiest airports
Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole was ranked by Forbes Advisor as the second-best airport for holiday travel in the nation, the financial media outlet announced last week.
Big Island storm leaves 40,000 without power
About 800 Big Island residents were estimated to still be without power Tuesday afternoon following the “Kona low” storm that hit Monday night.
Police seek leads on shoplifting suspect
Police are seeking the public’s assistance identifying a man who allegedly shoplifted at a Keaau business establishment this week.
Salvation Army struggles to meet fundraising goal
The Salvation Army’s Christmas Red Kettle Campaign, now in its 131st year, is struggling to meet its fundraising goal in Hawaii for the 2022 holiday season.
Delay sought in affordable housing trial
A co-defendant in a federal criminal case involving alleged fraudulent use of Hawaii County affordable housing credits is seeking a postponement of the trial.
Pahoa gets a visit from Santa Claus
Santa Claus has come to Pahoa and is visiting keiki at the Puna Kai Shopping Center until it’s time to leave on Christmas Eve.
The Jan. 6 committee accused Trump of inciting an insurrection. He should be charged for it
The decision of the House Jan. 6 committee to recommend that the Justice Department pursue potential criminal charges against Donald J. Trump is not binding on the department, which in any case is already investigating “whether any person or entity unlawfully interfered with the transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election” under the leadership of a special counsel.
Powerful quake jolts Northern California; 70K without power
RIO DELL, Calif. — A powerful earthquake that residents described as “violent” rocked a rural stretch of the Northern California coast early Tuesday, leaving 11 people injured and 70,000 without power as a rain storm was about to roll in, officials said.
German court convicts 97-year-old ex-secretary at Nazi camp
BERLIN — A German court on Tuesday convicted a 97-year-old woman of being an accessory to more than 10,000 murders for her role as a secretary to the SS commander of the Nazis’ Stutthof concentration camp during World War II.
Taliban bar women from university education in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers on Tuesday banned female students from attending universities effective immediately in the latest edict cracking down on women’s rights and freedoms.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy preparing to visit DC on Wednesday
WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing to visit Washington on Wednesday, according to three AP sources, in his first known trip outside the country since Russia’s invasion began in February.
Elon Musk’s bid to protect free speech threatens another First Amendment right
Musk has positioned himself as a champion of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. This framing could not be further from the truth. Instead, he has allowed extremists and people with hateful ideologies to expand their reach on Twitter. Musk fired staff in charge of dealing with hateful content on the platform, leaving the company too short-staffed to handle the increase in harmful posts. In the 12-hour period after Musk’s ownership of Twitter was finalized, the use of derogatory language toward Black people increased almost 500%.
Peru Congress opens door to early elections amid unrest
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru’s Congress tentatively endorsed a plan on Tuesday to hold early elections in an attempt to defuse a national political crisis marked by deadly unrest after lawmakers ousted President Pedro Castillo.
Musk says he’ll be Twitter CEO until a replacement is found
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk said Tuesday that he plans on remaining as Twitter’s CEO until he can find someone willing to replace him in the job.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg takes witness stand in FTC case
SAN JOSE, California (AP) — Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook’s parent company Meta, took the witness stand Tuesday in a trial over U.S. antitrust regulators’ effort to stop the tech giant from buying a virtual reality startup called Within Unlimited.
