In a Manhattan court, a jury is picked to judge a president
NEW YORK — At 4:34 p.m. Thursday, 12 citizens were selected to decide the guilt or innocence of a former president for the first time in American history, a moment that could shape the nation’s political and legal landscapes for generations to come.
Help likely on the way in battle against spittlebugs
A proposal to fund measures to control a destructive invasive pest is on the verge of passing in the state Legislature.
Laupahoehoe Music Festival returns, boasts solid lineup of island performers
The Laupahoehoe Music Festival is returning for a day of live music after a four-year hiatus.
Kennedy clan endorses Biden, in a show of force against RFK Jr.
WASHINGTON — A broad coalition of the Kennedy family endorsed President Joe Biden on Thursday at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, pointedly rejecting one of their own in Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent candidate who many Democrats believe poses a significant threat to Biden’s reelection chances.
Communications breakdown left authorities in the dark and residents without alerts amid Maui 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.
Inside the late-night parties where Hawaii politicians raked in money
HONOLULU — For the better part of a decade, some of Hawaii’s most powerful people huddled together at late-night parties in a cramped second-floor office where lobbyists and executives seeking government contracts lined up to drop cash and checks into a metal lockbox.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in US more likely to believe in climate change: AP-NORC poll
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States are more likely than the overall adult population to believe in human-caused climate change, according to a new poll. It also suggests that partisanship may not have as much of an impact on this group’s environmental views, compared to Americans overall.
Murder charge anticipated in death of infant
Neither police nor prosecutors are identifying the suspect in the murder of a 5-month-old boy on New Year’s Eve 2022, but all publicly available evidence points to the mother, Yasmine Michelle Lilia Butterfield, who also is known as Lilia Alameda.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers begin to seat jurors for Trump trial
NEW YORK — The daunting work of selecting a jury for the first criminal trial of a former American president rapidly gained momentum Tuesday as seven New Yorkers were picked to sit in judgment of Donald Trump, accelerating a crucial phase of the case that many had expected to be a slog.
Love for ukulele on display at annual event
Over 400 kupuna from around the island gathered in Hilo on Tuesday to share their ukulele skills with 10 performances from Hawaii County senior center classes.
Maui Fire Department report on deadly wildfire details need for more equipment and mutual aid plans
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.
Suspect in deadly hit-and-run allegedly was highly intoxicated
A 25-year-old Pahoa woman accused of killing a Hilo pedestrian in a hit-and-run incident over the weekend had more three times the legal amount of alcohol in her system.
Another blackouts warning from HECO; lawmakers seek investigation
Hawaiian Electric again is urging Hawaii Island customers to conserve energy this evening to avoid power outages.
Woman accused of beating, kicking dog in Kona
A 26-year-old woman accused of beating and kicking her dog at McDonald’s in Kailua-Kona has been freed on supervised release over the objection of prosecutors.
Nene gosling found dead in popular Hilo park
Patrons of Lili‘uokalani Park and Gardens in Hilo were disheartened recently to learn about the death of a nene gosling in the park.
Testifiers to board: No PTA land swap
People statewide urged the Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday to reject a proposed land exchange between the state and the U.S. Army that would allow it to continue to use land in the Pohakuloa Training Area and elsewhere.
Prospective jurors are dismissed in dozens as Trump’s trial begins
NEW YORK — After years of investigation and weeks of delay, the criminal case known as the People of the State of New York vs. Donald J. Trump went to trial Monday, with hundreds of citizens summoned to potentially join a jury that will decide the fate of the first American president to face prosecution.
Slow spring for real estate? Interest rates continue to put pressure on home sales
It’s likely to be a slow spring for Big Island home sales as the market struggles to recover from 2023.
Can homeless people be fined for sleeping outside? A rural Oregon city asks the US Supreme Court
GRANTS PASS, Oregon — A pickleball game in this leafy Oregon community was suddenly interrupted one rainy weekend morning by the arrival of an ambulance. Paramedics rushed through the park toward a tent, one of dozens illegally erected by the town’s hundreds of homeless people, then play resumed as though nothing had happened.
US works to prevent an escalation across the Mideast as Biden pushes Israel to show restraint
WASHINGTON — The United States on Sunday highlighted its role in helping Israel thwart Iran’s aerial attack as President Joe Biden convened leaders of the Group of Seven countries in an effort to prevent a wider regional escalation and coordinate a global rebuke of Tehran.
