Welcome to the Hawaii State News update from Hawaii News Digest.
Our top story: State transportation officials will reopen both lanes of Oahu’s Pali Highway on Saturday.
Views expressed in this Hawaii News summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.
Content supplied by the “Honolulu Star-Advertiser” and the Associated Press.
Accessed on 21 December 2019, 0620 UTC, Post 20012.
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Pali Highway to reopen 24/7 in both directions this weekend
After 10 months of work following landslides on President’s Day in February, the Pali Highway will open 24/7 in both directions beginning Saturday, the state Department of Transportation announced today.
High wind warning issued for the Hawaiian islands
UPDATED 3:45 p.m.:
In a vehicle reeking of marijuana, 2 women pull up at a DUI checkpoint with a cache of weapons and drugs, police say
Two Honoka’a women were in police custody today on drug and firearms offenses after they went through a drunk-driving roadblock Thursday night in Waimea in a vehicle that smelled of marijuana, police said.
TODAY
Critics attack Bevin’s pardon of man convicted of child rape
LOUISVILLE, Ky. >> Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin defended his controversial pardon of a man who was convicted of raping a child, saying there was no physical evidence of an assault.
Pastor sentenced to over 1,000 years for sex abuse
GADSDEN, Ala. >> An Alabama youth evangelist was sentenced today to more than 1,000 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple child-sex charges.
Emergency repair work closes lanes on South Beretania Street
Two lanes on South Beretania Street before Alapai Street have been closed because of emergency repairs, the Honolulu Police Department said.
Data on 267 million Facebook users exposed
A Ukrainian security researcher reported finding a database with the names, phone numbers and unique user IDs of more than 267 million Facebook users — nearly all U.S.-based — on the open internet. That data was likely harvested by criminals, said researcher Bob Diachenko, an independent security consultant in Kyiv.
S&P 500 index closes out 10th winning week in the past 11
Wall Street capped a mostly quiet week of trading today with broad gains for stocks and more record highs for the major indexes.
U.S. consumer spending up 0.4% in November, best since July
WASHINGTON >> Americans increased their spending in November at the fastest pace in four months, and income growth rebounded to its strongest gain since August.
Buzzkill: Oregon bans cannabis-infused alcoholic beverages
SALEM, Ore. >> Oregon is renowned for its craft beer and increasingly for its high-grade marijuana, but the state is keeping the two apart — for now.
Boy kidnapped in 1964 found through ancestry sites
CHICAGO >> A Michigan man recently identified as the newborn boy snatched from his mother in 1964 by someone posing as a maternity-ward nurse was found through commercial ancestry websites after the man or a child of his submitted DNA to the sites to learn more about their family tree, a genetic genealogist who played a role in the discovery told The Associated Press today.
Everything that top chefs and bartenders hated in 2019
In late August, when Popeyes was selling about 1,000 sandwiches per store per day, it didn’t seem like there were more than three words—”fried chicken sandwich”—in America’s culinary lexicon.
6 hurt in Carnival cruise ships accident at Mexico’s Cozumel
MEXICO CITY >> A cruise ship scraped another while trying to dock in the Mexican Caribbean resort of Cozumel today, damaging at least one of the boats and resulting in minor injuries to six passengers.
Boeing capsule launches to wrong orbit, skips space station
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. >> Boeing’s new Starliner capsule ended up in the wrong orbit after lifting off on its first test flight today, a blow to the company’s effort to launch astronauts for NASA next year.
‘Vast majority’ of vaping illnesses blamed on vitamin E
Health officials now blame vitamin E acetate for the “vast majority” of cases in the U.S. outbreak of vaping illnesses and they say doctors should monitor patients more closely after they go home from the hospital.
Six companies across the islands cited for Clean Air Branch violations
The state Department of Health’s Clean Air Branch announced today that it has issued notices of violations for air permit violations to six companies located on Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Lanai City and Hawaii island.
Suspect, 32, tracked down after allegedly using stolen credit card
A 32-year-old, male suspect was arrested after he allegedly stole a company vehicle from Ala Moana Beach Park Thursday morning that contained a wallet, driver’s license and credit card that was used at a nearby department store.
Navy, Army probes find no racist intent in hand gestures
WASHINGTON >> Hand gestures flashed by West Point cadets and Naval Academy midshipmen during the televised Army-Navy football game were not racist signals, military investigations have concluded.
Trio, including teen, arrested in Ala Moana area robbery
A 39-year-old man was robbed Thursday in the Ala Moana area by two men and a 15-year-old boy who used “physical force” and threatened the victim with an unspecified “dangerous instrument,” police said.
Makiki liquor theft leads to arrest for habitual property crime
A 32-year-old woman who allegedly shoplifted liquor from a Makiki supermarket Thursday night had prior felony property crime convictions and was arrested for a habitual property crime.
U.K. charges U.S. diplomat’s wife over teen’s death in crash
LONDON >> An American diplomat’s wife who left the U.K. after being involved in a road accident that killed a British teenager has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, British prosecutors said today.
Commercial fisherman, 37, dies as boat returns to Honolulu
A 37-year-old commercial fisherman who complained of pain fell unconscious and died aboard a fishing boat as it returned to Honolulu early this morning.
Author JK Rowling draws criticism for transgender comments
NEW YORK >> J.K. Rowling is facing widespread criticism from the transgender community and other activists after tweeting support for a researcher who lost her job for stating that people cannot change their biological sex.
Tokyo Olympics say costs $12.6B; Audit report says much more
TOKYO >> Tokyo Olympic organizers said Friday they are spending 1.35 trillion Japanese yen — about $12.6 billion — to stage next year’s games. Organizers said the expenditure is unchanged from a year ago, although robust sponsorship and ticket sales have generated a contingency fund of an extra $300 million.
U.S. watching North Korea for ‘Christmas gift’ missile launch
WASHINGTON >> The U.S. is closely watching North Korea for signs of a possible missile launch or nuclear test in the coming days that officials are referring to as a “Christmas surprise.”
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Russ Roberts
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