DAVID IGE

The last bits of ash and greenhouse gases from Hawaii’s only remaining coal-fired power plant slipped into the environment this week when the state’s dirtiest source of electricity burned its final pieces of fuel.

U.S. governors and other state officials responded to Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year with public calls to divest state pension, university and other funds from Russian assets.

For over 50 years, telescopes have dominated the summit of Mauna Kea, a place sacred to Native Hawaiians and one of the best places in the world to study the night sky.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green is the Democratic Party’s candidate to be Hawaii’s next governor.

When the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a right to abortion, it sparked legal changes and court challenges in states nationwide.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down a New York gun law could mean big changes thousands of miles away in Hawaii, which has strict restrictions on carrying firearms.

Business leaders say an $18 hourly minimum would force them to lay people off or possibly close for good,

Hawaii lawmakers have passed legislation that would hike the state’s minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2028, potentially the highest in the nation.

Hawaii is the last state to drop the pandemic safety measure, with indoor mask mandates in Oregon and Washington state expiring at 11:59 p.m. Friday.

Hawaii will lift the nation's last statewide indoor mask mandate by March 26.

The last statewide mask mandate in the U.S. will be lifted by March 26, Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday. Hawaii is the last to drop the pandemic safety measure, with Washington state's mask mandate expiring at midnight Friday. Ige said one metric he used to determine that it's time for the mandate to end is that there were 48 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Tuesday.

Hawaii first imposed a quarantine requirement in March 2020. The state later created testing and vaccination exemptions.

Hawaii first imposed a quarantine requirement in March 2020. The state later created testing and vaccination exemptions.

Hawaii has one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the nation.

The Navy is scrambling to contain a major crisis in Hawaii after jet fuel leaked from an 80-year-old Hawaii tank farm.

The U.S. Navy is contesting orders from Hawaii to suspend use of fuel tanks at a complex above a drinking water aquifer until certain conditions are met.

A powerful, slow-moving storm continued to pound Hawaii on Tuesday as cameras captured images of natural disaster rarely seen in the island paradise.

Officials warned the dangerous conditions could persist through Wednesday, with power outages already reported across the state.

Flash flood warnings have been canceled for Hawaii, but the threat of heavy rain is persisting as a slow-moving storm system lingers over parts of the state.

A strong storm packing high winds and extremely heavy rain across Hawaii has flooded roads and downed power lines and tree branches.

The U.S. Navy is suspending use of World War II-era fuel storage complex above a Hawaii aquifer that supplies nearly 20% of Honolulu’s drinking water.

Bee conservationist Filipe Salbany has discovered thousands of rare wild honeybees, which may be the last descendants of Britain’s native honey bee population in ancient woodlands on Blenheim Estate in central south England. Salbany says it’s crucial that the population is studied to learn how to protect other bees and prevent cross breeding which can lead to decline in numbers.

Various state and county rules have changed often, leaving some businesses, travelers and residents confused and frustrated. Hawaii Gov. David Ige said earlier this year that all restrictions would end once 70% of the population was fully vaccinated. Now, case counts have dropped and about 83% of eligible Hawaii residents are fully vaccinated.

U.S. governors are taking a seat at the table as international leaders gather in Scotland at a critical moment for global efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions and slow the planet's temperature rise.

Some Native Hawaiians are objecting to President Joe Biden’s choice for U.S. attorney in the 50th state, saying Clare Connors treated dozens of elders like criminals when her office prosecuted them for blocking a road while protesting the construction of a telescope in Hawaii.

Hawaii's COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations have declined to the point where the islands are ready to welcome travelers once again, the governor said Tuesday. Gov. David Ige said vacationers and business travelers are welcome to return to the islands starting Nov. 1. The state didn't impose any new travel quarantine restrictions, and Ige's plea was a mere request.

Hospitals in Iowa’s second-largest city are limiting elective procedures because of increased numbers of patients driven partly by a surge in COVID-19 admissions.

Health care workers in Hawaii say a lack of government action is worsening an already crippling surge of coronavirus cases in the islands, and without effective policy changes the state’s limited hospitals could face a grim crisis.

Israel’s prime minister’s office has urged former premier Benjamin Netanyahu to return dozens of expensive gifts he received while serving in the nation’s top job.

A public service announcement campaign reminds Hawaiians that when Hawaii was a kingdom, its rulers pushed people to get vaccinated against smallpox in the 1850s.

Kuulei Perreira-Keawekane could barely breathe when she went to a Hawaii emergency room. Like many Native Hawaiians, she was not vaccinated against COVID-19. Perreira-Keawekane's situation highlights the COVID-19 crisis that is gripping Hawaii as hospitals are overflowing with a record number of patients, vaccinations are stagnating and Hawaiians are experiencing a disproportionate share of the suffering.

Yes, Hawaii's governor is urging tourists to stay away. No, visitors aren't banned.

"I encourage everyone to restrict and curtail travel to Hawaii," Ige said. "...It's not a good time to travel to the islands."

"I encourage everyone to restrict and curtail travel to Hawaii," Ige said. "...It's not a good time to travel to the islands."

"I encourage everyone to restrict and curtail travel to Hawaii," Ige said. "...It's not a good time to travel to the islands."

South Korea has reported 2,155 new coronavirus cases, nearly matching a record daily increase set earlier this month amid an alarming spread of infections.

Gov. David Ige says it's "a risky time to be traveling right now," and he wants to curtail visits to Hawaii through the end of October.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige on Monday urged tourists not to visit the popular destination through October due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state.

Hawaii’s governor is urging residents and potential visitors to limit travel to the islands to essential business while the state struggles to control outbreaks of the delta variant of the coronavirus.

Poland has sent one million COVID-19 vaccines to Sydney where the delta variant continues to spread, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday.

A new wave of the coronavirus pandemic has Hawaii in “crisis” mode, with the state recording its highest single bump in cases and hospitals putting together overflow plans.

Hawaii restaurants and bars can only fill to 50% capacity effective immediately. The state is not changing visitor entry requirements, though.

First lady Jill Biden visited a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Waipahu, Hawaii, on Sunday to encourage unvaccinated Hawaiians to get their shots as the delta variant surges through much of the U_S_ Biden in remarks at the pop-clinic at Waipahu High School said the virus has become “more contagious than ever” and urged the unvaccinated to “help us move past this virus once and for all.”.

South Korea has reported another new 1,455 cases of the coronavirus, its 11th straight day over 1,000, as officials push to tighten pandemic restrictions nationwide.

About one-third of the states have used federal coronavirus relief aid to provide extra pay to workers who were considered essential during the coronavirus pandemic.

Oregon and Washington have lifted most of their COVID-19 restrictions to become two of the last states to broadly ease virus orders put in place in the very first days of the pandemic.

Maine is approaching getting 70% of its eligible residents fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention says he sees that figure as more of a floor than a ceiling.

Travelers will have to upload their vaccination card to Hawaii's Safe Travels website and bring a hard copy.

Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a bill into law on Tuesday that will cap interest on payday loans at 36% and provide borrowers with longer lending periods.

With COVID-19 cases declining and vaccinations increasing, governors across the U.S. are wrestling with decisions about when to declare an end to the emergency declarations they have issued and reissued throughout the pandemic.

A Northern California county has changed its methodology to record coronavirus deaths, causing its fatality figures to decrease by 25%.

A review of Hawaii Gov. David Ige’s emails shows the state epidemiologist spent key weeks in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic resisting suggestions and requests that she boost contact tracing to control the spread of COVID-19.

Visitors to Maui must still comply with the state's mandatory pre-departure COVID test requirement, even if vaccinated.

The Nevada school district for Las Vegas and the rest of Clark County says fully vaccinated students and staff are no longer required to wear masks in most situations.

Pakistan is offering jabs to its entire adult population in hopes of boosting COVID-19 vaccination rates, with only 5% of the population inoculated so far. Pakistan has reported a steady decline in infections and fatalities from COVID-19 in recent days, but the vaccination response has been sluggish. The only shots given are three Chinese-made vaccines.

Sri Lanka has received 500,000 doses of Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine donated by China as the Indian Ocean island nation faces severe shortage of vaccines amid a recent rise in infections.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says nearly half of Californians eligible for vaccination have received at least one shot against the coronavirus.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging all schools in the state to reopen, saying there are no health barriers to getting children back into classrooms and ending distance learning.

When quarantine rules were put in place early in the pandemic, arrivals plummeted and the state's tourism-dependent economy tanked. In October, state officials launched a pre-travel testing program that allowed visitors to sidestep quarantine rules. With a few exceptions, people in Hawaii are still required to wear masks while in public. “I think we’re all going to have to be prepared for a potential surge in tourism,” said Hawaii state Rep. Scott Saiki, a Democrat. “These banners provide a tool to help Honolulu Police officers do their jobs in gaining compliance with COVID-19 rules,” Sakahara said.

This image provided by Honolulu Civil Beat shows a dead axis deer in a field on the island of Molokai in Hawaii on Jan. 15, 2021. Now, the proliferation of the non-native deer and drought on Molokai have brought the problem into focus. ... It’s had an impact on the wildlife.”AdIn India, axis deer are kept in check by tigers and leopards. ”Our agricultural sector has sustained substantial pasture and crop damage from axis deer in search of food,” he said. In addition to causing to environmental damage, the starving deer population has become a public nuisance.

FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2021, file photo, Sri Lankan nursing staff administer COVID-19 vaccines to front-line health workers in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Reynolds issued the earlier restrictions in November when hospitals were struggling to care for a surge of coronavirus patients. Officials say it could help up to four COVID-19 patients. ___LISBON, Portugal — Portugal has set a new daily record for COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care with 904 patients on Friday. AdThe Austrian government offered to take in five COVID-19 patients and five non-COVID patients to relieve Portuguese hospitals.

Early and aggressive local measures coupled with a strictly enforced statewide travel quarantine kept Kauai's 72,000 residents mostly healthy — the island had only 61 known coronavirus cases from March through September. Kauai officials have decided the cost of vacationing in paradise, for now, is too high. Kauai officials say the single-test scheme did not do enough to protect the people who live there. Visitor numbers have since increased with the testing program, but only to about a third of pre-pandemic levels. Travel “introduces a continuous stream of new infections,” said Dr. Janet Berreman, Kauai's officer for the state health department.

But the pandemic-induced tax drop-off is hitting Democratic and Republican states alike. Yet it's not just Democratic states asking for help amid plunging tax revenue, rising joblessness and a stuttering economy. “There is no more room for partisan positioning and political gamesmanship.”Alaska, Florida and Texas are among other Republican-led states where tax revenue has taken a hit. That group includes Alaska, North Dakota and Wyoming, all led by Republican governors and legislatures. The state’s economy has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has depressed demand for oil and led to a steep drop in tourism.

If approved, shots could begin within days for health care workers and people in nursing homes. Shots would then begin for health care workers and nursing home residents. ___CANBERRA, Australia — Australian researchers say they have abandoned development of a potential coronavirus vaccine because it produced false positive results on HIV tests. A health ministry statement says the government will first vaccinate health care workers, particularly those who deal with COVID-19 cases. ___HONOLULU — Hawaii expects to receive 80,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine in December for health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

The economic package also includes $20 million in rental assistance and $15 million in utility payment assistance for those with low income. But he has not implemented a statewide mask mandate as coronavirus cases continue to surge across the state. ___PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon has reported a record number of coronavirus cases Friday, with hospitalizations at their highest since the pandemic began. The U.S. is now averaging more than 1,300 COVID-19 deaths per day — the highest since the calamitous spring in New York City. ___BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota has surpassed 70,000 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.

HONOLULU – The U.S. surgeon general is set to be arraigned Wednesday in a virtual court hearing in Hawaii on charges he illegally entered a public park that was closed because of the coronavirus. The rural park offers a view of the famed Mokolii island, also known as Chinaman’s Hat for its cone shape. Adams' attorney, Michael Green, appeared for the surgeon general Wednesday and said his client understands the charge and will plead not guilty. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell had closed them at the time to try to prevent crowding that could spread the virus. It’s important that we all do the right things right now, even if we don’t feel we are personally at risk.”

We can’t take another hit.”___MIAMI - Florida has reported a slight uptick in daily confirmed COVID-19 cases, adding 3,449 to its total caseload on Friday. There were 3,861 new coronavirus cases reported in Wisconsin on Friday, breaking the previous record set just a day earlier of 3,747. The report, released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looks at coronavirus-associated deaths reported between May 1 and August 31. The deaths reported Friday include 10 women and eight men, all in their 60s or older. With 222 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, Spain’s total has reached 33,775.

A new pre-travel testing program will allow visitors who test negative for COVID-19 to come to Hawaii and avoid two weeks of mandatory quarantine goes into effect Thursday. “I need time to relax, unwind.”The new testing program is an effort to stem the devastating downturn the pandemic has had on Hawaii’s tourism-based economy. But gaps in the pre-travel testing program coupled with increasing cases of COVID-19 across the U.S. have raised questions about whether Hawaii is ready to safely welcome back vacationers. The $75 million program is being funded by federal CARES Act money and is aimed at stimulating the local economy. “This second test upon arrival to Hawaii island will provide an extra layer of protection for our community,” Kim said in a statement Monday.

Coronavirus weary residents and struggling business owners in Hawaii will be watching closely as tourists begin to return to the islands on Thursday without having to self-quarantine upon arrival. The new testing program is an effort to stem the devastating downturn the pandemic has had on Hawaii’s tourism-based economy. But gaps in the pre-travel testing program coupled with increasing cases of COVID-19 across the U.S. have raised questions about whether Hawaii is ready to safely welcome back vacationers. David Ige on Wednesday to talk about a new restaurant debit card that will give some unemployed Hawaii residents a $500 to spend at local restaurants over the next 60 days. “This second test upon arrival to Hawaii island will provide an extra layer of protection for our community," said Big Island Mayor Harry Kim in a statement Monday.

After a summer marked by a surge of coronavirus cases in Hawaii, officials plan to reboot the tourism based economy later this month despite concerns about the state's pre-travel testing program. But others view the pre-travel testing plan as the best way to add a layer of protection while kickstarting the economy. As part of the plan, Hawaii is partnering with several U.S. mainland pharmacies and airlines for testing. He has also proposed implementing a voluntary surveillance testing program that would screen a percentage of arriving passengers who are in high-risk groups. “In a perfect world, we wouldn’t reopen until we had a vaccine," said John DeFries, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2020 file photo Surgeon General Jerome Adams, appears before a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Adams was cited for being in a closed Hawaii park in August while in the islands helping with surge testing amid a spike in coronavirus cases, according to a criminal complaint filed in court. (Michael Reynolds/Pool via AP,File)HONOLULU – The U.S. surgeon general was cited for being in a closed Hawaii park in August while in the islands helping with surge testing amid a spike in coronavirus cases, according to a criminal complaint filed in court. “We do not have a comment at this time,” said Kate Migliaccio-Grabill, a spokeswoman for the Office of the Surgeon General said. David Ige's office said he wasn't immediately aware the Surgeon General was cited while he was here.

— Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to 860,000, a historically high figure that reflects economic damage from the coronavirus outbreak. Thirteen of the newly confirmed cases reported Friday were in the northern province of Shaanxi, whose capital Xi’an is a major industrial center. China has gone more than a month without reporting any cases of locally transmitted coronavirus cases within its borders. As of Thursday, Georgia is close to 301,000 confirmed virus cases, with 6,474 deaths from COVID-19. Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new Utah coronavirus cases has increased about 54%.

David Ige said Wednesday that starting Oct. 15, travelers arriving from out of state may bypass a 14-day quarantine requirement if they test negative for COVID-19. Travelers will have to take the test within 72 hours before their flight arrives in the islands. Earlier this year Ige planned to start a pre-travel testing program on Aug. 1 only to have to postpone it as COVID-19 cases spiked on the U.S. mainland and in Hawaii. Hawaii leaders are hopeful that pre-travel testing will encourage people to return to a Hawaii in a way that keeps residents safe. “I want to emphasize that this pre-travel testing will allow us to add a greater element of safety for travel into our state,” Ige said at a news conference.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken out large sections of Hawaii's tourism-based economy, including the Chang family's turtle and dolphin snorkel tour business and their regular music gig in Waikiki. Roland Changs sister NJ compared the wreckage to the way the fire goddess lays waste when a volcano erupts and lava flows across the land. Their tour business may even have to close. I think there are a lot more questions than answers, Roland Chang said. Roland Chang said he supports these moves, given they are so important to protect the elderly who are more vulnerable to the disease.