Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we've been following today:
Your Weather Planner
Dry and stable conditions will continue through midweek with daily sea breezes and nightly land breezes. A cold front will move through the western part of the state on Thursday before dissipating across Maui County. Expect rain ahead and along the front, with breezy to moderate northwesterly winds behind it.
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Today's Big Stories
1. Hawaii crime boss' cause of death isn't clear, authorities say
Hawaii crime boss who was convicted of racketeering charges last summer has died in prison, authorities said.
Michael Miske, 50, was found unresponsive Sunday at the Federal Detention Center Honolulu and life-saving efforts by staff and emergency medical responders failed to save him, the Bureau of Prisons said in a news release. It was unclear what caused his death.
His trial attorneys didn't immediately respond to a Monday email seeking comment.
2. Blessing held for first rebuilt home in Kula
Last week Tuesday, homeowner Thomas Liu and the Upcountry community gathered to commemorate the first home to be rebuilt after the August 2023 wildfire with a blessing, according to a Maui County release.
Final inspections for the two-bedroom, 860-square-foot cottage were completed the week prior, and Liu, 83, will be moving out of a rental and into the cottage while work continues to rebuild the main house on his Kulalani Drive property.
During the blessing, which was conducted by Kumu Kaponoʻai Molitau, director of the County Office of ʻŌiwi Resources, Liu said his rebuild isn’t a reflection of any one person. Instead, it represents the efforts of the Upcountry community coming together.
3. UH expert: HPAI not an immediate threat here
The arrival of highly pathogenic avian influenza to Hawaii poses a significant threat to poultry and wild birds but is not an immediate threat to humans, according to expert Axel Lehrer, a professor of tropical medicine and medical microbiology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine.
“We have to be very clear that so far the virus has only been identified in animals and poultry, so based on the genetic lineage that the virus seems to stem from, it is not directly linked to recent outbreaks on the mainland or in Canada,” Lehrer said in a video release issued by UH on Monday.
Authorities nationwide have been tracking and responding to an outbreak of the disease in the United States since 2022.
The first-ever detection of H5 avian influenza in the state was confirmed by the National Wastewater Surveillance System on Nov. 12 from a sample taken at the Wahiawa Wastewater Treatment Plant five days earlier. The testing could not determine whether the H5 virus detected was HPAI, also known as H5N1.
4. Biden's pardon of son Hunter draws strong reactions
It didn’t take long for President Joe Biden’s critics to react to pardoning his son Hunter on Sunday.
The younger Biden was facing a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions when the president granted him a pardon, saying “raw politics” had caused him to be “treated differently.”
“Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?” President-elect Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, referencing the hundreds of people who have been convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. “Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”
One day after issuing the pardon, “no one is above the law” and White House press secretary “Karine Jean-Pierre” are both trending on the social media platform X. Over the summer, Biden said “no one is above the law,” referring to Trump, following the Supreme Court’s ruling that granted presidents broad immunity from prosecution. Jean-Pierre had also repeatedly insisted the president would not pardon his son.
Your Notes for Tomorrow
Tuesday, Dec. 3
- U.S. Supreme Court hears case regarding Hungarian confiscation of Jewish-owned property during the Holocaust. 10am ET
- Billboard reveals the number one pop star of the 21st Century.
- Forbes 30 Under 30 list published.
- Giving Tuesday - global day dedicated to giving something back, encouraging charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world to celebrate generosity.
- NATO foreign ministers meeting/ United Nations General Assembly plenary meeting annual debate on the Middle East
- Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
In Case You Missed It
The Hawaii women's volleyball team reacted to the NCAA women's volleyball selection show reveal of their matchup against TCU in the Eugene, Ore., subregional. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Hawaii women's volleyball team sent to Oregon to face TCU in NCAA Tournament
HONOLULU — The Hawaii women’s volleyball team is headed back to the Pacific Northwest for the NCAA Tournament.
Unseeded Big West tournament champion UH reacted favorably to its draw against fifth-seeded TCU of the Big 12 on Thursday at Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., as revealed during the NCAA selection show on Sunday afternoon.
The Rainbow Wahine flew home in two groups on Sunday after beating Cal Poly in four sets for the Big West title in Irvine, Calif., on Saturday night. As per tradition, they settled in for the selection show on couches in the Edwin S. Wong Hospitality Room in the Stan Sheriff Center.
