Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we've been following today:
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Light winds will begin to strengthen across the western end of the state as a front approaches early this week. It will pass into the central islands by Wednesday, bringing elevated shower activity and stronger winds through midweek. High Surf Warnings are in effect for north and west-facing shores through Wednesday morning. Large-breaking waves will climb up to 25 to 35 feet by Tuesday. Trades return for the end of the week.
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Today's Big Stories
1. Six burn victims flown to Arizona for treatment, expected to survive
Six of the victims from the fireworks explosion in Salt Lake on New Year’s Eve were flown on Saturday to an Arizona burn center for further treatment, and they are all expected to survive.
However, the road to recovery will be long. Each patient will require between six to 12 months before they regain anything resembling normal functioning, according to Dr. Kevin Foster, with the Arizona Burn Center, who spoke to reporters on Monday via a video conference application.
Foster said the patients are “over the first big hump, which is resuscitation.” He said now the focus is on excising all the burns. After that, the medical professionals will work to ensure the wounds close, which can be the “most dangerous time for burn victims” as they may get infections.
For privacy reasons, the patients were not identified, but Foster described them as being in their 20s and 30s and having “very extensive burns” that range from covering 45% to 80% of their bodies. The six patients all require breathing tubes and ventilator management.
“Many of them required emergency surgeries before they were able to be transported here, and a number of them have traumatic injuries in addition to their burn injuries, in addition to the flame injuries, there were a lot of explosions and a lot of particles flying to the air, and almost everybody has multiple projectile injuries,” said Foster.
2. 3-year-old boy who died in a Honolulu fireworks explosion is identified
A 3-year-old boy who died Monday was the fourth person to succumb to injuries from a massive explosion of fireworks on New Year's Eve at a Honolulu home, and a doctor said six others faced long recoveries in Arizona, where they were sent to be treated for severe burns.
The blast also killed three women and injured more than 20 people, many of whom have burns over most of their bodies.
The Honolulu medical examiner identified the toddler as Cassius Ramos-Benigno. The cause and manner of death were listed as pending.
3. Wilcox, Queen's nurses set to strike
Nurses at Wilcox Medical Center and The Queen’s Medical Center are set to stage independent three-day strikes next week following stalled negotiations with their respective employers.
The nurses are represented by the Hawaii Nurses Association, OPEIU Local 50. Notifications to both Wilcox and Queen’s were transmitted following strike-authorization votes over the last two weeks. Some 99% of Wilcox’s 160 nurses participated in a strike-authorization vote that closed on Jan. 2, with 76% supporting a strike. The nurses are scheduled to strike from Jan. 14 to 16.
Union nurses at The Queen’s Medical Center also voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. Of the 98% of nurses who participated, 90% voted affirmatively. Queen’s nurses will strike Jan. 13 to 15.
4. State offers mediation as Maui eviction moratorium nears end
In advance of the end of Maui’s eviction moratorium on Feb. 4, Gov. Josh Green is calling attention to the newly enacted Act 202, which establishes a mediation-based process for resolving rent disputes between landlords and tenants.
Green said the law, passed by the Legislature last session and enacted in July, ensures that both parties have access to support and resources to address overdue rent without the need for immediate court action.
“The end of the eviction moratorium marks a significant milestone in Maui’s recovery, but it’s essential that we provide a compassionate and structured way forward,” Green said in a statement released on Friday. “Act 202 offers a way forward, prioritizing fairness and understanding for both landlords and tenants.”
Starting Feb. 5, landlords and tenants will be able to to engage in free, state-funded mediation facilitated by Maui Mediation Services before any eviction action is initiated.
Green said the process is designed to prevent sudden evictions.
5. Congress certifies Trump's election win four years after Jan. 6 attack
Four years after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to keep Donald Trump in power, lawmakers gathered for a joint session of Congress to certify the president-elect’s 2024 Electoral College victory two weeks before he returns to the White House.
The proceedings were far less eventful than in 2021, when rioters attacked law enforcement and attempted to reach lawmakers behind barricaded doors, with then-Vice President Mike Pence and other senior officials whisked off the House floor to heavily guarded locations. This time, Trump’s general election rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, oversaw a calm, peaceful and relatively short certification process that saw no objections from House or Senate members.
“The votes for president of the United States are as follows: Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida has received 312 votes,” Harris said after each state’s electors had been counted. “Kamala D. Harris of the state of California has received 226 votes.”
Trump also beat Harris by around 2 million ballots in the popular vote. Unlike the 147 Republican lawmakers who objected to Trump’s 2020 losses in certain states, frustrated Democrats have accepted the decision of the voters.
The day's return to a U.S. tradition that launches the peaceful transfer of presidential power comes with an asterisk as Trump prepares to take office in two weeks with a revived sense of authority. He denies that he lost fairly four years ago, muses about staying beyond the Constitution's two-term White House limit and promises to pardon some of the more than 1,250 people who have pleaded guilty or were convicted of crimes for the Capitol siege.
Your Notes for Tomorrow
Tuesday, Jan. 7
- Arrival ceremony at the Capitol for the late former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. His body lays in state until Thursday before his state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral and private funeral service at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, GA. SN+ will have live coverage
- Court appearance for Sebastian Zapeta, charged with one count of murder in the first-degree, two counts of murder in the second-degree and one count of arson for allegedly lighting 57-year-old Debrina Kawam on fire on the New York subway on Dec. 22
- Job openings and Labor turnover survey
- 56th NAACP Image Awards nominations announced, honoring outstanding performances in film, television, theater, music, and literature. Award ceremony takes place Feb. 22
In Case You Missed It
Hawaii freshman opposite Kristian Titriyski put down a kill through the block of McKendree's Kevin Schuele and Rolen Lively in Set 3 of a Rainbow Warriors sweep victory at the Stan Sheriff Center on Sunday night. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Kristian Titriyski recovers, leads No. 4 Hawaii men's volleyball in sweep of No. 20 McKendree
Hawaii setter Tread Rosenthal had a succint explanation for what made the fourth-ranked Rainbow Warriors more effective against No. 20 McKendree on Sunday night than in Friday's 2025 season opener.
"Kristian Titriyski. That’s kind of it," Rosenthal said.
The hard-hitting freshman opposite recovered from an illness that limited him against the Bearcats in Friday's opener and tallied 17 kills with two service aces in the 25-20, 25-19, 25-16 outcome in 99 minutes at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The 6-foot-8 Bulgarian put down 13 kills on his first 19 swings before committing his first attack error near the end of the second set. He finished with four errors among his 29 swings to hit .448.
UH continues its season-opening homestand by hosting Harvard at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday.
