Good evening, Hawaii. We wrap up a busy week with Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, asking the U.S. Navy to ensure the long-term safety of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam homes and appliances. State Attorney General Anne Lopez joined a coalition of other state AGs in support of the Biden administration’s plans for student loan forgiveness and its COVID-19 pandemic response. Nationally, the House Judiciary Committee will investigate President Biden’s handling of classified documents that were found at his house and former office. Here are the most important stories you need to know. 

Your Weather Planner 

Weather through the islands remains calm and stable. We will have light to moderate east-southeasterly winds through the islands. Sea breezes will give way to overnight land breezes through Saturday with hazy conditions statewide. Our chances for rain are nil through early Saturday. However, a return of our typical trade pattern could increase moisture in our atmosphere and increase our chance for windward showers late Saturday and Sunday. High Surf Warnings are no longer in place, but waves will still reach advisory level into the weekend.

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Today's Big Stories

1. Schatz urges Navy to ensure safety of contaminated homes, appliances

In the latest of the Hawaii congressional delegation’s ongoing efforts to address the full range of issues related to the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz is calling on the U.S. Navy to ensure the current and future safety of residents of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

“While I am pleased to see that the Navy has undergone efforts to provide for the safety of families who were exposed, it is imperative that the Navy continues to explore and execute on authorities available to it and its partners to ensure the long-term confidence and safety of residents at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam,” Schatz wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. “It is crucial that their homes and appliances continue to be safe from previous fuel contamination and any potential subsequent incidents, and that they can feel confident that is the case.”

In the letter, Schatz said the Navy should work to ensure that tenants are notified if their unit was previously exposed to contamination from the Red Hill leak.  

2. Hawaii AG joins coalition supporting student debt forgiveness policy

State Attorney General Anne Lopez joined 21 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of the Biden administration’s policies on student loan debt cancellation and the COVID-19 pandemic response.

The coalition’s brief asserts that U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cadona acted appropriately within his authority under the HEROES Act to provide limited debt cancellation to prevent student loan borrowers from experiencing grave financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.

The brief was led by Massachusetts Acting Attorney General Bessie Dewar. In addition to Lopez, the brief was joined by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. 

3. What’s open, closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, so many county offices and services will be closed for the holiday. Other county services will have adjusted schedules to observe the holiday.

Click the link above for a roundup of what will be opened and closed for the City and County of Honolulu, County of Maui County, County of Kauai and the County of Hawaii.

For a listing of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events, click here.

4. Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Medical cannabis rules in Hawaii might be relaxed

Armed with a long-awaited task force report, state lawmakers are expected to take up measures this year that would add protections and expand access to medical cannabis, including a bill that would require health care providers to allow terminally ill patients to smoke or ingest the drug at their facilities and a bill that would give registered medical cannabis users job protections.

Lawmakers also might consider dropping the state’s list of qualifying conditions for obtaining a medical cannabis card, which allows patients to purchase cannabis products at Hawaii’s dispensaries. Currently, patients can obtain a card if they have one of 10 qualifying medical conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, lupus, epilepsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, HIV or AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder or Lou Gehrig’s disease. They also can qualify if they have severe pain, nausea, seizures or muscle spasms.

Removing the list of qualifying conditions would leave decisions about cannabis use up to doctors and their patients.

5. Republican-led House Judiciary panel launches Biden documents probe

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee announced Friday that it was launching its first probe related to President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents.

The announcement of the investigation came one day after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to look into the matter.

On Thursday, the White House confirmed that President Biden's legal team discovered "a small number" of Obama-Biden administration documents at his house in Wilmington, Delaware, in December. Days earlier, an attorney for the president said Biden's lawyers in early November had discovered other classified records at his former office space in Washington.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chairman of the panel, and Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., penned a letter to Attorney General Garland requesting documents and communications releated to the matter be produced no later than Friday, Jan. 27. News of the investigation was first reported by Fox News.

Your Notes for the Weekend

Saturday, January 14

• NFL postseason begins
• Orthodox New Year
• Funeral mass for Cardinal George Pell in St. Peter’s Basilica
• Miss Universe competition
• 50^th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s “Aloha from Hawaii” concert
• Ratification Day: anniversary of U.S. established as a sovereign power after the 1784 Revolution

Sunday, January 15

• Open enrollment period closes in most states for 2023 coverage from health insurance exchanges
• President Joe Biden travels to Atlanta to deliver remarks at Ebenezer Baptist Church
• 70^th anniversary of Truman becoming first U.S. president to give farewell address on TV
• 80^th anniversary of the Pentagon completed
• NFL playoffs (Buffalo Bills play)
• Critics Choice movie and TV awards
• National Bagel Day

Here are events happening on the islands this weekend:

Oahu

• What: Night in Chinatown Festival & Lunar New Year Parade
• Where: Chinatown
• Details: Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at this family-friendly event 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Jan. 14. Enjoy cultural performances, and lots of food and beverage vendors at the festival, 9 a.m.-10 p.m., located at Beretania St. and Aala Park and Maunakea St. to Aala St. Then from 4:30-6 p.m. catch the parade that starts at the Hawaii State Capitol and makes its way to River St.

Maui

• What: Sierra Club Hike
• Where: Makawao Forest Reserve - Kahakapao Loop | Upper Olinda
• Details: Hike leader Annie Schultz (acm_schultz@hotmail.com, 734-308-0482) will take 15 participants on a seven-mile moderate hike through a forested area in upper Olinda, Jan. 15. Meet 8 a.m. in the parking lot across from St. Joseph’s Church on Makawao Ave. to caravan to the trailhead. Email the hike leader to sign up and check the Sierra Club Maui website for details. A donation of $5/person over 14 years is requested.

Hawaii Island

• What: OperAloha
• Where: Kahilu Theatre | 67-1186 Lindsey Rd., Waimea | 808-885-6868
• Details: Enjoy an evening of “genre-busting” opera performances by Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, Efrain Solis and Alice Chung accompanied by pianist Ronny Michael Greenberg, 7 p.m. Jan. 14. Special guest artists include Solomon Shumate and Stacee Firestone. Tickets.

Kauai

• What: Downtown Lihue Night Market
• Where: Kress St., Lihue
• Details: Gather on Kress St. for a fun community event, 4-8 p.m. Jan. 14. Shop for specialty items from over 40 local vendors, enjoy local foods and hear live entertainment too.

For more on these and other events, see this week's HI Out & About.

Watch Live

• It's an ILH basketball doubleheader with Iolani taking on Kamehameha Schools - Kapalama. The girls' game tips off at 5 p.m., followed by the boys' game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, on OC16 or streaming on the Spectrum News app.
• Long Beach State takes on UH in men’s basketball at 7 p.m. Saturday, on Spectrum Sports or streaming on the Spectrum News app.