Good evening, Hawaii. Ikaika Anderson ended his bid to head the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the high school student killed in yesterday’s early morning hit-and-run is identified. Nationally, President Biden has spoken publicly for the first time since three unidentified objects were shot down in the last week. Here are the most important stories you need to know. 

Your Weather Planner 

Unsettled weather will begin later today for the eastern end of the state and the rest of the islands tonight, as a kona low moves away from the state. We will tap into deep tropical moisture, which will bring heavy rain and thunderstorms through the weekend. Flood Watches are in effect until Saturday afternoon for all islands. Flooding will be most likely for areas that are already saturated from recent rainfall.

Get your 7-day forecast

Today's Big Stories

1. Anderson ends bid to lead Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

Less than 24 hours after a bruising, five-hour hearing that resulted in a negative recommendation from the Senate Hawaiian affairs committee, Ikaika Anderson withdrew his nomination for chair of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands on Wednesday.

At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, an emotional Anderson thanked Gov. Josh Green “for the opportunity to serve my native people, whose heart I’ve always worn on my sleeve thanks to the upbringing of my grandparents (former state legislator) Whitney and Hannie Anderson who served in leadership positions in the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.”

“But I respectfully ask, governor, that you withdraw my nomination effective immediately,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s nomination was to be voted on by the full Senate, but it was widely assumed that he lacked the votes needed to be confirmed.

2. Public invited to provide input on Kailua Beach Park boat ramp project

The City and County of Honolulu are gathering public input regarding a proposed long-term improvement project to the boat ramp at Kailua Beach Park.

The public is invited to provide input online via the Kailua Boat Ramp Improvements Project website from now until March 31. It provides the full project details with visuals of the proposed improvements. The survey will also be available at an Open House at Kailua District Park’s Multi-Purpose Room, 5-7 p.m. on Feb. 22.

The boat ramp is the only manmade watercraft launch facility managed and maintained by the City and county of Honolulu.

For additional information on the project, email kailuaboatramp@hhf.com.

3. Honolulu Star-Advertiser: McKinley High School student killed in hit-and-run

A McKinley High School student was killed in a hit-and-run collision while she and another student were crossing Kapiolani Boulevard near the school Wednesday morning.

The collision occurred at the intersection of Kapiolani Boulevard and Kamakee Street near McKinley High’s athletic field just after 6:40 a.m.

The victim, identified as 16-year-old Sara Yara by her mother, Chevy Saniatan, was described as a “happy-go-lucky” and “loving” person.

“She was a loving and kind girl, and she always thought about others. She was just soft and gentle — even when she was mad she didn’t sound like she was upset,” Saniatan said.

Yara, who was a twin, was described as being gregarious, and she and a group of her friends rode the bus to school every day.

Saniatan said the bus dropped Yara and her friends off on Kapiolani Boulevard on the opposite side of the school every day, and she would walk across the street to get to campus.

“I worry every day, and every day I tell (my kids) I love them, and every day I tell them to be careful,” Saniatan said. “And they were careful — they were only one foot away from the sidewalk. They were almost there when the (driver) swiped them.”

Police said the pedestrians had the right-of-way.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for Yara’s family to raise funds for a memorial service.

4. Here’s what Hawaiian Electric recommends Hawaii residents do to prepare for storm-related outages

As a low pressure system approaches Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric urged customers in a news release to prepare for power outages. 

Heavy rainfall is expected and the National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for the state from Thursday through Saturday. 

The utility said it would respond to any storm-related outages, but accessibility issues caused by fallen trees or flooding may delay power restoration by many hours.

Click the link above for a list of suggestions from HECO.

(Getty Images/Erin Donalson)

5. Exclusive: McCarthy says he hasn’t spoken to Biden on debt limit since WH meeting

Over two weeks after they met at the White House, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., says President Joe Biden has not followed up with a promised phone call to continue their discussions about raising the nation’s borrowing limit.

“He hasn’t, and it’s unfortunate, because in America, our whole government, it’s designed that you have to find compromise,” McCarthy told Spectrum News in an exclusive interview Wednesday.

The U.S. government has until this summer to raise its borrowing limit. If no action is taken, Washington cannot pay all its bills, most especially the interest on its debt, creating what the administration calls “an unprecedented and economically catastrophic default.” Earlier Wednesday, a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that absent an agreement, this would occur anywhere from July to September.

McCarthy echoed his oft-used phrase of likening the debt ceiling to “giving your child a credit card — and they charge it all the way up.”

Asked for comment on McCarthy’s remark that Biden has not made a follow-up call, a White House official repeated the president’s position that Republicans agree to a “clean” debt limit increase.

Earlier Wednesday at a speech to union workers in Maryland, the president accused Republicans of using the national debt as a political tool.

6. Biden: U.S. will craft 'sharper rules' for downing aerial objects

President Joe Biden on Thursday spoke publicly for the first time since three unidentified objects were shot down out of the sky in the last week, saying he’s directed his team to come up with ‘sharper rules’ for addressing similar, slow-moving objects in U.S. airspace.

He added that the three devices are likely not part of China's spy program but rather benign, according to the intelligence community — “most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation, or research institutions, studying weather or conducting other scientific research.”

He also announced he would soon speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about his country’s surveillance balloon detected over the U.S. last week, which officials believe was spying on sensitive military sites.

The president has faced pressure to speak on the aerial objects, as administration officials’ statements in recent days have prompted more questions and offered little detail. Debris from the objects has also yet to be found or recovered.

The downing of four objects within eight days is unprecedented in peacetime. It began when the jetliner-size China spy balloon was detected above the U.S. in late January and floated above the country for a week before the U.S. sank it off the coast of South Carolina.

Your Notes for Tomorrow

Friday, Feb. 17

• MSC Munich Security Conference, major worldwide security policy conference bringing together senior figures from around the world to discuss current and future security challenges. Vice President Kamala Harris leads the U.S. delegation alongside Secretary of State Antony Blinken
• 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend begins
• U.S. Supreme Court meets in private conference to discuss cases and vote on petitions for review
• London Fashion Week
• Russian Progress 82 cargo spacecraft departs ISS
• SpaceX rocket launch for its internet satellite megaconstellation
• Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Belarus counterpart Alexander Lukashenko
• United Nations Association of the United States of America 2023 Global Engagement Summit
• U.N. Security Council vote expected on Israeli settlements

Here are events happening on the islands tomorrow:

Oahu

• What: Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i
• Where: Ho‘okela Hawaiian Heritage & Culture Center, 2nd floor | Hyatt Regency Waikiki, 2424 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu
• Details: Learn, share and celebrate Hawaiian language and culture during Mahina ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, Hawaiian Language Month, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and 24, featuring different kumu or teacher. Reservations are required.

Maui

• What: Tumua: ‘Not Even Joking’ National Tour
• Where: Maui Arts & Cultural Center | One Cameron Way, Kahului | 808-242-7469
• Details: One of Hawaii’s top comics, Tumua kicks off his “Not Even Joking” National Tour on the Valley Isle with two performances, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Tickets.

Hawaii Island

• What: Coffee with a Cop
• Where: Kona Mountain Coffee Co. | 73-4038 Hulikoa Dr., Kailua-Kona
• Details: This monthly event is getting popular as the opportunity to talk story with and get to know your community police officers. The first event is 8-10 a.m. Feb. 17. Contact Kona Community Policing at 808-326-4646 ext. 257, 258 or 259 with questions.

Kauai

• What: 4th Annual Social Awareness Film Festival
• Where: Anaina Hou Community Park | 5-2723 Kuhio Hwy., Kilauea | 808-828-2118
• Details: Shedding light on various topics that affect humans daily, this year’s event sponsored by Anaina Hou focuses on Mother Earth, Feb. 16-18, 23-25. Each featured film focuses on different aspects of the natural world and how humans can help the planet. Showings are all free with food and beverages from Bill’s Kitchen. Doors open 5:30 p.m., screening at 7 p.m. Registration to attend each screening is requested.

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

Watch Live

• Wright State takes on the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in baseball at 6 p.m., Friday, on Spectrum Sports or streaming on the Spectrum News app.