logo
Hawaii reaches landmark settlement with big pharma

Hawaii reaches landmark settlement with big pharma

Yahoo10-05-2025

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Gov. Josh Green and Attorney General Anne Lopez are expected to unveil what they're calling a 'historic settlement' with several global pharmaceutical companies during a press conference Friday afternoon at the State Capitol.
Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news
Special Deputy Attorney General Rick Fried, a partner at Honolulu-based law firm Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks, is also slated to speak.While details of the settlement remain under wraps until the official announcement, officials said the agreement marks a major milestone in Hawaii's legal fight against major pharmaceutical corporations.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'It's just ugly': Hawaii residents fed up with 'monster home' that's been standing 'derelict' for 3 years
'It's just ugly': Hawaii residents fed up with 'monster home' that's been standing 'derelict' for 3 years

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

'It's just ugly': Hawaii residents fed up with 'monster home' that's been standing 'derelict' for 3 years

Nestled in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kaimuki, a partially constructed building at 3615 Sierra Drive has become a focal point of contention. One of Hawaii's so-called 'monster homes' — unusually large residences, sometimes occupied by dozens of people — the structure has stood incomplete for three years, drawing criticism from residents and scrutiny from city officials. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) 'It's really just a disguised apartment house with inadequate parking, so as a nearby resident, I think it really should just be torn down,' a Kaimuki resident said, according to KHON2 News in a story published May 27. Here's the story behind the property, and why residents are so unhappy. Three years ago, the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) revoked the property's building permit after discovering discrepancies between the approved plans and the actual construction, per KHON2 News. A report by Hawai'i Public Radio says the structure exceeded the city's floor area ratio threshold, had more bathrooms and wet bars than permitted and lacked sufficient side and rear yards. After an appeal by the property owner was denied, new building permit applications to comply with the ordinance were filed, which are under review by the DPP, according to KHON2 News. A department spokesperson told the local broadcaster 'the owner must pay a triple fee penalty for the permit, and possibly remove any portions of the work that do not comply with the monster homes ordinance.' The DPP also noted that since 2022, 17 building permits have been revoked as part of a crackdown on such developments. Meanwhile, residents have voiced concerns about this particular unfinished building attracting illegal activity and being an eyesore. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it 'I don't think you can let these houses just sit there derelict indefinitely,' Elaine Evans told KHON2 News. Another resident, Daniel, told the broadcaster: 'Unfortunately, this monster home is very visible, that's the problem … It's just ugly.' Honolulu City Councillor Tyler Dos Santos-Tam spoke with KHON2 News last year to explain why monster homes can be a problem, particularly the one at 3615 Sierra Drive. He described these homes as large and often stretching to the border of the lot. 'Frequently, you'll see numerous entry points — disguised as back doors or side doors — but really serving as the entrances to separate units. Monster homes will have dozens of bedrooms. At 3615 Sierra Drive, for example, the building had 19 bathrooms and 21 bedrooms.' Unlike other parts of the city where there are high-rise buildings, this building was located in Kaimuki, 'where no house has more than, say, five bedrooms,' Dos Santos-Tam said. Since the neighborhood wasn't designed with high-density housing in mind, a monster home could potentially lead to problems. 'Assuming each bedroom goes to a separate person — which it often does — that's potentially 21 new cars using street parking. That's 21 new people using the area infrastructure — electrical, plumbing, water. That's 21 new people who often aren't attuned to the surrounding community. And this is assuming those people don't have spouses, children, pets, etc.' Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you'll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

No Supreme Court win, but Mexico pressures U.S. on southbound guns
No Supreme Court win, but Mexico pressures U.S. on southbound guns

Los Angeles Times

time2 hours ago

  • Los Angeles Times

No Supreme Court win, but Mexico pressures U.S. on southbound guns

MEXICO CITY — More than a decade ago, Mexican authorities erected a billboard along the border in Ciudad Juárez, across the Rio Grande from El Paso. 'No More Weapons,' was the stark message, written in English and crafted from 3 tons of firearms that had been seized and crushed. It was a desperate entreaty to U.S. officials to stanch the so-called Iron River, the southbound flow of arms that was fueling record levels of carnage in Mexico. But the guns kept coming — and the bloodletting and mayhem grew. Finally, with homicides soaring to record levels, exasperated authorities pivoted to a novel strategy: Mexico filed a $10-billion suit in U.S. federal court seeking to have Smith & Wesson and other signature manufacturers held accountable for the country's epidemic of shooting deaths. The uphill battle against the powerful gun lobby survived an appeals court challenge, but last week the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Mexico's lawsuit, ruling unanimously that federal law shields gunmakers from nearly all liability. Although the litigation stalled, advocates say the high-profile gambit did notch a significant achievement: Dramatizing the role of Made-in-U.S.A. arms in Mexico's daily drumbeat of assassinations, massacres and disappearances. 'Notwithstanding the Supreme Court ruling, Mexico's lawsuit has accomplished a great deal,' said Jonathan Lowy, president of Global Action on Gun Violence, a Washington-based advocacy group. 'It has put the issue of gun trafficking — and the industry's role in facilitating the gun pipeline — on the bilateral and international agenda,' said Lowy, who was co-counsel in Mexico's lawsuit. A few hours after the high court decision, Ronald Johnson, the U.S. ambassador in Mexico City, wrote on X that the White House was intent on working with Mexico 'to stop southbound arms trafficking and dismantle networks fueling cartel violence.' The comments mark the first time that Washington — which has strong-armed Mexico to cut down on the northbound traffic of fentanyl and other illicit drugs — has acknowledged a reciprocal responsibility to clamp down on southbound guns, said President Claudia Sheinbaum. She hailed it as a breakthrough, years in the making. 'This is not just about the passage of narcotics from Mexico to the United States,' Sheinbaum said Friday. 'But that there [must] also be no passage of arms from the United States to Mexico.' Mexico is mulling options after the Supreme Court rebuff, Sheinbaum said. Still pending is a separate lawsuit by Mexico in U.S. federal court accusing five gun dealers in Arizona of trafficking weapons and ammunition to the cartels. Meanwhile, U.S. officials say that the Trump administration's recent designation of six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations means that weapons traffickers may face terrorism-related charges. 'In essence, the cartels that operate within Mexico and threaten the state are armed from weapons that are bought in the United States and shipped there,' U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a congressional panel last month. 'We want to help stop that flow.' On Monday, federal agents gathered at an international bridge in Laredo, Texas, before an array of seized arms — from snub-nosed revolvers to mounted machine guns — to demonstrate what they insist is a newfound resolve to stop the illicit gun commerce. 'This isn't a weapon just going to Mexico,' Craig Larrabee, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio, told reporters. 'It's going to arm the cartels. It's going to fight police officers and create terror throughout Mexico.' In documents submitted to the Supreme Court, Mexican authorities charged that it defied credibility that U.S. gunmakers were unaware that their products were destined for Mexican cartels — a charge denied by manufacturers. The gun industry also disputed Mexico's argument that manufacturers deliberately produce military-style assault rifles and other weapons that, for both practical and aesthetic reasons, appeal to mobsters. Mexico cited several .38-caliber Colt offerings, including a gold-plated, Jefe de Jefes ('Boss of Bosses') pistol; and a handgun dubbed the 'Emiliano Zapata,' emblazoned with an image of the revered Mexican revolutionary hero and his celebrated motto: 'It is better to die standing than to live on your knees.' Compared with the United States, Mexico has a much more stringent approach to firearms. Like the 2nd Amendment, Mexico's Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. But it also stipulates that federal law 'will determine the cases, conditions, requirements and places' of gun ownership. There are just two stores nationwide, both run by the military, where people can legally purchase guns. At the bigger store, in Mexico City, fewer than 50 guns are sold on average each day. Buyers are required to provide names, addresses and fingerprints in a process that can drag on for months. And unlike the United States, Mexico maintains a national registry. But the vast availability of U.S.-origin, black-market weapons undermines Mexico's strict guidelines. According to Mexican officials, an estimated 200,000 to half a million guns are smuggled annually into Mexico. Data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives illustrate where criminals in Mexico are obtaining their firepower. Of the 132,823 guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico from 2009 to 2018, fully 70% were found to have originated in the U.S. — mostly in Texas and other Southwest border states. In their lawsuit, Mexican authorities cited even higher numbers: Almost 90% of guns seized at crime scenes came from north of the border. Experts say most firearms in Mexico are bought legally at U.S. gun shows or retail outlets by so-called straw purchasers,who smuggle the weapons across the border. It's a surprisingly easy task: More than a million people and about $1.8 billion in goods cross the border legally each day, and Mexico rarely inspects vehicles heading south. In recent years, the flood of weapons from the United States has accelerated, fueling record levels of violence. Mexican organized crime groups have expanded their turf and moved into rackets beyond drug trafficking, including extortion, fuel-smuggling and the exploitation of timber, minerals and other natural resources. In 2004, guns accounted for one-quarter of Mexico's homicides. Today, guns are used in roughly three-quarters of killings. Mexican leaders have long been sounding alarms. Former President Felipe Calderón, who, with U.S. backing, launched what is now widely viewed as a catastrophic 'war' on Mexican drug traffickers in late 2006, personally pleaded with U.S. lawmakers to reinstate a congressional prohibition on purchases of high-powered assault rifles. The expiration of the ban in 2004 meant that any adult with a clean record could enter a store in most states and walk out with weapons that, in much of the world, are legally reserved for military use. 'Many of these guns are not going to honest American hands,' Calderon said in a 2010 address to the U.S. Congress. 'Instead, thousands are ending up in the hands of criminals.' It was Calderón who, near the end of his term, ventured to the northern border to unveil the massive billboard urging U.S. authorities to stop the weapons flow. His appeals, and those of subsequent Mexican leaders, went largely unheeded. The verdict is still out on whether Washington will follow up on its latest vows to throttle the gun traffic. 'The Trump administration has said very clearly that it wants to go after Mexican organized crime groups,' said David Shirk, a political scientist at San Diego University who studies violence in Mexico. 'And, if you're going to get serious about Mexican cartels, you have to take away their guns.' Special correspondent Cecilia Sánchez Vidal contributed to this report.

Nordstrom is coming back to San Francisco — but not how you remember it
Nordstrom is coming back to San Francisco — but not how you remember it

San Francisco Chronicle​

time3 hours ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Nordstrom is coming back to San Francisco — but not how you remember it

The move comes nearly two years after the retailer's dramatic departure from downtown San Francisco, where it closed both its flagship store at Westfield Mall and a nearby Nordstrom Rack in 2023. Unlike its full-scale department stores, the upcoming 1,648-square-foot Nordstrom Local, set to open at 1919 Fillmore St., will not carry traditional retail inventory. Instead, it will function as a neighborhood hub offering online order pickups, returns, tailoring and personal styling appointments. The space will feature eight dressing rooms, a styling suite, and customer amenities including same-day delivery — and even a glass of wine or beer during visits. 'We're welcoming Nordstrom back,' said Planning Commission President Lydia So during the hearing. 'And we're welcoming whoever else wants to come back — or those who never considered coming here because things are hard.' After months of debate and outreach, the commission approved the proposal in a 5–2 vote. Still, the decision was not without controversy. Several residents and small business owners voiced concern that the store would worsen traffic congestion and fail to align with the neighborhood's character. 'This will increase traffic and hurt small businesses,' wrote Sharon Esker, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1969. 'It is not a retail store and I would like a better alternative to this space.' Neighbor Ditka Reiner criticized the landlord's decision to lease to a national retailer, noting that 'chain stores typically contribute to rising rents that push out small, local, independent businesses that are the backbone of a city.' The storefront, previously home to Minted, has been vacant since the early days of the pandemic and has become a symbol of the city's broader commercial vacancy crisis. But support for the project also came from a number of Fillmore Street merchants. 'Nordstrom has long been a responsible and engaged member of San Francisco's business landscape,' wrote Molly Leonetti, president of local boutique Clare V. 'Their presence will not only bring new energy to Fillmore Street but also support the success of neighboring businesses, including ours.' Andrew Graham, vice president of sales at San Francisco-based Marine Layer, agreed. 'Their convenient services, from order pickups to alterations, will attract customers who are likely to explore and shop at nearby stores, further strengthening the local economy,' he wrote. The debate around Nordstrom's return underscores ongoing tensions in San Francisco's recovery, between attracting commercial tenants to fill empty storefronts and preserving the unique character of neighborhood retail corridors.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store