Territory gets temporary reprieve from mandated wage hike
Fo’isia certified to carry six passengers, no cargo, under recreational vessel rulesThe U.S. Coast Guard says the government’s new boat, Fo’isia is certified under recreational purposes to carry only six passengers, while ASG undergoes a lengthy full certification process, that Gov. Togiola Tulafono hopes will allow the transport of more passengers. Fili Sagapolutele [+] |
Defense moves to keep Fono renovations out of Tulifua caseSen. Tulifua T. Lam Yuen’s defense team last Monday filed a new motion with the federal court in Washington D.C. renewing its request to stop federal prosecutors from offering evidence at trial regarding the renovation projects performed by his company at the Fono. Fili Sagapolutele [+] |
2009 Christmas Greetings for Our Troops Merry Christmas to all our troops serving around the world. And thank you for what you do. Leave your Christmas greetings for family and friends here in the comments section. Families and friends can also leave greetings for our troops. [+] |
UPDATES WILL BE SHOWN HERE
See NOAA's spectacular video of deep-ocean volcano eruption Scientists funded by NOAA and the National Science Foundation recorded the deepest erupting volcano yet discovered, describing high-definition video of the undersea eruption as “spectacular.” [+] |
Kruse orders subpoenas for everyone involved with mental health facilityWith no solid updates on the construction status of a mental health facility in the territory, Chief Justice Michael Kruse has ordered the issuance of court subpoenas for everyone involved to appear next month for an update, saying the government is becoming a broken record with the same story: “it’s in the planning.” Fili Sagapolutele [+] |
Local WIC joins national fight against obesityAs a national program, Women, Infants and Children—WIC— is joining the fight against what has become an epidemic in America: obesity, with all its attendant problems. Teri Hunkin [+] |
Community Briefs The three nights of the ASG Territorial Christmas Program ended Friday night with closing remarks offered by Lt. Gov. Faoa A. Sunia, who said he hopes the spirit of Christmas as well as the Christmas songs and skits performed bring comfort to families who lost loved ones due to the Sept. 29 tsunami. [+] |
Court News A 21-year old man who was initially charged with three counts of rape will be sentenced next month now that his plea agreement with the government has been accepted by the High Court. Fili Sagapolutele [+] |
Judy McCoy of ASDHS graduates executive course at Asia-Pacific Center (BASED ON PRESS RELEASE)—HONOLULU— Ms. Judy McCoy, American Samoa Department of Homeland Security, from Tafuna, graduated Dec.10 from the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies “Executive Course: Advanced Security Cooperation” course. [+] |
First Lieutenant Ifopo deploys to Kuwait First Lieutenant La’auli Ifopo and his wife Matauaina Mutini Ifopo, daughter Musu Noekaralani, son Johnny La’auli III, and Tasi Porotesano Elijah Ifopo on the night of his deployment ceremony. He has deployed with the 382nd TTOE for a year to Camp Buehring, Kuwait. [+] |
Hawaii dimmed by education, election, health cuts HONOLULU (AP) -- Hawaii public schools are closed most Fridays, rats scurry across bananas in uninspected stores and there may not be enough money to run the next election. [+] |
Obama plan could limit records hidden from public WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama plans to deal with a Dec. 31 deadline that automatically would declassify secrets in more than 400 million pages of Cold War-era documents by ordering government-wide changes that could sharply curb the number of new and old government records hidden from the public. [+] |
Senate Democrats clear hurdle on health care bill WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democrats won a crucial test vote on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, putting them on track for passage before Christmas of the historic legislation to remake the nation's medical system and cover 30 million uninsured. [+] |
What's in health care proposals for 5 Americans (AP) -- As Congress gets closer to a final health care bill, many Americans want to know: What's in it for me? The answer is: It depends. On your age and household income. Whether you own a business and whether it's big or small. Whether you're insured now and who provides that insurance. [+] |
Witnesses: Protests at funeral for Iranian cleric DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Tens of thousands of mourners are in Iran's holy city of Qom for the funeral of the most senior dissident cleric who denounced the government's crackdowns. [+] |
INSIDE WASHINGTON: An anti-whistleblower culture WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Marine Corps whistleblower says military officials are trying to force him from his job for exposing failures to deliver lifesaving equipment to troops in Iraq. [+] |
At 100, Boy Scouts say they're still `essential' POCONO SUMMIT, Pa. (AP) -- A fifth-generation Boy Scout, 11-year-old Brad Corr is steeped in all the lore and tradition: the Scout Oath and Scout Law, campcraft and community service, the daily doing of good deeds. [+] |
China: Climate talks yielded 'positive' results BEIJING (AP) -- China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, lauded Sunday the outcome of a historic U.N. climate conference that ended with a nonbinding agreement that urges major polluters to make deeper emissions cuts - but does not require it. Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said the international climate talks that brought more than 110 leaders together in Copenhagen produced "significant and positive" results. [+] |
Obama raced clock, chaos, comedy for climate deal WASHINGTON (AP) -- It was almost unthinkable. The president of the United States walked into a meeting of fellow world leaders and there wasn't a chair for him, a sure sign he was not expected, maybe not even wanted. [+] |
Climate reality: Voluntary efforts not enough COPENHAGEN (AP) -- Around the world, countries and capitalism are already working to curb global warming on their own, with or without a global treaty. [+] |
Forest plan gets the ax at UN climate talks COPENHAGEN (AP) -- A plan to protect the world's biologically rich tropical forests by paying poor nations to protect them was shelved Saturday after world leaders failed to agree on a binding deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [+] |
