Ryan Finnerty
Government and Public Policy ReporterRyan Finnerty was Hawaiʻi Public Radio's multi-award-winning Government and Public Policy reporter focusing on state and county politics, business, economics, the military, science, and the environment. He has also been a producer on HPR's local public affairs talk show The Conversation.
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New York healthcare workers must be vaccinated for COVID-19 or lose their jobs. At one rural hospital, opposition to the vaccine is exacerbating an existing labor shortage, forcing cuts to services.
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People in Plattsburgh, New York are looking forward to the August 9th reopening of the nearby U.S.-Canadian border to fully vaccinated Americans.
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Hawaii is using some of its CARES Act money to create a version of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The state is now trying to spend the last of the funds before the deadline later this month. -
The U.S. military is increasing efforts to counter China’s influence around the Pacific by cultivating partnerships with countries in the region. Hawaii is playing a central role. -
Hawaii Lawmaker Spent Years Obstructing Vaping Regulation While Receiving Thousands From Big TobaccoAs youth vaping rates surged, a powerful state lawmaker repeatedly held up anti-vaping laws while accepting nearly $20,000 in campaign contributions from tobacco companies and lobbyists. -
The tourist economy in Hawaii has been decimated by the pandemic, with 1 in 6 people there unemployed. Now, the state hopes new traveler testing protocols will help bring visitors back to its beaches. -
At recent protests around the country, a striking sight is becoming increasingly common: heavily armed men wearing brightly colored, tropical-themed aloha shirts. -
As the coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe, Americans returning to the U.S. were entering the country without any health screening. -
A dispute over wastewater and coral reefs in Hawaii could have a major impact on the reach of the Clean Water Act. The Supreme Court hears arguments in the case Wednesday.
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Hawaii is largely relying on solar panels and battery storage to achieve its 100 percent renewable electricity goal. But geothermal power offers the possibility of carbon-free energy without the inconsistency of solar and wind.
