Grace Lee
Sunrise News Anchor
Honolulu, HI
When I told my Korean dad that I wanted to go into TV news, I was met with shocked silence that said volumes. He wanted me to go to law school. Later, he told me that he thought the news was just a phase for me. It's been quite a long a phase.
I can see why he was skeptical, at least at first. I started as an editorial assistant at KNBC in Los Angeles. I was at the bottom of the bottom, ripping scripts, answering phones and begging staffers to help me put a resume tape together. My first break - KGMB 9 News hired me as a general assignment reporter.
Visions of sipping mai tais and getting a tan on the beach quickly pranced through my head. Those thoughts were dashed quickly when I realized how hard it was to be a good reporter, especially when you were on a deadline. There's never enough time in broadcast news. While I struggled, I learned.
I remember waiting for the first sailors to arrive from Operation Iraqi Freedom at Pearl Harbor and seeing the joy and relief as families were reunited. I tracked through Maui's back country for my first exclusive interview after a small plane crash. I was amazed how the surviving family members supported each other through the shock and grief.
Twenty months later, I left Honolulu for the mainland.
In Sacramento, California, I reported at KCRA 3 News. For 3 years, I was part of the team which covered the Scott Peterson double murder trial verdict, Barry Bonds' 700th home run at AT&T park and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger taking over after a historic recall. I spent countless hours reporting in the snow, on floods and in triple degree heat. When I got the call to return to Hawaii and start a new morning show, I came running!
When we started Sunrise, it was supposed to be different from anything in the market. We wanted fast-paced news with an ensemble cast of characters. Our goal was to become the highest rated show in the morning within a year. It took 15 months.
After 3 years of the frenetic pace and endless jokes,I tearfully said goodbye to my Sunrise family. I moved to San Francisco to work for the CBS owned and operated station KPIX. I worked on every single show, and there are a lot of them! I met some of the best in the business and learned a lot, but I knew that after a little more than 2 years, it was time to come home.
That's where you will find me from 4:30am to 9am Monday through Friday, right where I belong.
Four years ago, his parents say he suddenly had trouble walking and talking. They were so worried, they took him to the emergency room, where their lives changed in an instant.
"I feel like I’m not even working, honestly. You know, (I’m) just hanging out with Martha.”
“This is an unwinnable situation for any politician."
As Halekulani's chief executive advisor, she has led the way for women to break through the glass ceiling.
"ALA Hawaii Girls State" is a leadership program for high school girls; deadline to participate is Saturday, March 30, 2019.
Next week Monday marks one year since the Las Vegas concert massacre — the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
NBC is debuting a new show called "Manifest" this fall. It follows the return of the crew and passengers of a flight who went missing years prior. Two of the stars, Melissa Roxburgh and J.R. Ramirez appeared on Sunrise to talk about it with Grace Lee. Roxburgh plays Michaela Stone who is a police officer. She gets on the plane with her son, only to return to a changed world. They don't know why, but 5 years have gone by while they were on the flight. Her hus...
Our Hawaiian word of the day is ?Onipa?a .The word ?Onipa?a can be split between the words "?oni" which means to shake or shift and "pa?a" which means affixed or set solid. When combined the word ?Onipa?a means to be steadfast, set solid and immovable. Like the ?Opihi on the rocks, he stays ?onipa?a when the large waves crash upon him. The word ?Onipa?a was the motto of Queen Lili?u?okalani. Although her reign was cut short in 1893, she remains an enduring symbol o...
Lacy Deniz will emcee the Bowl for Kids Sake event that will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii. President and CEO Dennis Brown appeared on Sunrise to talk about it along with big sister Keri Shepard and her little sis Julia. Here's information from the press release they provided below: HONOLULU, HI (September 3, 2018) – Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawai‘i is excited to present the 32nd Annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraising event on Saturdays, September 15 and S...
Tourists were on a safari tour in Crimea ... when an extra friendly passenger decided to jump in. This video was released by the Taigan Safari Park. The giant cat hopped into the open-air safari vehicle, climbing over people, licking them and even trying to cuddle with some of them. You gotta check out this prank pulled off by a couple of Filipino-American students at the University of Houston. Jehv Maravilla posted a video titled 'We Became McDonalds Poster Mode...
Howard Dicus spoke to Brent Overbeek on Sunrise. He's the senior vice president for revenue management and network planning for Hawaiian Airlines. The company is launching an all-cargo service for certain Hawaii markets. Here's the information from its press release. Hawaiian Airlines Celebrates Launch of All-Cargo Neighbor Island Service HONOLULU – Hawaiian Airlines today celebrated the launch of all-cargo service between Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye Interna...
The New York Times published an op-ed that it claims was written by a senior Trump official. He or she says there is a quiet resistance inside the administration at the highest level to thwart some of the president's policies. Howard Dicus pondered the possibility of it being true. Suppose Trump staffers work daily to block impulsive Trump orders. It wouldn’t be the first time. In Ronald Reagan’s second term, when aides thought he was less sharp than ...
It’s time for Howard’s Illustrated Economics. This time, he answers the question "Who are the largest landowners in Hawaii?" with his signature legos. The state of Hawaii owns the most land with 1,376,000 acres. The federal government comes in second with 531,000 acres. That includes all national parks and the military bases as well. Outside of those two, we'll cover the top 8. Haleakala Ranch on Maui is the 8th largest land owner with 29,000 acres. Gr...
For this Kitchen Creations, Chef Ronnie Nasuti from Tiki's Grill and Bar is incorporating a Kauai product. From the Kauai Nectar Company, he's using its truffle honey, its regular honey and its bee pollen. You can purchase these from the company by contacting them via email at info@kauainectarco.com or through social media @kauainectarco. Links to both can be found on its website: www.kauainectarco.com. Or on Kauai, you can find them at all Kauai Juice Company Location...
Women are still fighting for equal rights today. There are plenty who should be recognized for the work they have put in in the past to help to gain an equal space with men. A documentary sharing the story of the University of Hawaii Wahine volleyball team shows part of that fight before the days of Title IX. Director Dean Kaneshiro, member of the first UH Wahine volleball team Beth McLaughlin and Producer Ryan Kalei Tsuji appeared on Sunrise to talk about the upcoming film. Details a...
Hawaii's Finest, a local clothing brand, is moving to a larger location. It will have its storefront on the makai side of the New Ohana Marketplace at 333 Ward Avenue, inside the old Sports Authority. It's twice as large as its former location. It will celebrate the new store with a free grand opening event on August 31, 2018 from 5 - 10 pm. It will feature new products including quilts, shirts and dresses while also offering its very popular t-shirt line. Lots of performers tonight ...
It's a fundraiser to raise awareness about oral cancer. On Sunday, September 9, 2018 the 2nd Annual Oral Cancer Foundation’s Walk for Awareness will be held in partnership with the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and the Hawaii Dental Hygienists’ Association to raise awareness for the disease and raise monies for life-saving research. Scheduled to take place at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Campus Center, this event will honor local patients and survivo...
For this Foodie Fix, we're joined by Frolic Hawaii contributor Kelli Shiroma who has found a new eatery that's only been around a few weeks. It's a new breakfast and brunch game in downtown Honolulu. Yield was started by owner Kale Furuya and Chef Patrick Sugiyama. If Furuya sounds familiar to you, that's because he's the son of sommelier Chuck Furuya of Vino. Furuya and Patrick actually started a juice business before this called Nalo Juices. But their place on Nuuanu...
For what's trending, Steve Uyehara shared an emotional edition of Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. This time, he has legendary singer Paul McCartney in the SUV with him. And it became very emotional when they were singing the song "Let it Be". Corden said that the moment just got to him. McCartney revealed that the words "Let It Be" came to him in a dream in the 1960's from his mother. Grace Lee talked about the benefits of swaddling babies. It's supposed to cal...
There has been a recent outbreak of Legionnaires disease in Hawaii. Department of Health officials announced on Tuesday that there have been 4 cases of the potentially fatal form of pneumonia so far. One person has died from it. David Carter, an Associate Professor of Forensic Science and the Director of Forensic Sciences program at Chaminade University appeared on Sunrise to talk more about it. Carter said that the bacteria can be found in freshwater anywhere in the world...
Nearly 30 years ago, Peter Merriman opened his eponymous restaurant on Hawaii Island. The high end eatery grew with locations on Kauai and Maui, but not on Oahu. Merriman said that it didn't have the right feel, until now. He's opening a location in Kakaako on the corner of Auahi and Kamakee Streets. I got to visit and to taste the new offerings along with Frolic Hawaii Contributor Melissa Chang. Some of the favorites, like the wok charred ahi sashimi, are still on the menu to make s...
It just got more difficult to fly with your cats and dogs. United Airlines has a new policy for its PetSafe program that went in effect on June 18, 2018.
In what's trending, Howard Dicus talked about how terrorism is changing the way security is conducted at the Eiffel Tower. It's now protected on the north and south sides by a glass wall, 10 feet high and two inches thick. You can walk through after passing through security. There are metal walls on the east and west side to prevent truck bombers. The tower is 129 years old. Gustave Eiffel not only designed it but also helped design the Statue of Liberty. Billy V had a week...
Time to buy tickets. Henry Kapono is getting ready to entertain at the 3rd annual Henry Kapono & FRIENDS concert at the Waikiki Shell on Saturday, August 25, 2018. Tickets are now on sale at ticketmaster.com. Henry performed live on Sunrise to celebrate and to promote the occasion. Here are some of the people in the line-up so far: Kalapana Jerry Santos of Olomana Keola Beamer Robert Cazimero Na Leo Pilimehana John Cruz Brother Noland Robi Kahakalau Alx ...
There are only a few days before Fathers Day on June 17. Reyn Spooner is offering some ideas and a discount for shoppers.
Howard Dicus said that the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics has an interesting NEW statistic. But it's not quite as interesting as it may at first seem. There are now 6.4 million Americans counted as unemployed – and 6.7 million job openings. That's more job openings than unemployed, for the first time ever. Unemployment has been falling for years. But millions have been dropping out of the work force. Washington doesn't count them as unemployed. Not Obama's fa...
For Howard Dicus' trending story, he said that the president canceled a White House meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles after learning many team members weren't coming. Those who DID plan to go, found out about the cancellation from the media. Trump tweeted that the players disagreed with his insistence that they stand for the National Anthem. But no Eagles player took a knee during the season. Former Eagles wide receiver Torrey Smith, now with the Carolina Panthe...
It's time for the MAMo wearable art show where local designers showcase their Hawaiian fashions. You can check out the trends with hosts Robert Cazimero and kumu Vicky Holt Takamine. It's happening Wednesday, May 30, 2018, at the Tapa Ballroom, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. If you buy tickets before midnight tonight (May 29, 2018), you can get them at a discounted price. For more information and for tickets, go to paifoundation.org. Prices start at $39. Below is a l...
From her own kitchen to the bright lights of Food Network, Amy Pottinger thought she had no chance of making it onto the show as a contestant. The stay-at-home mother of two does love her food and is currently calling Hawaii her home. This Sunday, she's one of the chefs competing on the show Comeback Kitchen. Pottinger appeared on Sunrise to cook up some delicious rice noodles, sauteed marinated shrimp and paired that with some fresh vegetables. She said she loves this dish for her f...
For this week's Foodie Fix, we focus on desserts. Frolic Hawaii posted 4 local dishes and asked which looks the most delicious. First up from Foodland Farms are the mini profiteroles filled with a vanilla bean gelato and topped with a warm chocolate ganache. Next choice, a custard tart with a shortbread cookie crust which is from Won Kee Restaurant. Then, there is the lemongrass curd tart with olive oil sorbet and topped with currant tomatoes from Stage Restaurant. And last ...
Howard Dicus shared two interesting primary election results for the trending segment. A Georgia state senator, who co-chaired Trump's campaign there, gave up his seat to run for governor, driving around in what he called the Deportation Bus, vowing if elected he would find illegals and send them back where they came from. In the GOP primary he got only 5% of the vote. And in the Republican legislative primaries in Kentucky, the state House majority leader was unseated by a scho...
For 30 years, he has been at the heart of the fashion world, working his way up to the Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus. Ken Downing hobnobs with the Hollywood A-listers and the most sought after names in design. This week, he was in Honolulu gearing up for the 20th anniversary of Neiman at Ala Moana. The last time he was on the islands was when the store opened in 1998. He talked to Sunrise's Grace Lee about what it was like then and now in this two part segment for Beauty and Grac...
It has launched in about 60 markets to mixed reviews. Lime started its electric scooter service in Honolulu on May 12, 2018. It's a clean, green way to get around a dense urban core. But the Honolulu Police Department have been picking up the scooters over the weekend, treating them like abandoned property. Officers say they have even been dumped in the Ala Wai. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell appeared on Sunrise and was clearly displeased with the launching of the scooter service. He s...
Summer is fast approaching and that means the danger of heat stroke for your four-legged friend is even higher. Veterinarian Richard Fujie from the King Street Pet Hospital appeared on Sunrise to talk about what you should do to avoid it and how to treat it. Heat stroke can be deadly in dogs and occurs quite frequently. Dogs are more susceptible to heat stroke than humans because they don't perspire. They only have sweat glands in their paws. Humans perspire and the ...
From Noeau Designers, Lele Malaki, the co-owner and Kaena Kirkland, the social media and events coordinator, appeared on Sunrise this morning. They'll be at a special pop up event that is happening on May 4 - 6 at Ka Makana Alii in Kapolei. They'll be just one of the vendors showing their merchandise. There will also be different types of seminars and services including tattooing. The ladies said that this is the perfect place to pick up a gift for Mother's Day. For more informa...
For Kitchen Creations, Chef Ronnie Nasuti from Tiki's Grill and Bar featured produce from Kahuku farms. It's a farm that dates back to the early 1900's on Oahu's North Shore. They're known for everything from papaya to bananas to eggplant. Chef Ronnie created a vegetarian dish which he will feature for an upcoming fundraiser for Leeward Community College this weekend. His recipes are below. Kahuku Farms Eggplant Roulade, Cheese Soufflé, Avocado Puree Recipes Yie...
Howard Dicus reports Federal court battles over the DACA program have raised an interesting legal question. As you know, DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The program aids people whose parents brought them to America as children. It allows them to secure work visa and avoid deportation. Several courts have blocked the administration from scrapping DACA. But one federal judge in New York is to some extent reconsidering. He considered inflammatory st...
For this week's Food Fix with Frolic Hawaii, their contributors posted 4 popular local dishes on their Instagram page.
Corinne Yogi got a big honor last night. She was awarded the Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership as the principal of Kipapa Elementary School. Island Insurance sponsored the award and will give her $25,000 as a prize. She joined Billy V on the set along with Tyler Tokioka - the President of the Island Insurance Foundation to talk about the experience. Copyright 2018 Hawaii News Now.
Our Hawaiian word of the day is "Moolelo". The word moolelo means story, myth, legend and history. The word is derived from the words "moo" and "olelo", or the succession of speech, as our stories were traditionally passed down orally. Used in a sentence "E malama pono i na moolelo ohana" Which translates as "Take care of your family stories." Moolelo was shared successively from generation to generation, providing ancestra...
In "what's trending" today, Billy V says the competition is getting fierce on "The Voice". Tonight on KHNL at 7 pm, the field will be narrowed to the top 12 contestants. Some of the contestants who were eliminated earlier this week got a second chance to make the cut. Billy shares his top picks. Steve shares some video of a little girl watching the Washington Capitols warming up before the game. She sees Brett Connolly who tosses a puck to her. But the ...
At Pearl City High's Introduction to Math class, Ms. Kaji's students had a tough project to crack. She asked the students to find a problem in the community AND to solve it. There were 4 groups. The one that won by being voted the best and raising the most money included Katrina Bersamin, Brittny Ihara, Hunter Malaki, Kasia Oh and Coryn Perreira. They appeared on Sunrise to talk about it. They noticed that there was a feral cat problem on their campus. They decided to crea...
Today's topic for Smart Money Monday is how to take a great vacation without breaking the bank. To give us some money-saving travel tips is Ann Banting from Bank of Hawaii. Grace: So, Anne , is traveling on a budget really possible or just an urban myth? Anne: It's possible. It does take more planning and more creativity, but in the end you can have a great trip and save a great deal. Grace: OK, I'm ready to pack my bags. How do I do it for less? Anne: For starters, don't just shop...
In trending today, Howard Dicus said, "I want to tell you a true story, from when I was a little boy in Maryland. TV commercials were new. People believed them. They can’t say it if it’s not true. Right? Betty Crocker and Uncle Ben are real people. Right? Doctors endorse cigarettes so they must be good. Right? I remember a commercial: a housewife is in a panic. Her rice is sticky. Then she tries Minute Rice. People believed commercials. My mother bough...
For trending, Steve shared a picture after a 17-year-old girl took her driver's license test. She meant to put the car in reverse, but it was in drive and she drove through the wall of a building. Yes, she failed. Grace was sympathetic to parents who know they cannot control a toddler, even if they're the prime minister. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was traveling with his family and fulfilling some of his duties. His 3-year-old son Hadrien did not care and he expressed mult...
