Hawaii Pacific University said Tuesday that it will host a free public talk examining emerging technologies and their impacts on ecosystems and communities.

David M. Berube, Ph.D., a research professor at North Carolina State University, will discuss new technologies that might affect communities at the event, “Emerging Technologies, Energy and Public Engagement.” The talk is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. April 18 at Aloha Tower Marketplace, Multi Purpose Room 3, as part of HPU’s Presidential Lecture Series on Global Leadership and Sustainability.

It is free and open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, visit hpu.edu/presidential.

Louganis finally lands on Wheaties box

CHICAGO >> Greg Louganis, the four-time Olympic gold medal-winning diver, is among three athletes who will be featured on “Wheaties Legends” boxes that will be in stores beginning next month.

Wheaties maker General Mills said Tuesday that Louganis, swimmer Janet Evans and track-and-field star Edwin Moses will be on the boxes.

Louganis is also widely known for hitting his head on the diving platform during rounds at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. In 1995 he revealed he was gay and had been diagnosed as HIV-positive six months before that accident in 1988.

Hiring in U.S. reaches 9-year high

WASHINGTON >> U.S. hiring jumped to a nine-year high in February, a sign of robust business demand for new workers, while the number of open positions slipped.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that 5.4 million people found jobs, a 5.8 percent jump from January and the most since November 2006. More Americans also quit their jobs. Both figures point to a healthier labor market.

U.S. trade deficit rises to 6-month high

WASHINGTON >> The U.S. trade deficit rose in February to the highest level in six months as the growth in imports outpaced a modest rise in exports.

The trade gap widened to $47.1 billion, up 2.6 percent from a January imbalance of $45.9 billion, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

Boosted by stronger sales of U.S.-made autos, exports increased 1 percent to $178.1 billion. Imports were up 1.3 percent to $225.1 billion.

Growth at U.S. services firms rebounds

WASHINGTON >> Growth picked up last month at U.S. services companies. The Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday that its services index rebounded to 54.5 in March from a two-year low of 53.4 in February. Anything above 50 signals growth.

Business activity and new orders grew faster. A measure of export orders surged to the highest level in a year.