City and state collaborate to improve Kailua Beach Park
Between Ocean Safety Lifeguard Tower 8-B and Kaelepulu Stream, there lies a sea of dunes. Read more
Politics
Get the latest news coverage of politics including Honolulu city and county government, Hawaii legislative issues, U.S. Congress and the White House.
Gabbard, Hegseth seek Senate support amid controversy
Former Representative Gabbard, Trump’s choice for director of national intelligence, arrived for Senate meetings as the abrupt fall on Sunday of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad prompted renewed scrutiny of her 2017 visit to Damascus. Read more
Trump signals aggressive opening, threatening ‘jail’ for foes
“For what they did, honestly, they should go to jail,” Trump said of Cheney, a Republican who represented Wyoming, and the rest of the bipartisan House committee that looked into the attack. Read more
City to update search for new Oahu landfill
A state-imposed deadline of Dec. 31 looms over Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration. Read more
Trump aims to deport all undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Trump also said he plans to take executive action on his first day in office to try to end birthright citizenship, which confers citizenship on anyone born in the U.S. regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Read more
Trump: Russia abandoned Syria’s Assad; never should have been involved
Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, added that Russia and Iran, Assad’s other main backer, “are in a weakened state right now.” Read more
Hawaii joins ‘blue state’ coalitions to fight Trump policies
During Trump’s first term, cuts to federal social service programs “cost us $300 million a year in social services,” according to Green, who was lieutenant governor at the time. Read more
Gov. Josh Green plans new push on tourism fee, housing
Green plans to introduce a laundry list of bills on green fee funding ideas aimed at tourists so legislators can start hearings on them quickly after the 2025 session starts Jan. 15. Read more
Blangiardi administration skeptical of bill to ban single-use plastic bottles
The City Council is scheduled to review the measure for the second of three readings Wednesday. Read more
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Hawaii Senate tweaks committees, chairs ahead of 2025 session
Leadership continues under Senate President Ron Kouchi of Kauai. Read more
Trump stands by Pentagon pick Hegseth as nomination in doubt
A 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran, Hegseth has vowed to continue fighting for the job to lead the Department of Defense and has spent the week meeting with U.S. senators as some key lawmakers have said they are not yet ready to support him. Read more
U.S. appeals court upholds TikTok law forcing its sale
The ruling is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court. Read more
House Republicans block release of ethics report on Gaetz
Republicans closed ranks to turn back two nearly identical Democratic-written resolutions that would have forced the release of the report on the ethics panel’s yearslong investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use by Gaetz, R-Fla. Read more
City seeks candidates for Honolulu Ocean Safety Commission
The commission will make recommendations on the department’s annual budget, review its operations and recommend improvements, and appoint or remove a new ocean safety chief. Read more
Trump appoints former PayPal exec as AI and crypto czar
“He will work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.,” Trump said in a post on his social-media site Truth Social, without saying whether “czar” was an official title. Read more
Biden team considers blanket pardons to thwart Trump’s threats
Among those whose names have been floated for possible pardons are former Rep. Liz Cheney, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Jack Smith, the outgoing special counsel who prosecuted Trump. Read more
Elon Musk brings Trump’s government efficiency push to Capitol Hill
The two chairs of the Department of Government Efficiency have called for firing thousands of federal workers, slashing regulations and eliminating programs whose authorization has expired, such as veterans’ healthcare. Read more
FDA chief defends work on obesity, food to Senate
The hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions follows President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the country’s top health agency. Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, has also said those at the agency in charge of nutrition labels on food have “to go”. Read more
Empty homes tax bill up for final reading Dec. 11
The Honolulu City Council is scheduled to hold its final reading Wednesday on a proposed empty-homes tax. Read more
Honolulu certifies election results
The final results of Honolulu’s Nov. 5 general election involving the passage of four city charter amendments have been officially certified. Read more
COVID hazard pay arbitration to save Hawaii County millions, Roth says
Roth said the negotiations with HGEA have been frustrating, adding that the union’s membership was never informed about the county’s various offers throughout the process. Read more
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