Thumbs down for Kona Vistas
A 10-year extension for a controversial West Hawaii housing development to complete construction has once again been rejected, this time by the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday.
Republicans block release of ethics report on Gaetz
WASHINGTON — House Republicans voted Wednesday to block the release of an Ethics Committee report about sexual misconduct and illicit drug use allegations against former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican who is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for attorney general, setting up a possible constitutional clash between the House and the Senate.
Medicaid may face big cuts and work requirements
WASHINGTON — With Republicans set to control Washington, conservative lawmakers and policy experts who could advise the next Trump administration are discussing long-sought cuts to Medicaid, the government health program that covers roughly a fifth of all Americans and makes up about 10% of the federal budget.
More than $1.2M in PONC funds awarded to nonprofits
More than $1.2 million in Hawaii County grants was awarded to various Big Island nonprofits to maintain over 3,400 acres of conservation land.
For minority working-class voters, dismay in Democrats led to distrust
The working-class voters Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign needed were not moved by talk of joy. They were too angry about feeling broke.
Trump plans to nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz to oversee Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would nominate Dr. Mehmet Oz, the author and former television host, to serve as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a powerful agency that oversees health insurance programs covering more than 150 million Americans.
Manhattan DA suggests freezing Trump’s case while he is president
NEW YORK — Manhattan prosecutors on Tuesday rebuffed President-elect Donald Trump’s request to dismiss his criminal conviction in the wake of his electoral victory, signaling instead their willingness to freeze the case while he holds office.
How Tulsi Gabbard became a favorite of Russia’s state media
In 2017, when she was still a Democratic member of Congress, Tulsi Gabbard traveled to Syria and met the country’s authoritarian president, Bashar Assad. She also accused the United States of supporting terrorists there.
Inaba, Onishi tapped to lead council
The Hawaii County Council has reorganized its leadership for the upcoming 2024-2026 term.
Large Hawaii Island coral recovery project complete
Nearly 11 years of coral growth in West Hawaii waters was successfully relocated to reefs and coral nurseries last week.
Trump confirms plans to use the military to assist in mass deportations
President-elect Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he intended to declare a national emergency and use the U.S. military in some form to assist in his plans for mass deportations of immigrants who do not have legal residency status.
Why a $4 billion settlement of Maui fire claims is tangled up in court
The ashes of last summer’s devastating fire in Lahaina on Maui, which killed 102 people and destroyed the town, were still smoldering when talk turned to how fraught the rebuilding process would be.
Liberals are left out in the cold as social media veers right
SAN FRANCISCO — After Donald Trump won the election this month, his supporters gravitated to a panoply of online destinations to celebrate.
Trump signals a ‘seismic shift,’ shocking the Washington establishment
WASHINGTON — Somehow disruption doesn’t begin to cover it. Upheaval might be closer. Revolution maybe. In less than two weeks since being elected again, Donald Trump has embarked on a new campaign to shatter the institutions of Washington as no incoming president has in his lifetime.
Puna man, woman charged with animal cruelty
A man and woman, both from Puna, face criminal charges after allegedly leaving a dog alone inside a car in a Kona parking lot earlier this month.
Gov. Green calls Kennedy’s choice as HHS leader ‘insane’
County provides update on Highway 137
Work to restore the lava-covered Highway 137 remains on schedule, despite a minor snag.
Democrats draw up an entirely new anti-Trump battle plan
WASHINGTON — Locked out of power next year, Democrats are hatching plans to oppose President-elect Donald Trump that look nothing like the liberal “resistance” of 2017.
Why Kennedy sees an ‘epidemic’ of chronic disease among children
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, has for years called attention to what he considers an “epidemic” of chronic disease that has left America’s children among the sickest in the developed world.
With initial cabinet picks, Trump takes on biggest foes
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is wasting little time in taking on the three governmental institutions that most frustrated his political ambitions during his first term and making clear he will not brook resistance in his second.
