Vacation rentals bill shelved: Council decides contentious measure too complicated in current state
A proposal by the Hawaii County Council to revamp how the county regulates short-term vacation rentals could start again from scratch.
Bill aims to increase number of affordable rentals
Hawaii County could change how it defines “affordable rental,” which could raise the cost of rent for some low-income residents.
HECO execs brief lawmakers on wildfire mitigation efforts
A Hawaiian Electric Co. senior vice president told lawmakers Friday the company has invested $120 million this year on “wildfire safety and resiliency measures.”
Residents return to find homes reduced to rubble after California fire
In the city of Camarillo, California, on Old Coach Drive, the smell of smoke lay heavy in the air. The fire that erupted this week had hopscotched around the neighborhood, leaving some homes relatively unscathed but reducing several to charred piles of wood and rubble.
US: Iranian agents plotted to kill Trump
NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said Friday that Iranian plotters had discussed a plan to assassinate Donald Trump before he was reelected as president this week.
With Trump tariffs looming, businesses try to ‘run from a moving target’
WASHINGTON — Rick Muskat woke up the morning after the election with an urgent task. He got his agent in China on the phone at 4:30 a.m. Beijing time and pressed him to ask their factory how many more pairs of men’s dress shoes they could make before Chinese New Year, at the end of January.
Trump weighs key personnel choices, schooled by his first-term experience
President-elect Donald Trump is not known for adherence to a disciplined and rigorous personnel selection process, but behind the scenes, his advisers and allies have been preparing lists of candidates for the most important jobs in his administration.
The Fed cuts rates, but the path ahead is less clear
Federal Reserve officials cut interest rates Thursday, their second reduction of 2024 and the latest sign that policymakers believe that inflation is finally coming under control.
Devastated Democrats play the blame game, and stare at a dark future
MADISON, Wis. — A depressed and demoralized Democratic Party is beginning the painful slog into a largely powerless future, as its leaders grapple with how deeply they underestimated Donald Trump’s resurgent hold on the nation.
Support urged for housing project
More than 200 new units could be added to an affordable housing development in Hilo under a proposal by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.
Hustace, Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder look ahead
An incoming County Council member in West Hawaii hopes to increase support to Kohala after one of the Big Island’s sole election shakeups Tuesday.
Changing of the guard: Alameda, Roth discuss outcome of the mayoral race
“I’m looking for a team that’s got my kind of energy, that’s connected to the community.”
Harris says she concedes the election, but not her fight
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris formally acknowledged her loss to President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday in a defiant and emotional speech, defending her campaign as a fight for democracy that she would continue, even if not from the Oval Office.
Four out of five ballot questions pass
The voters of Hawaii voiced their strong support for same-sex marriages in Tuesday’s General Election.
Republicans clinch control of the Senate
WASHINGTON — Republicans seized control of the Senate in Tuesday’s voting, picking up at least two Democratic seats and protecting their own embattled lawmakers to end four years of Democratic control.
Trump claims ‘powerful mandate’ after Fox News projects he has won US presidency
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Republican Donald Trump claimed victory in the 2024 presidential contest after Fox News projected that he had defeated Democrat Kamala Harris, which would cap a stunning political comeback four years after he left the White House.
Despite bomb threats and disinformation, a fairly smooth election
Americans navigated a fraught voting landscape on Election Day as a largely smooth voting process early in the day went on to be buffeted by bomb threats, widespread disinformation and unabated anxiety over the election system.
Alameda to become Hawaii County mayor
Hawaii County has elected a new mayor.
Big Island incumbents all retain seats in Legislature
The Big Island’s delegates in the state Legislature kept their seats Tuesday after cruising to easy victories.
Behind the election anger may be something else: Lingering COVID grief
LOS ANGELES — When Americans voted in the last presidential election, people were profoundly isolated from their friends and loved ones. Tens of millions of schoolchildren were still learning virtually, and office workers were hunkered down at home, experiencing the world through their smartphones and laptops.
