Potential threats to Big Island ranked during meeting
Invasive species and earthquakes topped Big Island residents’ concerns during a community discussion last Monday about a planned update to Hawaii County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Beware Wailuku River: Effort underway to post more ominous warning signs
Councilwoman Jenn Kagiwada is hosting a town hall meeting on Zoom to discuss enhanced signage intended to keep would-be swimmers out of the waters of the state parks along the Wailuku River in Hilo.
Trump taps investor Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump picked Scott Bessent to serve as Treasury secretary Friday, tapping a billionaire hedge fund manager to lead an economic agenda that is expected to be built around raising tariffs and cutting taxes.
The ‘landslide’ that wasn’t: Trump and allies pump up his narrow victory
WASHINGTON — On the night he won a second term, President-elect Donald Trump rejoiced in the moment. “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he boasted. In the two weeks since, his campaign has repeatedly heralded his “landslide,” even to market Trump merchandise like the “Official Trump Victory Glass.”
Weed for PTSD? Eager for better cannabis science, FDA clears study
In 2021, federal health officials declined to sign off on a clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of using marijuana to treat military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Blue states worry that blocking Trump will be tougher this time
SEATTLE — During the early days of Donald Trump’s first presidency, lawyers at the attorney general’s office in Washington state would gather to strategize about what they saw as troubling directives being handed down by the White House.
‘Extravaganza’ starts today: Christmas craft fair will feature more than 100 vendors
Now is the perfect time to get a running start on your holiday shopping at the 35th Annual Hilo Christmas Extravaganza Craft Fair.
Hilo man free on probation for death of Barbara Klein
The husband and a daughter of a 79-year-old aikido instructor killed more than a year ago in a Hilo traffic collision told the court Thursday the Judiciary has no satisfactory sentence to impose for her death.
Proposal regarding hospitals advances
In order to improve health care access across the Big Island, the Hawaii County Planning Department hopes to expand where hospitals and other medical facilities are allowed to be built.
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.
