‘Clean elections’ bill has widespread support
HILO, Hawai‘i — A proposal to publicly finance Hawai‘i election campaigns is riding a wave of public support through the state Legislature.
Committee hearing set for cannabis bill
HILO, Hawai‘i — A bill that would legalize adult-use recreational marijuana in Hawaii on Jan. 1, 2026, will receive a committee hearing this week.
Assault will cost state $1.25M: Settlement reached in Hilo case involving DLNR officer
HILO, Hawai‘i — Companion bills in the Hawai‘i Legislature that appropriate money to settle claims against the state and its employees contain $1.25 million for a Hilo woman who was sexually assaulted when she was on a Hilo beach by a Department of Land and Natural Resources enforcement officer.
Hawai‘i Supreme Court issues gun rights ruling
HONOLULU — A ruling by Hawai‘i’s high court saying that a man can be prosecuted for carrying a gun in public without a permit cites crime-drama TV series “The Wire” and invokes the “spirit of Aloha” in an apparent rebuke of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that expanded gun rights nationwide.
Connecting to Kaua‘i’s endangered forest birds
LIHU‘E — The primary objective of Makahiki o na manu, or the Year of the Forest Birds, is to rekindle people’s pilina, their relationship, with the native forest birds, said Julie Diegmann of the Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project on Wednesday.
Short-term vacation rental bill blasted
HILO, Hawai‘i — A proposal to rewrite how Hawai‘i County regulates short-term vacation rentals led to hours of backlash from residents accusing the Hawai‘i County Council of overreach.
Alaska judge will preside over upcoming Hawai‘i bribery trial after an unexpected recusal
HONOLULU — A U.S. judge in Alaska will preside over an upcoming bribery trial in Hawai‘i against Honolulu’s former top prosecutor after a judge suddenly recused himself.
Council chair to host series of town halls
LIHU‘E — The Office of the County Clerk, Council Services Division announced on Monday that Kaua‘i County Council Chair Mel Rapozo will host a series of town halls throughout the island starting on Jan. 25.
Hawai‘i governor hails support for Maui in State of the State address
HONOLULU — Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green on Monday used his annual State of the State address to lead lawmakers and guests in a moment of silence for victims of the Lahaina wildfire and to propose aggressive steps to shift more vacation rentals into residential use to meet both Maui and the state’s acute housing needs.
Trump wins New Hampshire primary
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former President Donald Trump easily won New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday, seizing command of the race for the Republican nomination and making a November rematch against President Joe Biden feel all the more inevitable.
Biden wins primary through a write-in effort
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden won New Hampshire’s largely symbolic Democratic primary on Tuesday, prevailing in an unusual write-in effort after he refused to campaign or appear on the state ballot.
Biden, Harris blame Trump at Virginia abortion rally
MANASSAS, Va. — President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned abortion bans that have increasingly endangered the health of pregnant women, forcing them to grow sicker before they can receive medical care, and he laid the blame on Donald Trump, his likely Republican challenger in this year’s election.
Biden to speak at United Auto Workers conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden will be the keynote speaker Wednesday at a United Auto Workers’ political convention as he works to sway blue-collar workers his way in critical auto-making swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin.
Trump seeks control of the GOP in New Hampshire
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Donald Trump is aiming for a commanding victory Tuesday in New Hampshire, securing a sweep of the first two Republican primary races that would make a November rematch with President Joe Biden look more likely than ever.
Haley hopes to stop Trump: ‘America does not do coronations’
LACONIA, N.H. — As the last major challenger in Donald Trump ‘s way to the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley is hoping New Hampshire voters feel so strongly about keeping the former president away from the White House that they turn out to support her in large numbers.
Biden, Harris team up to campaign for abortion rights in Virginia
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will share the stage on Tuesday in Virginia as they campaign for abortion rights, a top issue for Democrats in an election expected to feature a rematch with Donald Trump, the former Republican president.
AI-generated robocall impersonates Biden
The New Hampshire attorney general’s office on Monday said it was investigating reports of an apparent robocall that used artificial intelligence to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice and discourage voters in the state from coming to the polls during Tuesday’s primary election.
Supreme Court uphold order to redraw Detroit legislative seats
LANSING, Mich. — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request from Michigan’s redistricting commission to overrule an order to redraw 13 Detroit-area seats in the Legislature, a decision that will likely make the legislative maps more competitive.
DeSantis ends presidential bid, endorses Trump
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his Republican presidential campaign on Sunday, ending his 2024 White House bid just before the New Hampshire primary while endorsing his bitter rival Donald Trump.
Haley tries to draw New Hampshire’s independents
CONCORD, N.H. — Richard Anderson drove through a snowstorm last week to see his preferred candidate in New Hampshire’s Republican primary. But he’s not sure how far he’ll go to support her if she wins the nomination.