Get the latest news coverage of politics including Honolulu city and county government, Hawaii legislative issues, U.S. Congress and the White House.
The state Legislature has passed a major reform bill for vehicle window tinting laws, which marks the most significant update since originally enacted in 1983, the House of Representatives announced Friday. Read more
The U.S. government last invoked the Alien Enemies Act during World War Two to intern and deport people of Japanese, German and Italian descent. Read more
Federal law enforcement officials are investigating an Instagram photo posted by Comey of the number 8647 formed by seashells with the comment, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” Read more
The vote came despite Trump calling for Republicans to “UNITE behind” the legislation, saying on social media: “We don’t need ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ in the Republican Party. Read more
Legislation to allow private sponsorship of city parks and other public facilities in order to garner more revenue for the city was unanimously adopted Wednesday by the Honolulu City Council. Read more
The justices heard more than two hours of arguments in the administration’s emergency request to scale back the injunctions blocking Trump’s directive, which is a key part of his hardline approach toward immigration. Read more
After Trump’s meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the White House said he announced deals that included a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways to invest in 28 Boeing 787 and 777x aircraft powered by engines made by GE Aerospace. Read more
Honolulu City Council legislation to defray costs associated with the city’s planned 10-year, 115% sewer fee rate hike slated to start this summer has advanced on the first of three readings. Read more
Green — America’s only sitting governor who’s also a medical doctor — previously testified against the Senate confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary because of Kennedy’s skepticism of vaccines. Read more
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Experts have said it would take years and hundreds of millions of dollars to make the Qatari aircraft, known as a “palace in the sky,” suitable for use as transportation for the U.S. commander in chief, despite backers of the plan saying it would save money. Read more
Gabbard’s decision comes as President Donald Trump has openly mused to aides over time about whether the office she leads — which was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to improve interagency coordination — should continue to exist. Read more
“I know we have deep feelings on these issues, and we may not all agree on everything,” said Guthrie, a Republican who is in his first term as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Read more
The states called the threats, which would cut federal money for transportation, counterterrorism and emergency preparedness, “blatantly illegal” and a “hostage scheme.” Read more
Harvard filed the amended complaint in federal court in Boston hours after a federal antisemitism task force announced that eight government agencies were canceling additional grants on top of the $2.2 billion in funding President Donald Trump’s administration had already terminated. Read more
Haines, appointed by Trump during his first term, ruled that the administration must give potential deportees at least 21 days’ notice and the opportunity to challenge their removals, to avoid the possibility that people who are not gang members “may be errantly removed from this country.” Read more
The order published late on Monday offers some relief to big Chinese e-commerce players Shein and Temu and follows a weekend deal between Beijing and Washington to unwind for 90 days most of the tit-for-tat tariffs imposed on each other’s goods since early April. Read more
The U.S. agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, according to the White House, which called it “the largest defense cooperation agreement” Washington has ever done. Read more
More than 15,000 USDA staff have been fired or accepted Trump’s financial incentives to leave the agency, leaving fewer experts to respond to an ongoing outbreak of bird flu and draining technical staff from local offices that serve farmers. Read more
Schumer, referring to reports that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had signed off on the deal for the plane, called it “a blatantly inept decision.” Read more
Within a split-second of a Friday evening deadline about two weeks ago, state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole announced in a legislative conference room, “We have a bill. Gotta be the last one.” Read more
Schatz blasted the plan today on the Senate floor and called it a clear violation of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Read more
