U.S. appeals court upholds TikTok law forcing its sale
The ruling is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court. Read more
Politics
Get the latest news coverage of politics including Honolulu city and county government, Hawaii legislative issues, U.S. Congress and the White House.
House Republicans block release of ethics report on Gaetz
Republicans closed ranks to turn back two nearly identical Democratic-written resolutions that would have forced the release of the report on the ethics panel’s yearslong investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use by Gaetz, R-Fla. Read more
City seeks candidates for Honolulu Ocean Safety Commission
The commission will make recommendations on the department’s annual budget, review its operations and recommend improvements, and appoint or remove a new ocean safety chief. Read more
Trump appoints former PayPal exec as AI and crypto czar
“He will work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.,” Trump said in a post on his social-media site Truth Social, without saying whether “czar” was an official title. Read more
Biden team considers blanket pardons to thwart Trump’s threats
Among those whose names have been floated for possible pardons are former Rep. Liz Cheney, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Jack Smith, the outgoing special counsel who prosecuted Trump. Read more
Elon Musk brings Trump’s government efficiency push to Capitol Hill
The two chairs of the Department of Government Efficiency have called for firing thousands of federal workers, slashing regulations and eliminating programs whose authorization has expired, such as veterans’ healthcare. Read more
FDA chief defends work on obesity, food to Senate
The hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions follows President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the country’s top health agency. Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, has also said those at the agency in charge of nutrition labels on food have “to go”. Read more
Empty homes tax bill up for final reading Dec. 11
The Honolulu City Council is scheduled to hold its final reading Wednesday on a proposed empty-homes tax. Read more
Honolulu certifies election results
The final results of Honolulu’s Nov. 5 general election involving the passage of four city charter amendments have been officially certified. Read more
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COVID hazard pay arbitration to save Hawaii County millions, Roth says
Roth said the negotiations with HGEA have been frustrating, adding that the union’s membership was never informed about the county’s various offers throughout the process. Read more
Taiwan leader talks with U.S. speaker, China warns of red lines
China considers democratically governed Taiwan its own territory without any right to the trappings of a state, and has condemned Washington for allowing Lai to stop over in both Hawaii and Guam during a visit to the Pacific. Read more
Supreme Court’s Gorsuch steps away from case after recusal request
The one-paragraph announcement made public by a court official came in a letter addressed to lawyers in the case due to be argued next Tuesday. The other eight justices will hear and decide the case. Read more
Trump picks Musk ally Jared Isaacman to head NASA
Isaacman, CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments, has flown to space twice in missions arranged by his Polaris program, an effort using SpaceX vehicles and the company’s spacesuits to conduct fully private flights in Earth orbit. Read more
Supreme Court justices lean toward Tennessee transgender law
The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, heard arguments in an appeal by Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration of a lower court’s decision upholding Tennessee’s prohibition on medical treatments such as puberty blockers and hormones for people under age 18 experiencing gender dysphoria. Read more
Trump considers DeSantis for defense secretary as support for Hegseth falters
Trump’s allies fear that reports about the president-elect’s private conversations with DeSantis, which were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, have emboldened Republican senators to question Hegseth’s viability. Read more
Kimo Alameda is sworn in as Hawaii island mayor
Alameda defeated incumbent Mitch Roth on Nov. 5 to become Hawaii County’s chief executive. Read more
Trump team agrees to FBI background checks for nominees
FBI background checks have long been a routine part of transitions. Read more
Trump’s pick to lead DEA withdraws from consideration
“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set it, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister, a Florida sheriff, said in a post on X. Read more
Bloomberg: Kennedy would be ‘beyond dangerous’ as health secretary
Bloomberg, speaking at the two-day Bloomberg American Health Summit in Washington, called on Senate Republicans to persuade President-elect Donald Trump to “rethink” his choice of Kennedy for health secretary. Read more
White House defends Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter
“They would continue to go after his son,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One during a trip to Angola. Read more
Honolulu Council wants study uniting paramedics with Fire Department
The apparent inability of the city’s ambulance service to respond to daily emergencies on a timely basis is of concern to many current and former first responders. Read more
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