Lawmakers call for more scrutiny of NewsBreak app over Chinese origins

• By Alexandra Alper and James Pearson / Reuters
• June 8, 2024
• 1

Honolulu Council adopts gift ban bill for city officials

• By Ian Bauer
• June 8, 2024
• 41

The City Council voted unanimously to adopt Bill 23, meant to tighten existing rules that bar city employees from accepting gifts valued in excess of $50, also clarifying which gifts may be solicited or accepted. Read more

Clarence Thomas acknowledges 2019 trips paid by Harlan Crow

• By Abbie VanSickle / New York Times
• June 7, 2024
• 280

The trips, taken in 2019, were earlier revealed by ProPublica, but it is the first time Thomas has included them on his financial disclosures. Read more

Honolulu salaries amendment set for 2024 ballot

• By Ian Bauer
• June 7, 2024
• 10

A resolution calling for a voter-approved charter amendment to cap the annual pay of the Honolulu City Council has advanced. Read more

Judge reshuffles hearings in Trump documents case

• By Alan Feuer / New York Times
• June 6, 2024
• 50

The move by the judge, Aileen Cannon, was unlikely to have much impact on the overall trajectory of the case, but it reflected the substantial number of unresolved legal motions she is juggling. Read more

At D-Day commemoration, Biden pledges continued Ukraine support

• By Elizabeth Pineau, John Irish, Lucien Libert, Jeff Mason, Gabriel Stargardter, Tassilo Hummel, Muvija M and William James / Reuters
• June 6, 2024
• 16

He urged Western and NATO allies to recapture the spirit of D-Day and work together at a time when he said democracy was under greater threat than at any time since the end of World War Two. Read more

Hee, Kahele reemerge in Hawaii politics as Say exits

• By Dan Nakaso
• June 6, 2024
• 184

If Hee moves on to the Nov. 5 general election, he will face incumbent Republican Brenton Awa. Kahele has chosen to run for OHA and has the name recognition to be a strong contender, UH associate professor Colin Moore said. Read more

Honolulu City Council adopts $4.7 billion budget package

• By Ian Bauer
• June 6, 2024
• 19

The Honolulu City Council unanimously adopted Wednesday a nearly $4.7 billion budget package slated to bolster police and fire services, upgrade city parks and develop more affordable housing for the 2025 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Read more

House GOP urges DOJ to prosecute Biden’s son, brother

• By Makini Brice / Reuters
• June 5, 2024
• 59

More than eight months have passed since House Republicans launched their probe into the Democratic president. Read more

Trump prosecutors urge judge to keep gag order in place

• By Luc Cohen / Reuters
• June 5, 2024
• 60

In a letter to Justice Juan Merchan today, prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office said the court still had an interest in protecting the remaining proceedings. Read more

Honolulu Council is poised to adopt $4 billion-plus budget

• By Ian Bauer
• June 5, 2024
• 32

The Honolulu City Council today is expected to review for adoption the city’s proposed $3.63 billion executive operating budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Read more

Fauci denies suppressing COVID lab leak theory

• By Ahmed Aboulenein / Reuters
• June 4, 2024
• 60

In his first time addressing the allegations publicly since a 14-hour hearing held behind closed doors in January, Fauci also reiterated that he believes the most likely origin of the pandemic was animal-to-human transmission. Read more

Merrick Garland rebukes attacks on Justice Department

• By Glenn Thrush and Charlie Savage / New York Times
• June 4, 2024
• 8

He pushed back against the false accusation that the Justice Department was somehow behind the prosecution and subsequent conviction of former President Donald Trump on 34 felony counts. Read more

Biden announces new asylum restrictions at U.S.-Mexico border

• By Ted Hesson and Mica Rosenberg / Reuters
• June 4, 2024
• 80

The new measures will take effect immediately and will have exceptions for unaccompanied children, people who face serious medical or safety threats and victims of trafficking. Read more

Republican Party busy recruiting for Hawaii’s uncontested Senate and House races

• By Dan Nakaso
• June 4, 2024
• 2

Some 32 Republican candidates are running for the state House and Senate ahead of today’s candidate filing deadline for the Aug. 10 party primary elections. Read more

New injunction is sought to stop Haiku Stairs’ removal

• By Ian Bauer
• June 4, 2024
• 81

The Friends of Haiku Stairs have filed a new legal motion meant to stop the city’s planned demolition of the World War II-era staircase, above Haiku Valley and the H-3 freeway, in Kaneohe. Read more

Sweeping Hawaii income tax relief becomes law

• By Andrew Gomes
• June 4, 2024
• 156

Hawaii is now on a path to go from being almost the most burdensome state for income taxes to one of the least. Read more

Israel: No date set for Netanyahu’s address to U.S. Congress

• By Humeyra Pamuk, Patricia Zengerle and Jasper Ward / Reuters
• June 3, 2024
• 5

Without citing a source, a Punchbowl News reporter said on X.com that Netanyahu would address a meeting of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate on June 13. Politico and Bloomberg later reported the same date, citing unnamed sources. Read more