Biden says he is pardoning his son, Hunter

• By Jeff Mason / Reuters
• Dec. 1, 2024
• 260

“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” he said in a statement released by the White House. Read more

Zelensky urges Biden to rally support for Ukraine’s NATO membership

• By Dan Peleschuk / Reuters
• Dec. 1, 2024
• 14

Kyiv wants NATO members to issue an invitation at an alliance meeting in Brussels this week as the invasion grinds toward its three-year mark and Russia makes battlefield gains. Read more

Close Hawaii House election goes to court after recount

• By Andrew Gomes
• Dec. 1, 2024
• 14

If granted, a do-over election could extend what already has been a topsy-turvy contest. Read more

New Hawaii legislators, leadership hold fate of legal recreational marijuana

• By Dan Nakaso
• Dec. 1, 2024
• 48

No one at the state Capitol, including Gov. Josh Green, faces election next year, which generally means it’s easier to take bold action, political analyst Colin Moore said. Read more

Trump nominates MAGA loyalist Kash Patel to lead FBI

• By Devlin Barrett / New York Times
• Nov. 30, 2024
• 104

Patel has worked as a federal prosecutor and a public defender, but he has little of the law enforcement and management experience typical of FBI directors. Read more

Hawaii state House reorganizes with new faces, leadership

• By Dan Nakaso
• Nov. 30, 2024
• 9

Incoming House Speaker Nadine Nakamura renamed several of the 18 House committees, including the former Committee on Health and Homelessness. Read more

Biden, FBI address hoax threats to lawmakers, Trump cabinet

• By Jeff Mason and Rich McKay / Reuters
• Nov. 29, 2024
• 14

Rep. Seth Magaziner, a House Democrat from Rhode Island, said today he was targeted by a bomb threat at home, a day after six Democratic lawmakers from Connecticut reported similar threats to their homes over the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Read more

Experts warn Trump’s health picks lack pandemic experience

• By Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times
• Nov. 29, 2024
• 124

“If the worst-case scenario happens and we have a serious public health crisis, the body count is going to be enormous because these guys don’t have the skills or the will to do anything about it,” said John P. Moore, a virus expert and professor at Cornell University’s Weill Cornell Medical College. Read more

City postpones identifying next landfill site

• By Ian Bauer
• Nov. 29, 2024
• 20

Although they said it would be named in November, Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration now says the future site for Oahu’s next municipal landfill will be made public in December. Read more

Mexico president touts friendly Trump call, looks to ease tariff tensions

• By Sarah Morland and Ana Isabel Martinez / Reuters
• Nov. 28, 2024
• 31

Sheinbaum struck a more conciliatory tone a day after saying Mexico would retaliate if Trump carries out his pledge to impose a 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports. Read more

Trump administration picks targeted with bomb threats, swatting

• By Tim Reid and Andrew Goudsward / Reuters
• Nov. 27, 2024
• 122

An FBI spokesperson said the bureau is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees and is working with its law enforcement partners. Read more

Trump picks physician who opposed lockdowns to head NIH

• By Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times
• Nov. 27, 2024
• 54

If confirmed by the Senate, Bhattacharya would lead the world’s premier medical research agency, with a $48 billion budget and 27 separate institutes and centers, each with its own research agenda, focusing on different diseases like cancer and heart disease. Read more

Mexico warns Trump tariffs could cut 400,000 U.S. jobs, vows response

• By Sarah Morland, Raul Cortes and Natalia Siniawski / Reuters
• Nov. 27, 2024
• 48

Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard warned the tariffs would lead to massive U.S. job losses, lower growth and hit U.S. companies producing in Mexico by effectively doubling the taxes they paid. “The impact on companies is huge,” he said. Read more

Trump tariffs could raise grocery, liquor bills

• By Reuters
• Nov. 27, 2024
• 57

Mexico and Canada are by far the top two suppliers of farm products to the United States, with imports of agricultural goods valued at nearly $86 billion last year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Customs data. Read more

What is Project 2025 and how is it connected to Trump?

• By Gram Slattery / Reuters
• Nov. 27, 2024
• 9

His selections have refocused public attention on the project, which played a significant role in the 2024 presidential campaign. Read more

Former Maui Council member sues to void election result

• By Andrew Gomes
• Nov. 27, 2024
• 18

Kelly King’s legal challenge contends that a higher-than-­normal percentage of sealed mail-in ballots were rejected by County Clerk Moana Lutey due to deficiencies with required voter signatures on ballot envelopes. Read more

At least $100K in transit fare revenue lost from cyberattack

• By Ian Bauer
• Nov. 27, 2024
• 31

Trump team weighs direct talks with North Korea’s Kim

• By Trevor Hunnicutt / Reuters
• Nov. 26, 2024
• 23

During his 2017-2021 presidency, Trump held three meetings with Kim. However, their diplomacy yielded no concrete results, even as Trump described their talks as falling “in love.” Read more