News in Hilo
El Niño causing busy Pacific hurricane season; prompting talk about traditional Hawaiian resilience practices
As climate change and El Niño fuels more storm activity, a Native Hawaiian organization is exploring the ancient ahupuaʻa system as a sustainable path to defense.
High gas and rising mortgage rates trouble Trump as midterms near
WASHINGTON — Gas prices climbed, mortgage costs soared and investors on Wall Street grew jittery this past week, intensifying a political maelstrom surrounding President Donald Trump with just over a month until voters cast their ballots in the 2026 midterm election.
Networks to resume Trump coverage, even as White House excludes CNN
The major networks are set to resume their collective television coverage of President Donald Trump on Sunday, even though the White House blocked CNN from participating in the TV pool over the weekend, according to four people briefed on the deliberations.
California needs water. El Nino might bring too much.
WASHINGTON — El Nino threatens to dump torrential rains on California this winter. With a megadrought in the American West since 2000, that water should be welcome.
Bracing for midterm losses, Republicans in Congress try a preelection pivot
WASHINGTON — With less than 40 days until the midterm elections, Republicans in Congress are distancing themselves from President Donald Trump and working to show they are trying to address the high cost of living, concerned that their failure to do either so far may cost them…
Iran insists on diplomatic solution after Trump rejects peace plan
WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS/CAIRO — Iran on Sunday insisted that only diplomacy can solve its conflict with the United States and Israel after US President Donald Trump said he rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting.
At UN, Russia and Germany’s top diplomats hold first talks since 2022
UNITED NATIONS — The foreign ministers of Russia and Germany met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Saturday in the first such talks since before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump administration plans to gut clean car rules
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will move Monday to sharply scale back fuel-efficiency rules for new cars and light trucks, gutting one of the government’s most significant efforts to reduce gasoline consumption and speed the country’s shift to electric vehicles.
Kennedy Center shelved repairs now cited for closure, whistleblowers say
Former employees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts say that center officials canceled a plan to start overhauling its leaking infrastructure months ago, despite those officials now asserting the leaks posed an urgent safety risk requiring the building to…
Heavy rain and wind batter Northeast, bringing coastal flooding
Fierce wind and rain from a strengthening nor’easter lashed the Northeast on Saturday as the storm crawled up the coast, flooding low-lying coastal areas, knocking out power and canceling flights and events.
Four beluga whales die weeks after major rescue mission
Four beluga whales who were part of a large rescue mission when they were moved over the summer from a defunct marine park in Canada have died over the past few weeks, aquarium officials said.
Taking back Congress should be a slam dunk for Democrats
There may never be a more favorable setup for a midterm election cycle than the current iteration.