Hawaii Economy

After more than a year of talks about diversifying Hawaii's tourism-dependent economy, little progress has been made as island tourism thrives again. "We have learned nothing from our troubled year," said Sen. Glenn Wakai, chair of the…

As Hawaii looks for ways to rebuild an economy devastated by the global pandemic, military spending takes on a more prominent role as other income streams dry up. Tourism has collapsed, but defense spending in Hawaii has remained…

Hawaii's economy is recovering faster than previously expected, according to the latest forecast from University of Hawaii economists, as accumulated savings, pent-up wanderlust and widespread immunizations in Hawaii and the US…

As recently as early 2020, before COVID-19 wrecked the state's economy, Hawaii was grappling with a problem very different from today's economic challenges. The question arose as to what to do against the ever-increasing masses of…

If you were expecting dramatic results in the 2021 legislature, you may be a little disappointed because the session largely failed to address the critical economic issues facing our state, particularly diversifying our economy and…

Gov. David Ige wants Hawaii to develop a more resilient digital economy -- "a linchpin for Hawaii 2.0" that would expand broadband connectivity to rural communities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has choked tourism. COVID-19…

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR PRESS RELEASE: HAWAII VACCINATED INTER-COUNTY TRAVELERS CAN BYPASS PRE-TRAVEL TESTING, QUARANTINE STARTING MAY 11 Posted on April 20, 2021 in COVID-19, COVID-19 News Releases, Latest Department News, Newsroom,…

The Hawaiian economy needs a restart, and COVID-19 has provided the opportunity to do so. Almost everyone agrees that the state needs to diversify and be less dependent on tourism. There's also a growing sense that tourism is out of…

Gov. David Ige said Tuesday he expects public schools to fully reopen for in-person learning this fall. "That's definitely the goal, and I don't see any situation where we can't achieve that," Ige said during a multi-issue phone interview…

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) -- Hawaii has seen a significant increase in visitor numbers over the past two weekends. They're not pre-pandemic tourism numbers, but experts say they bode well."You can see when you go to Waikiki, you can…

Remote work has become the new reality for many in the US, but some work-from-home environments are more desirable than others. As the winter months creep in, Hawaii offers a new opportunity to escape the cold weather for telecommuters…

When Hawaii finally opens up to tourism, it will likely be years before the visitor base is anywhere near what it was before the COVID-19 crisis shut down the state's travel industry, experts in the business say. Meanwhile,…

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Japanese visitors will be able to take advantage of Hawaii's pre-trip testing program starting next month, the governor announced Tuesday.Officials said they don't expect an "avalanche" of Japanese…

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Experts say Hawaii's economy is doing better than expected.The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization's latest report, released Friday, estimates there will be thousands more visitors and tens…

HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Following the Centers for Disease Control's announcement, there was a quick and resounding response from Hawaii's visitor industry, urging the governor to open travel. Hawaiian Airlines even says it will help…

Public discussions on important issues should always be based on facts. It is therefore disappointing that misleading information and innuendos about real estate mutual funds in Hawaii continue to be disseminated. A recent…

New York state has used electronic COVID-19 "vaccination cards" to open New York Rangers games to fans at Madison Square Garden. People in Israel can circumvent restrictions at businesses like gyms by showing a paper or electronic…

Like most local businesses, The Pizza Press has had to muddle, adapt and improvise to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pearl City facility drastically reduced hours for its 25 employees and relied on a "skeletal crew"…

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) -- After a months-long delay, a much-vaunted pre-travel testing program will begin on Oct. 15, which authorities say is a key step in restarting the tourism industry, allowing transpacific visitors to forego…

The state of Hawaii is billions of dollars in debt, so what is the state doing? It sends out $500 credit cards to unemployed people who spend them in restaurants, pretending to boost the economy. Sure, restaurants might see a small bump in…

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) -- Hawaii reopened to Japanese visitors on Friday as part of the state's pre-travel testing program.Out-of-country travelers can now waive a two-week quarantine if they provide evidence of a negative…

HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Kauai has extended its Resort Bubble program through Spring 2021. The Garden Isle currently requires visitors to participate in the state's Safe Travels program and take a pre-test 72 hours before their flight.…

As throngs of tourists have returned to Hawaii and hotel, restaurant and bar workers have been brought to the front row for COVID-19 vaccinations, Tina Yamaki, President of Retail Merchants of Hawaii, heard a common question from…

Visitors are increasingly returning to Hawaii as the light beckons at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, but the influx has been met with an unwelcome side effect of the pandemic -- a shortage of rental cars. If those arriving on the…

HONOLULU (AP) -- Line-Noue Memea Kruse lives on Oahu's famed North Shore, where admiring sea turtles, epic waves and sunsets that turn the sky orange and purple are must-sees for many Hawaii tourists.After the islands required a two-week…

Critical University of Hawaii Economic Research Institute (UHERO) research to help Hawaii received $1.2 million in private support on its path to economic recovery. AH president David Lassner said: “We…

HONOLULU (KHON2) - Fully vaccinated travelers are one step closer to being able to skip quarantine. Gov. David Ige on Friday, April 9, gave the green light to a vaccination exemption program that could begin as early as May. on…

In 2018, the US Supreme Court dealt a deathblow to public worker unions, some have said. However, recent events show that predictions of the unions' demise have been greatly exaggerated. Last month, after Governor David Ige…

Governor David Ige delivers his State of the State address Monday in the Governor's Ceremony Room. Ige said he is focused on the digital economy to boost Hawaii financially,…

OluKai is supporting The Chef Hui Group in providing meals for Hawaii residents during Covid-19 ... Pandemic. OluKai Hawaii's economy relies heavily on tourism. As a result, the state has been hit harder…

Hawaii plans to move forward with a plan to reopen to tourists on October 15, Gov. David Ige said Wednesday, ending days of uncertainty over the governor's plan amid a storm of objections from mayors of the neighboring island and…

Signs that tourists are returning to Hawaii are hard to miss: crowded beaches, queues at tourist eateries, increasing foot traffic along Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki. The return is hardly an illusion: Data shows that there were…

Due in large part to the state's economy's reliance on tourism, an industry that's been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, Hawaii's unemployment…

New tax proposals are brought to the legislature every year, and in this session tax policy deserves closer scrutiny than ever before. In the last 12 months, COVID-19 has transformed work, school, home and our entire economy.…

Photo: Hale O Meleana Facebook page LEGISLATION REPORT What would Jesus do? In this summary report at the conclusion of the Hawaii State Legislature, there are not enough words to describe the impact Hawaii's faith community has had over…

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) -- In a bid to boost Hawaii's travel industry and ease some restrictions, the state is reportedly moving closer to a system that would allow vaccinated individuals to travel to and within Hawaii without…

California is poised to ditch its mask mandate for a vaccine-filled summer of lust — but when it comes to protection, Angelenos like Jahkara Smith won't rely solely on antibodies. "A lot of my friends have been getting IUDs lately," said…

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be out of date. Please check the history timestamp to see when it was last updated. Gov. David Ige signed legislation Monday that would make Hawaii the…

India nears 300,000 Covid deaths and battles deadly fungal infections Mucormycosis, usually rare, is suddenly a growing problem in India.…

NASHVILLE-Dr. Michael Cackovic has covered his share of pregnant women. When Republican lawmakers in the US began enacting abortion bans at what they call "the first detectable fetal heartbeat," he was angered.…

Washington, DC — This week, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will introduce the Equal Access to Health Insurance Abortion Coverage Act (EACH) in the US House and Senate. Jamille Fields AllsbrookDirector of Women's…

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Biden administration on Wednesday began reversing a Trump-era ban on clinics referring women for abortions, a policy that pushed Planned Parenthood out of the federal family planning program and…

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Patients seeking an abortion pill do not need to visit a doctor's office or clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. health officials said Tuesday in the latest reversal in an ongoing lawsuit over…

PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a sweeping anti-abortion law Tuesday into law, outlawing the procedure if the woman only wants it because a fetus has a genetic abnormality like Down syndrome. Doctors who…

By AUDREY McAVOY, Associated PressHONOLULU (AP) -- Hawaii Gov. David Ige signed legislation Tuesday temporarily lowering the rate of unemployment insurance that employers must pay for their workers.The surge in the number of unemployed…

Kai Kahele had one ambition growing up in Hawaii and that was to fly airplanes. He achieved this goal at the age of 19 and was happy working as a military and commercial pilot when a family tragedy propelled him into the world of…

Gavin Jackson: Well, it was definitely a unique day in the Chamber.But first I want to start with how we got here, John. And that was now six weeks into our legislature. This bill was zoomed through the General…

A university of Hawaii at Mānoa virtual series for the reopening of Hawaii's Tourism Industry kicked off on September 29 with a discussion attended by five community leaders. The Goal of the Free Series…

Governments need to take a feminist approach to policy making, resource that agenda, and hold each other accountable. Tanzania, August 2018. (UN Women / Flickr) 25 years ago, the Beijing Declaration set an example for gender…

Washington, DC — In recent years, states have increasingly signed hundreds of abortion bans and restrictions that undermine abortion rights and exacerbate inequalities in access to abortion care. But a new…

BEIJING (AP) - China on Thursday suspended economic dialogue with Australia and stepped up a print campaign that began because of Australian support for a coronavirus investigation and disrupted exports to the country's largest…

You say that necessity is inventive, but it could also be the mother of deregulation. COVID-19 has caused widespread death and destruction, and our American recovery will be painful and protracted. One way to make this…

Fauci: Up to 90% vaccination required for herd immunity Herd immunity to the novel coronavirus could require vaccination rates as high as 90%, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the most prominent US infectious disease expert, in an interview…

TORONTO - Men take jobs under the pressure and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic three times as fast as women are leaving the workforce a new report from the Royal Bank. More than 20,000 women left the workforce…

Military relocation officials had no update on Friday as to whether or when troops could get help relocating their pets as part of a permanent relocation. A senior Pentagon official told families in…

Directors of an existing telescope on Hawaii's Mauna Kea evacuated workers Tuesday amid growing protests that blocked an access road to the site of a second $ 1.4 billion "thirty-meter telescope" (TMT) to be built on the mountain .…

Today, after much deliberation, I am leaving my party because I do not want to give up my principles. I can no longer stand with a Republican party led by a man who I firmly believe will lead the Lincoln Party in a direction that…

HONOLULU (AP) - When starlight from billions of years ago sweeps through the universe and finally comes into focus on Earth, astronomers want their telescopes to be in the best possible locations to see what's out there.Despite years…

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US President Donald Trump renewed his threat to sever ties with China on Thursday, a day after the countries held talks with two top diplomats and his trade representative said he did not consider decoupling the economies of the United…

States and businesses said Friday that they largely dropped their mask requirements after a leading U.S. health agency announced that people fully vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 could stop wearing face covers. The…

Abandoned trash piles up in haiku as more and more people discreetly contribute. The county, in coordination with the state, plans to remove the pile in a few weeks. The Maui News / DAKOTA GROSSMAN PhotoIllegal dumping of cars along…

Friday 5th February 2021This article first appeared in the Morning Brief. Receive the Morning Letter straight to your inbox Monday through Friday by 6:30 a.m. ET. Subscribe toAfter a break during COVID, CEO departures are on the rise…

WASHINGTON >> President Joe Biden said today that he would withdraw the remaining US troops from the “eternal war” in Afghanistan, stating that the terrorist attacks of September 11th 20 years ago could not justify the fact that the…

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Over the next two years, the University of Hawaii system is facing a $ 90 million decline in government funding.A new report from UH economists suggests the cuts will result in a nationwide decline in…

The University of Hawaii will expand its innovation, entrepreneurship, and people development ecosystem with $ 2.7 million in support CARE US Economic Development Agency Act Recovery Assistance grant (EDA). That is matched with $ 813,068…

SACRAMENTO, California - California is giving away more treats to people vaccinated against the coronavirus and plans to make it easier to show who was vaccinated as health officials and companies encourage people to get their vaccinations…

A new nonprofit on the Island of Hawaii has the ambitious goal of creating future local community leaders through paid scholarships with local businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies, and is seeking…

With Hawaii hesitant to emerge from long days of pandemic life, and people take stock of what they have learned and what parts of "normal" life they actually haven't missed during the many months of isolated existence, this might…

In a statewide poll this week, Honolulu was ranked number 3 for this year's summer vacation destinations, just behind popular perennials like Orlando and New Orleans. Our weather and safety - the latter is based in part on our low…

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE) - Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE: MIC) (“MIC” or “the Company”) today announced the culmination of its alternative strategic process by signing a merger agreement with a subsidiary of Argo…

(CBS Baltimore) - Unemployed people in half of the country are experiencing a sharp drop in weekly unemployment benefits if they have not already done so. Since the US rescue plan was passed in mid-March, the federal government has…

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Masks are off, flights are booked and for many a much-needed vacation is just around the corner. As pandemic-weary Americans flock to tropical destinations around the world, the next potential disaster is just around…

HONOLULU (KHON2) - Would you like to receive unemployment benefit? You have to prove one more time that you are looking for a job. Governor David Ige announced on Thursday that he would reintroduce job hunting from May 30th.…

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PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - Over the past decade, there has been an increased focus on the region that spans the vast area from the west coast of the United States to the west coast of India - known as the Indo-Pacific. This region…

A bill, lying on Governor David Ige's desk awaiting signature, aims to reform the state's slow and cumbersome procurement process, with protests from lost bidders helping create new public roads, buildings and other much-needed…

Menendez introduces law banning offshore drilling to protect the coastal economy while it recovers from the pandemic COAST Act would protect the Atlantic beaches and the Jersey Shore economy from catastrophic oil spills threatening…

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - As Hawaii continues to recover and adapt to the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, one of the panelists said Thursday that wearing masks could continue into the future."I think we should plan for…

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden's hopes of pouring billions of dollars into green infrastructure investments to combat climate change have come up against the political obstacle of attracting Republican lawmakers to reject this…

(CBS Baltimore) - Unemployed people in half of the country are experiencing a sharp drop in weekly unemployment benefits if they have not already done so. Since the US rescue plan was passed in mid-March, the federal government has…

While HawaiiThe country's economy experienced a severe downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a reduction in the number of positive COVID-19 cases, and more continental US and US Hawaii Residents who get vaccinated are likely to boost the…

Honolulu About 8,000 people landed in Hawaii on the first day of a pre-trip testing program that allowed travelers to get to the islands without a two-week quarantine if they had a negative…

DBEDT PRESS RELEASE: IMPROVEMENT IN HAWAIIS ECONOMY Posted on December 4, 2020 in News, Newsroom HONOLULU - The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) today published its statistics and economic report for the…

As jobs move online and companies consider keeping some of their work off even after the coronavirus pandemic, Hawaii seizes the prospect of an economy where you can work anywhere to cushion the ongoing loss of jobs in tourism. The…

State Senate leaders said after the legislature was reconvened on Wednesday that two of the biggest challenges during the 2021 session will be deciding what can be funded and whether…

There are at least seven reasons why people, especially young adults and families with young children, should move away from Hawaii. I say moving not because I'm disaffected or because I'm pandemic. This is because this is the most…

DBEDT NEWS RELEASE: NEW DBEDT REPORT PROVIDES ECONOMIC INSIGHTS AND OUTLOOKS FOR HAWAIIS DEFENSE SECTOR Posted on January 11, 2021 in News, Newsroom SWOT analysis and action plan identify challenges and opportunities for economic growth…

Hawaii's troubled “COVID economy” could be an opportunity for some. But it does require the ability to raise capital for investment - and that kind of money can be hard to come by in Hawaii.PBN sat…