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It’s only a matter of time before the political press picks up on this episode as part of a narrative about the larger Democratic Civil War… right? On Saturday night, The Aloha State’s Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie lost the battle for his party’s gubernatorial nomination to state Sen. David Ige. Badly. With 99 percent of precincts reporting as of this writing, Igy won 67.4 percent of Democratic primary vote compared to just 31.5 percent for Abercrombie. The governor’s loss was not unexpected as public opinion surveys in even this difficult to poll state had unmistakably shown for several weeks that...

A 40-year political career came to a close after Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie lost his bid for a second term in a stunning primary-election defeat by a fellow Democrat and state senator who defied party leadership to challenge the incumbent. A second intraparty fight for U.S. Senate was too close to call. State Sen. David Ige, once seen as an underdog, cruised to a decisive 35 percentage point win in Saturday's primary after being dramatically outspent by Abercrombie, who also had high-profile endorsements including President Barack Obama. Ige said his win "proves that people power can be money power, especially...

Hawaii’s Gov. Neil Abercrombie was defeated and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz was fighting to avoid a similar ousting Saturday after a Democratic primary vote that occurred as the state cleaned up from Tropical Storm Iselle and awaited an incoming hurricane. State Sen. David Ige took a broad lead over Abercrombie from the earliest returns Saturday night, and the incumbent conceded publicly little more than three hours after the polls closed. The Senate contest was a dead heat late into the night; at one point Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and Schatz were separated by a mere 11 votes.

As the final days of campaigning drew to a close in Hawaii’s dramatic primary races, a pair of hurricanes thrashed toward the islands. The storms posed considerable risk, but for Gov. Neil Abercrombie, they also represented an opportunity to cast himself as a steady leader with a strong emotional connection to people in the state. […] … The incumbent governor faces a surprisingly strong challenge from a fellow Democrat and early voting was heavily encouraged. It’s not the only race splitting the Democratic Party establishment. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa is challenging U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz to determine who will fill the...

As the final days of campaigning drew to a close in Hawaii’s dramatic primary races, a pair of hurricanes thrashed toward the islands. The storms posed considerable risk, but for Gov. Neil Abercrombie, they also represented an opportunity to cast himself as a steady leader with a strong emotional connection to people in the state. […] … The incumbent governor faces a surprisingly strong challenge from a fellow Democrat and early voting was heavily encouraged. It’s not the only race splitting the Democratic Party establishment. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa is challenging U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz to determine who will fill the...

<p>Hawaiians are preparing for a potentially devastating one-two tropical cyclone punch, starting with Hurricane Iselle, which in a rarity for the state could make direct landfall Thursday evening.</p> <p>Iselle, on track to pass over the Big Island of Hawaii as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 80 mph, could bring up to 12 inches of rain, life-threatening storm surges, flash floods and mudslides, forecasters say.</p>

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie launched a radio ad Wednesday featuring President Barack Obama supporting the governor’s bid for re-election. In the ad, Obama uses the Hawaiian word for family, saying Abercrombie is “like ohana to me.” The president says Abercrombie knew his parents “before I was a twinkle in their eye.” Obama says the governor has made gutsy decisions leading Hawaii, tackled a budget crisis, made smart investments in education and fought for middle class and working families. …

The Republican nominee for governor of Hawaii stepped to the podium at a fundraiser for the state GOP, greeted by cheers and a standing ovation. Duke Aiona is the man who "will win, can win," a state senator insisted as he introduced the nominee. And the 200 donors and supporters in the audience apparently agreed. "I feel so confident right now," Aiona said in a pavilion lit by tiki torches, nestled in a valley on Oahu's North Shore. "This is a statement in and of itself, to have so many people here supporting the Republican Party." It's an odd sentiment...

The federal government posed a series of questions to Native Hawaiians, with whom it's seeking to reestablish nation-to-nation status. The answer it received, to all, was a resounding "no." This week, the Department of the Interior wrapped up two weeks of public meetings in Hawaii soliciting input from the Native Hawaiian community on setting up a similar structure to the one it has with Native American tribes. Kale Gumapac was one of the 130 people who signed up to speak in Hilo on the island of Hawaii. “[On] the questions that you raised for everyone to answer. It’s a trap,"...

First Potentially Habitable Earth-Sized Planet Confirmed By Gemini And Keck Observatories by Staff Writers Hilo HI (SPX) Apr 23, 2014 The artist's concept depicts Kepler-186f, the first validated Earth-size planet orbiting a distant star in the habitable zone-a range of distances from a star where liquid water might pool on the surface of an orbiting planet. The discovery of Kepler-186f confirms that Earth-size planets exist in the habitable zone of other stars and signals a significant step closer to finding a world similar to Earth. The artistic concept of Kepler-186f is the result of scientists and artists collaborating to help...

NASA engineers in Hawaii readied a 3.5-ton flying saucer-shaped test vehicle for a 23-mile-high balloon ride Saturday, followed by a rocket-powered climb an additional 11 miles for a high-speed flight through the extreme upper atmosphere to test an inflatable entry body and a huge supersonic parachute for eventual use at Mars. The LDSD project aims to develop and test two sizes of inflatable drag devices and a large new, supersonic ringsail parachute. Credit: NASA Flying at four times the speed of sound in the thin air near the edge of space, the test vehicle was expected to experience conditions similar...

Outwardly, they put on a show of unity — but privately, the Obamas and Clintons, the two power couples of the Democrat Party, loathe each other. “I hate that man Obama more than any man I’ve ever met, more than any man who ever lived,” Bill Clinton said to friends on one occasion, adding he would never forgive Obama for suggesting he was a racist during the 2008 campaign. The feeling is mutual. Obama made ­excuses not to talk to Bill, while the first lady privately sniped about Hillary.

Chinese Ships Arrive at Pearl Harbor By: Sam LaGrone Published: June 25, 2014 11:26 AM Updated: June 25, 2014 11:26 AM An American sailor on guard near the Chinese guided missile destroyer Haikou (171) at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on June 24, 2014. CCTV Photo An American sailor on guard near the Chinese guided missile destroyer Haikou (171) at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on June 24, 2014. CCTV Photo Two Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships arrived at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Tuesday, according to Chinese press reports. Guided missile destroyer Haikou (171) and hospital...

One person can make a difference, President John F. Kennedy said, and thanks to Hawaii State Rep. Bob McDermott (R) more people might try. The conservative dad took on the state’s Education Department and scored a partial victory. Since December, Rep. McDermott has been a campaign of one, working to roll back Hawaii’s explosive sex ed curriculum — which is so explicit it would make most adults blush. Homosexuality gets the state’s support, as well as other controversial practices that parents should reserve the right to explain to their kids themselves. bob mcdermott hawaii “I can assure you my 11-year-old...

The Mount Vernon Assembly – Indianapolis FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Skip Brown skip.brown@iga.in.gov 317-232-9521 The Mount Vernon Assembly to Meet at Indiana Statehouse June 12 and 13 INDIANAPOLIS (June 9, 2014) – More than 100 state legislators representing 33 states will meet at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis on June 12 and 13 to continue establishing the rules and procedures needed for a future state-led convention for proposing amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as authorized by Article V of the Constitution. The meeting is a continuation of efforts that began in December 2013 at George Washington’s historic Mount Vernon estate...

Honolulu police officers have urged lawmakers to keep an exemption in state law that allows undercover officers to have sex with prostitutes during investigations, touching off a heated debate. Authorities say they need the legal protection to catch lawbreakers in the act. Critics, including human trafficking experts and other police, say it’s unnecessary and could further victimize sex workers, many of whom have been forced into the trade. …

Lewis Fuddy Jr.'s Loretta Fuddy died of an irregular heartbeat that was triggered when the plane she was riding in lost power and crash-landed off the Hawaiian island of Molokai in December. A engine manufacturer in Canada is to blame for a small plane's ocean landing and the death of Hawaii's former health director, her brother said in a lawsuit filed Monday. Lewis Fuddy Jr. is suing Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. and Makani Kai Air Charters over the Dec. 11 crash-landing. His 65-year-old sister Loretta Fuddy was a passenger on the flight and died of an irregular heartbeat, police...

Raghunatha John Giuffre knows how it feels to return from the dead. The 49-year-old Wainaku man was the third and final person stabbed during a spree that took place around midnight May 23, and the only one who reportedly knew the alleged assailant, 28-year-old Varaha Nrsngha Mims. [snip]

Officials at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs are asking for a six-to-nine-month postponement of a Native Hawaiian convention to determine self-governance, in order to educate the public and construct a parallel roll for those who refuse to sign onto a roll ordered by state government. The OHA board of trustees, faced with 63 people wanting to testify, on Thursday postponed a decision until its June 5 meeting. The current plan is to hold an election of delegates this fall, followed by a spring convention. Testifiers, many of whom flew to Oahu from Hawaii Island and other neighbor islands, were mixed...

Homeless campers evicted’ That was the top headline in Friday’s TGI after campers at Anahola Beach Park were told to vacate or face arrest last week. We’re not disputing that these folks weren’t supposed to be there, but we will argue this is a sign of the severity of the homeless problem in Hawaii and specifically, on Kauai .... No surprise that homelessness is a problem. Kauai is a very expensive place to live. Rent, utilities, groceries and gas — all of which hit the shrinking middle class and the rising low-income hard — are among the highest in the...