Defendants in a federal corruption case including former Honolulu prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and businessman Dennis Mitsunaga were acquitted on bribery charges after defense attorneys argued that pay-to-play is a common practice when giving campaign donations, not bribery.

The two oldest candidates ever for the U.S. presidency are set to square off in June and September.

Lori Kahikina's future as executive director for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is an open question following a lukewarm annual evaluation and challenges in recruiting and retaining top staff.

Hawaii Senate President Ron Kouchi was for years among the closet allies of Milton Choy, the recently convicted businessman with deep political connections. No evidence has emerged that Kouchi benefited financially from the association, however.

Dennis Mitsunaga, a high-profile architect and prolific contributor to political campaigns, is on trial for bribery in a case that also involves former Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro and several others. A federal judge recently ordered the 82-year-old Mitsunaga locked up for the the duration of the trial for alleged witness tampering.

A loophole in Hawaii's campaign finance laws have allowed government contractors to pour millions of dollars into politicians' campaign bank accounts. A lot of money has changed hands at lavish parties over the years.

The Hawaii Legislature is advancing a bill that could lead to higher utility bills to pay for Hawaiian Electric Co.’s wildfire mitigation efforts. Many ratepayers are not cool with that.

The Democratic Party is trying to keep Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off the ballot in many states, including Hawaii, worried that he will take votes away from Joe Biden in November.

Gov. Josh Green has named a former state lawmaker to lead the Board of Education. If confirmed by the state Senate, the nominee will be the BOE's fourth chair in two years.

A bill that could have dramatically cut state spending on public arts programs — even King Kamehameha Day celebrations — was killed this week after testifiers overwhelming rejected Maui Rep. Kyle Yamashita's proposal.