Hawaii businesses bracing for unemployment tax increases
HONOLULU — Businesses in Hawaii are anticipating a possible tripling of unemployment taxes that could slow the recovery of the economy that has been crippled by the coronavirus pandemic.
In brief: January 11, 2021
Applications sought for KVBID board
Hospital prices just got a lot more transparent. What does this mean for you?
Hospitals face the new year with new requirements to post price information they have long sought to obscure: the actual prices negotiated with insurers and the discounts they offer their cash-paying customers.
Couple opens coffee shop in Naalehu amid pandemic
Retailers expand options for returns
Retailers and shipping companies have struggled to get shoppers’ holiday gifts delivered on time. Now, they’re gearing up for what’s expected to be a brutal season for unwanted goods headed back in their direction.
Holiday wishes: Gift fair draws a crowd, benefits Make A Wish Hawaii
Saturday’s special holiday gift fair benefiting Make A Wish Hawaii drew a crowd to Kona Commons in Kailua-Kona, just in time to pick up some locally crafted items for family and friends for Christmas Day.
EEOC says employers can require the COVID-19 vaccine
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has decided that employers can require workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and offered guidance on exceptions.
Businesses, lacking legal immunity, fear COVID-19 lawsuits
PORTLAND, Maine — Plans for a lawsuit against a Maine venue that hosted what became a “superspreader” wedding reception underscore the liability risks to small businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic and an uphill push by Republicans in Congress to give such outfits legal immunity.
Some businesses in small Maui town get tourism boost
WAILUKU — Some local shops and restaurants in a small town on Maui’s north shore say they have experienced a boost in tourism since the state launched a pre-travel coronavirus testing program in October.
Largest Hawaii resort partially reopens after virus closure
HONOLULU — The partial reopening of Hawaii’s largest hotel property is expected give work back to 250 to 300 employees after it shut down in April because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Retailers urge shoppers to buy early amid shipping crunch
NEW YORK — A number of retailers, including J.C. Penney, Lowe’s and Kohl’s, are telling shoppers they need to place their online orders soon or else pay expedited shipping fees if they want to get their packages delivered in time for the holidays.
Post-pandemic, most Americans who can want to continue working from home: Pew report
Most Americans now teleworking from home want to keep doing so, with more than half saying they would work remotely after the pandemic, a new Pew Research Center report finds.
Housing economists predict prices to increase in 2021, but not as rapidly as this year
Top national real estate economists at an online conference Wednesday predicted home prices would continue to rise in 2021.
Report: Tech trends accelerated by COVID-19 pandemic likely here to stay
COVID-19 has accelerated technology trends around things like e-commerce and remote work that likely will continue even after the pandemic subsides.
Woof! Petco files to go public — again — in $100M offering
Pitching itself as a much-improved health and wellness company for pets and pet parents, San Diego-based Petco is ready to return to public ownership and is eyeing as much as $100 million in proceeds from the sale of shares.
Holiday surge tests UPS network
In a year when consumers have turned to online shopping more than ever, holiday purchases for delivery are already starting to test the shipping capacity at UPS.
Biden expected to usher in an era of worker-friendly labor policies
Labor activists eager to capitalize on the pro-worker sentiment fueled by the pandemic will soon have a friend in the White House.
Economists: Vaccine could boost US growth in 2021
The outlook continues to be clouded by COVID-19 but a team of University of Michigan economists sees encouraging signs that could bring economic life close to normal by the end of 2021.
