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Kamala Harris flees on vacation to Hawaii with Doug after devastating loss and with Europe bracing for WWIII

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Kamala Harris flees on vacation to Hawaii with Doug after devastating loss and with Europe bracing for WWIII


Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff have fled to Hawaii after her election loss and as Europe faces the possibility of war. 

The couple is on Kalaoa, which is on the west side of the big island of Hawaii. They are hunkered down in the sun after Donald Trump’s landslide victory in the 2024 presidential election.

The couple will be able to enjoy long walks on its scenic beaches as the shadow war looms over Europe.

Russia has signaled it will retaliate with full-scale nuclear war after Ukraine launched US-made missiles over the border on Tuesday. The United States Embassy in Kyiv issued an urgent warning on Wednesday morning that Russia might launch ‘a significant air attack,’ closing the embassy and telling Americans to shelter in place.

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It’s unclear how long Harris and Emhoff will be on the island, which is the southernmost point of the United States.

The couple usually spends the Thanksgiving holiday on Hawaii. It’s unclear if Emhoff’s children or any of the Harris family members will join them.

Harris’ office did not respond to DailyMail.com’s inquiry. Local papers report she’s staying about a week.

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff arrived on the big island of Hawaii on Tuesday evening

President Joe Biden has not publicly stated his plans for Thanksgiving. In the past, the Biden clan has decamped to Nantucket for the holiday.

The local papers say preparations are being made on the island for the presidential arrival and that the Secret Service has ordered 200-plus turkey dinners from a local restaurant.

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Harris, meanwhile, has retreated from the public eye since her devastating loss.

She appeared with Biden on Veteran’s Day at Arlington National Cemetery and then had lunch with him at the White House the next day. 

But she has been behind closed doors for a week 

Harris, however, is prepared to fly back from Hawaii to break any tie votes in the Senate if needed.

She delayed her trip in the event that she would be needed for votes in the Senate to confirm judges, one of her aides told NBC News. She is not expected to be needed as no major battle is expected over judicial nominees until December.

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President Biden is working to fill all the empty judicial openings in his final few months in office as he seeks to top the 234 judges Trump secured during his first term.

Harris, as vice president, is the president of the Senate and breaks any 50-50 votes.

Schumer has made it clear he’s determined to get the confirmations done before Biden leaves office and that he would use the lame-duck session – the period between the election and when the new president is inaugurated – to confirm more judges.

Republicans did the same in late 2020 as Trump was finishing his first term.

‘We are going to use the lame duck to confirm judges. And we’re going to do everything we can to get as many judges done as possible, trying to overcome the Republican obstruction,’ Schumer told NBC. 

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Harris and Emhoff are regular vacationers to Hawaii.  

She won Hawaii’s four electoral votes in the Nov. 5 election and received 60.6% of the overall count in the state versus 37.5% for Trump. 

The war between Russia and Ukraine is heating up

The war between Russia and Ukraine is heating up

Meanwhile, the war between Russia and Ukraine is heating up.  

Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Moscow would ‘react accordingly’ after Ukraine launched its latest strike.

In a dramatic escalation on the 1,000th day of the conflict, Kyiv launched six ‘ATACM’ missiles from an undisclosed location over the border into Russian territory. 

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Such attacks are expected to increase in frequency after Biden approved the use of ATACMS earlier this week. 

The strikes triggered a fiery explosion at a depot in Karachev, believed to be storing ammunition supplied by North Korea, around 75 miles from the Ukrainian border. 

At the same time, Vladimir Putin provocatively signed off changes to Russia’s laws on nuclear weapons to make it easier for them to be deployed against Ukraine in retaliation.

The amendments allow Russia to launch a nuclear attack in response to a conventional weapons strike – such as one by long-range missiles.

As the situation grows, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered his biggest hint yet that No.10 would authorize Ukraine to fire UK Storm Shadow missiles into Russia.

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Both Moscow and Kyiv appear to be stepping up their attacks ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration in January. 

Trump has said he wants to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine but has not said how leading to uncertainty about what his solution will be and what level of support he will give Ukraine. 



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Here’s How to Protect and Expand Social Security, According to One Hawaii Senator | The Motley Fool

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Here’s How to Protect and Expand Social Security, According to One Hawaii Senator | The Motley Fool


With approximately six years until Social Security benefits must be cut, one group of Hawaii legislators has come up with a simple plan to prevent a shortfall.

It’s no secret that Social Security, as we know it, is in a pinch. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), the Social Security and Medicare trust funds are six years away from insolvency.

The combination of more retirees, fewer people in the workforce, and the impact of President Trump’s big, beautiful bill (OBBBA) leads the CRFB to estimate a 24% Social Security cut in late 2032 if nothing is done. In addition, retirees could face an 11% cut in Medicare Hospital Insurance payments.

This isn’t the first time the trust funds have been in trouble. In 1982, the fund that helped cover the cost of monthly Social Security benefits faced a significant shortfall and was forced to borrow from other funds to pay benefits on time. Congress was able to work together long enough to raise taxes on some, adjust benefits, and prevent insolvency.

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With a similar problem facing the trusts 44 years later, Hawaii’s Senator Brian Schatz and Representative Mazie Hirono (along with Rep. Jill Tokuda) believe they have a simple solution. Here’s what their proposal, called the SAFE Social Security Act, would do.

Image source: Getty Images.

Lift the payroll tax

To ensure payroll taxes apply fairly across the board and that the rich pay their share, the proposal includes a plan to phase out the payroll tax cap so that no one can stop paying into Social Security once their income hits $184,500.

Adjust benefit calculations

The trio suggests adjusting the way current benefits are calculated, a move that would increase the average monthly benefit by more than $150.

Update how cost-of-living adjustments are determined

As of today, cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are based on increases in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the previous year to the third quarter of the current year. In theory, using inflation tied to CPI-W is supposed to help retirees keep pace with the rising cost of living.

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For years, however, senior citizen advocacy groups have insisted that the wrong index is being used because working adults and retired adults spend money differently. For example, an older retiree is likely to spend more on medical care than a younger person still in the workforce.

The Hawaii legislator’s plan would address the issue by basing the COLA on an index that tracks inflation related to seniors’ spending. Specifically, they’re talking about the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E).

Sen. Schatz believes that the SAFE Social Security Act will expand Social Security and put more money in the hands of those who rely on it. It will also strengthen the program for the next generation of retirees, ensuring today’s workforce has something to look forward to.



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Crowds flock to see Hawaii’s Kilauea spew lava 800 feet into sky

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Crowds flock to see Hawaii’s Kilauea spew lava 800 feet into sky


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Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano had its latest eruption on Jan. 12, flowing lava for nearly 10 hours and attracting heavy traffic to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The volcano began erupting at 8:22 a.m. with lava fountains reaching nearly 800 feet high into the sky, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. By 6:04 p.m., the eruption ended with lava flow covering approximately two-thirds of the Halema’uma’u crater floor.

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In a Facebook post announcing the latest eruption, the National Park Service warned visitors to “expect the park to be busy with heavy traffic.” Typically, thousands more visitors than usual flock to the park during eruptions, congesting roads and parking lots for the overlooks.

Considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Kilauea has been erupting episodically since Dec. 23, 2024. Most eruptions end within 12 hours with pauses in between that can be as long as several days to two weeks. As of Jan. 13, the volcano remains under an orange “watch” alert, with USGS saying the next lava fountaining episode is “likely about two weeks away.”

Such volcanic eruptions are considered sacred in Hawaiian culture and are tied to Pele, the goddess of creation and destruction who is believed to live in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Here’s what travelers should know.

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Is it safe to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?

Yes, it’s safe for travelers to visit the park and view the lava as the eruption took place within a closed off area of the park and does not pose a risk to the community, according to the USGS.

However, it’s important that travelers are mindful of their safety by only parking in designated parking lots and staying away from closed-off areas. Last June, a 30-year-old man from Boston plummeted 30 feet off a cliff when he strayed off a trail in an attempt to get a closer look at the lava during nighttime. A tree broke his fall and the visitor was rescued by park rangers, only suffering minor injuries.

Tips for viewing the Kilauea volcano

Here are a few tips to for visitors eager to witness the Kilauea lava flow, according to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park:

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  • Go early or at night to avoid crowds, with peak hours at the park being between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. (And if you do visit in the evening, pack warm clothes as it’s chillier than you may think.)
  • Prime viewing overlooks include the Welcome Center, Uekahuna, along Crater Rim Trail and old Crater Rim Drive.
  • Check the air quality before you go by visiting the NPS website. Volcanic gas and other particles from the eruption can be hazardous, especially to travelers with pre-existing respiratory conditions or children.



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2026 Sony Open in Hawaii payout, purse: How much does each golfer get?

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2026 Sony Open in Hawaii payout, purse: How much does each golfer get?


Welcome back, PGA Tour.

The 2026 season kicks off this week at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu with the Sony Open in Hawaii. Nick Taylor is the event’s defending champion, taking down Nico Echavarria in a playoff last year to win.

There’s a pretty stacked field being the first event of the year, with plenty of notables heading to the middle of the Pacific for one week before the West Coast Swing begins.

Here’s a look at the purse and total prize money for the first PGA Tour event of 2026, the Sony Open in Hawaii.

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What’s the total purse for the 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii?

The total purse for the 2025 Sony Open in Hawaii is $9.1 million. That’s up from $8.7 million a year ago.

How much money does the winner make at the 2026 Sony Open?

The winner of the Sony receives $1.638 million, or 18 percent of the total purse. Taylor earned $1.566 million for his win in 2025.

The field size is 120 this time around, as compared to 144 last year.

Sony Open in Hawaii 2026 prize money payouts

Position Prize money
1 $1,638,000
2 $991,900
3 $627,900
4 $445,900
5 $373,100
6 $329,875
7 $307,125
8 $284,375
9 $266,175
10 $247,975
11 $229,775
12 $211,575
13 $193,375
14 $175,175
15 $166,075
16 $156,975
17 $147,875
18 $138,775
19 $129,675
20 $120,575
21 $111,475
22 $102,375
23 $95,095
24 $87,815
25 $80,535
26 $73,255
27 $70,525
28 $67,795
29 $65,065
30 $62,335
31 $59,605
32 $56,875
33 $54,145
34 $51,870
35 $49,595
36 $47,320
37 $45,045
38 $43,225
39 $41,405
40 $39,585
41 $37,765
42 $35,945
43 $34,125
44 $32,305
45 $30,485
46 $28,665
47 $26,845
48 $25,389
49 $24,115
50 $23,387
51 $22,841
52 $22,295
53 $21,931
54 $21,567
55 $21,385
56 $21,203
57 $21,021
58 $20,839
59 $20,657
60 $20,475
61 $20,293
62 $20,111
63 $19,929
64 $19,747
65 $19,565
65 $19,565

Where is the Sony Open in Hawaii played?

Waialae Country Club originally was designed by famed golden-era architect Seth Raynor and opened in 1927 alongside Kahala Beach. The layout, which first hosted the PGA Tour in 1965, will play to 7,044 yards with a par of 70. Of note: The standard routing is altered for the Sony Open, with the nines reversed to better take advantage of the scenic sunsets.

Jason Lusk, Golfweeek

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