Gabbard’s Past Could Complicate US Senate Confirmation

Trump’s nomination of former Hawaiʻi congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to be national intelligence director is likely to renew questions about her beliefs and background. Gabbard, 43, also has significant baggage, notably her support for autocratic leaders like Vladimir Putin of Russia and Bashar al-Assad of Syria.

Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. National Public Radio.

Lynne and Marc Benioff Fund $2.5m for Hawaiʻi Public School Teachers’ Projects

The Hawaiʻi Department of Education said the $2.5 million is part of a fall campaign that will go to more than 3,500 teachers at 268 campuses in Hawaiʻi, including 251 public schools and 17 charter schools.

Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.

Hawaiʻi Schools Superintendent Could Receive Pay Raise, Contract Extension

A Board of Education committee suggested a 4% salary increase for Keith Hayashi, which would raise his annual salary to $249,600, effective July 1, 2024.

KHON2.

This Remote Hawaiian Island Had Vanished. Here’s Why Its Comeback Is Crucial

Five hundred-fifty miles northwest of Oʻahu sits a remote spit of sand known as East Island, lost six years ago to Hurricane Walaka. The storm destroyed a primary nesting site for endangered sea turtles and monk seals. East Island’s reemergence in this remote atoll has become an unexpected sign of resilience against climate change.

Civil Beat.

O‘ahu Headlines

ACLU Prepares to File Suit Against HPD, City Over Arrests of Sober Drivers at DUI Checkpoints

The American Civil Liberties Union is demanding the Honolulu Police Department change arrest policies at DUI checkpoints or face a lawsuit. Checkpoints are often federally funded, and some provide a minimum amount of overtime pay for officers. Former police officers have suggested that getting an arrest early means the ones working the checkpoint can leave early but still get paid for the minimum amount of hours.

Hawaii News Now.

UH Cancer Center Leader Dr. Naoto Ueno’s Own Medical History Drives His Quest for Expanded Access

The UH Cancer Center recently renewed its National Cancer Institute designation, which it has maintained since 1996. Dr. Naoto Ueno, a two-time cancer survivor, took over as its executive director more than a year ago and has been working intently on the center’s future. The center has an ambitious plan to begin offering early-phase clinical trials next fall so patients don’t have to travel to the continent.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

How Kaimukī’s Queen Theater Went From Playhouse to Porn Hub

The Queen Theater has been through many transformations since opening its doors as a playhouse in 1936, with a grand marquee that towered over Waiʻalae Avenue in Kaimukī. It soon expanded its offerings to include contemporary films. But a new owner’s decision to start showing X-rated pornographic films lead to a series of police raids that prompted the facility to close in 1985. For nearly 40 years since, the theater has languished, despite neighborhood calls to revitalize the dilapidated building or bring it down.

Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Bill Regarding Home Repairs Passes

Small-scale home repairs could become easier to make if Mayor Mitch Roth signs a bill that exempts repair projects below a certain cost from needing a building permit.

Tribune-Herald.

Keaʻau to Get $60M Health Center

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and wife Lynne, Big Island residents, recently pledged $25 million toward the project, and Gov. Josh Green, a physician, has pledged to work to secure a matching $25 million for construction.

Tribune-Herald.

Skyrocketing Parking Costs in Downtown Kona Keeping Residents Away, Hurting Businesses

Over the past few years, the patchwork of parking lots along and around Kailua-Kona’s touristy Aliʻi Drive from King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort to Coconut Grove have drastically increased their parking rates, with some previously free places to park transitioning to pay lots.

Big Island Now.

Hawaiʻi Appeals Court Hears Case on State’s Responsibility on Peter Boy’s Death

Three years ago, Peter Boy’s surviving siblings and estate won a partial judgement in their wrongful death lawsuit, alleging the state failed to act on clear signs of abuse. A failure they believe led to his death.

KHON2.

Fire Weather Watch for Hawaiʻi, Power Shutoffs Possible

The National Weather Service in Honolulu has posted a Fire Weather Watch for leeward areas of Hawaiʻi, and the Hawaiian Electric utility says it will be monitoring the situation for wildfire risk conditions. Dry fuels, low relative humidity and strong trade winds could result in critical fire weather conditions for leeward areas on Friday.

Big Island Video News.

Maui Headlines

FEMA Extends Assistance to Maui Survivors; Schatz Asks for Further Aid

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved Hawaiʻi’s request to extend Financial Assistance and Direct Temporary Housing Assistance for an additional year, now through Feb. 10, 2026.

Star-Advertiser.

Kūpuna Who Survived Maui Wildfires Offered Affordable Housing

The non-profit, J. Walter Cameron Center, is launching Na Hale Kupuna (NHK), an affordable housing project funded by Maui County’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the federal CARES Act. NHK offers seven long-term condominium units in West, Central, and South Maui.

Hawaii News Now.

Unplugging the Puʻunēnē Avenue Bottleneck; Relief Ahead for Central Maui Motorists

State Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen called the $25.5 million widening of the remaining portion of Puʻunēnē Avenue from two to four lanes a “capacity completion” project.

Maui Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Embattled Kauaʻi Police Chief Announces Retirement

Faced with disciplinary proceedings and an investigation over alleged retaliation, the head of the Kauaʻi Police Department is retiring next year. Chief Todd Raybuck announced his decision in an internal memo sent to the full department Wednesday.

Hawaii News Now.

Fire Weather Watch in Effect Friday for All Leeward Portions of State, Including Kauaʻi, Niʻihau

The combination of dry fuels, low relative humidity and strong trade winds could spark critical fire weather conditions for leeward sections of the state at the end of this week.

Kaua‘i Now.

Corteva Sees the Faces of Hunger in Līhuʻe

The group of representatives from Corteva Agriscience, including Yael Claussen, Kristen Ma and Archie Acoba, were silent on Wednesday morning when they rolled into the Kauaʻi Independent Food Bank loading area.

Garden Island.