Immigration Crackdown Begins in Hawaiʻi as Advocates, Lawmakers Push Back
Federal immigration authorities appear to have arrested at least 20 undocumented immigrants in Hawaiʻi in the week since Donald Trump took office — a higher number than usual for that short time period. Hawaiʻi lawmakers are working quickly to advance bills to protect immigrants from an administration eager to see them quickly gone.
Hawaiʻi Joins Legal Fight Against White House Funding Freeze
Government and nonprofit agencies in Hawaiʻi were working Tuesday to assess the implications of a White House order to temporarily halt disbursements of federal financial assistance.The directive from the Office of Management and Budget was scheduled to go into effect at noon Hawaiʻi time but was put on hold until Feb. 3 after legal intervention by a coalition including the American Public Health Association and the National Council of Nonprofits.
Hawaiʻi Bill Ensures Right to Record Law Enforcement Activities
On Monday, Senate Bill 307 was given a positive recommendation by the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs. The bill also proposes anyone subject to unlawful interference with recording law enforcement activities can take matters to court in search of punitive damages, declaratory and injunctive relief, or other remedies as a court may deem appropriate.
Relief From Soaring Hawaiʻi Property Insurance Costs Is Elusive
Members of two legislative committees Monday expressed frustration instead of optimism over the initiative to have a pair of state insurance programs provide relief to homeowners who since 2024 have been forced to pay staggering premium increases or opt for reduced or no coverage.
Key Lawmakers to Focus On Agricultural Crimes, Invasive Species, Food Security
The top priorities for state lawmakers in key agriculture positions this year are highlighted by agricultural crimes, biosecurity, and the formation of a sustainable food system.
Hawaiʻi’s ‘New Energy Strategy’ Opens Door to Liquefied Natural Gas Imports
The site of Oʻahu’s demolished coal plant may become the home of a new fossil fuel facility. That’s one part of a plan released Tuesday by the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office that calls for liquefied natural gas to play a role in Oʻahu’s energy mix.
Lawmakers and Community Leaders Oppose Planned Oʻahu Landfill Site
Elected officials, environmental advocates, agriculture insiders and the city’s top water chief appeared Tuesday at the state Capitol to promote new state-level legislation — namely, eight bills introduced in the state House or Senate — that largely seeks to prevent landfills from being placed above fresh groundwater sources anywhere in Hawaiʻi.
Harmful Sewage Continues to Pollute Kailua Bay Despite Increased Scrutiny
The Kailua Wastewater Treatment Plant on Oʻahu already receives plenty of state and federal scrutiny following past cases of unacceptably high bacteria in the water amid heavy storms. Large, costly equipment upgrades are underway so the aging plant runs more reliably. But none of the repairs are complete and the plant remains vulnerable to sewage treatment problems. Elevated bacteria levels were detected again after heavy rains this week. With more wet weather expected today and tomorrow, officials are racing to identify the cause.
Oʻahu’s Community Gardens Are Tilling Over the Rules
The city is holding a public hearing later today about revising the rules for the Community Gardening Program. Those rules were last amended in 1984 and are overdue for an overhaul.
Free Speech Group Blasts UH For Censoring Law School Presentation
An anonymous whistleblower at the University of Hawaiʻi’s William S. Richardson School of Law filed a complaint against instructor Ken Lawson for using an in-class diagram of two deans to depict a hypothetical crime. UH deleted the deans’ photos from recorded class material without Lawson’s permission, even though he had violated no law or university policy. Now a national free speech organization is pressuring UH to reverse its censorship of Lawson’s class materials.
Julia Neal, Publisher of the Ka‘u Calendar Newspaper, Dies at 75
Julia Neal, owner of the Pahala Plantation House and Cottages and editor-publisher of The Ka‘u Calendar newspaper, died Friday at her Pahala cottage. She was 75.
A $4B Settlement for Lahaina Wildfire Victims Is in Legal Limbo as an Unusual Trial Starts
When Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green announced a $4 billion settlement about a year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century devastated Lahaina in 2023, he touted the speed of the deal to “avoid protracted and painful lawsuits.” Five months later, however, an unusual trial starting Wednesday will delve into difficult questions about survivors’ losses as a judge decides how to divide the settlement.
Just three meetings into the new year, the Maui County Council’s five-member majority has shown its upper hand, with minority members chafing at being on the losing end of 5-4 votes in contested issues on the Council floor.
Maui Housing Advocates Beg for Help as End of Eviction Moratorium Nears
The governor’s emergency proclamation protecting renters on Maui is set to expire next week. Now, housing advocates are begging elected officials for help. The Maui Tenants and Workers Association, which fights for renters’ rights, held a news conference outside the county building on Tuesday. The group wants the governor to extend his emergency proclamation that is set to expire next Tuesday. They also want the mayor to help on the county level.
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kh6jrm@gmail.com
I am the retired news director of Pacific Radio Group stations on the Island of Hawaii. I am a retired Lt. Col., USAF Reserve. I am a FCC-licensed Amateur Radio Operator, holding the Amateur Extra Class License. I am a substitute teacher for the state of Hawaii Department of Education.
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