Lawmakers Settle on a New Two-Year Budget That Focuses on Housing

House and Senate lawmakers have earmarked nearly $400 million for housing subsidies and public housing developments over the next two years to try to make a dent in the increasingly desperate statewide need for affordable housing. House and Senate lawmakers gave preliminary approval to a $19.9 billion operating budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, and a $19.76 billion budget for the following year, as well as a  $7.4 billion construction budget.

Civil Beat.

UH President Backs Harvard Amid $6M More in Lost Funding

University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel said amount of federal funding cuts rapidly increased by $6 million, to $36 million, since Thursday, bringing the total of terminated or paused research programs to 48 from Thursday’s 36. There are now 82 employees affected by the federal cuts, she said.

Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

USDA Cuts Previously Frozen Funds, Including $46M to Support Hawaiʻi Farmers

Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed around $46 million meant for Hawaiʻi as part of the Biden-era Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

House Lawmakers Pass Resolution to Study Legalized Gambling in Hawaiʻi

House lawmakers passed a resolution Monday to convene a working group to evaluate legalized gambling in Hawaiʻi.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio. Hawaii News Now.

On the Run and Undercounted, Homeless Youth Try Hard to Stay Out of Sight

By official counts, just a handful of homeless teens live on the streets of Hawaiʻi. Those who try to help them suggest that’s all wrong, that there are many more — perhaps 150 doing their best not to be counted.

Civil Beat.

O‘ahu Headlines

City Council Confirms Honolulu EMS Leader’s Reappointment

Dr. James Ireland, whose renomination as head of the city Emergency Serv­ices Department faced vocal opposition in recent months, was formally reinstated last week.

Star-Advertiser.

FBI Investigating Allegation That HPD Officer Planted Evidence

A sergeant with the Honolulu Police Department is the target of a federal investigation into allegations that there is recorded footage of him planting drug paraphernalia on the driver of a car during a November traffic stop.

Star-Advertiser.

New Affordable Housing Rental Complex Opens in Makiki

The PenseMetro apartment complex is on Pensacola Street, right across from the post office. The building consists of 29 units. Twenty are one-bedroom units. This is just one of the city’s Bill 7 projects that encourage private developers to build housing across Oʻahu.

Hawaii News Now. 

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Free Daily Hula Performances Showcase Local Hālau, Bring Energy During Merrie Monarch Festival

While tickets sell out fast to the three competition nights of the Merrie Monarch Festival, local hālau provide an opportunity for the public to experience and appreciate hula during daily daytime — and free — performances at hotels.

Big Island Now.

Local Artist Donates Pieces to Fund Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Fight

A major donation is helping fund the fight against the coconut rhinoceros beetle on Hawaiʻi Island. Local artist Kim Taylor Reece is donating 1,400 art pieces worth $3.5 million for sale in Hilo during this week’s Merrie Monarch Festival.

Hawaii News Now.

Big Island Reserves to Temporarily Close for Animal Control Activities

Animal control activities will be conducted this week for feral goats, feral sheep and mouflon/feral sheep hybrids within palila critical habitat in the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve (Unit A), Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (Unit K), Palila Mitigation Lands, and the Ka‘ohe Game Management Area (Unit G) on Hawaiʻi Island, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Tribune-Herald.

Maui Headlines

Haleakalā National Park Seeks Subject Matter Experts for First of Its Kind Project

Haleakalā National Park is looking for subject matter experts to create and translate content from the Hawaiian perspective to the park’s website.

Maui Now.

UH Maui College Signs Green Chemistry Commitment

As part of its continuing commitment to advancing Sustainable Science education, the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College is the first UH campus to sign the “Beyond Benign Green Chemistry Commitment.”

Maui Now.

Maui’s Newest Respite Shelter Can Help Up to 20 Men

Chaplain Ministries of Maui (CMOM) held a soft opening on Monday where dozens gathered at 250 Waiehu Beach Road for a formal blessing.

Hawaii News Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Kauaʻi Educator Sees a Hawaiʻi Where Hearing Hawaiian Is ‘Just Normal’

Mālia ʻAlohilani Kuala Rogers, or ʻAlohilani, as she prefers to be called, remembers her gut reaction when she heard her grandma talk about not being allowed to speak Hawaiian.

Kauai Now.