Trump Administration Sends Threatening Letter to Hawaiʻi Elections Chief

The feds have given Hawaiʻi’s chief election officer five days to respond with his plan to follow election laws as they reminded elections officials across the country that they could be held criminally liable for allowing non-citizens to vote.

Civil Beat.

HECO Warned the Iran War Would Raise Costs. Here’s How Much Bills Rose

Monthly bills rose by about $60 for the average Maui resident and $30 for the average Hawaiʻi island resident between March and June. On Oʻahu, prices rose by $59. Costs then started to come down in June.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Crime Is Down. Why Do So Many in Hawaiʻi Feel Unsafe?

It may surprise you, but crime in Hawaiʻi is actually not on the rise. You’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise – candidates are campaigning on the idea that crime is up. Videos of fights and bad behavior rule on social media. New numbers show that violent and property crime have continued to drop since the pandemic

Civil Beat.

New Hawaiʻi Laws Address Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking

House Bill 1959 extends a five-year pilot project intended to decrease repeated incidents of domestic violence, while HB 1960 would establish a program to educate and train transient accommodations workers to recognize human trafficking and report suspected incidents.

Tribune-Herald. KITV4.

Governor Signs Bills on Tobacco Use, Electronic Smoking Devices

Disposable electronic smoking devices can no longer be sold or distributed beginning January 1, 2027.

Big Island Video News. Maui News. KHON2.

O‘ahu Headlines

Honolulu City Council Poised to Override Mayor’s Vetoes

The Honolulu City Council plans today to consider overriding Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s line-item vetoes restoring funding and positions to the city’s Office of Economic Revitalization after the Council eliminated them from the city’s $3.193 billion fiscal year 2027 operating budget, which took effect July 1.

Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Homeless Services Program Too Disorganized to Assess, Auditor Says

In 2021, Honolulu’s CORE program started pairing social workers with EMTs on 911 calls to help homeless people in mental health crises. How’s it been going? Even the city auditor can’t figure it out. The program has changed its direction so many times that the question of its success has been difficult to decipher.

Civil Beat.

UHERO Temporarily Withdraws Energy Report, Citing Errors

The University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization on Tuesday temporarily withdrew a report that claimed Hawaiʻi did not need additional power plants if it expanded its solar facilities. The report was withdrawn one day after Gov. Josh Green told KHON2 the report was “baloney” and based in the “opposite of reality.”

Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. KHON2.

H-1 Freeway to Shut Down Overnight Saturday for Bridge Installation

Part of the H-1 Freeway will be fully closed to traffic this weekend while crews work on the Gulick Avenue overpass. The bridge is part of the state’s $100 million federally funded H-1 widening project.

Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Biki Bike-Share Revamps as the City Hopes to Invest $1.5M

The city hopes to invest $1.5 million to purchase 600 new bicycles and refurbish existing stations to rebuild the system.

KITV4.

Chinese Communist Party Member Arrested in Hawaiʻi on Visa Fraud Charge

A 51-year-old man from China is facing a federal criminal charge in Hawaiʻi after he allegedly hid his background as a lieutenant colonel in the People’s Liberation Army and Communist Party leader on his visa application. He was arrested July 1 at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport trying to enter the country.

Star-Advertiser.

East Oʻahu Residents Criticize ‘Monster Home,’ Property Owner Responds

There is growing criticism over construction on a property near Maunalani Heights, with some claiming the owner plans to build a “monster home.”

Hawaii News Now.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Legislation Targets Data Centers in Hawaiʻi County

A Hawaiʻi County Council Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved forwarding a bill banning industrial-scale data centers on the island after hearing testimony from nearly a dozen supporters.

Tribune-Herald.

UH Seeks to Transfer Maunakea Master Lease to Oversight Authority

UH recently sent a letter to MKSOA leadership proposing to initiate the transfer of the master lease for the over 11,000-acre summit area. This, along with a recent state bill signed into law in May, would allow MKSOA to extend subleases for observatories on the mountain before officially taking over management responsibilities from UH on Dec. 1, 2029.

Tribune-Herald.

Maui Headlines

County to Discuss Maui Shoreline Planning Boundary on July 14

The County of Maui Department of Planning invites community members to learn about the Special Management Area (SMA) boundary assessment project for the island of Maui by attending the Maui Planning Commission meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 14.

Maui Now. Maui News.

PUC to Review Young Brothers After Shipping Delays

After shipping delays left Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi residents without some basic supplies for days, state regulators are taking a closer look at Young Brothers’ operations.

KHON2.

DOT Weighs Bids for Lānaʻi Federally Subsidized Air Service

Lānaʻi’s only commercial airport is again under federal review as the U.S. Department of Transportation weighs competing bids for subsidized essential air serv­ice – a program that guarantees baseline scheduled flights so the rural island can maintain reliable, year‑round travel.

Star-Advertiser.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Public Comment Period for Kauaʻi’s Landfill Expansion Project Coming to an End

Public comment on the Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice for an expansion project at Kauaʻi’s only solid waste landfill, which is projected to reach capacity in four years, is nearing its end. The deadline to submit written comments on the statement is Wednesday.

Kauaʻi Now.

Kauaʻi Residents Question Police Response to Murder Case, Manhunt

Residents on Kauaʻi’s north shore demanded answers Monday night about the police department’s handling of a multi-day manhunt for a murder suspect.

Hawaii News Now.

Prepping for Back to School Bash

More than 70 volunteers from sponsors of the Back to School Bash turned out on Tuesday to pack backpacks with school supplies for the Saturday event at the Kukui Grove Center.

Garden Island.