Hawaii News

There are 4 different rule changes that the council says will significantly change the way species such as the Hawaiian monk seal, brown booby, hawksbill sea turtle and more are protected.

Three Hawaiʻi men were arrested as part of federal operation to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.

The purpose of the briefings is to ensure public dollars are being spent responsibly and on priorities that meet the needs of Hawai’i’s residents prior to the start of the legislative session.

The grants — one to University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center for the new groundbreaking Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center and the other to John A. Burns School of Medicine to upgrade simulation and training resources — reinforce Helmsley’s commitment to strengthening health infrastructure and workforce capacity in Hawaiʻi.

New results — which were made using a variety of ground and space-based telescopes including W. M. Keck Observatory on the Big Island — strengthen the “Hubble tension,” a cosmic disagreement that could point to new physics governing the universe.

Better Buildings & Better Plants partners saved more than $24 billion in energy costs to date, and financial allies extended $41 billion for projects that improve energy performance.

The fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act includes more than $1.1 billion for infrastructure in Hawai‘i and includes language encouraging the U.S. Army to fully develop and communicate plans for leased training lands — such as those at Pōhakuloa on the Big Island.

Unlocking the mystery of dark matter would help to get a grasp on what most of the universe is actually made of and potentially reveal fundamental new physics that could revolutionize the understanding of how everything works.

With nearly 1 in 3 Hawai‘i families already not able to get enough food, the organizations say the real barrier to healthy eating is affordability, not banning sugary products.

The new Training for Residential Energy Contractors program, going live in January 2026, will provide hands-on instruction and nationally recognized certifications for contractors, builders and tradespeople throughout Hawai‘i.

Any unused Hawaiʻi Emergency Food Assistance Program balance cannot be carried over or reissued in 2026 and will be expunged at the end of the year.

Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, where the volcano is located, see remarkable views during the episodic eruptions within the summit, but the latest episode — No. 38 — reminds us how quickly hazards associated with this dynamic activity can change.

“The expansion of the travel ban is as a political distraction, diverting attention from real homeland security concerns like human trafficking, drug smuggling and organized crime,” said Oʻahu state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, chairman of the Hawaiʻi Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.

Waikōloa native and graduate of Kealakehe High School Eric Pōmaikaʻi Gee was one of two Villars Institute Fellows selected for the Ice Station Expedition, a 2-week mission that took place this month; he now will begin sharing lessons from the expedition through school visits, community presentations and public outreach.

The two organizations renewed a partnership that started 6 years ago aimed at working collaboratively to leverage their collective strengths in health care and education to create healthier communities throughout the state.

The U.S. congressman from the state’s 1st Congressional District, which encompasses all of Honolulu, says his bill responds directly to the goals of Pacific Islands in regard to economic advancement and stronger ties with the United States.

The credit union has $100,000 in scholarships available; deadline to apply is Feb. 26, 2026.

From the Big Island to Kaua’i, astronomers are eagerly awaiting the passage of the interstellar comet through the inner solar system, with more than 80 observatories worldwide and in Hawaiʻi participating in this celestial event.

“This study highlights the far-reaching impact of seabirds, showing they can shape the movements of top predators like tiger sharks, which then ripple through the entire food web,” said principal investigator at Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology Shark Lab and study co-author Carl Meyer.

University of Hawaiʻi researchers note that Hawaiʻi’s better outcomes underscore the effectiveness of early public health interventions, strong community engagement and high vaccine uptake.