History was made Tuesday when Hawaii’s highest court held its first-ever remote oral arguments through a video platform.It was necessary because of the social distancing requirements spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic.The Hawaii Supreme Court will probably make history again when it eventually rules on the actual case, Carmichael v. BLNR.At issue is whether the state Board of Land and Natural Resources and Alexander & Baldwin, also a defendant in the case, can sidestep Hawaii’s Environmental Policy Act so that water can be diverted from streams in East Maui.Attorneys for BLNR and A&B...…History was made Tuesday when Hawaii’s highest court held its first-ever remote oral arguments through a video platform.It was necessary because of the social distancing requirements spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic.The Hawaii Supreme Court will probably make history again when it eventually rules on the actual case, Carmichael v. BLNR.At issue is whether the state Board of Land and Natural Resources and Alexander & Baldwin, also a defendant in the case, can sidestep Hawaii’s Environmental Policy Act so that water can be diverted from streams in East Maui.Attorneys for BLNR and A&B...WW…

The most comprehensive map of COVID-19 in Hawaii is published not by the state health department, but by a local guy who says he’s a nerd frustrated by a lack of transparency from the government.“It’s something the Department of Health should be doing,” said Ryan Ozawa, a communications director for a real estate tech company who also runs the community chat group , which hosts the maps.But since DOH isn’t, data geeks like him in the community are filling in the void, he said.Ozawa said he started out early in the pandemic by overlaying ZIP code boundaries over the state’s basic...…The most comprehensive map of COVID-19 in Hawaii is published not by the state health department, but by a local guy who says he’s a nerd frustrated by a lack of transparency from the government.“It’s something the Department of Health should be doing,” said Ryan Ozawa, a communications director for a real estate tech company who also runs the community chat group , which hosts the maps.But since DOH isn’t, data geeks like him in the community are filling in the void, he said.Ozawa said he started out early in the pandemic by overlaying ZIP code boundaries over the state’s basic...WW…

He urges us to look at the world through a lens to see the sacredness of life in everyone. Also, there is a quiz.The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg less than 50 days before the presidential election makes the Catholic vote more critical than ever. In a 2006 , Justice Ginsburg spoke of skipping the annual Red Mass because she did not want to subject herself to lectures by the bishops on abortion.One has launched a nearly $10 million dollar campaign against Joe Biden largely around this single issue. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has frequently lent the stamp of its...…He urges us to look at the world through a lens to see the sacredness of life in everyone. Also, there is a quiz.The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg less than 50 days before the presidential election makes the Catholic vote more critical than ever. In a 2006 , Justice Ginsburg spoke of skipping the annual Red Mass because she did not want to subject herself to lectures by the bishops on abortion.One has launched a nearly $10 million dollar campaign against Joe Biden largely around this single issue. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has frequently lent the stamp of its...WW…

The state has special funds that are sitting idle and holding hundreds of millions of dollars.For most of us, if we are asked how much money we have (perhaps by a bank or a credit union that is considering lending us money), answering the question isn’t terribly difficult. Look up a bank account or two, add a brokerage account if we are fortunate enough to have one, and we go from there.For our state government, apparently it’s not so easy. Not only do the state accountants need to deal with general funds and the money there, but we have hundreds of special funds — little pockets of money...…The state has special funds that are sitting idle and holding hundreds of millions of dollars.For most of us, if we are asked how much money we have (perhaps by a bank or a credit union that is considering lending us money), answering the question isn’t terribly difficult. Look up a bank account or two, add a brokerage account if we are fortunate enough to have one, and we go from there.For our state government, apparently it’s not so easy. Not only do the state accountants need to deal with general funds and the money there, but we have hundreds of special funds — little pockets of money...WW…

Innocenta Sound-Kikku has spent this year in the thick of Hawaii’s COVID-19 pandemic. As a staffer at a Kalihi community health center who is also Chuukese, she has watched her community get hit harder by the coronavirus than any other in Hawaii and scrambled to provide food, medicine and water to families stuck in quarantine.But on Sunday, she got good news. Congress is restoring Medicaid access for her community — citizens from the Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia living in the U.S. — nearly 25 years after taking it away.The change is part of a $900 billion...…Innocenta Sound-Kikku has spent this year in the thick of Hawaii’s COVID-19 pandemic. As a staffer at a Kalihi community health center who is also Chuukese, she has watched her community get hit harder by the coronavirus than any other in Hawaii and scrambled to provide food, medicine and water to families stuck in quarantine.But on Sunday, she got good news. Congress is restoring Medicaid access for her community — citizens from the Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia living in the U.S. — nearly 25 years after taking it away.The change is part of a $900 billion...WW…

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has announced that more than $1.8 million in federal funds will help support Hawaii renters through the Housing Choice Voucher program, more commonly known as Section 8.More than $1 million will go to the state Public Housing Authority, which administers vouchers on Oahu.  The County of Maui, which manages its own separate Section 8 program, will receive a $789,655 grant.U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said in a press release that the money will help current voucher holders who are affected by the pandemic.Section 8 voucher holders usually pay 30% of their income toward...…U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has announced that more than $1.8 million in federal funds will help support Hawaii renters through the Housing Choice Voucher program, more commonly known as Section 8.More than $1 million will go to the state Public Housing Authority, which administers vouchers on Oahu.  The County of Maui, which manages its own separate Section 8 program, will receive a $789,655 grant.U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said in a press release that the money will help current voucher holders who are affected by the pandemic.Section 8 voucher holders usually pay 30% of their income toward...WW…

A from a legal clinic at Yale Law School and a nonprofit dedicated to veterans has concluded that veterans were likely exposed to Agent Orange while working on Guam between 1962 and 1975.Civil Beat that a federal report found no evidence that military service members were exposed to Agent Orange on Guam. That report said that while Agent Orange was on ships that stopped on Guam, there was no evidence that the dangerous chemical was unloaded.The new analysis by Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School and the National Veterans Legal Services Program disputes that conclusion. , the...…A from a legal clinic at Yale Law School and a nonprofit dedicated to veterans has concluded that veterans were likely exposed to Agent Orange while working on Guam between 1962 and 1975.Civil Beat that a federal report found no evidence that military service members were exposed to Agent Orange on Guam. That report said that while Agent Orange was on ships that stopped on Guam, there was no evidence that the dangerous chemical was unloaded.The new analysis by Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School and the National Veterans Legal Services Program disputes that conclusion. , the...WW…

Gov. David Ige’s administration plans to launch a new program to help the struggling local restaurant industry by distributing debit-type cards for unemployed Hawaii workers to use to dine out at local eateries — and let the federal government pick up the tab.The House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness on Monday was briefed on the latest plans by the Ige administration to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds that have been sent to Hawaii to cope with the pandemic, and the proposed new restaurant card is budgeted for $66.6 million.The state...…Gov. David Ige’s administration plans to launch a new program to help the struggling local restaurant industry by distributing debit-type cards for unemployed Hawaii workers to use to dine out at local eateries — and let the federal government pick up the tab.The House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness on Monday was briefed on the latest plans by the Ige administration to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds that have been sent to Hawaii to cope with the pandemic, and the proposed new restaurant card is budgeted for $66.6 million.The state...WW…

A federal grand jury has indicted a Honolulu man for what officials say were planned bomb or chemical weapons attacks on Oahu, including a high-rise apartment building.Ethan Sandomire, 20, has been charged with possessing and attempting to possess a chemical weapon, and possessing an unregistered destructive device. Sandomire was taken into custody in late March at his Waialae Iki home on allegations he was making a pipe bomb, according to federal court records and He has been in custody since then, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office said Thursday.The U.S. Attorney’s Office says...…A federal grand jury has indicted a Honolulu man for what officials say were planned bomb or chemical weapons attacks on Oahu, including a high-rise apartment building.Ethan Sandomire, 20, has been charged with possessing and attempting to possess a chemical weapon, and possessing an unregistered destructive device. Sandomire was taken into custody in late March at his Waialae Iki home on allegations he was making a pipe bomb, according to federal court records and He has been in custody since then, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office said Thursday.The U.S. Attorney’s Office says...WW…

When Civil Beat and Hawaii News Now last surveyed registered voters statewide about COVID-19, more than two-thirds said they strongly supported stay-at-home orders and the 14-day quarantine for arrivals.That was , when coronavirus cases numbered around 640 in the islands, 17 deaths had been reported and Gov. David Ige unveiled a four-phase plan for reopening Hawaii’s economy.There was cautious optimism that the islands had “flattened the curve” and that life could begin to return to some sense of normalcy.Three months later, on Tuesday, Hawaii reported 2,591 cases and the 27th death. Health...…When Civil Beat and Hawaii News Now last surveyed registered voters statewide about COVID-19, more than two-thirds said they strongly supported stay-at-home orders and the 14-day quarantine for arrivals.That was , when coronavirus cases numbered around 640 in the islands, 17 deaths had been reported and Gov. David Ige unveiled a four-phase plan for reopening Hawaii’s economy.There was cautious optimism that the islands had “flattened the curve” and that life could begin to return to some sense of normalcy.Three months later, on Tuesday, Hawaii reported 2,591 cases and the 27th death. Health...WW…