Judiciary programs win legislative approval, Carvalho wants to be Kauai mayor again, Honolulu airport faces baggage handler layoffs, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Chief Justice Says He’ll Retire On High Note After Rare Legislative Success. In his last year on the Supreme Court, Mark Recktenwald helped secure funding for Judiciary programs throughout Hawaiʻi. Civil Beat.

Many UH med school grads plan to stay in Hawaii amid physician shortage. As Hawaii faces a shortage of nearly 800 physicians, a very special ceremony was held Sunday for some of the state’s newest doctors. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Proposed Cuts To Food Stamps Program Could Be ‘Horrific’ In Hawai‘i. Under Republican proposals, Hawaiʻi could face more than $100 million in new costs to maintain the food stamp program. Civil Beat. Some 157,600 residents — roughly 1 in 9 — will receive SNAP benefits this year. Civil Beat.

Judge Blocks Trump Health Funding Cuts For Hawaiʻi, Other States. Hawaiʻi could have lost more than $89 million for critical community health programs, the Attorney General’s Office said. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Student Debt Puts Hawaiʻi’s Older Adults At Risk Of Social Security Cuts. People who stopped paying their student loans during the Covid-19 pandemic could soon start facing reductions in their monthly Social Security benefits. Some 8,400 adults aged 62 or older in Hawaiʻi owe roughly $440 million in federal student loans, according to the U.S. Department of Education.  Civil Beat.

Federal funding for Hawaiian Home Lands on chopping block.  President Donald Trump is proposing to eliminate the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant program as part of a rough budget plan for the next federal fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Star-Advertiser.

UH researchers, faculty suffering from federal cuts. As of Friday, 77 grant awards at the University of Hawaii had been terminated, stopped or were being phased out. Of those, 66 grants have been terminated, amounting to $83 million in federal dollars, according to a UH spokesperson. Star-Advertiser.

Airline outlook weakens as Hawaii heads into peak summer travel season. The outlook for airline seats into Hawaii softened this month with losses widening into the peak summer tourism season, exacerbating concerns that demand for leisure travel will hold amid worldwide economic uncertainty. Star-Advertiser.

Bill passes allowing darker tints on vehicles. The state Legislature has passed a major reform bill for vehicle window tinting laws, which marks the most significant update since originally enacted in 1983, the House of Representatives announced Friday. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Dozens of workers face layoffs at Honolulu airport. A company that provides baggage-handling services to the airlines at Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is ending its operations there. That means dozens of workers will lose their jobs.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Concern for University Lab School as officials discuss possible ‘UH CampusTown’. The prospect of a mixed-use development to create a more vibrant atmosphere for students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa is drawing fire from supporters of University Laboratory School who fear the K-12 campus would be displaced in the process. Star-Advertiser.

State agency’s preschool production pipeline bulges while other projects hit roadblocks. Inside what looks like it could’ve been an art classroom at a Moiliili elementary school, a former engineer is leading a small team on a big quest to develop preschool classrooms, teacher housing and a more than $300 million new school. Star-Advertiser.

The newest kauhale, Alana Ola Pono, moves 11 people into long-term homes. The Alana Ola Pono kauhale represents the newest of 21 that have gone up around the state, with more planned in Waimanalo and Kapolei, on Middle Street and off of Nimitz Highway by Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Star-Advertiser.

Straub Benioff Medical Center to see new facilities. The Straub Benioff Medical Center is undergoing a massive transformation, according to Hawaiʻi Pacific Health. KHON2.

Honolulu Council might widen surveillance at parks. Overt video monitoring at city-owned parks prone to high crime has advanced under a new Honolulu City Council resolution. Star-Advertiser.

Miske’s Trust: A Look At His Moves To Control His Fortune From The Grave. In amending his revocable living trust shortly before he died, Michael J. Miske confirmed his granddaughter is the primary beneficiary. It is the first time the provisions of Miske’s trust have been made public. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to make final stop in Hilo ahead of global, 3-year voyage. The canoes are expected to arrive in Hilo on Tuesday afternoon and stay for more than a week to engage with the community and make final voyage preparations.  Big Island Now.

Zoo fees revisited: County mulls charging admission to popular attraction. Hawaii County is holding another hearing to consider proposed entry fees for Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo &Gardens. Tribune-Herald.

Reservations for bunkhouse, cabins open daily. The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife has announced that the Keanakolu Bunkhouse and Ranger Cabins off Mana Road are now available for camping reservations seven days a week. Tribune-Herald.

Military presence at Pōhakuloa Training Area critical to community safety. But at what cost to the land, native species? In the summer of 2022, when the Mana Road fire burned more than 44,000 acres of land, destroyed some homes and livestock, and threatened Waikōloa Village, small Hawaiʻi County received help from the U.S. Army. Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui Council passes fiscal 2026 budget on first reading; final reading set for June 3. The Council will hold another public hearing on tax rates at 9 a.m. May 27 in the eighth floor Council Chambers of the Kalana O Maui Building. Maui Now.

For Immigrants After Lahaina Wildfire, Survival Is A ‘Daily Challenge’. A new survey shows that many immigrants are struggling with housing, jobs and stress after the 2023 fire. Civil Beat.

This Molokaʻi dental provider's waitlist is 1 year long. Expanded services are coming soon. If you live on Molokaʻi and need to see a dentist, you may have to wait as long as one year. The Molokaʻi Community Health Center is one of just two dental providers on the island, and right now, its wait list is 10 pages long. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hoʻoikaika Partnership awarded $100,000 grant. Hoʻoikaika Partnership, a coalition of more than 75 organizations working to prevent child maltreatment and strengthen families across Maui County, has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawai’i Community Foundation. Maui News.

Kauai

Carvalho announces mayoral candidacy. Bernard Carvalho Jr. is a council member who served as Kauai’s mayor from 2008 through 2018. Garden Island.

More than 160 walk through rain at Kauai Community College graduation. More than 160 Kauai Community College students braved the Friday afternoon showers to participate in the 60th Annual Kauai Community College Commencement held on the Puhi campus. Garden Island.

Līhu‘e transfer station again taking trailer loads and construction, demolition waste. Kaua‘i County Public Works Solid Waste Division announced Friday that waste disposal restrictions on construction and demolition debris as well as trailer loads — which have been in effect since September 2024 — are lifted effective immediately at the Līhu‘e transfer station. Kauai Now.