Honolulu water agency sues Navy over Red Hill leaks, Green says state can handle federal cuts for now, 67-acre residential development advances on Maui, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu Board of Water Supply sues Navy for $1.2B over Red Hill fuel leaks. The Honolulu Board of Water Supply announced Tuesday that it has filed a federal lawsuit in connection to massive jet fuel leaks at the Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in 2021. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Public housing residents to gain high-speed fiber internet access in 60 days. More than 45,000 residents living in Hawaii’s public housing communities soon will have access to high-speed fiber internet under a new public-private partnership between the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and Hawaiian Telcom. Star-Advertiser.

Governor says Hawaii can handle federal cuts -- for now. Governor Josh Green said last minute changes to the Senate version of the tax bill will make it easier for Hawaii to respond to cutbacks in Medicaid, and local Republicans say many residents will benefit from the tax relief.  Hawaii News Now.

Billions in cuts, thousands at risk: What the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ means for Hawaiʻi . The Senate version of the bill cuts more than a trillion dollars from Medicaid. It imposes work requirements for those enrolled in Medicaid and food assistance programs including SNAP.While there are exemptions for those who are unable to work due to certain things, such as medical conditions, according to Governor Josh Green, it’s going to leave more than 400,000 people on Medicaid in Hawaiʻi without long-term care, dental, or help with prescription costs. KHON2.

Hawaii pushes back against Trump cuts, budget. Hawaii and 19 other states were granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday to prevent the dismantling of the federal Department of Health and Human Serv­ices, just as the Senate narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s signature budget bill to deliver on his agenda. Star-Advertiser.

Governor’s state budget veto trims public school maintenance. According to a separate veto message from Green to the Legislature, $90 million of what he struck from the budget was for a single purpose divided evenly over two years in a category dubbed “school support” for the state Department of Education. Star-Advertiser.

New Hawaii laws going into effect for 2025. The measures that became law on Tuesday come out of the sessions that occurred this year and last year.  KITV4.

Hawaii Tourism Authority board chair is uncertain if all board members will submit courtesy resignations. HTA has come under fire for procurement violations and failing to pay its vendors, the Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement on time, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiian Airlines still resolving cybersecurity issue, was aware days before informing customers. While Hawaiian Airlines is still working to resolve an ongoing cybersecurity attack, the airline’s parent company revealed that Hawaiian had been aware of the attack three days before making any public announcement. Hawaii News Now.

DLNR: State marine patrols now operating in all counties. Marine patrol units from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources are now active on Hawaii Island, Oahu, Maui and Kauai, the DLNR announced Tuesday. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now. 

Oahu

Here’s Why Honolulu Doesn’t Enforce Law Against Short-Term Rental Companies. Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo were supposed to give the city monthly reports on their bookings. Due to a lawsuit filed on behalf of vacation rental owners, that never happened. Civil Beat.

New plan to tackle crime, cleanliness in Downtown Honolulu. A city councilmember is trying to create a Business Improvement District, similar to the one that was implemented in Waikiki. KHON2.

This Deadly Oʻahu Beach Reveals The Challenges Facing Hawaiʻi Lifeguards. More residents drown on the North Shore of Oʻahu than almost anywhere else in the state. Even as the county ramps up resources for lifeguards, it’s a difficult problem to solve. Civil Beat.

The state wants to free up hundreds of permitted parking stalls at Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. The state says about 200 of the spots sit empty for most of the year because not every permitholder visits the harbor every day.  Hawaii News Now.

Jury awards $3.15M to aspiring chef abused by boss. An Oahu Circuit Court jury awarded $3.15 million to a former 22-year-old sous chef at a Honolulu fine-­dining restaurant who claimed he was violently abused by its executive chef. Star-Advertiser.  Hawaii News Now. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

DOH: East Hawaii Urgent Care clinics are ‘now in compliance’.  The laboratories at the Hilo Urgent Care and Keaau Urgent Care clinics are now in full state and federal compliance and are legally able to conduct the same type of lab testing they’ve done for 22 years, according to the state Department of Health. Tribune-Herald.

State funds Kona Women’s Court, a pilot program starting in September. The Kona District Court will receive a little more than $1 million for the two-year pilot project to create a Women’s Division of the Big Island Drug Court. Big Island Now.

Fireworks, fancy cars, parade, rodeo, rubber duckies and more on Friday. Hawaii County has announced its Fourth of July celebrations in Hilo and Kailua-Kona. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

670-acre project in Wailea passes on first reading. Amid a marathon of public hearings with 61 people testifying on a single day, the Maui County Council narrowly passed a bill on first reading that would allow a residential development on 670 acres in Wailea. Maui News. Maui Now. 

New Maui Police Department hire arrested for sex assault and electronic enticement of a child. A probationary employee of the Maui Police Department was arrested for first degree sexual assault and first degree electronic enticement of a child on Saturday, June 28, 2025.  Maui Now.

Kauai 

Public invited to upcoming East Kaua‘i Community and Circulation Plan workshops. Kaua‘i County Planning Department invites community members to participate in a series of upcoming focused workshops for the East Kaua‘i Community and Circulation Plan. Kauai Now.

Green trims $100M from state budget, Rep. Case lone congressional delegation holdout over ICE immigrant tactics, governor signs fireworks bills, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

More Than $100 Million Cut From Hawaiʻi State Budget. Gov. Josh Green signed the nearly $40 billion executive biennium budget bill Monday, allocating $19.8 billion to state operations for fiscal year 2026 and about $19.7 billion for fiscal year 2027. Uncertainty over federal funding and projections for reduced state revenues played a role in the governor’s decision to line-item veto about $110 million in spending across the fiscal biennium. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. KHON2.

Press release with budget highlights. Governor's Office.

As Immigrant Arrests Rise, Hawaiʻi Political Leaders Condemn ICE Tactics. Rep. Ed Case, the lone holdout, said criticisms didn’t capture his or constituents’ views on immigration. With the arrests of immigrants surging, most of Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation accuse federal immigration agents of creating “fear and terrorizing communities” in the Aloha State in a letter to be sent Tuesday to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Civil Beat.

New Hawaii fireworks laws take effect today. During a ceremony in his office at the state Capitol, Gov. Josh Green signed two “signature” bills passed by the Legislature in May to crack down on rampant use, possession and distribution of illegal fireworks statewide. State Department of Law Enforcement Director Mike Lambert took questions from the media. Star-Advertiser. Associated Press. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Governor: I’ll Be ‘Agnostic’ On How Hawaiʻi Spends Its New Green Fee. Climate experts and proponents of Hawaiʻi’s new green fee will kick off next month what Gov. Josh Green has dubbed the “green fee initiative” — a process to decide how hundreds of millions of dollars for climate- and conservation-related projects will be spent. Civil Beat.

EV owners may opt for state road usage charge starting July 1. Starting Tuesday, owners of passenger EVs have the option of paying the state either a per-mile road usage charge of $8 per 1,000 miles, capped at $50, or an annual flat fee of $50. Star-Advertiser. Kauai Now. 

New law shifts seafood labeling rules. The bill mandates retail establishments that sell products made with raw yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna, such as poke and sashimi, must label them with the country of origin where the fish was caught. Maui News.

Green Tells Hawaiʻi Tea Farmers Not To Worry About New Labeling Law. The governor had put the legislation on his intent-to-veto list, but ended up signing the measure last week. Civil Beat.

OHA budget battle pits its CEO against the chair of the board. OHA Trustees Race To Beat Deadline For New Controversial Budget. Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs approved a new two-year budget after a marathon meeting on Monday to resolve issues in a spending plan that had drawn intense criticism and scrutiny in recent weeks. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Hawai‘i gender-affirming care providers brace themselves amid Trump ending LGBTQ+ youth hotline. Hawai‘i advocates said there is already a lack of gender-affirming resources locally, and cuts to that federally funded service could lead to severe consequences. Hawaii Public Radio.

Summer tourism lag risks long-term performance. Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Director James Kunane Tokioka said in a statement that May’s modest increase in total visitors was led by growth from the U.S. West, which offset arrival drops of 1.1% from the U.S. East, 0.5% from Japan, and 8% from Canada. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Drones To Patrol From Oʻahu Skies For Illegal Fireworks On July 4th Weekend. A measure allowing video evidence from drones was part of a package of bills aimed at cracking down on illegal fireworks that became law Monday. Civil Beat.

Despite an alarming rise in traffic fatalities, officials say safety measures are working. There are more traffic control measures than ever on Oahu: speed humps, red light cameras and now speed cameras. But traffic fatalities are still going up. There have been 39 people killed on Oahu roadways through June. Halfway through 2024 that number was 15. Hawaii News Now.

Prosecutors want ex-prison guard to serve 7 years. The U.S. Department of Justice is asking a judge to sentence a 47-year-old ex-prison guard from Kapolei to seven years in federal prison for raping female inmates and trying to skip town before trial. Star-Advertiser.

Fire causes $150K in damage to Sheridan Park playground. For the second time in less than two months, vandals set fire to a city playground — causing about $150,000 damage and shuttering a section of Sheridan Park. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KITV4. 

Hawaii Island

Big Island students produce first-ever draft genome of endangered palila. Five Big Island high school students were among the six youths who have successfully produced the first-ever draft genome sequence of the critically endangered endemic palila bird. Tribune-Herald.

“Voluntary Compliance Order” Issued To Stop Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Spread. Residents are being asked not to transport palm plants and mulch in an area of West Hawaiʻi this summer, in order to prevent the further spread of the destructive coconut rhinoceros beetle, or CRB.  Big Island Video News.

Kahua Kahe Mālie Integrated Care Hub Opens In Ainaloa. The Kahua Kahe Mālie Integrated Care Hub, a new medical respite and behavioral health care facility, opened Friday in Ainaloa. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Samaritan’s Purse dedicates new homes to Maui families impacted by Lahaina wildfire. Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization, dedicated three newly built homes in Lahaina for Maui families who survived the state’s deadliest wildfire in history. Maui Now. KITV4.

6 Maui men arrested for internet-related sexual offenses against children. The latest Operation Keiki Shield action, conducted Friday to Sunday, resulted in the arrest of six Maui individuals for charges related to internet-facilitated sexual offenses against children, according to the Maui Police Department. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.

Kauai

DOW invites the public to attend a discussion on the Kapaa Homesteads Tanks Project. The Department of Water will hold a community event at 6 p.m. today to give the public an opportunity to review the project and share their feedback. Garden Island.