Schatz, Hirono hold fast for health care, rejecting deal to reopen government; SNAP users remain in limbo over payments; state House speaker seeks answers on $35k bribe allegations, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

‘We are not done with this fight’: Hawaii senators reject deal to reopen government. Both Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz said the compromise, which does not include a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, fails to address rising health care costs for millions of Americans. Hawaii News Now.

Tens of thousands of Hawaii SNAP recipients in limbo as states told to recover funds. Tens of thousands of Hawaii residents who rely on federal food assistance face renewed uncertainty after the Trump administration on Saturday directed states to undo the distributions and warned of financial penalties for noncompliance, telling states they must “immediately undo” any actions providing full benefits to low-income families. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

What’s Controversial? Teachers Grapple With Free Speech In Hawaiʻi Schools. A parent’s complaint after a class conversation about Charlie Kirk highlights the larger challenges schools face in teaching government and current events. Civil Beat.

House Speaker Seeks Answers About The $35,000 Mystery Money The FBI Revealed. Hawaiʻi House Speaker Nadine Nakamura is wading into the murky political and legal waters swirling at the State Capitol around whether another lawmaker took tens of thousands of dollars as a bribe. Civil Beat.

New state initiative launched to improve pedestrian, biking, transit access across Hawaiʻi. The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation has announced the launch of its Priority Multimodal Network, a statewide initiative identifying 113 projects designed to improve pedestrian, bicycle and transit access across the state highway system. Big Island Now.

Sports to play key role in Hawaii’s tourism new game plan. Over the weekend, the UH baseball team wrapped up a weeklong tour in Tokyo. backed by a $100,000 investment from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, marked the team’s first international outing and is part of a broader push to position Hawaii as a global sports brand. Star-Advertiser.

Three Hawaii public schools have received top national honors for their work in career- connected education — part of the state’s efforts to integrate college and career readiness from elementary through high school. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu Police Commission cautious about giving mayor oversight of HPD chief. The Honolulu Police Commission appears cautious about some proposed changes to its structure and its oversight of the city's police department. Hawaii Public Radio.

City Council urges repeal of transit fare policy. The Honolulu City Council is urging the city administration to repeal a decades-old cost recovery policy for the city’s bus system to stave off service cuts and potential fare increases for low-income riders on Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

‘Hell-Hole’ Building Tenants Gain Traction In Court As Conditions Deteriorate. For weeks, conditions have gone from deplorable to worse for residents of 1136 Union Mall, a derelict, downtown office building that’s been converted into makeshift residences without air conditioning or proper kitchens and bathrooms. Civil Beat.

Hawaii evictions loom as federal shutdown persists. An Oahu family headed by parents who are both working without pay for the shuttered federal government was evicted in the final days of October, and the Mediation Center of the Pacific expects more to follow as the country last week set a record for the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Star-Advertiser.

Former government informant found dead in Waipio. The body of 55-year-old Jonnaven Monalim was found Friday night in Waipio, the Honolulu Police Department confirmed Sunday. Monalim testified in federal court during the 2009 trial of his cousins Ethan Motta and Rodney Joseph Jr., who were charged with racketeering and murder and attempted murder in connection with the Jan. 7, 2004, shootings at Pali Golf Course, which left two men dead and another critically wounded. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. 

Pearl Harbor sites remain open during federal shutdown thanks to local funding. While several national parks and museums across the country have been forced to close or reduce operations during the ongoing federal government shutdown, Pearl Harbor’s historic sites remain open, thanks to local commitment, nonprofit support, and private funding. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Public can weigh in on proposed county raises. The public will have an opportunity to comment on a proposed 15.29% pay hike for Hawaii County’s top officials when the Salary Commission meets at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 17. Tribune-Herald.

Plastic foodware ban postponed. If passed, the ordinance would ban plastic and polystyrene cups, lids, plates, bowls, trays, forks, spoons, stirrers, straws and knives. Tribune-Herald.

UH Hilo gets $15M for improvements. UH Hilo Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Kalei Rapoza said the projects selected for the fiscal year 2026 funding are renovation and improvement of the air-conditioning systems, renovation and improvement of the agricultural facility to provide modern instruction, designing renovations and upgrades to student housing, and designing a “replacement of built-up roofing.” Tribune-Herald.

It could be a not-so-wet rainy season for the Big Island. East Hawaii has received steady rainfall the past few weeks, but the prospect of a rainier-than-normal wet season on the Big Island appears more hope than prediction, according to forecasters. Tribune-Herald.

Kīlauea Episode 36 Ends After 5 Hours Of High Lava Fountains. Episode 36 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption started and ended on Sunday, and lasted just under 5 hours.  Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. 

Maui

Maui County Mayor launches reelection campaign. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen has announced his 2026 reelection campaign after winning over some initial skeptics during his handling of Maui’s devastating wildfires. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. 

HDOT to host final meeting on Hāna Highway historic bridge improvements, Nov. 18. The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration Central Federal Lands Highway Division, will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, to discuss planned improvements to six historic bridges along Hāna Highway (Route 360) between Huelo and Hāna town in East Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

Public invited to provide feedback before final phase of Hanalei water line improvements.  The meeting will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at Hanalei Elementary School, 5-5415 Kūhiō Highway, on Wednesday. Kauai Now.

Hawaiʻi transportation department launches plan to improve pedestrian, biking, transit access. The virtual meeting for Kauaʻi will take place on Nov. 10 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Register here: Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams. Kauai Now.