Trump lawsuit targets University of Hawaii, state economy expected to slow, Kauai airport power failure causes 7-hour waits in TSA lines, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Trump Lawsuit Targets Undocumented University of Hawaiʻi Students. A lawsuit seeks to end Hawaiʻi’s 13-year policy of providing in-state tuition benefits to undocumented immigrants living in the state. Hawaiʻi policies providing in-state tuition to undocumented students are unconstitutional and discriminate against out-of-state citizens who don’t receive the same benefits, according to a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit filed on Thursday. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. Aloha State Daily  Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.

State economic growth forecast to slow this year. Rising inflation, modest job growth and fewer days tourists spend in the islands are combining to slow economic growth from 2.5% last year to 1.3% this year, according to the latest forecast from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Star-Advertiser.

Two deaths linked to Hurricane Lowell. First responders on Kauai’s south end found the body of a 74-year-old man on Wednesday near the shoreline. Authorities believe his death was related to the storm surge, police said. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said another man was killed on Oahu when a large tree fell on his tent Monday during the storm. The man was homeless and living in a park, he said. Maui News. KHON2. 

Oahu

Honolulu Says Its Tow Contractor Overbilled. Taxpayers Will Pay The Price. Honolulu demanded its towing contractor, accused of overcharging, issue refunds to drivers. When the company said no, taxpayers were stuck with the bill. Civil Beat.

Homeowners vs. hikers: Council weighs in with no-parking proposal. A proposal to paint curbs with "no parking" near trailheads is before the Honolulu City Council. The bill has received opposition from the Department of Transportation Services, while residents have voiced frustration over congestion on streets near public trailheads. Aloha State Daily.

Ala Moana project gets 90-day extension for Council review. The Honolulu City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously and without discussion to approve a 90-day extension for further consideration of the proposed 1588 Ala Moana development. The mixed-use project calls for a 400-foot luxury hotel tower and a separate residential tower with market-rate and affordable units at Ala Moana Center. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

9 new officers welcomed into ranks at Hawaiʻi Police Department. The 105th recruit class began training Nov. 17, 2025. After 6 months of academic instruction, recruits completed 4 months of field training under the guidance of veteran officers throughout various districts. Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui County Boards Ground To A Halt. Voters Could Change That. Voters on Maui, Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi will decide on charter amendments aimed at reducing vacancies on panels designed to tackle crucial local issues. Civil Beat.

Maui Planning Commission recommends EC Pāʻia Town project rezoning as private water source raises questions. The Maui Planning Commission voted 5-3 Tuesday to recommend approval of the EC Pāʻia Town Project’s rezoning, after developers said the 170-home, mixed-use development would rely on private wells and a private wastewater treatment plant rather than county systems in Central Maui that already operate at or near capacity.  Maui Now.

Community invited to Sept. 17 meeting on proposed project for new Pāʻia gym. Community members are encouraged to attend a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, to share ideas for a proposed project to construct a new Pāʻia gym, the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation announced. Maui Now.

Kauai

Power generator issues trigger hourslong screening delays at Lihue Airport. Intermittent power outages at Līhuʻe Airport triggered major Transportation Security Administration screening delays Wednesday, with some passengers waiting in line for seven hours. Hawaii News Now. KITV4. 

‘Not the time for a vacation’: Kauai flood victims say tourists are treating disaster as sightseeing. Tourists should skip Kauai for now as it recovers from Hurricane Lowell, officials say. Tourism officials are asking visitors to steer clear of one of Hawaii’s most picturesque islands as residents and businesses work to recover from the latest tropical storm to thrash the state. Associated Press. Hawaii News Now.

‘You Just Want To Cry’: Kauaʻi Takes Stock Of Lowell’s Damage. Communities on Kauaʻi, Lānaʻi and Niʻihau are picking up the pieces left by Hurricane Lowell, a storm Gov. Josh Green compared with the 1992 disaster ʻIniki. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Star-Advertiser.  Garden Island. 

Kauaʻi residents deal with long lines for gas, empty store shelves and damage from Hurricane Lowell. Steve Schneider was sitting on the front porch of his blue beach bungalow in Poʻipū, taking a break from cleaning up the debris and storm damage that included his neighbor’s home that slammed into his front yard and car that almost went through his front window. Kauai Now.

Radio Silence Amid Lowell Reveals Critical Gap In Emergency Plan. Radio is critical during disasters. Kauaʻi has again exposed that many stations lack generators and other equipment needed to stay on the air. Civil Beat.

KKCR was on air for residents during Lowell and now needs help to avoid closure. The listener-supported Kauaʻi Community Radio station was broadcasting as the wind and rain from Hurricane Lowell tore through the island — and now it needs help to stay on the air. The station is looking to get its internet back, and it needs diesel for its generator, which Caporuscio said will run out of fuel in roughly a week. Hawaii Public Radio.