Green's approval rating at 63%, former House speaker Saiki named insurance commissioner, Hawaiian Airlines to cut 252 positions, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Poll shows Green’s approval rating at 63%. Gov. Josh Green has a 63% approval rating among Hawaii’s registered Democratic, Republican and independent voters, placing him in a tie for the fifth most-popular governor in the nation, according to the results of a voter survey released Wednesday by Morning Consult Pro. Star-Advertiser.

Former House speaker becomes insurance chief. Former state House Speaker Scott Saiki is now Hawaii’s insurance commissioner. The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs announced Saiki’s appointment Wednesday. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio. Maui Now.

Case May Not Always Vote With Dems, But His Fundraising Is Going Just Fine. A look at the latest campaign finance filings for Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Airlines cutting 252 noncontract positions. Some of these reductions will take place around Sept. 18, the one-year anniversary of Alaska Air Group’s $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Holdings. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2. 

Planning a cruise to Hawaiʻi? A state climate plan could cut arrivals in half by 2030. The state Department of Transportation’s new climate roadmap would cut cruise ship travel to Hawaiʻi in half by 2030 and restrict it almost entirely by 2040 in an effort to reduce emissions from maritime travel. Hawaii Public Radio.

How Trump's megabill will affect Hawaiʻi's hospitals, doctors and patients. Rough estimates by the Healthcare Association of Hawaii show that in Hawaiʻi, about 10,000 people on Obamacare and about 30,000 on Medicaid could lose their coverage due to the changes. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi After-School Programs In Limbo Due To Trump Funding Freeze. The state Department of Education told after-school programs to start the year as normal and is making contingency plans for if millions in frozen education grants are never awarded. Civil Beat.

Oahu

HPD interim chief’s priorities include more officers for Waianae area. Rade Vanic’s first day on the job as interim chief for the Honolulu Police Department included his first meeting with the Honolulu Police Commission to outline his priorities. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Police Commission Moves Forward On Search For New Chief. The Honolulu Police Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to turn its search for a new police chief over to a consultant who can help commissioners pick a candidate to best fit the department. Civil Beat.

U.S. Navy Blue Angels returning to Kaneohe Bay Air Show.  Marine Corps Base Hawaii is is hosting the 2025 Kaneohe Bay Air Show from August 8 to 10. Hawaii News Now.

Major makeover planned for a popular community hub in Nu’uanu. A major makeover is planned for YMCA Honolulu’s flagship campus in Nu’uanu. On Tuesday, leaders announced a $5 million donation from the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation to get the project started. Hawaii News Now.

Realtors say it’s a buyer’s market even as prices stay stable, inventory jumps. Despite the current economic climate, realtors say the real estate market in Honolulu is stable, but there are some abnormal conditions, making it a prime time for buyers. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Paniolo Struggle To Raise Beef For Hawaiʻi As Drought Shrivels Grass. Big Island ranches stand out for their commitment to grass-fed beef. As climate changes, they are offloading more calves to the mainland. Civil Beat.

Waimea conservation priorities to be discussed in meeting next week. During the meetings, Natural Resources Conservation Service gathers input from a diverse group of stakeholders with agricultural and environmental interests to help guide conservation priorities in local communities for the next year. Big Island Now.

Graduation ceremony held for 8 new adult corrections officers. The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on Monday welcomed a new class of eight adult corrections officers at a graduation ceremony at the YMCA in Hilo. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. 

Maui

County dispersing Amala Place camp. Maui County officials will be removing approximately 40 unhoused people from Amala Place in Kahului. Maui News.

New program at UH Maui College offers esthetician, nail tech programs at request of high school students. Walk into Laulima Building’s classroom 213 at the University of Hawai’i Maui College and you might think you were in the wrong place. Instead of microscopes and beakers in the lab, there are cuticle pushers, waxing pots and people sitting in comfy chairs soaking their feet. Maui Now.

Kauai

Huli ka lepo for housing. The Rice Street Apartments is a mixed use affordable housing community designed to help meet the islands critical housing needs while contributing to the revitalization of Lihue’s historic town core. The four-story development will include three levels of residential units built over a ground floor commercial and retail space. Garden Island.

Surfrider Kaua‘i removes record-breaking 81 tons of trash from island beaches, coasts in 2024. Surfrider Kaua‘i in 2024 led efforts that resulted in the removal of nearly 163,000 pounds — or 81 tons — of marine debris and trash from Kaua‘i beaches and coastlines. That breaks the previous record set in 2017 by almost 43,000 pounds. Kauai Now.

House leadership shakeup slots Chun as new ag committee chair, Vanic named interim Honolulu police chief, deadline nears for Maui wildfire claims, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

New House Agriculture Committee chair plans to prioritize invasive species, food security. Rep. Cory Chun, the new chair of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems said his focus will be on legislation addressing biosecurity and food security in the state. Hawaii Public Radio.

Campaign urges wildfire preparedness. With drought conditions worsening and wildfires already occurring across the islands, state and county officials are launching an awareness effort ahead of what forecasters warn could be an especially dangerous dry season. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald.

State survey reveals workforce housing would keep Hawai‘i educators in classrooms. Hawai‘i School Facilities Authority is ready to execute the build of 2,500 rental housing units to serve 11% of the educator workforce by 2030. Big Island Now.

Critical shortage of court reporters causing delays in trial cases, appeals. The state judiciary is struggling to find stenographers to provide accurate transcripts for court proceedings. A backlog is pushing back the start of civil and criminal trials and appeals are also on hold. Hawaii News Now.

Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald on retirement, Judiciary success. Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald will formally hang up his robes in Sept., after 15 years in the role. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Rade Vanic chosen as interim HPD chief. The Honolulu Police Commission selected Rade K. Vanic to serve as interim Honolulu police chief Wednesday, ignoring Mayor Rick Blan­gi­ardi’s move to replace Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan with his handpicked successor. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio.  Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.  KITV4.

Honolulu’s Effort to Fast-Track Affordable Housing Projects Hasn’t Worked. Developers of much-needed affordable housing are supposed to get permits approved or denied within three months. It’s taking far longer. Civil Beat.

Why New Hawaiʻi Teachers Can’t Afford To Buy A House. When it comes to housing for educators, Hawaiʻi is one of the least affordable places for early career teachers, according to an analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality released last month.  Civil Beat.

Oʻahu Wants To Crack Down On Homeless Bus Riders. New rules for TheBus could prohibit passengers whose belongings emit noxious odors or who ride with no destination in mind, signaling a stricter approach to how Honolulu transit systems handle homeless people. Civil Beat.

Community input sought for study on health risks due to fuel exposure from Red Hill spill. Individuals impacted by the 2021 Red Hill Storage Facility leaks can choose to attend two in-person community engagement sessions on June 25, hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Hawaii Public Radio.

Group files ‘next step’ appeal to save Haiku Stairs. To save a World War II-era mountainside staircase marked for removal by the City and County of Honolulu, the Friends of Haiku Stairs has brought an appeal to overturn a 2024 State Historic Preservation Division approval that allowed the city’s demolition plan to proceed. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Kona Open Space Network Event Set For June 28. The Kona Open Space Network Draft Conceptual Plan will be presented during a upcoming event in Kealakehe. Big Island Now. Big Island Video News.

W. Hawaii woman’s death triggers lawsuit. Family members of a Holualoa woman who died two years ago are suing the woman’s estranged husband and Hawaii County police, saying they are responsible for her death from a drug-and-alcohol overdose. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui vacation rental bill again draws supporters, opponents. Maui County Council members heard another full day of testimony Wednesday for and against a proposal to convert 6,100 vacation rentals in Maui “apartment districts” into long-term housing, but recessed with plans for a third and fourth hearing. Star-Advertiser.

Time running short for Maui wildfire claims. Maui wildfire victims who have not hired attorneys yet will soon learn how they can file claims through a class action lawsuit. It’s another big step toward paying out the $4 billion settlement, as time to file runs short. Hawaii News Now.

East Maui kalo farmers won the water fight. Now they battle climate change and invasive species. There had been plenty of water until Alexander & Baldwin, more than a century ago, diverted the major streams mauka of their properties to irrigate thirsty sugar crops on the other side of the island. In East Maui, the kalo dried up. Farmers moved away. Maui Now.

Maui wildfire survivors still struggling with health, housing. The UH Economic Research Organization’s latest report, released Wednesday, found that mentally, half the survivors it has been tracking are showing depressive symptoms, with a quarter reporting moderate to severe anxiety. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now.  KHON2. 

Kauai

Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative appoints new chief financial officer. Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative announced this week that Erin Tsuda was appointed chief financial officer and financial vice president effective July 1. Kauai Now.

Task force annual reports highlight chronic pollution. Waikomo Stream, that empties into the popular Koloa Landing, has made the top of this year’s list at being polluted with concentrations of enterococcus bacteria more than 90 percent of the time. Garden Island.