As the 2026 session opens, Hawaii's education debate centers on math coaches, meal expansions and fixing school transportation. Lawmakers are pitching classroom supports alongside services.

Hawaii officials condemn the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti by an immigration officer, with U.S. Rep. Tokuda calling it an "execution," and Senator Schatz vowing to withhold DHS funding.

The city has proposed a land swap and temporary trailers at Ocean Safety’s Leahi Avenue base while officials vet Kewalo Basin and a Kakaako parcel for a permanent headquarters.

A WalletHub ranking places Hawaiʻi 48th for starting a business, highlighting steep costs and weak small-business growth while DBEDT and lawmakers pitch fixes.

A city audit found Honolulu’s Office of Economic Revitalization lacked clear budget reporting even after handling roughly $325 million; auditors want a five-year plan and clearer performance reporting.

A DBEDT working group met at the Capitol to begin studying legalized gambling, focusing on the Aloha Stadium redevelopment and warnings from prosecutors about illegal game rooms.

Washington Place will be partially closed for a $7.3M restoration that repairs termite damage, updates systems and installs fire suppression.

Hawaiʻi plans to replace PFAS‑containing firefighting foam systems at Honolulu and Maui rental‑car centers at an estimated cost of about $23 million. Work will be staged to keep operations open.

Benjamin “Jimmy” Barros, a 31-year lifeguard veteran from Hanauma Bay, is Honolulu’s first deputy chief of Ocean Safety — a role meant to bolster training and operations across Oʻahu.

Planners will consider rezoning that could allow a 10,360‑sq‑ft Haʻikū fire station; public testimony will be heard next Tuesday and the staff report is posted online.

Supreme Court debates Hawaii gun laws on private property, examining if property owners must allow firearms, impacting Second Amendment rights and state tradition of gun control.

Front Street owners must decide whether to sell seaside parcels to Maui County under a proposed HUD‑backed buyback or try to rebuild amid slow permits and rising risks.

A new UH report shows Maui College and UH Hilo logged higher Title IX complaint rates than Mānoa in 2024–25. Low training completion has a lawmaker pushing mandatory student courses.