Feds Investigating Hawaiʻi Schools’ Policies On Transgender Athletes The U.S. Department of Education is opening investigations into 18 school districts and educational institutions across the country over policies allowing transgender athletes to participate in sports...

Among those practices and rights is the role of māhū, and the preservation of māhū histories and contributions. This framework is key to understanding the investigation into school policies on transgender athletes and its impending court battle.

Hawaiʻi’s Constitution establishes a public trust between the state and Native Hawaiians, reaffirming a relationship recognized by the U.S. federal government. This trust includes a duty to protect Native Hawaiian cultural practices and traditional rights.

Oahu HS students: Build production skills working on a media project with industry professionals. (Participants receive a $500 stipend.) Apply to the Civic Media Lab by December 5. Limited spots available. tinyurl.com/civicmedialab

“The size and scope of the TMT is so huge and massive that it wouldn’t even fit on that site,” E. Kalani Flores said. “What we’re seeing now is it appears that the governor and the congressional members are trying to make decisions excluding any input from Native Hawaiians."

Thirty Meter Telescope Planners Consider Other Sites On Mauna Kea Gov. Josh Green pledges to help with the permitting process for sites where old telescopes have been decommissioned.

Executives with the Thirty Meter Telescope are investigating the possibility of building on Mauna Kea, at a site where an old telescope was decommissioned and torn down.

Kamehameha Schools Sued Over Native Hawaiian Admissions Policy Students for Fair Admissions founder Ed Blum said he has received death threats over his attempt to strike down the policy.

Dhillon Law Group, the firm that filed a lawsuit to block California's voter-approved congressional map, is listed as counsel for the Students for Fair Admissions (the group suing Kamehameha Schools) www.civilbeat.org/2025/10/kame...

‘Humanitarian’ visa must be created for Pacific Islanders displaced by climate crisis, experts say Calls for reform to allow people across the Pacific threatened by climate crisis to more easily migrate, particularly to New Zealand

Research by Amnesty International finds current immigration systems are inadequate for Pacific Islanders seeking safety and stability, as rising seas threaten to make their homelands uninhabitable.

WATCH: Bryson Chun (Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.), Dana Ledoux Miller (Moana), and Thomas Paʻa Sibbett (Chief of War) examine contemporary Pasifika storytelling and representations in TV and film. www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I2O...

State explains why Homeland Security video blaming Democrats not playing at TSA checkpoints in Hawaii A new video shows U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on camera blaming Democrats for the federal government shutdown that began on Oct. 1.

“We verified that the [Sec.] Noem video is not playing at Hawaii checkpoints. Videos airing in the screening area are meant to direct people through the security screening process. HDOT is focused on airing videos that aid travelers at our commercial airports.”

Meet Rocket Ahuna, the Kānaka Maoli Designer Marrying Hula With Fashion Ahuna’s designs, inspired by the history of Hawai’i, are going global.

"You can say so many things about the things you want to do or achieve, but it isn't until the action is there that anything will really happen, and I just encourage young designers...to not feed into the thinking that there's one way to do anything."

Chief of War: A Turning Point for Native Hawaiian Storytelling - Ka Wai Ola Years ago, Thomas Paʻakaiokahonua “Paʻa” Sibbett was working at Kualoa Ranch when he read in a newspaper article that discussions were in the works about making a film about Kamehameha.

This is the first time that a story written by Hawaiians about Hawaiians has been financed and produced on such an epic scale. It is a moment that was decades in the making and that required years of hard work and the building of pilina within the industry kawaiola.news/cover/chief-...

Jason Momoa Praised For Historical Accuracy Of ‘Chief Of War’ Ass HONOLULU—Calling his portrayal of a Native Hawaiʻian chief “straight out of the 1700s,” critics, scholars, and fans alike praised Chief Of War star Jason Momoa this week for the historical accuracy of...

I can't imagine why someone would feel inclined to punch down about "Chief of War." But, hey, congrats to this writer for churning all those deafening open mics into quite a lucrative career in AI prompting. #MissionAccomplished

“These attacks are not new — but they are escalating,” OHA trustees said in a written statement. “They aim to dismantle the hard-won protections that enable our people to heal, rise, and chart our future.”

Kamehameha Schools’ Admission Policies May Face Legal Challenge An anti-affirmative action group wants the school to end its policy of giving preference to Native Hawaiians. The school promises a vigorous defense.

An anti-affirmative action group wants Kamehameha Schools to end its policy of giving preference to Native Hawaiians. The school promises a vigorous defense.

Nearly 1 In 5 Warning Sirens On Oʻahu Broken During Tsunami Scare The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency says two dozen new sirens will be installed by the end of the year.

Nearly 1 in 5 warning sirens on Oʻahu were broken during tsunami scare. Hawaiʻi could end up paying a bigger share of the upkeep of sirens in coming years. Maintenance was paid in part by FEMA grants, funding targeted for cuts by the Trump administration.

Reframing Histories of Kānaka Diaspora - Ka Wai Ola Narratives of diaspora are nothing new to our community and culture. Growing up in Hawaiʻi, it is commonplace to learn about the first migrations that brought our kūpuna into Polynesia, to Tahiti, and...

Between kumu hula, community organizers, educators, and families now living in diaspora, many Hawaiians are doing important work to ensure proper representation of our culture in distant places while creating safe spaces for our communities abroad to remain connected to their cultural heritage.

From villain to hero: Meet Marvel’s new Hawaii-born Spider-Girl HONOLULU (KHON2) — Look out New York — and Hawaii. There’s a new Spider-Hero in town. Just released this week, Marvel Comic’s latest character. Her name? Spider-Girl. And sh…

“That’s literally the reason I signed on to do the project in the first place. They told me, Spider-Girl, she’s Hawaiian. I’m like, Yes, you got me. I’m in,” David Nakayama, a veteran cover artist, said.

Huge petroglyphs covered for years unearthed again at Pokai Bay The petroglyphs were exposed over the weekend and cultural experts believe they are more than 1,000 years old.

"Our kupuna is definitely still here": Hawaiian kiʻi pōhaku (petroglyphs) covered for years are unearthed again at Pōkaʻī Bay. Cultural experts believe they are more than 1,000 years old. www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/07/18/h...

“They just see this as empty space,” Kyle Kajihiro, a UH professor, told the Guardian. “But what Native Hawaiians have helped us to understand, and what other Pacific Island peoples in their history have understood, is that the ocean is really a fabric of connection."

President Trump issued executive orders fast tracking deep sea mining in EEZs and opening the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument to commercial fishing. His admin. appears poised to shrink or even eliminate Papahānaumokuākea Marine Monument. www.naleihilo.com/blog-archive...

Once SpaceX ramps up launches, bird and sea life could face hazardous material spills, falling objects, and sonic booms, according to thousands of pages of government documents reviewed by the Guardian and interviews with oceanographers, aerospace engineers, former government employees, and others.

Inside Elon Musk’s plan to rain SpaceX’s rocket debris over Hawaii’s pristine waters Texas has long been under threat from the launches and explosions of SpaceX rockets. Now Hawaii is emerging as another possible victim

The agency acknowledged the potential threats, but said they would be infrequent and the risk was low. The FAA assessment bears a major caveat, though: it was in effect prepared by SpaceX itself.

UPDATE: In May, the FAA approved SpaceX's Starship proposal, despite "federal agencies' foreboding assessments" and more than 12,000 public comments on the matter. bsky.app/profile/jess...

Hawaii ranked number 1 on concerning list: More than 172,500 Ibs of trash collected The numbers come from the new Surfrider annual beach cleanup report.

Last year more than 172,500lbs of trash were collected off Hawaii coastlines, the most of any region in the country, report finds.

Report reveals Hawaii beaches among most polluted nationwide A recent report reveals beaches in Hawaii are among the most polluted in the nation.

Hawaii beaches are among the most polluted in the nation, report finds. Federal funding cuts could threaten future water quality testing.

Law enforcement is violently targeting press at protests around Los Angeles, from easily recognizable "mainstream" outlets to freelancers and independents. ALL press have explicit legal protections in California. #JournalismIsNotACrime.

This evidence thread may get graphic. 🧵👇

Federal agents conduct immigration raids across LA. Trump orders National Guard response Gov. Gavin Newsom called the plan to take over deployment from the state "purposefully inflammatory" adding that it "will only escalate tensions."

Over 2,500 California National Guard members were activated in response to devastating wildfires that ripped through LA in January 2025.

Unleashing American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific Commercial fishing is no longer prohibited from 50–200 nautical miles around Johnston Atoll and Wake and Jarvis islands, pursuant to a new Presidential Proclamation.

Commercial fishing is no longer prohibited from 50–200 nautical miles around Johnston Atoll, pursuant to a recent presidential proclamation.

Proposed military rocket test site in remote Pacific wildlife refuge alarms scientists The U.S. Air Force issued a notice this month proposing the construction of two landing pads on Johnston Atoll to test the viability of using rockets to deliver military cargo loads. HPR's Savannah Ha...

Johnston has served several purposes for the military, including as a nuclear test site from 1958-1963. According to NOAA, the atoll was seriously contaminated by several failed nuclear weapon launches.

Military’s plan for rocket testing on Johnston Atoll raises alarm The U.S. Air Force wants to build two commercial rocket landing pads at Johnston Atoll, which is a crucial breeding ground for seabirds and wildlife.

The U.S. Air Force wants to build two commercial rocket landing pads at Johnston Atoll for its Rocket Cargo Vanguard program. The proposal doesn’t name SpaceX, but it’s the only company capable of manufacturing rockets designed for landing and reuse.