Gov. Josh Green sounds alarm in Washington over RFK Jr. Even as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to meet with top Senate committee leaders, Hawaii’s Democratic governor came to Capitol Hill to urge the Senate to reject his nomination. CQ-Roll Call. Fox News. CNN video via Instagram. ’Sobering’ report issued on Hawaii natural disaster resilience spending needs. A panel advising Gov. Josh Green is urging the state Legislature to appropriate almost $2 billion over the next five years to help reduce and respond to future natural disaster damage in Hawaii. Recommendations in the 58-page report by the Climate Advisory Team include helping homeowners strengthen their residences against hurricanes, enhancing natural protections from storm surges and inland flooding, expanding Firewise community programs, creating a permanent Hawai‘i Resilience Office and establishing a “properly funded” Office of the State Fire Marshal. Star-Advertiser.Find the full 58-page Climate Advisory Team report here.State Sees A Rare Surge In Inheritance Taxes. The state Council on Revenues, a committee tasked with projecting state tax collections, is projecting general fund tax collections will grow from about $9.57 billion last fiscal year to nearly $10.2 billion in the year that ends on June 30. Civil Beat.State Department of Agriculture shares biosecurity budget wishlist. The new legislative session kicks off next week — but key budget briefings with lawmakers are in full swing. The state Department of Agriculture was called before the state Senate on Tuesday afternoon to discuss their budget. Hawaii Public Radio.Hawaii still facing health care work shortages, report says. The 2024 Hawaii Healthcare Workforce Initiative report, published every two years by the nonprofit trade group Healthcare Association of Hawaii, noted some easing of shortages for some categories, but found the state short of more than 4,600 health care workers in 94 professions. Star-Advertiser.Education summit explores solutions to teacher shortage in Hawaii. Members of Hawaii’s education community came together to address the teacher shortage across the state. The summit addressed, in part, building a pipeline of teachers for the next generation, which includes strengthening support for high school students to become teachers. Hawaii News Now.OahuThat Cop Pulling You Over May Soon Be A State Deputy Sheriff. Unlike other states, Hawaiʻi generally leaves it to the counties to almost exclusively enforce traffic laws. But now lawmakers are being asked to authorize a new traffic enforcement unit staffed with two dozen state deputy sheriffs to help patrol Oahu highways and enforce regulations on commercial vehicles. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. EPA Clean Ports Program contributes to Honolulu Harbor and climate change solutions. Hawaii is more dependent on goods being brought in by ship than any other state in America and Honolulu Harbor is getting a $59 million grant from the federal government. KITV4.Maintenance cited as possible cause of Kamaka crash. The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary investigation report that could provide clues as to what might have caused the Dec. 17 Kamaka Air Flight 689 crash that killed two young pilots shortly after takeoff on an instructional flight to Lanai. Star-Advertiser. KHON2. KITV4.ATF sends team to Honolulu to help investigate fatal McCully fire. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is sending dozens to assist with the investigation into an apartment fire on Young Street that killed Honolulu firefighter Jeffrey Fiala on Monday. Hawaii News Now.Miske Case: 2 More Co-Defendants Sentenced. The cases against Michael Miske’s co-defendants continue more than a month after the convicted crime boss was found dead in his cell. Civil Beat.Hawaii IslandHawai‘i County Council unanimously supports Mayor Alameda’s chosen cabinet leaders. On Tuesday, during Hawai‘i County Council’s Governmental Operations and External Affairs Committee, Alameda sought confirmation of nine of his selected department heads.These mayoral appointees received unanimous support from the council committee members but they must go before the full council for final approval on Jan. 22 in Kona. Big Island Now. Family of man killed by dogs says petty misdemeanor charges are ‘insufficient’. The ex-wife and a daughter of a 71-year-old Ocean View man fatally mauled by dogs 17 months ago said authorities aren’t doing enough to hold the owners of the dogs responsible for the attack. Tribune-Herald.Roundabout plan advances: Final EA issued for Waikoloa Village road project. The Department of Public Works published on Wednesday a final environmental assessment for a project to build a two-lane roundabout at the intersection of Waikoloa Road, Paniolo Avenue and Pua Melia Street. Tribune-Herald.Industrial fire affects county metal recycling. The acceptance of metals and appliances at East Hawaii transfer stations has been put on hold because of a fire Wednesday morning at Big Island Scrap Metal, Hawaii County’s contracted recycling partner. Tribune-Herald.Maui Draft study completed for mauka move of vulnerable portion of Honoapi‘ilani Highway. About a 6-mile segment of Honoapi‘ilani Highway from Ukumehame to Launiupoko would be moved mauka, beyond the reach of rising sea levels, to protect a vital roadway to West Maui. Maui Now.Baldwin Beach restoration work continues. The effort is funded from a more than $1 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund to develop site-specific plans for dune restoration at Kapukaulua, from Lower Pāʻia Park to Wawau Point, or Baby Beach. Maui News.New program allows Moloka‘i residents to scrap two cars per year. A new tow and scrap program for Molokaʻi residents to recycle their unwanted qualified vehicles at no cost. Maui News.Kauai57 households face relocation as Hawaiian Home Lands nears purchase of Kaua‘i condos. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is preparing to acquire an East Side apartment complex on Kauaʻi in early February, which has led 57 households to confront a daunting future: Where will they relocate? Kauai Now.Slope stabilization to close one lane of Kūhiō Highway at the Waikoko turn for 7 months. The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation notifies highway users about a single lane closure of Kūhiō Highway (Route 560) at the Waikoko hairpin turn for emergency slope stabilization. Kauai Now.