Effort To Get Cruise Ships On Board With Green Fee Is Sputtering. Some legislators worry the state will lose its case to uphold cruise ship payments and with it millions in environmental funding. That leaves the state in an all-or-nothing court battle to secure the approximately $26 million in annua l cruise ship payments included in the  original green fee law. Civil Beat.HTA’s tourism management plan targets several islands with shuttle proposal. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority is rolling out a new statewide tourism management strategy aimed at addressing one of residents’ biggest complaints — traffic and overcrowding at tourism hot spots. KHON2.Tax cuts preserved, immigration enforcement limited as Legislature sends final bills to Green. Hawaii taxpayers — except for the highest income earners — will continue to benefit from historic tax breaks after legislators wrapped up their 60-day session by increasing the state’s $1.6 billion “rainy day fund” by $50 million and adding new limits on county and state law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. KITV4. With Immigrant Protection Bills, Hawaiʻi Joins States Resisting ICE Crackdown. While fears of retaliation blocked similar bills last year, reaction to national events and realities of local enforcement eased passage of immigrant legislation in 2026. Civil Beat.Hawaii shelters inadequate against hurricanes. With a potential El Nino cycle increasing hurricane threats to the Hawaiian Islands, state and county officials warn that most existing shelters are insufficient to protect residents beyond a Category 1 storm. Star-Advertiser.University of Hawaii grads face uncertain job market. With University of Hawaii graduations continuing through Saturday, students preparing for life after college are weighing a job market shaped by competition, cost of living, artificial intelligence and the growing expectation that a degree alone may not be enough. Star-Advertiser.From trucking to technocrat: How did former Maui official Keith Regan land in state’s second-highest post? Keith Regan has held several high-level leadership positions, first in Arakawa’s administration during his three terms as Maui County mayor and later in state government on Oʻahu. Maui Now.OahuCouncil, mayor clash over proposed $41M emergency account. A dispute is emerging between the Honolulu City Council and Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration over a proposed provisional account intended to help fund future city emergencies following two Kona-low storms that caused more than $100 million in damage to city operations and properties. Star-Advertiser.Detained Immigrants Could Wait 19 Months For Their Day In Honolulu Court. Asylum hearings are being curtailed, and more removal orders issued as DHS looks to reduce backlog of cases. Civil Beat.‘Renovation Aloha’ Hosts Fined For Illegal Airbnbs In Latest Misstep. The home flippers behind the hit HGTV show “Renovation Aloha” now owe $40,000 to the city of Honolulu for operating two illegal short-term rentals through the rental site Airbnb. Civil Beat.Kona-low recovery: ‘People are still struggling out there’.  For days after flood­waters tore through Otake Camp on Oahu’s North Shore, 77‑year‑old Grace Visaya slept in her car. Star-Advertiser.Care home operator pleads no contest to endangerment of patient’s welfare. Ederlina U. Manzano, 64, an Oahu care home operator has pleaded no contest to criminal endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, in this case an 87-year-old woman who was under her care. Star-Advertiser.Crews work to repair 20-inch water main break in Waimanalo. The Board of Water Supply reported a water main break on Hihimanu Street between Makulama Street and Ahiki Street. BWS officials are asking some Waimanalo residents to continue conserving water as crews work to repair a 20-inch main after discovering a second leak. Hawaii News Now.Hawaii Island‘It’s gonna be very devastating’: Five Hawaii Island early childhood education sites to close. The Mountain View Ka Pa‘alana Preschool -- part of a network of early childhood education programs across the state run by the nonprofit Partners in Development Foundation — is slated to close at the end of this school year, along with 16 of its other Ka Pa‘alana, Tutu and Me and other early childhood education programs, due to lack of federal funding. Tribune-Herald.County approval sought for festival that has irritated neighbors. The Hawaii County Windward Planning Commission on Thursday will decide the fate of the “Falls on Fire” Festival — a controversial “Burning Man”-inspired gathering in Papaikou hosted by Pennsylvania video game executive Andrew Tepper. Tribune-Herald.Hilo tsunami clock memorial to be moved? The Hilo tsunami clock — a landmark along Kamehameha Avenue at the edge of the Grand Naniloa Golf Course — might find itself with new digs as part of the Waiakea Peninsula revitalization. Tribune-Herald.MauiMaui Council shakeup: Chair Lee won’t seek re-election to Wailuku-Waiheʻe-Waikapū seat. Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee will not seek re-election this year. Instead, the veteran council member will support the candidacy of Marvin Moniz, a longtime state Department of Transportation airports manager, to succeed her in the Wailuku-Waiheʻe-Waikapū residency seat. Maui Now.84 affordable senior homes proposed for historic Wailuku Mission grounds. A plan to build 84 affordable rental homes for low-income seniors on one of central Wailuku’s most historically significant properties is now open for public comment through June 8. Maui Now.Kula resident Brad Sultzer and his wife Donna are dealing with close to $100,000 in storm damage. The Kona Low storm turned a stream into a raging river that ripped through their Polipoli Road property, along with neighboring homes and the road itself. Hawaii Public RadioMental health needs remain key to wildfire recovery. Survivors of the Maui wildfires still face profound emotional and psychological challenges nearly three years after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century killed more than 100 people, destroyed more than 2,200 structures and displaced an estimated 10,000 residents. Star-Advertiser.Homeowners could get up to $100K with Molokaʻi deed restriction pilot program. A Maui County pilot program on Moloka’i is offering homeowners up to $100,000 in exchange for deed restrictions on their property. The sale of the home would be restricted for 25 years under the program. Hawaii Public Radio.KauaiKaua‘i County’s DMV and Real Property offices to close for training. The Division of Motor Vehicles and the Real Property Assessment and Collections Section will be closed on Wednesday, May 13, to accommodate staff training. Kauai Now. ...read more read less