The U.S. Owes Hawaiians Millions of Dollars Worth of Land. Congress Helped Make Sure the Debt Wasn’t Paid. ProPublica 7 hrs ago
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This story was co-published with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network.
In the 1990s, Hawaii’s two elder statesmen U.S. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka were at the forefront of efforts to ensure that the U.S. compensated Native Hawaiians for ancestral lands taken from them over the years.
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But an investigation by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and ProPublica has found that those same senators voted several times each to support must-pass legislation that included provisions undermining efforts to repay millions of dollars in land debt to Hawaiians. At least six other current and former members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation have supported such legislation one or more times.
In a rare encounter, divers spot humpback whales in waters off west Oahu
Humpback whales spotted off the coast of West Oahu By HNN Staff | May 5, 2021 at 9:55 PM HST - Updated May 5 at 9:55 PM
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A couple of divers got a huge surprise during their morning swim in West Oahu on Wednesday.
The divers said they spotted two humpback whales a few hundred yards off Kahe Point.
This was a rare sighting for these majestic mammals as humpback whales are usually seen in Hawaiian waters earlier in the year.
Humpback whales migrate to Hawaii annually for birthing and nursing season, which usually happens between January and March.
Civil Beat/HNN Poll: Majority Of Oahu Voters Oppose Rail Project - Honolulu Civil Beat
Civil Beat/HNN Poll: Majority Of Oahu Voters Oppose Rail Project
But 44% say it should go to all the way to Ala Moana Center instead of shortening the 20-mile route. Reading time: 7 minutes.
The largest public works project in Hawaii history is opposed by 53% of registered voters on Oahu, with just 34% expressing support for Honolulu rail.
The numbers are similar when voters living on the neighbor islands are factored in 50% and 35%, respectively. Although rail is funded primarily through a general excise tax surcharge in the City and County of Honolulu, a 1 percentage point increase on Hawaii’s hotel room tax statewide also goes to support the project through 2030.
Courtesy Special Olympics Hawaii
Special Olympics Hawaii has opened its new headquarters in West Oahu and can host competitions and practices for its 3,400 athletes.
The new Special Olympics Hawaii Sports and Wellness Center - located adjacent to the Kroc Center at 91-610 Maunakapu Street in Ewa Beach - is specifically dedicated and designed for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The site includes fields for athletes to practice and compete in soccer, flag football, bocce, and track and field.
The program s administration also has moved into a new 3,000-square-foot building which includes office space and multi-purpose classroom space for meetings and volunteer training.