November 10, 2025 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Monday, November 10, 2025

November 10, 2025 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:22 PM :: 414 Views

DoE Backs Down Completely From Punishing Teacher for Allowing Kirk and Trump Discussion on Constitution Day

Four Ways to Keep Building Rail Forever

SA: … In October, the HART board approved Resolution 23 to support “extensions to the minimum operable segment (from East Kapolei to Ala Moana) that are consistent with the locally preferred alternative and HART’s authority.” It also authorized Skyline’s Segment 3 contractor, Tutor Perini Corp., to conduct $53.2 million in additional design work meant to extend Skyline to Ala Moana. More details of this funding source are needed.

Meanwhile, other strategies are in play to expand HART’s mission — adding weight to extending its life span (any lifting of the 2031 sunset would require voters’ OK via a City Charter amendment):

>> Under Bill 60 in the City Council, HART’s work scope would extend to deliver said “locally preferred alternative” beyond Segment 3, perhaps to the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

>> Two potential City Charter amendments have emerged for discussion — but both should be iced for now. One would effectively transition HART into the city’s sole transit authority, while another would give the agency control over the management of other city construction projects ….

read … Editorial: Give HART chance to take rail home | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

City Council urges repeal of transit fare ‘Cost Recovery’ policy as Transit Ridership Declines

SA: … The Honolulu City Council is urging the city administration to repeal a decades-old cost recovery policy for the city’s bus system to stave off service cuts and potential fare increases for low-income riders on Oahu.

The Council on Wednesday adopted Resolution 262 by a vote of 8-0, with Council member Scott Nishimoto absent for that portion of the meeting. The resolution effectively calls on Oahu taxpayers to subsidize more of the cost to run TheBus and other forms of public transit in coming years.

But city officials, while acknowledging waning ridership for mass transit since the pandemic, assert, (without giggling,) the over-$10 billion rail line to downtown Honolulu could boost revenues to cover future operational costs for transit options like TheBus….

read … City Council urges repeal of transit fare policy | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Hawaiian Electric, Investors Reach Deal in Lahaina Fire Suit

BL: … Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. and investors have reached an agreement to settle class allegations that the utility misrepresented its wildfire risk management in advance of the August 2023 Lahaina fire, according to a court filing.

The terms of the securities fraud settlement aren’t available yet. The investors anticipate finalizing the agreement and asking for the court’s approval by Dec. 26, the parties told the US District Court for the Northern District of California….

NR: HEI Reports Third Quarter 2025 Results

read … Hawaiian Electric, Investors Reach Deal in Lahaina Fire Suit

Losers: Schatz, Hirono voted to keep Government Closed

HNN: … Both Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz said the compromise, which does not include a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, fails to address rising health care costs for millions of Americans….

The 60-40 vote saw a handful of moderate Democrats breaking the six-week stalemate to advance three bipartisan annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January in exchange for a mid-December vote on extending the health care tax credits.

The agreement also includes a reversal of the mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration since the shutdown began on Oct. 1 and would ensure that federal workers receive back pay.

Sunday’s vote was the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers. Final passage could be several days away if Democrats object and delay the process….

ASD: UPDATED: Congress Watch: All the times Hawai‘i's senators have voted on reopening…

SA: U.S. Senate advances bill to end federal shutdown | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

NR: Governor Josh Green, M.D. | News Release: DHS ISSUES UPDATE ON SNAP BENEFITS AND THE HAWAI‘I EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

read … 'We are not done with this fight': Hawaii senators reject deal to reopen government

USDA: State Should Undo SNAP Benefit Payments

SA: … After receiving that Friday memo, several states, including Hawaii Opens in a new tab, said they were beginning the process of issuing full benefits.

But those state actions are now unauthorized because of the Supreme Court order, the USDA wrote in guidance released late Saturday. State governments should instead issue only partial benefits, the USDA said.

“States must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025,” the memo said….

CB: Federal Food Stamps In Limbo As Hawaiʻi State Food Assistance Kicks In - Honolulu Civil Beat

read … USDA tells states to undo efforts to issue full SNAP food aid benefits | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

“The tweakers, squatters, druggies — whatever you want to call them — they come in here all day, kicking, squatting, robbing”

CB: …Things came to a head late last week, as a half-dozen police officers stood outside the building with their cars lined up on Bishop Street, blue lights flashing. Inside, four unidentified men — three dressed in black paramilitary clothing, the fourth in an aloha shirt — were walking through the building.

Exactly why the men were there and who sent them isn’t clear. One of them was social media influencer and self-described (cos-play) “Ambassador of Aloha” Elijah Kalā McShane, who declined to comment when contacted later by Civil Beat. State records show McShane was previously licensed as a security guard, but his license expired in 2016 and he is not allowed to practice in that role.

The Honolulu Police Department also couldn’t say exactly what had happened. Officers had responded to a report of a disturbance at the building from the property manager, who was off-site at the time, according to Jocelyn Oshiro, an HPD spokesperson.

Officers saw something happening on the ninth floor but couldn’t make contact with any residents and didn’t go inside, Oshiro said. They left while the men in black were still inside and never talked to residents….

In the past six months, Honolulu Police Department officers have made 154 visits to the building, an HPD spokesperson said. That’s nearly one call per day to the property, whose tenants previously included the Hawaiʻi judiciary’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel, located in Honolulu’s central business district.

Of the 154 police visits, 24 were classified as criminal cases or warrant arrests. Another 42 were to preserve the peace and prevent violations of the law and 88 for things such as assisting a citizen, welfare checks and noise complaints. HPD noted that the tally also included incidents in front of the building….

“The tweakers, squatters, druggies — whatever you want to call them — they come in here all day, kicking, squatting, robbing,” Mendoza said.

read … 'Hell-Hole' Building Tenants Gain Traction In Court As Conditions Deteriorate - Honolulu Civil Beat

OHA awarded grant to assess Kakaako Makai land

SA: … OHA announced on Thursday that it was awarded a $2 million Brownfields Assessment Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The funding will support further environmental review of parcels OHA owns in the area….

read … OHA awarded grant to assess Kakaako Makai land | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visitors Say Hawaii Is Getting Too Complicated To Enjoy

BH: … When Sarah from Colorado tried to book Haena State Park access on North Shore Kauai for her December trip, she wrote to tell us she set an alarm for early November to log on at midnight Hawaii time, which was 3 a.m. for her. Even booking exactly 30 days in advance, her preferred dates and times were already gone within minutes….

read … Hawaii Can’t Decide What It Wants From Visitors + Everyone Pays

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