January 12, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Monday, January 12, 2026

January 12, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:55 PM :: 150 Views

US Nationals Reminded not to Vote Outside American Samoa

New Records Detail How State Gave Dozens of Foster Boys to Child Molester

CB: … As Civil Beat was reporting last year on a foster dad who sexually preyed on and beat the boys in his care, the state intervened to prevent the release of court documents that detailed how it could have happened.

The Department of Human Services, the only remaining defendant in the lawsuit brought by one of the victims, argued that the trial exhibits should be sealed to protect the strict confidentiality of the foster care system.

Public First Law Center objected, arguing that the public has a strong interest in understanding the failures of the child welfare system. A few days later, Judge Kevin Morikone gave the state 45 days to file redacted versions of the trial exhibits.

Now those documents are public. And they offer a rare glimpse into the workings of the child welfare system, and how a predator could go unchecked for more than two decades….

Morikone handled that case and found that Teixeira had sexually molested the plaintiff 100 times, performed oral sex on another and physically abused many of the boys. Older boys sexually preyed on younger ones under his watch in a setting the judge compared to the dystopian book “Lord of the Flies.”

Morikone awarded the plaintiff known as John Roe 121 – referred to in Civil Beat’s stories as “JR” – almost half a million dollars….

The state continued its pattern of defending Teixeira in the most serious accusation of all.

In 2003, a foster boy named Hoku Freitas who had run away from Teixeira’s home two and a half years earlier, told police that Teixeira “molested children.” Hoku mentioned one boy in particular, 14 at the time. Teixeira, he said, fondled this boy’s penis and licked his breasts.

Hoku added that the foster dad “played around” with the boys in his permanent custody because they no longer had anyone visiting or checking up on them. He also had shared a bed with one of his charges, and got mad when this boy showed an interest in girls, Hoku said….

read … New Records Detail How State Bungled 'Lord Of The Flies' Foster Home - Honolulu Civil Beat

Hawaii lawmakers face pressure to maintain historic tax breaks, despite budget constraints

HNN: … “The state taxes wealthy individuals far more, right now than any other state except for California. And so increasing that more would just hurt the job market,” said Joe Kent, executive vice president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Rather, critics want the state to restrict spending and tell department heads to cut back.

“There’s over $100 million in special funds that the auditor has recommended be abolished. that’s an easy cut then there’s $300 million in vacant positions. these are positions that have no one in it. if you cut this, that would be $300 million added to the budget as well,” Kent said….

read … Hawaii lawmakers face pressure to maintain historic tax breaks, despite budget constraints

Hawaii Bill proposes suing oil companies over insurance hikes

EE: … Two states will consider empowering their attorneys general to sue fossil fuel companies if climate-related disasters cause property insurance rates to rise.

(CLUE: Anybody who claims a specific weather phenomenon is evidence of global warming is a fraud.)

Bills in the New York and Hawaii state legislatures could open a new front in climate litigation by letting state prosecutors sue on behalf of residents who face higher insurance premiums after storms, wildfires and other events linked to climate change.

Similar legislation is being drafted in California, where insurance costs are soaring following years of major wildfires including the devastating Los Angeles fires a year ago.

(CLUE: Law firms are exploiting liberal states to prospect for money with these suits. They think this will be the next tobacco settlement.)

The measures aim to expand the fossil fuel industry’s liability for climate change to include rising insurance rates at a time when property coverage is becoming increasingly expensive and scarce.

“Shouldn’t the entities that caused climate change contribute?” said Hawaii state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, a Democrat, who plans to introduce legislation in January as the state’s annual legislative session begins. “Why do residents have to foot the whole bill for the situation we’re now in when they did not profit off it the way the polluters did?”...

(CLUE: Law firms are exploiting liberal states to prospect for money with these suits. They think this will be the next tobacco settlement.)

read … POLITICO Pro | Article | States consider suing fossil fuel industry over insurance hikes

Hawaiʻi still struggling to fill correctional officer vacancies

HPR: … The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation hasn’t been able to shrink its 28% vacancy rate for correctional officers over the last two years.

About 430 state correctional officer positions are vacant, DCR said in a state budget informational briefing Thursday — despite the department’s efforts to better advertise those jobs.

“We have a very robust recruitment campaign going on now where we’re doing TV (and on) Skyline, and we also are looking at our retention efforts as well,” said DCR Deputy Director of Administration Melanie Martin.

The shortage has led to heavy overtime for existing adult correctional officers.

“Sometimes it's the ACOs themselves. I mean, we have a lot of individuals out on (family or medical leave), on workers’ compensation, so that drives up the overtime costs significantly,” she added….

DCR paid $15 million in overtime during the 2025 fiscal year….

As Explained: Hospital Crisis: How to Use Union Work Rules for Fun and Profit > Hawaii Free Press

read … Hawaiʻi still struggling to fill correctional officer vacancies | Hawai'i Public Radio

94% of Students using AI chatbots at University of Hawaii

KITV: … The University of Hawaii introduced AI chatbots across its 10 campuses, marking a significant step in its student success strategy.

According to the EdSights fall 2025 report, the AI chatbots, with names like ‘Bow and Moa, have achieved a 94% opt-in rate among students, who have expressed gratitude for the support.

Between August 1 and December 10, 2025, students sent a total of 72,089 texts to their campus chatbots, with high engagement at Honolulu Community College and UH West Oahu….

The chatbots have efficiently answered 4,294 student questions and facilitated 5,554 connections to UH resources, saving staff approximately 357 hours. They also flagged students who needed more support and initiated wellness checks.

UH Manoa received a Community Connector Award at the 2025 EdSights PERSIST Summit for its leadership in using student voice data. UH Manoa students sent 21,388 texts to ‘Bow in the fall, accounting for nearly 30% of the total texts sent systemwide ….

read … AI chatbots at University of Hawaii boost student success statewide | Local | kitv.com

Socialist Rep Perusso pushes Socialized Health Care

CB: “… health care is not a consumer good. It is infrastructure. And like roads, schools, and clean water, it only works when it is governed in the public interest….”

(TRANSLATION: Socialized medicine delivered with the same smiling efficiency as all other state services.)

read …Socialist Rep Perusso: Hawaiʻi Needs Universal Health Care, Not Another Temporary Fix - Honolulu Civil Beat

Precisely as Intended: O‘ahu's North Shore Erosion Leaves Homeowners Without Solutions

CB: … the waves that gave this 3-mile stretch its reputation are also eating away at the beach one swell at a time, in some cases taking homes along with it….

a new beach management plan is in the works to better understand these seasonal sand dynamics and address beach erosion.

(TRANSLATION: More empty talk.)

But property owners have largely been left to navigate the issue on their own, often forced to choose between violating environmental protections by installing illegal barriers or leaving their homes vulnerable to destruction….

(TRANSLATION: Letting these homes fall into the ocean is the intended goal.)

read … VIDEO: O‘ahu's North Shore Erosion Leaves Homeowners Without Solutions - Honolulu Civil Beat

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