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there's no reason to believe the Honolulu's rail project will do anything to improve traffic congestion. In fact, it's likely to divert resources from more-affordable solutions. "The one thing about these projects [is that] they are very inviting politically," says former Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano. Along with Cliff Slater of Honolulutraffic.com and University of Hawaii's Roth, Cayetano has filed a federal lawsuit against the rail project that's held up construction. They claim the city misled the public about the total cost of the project and didn't deliver fully on a required review of alternative solutions to a rail line. Panos...

The state of Hawaii has a brilliant plan to rid itself of homeless tramps while saving millions. How will they achieve this? By deporting the homeless back to the continental U.S. The “return to home” program is set to launch this fiscal year — the state will purchase one-way plane tickets, and eventually even beds on cruise ships, to send homeless people back to their families in other regions of the country, reports MSN News.

Unwisely taking a page from the NHL All-Star Game, the National Football League announced today that it will further cheapen its annual Pro Bowl by scrapping the AFC vs. NFC format adapted in 1971. Players will be selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players. Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice will serve as alumni team captains for the teams. The league is crediting (read: blaming) NFL Players Association president Domonique Foxworth for the idea. Players will be assigned to teams through the Pro Bowl Draft, in which two leading vote getters will join two NFL.com fantasy...

Hawaii is hoping to take the burden off its welfare system by saying aloha to its 17,000 homeless residents. The state will offer one-way tickets home to any eligible homeless person to anywhere in the continental United States. Hawaii has allotted $100,000 for a three year trial run of the so-called 'return-to-home' program, which could also even offer participants beds on cruise ships bound for their homes.

Hawaii is hoping to take the burden off its welfare system by saying aloha to its 17,000 homeless residents. The state will offer one-way tickets home to any eligible homeless person to anywhere in the continental United States. Hawaii has allotted $100,000 for a three year trial run of the so-called 'return-to-home' program, which could also even offer participants beds on cruise ships bound for their homes.

The Department of Emergency Management advises residents to follow the progress of Tropical Storm Flossie as it approaches Hawaii. The National Weather Service Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu advised the Department of Emergency Management this afternoon that on its present track Tropical Storm Flossie may bring strong winds and torrential rains and possible flooding early next week.  Tropical Storm Flossie is anticipated to cross the 140° longitude and into Hawaiian Waters around noon Saturday. Posted: Jul 26, 2013 4:41 PM HST Updated: Jul 26, 2013 4:41 PM HST

Six wall-sized original paintings that formerly hung in a World War II-era theater on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge arrived by ship in Honolulu on Wednesday.The murals will be on loan for at least four years to the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, preserving and making them available for the general public to enjoy for the first time in their history.“Being a Navy veteran myself, I am excited they will be in a venue at Pearl Harbor that tells the story of World War II in the Pacific. Now, thousands of people will be able to enjoy the murals...

As George Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial for the killing of Treyvon Martin crawls to a close in Florida, Hawaii is in the midst of its racially charged murder trial. Claims of self defense and the right to bear arms are central in both cases. Zimmerman, a 29-year-old Hispanic who headed the neighborhood watch patrol in his Sanford, Fla., community, maintains he shot and killed the 17-year-old Martin, who was black, in self-defense. Immediately after the shooting, Zimmerman was accused of targeting Martin because of his race, and Florida’s conceal-carry law came under intense scrutiny. In Hawaii, U.S. State Department Agent...

Honolulu -- An Hawaii Island minister in jail for three years on drug charges is treated more like a terrorist than a free-spirited minister whose religious beliefs include the cultivation and use of marijuana, some lawmakers and civil rights advocates say. The minister, Roger Christie, is being held in Honolulu's Federal Detention Center, without bail and, as of yet, without a trial. Roger, his wife, Share Christie, and 12 others -- the "Green 14" -- in 2010 were charged with the sale and possession of cannabis, but only Roger Christie has been held at the jail since July 8, 2010....

It’s the latest addition to its expanding international network and seventh Asian gateway destination. The departure of HA 807 followed gate side festivities that included Hawaiian music and hula, performance honoring the Taiwanese culture, traditional Hawaiian blessing, and presentation of lei to passengers boarding the inaugural flight. “The demand for service to Hawaii from the Taiwan market has been growing and we are delighted to respond to the strong interest by delivering our new non-stop service to and from Taipei,” Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Mark Dunkerley said. “The Hawaiian Islands are the ideal midpoint destination, perfectly situated to offer...

The Talk Shows June 23th, 2013 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Mike Lee, R-Utah; Gabriel Gomez, Republican nominee for Senate in Massachusetts.MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Reps. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., and Mike Rogers, R-Mich.FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.THIS WEEK (ABC): Gen. Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency; Reps. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas; Mike Kelly, R-Pa.; and Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii.STATE OF THE UNION (CNN): Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky.,...

Honolulu (HawaiiNewsNow) - A military jury has found a Schofield Barracks officer guilty of illegally possessing and passing classified national defense information. Military prosecutors say Army Maj. Seivirak Inson, 43, attempted to hand over a number of military secrets to members connected to the Cambodian government between 2009 and 2012. Prosecutors say that Inson -- who is of Cambodian ancestry -- took classified U.S. intelligence reports about the Cambodian military and gave it to unauthorized personnel. The military jury on Friday evening sentenced Maj. Inson to 10 years in prison, forfeiture of pay and dismissal from the Army. The jury...

A state analysis of U.S. Census data released today shows Hawaii has by far the largest share of Asians and the smallest share of whites in any U.S. state's total population. The research division of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism said the data shows 56.9 percent of Hawaii's population identified as Asian, either alone or in combination with one or more races as of July 1 last year. That's by far the highest share of any state, with California ranked second at 15.8 percent. Despite a population of just under 1.4 million, Hawaii ranks fifth in the...

Waipahu, Hawaii –  A Hawaii real estate agent says Edward Snowden and his girlfriend moved out of their home in a quiet neighborhood near Honolulu on May 1, leaving nothing behind. . . . . . Snowden is a 29-year-old contractor who says he's the source behind reports about the U.S. government's secret surveillance programs. The Guardian newspaper reported Sunday that he was working in a National Security Agency office in Hawaii. He left for Hong Kong on May 20 and has remained there since. . . . . .

USGS map showing where the earthquake was located HILO, Hawaii – East Hawaii was shaken after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, after a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Big Island. The United States Geological Survey later upgraded the quake to a magnitude 5.6, before being lowered back to a 5.3. The USGS centered the earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, 33 miles southeast of Pahala in the southern Ka’u district. Emergency officials say no tsunami was generated. The temblor was felt across Hawaii Island. The quake shook homes in Hilo for a few moments before settling down. The incident sent local users of social...

Earlier today, Mediaite brought you Time magazine’s exclusive photo of an adorkable 1979 prom foursome that included a 17 year-old Barack Obama. The photo was provided by Kelli Allman, prom date of the young future POTUS’ best friend, Greg Orme. Along with the prom photo, Allman gave Time a shot of the yearbook page that Obama inscribed, which raised this observer’s eyebrows, slightly, by suggesting “I hope we can keep in touch this summer, even though Greg will be gone.” I didn’t really look at the picture that closely, though, and only read the quote from the Mediaite post. Upon...

More than 30 years after he graduated high school, President Obama's senior prom pictures have emerged in public, featuring the president when he was 17 years old, clad in a white sport coat and a lei, posing for pictures with his friends. The photos, obtained by TIME, show Mr. Obama, then a student at Punahou School in Hawaii, hanging out with his date Megan Hughes, his friend Greg Orme, and Orme's date Kelli Allman (then McCormack), according to Allman, who provided the photos to TIME. "It was a really fun, happy time. We were all cracking up, and everyone was...

Posted by Jim Hoft on Sunday, May 19, 2013, 2:50 PM The hits keep coming… Two independent IRS offices targeted Hawaii conservative leader Dylan Nonaka last year at the same time. hawaii gop Dylan Nonaka is former executive director of the Hawaii GOP The Daily Caller reported, via FOX Nation: In what former Republican executive and activist Dylan Nonaka is calling a massive invasion of privacy that suggests a coordinated effort to target conservative groups, two IRS offices last year independently and simultaneously conducted costly audits and sought tea party-related training materials that they apparently believed could be tied to...

Honolulu - Police in Hawaii are looking for a Mt. Hood Community College student who went missing in Waikiki Thursday. Ivanice "Ivy" Harris, 29, traveled to Hawaii for her birthday with a group of friends including her boyfriend of eight years. She is a graduate of Jefferson High School. "We talk every single day and I hadn't heard from her, and I sent her a text. I didn't hear back but that's when I got a text from her boyfriend. She was ready to do Hawaii for her birthday today," her mother Patricia Harris told KGW Saturday Harris was last...

Japan Maritime Self Defense Force warships JS Atago, foreground, and JS Shimokita, at Pearl Harbor naval base, Hawaii. The superstructure of a third Japanese warship, the helicopter carrier JS Hyuga, can be seen at right. On the deck of Shimokita are ground vehicles and helicopters – shrink-wrapped to protect against salt air -- that will take part in major amphibious warfare training in southern California.Warships from Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force have making stops at the American naval base at Pearl Harbor for more than two decades. But it’s going to seem strange, indeed, when Japanese ground troops clamor aboard...

In the last few weeks, numerous Hawaii healthcare industry leaders have stepped forward to create deniability for themselves in the upcoming Hawaii Health Connector/Health Exchange disaster. Those who are implementing Obamacare in Hawaii are now putting themselves on the record explaining that Obamacare will mean higher insurance premiums, fewer doctors and nurses, and shuttered hospitals. Here are their statements, accumulated in one place so that it can be clearly seen that many of those who are in charge are predicting failure: HMSA Chief Predicts Obamacare 'Rate Shock' for Hawaii Maui News May 9, 2013: If Hawaii consumers think health care...

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have broken through a symbolic mark. Daily measurements of CO2 at a US government agency lab on Hawaii have topped 400 parts per million for the first time. The station, which sits on the Mauna Loa volcano, feeds its numbers into a continuous record of the concentration of the gas stretching back to 1958. The last time CO2 was regularly above 400ppm was three to five million years ago - before modern humans existed. Scientists say the climate back then was also considerably warmer than it is today. Carbon dioxide is regarded as the...

I cannot sit silently after reading “Census Calling on Kaua`i” (April 29, 2013). The article is counter to my personal experience and I feel compelled to share my experience with you. In the article the statements made by Mr. Gene Henry of the American Community Survey are counter to fact. This is not a letter representing one party or another. It is not an attempt to sway you to opt out of the American Community Survey. It is simply a recitation of fact. In 2010 my wife and I received a letter demanding that we participate in the ACS. The...

HONOLULU (AP) -- A group of Hawaii fishermen is asking the federal government to remove northern Pacific humpback whales from the endangered species list, saying the population has steadily grown since the international community banned commercial whaling nearly 50 years ago. Hawaii Fishermen's Alliance for Conservation and Tradition Inc., a coalition of fishing clubs and groups from across the islands, filed a petition to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last month. There are more than 21,000 humpback whales in the North Pacific today, compared with about 1,400 in the mid-1960s. (snip) The fishermen say they don't want whaling to...

Weird. I just received a phoned in threat from a "hacker group" in Hawaii. Missed the name and he wouldn't repeat it for me, but he says, "If FR does not immediately start moderating our forum and quit our racist attacks on Hawaiians and their flag, they are going to shut us down." Have no idea what this is all about but I politely informed the little punk that he could KMA!! Also used some salty language and for that I ask the Lord's forgiveness.

The Hawaii Democratic Party has a long history of primaries split along racial lines, with contests often coming down to an Asian-American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander candidate and a white one, referred to as ”haole” in Hawaiian. And if it wasn’t Hanabusa challenging Schatz, it was likely to be another Asian-American Democrat, because Asian candidates often win in a state that is just 26 percent white. Over the last 20 years, there have been 10 major Democratic races that pitted a white candidate against an Asian-American one, including four out of six Honolulu mayor’s races and three out of...

A newly released memo revealed that President Roosevelt was warned that Tokyo was focused on Hawaii days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Washington Whispers reported: Three days before the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt was warned in a memo from naval intelligence that Tokyo’s military and spy network was focused on Hawaii, a new and eerie reminder of FDR’s failure to act on a basket load of tips that war was near. In the newly revealed 20-page memo from FDR’s declassified FBI file, the Office of Naval Intelligence on December 4 warned, “In anticipation...

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs announced Thursday the launch of a website designed to bring new attention and a strong voice to critically important issues. More than a year in the making, Kamakakoi.com was introduced by OHA's top leadership as a bold, new platform designed for key audiences to get informed, take action and spread the word on policy issues that are front and center in the Native Hawaiian community. The new website features videos and articles that give a voice to community leaders, who are outspoken about such issues as waters rights, the loss of ancient burial sites to...

Judge Rules In Favor of Lesbians Suing Hawaii B&B By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER HONOLULU (AP) — A judge has ruled a Hawaii bed and breakfast violated the law when two women were denied a room because they're gay. The Hawaii First Circuit Court judge ruled in favor of a Southern California couple who sued Aloha Bed & Breakfast for discrimination in 2011, Lambda Legal announced Monday. In 2007, Diane Cervelli and Taeko Bufford tried to book a room at the bed and breakfast because it's in Hawaii Kai, the same east Honolulu neighborhood where the friend they were visiting lived....

Witness Cesar Pena [Pic] A woman suspected of holding a knife to her 3-year old daughter’s throat was in court Friday, listening as her husband described what happened. Cesar Pena told the court his wife Stephanie discovered that he was planning to take a trip. She got upset and grabbed their daughter, holding a knife to her throat, and demanding he change his travel plans.

The massive Thirty Meter Telescope will be able to image objects 13 billion light years away, near the beginning of time. Set atop Mauna Kea, the Thirty Meter Telescope will be able to observe planets outside our solar system. (Credit: Courtesy TMT Observatory Corporation) If you love eye-popping images of space, here's welcome news: the Hawaiian Board of Land and Natural Resources has backed building what's to be the world's largest, most powerful optical telescope above the clouds atop the volcano Mauna Kea. The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will have a primary mirror of 492 segments measuring some 100 feet...

The Hawaii Health Connector announced today that it has received a $128 million Level 2 multi-year grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services.This award makes the Connector fully-funded through December 2014. This particular award will fund the customer service call center, consumer assistance program and general maintenance and operations of the Connector through December 2014.“This federal grant will help to inform the people of Hawaii about the Hawaii Health Connector and how it will provide greater access to health care coverage,” Gov. Neil Abercrombie said in a media announcement.“The Connector continues to be an important part of...

The United States and Japan on Friday announced plans for basing troops in Okinawa that will result in Marines from there being moved to Hawaii and Guam. ... “Under the plan, the United States will consolidate our forces over time and reduce our impact on the most populated parts of Okinawa,” U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement. “Together, our plan calls for the immediate return — upon the completion of certain necessary procedures — of certain facilities and areas on Okinawa.

Wailuku, Maui (HawaiiNewsNow) - A 58-year-old man visiting from Marina Del Rey, California was bitten by a shark Tuesday morning, in waters fronting 110 Ka'anapali Shores Place, officials say. The incident was reported at around 8:30 a.m. Surfers were evacuated from the water and the beach is closed for a mile in both directions from the area where the shark bite took place. Maui officials say the victim suffered two deep lacerations on the right thigh, above the knee. Video

Honolulu (HawaiiNewsNow) - A new civil lawsuit accuses a former Damien Memorial School chaplain of sexually assaulting two former students in the early 1980's. Father Gerald Funcheon worked at the school from 1982 to 1984. He is accused of molesting the alleged victims, identified as John Roe No. 9 and John Roe No. 10, multiple times. The plaintiffs' lawyers are also representing another former student, Kory Oakland, who filed a sex abuse lawsuit last year. The attorneys released excerpts of Funcheon's testimony filmed under oath in September 2012 for that case. Attorney Jeff Anderson asked him about reports that there may...

A reporter from Colorado asked White House spokesman Jay Carney how President Obama justifies "lavish vacations" and golf trips, and whether he plans to cut back:(NB: video at link)Bringing up high unemployment in minority communities and government furloughs, the reporter started, as well as "millions of Americans unemployed, and family budgets that have been cut. How does the president justify lavish vacations and a golf trip to Florida at taxpayer expense? And does he plan to cut back on his travels?"Carney responded, "I can tell you that this president is focused every day on policies that create economic growth and...

More and more people continue to buy guns in Hawaii and this weekend's gun show at the Blaisdell was packed. Business at this weekend's gun show is booming. "A lot more women a lot more families, it's not just a man thing anymore," says Sheldon Tyau, Event Coordinator. Organizers say it's the largest crowd they've seen in the show's 35 year history. The longest line was for ammo.

In the past several months the AR-15 rifle has gone from the most popular firearm in the country to the most infamous. Among many people, it is now the most sought after. Defend Hawaii Logo (courtesy of Defend Hawaii) As has been extensively reported, following the presidential election and Sandy Hook, national (including Hawaii) sales of “black guns” have gone ballistic. A December 23 Star Advertiser story reported that OGC Tactical, a Kalihi gun store that specializes in black guns, had a ten-fold increase in sales in the week following President Barack Obama’s gun control task force announcement. Not surprisingly, the sales...

Mililani - For half a dozen former Kipapa Elementary School students, room P-10 was a little class of horrors. Hawaii News Now has learned that the families of six disabled students have now come forward with allegations of abuse by staffers at this Mililani School. The latest allegations come from the parents of an autistic girl who say school staffers force fed their daughter, often to the point of vomiting. Court documents filed in U.S. District Court say that in some instances the girl -- who often had trouble eating -- was forced to eat food she threw up. People familiar with the case say the girl also was...

Jim Albertini will be able to speak at Hilo High School after all. The anti-war activist said that Principal Bob Dircks notified his attorney on Friday that he will be allowed to speak to students, reversing a decision made two days prior to cancel the event due to a backlash over his outspoken views of the military. The previous day, Honolulu attorney Eric Seitz[ACLU] representing Albertini, threatened the school with a lawsuit over alleged civil liberties violations if his presentation wasn’t allowed.

Although real-life circumstances of late may prove more illuminating to them than any words could be, students at Hilo High School will receive a presentation from peace activist Jim Albertini on 'participating in a democracy'

Hawaii has more government workers as a percentage of all workers than every state in the union save Alaska, a new poll by Gallup shows. Nearly three out of every 10 employees – or 27.8 percent of employed adults in Hawaii – work in a federal, state or local government agency, according to the survey. Hawaii falls behind the District of Columbia, at 29.2 percent, and Alaska, 28 percent. Driving the booming government payrolls are factors of geography, military strategy and the strength of unions here. Taxpayers in turn pay some of the highest rates in the country to support...

Honolulu (HawaiiNewsNow) - Accorrding to the 2012 Point-in-Time Count, there are nearly 6,300 homeless across the state. A proposed house bill would establish a program that helps those not from Hawaii return to their home state and reconnect with their family. State Representative Rida Cabanilla is proposing House Bill 533, which establishes the 'Return-to-Home' program and is seeking $100,000 in appropriations to fund the endeavor. "It's (the program) only for select individuals that can really benefit from the program, meaning they have support services, they want to go home, but they can't go home," Cabanilla said. "That sort of stuff."...

The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that $1.55 billion in new federal tax dollars will be allocated for the first-ever Hawaiian Transit Rail system on the island of Oahu, which will serve downtown Honolulu, at a total federal and state cost of $5.1 billion.The train circuit will be 20 miles long, with 21 stops on an island that is 30 miles wide. … An additional $4 million has been obligated from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the “stimulus”), and $209.9 million is coming from other sources within the DOT. Both the $1.55 billion and the $209.9 million are proposed...

Honolulu (AP) - A bill that would have legalized marijuana in Hawaii has died in the state House. House judiciary committee Chairman Karl Rhoads said Tuesday that he decided to kill the bill after learning from House leadership that the initiative does not have enough votes to pass the House. Key lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House supported the measure, including the speaker and the majority leader.

Three Israeli surfers went to the aid of eight children struggling in the waters off Hawaii on Saturday, Channel 2 television reported, after huge waves began surging toward the coast. The three - Tzvika Elias, Yair Naftali and Gabi Liptz - were hailed as heroes by the children’s parents. “We had gone to a remote beach half an hour from Honolulu,” 30-year-old Elias, who lives in New York, told Channel 2. “The waves there were high, huge breakers about four meters high, and as the minutes past, the waves got stronger and even higher.” Elias and his friends then saw...

Honolulu (AP) — Hawai`i gun enthusiasts are organizing to stop gun control bills from gaining any traction at the state Legislature. Hawai`i Rifle Association President Harvey Gerwig said Wednesday that more than 400 people successfully opposed a bill that would have made firearm instructors liable for accidents that occur during training.

In kicking the proverbial can down the road, Congressional leaders acquiesced to the demand that wealthier Americans pay higher taxes. The higher taxes came in the form of a higher maximum tax rate on those individuals making more than $400,000 and the loss of the favorable tax treatment accorded dividend and capital gains income. Such a strategy pandered to the majority of Americans who don’t believe they are “rich,” but fall into the great “middle class” which the politicians claimed they were protecting. In the meantime, those very politicians have deferred dealing with the real issue that is out of...

Press Release - Washington, DC – Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) today released the following statement on the news that the Department of Defense will lift the ban on women serving in ground combat roles: “As a twice-deployed combat veteran, I have a firsthand appreciation and understanding of the contributions women in uniform make every single day, all around the world. I have had the honor of serving with incredibly talented female soldiers who, if given the opportunity, would serve as great assets in our ground combat units. It is crucial that we shed light on the great value and opportunities...

Word is, Phil Mickelson is mad as hell about rising tax rates, and he’s not going to take it anymore. What follows is a brief portion of an interview Mickelson gave earlier today after carding a final-round 66 at the Palmer Course at PGA West in La Quinta – which I assure you, is not associated with the La Quinta next door to your local Denny’s – in which the golfer hinted that he is considering drastic career changes because of a combined tax rate nearing “62, 63 percent:”