Connect with us

Hawaii

Hawaii congresswoman says Tulsi Gabbard endorsing Trump is ‘not pono’

Published

on

Hawaii congresswoman says Tulsi Gabbard endorsing Trump is ‘not pono’


play

U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, criticized former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard after she endorsed Donald Trump and joined his transition team.

Gabbard, who previously represented Tokuda’s congressional district from 2013 to 2021 and supported President Joe Biden in 2020, announced her endorsement of Trump at a National Guard event in Detroit last week. Tokuda quickly fired back on social media, saying Gabbard’s decision doesn’t align with the Aloha State.

Advertisement

“Trump and Tulsi do not represent Hawaii values and fail to fight for our freedoms,” Tokuda posted on Facebook. “We will reject their extremism this November. This is not pono.”

“Pono” is a term in Hawaiian culture that signifies righteousness, integrity, and moral responsibility. By saying Gabbard’s endorsement of Trump is “not pono,” Tokuda argues it goes against the ethical balance Hawaiians hold dear. The concept is embedded in Hawaii’s state motto, “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono,” which means “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.”

Gabbard ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and left the party in 2022 to become an independent. Increasingly critical of Biden and his administration, she is now popular among conservatives, frequently appearing as a guest on far-right TV and radio shows.

Trump’s campaign said that former White House hopefuls Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently suspended his campaign, and Tulsi Gabbard are now part of his transition team if he wins November’s U.S. presidential election.

Advertisement

Reuters contributed to the reporting of this story.

Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow



Source link

Advertisement

Hawaii

Three West Hawaii sex offenders arrested – West Hawaii Today

Published

on

Three West Hawaii sex offenders arrested – West Hawaii Today


Three convicted sex offenders were arrested on Hawaii Island last week for allegedly failing to comply with sex offender registry requirements.

Multiple law-enforcement agencies conducted checks in Kona on registered sex offenders who had been identified as potentially out of compliance with the state’s Sex Offender Registry laws, according the Department of the Attorney General.

As a result of the three-day operation, several individuals were brought back into compliance, and three West Hawaii men were arrested for allegedly failing to comply with the requirements.

The three men who were arrested are Joseph Debus, 56, of Kailua-Kona, Garth Coleman, 53, of Holualoa and Alexsandr Skelcey, 34, of Kailua-Kona.

Advertisement

Debus was convicted of second-degree sex assault in Hawaii in 1993 and sentenced to five years probation with a year in jail. Coleman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for first-degree assault in 2000 after a jury trial in Hawaii. And Skelcey was convicted in Michigan in 2012 of assault with intent to commit sex assault.

“Sex offender registration requirements exist to protect our communities and ensure law enforcement knows where convicted offenders are living,” Tom Alipio, chief of the AG department’s Investigations Division, said in a press release. “Compliance operations like this send a clear message that we will actively monitor the registry, investigate violations and work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable when they fail to meet their legal obligations.”

HPD Chief Reed Mahuna said, “Operations like this allow us to verify that offenders are maintaining strict compliance with registration laws and those who aren’t will be addressed immediately. We will continue to leverage these multi-agency partnerships to keep our island communities safe,”

Members of the public can look up publicly available offender information and subscribe to notifications at sexoffenders.ehawaii.gov/coveredoffender/.

Anyone with information regarding a registered sex offender who may be violating registration requirements is encouraged to contact the Department of the Attorney General’s Investigation Division at (808) 586-1240 or their local law enforcement.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Hawaii

Hawai‘i Fire Department responds to brush fire in North Kona | Big Island Now

Published

on

Hawai‘i Fire Department responds to brush fire in North Kona | Big Island Now


A brush in North Kona, near the Ulu Wini Apartments, has closed a portion of Hina Lani Street, between Route 190 and Ane Keokalole Highway.

According to Hawai‘i Island police, the road is expected to be closed for the next three hours and motorists are advised to avoid the area.

AlertWest camera screenshot at 11:09 a.m. on July 8, 2026.

Hawai‘i Fire Assistant Chief Chris Carvalho confirmed at least two engines, two brush trucks, Chopper 2 and a medic vehicle responded to the blaze that started in some bushes.

No evacuations or injuries have been reported at this time.

Advertisement

At 11:09 a.m., an AlertWest camera, installed by Hawaiian Electric in wildfire-prone areas, showed smoke billowing above the Keahuolu Courthouse. As of 12:06 p.m., that smoke appears to have dissipated.

This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Hawaii

Chinese communist party member arrested in Hawaii on visa fraud charge | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

on

Chinese communist party member arrested in Hawaii on visa fraud charge | Honolulu Star-Advertiser




Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending