Hawaii

Hawaii governor ignores President Trump in speech, but prepares for potential federal cuts

Published

1 year ago

January 22, 2025

Hawaii governor ignores President Trump in speech, but prepares for potential federal cuts

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Gov. Josh Green said he wanted to focus his third State of the State speech on the accomplishments of his administration and the Legislature over the last two years.

But he also admitted that he purposely left out one of the biggest challenges facing the state: potential budget cuts by the incoming Trump administration.

RELATED POST: 22 states sue to stop Trump’s order blocking birthright citizenship

“I’m very appreciative that the governor has put in $10 million to join the efforts of other attorney generals,” Belatti said. “But the reality is that if the cuts come fast and furious, we need to be prepared in our budgeting.”

“We are prepared,” the governor responded.

Green said that’s why the state has a billion-dollar surplus and why he is reducing contributions from hotel taxes and interest revenue to his proposed climate impact fund to about $200 million per year, in order to preserve money to cover cuts he expects to women’s reproductive health, homeless programs and up to $300 million in Medicaid funds.

“What is likely to happen at the federal level is significant and deep tax cuts for very wealthy people and then deep programmatic cuts for poor people (like) Medicaid,” he said.

House and Senate leaders agreed they are well prepared and promised tax cuts are not in jeopardy.

But Republicans say they are all over-reacting.

State Rep. Diamond Garcia, Minority Floor Leader, said, “What we’re doing is we’re shrinking the size of government waste, government spending, so the people of this country and Hawaii should be excited about these next four years.”

“I think across the country and the media, there’s a lot of this fear mongering about what’s going to happen,” said Rep. Lauren Matsumoto, House Minority Leader. “Let’s just see what plays out.”

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Related Topics:Administration birthright budget Citizenship cuts donald trump Featured Governor Josh Green trump

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Hawaii

American Red Cross assisting displaced family after 2-alarm fire

Published

8 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

American Red Cross assisting displaced family after 2-alarm fire

WAIMANALO (HawaiiNewsNow) – The American Red Cross is assisting a family Thursday after a two-alarm fire was extinguished in Waimanalo.

The Honolulu Fire Department responded to Oluolu Street at about 3 a.m., staffed with 10 units and 39 personnel.

The first unit arrived at about 3:15 a.m. to find a working fire at a two-story residential building. No one was inside.

Flames and smoke were coming from the garage, said HFD. A hazmat team was dispatched to secure a 125-pound LPG tank that was exposed.

The fire was under control at 4 a.m. and fully extinguished at about 4:15 a.m.

No injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross was requested to assist the displaced family.

An investigation is underway to determine what caused the fire and damage estimates.

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Hawaii

Hawaii Water Polo enters Big West Championship as number 1 seed

Published

20 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Press Room

Hawaii Water Polo enters Big West Championship as number 1 seed

The Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Water Polo Team has secured the number 1 seed in the Big West Championship Tournament.

“I think everyone understands the importance of the tournament and, what we want to do,” said Hawaii Junior Daisy Logtens.

Hawaii enters the tournament 13-5 overall and 6-0 in conference play.

UH will open up the conference tournament against 8th seed UC Santa Barbara. UH recently defeated UCSB 18-4 on March 28th in Manoa.

The 1st match for UH is set for Friday at 7:00am HT in Long Beach, California.

The winner of (1) Hawaii vs (8) UCSB will take on the winner of (4) vs (5) UC San Diego.

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Hawaii

‘Surreal’: Flood victims near UH Manoa prepare for third storm

Published

2 days ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

‘Surreal’: Flood victims near UH Manoa prepare for third storm

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Anxiety ran high in Manoa ahead of Wednesday’s impending storm, which comes about two weeks after a second Kona low flooded 14 residential units along Koali Road.

It was not the first time the homes were swamped in recent months.

Last November, a water main break overflowed the same ground-level units near UH Manoa, causing extensive damage.

Now, as tenants clean up and repair their homes after the latest storm, they are bracing for yet another storm expected to hit Wednesday.

“It sounds like a movie, it sounds a little surreal, a little not real,” Koali Road resident Carlos Jimenez said.

Jimenez, whose home was flooded both times, recalled the recent one, which covered his home in about two feet of water, describing the deluge as “a little bit above knee high.”

The damage to Jimenez’s unit went beyond the floor, too, because of the heavy rain.

“The ceiling got water-damaged. From what I saw, it was soaking water, sagging, and it was about to collapse,” Jimenez said.

Fortunately, crews repaired his roof days before the third storm could send another round of downpours.

Outside, both of Jimenez’s vehicles sat damaged and dead.

After all that he has seen at his Koali Road home, Jimenez said he would take the new storm seriously.

“Get ready, you know, with my mother. She lives with me. She’s 87,” Jimenez said.

After witnessing the devastation in the neighborhood, Jimenez’s neighbor, Dario Aricala, whose home was spared, is not taking it for granted during this week’s wet weather.

“The last storm, we almost got flooded. We are hoping for the best that this storm is not such bad,” Aricala said.

Click here to donate to Jimenez’s GoFundMe page.

In the meantime, other residents have been staying elsewhere during cleanup and repairs, and the property manager said he has been helping them.

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