Hawaii
Taiwan's president meets Hawaii's governor and members of Congress in a visit condemned by China
HONOLULU (AP) — On a two-day visit to Hawaii, Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te met with the state’s governor and congressional representatives as part of a Pacific island tour that has already triggered criticism from Beijing.
On Sunday, China’s Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemned” U.S. support for Lai’s visit and had lodged a complaint with the U.S. It also denounced a newly announced U.S. weapons sale to Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its own territory.
“China will closely monitor the situation’s development, and take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the statement.
Hawaii was Lai’s first stop on a weeklong voyage that will later take him to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau. They account for three of the 12 countries Taipei has formal diplomatic relations with.
Hawaii’s Gov. Josh Green on Saturday hosted Lai at the state’s emergency management agency where they discussed disaster preparedness. Green, who was a longtime emergency room physician before becoming governor, posted on social media that he and Lai discussed how their experiences in health care informed their governance. Lai is also a physician by training and obtained a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University.
“Together, we extended a warm aloha to Lai and his delegation, highlighting Hawai’i’s shared values of resilience and collaboration with Taiwan,” Green said in an Instagram post.
Lai also visited Bishop Museum, Hawaii’s leading museum of natural history and Native Hawaiian culture.
In the evening, Lai posed for photos with Hawaii congressional representatives and state lawmakers at a dinner banquet with the Taiwanese American community.
U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a Democrat who represents Honolulu in Congress, said on social media that he told the audience that “our ties endured on shared values and interests to advance mutual goals and meet shared challenges.”
It is unclear whether Lai with meet with any senior officials from the Biden administration or anyone from the incoming Trump administration during his Hawaii stay.
President-elect Donald Trump said in an interview with Bloomberg in July that Taiwan should pay for its defense. The island has purchased billions of dollars of defense weaponry from the U.S.
Trump evaded answering whether he would defend the island from Chinese military action.
The new arms announced by the U.S. State Department Friday include $385 million in spare parts and equipment for a fleet of F-16s, as well as support for tactical communication system to Taiwan.
The U.S. is obligated to help the island defend itself under the Taiwan Relations Act but maintains a position of strategic ambiguity over whether it would ever get involved if Taiwan were to be invaded by China.
Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen drew vocal opposition from China when she stopped in New York last year on her way to Latin America. Tsai met with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the time.
The Chinese military also launched drills around Taiwan last year as a “stern warning” over what it called collusion between “separatists and foreign forces” days after Lai, then Taiwan’s vice president, stopped over in the U.S.
China also strongly objects to leading American politicians visiting the island as it views any official contact with foreign governments and Taiwan as an infringement on its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Washington switched its formal recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Hawaii
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Hawaii
Is This What Passes for a Hawaii Flight Now?

Has something shifted on flights to Hawaii—and not in a good way? We just flew five and a half hours across the Pacific, and we got one poured beverage, no refills, and no meal purchase option.
We were in economy—if you think that was bad, wait to hear what happened in first class.
There are no trays, promised improved snacks, or new drink options—just the bare minimum on a route United once treated like something special—a route BOH editors have been flying for over 30 years.
One beverage, poured only, and a 3/4 ounce snack.
Service began early and ended fast. Economy passengers received a single poured beverage in a plastic cup. Flight attendants made clear there would be no second beverage service and no full cans offered. If you wanted more, water would be available—and it was offered once. It didn’t even feel like a Hawaii flight. It felt like an afterthought.
Pretzels, quinoa crisp, or stroopwafel followed. With little for the flight attendants to do, they became obsessed with the State of Hawaii Agriculture forms. They tried to collect ours early in the flight, and when it wasn’t ready, we were told we might be arrested if it wasn’t completed before landing. This was a first.
We’ve come to expect minimal service in economy, which is fine. However, this United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Kauai was different. After all, it was marketed and priced as a premium leisure route. Five plus hours in the air with one tiny drink and a small snack only questionably meets reasonable standards.
This might be why the pilot came out to extensively greet everyone before departure, trying to put everyone in a good mood before the flight, and the issues not of their making were revealed.
First class, minus the class.
Up front, things weren’t much better. Maybe they were worse. We were seated in the first row behind first class, where it was very clear: no meals were offered, and no alcohol was served. Instead, passengers received an apologetic explanation, one poured beverage, and a mileage credit as compensation.
It was a striking downgrade for a premium cabin on a long-haul Hawaii flight. There was no sense that this was a one-time issue; It felt routine. And if this is what first class looks like during peak summer travel, it raises the question: What exactly are travelers paying for?
The real issue: a meltdown at SFO.
The flight attendants didn’t sugarcoat it—and neither will we. United’s catering operation out of San Francisco is still a mess. Things haven’t stabilized after switching from Gate Gourmet to LSG Sky Chefs, which leaves flights in disarray. Many flights are going with minimal or missing onboard service, with service items sometimes stuffed into trash bags and boarded, and nobody at United seems surprised anymore.
Before departure, United sent a text admitting the problem: “Due to a catering transition, some of our outbound flights from San Francisco may not have our typical onboard selection.” Translation: Don’t expect much at all. According to the crew, the situation won’t improve until sometime after July.
What triggered this? United replaced longtime SFO caterer, Gate Gourmet, with LSG Sky Chefs. That shift came with a fallout: hundreds of Gate Gourmet employees were reportedly laid off, and LSG rehired many of the same people under different terms. It’s unclear what that means for quality, continuity, or morale, but passengers pay the price for how United handled the transition.
What triggered problems at United?
How could a company the size of United allow this to unfold, at its largest hub west of Denver and on key longer-haul domestic routes to Hawaii, among others? It’s a mystery even the crew couldn’t explain. We were told that some crew members have refused to work routes from San Francisco until this is resolved, and given the circumstances, we can see why.
It is abundantly clear that the transition was poorly timed and badly communicated, and paying passengers have been feeling it for a long time.
Travelers across routes have reported dry flights with no food, downgraded premium meals, and mystery substitutions. On this Hawaii flight, there was technically food. But that’s about as generous as we can be.
Navigating SFO was its own ordeal.
San Francisco International is also in the middle of a major construction project. Rob received a text from United warning: “San Francisco Airport (SFO) is currently undergoing renovations, which may require additional time to reach your gate.”
It meant the usual main entrance was closed, forcing a circuitous detour up and down and through the garage parking lot after getting off the AirTrain. Signage was limited, help was hard to find, and the layout felt more improvised than planned. Staff did their best, but the entire setup frustrated many travelers before the flight began.
This isn’t about any perks. It’s about the basics.
Most travelers flying to Hawaii from the mainland know they’re no longer getting free checked bags or a hot meal. But what’s happening now on United SFO routes is different. When five-plus-hour flights can’t offer passengers two beverages, that’s not even economy service. That’s a failure of planning.
Some others on social media said that United had warned them there would be no catering and that they should bring their food before boarding. Some reported a $15 credit from United, which at SFO wouldn’t go far for any meal.
It’s not the crew’s fault. They were efficient and apologetic. But they’re working within severe operational limits given to them. One good thing is that United flight attendants recently secured a tentative contract that includes raises of up to 45% over five years. It doesn’t fix the catering mess, but at least their patience in the cabin might finally pay off.
We’ll be watching this all summer.
Bring your food if you’re flying from San Francisco to Hawaii this season. That includes water. Don’t count on anything onboard. And don’t assume your United Hawaii flight will feel like anything special.
The only thing that stood out on this flight was high-quality Wi-Fi across the Pacific for $8, which we shared between the two of us with a Mobile Hotspot. The Viasat Wi-Fi on the route previously didn’t work most of the time. This article was written at 30k feet.
Have you flown on any routes from United San Francisco to Hawaii recently? Was your experience the same, or better? Let us know what you saw, and we’ll keep tracking what’s going on aboard Hawaii flights from the mainland.
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Hawaii
Rainbow Wahine soccer releases 2025 schedule
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The University of Hawaii women’s soccer team released it’s 2025 schedule on Friday.
The ‘Bows hoping to defend their Big West regular season title in their final season in the Conference.
UH will open the season on the road on August 14th with a nonconference match against Long Beach State before taking on Pepperdine three days later.
Hawaii will then host 10 matches in a row with two Outrigger Tournaments.
The Outrigger Soccer Kickoff will feature Central Arkansas and Oregon while the Outrigger No Ka Oi will have Northern Arizona and 2024 NCAA Tournament team California Baptist.
Hawaii will also have nonconference games against Sacramento State, Saint Mary’s and Eastern Washington before opening conference play on September 18th at Long Beach State.
All home matches will be played at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium with free admission.
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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