Gov. Josh Green appointed him to the position on Wednesday. Saiki started at the insurance division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs last year after losing his House seat to current Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto.

The Mountain West Conference has announced a pause on adding new schools. Hawaiʻi, which plays football in the Mountain West, will join as a full member in 2026, as will Texas-El Paso.

Hawaiʻi DOE's Tammi Oyadomari-Chun spoke to The Conversation's Catherine Cruz about how education officials are preparing for thousands of students to return to the classroom in just a few weeks — all amid changes at the federal level.

Tom Yamachika of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii warns the public about the fine print in President Donald Trump’s spending bill that was just signed into law.

Chef Ippy Aiona spoke to HPR's Maddie Bender about his regional Emmy-award-winning show “Eating Our Roots," ahead of its second season this fall. Aiona also has a new cookbook out soon.

A recent University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa report analyzed impacts to the ocean based on different CO2 emission levels. It found that even if carbon dioxide production flatlined by the middle of the century, nearshore waters will experience significant acidification, though oceanographers say reducing emissions is still important.

The YMCA of Honolulu will receive a $5 million donation from the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation for its Nuʻuanu location. The money will go towards improving and modernizing the flagship location.