Cassie Ordonio
Culture & Arts ReporterCassie Ordonio is the culture and arts reporter for Hawaiʻi Public Radio. She previously worked for Honolulu Civil Beat, covering local government, education, homelessness and affordable housing.
She also reported for San Francisco-based newspapers El Tecolote, 48 Hills, Ingleside Light and Castro Courier.
Cassie, of Filipino and Chamorro descent, was born and raised in California. She graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2021 with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Pacific Islands studies.
She was one of 22 fellows for AAJA Voices, a mentorship program that aims to increase diversity in journalism while providing mentors from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN to train them.
When she’s not working, she’s on a desperate search for some good horchata or simply trying to keep her house plants alive.
Contact Cassie at cordonio@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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Hawai‘i advocates say there is already a lack of gender-affirming resources locally, and cuts to that federally funded service could lead to severe consequences. -
The announcement came after the National Science Foundation withdrew financial support for the Thirty Meter Telescope project last month due to the expense of funding two major telescopes. Instead, the agency will fund the Giant Magellan Telescope in Chile. -
The qualifying round will be held on June 29 at the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu from 3-6 p.m. The top six teams will advance to the championship finals on July 26 at the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu from 1-4 p.m. -
The Polynesian sailing canoes arrived to the island in French Polynesia on Tuesday. Crew members will connect with the community before leaving for Tahiti's capital on Thursday. -
Roller skaters have been pushing for more places to skate on O‘ahu. Another group called Rainbow Rollers created an online petition last year urging city officials to fund construction for dedicated skating arenas. The petition got more than 600 signatures. -
Today is Juneteenth, and a local organization has already kicked off its festivities on O‘ahu. Afro Aloha is a Black-owned business that hosted its annual Black is Art event at Blue Note Hawaii this week. -
The nonprofit Pacific Islanders in Communications could be victims of Congress's clawback of federal funds intended for public media outlets like NPR and PBS. The move from the U.S. House prompted the 34-year-old nonprofit to pause two programs that have distributed nearly $25 million to independent creators, including those in Hawai‘i, since 1992. -
France conducted nearly 200 nuclear tests in the South Pacific during the 20th century. Tahitians in the diaspora have been raising awareness through advocacy and art. -
“Kūkini” tells the story of the invasion of Maui at the time of King Kamehameha through the eyes of Maui warriors. -
Today is King Kamehameha Day. While some have the day off and will celebrate with festivities, others are conflicted as it is a reminder of Hawaiʻi’s colonial past. HPR’s Cassie Ordonio reports.
