HPR News Staff

AlohaCare members, including those enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare, will have more access to medical equipment like breast pumps and incontinence supplies.

Military veterans 65 and older on Oʻahu will be given a $20 exemption from their annual vehicle registrations. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi has signed a bill that makes the exemption a city law. It will go into effect next July.

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen has announced that he is running for reelection. Bissen's bid for a second term comes with a year left in his first, and initially tumultuous, term as mayor.

UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn was arrested and charged with third-degree assault this week. Penn is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Dec. 2 in Hilo District Court. This is Penn's sixth arrest of the year.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation has requested a full waiver from the air traffic reduction at all Hawaiʻi airports. If it’s granted, the state says it will pay for the essential staff needed to maintain full flight schedules.

This comes amid continued uncertainty of benefit distribution for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is being sued by its own CEO, Stacy Ferreira, two months after she was placed on administrative leave.

Uncertainty surrounding the distribution of SNAP benefits and ongoing furloughs during the government shutdown is causing multiple challenges for federal employees. HPR’s DW Gibson started his week with a visit to an Oʻahu food pantry.

The Conversation heard from a number of listeners about their SNAP concerns, including one caller who asked to remain anonymous.

On Friday, about 400 cars lined up to get canned food, bread, fruits and vegetables from a pop-up distribution event in Waipiʻo. Passengers in dozens of cars had to be put on waitlists because they didn’t register online.