Local reaction to former Minneapolis police officer's guilty verdict; The push to vaccinate residents; Hawaii Tourism Authority under scrutiny; Earth Day: Maui Nui Marine Resource Council cleaning up pollution
Local reaction to former Minneapolis police officer's guilty verdict | Full Article
The conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd is stoking discussions locally on the use of force and the role of racial bias in policing Hawai?i’s communities of color. HPR reporter Ku‘uwehi Hiraishi shared what she's learned from talking to local civil rights nonprofits about the Honolulu Police Department's use of force.
The push to vaccinate residents
Oahu opened up the vaccine appointment lines to 16 and older this past Monday. The state says it is seeing a softening of the demand on neighbor islands. Health officials caution we are not out of the woods yet as variants of the virus are circulating, and they point to growing numbers on Maui. We talked to Hilton Raethel, head of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, about the snapshot.
Reality Check with Civil Beat: Raising minimum wage in Hawaii | Full Article
The end of the legislative session is just a week and a half away and the prospect of passing a bill to raise the minimum wage bill is looking bleak. Honolulu Civil Beat reporter Stewart Yerton joined us to discuss the latest developments, or lack thereof.
Hawaii Tourism Authority under scrutiny from state lawmakers | Community Input
The Hawaii Tourism Authority is under scrutiny as lawmakers have been eyeing its funding and looking to redefine its scope. Critics are looking for the HTA to better manage tourism. It has proposed action plans for Maui, Kauai and the Big island; and it's about to launch Oahu’s. We spoke to Caroline Anderson, Director of Community Enrichment, about the latest action plans.
Earth Day: Maui Nui Marine Council cleaning up pollution
Earth Day and Earth Month is celebrated in April but cleaning the earth is a year-round effort. We spoke to the Maui Nui Marine Resources Council about a new tool to help track its progress in cleaning up pollution in Ma’alaea Bay. Program and operations manager Amy Hodges told us about the help it's getting from near shore sensors from PacIOOS -- the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System.
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