hpr news

More than 21,000 additional jobs were lost in the state during the third quarter of 2020.

Longtime Honolulu rail critic Panos Prevedouros advocated that the project should hit pause, finish the line to Middle Street and the route should be reassessed. A city councilmember introduced a resolution this week with a similar stance.

Mental health is a growing concern at this stage in the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization is supporting artist-led projects that contribute to mental, social and environmental health.

Various studies have found that making art can significantly reduce stress-related hormones. This month, people on Moloka'i can test that hypothesis for free.

Updated 5/11/21, 9 a.m.

House Speaker Scott Saiki unveiled the members of a new working group that will be responsible for recommending new management guidelines for Mauna Kea. The 15 member group will review and develop recommendations for a new governance and management structure for the mountain.

A public records request from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii uncovered a rail report that the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit tried to keep confidential. In it is an analysis of 27 alternatives to the original plan including an underground tunnel and shifting the line to Nimitz Highway.

AARP Hawaii is urging residents to be on the lookout for gift card fraud. Gift cards, also called electronic vouchers, are one of the most common payment methods that scammers request from victims.

Out of the more than 200 bills that were approved during the 2021 legislative session, a handful were education-related. Some lawmakers and education advocacy groups are calling the session a success, but understand the state's education system continues to be a work in progress.

Customers who have not paid their bills because of the COVID-19 pandemic still kept their electricity and other utilities running. However, that may change at the end of the month when the state’s utility shutoff moratorium comes to an end. Some advocacy groups are calling for utility companies to be lenient to customers who are unable to pay their bills.

Seasoned arts administrator Allison Wong has been relieved of her position as Deputy Director at the Honolulu Museum of Art. Wong was a link to local artists and to the former Contemporary Museum in Makiki.

“My Octopus Teacher,” the Oscar-winning documentary film from South Africa, tells the tale of an unusual friendship with an intelligent octopus living in a South African kelp forest. The Conversation learned of the film's Hawai‘i connection in University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu professor Louis Herman, who also hails from South Africa.

Tonight, citizens could find out what the City plans to do to relieve the filth and crime in Chinatown. Mayor Blangiardi, the City Managing Director, and all the area representatives are scheduled for presentations at tonight's Downtown Chinatown Neighborhood Board meeting. Recent depressing images of the area can make us forget the unique heritage of Honolulu's Chinatown, but during and after WWII, Hotel Street was the center of a vibrant music scene.

The Biden administration announced Wednesday a new website dedicated to artificial intelligence, a place where people can stay up-to-date on the federal government’s developments in artificial intelligence. This news comes as Dr. Peter Hershock from the East-West Center prepares for a virtual discussion on the subject Thursday.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi has approved Council Bill 1, introduced by Council Chair Tommy Waters, in a move to address O'ahu's housing crisis by incentivizing the construction of affordable rental housing.