A federal judge in Rhode Island heard arguments Friday morning in a challenge by state attorneys general, including Hawaiʻi’s Anne Lopez, over a federal funding freeze that affects everything from projects to prepare for climate change to programs to encourage diversity. And after a two-hour hearing, that judge extended a temporary block of the funding freeze.
The Conversation spoke with Lopez on Thursday afternoon, on the eve of the hearing. Hawaiʻi joined with other Democratic attorneys general across the country in about half a dozen suits on everything from birthright immigration laws to DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk. One area where Hawaiʻi could be hit hard is the freeze on funding for the National Institutes of Health.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Feb. 21, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
