Top headlines from across Hawaiʻi

AI brief

AI-generated from recent headlines

Statewide

Weather and surf remain the most immediate day-to-day concern across the islands, with Kauaʻi forecasts and Big Island conditions pointing to showers in some areas and advisories on the Big Island reminding beachgoers to be cautious after recent runoff. The effects of the recent kona low are still rippling through the state, from visitor spending declines tied to storm damage on Maui to SBA disaster loan centers opening on Hawaiʻi Island and Maui. Public-service and policy stories also cut across the islands, including Ed Case’s pushback on cuts to nutrition assistance and Kauaʻi coverage of the same federal funding fight, while Mazie Hirono’s questioning of federal staffing cuts adds to the broader Washington backdrop. Science and resilience also stand out, with UH research on predicting El Niño months ahead and ocean microbial cycles offering longer-range context for Hawaiʻi’s changing environment.

Maui

Maui’s top threads today center on the lingering impact of the kona low, with visitor spending down 1.6% in March and SBA disaster loan help now available for storm-hit businesses. On the community side, Stamp Out Hunger returns May 9 as local food security remains a live concern, while Maui Business Salon will spotlight food trucks and small-business resilience. Cultural and civic coverage includes Donne Dawson’s retirement after 25 years as state film commissioner, Hui Noʻeau’s call for artists, and a Volcano Watch update on Kīlauea summit eruptions for readers following the island’s natural hazards.

Big Island

The Big Island’s most immediate concern is weather and water quality, with showers in the forecast, surf conditions shifting along the coasts, and a brown water advisory in Hilo Bay and along the Hāmākua Coast after recent runoff. Recovery from the kona low is still a major theme, with SBA disaster loan centers open in Kailua-Kona and the long-delayed Daniel K. Inouye Highway extension back in the works as a major infrastructure story. There is also significant public-interest and community coverage, from the suspended search for a fishing vessel crewman offshore to the draft historic preservation plan open for review and weekend event listings that point to a busy Lei Day and Mother’s Day stretch.

Kauaʻi

Kauaʻi’s immediate focus is on the weather and surf conditions, with breezy conditions and higher north shore surf in the forecast. Beyond the daily outlook, the island is seeing stronger public-interest coverage around a mass kill of 168 seabirds and renewed concern for wildlife protection. Kauaʻi also shares in the statewide policy debate over nutrition assistance cuts, while the No Hate in the 808 campaign adds a broader civil-rights angle. On the lighter side, Kauaʻi Poke Fest is still recruiting chefs and L&L Hawaiian Barbecue’s mainland expansion shows how Hawaiʻi brands continue to grow beyond the islands.

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