Sugarcane biodiversity disappeared as big plantations dominated the sugar trade in Hawaii, but now native varieties are making a comeback Noa Kekuewa Lincoln remembers when he first encountered native Hawaiian sugarcane in 2004. The fresh stalks, bursting with color, might have sprouted from Willy Wonka’s imagination, not the soil. Lincoln, a kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) expert in Indigenous cropping systems and an assistant professor at the University of Hawaii, said: “I grew up seeing grayish-green cane fields. But these canes are fluorescent pink, bright apple-green striped. They looked l ..read more

Hawaii attorney general releases report day after fire chiefs detail challenges faced by first responders during blazes that killed 101 As wildfires ripped across Maui last August, the head of the emergency management agency dragged his heels on returning to the island amid the unfolding crisis, while a broad communications breakdown left authorities in the dark and residents without emergency alerts, according to a report released on Wednesday. Communications problems were also encountered by Hawaiian Electric, with officials unable to confirm that power lines had been de-energized until well ..read more

Masses of ephemeral organisms known as ‘by-the-wind sailors’ wash up in a ‘blue tide’ on the west coast most years but warmer winter seas could be increasingly their numbers From Oregon to California, blankets of alien-like blue creatures are washing up on rocky beaches. They are Velella velella, tiny colonies of organisms with a sombrero-esque fin sticking out the top and tentacles dangling down. Millions have been spotted along the US west coast this spring, much to the surprise and delight of beachgoers who have gleefully posted footage on social media. Some call it a “blue tide” and it hap ..read more

States in which abortion is legal but was long inaccessible have benefitted from the FDA’s expansion of a key abortion drug Explainer: the mifepristone case Tell us: have you used an abortion pill in the US? They treated a patient who had wanted to get pregnant, but decided to get an abortion rather than have a child with her abusive partner. They treated patients who had lost their houses in the 2023 Maui fires, found themselves homeless and pregnant, and wanted abortions. They treated patients who got pregnant after someone tampered with their birth control and patients who could not affor ..read more

Nearly 80% of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the US say abortion should be legal in all or most cases A new poll shows that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the US are highly supportive of legal abortion, even in situations in which the pregnant person wants an abortion for any reason. With abortion rights poised to be one of the major issues in the 2024 election, the poll from AAPI Data and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that nearly 80% of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders think abo ..read more

Kanaan VyShonne Barton says he’s following all other school rules but shouldn’t have to cut his hair: ‘My locs represent strength’ A Black student at a Mormon university in Hawaii said he has been told by staff to cut his shoulder-length hair because it does not adhere to school policies, he said. Kanaan VyShonne Barton, a student at Brigham Young University-Hawaii, told the Salt Lake Tribune he has been engaged in a battle with the school since September over the length of his hair, which he has refused to cut ..read more

As ‘disaster capitalists’ text survivors with offers to buy their ruined homes, a land trust is trying to help residents keep them Mere days after wildfires tore through Maui last August and leveled the historic town of Lahaina, community organizers warned that longtime residents were vulnerable to predatory land grabs. And they were right. As search and rescue teams painstakingly combed through the scorched ruins, traumatized survivors began receiving texts, voice messages, and letters from speculators and realtors offering to buy their burnt-out homes ..read more

President and ex-president capture nearly all votes in Georgia, Mississippi, Washington and Hawaii Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump won primary elections in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington state on Tuesday, solidifying a rematch a majority of voters aren’t looking forward to. Both men captured nearly all the votes cast so far in what had become token state primaries, along with the primary for Democrats abroad and the Republican caucus in Hawaii. Biden also won the Northern Mariana Islands primary on Tuesday morning, earning 11 delegates ..read more

Full state-by-state results as well as votes of Democrats abroad and in the Northern Mariana territory Key dates for the 2024 election Who’s running for president? Georgia, Mississippi and Washington chose their presidential candidates on Tuesday in contests that come as both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are already their parties’ presumptive nominees. Hawaii also held its Republican caucuses on Tuesday and Democrats abroad and in the Northern Mariana territory voted as well ..read more

Police say preliminary investigation shows husband fatally stabbed wife and children in state’s worst mass killing since 1999 Hawaii police said on Sunday they were investigating what appears to be the murder-suicide of a family, including three children, by its patriarch at a Honolulu home. Despite police’s description of the incident as a murder-suicide, such crimes since the 1980s have been known as family annihilations. Communities – especially in the US – often perceive those crimes to be isolated tragedies. However, an Indianapolis Star investigation found there had been an average of on ..read more