BURBANK, California, March 21 -- ABC, a division of Walt Disney, issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: * * * SUNDAY, APRIL 7 8:00-10:01 p.m. EDT - American Idol: "708 (Top 24 at Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii Part #1)" (708) Logline: The Top 24 travel to Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Ko Olina Hawai'i, with 12 taking the stage for America's first vote this season. Tori Kelly mentors, performs and joins the judges on the panel. Reigning American Idol Iam Tongi also perfor  more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 19 -- Hawaii Attorney General Anne E. Lopez issued the following news release on March 18, 2024: Attorney General Anne Lopez confirms the Phase One report on the independent investigation into the Maui wildfires will be released on April 17, 2024. The Phase One report analyzes how the fire incident unfolded, based on science, during the first 24 to 72 hours of the fire and its aftermath, and includes a comprehensive timeline of events. The Fire Safety Research Institute  more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 21 -- Hawaii Attorney General Anne E. Lopez issued the following news release: Attorney General Anne Lopez is joining a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general on a bipartisan letter asking Congress to fix language in the 2018 Farm Bill that bad actors have used to flood the market with unregulated, intoxicating hemp. The current law defining hemp has resulted in exploitation. Applied to foods, the 0.3% THC limit which distinguishes industrial hemp from cannabis,   more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 19 -- Hawaii Attorney General Anne E. Lopez issued the following news release: The State of Hawaii, as represented by the Department of the Attorney General, has prevailed in an inverse-condemnation lawsuit brought by beachfront landowners in the Portlock neighborhood of Hawaii Kai who sought millions of dollars in compensation and unsuccessfully sought to certify a class action for monetary damages. The lawsuit concerned accreted land, which is new land formed on the sh  more

MANOA, Hawaii, March 19 (TNSres) -- The University of Hawaii Manoa campus issued the following news release: The University of Hawaii at Manoa is one of the country's leading universities when it comes to funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. UH Manoa received $57.8 million in 2023, placing the university at 130 out of 2,886 institutes of higher education, private companies, and other entities that received NIH fundi  more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 21 (TNSres) -- The Hawaii Department of Education issued the following news release: * * * According to the newly-released College and Career Readiness Indicator (CCRI) report, 33% of students from the class of 2023 graduated with honors, the highest in at least five years, and 86% graduated on time, tying the high mark over the past five years. * * * Despite the challenges that the class of 2023 faced related to the COVID-19 pandemic, recent data shows that Hawai'i   more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 16 (TNSres) -- Gov. Josh Green, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Governor Josh Green, M.D. has released The Hawaii We Deserve policy report to Hawaii's people, a comprehensive outline of the Green Administration's plans to confront key issues facing the state of Hawaii. In building on the priorities outlined in his annual address to the State Legislature on January 22, the report's two-part structure details the Green Administration's strategies for chronic   more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 19 -- Gov. Josh Green, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: Governor Josh Green, M.D., is pushing forward with his efforts to lower barriers to travel between Japan and Hawaii. In partnership with the U.S. government, the Japan government and private industry, Governor Green is committed to strengthening the bond between Hawaii and Japan, by enhancing tourism and fostering shared economic growth Governor Green emphasized the significance of these initiatives in   more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 17 -- Hawaii State Auditor issued the following report on March 15, 2024, entitled "Financial Audit of the Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii." Here are excerpts: * * * AUDITOR'S SUMMARY Financial Statements, Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2022 THE PRIMARY PURPOSE of the audit was to form an opinion on the fairness of the presentation of the financial statements for the Employees' Retirement System of the State of Hawaii, as of and for the fiscal year en  more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 20 -- Hawaii State Auditor issued the following report (No. 24-04) on March 19, 2024, entitled "Review of Special Funds, Revolving Funds, Trust Funds, and Trust Accounts of the Department of Transportation." Here are excerpts: * * * AUDITOR'S SUMMARY Two special funds, five revolving funds, one trust fund, and one trust account did not meet criteria OUR REVIEW of twelve special funds, six revolving funds, eight trust funds, and seventeen trust accounts of the Departm  more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 22 -- The Hawaii Department of Transportation issued the following news: The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) announces the reduction of the speed limit on Kalanianaole Highway (Route 72) between Kaiona Beach Park and the intersection of 'Alo'ilo'i Street in Waimanalo. The new speed limit signs have been installed and the new posted speed limit of 25 mph in both directions is effective immediately. Previously, the speed limit in the area was 35 mph. The speed  more

MANOA, Hawaii, March 19 -- The University of Hawaii Manoa campus issued the following news release: The team tasked with helping advance the University of Hawaii at Manoa as a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning has officially launched a two-year initiative immersing a diverse range of students and employees in Native Hawaiian values and traditions. This week, more than ten units at UH Manoa are engaging in culturally-based activities part of a multi-step process to achieve goals articulated in t  more

MANOA, Hawaii, March 19 (TNSres) -- The University of Hawaii Manoa campus issued the following news release: Researchers from the University of Hawaii Cancer Center collaborated on a study that sheds light on the complex links between smoking habits, epigenetics (the factors beyond DNA sequence that impact gene activity), and the risk of smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer. The study was published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. In Hawaii, lung cancer is the second most p  more

DALLAS, Texas, March 20 -- Southwest Airlines issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) is celebrating its fifth anniversary of Hawaii service by today announcing a partnership with the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) as Presenting Sponsor of the community's beloved and revitalized Kilohana Hula Show. The Kilohana Hula Show presented by Southwest Airlines(R) is free and open to the public, and will run weekly, Sunday through Thursday  more

MANOA, Hawaii, March 19 (TNSres) -- The University of Hawaii Manoa campus issued the following news release: One of the largest studies on wildlife activity--involving more than 220 researchers, 163 mammal species and 5,000 camera traps worldwide--reveals that wild animals react differently to human activity levels depending on where the animals live and what they eat. Hawaii-based authors include University of Hawaii at Manoa researchers Melissa Price and Derek Risch. The study used data fro  more

MANOA, Hawaii, March 21 -- The University of Hawaii Manoa campus issued the following news release: A digital archive highlighting the distinguished career of U.S. Sen. Spark M. Matsunaga, a pivotal figure in Hawaii's political landscape, was released by the Hawaii Congressional Media collection in February. A collaboration between the University of Hawaii-West Oahu and the UH Manoa Library, the collection includes 10.5 hours of footage highlighting Matsunaga's significant contributions to civi  more

HONOLULU, Hawaii, March 21 -- The Hawaii Department of Transportation issued the following news on March 20, 2024: The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is pleased to announce that the fourth annual Pacific Summer Transportation Education Program (PAC-STEP) is now accepting applications for 2024. Students in grades 9 - 12 are encouraged to apply for the in-person program that will run June 17 - 28 at the University of Hawaii - Manoa (UHM) campus. PAC-STEP is organized by the UHM Colle  more