Sunday - May 31, 2026
Public Policy Tipoffs Involving Hawaii Newsletter for Thursday April 30, 2026 ( 17 items )  

Attorney General Jeff Jackson Pushes for Changes to Lower Prescription Drug Costs
RALEIGH, North Carolina, April 29 -- North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Jeff Jackson Pushes for Changes to Lower Prescription Drug Costs Attorney General Jeff Jackson and a bipartisan group of attorneys general are pushing the U.S. Department of Labor to help lower prescription drug costs by requiring more transparency from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). "People should be able to afford their medications, and they can't   more

Balikatan 2026: Armed Forces of the Philippines Host First Joint Exercise Senior Enlisted Symposium
CAMP SMITH, Hawaii, April 28 -- The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command issued the following news: * * * Balikatan 2026: Armed Forces of the Philippines Host First Joint Exercise Senior Enlisted Symposium * QUEZON CITY, Philippines -As part of Exercise Balikatan 2026, senior enlisted leaders from the Armed Forces of the Philippines hosted the first Senior Enlisted Symposium, alongside senior enlisted leaders from the Philippines, the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada and France at C  more

Bennet, Hickenlooper, Padilla, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Vote-by-Mail from Trump's Attacks
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: * * * Bennet, Hickenlooper, Padilla, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Vote-by-Mail from Trump's Attacks * Legislation comes after Senate Democrats blocked the President's voter suppression bill Washington, D.C. -Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and 35 of their colleagues to introduce the Mail and Absentee Voter Protection Act to block   more

Blue Ridge Returns to Yokosuka After Spring Patrol
CAMP SMITH, Hawaii, April 28 -- The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command issued the following news: * * * Blue Ridge Returns to Yokosuka After Spring Patrol * YOKOSUKA, Japan -U.S. USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) r flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) returned to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, April 23, marking the completion of the spring patrol in the Indo-Pacific region. Blue Ridge departed for patrol March 8 and traveled 6,613 nautical miles, making port visits to Okinawa, Japan; Changi, Singapo  more

Case Opposes Fiscal Year 2027 Agriculture/Rural Development Funding Measure That Slashes Nutrition Assistance To Hawaii Families
WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: * * * Case Opposes Fiscal Year 2027 Agriculture/Rural Development Funding Measure That Slashes Nutrition Assistance To Hawaii Families * (Washington, DC) - U.S. Representative Ed Case (HI-01) today voted in his Appropriations Committee against his majority colleagues' Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Related Agencies funding measure. The bill, which  more

Center for American Progress: Child Care Deserts Still Rampant Post-Pandemic, Data Suggest
WASHINGTON, April 30 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on April 29, 2026: * * * Child Care Deserts Still Rampant Post-Pandemic, Data Suggest Today, the Center for American Progress released a report (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/americas-licensed-child-care-deserts/) illuminating the landscape of U.S. licensed child care providers as of 2025. CAP first published its original, unprecedented nationwide analysis of child care deserts in   more

EPA Announces $80 Million in Funding to Protect Waterways from Sewage Overflows
WASHINGTON, April 29 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: * * * EPA Announces $80 Million in Funding to Protect Waterways from Sewage Overflows * U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of approximately $80 million through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program to help communities address stormwater and sewer infrastructure needs. These grants will strengthen systems that safely capture and manage sto  more

FFRF Action Fund Backs Senate Bill Repealing Federal Voucher Scheme
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 30 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news: * * * FFRF Action Fund backs Senate bill repealing federal voucher scheme The FFRF Action Fund applauds Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., for introducing a bill that would repeal the federal private school voucher  more

From deep space to democracy: Trio of UCLA professors elected to National Academy of Sciences
LOS ANGELES, California, April 29 -- The University of California posted the following news release: * * * From deep space to democracy: Trio of UCLA professors elected to National Academy of Sciences * UCLA's Eric Becklin, Martin Gilens and Craig Manning have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their achievements in original research and their impact in advancing knowledge within their fields. The three professors, whose areas of expertise range from astronom  more

Hirono Statement on Supreme Court Further Gutting Voting Rights Act
WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: * * * Hirono Statement on Supreme Court Further Gutting Voting Rights Act * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), a senior member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, released the following statement after the Supreme Court effectively gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in its Louisiana v. Callais decision: "In functionally overturning the last enforceable se  more

Mayo Clinic study finds remote monitoring may detect early complications, reduce burden for lung transplant patients
ROCHESTER, Minnesota, April 29 [Category: BizHospital] -- The Mayo Clinic issued the following news release: * * * Mayo Clinic study finds remote monitoring may detect early complications, reduce burden for lung transplant patients * ROCHESTER, Minn. -In a study published in the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation Open (JHLT Open), Mayo Clinic researchers found that remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a feasible and effective way to detect early health changes and support care decisions  more

MGMA Urges Strengthened Oversight of No Surprises Act Implementation
WASHINGTON, April 29 -- The Medical Group Management Association issued the following letter on April 27, 2026: * * * The Honorable Scott Bessent, Secretary, Department of the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20220 The Honorable Keith Sonderling, Acting Secretary, Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20201 The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20201 D  more

Office of Advocacy Appoints Steve Owen as Region 9 Advocate
WASHINGTON, April 30 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy issued the following news release: * * * Office of Advocacy Appoints Steve Owen as Region 9 Advocate The Office of Advocacy (Advocacy), the independent voice for small businesses within the executive branch, is pleased to announce Steve Owen has been named Region 9 Advocate. As the Region 9 Advocate, a role that has been vacant since 2021, Owen serves as the voice in Washington, D.C. for over 5 million small busine  more

OUTRIGGER and Chef Roy Yamaguchi Introduce Ocean House on Kaua'i
HONOLULU, Hawaii, April 29 [Category: BizTravel] -- Outrigger Hospitality Group posted the following news release: * * * OUTRIGGER and Chef Roy Yamaguchi Introduce Ocean House on Kaua'i * Chef Roy Yamaguchi - Photo Credit Ashley Smith | Download High-Resolution Images and Rendering, HERE New oceanfront dining destination to debut this June for World Ocean Month at OUTRIGGER Kaua'i Beach Resort & Spa KAUA'I - OUTRIGGER Resorts & Hotels today announced the debut of Ocean House by Roy Yam  more

Schatz, Cruz Introduce New Bill To Protect Kids On AI Chatbot Platforms
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, issued the following news release: * * * Schatz, Cruz Introduce New Bill To Protect Kids On AI Chatbot Platforms * WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) today introduced the CHATBOT Act, legislation that would put parents, not Big Tech, in charge of how children interact with AI chatbots and require higher safety safeguards for young users. While AI chatbots can suppo  more

The Lancet Paper Calls for Earlier Diagnosis as Leprosy Persists Globally
NORMAN, Oklahoma, April 29 -- The University of Oklahoma issued the following news: * * * The Lancet Paper Calls for Earlier Diagnosis as Leprosy Persists Globally * OKLAHOMA CITY - Although often considered a disease of the past, leprosy remains a global health issue, causing preventable disability due to delayed diagnosis and gaps in care. In a paper published in The Lancet, a professor of infectious diseases from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine calls for stronger awareness,  more

University of Oklahoma Health: The Lancet Paper Calls for Earlier Diagnosis as Leprosy Persists Globally
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, April 30 (TNSjou) -- The University of Oklahoma Health campus issued the following news: * * * The Lancet Paper Calls for Earlier Diagnosis as Leprosy Persists Globally Although often considered a disease of the past, leprosy remains a global health issue, causing preventable disability due to delayed diagnosis and gaps in care. In a paper published in The Lancet, a professor of infectious diseases from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine calls for stronger  more