Marine Scientists Report Massive "Dead Zones"
Rising tides of untreated sewage and plastic debris are seriously threatening marine life and habitat around the globe, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warned in a report Wednesday. The number of ocean "dead zones" has grown from 150 in 2004 to about 200 today. Nitrogen pollution, mainly from farm fertilisers and sewage, produces blooms of algae that absorb all of the oxygen in the water. Growing global populations, mainly concentrated along coastlines, and the resulting increase in untreated sewage are endangering human health and wildlife, as well as livelihoods from fisheries to tourism.... "An estimated 80 percent of marine pollution originates from the land .

Best & Worst Seafood Choices
Our guide can help you choose fish that are healthy for the oceans and safe to eat. (Learn about seafood and your health and fish to avoid.)

Judge Temporarily Bars Navy From Using Sonar Said to Harm Whales
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Navy on Monday from using active sonar during a major multi-nation exercise off Hawaii until it could negotiate with environmentalists who say the sound waves would harm whales.

Gene-Altered Papaya in Hawaii: An Economic & Environmental Disaster
Why do creators of the genetically-engineered (GE) papaya fruit have to push so hard to introduce it? If the GE papaya is really a simple solution to a major agricultural disease that farmers want, it would be readily adopted by governments, farmers and markets. However, it is not. The concern over this genetically modified orgnanism (GMO) food is so great, that it creates resistance, loss of markets, contamination and more loss of markets.

Wake-up Call: Oceans Warming Up
About 15 years ago, some of us in the scientific community were met with a firestorm of criticism from some of our colleagues when we said that the episodes of mass coral bleachings during the 1980s and 90s were probably due to climate change," says Environmental Defense marine ecologist Rod Fujita. "Many scientists thought we were crazy, and many thought the oceans could absorb the extra heat pretty well. Why has the scientific community now reached a consensus?

Lesson from Hurricane Katrina: Hawaii Must Be Diligent in Its Disaster Preparation
Many questions have arisen across the country, state by state, regarding how prepared states are to deal with Mother Nature’s fury.

Akaka Bill
After months of debate, it looks like the U.S. Senate is finally going to vote on the controversial Akaka Bill. On Sept. 6, 2005, the Senate will say yea or nay to a cloture motion that will force a vote on S.147, which seeks to establish an office in the Department of the Interior. This office would then select a committee to oversee the forming of a Native Hawaiian Governing Council. Then the Federal Government would recognize this entity as the representative governing body of the Native Hawaiian people, putting their best interests in the hands of the Department of the Interior. Sound rather bureaucratic? It is.

Coral Reef in Decline
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a report last week declaring that coral reef ecosystems are declining in American waters due to "a wide array of significant threats" including overfishing, climate change, marine diseases, land-based pollution, storms and grounded ships.

Kingdom of Hawaii exists; aloha spirit packaged, commercialized
The Akaka Bill has no business even being considered for the kanaka maoli. We are still and have always been a small and peaceful nation (with monarchs who were, for the most part, beloved) that opened our doors to a bunch of greedy and opportunistic foreigners who swore an oath of allegiance to us then turned and committed treason and who conspired with their former country to steal a nation. We are often asked: "What happened to your aloha spirit?" It's been packaged and commercialized until it is no longer recognized. Are we bitter? Yes! Do we want to be quantified as an indigenous tribe? No! Wards of the state? No! We are proud kanaka maoli, a proud nation that still exists, so wish us well in our continual uphill fight for our sovereignty.

Reject Seismic Testing!
July 27, 2005 — THIS WEEK, the Senate votes on the Energy Bill, and the possibility of a seismic survey of the U.S. coastline. At decibel levels of 260, seismic blasts have a devastating impact on whales, dolphins and other marine mammals that rely on their sense of hearing to survive. In fact, they can lead to permanent hearing loss, brain hemorrhaging and even cause entire pods of whales and dolphins to beach.

Urge U.S. Sentators to Vote NO on S.147: Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005
A bill to express the policy of the United States regarding the United States relationship with Native Hawaiians and to provide a process for the recognition by the United States of the Native Hawaiian governing entity.

When 'Aloha' Does Not Mean 'Aloha'
Several weeks ago, I met up with my former coworkers to do a "catch up" lunch. We met at a local chain which specialized, according to the menu, in "island" food. As we inched closer to order counter, I was taken back when the Latina girl behind the register, in a cheery manner, exclaimed, "Aloha! Welcome to …!" Aloha? Are you kidding me. I wanted to reach over the counter and give her a slight choke with her kukui nut lei. Was she genuinely interested in making a cultural connection? I doubt it. As a matter of fact, the whole staff was going around parroting the word "Aloha, may I refill your drink?" "Aloha, is this your first time here?" "Aloha, how is your food?" and "Mahalo and come back again!"

Hawaiian registry has 18,000 on its list
Many Hawaiians believe a catalog of all living Hawaiians, estimated at 400,000 worldwide, is the key to founding a nation, or at least gaining federal recognition, for Hawaii's native people.

Some sun protects from many cancers
For years we have been told to stay out of the sun, paste ourselves with sunblock, sit in the shade and wear a hat. Now, it seems that we should be spending some of that time out in the sun, without the hat or sunblock, if we want to have a plentiful supply of Vitamin D and reduce our chances of developing cancer. Recent studies have found that the vitamin D you get from the sun protects you from lymphoma, colon cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and even skin cancer.

Peak Oil - Peak Economy PDF
Our analysis suggests that there is every reason for concern – and unless serious action is begun now, we may very well be headed toward another

Beachfront protesters mark year blocking US air base in Okinawa
Japan (AFP) - His arms burnt red from the sun, his sideburns and beard graying, Sakae Toyama is ready for a showdown in his quest to stop the US Marines from building an air base over a coral reef. Toyama, other activists and fishermen will Tuesday mark a full year of a dawn-to-dusk sit-in on the beach and in offshore rigs in this village on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. Greenpeace is supporting the protest to protect these clear, emerald green waters on the Pacific coastline, which is a crucial feeding ground for the dugong, an endangered sea mammal also known as a sea cow...

Antarctic Survey Shows Widespread Glacial Retreat
The most comprehensive survey yet completed of glaciers in the Antarctic has discovered widespread movement, especially in the past five years. The findings, published today in the journal Science, indicate that the rate of sea-level rise could increase if ice shelves in the area continue their retreat.

Congress Overhauls Bankruptcy Laws
April 14, 2005 · The House of Representatives approves an overhaul of the nation's bankruptcy laws Wednesday, in a vote of 302 to 126. The bill, which passed in the Senate last month, will make it more difficult to get rid of debts by filing for bankruptcy, forcing tens of thousand of people to work out repayment plans instead.

Anti-militarization conference
A small but diverse cohort from the global war resistance movement coalesced this week at a small camp in Wai'anae, and yesterday participants started their four-day conference on militarization by immersing themselves in the history of conflict between Hawaiians and the armed forces here. The group of 18 - including survivors of nuclear radiation from the Marshall Islands and Chernobyl, and anti-war activists from Okinawa, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, Hawai'i and the Mainland - began their tour at the main gate at Makua Military Reservation, hearing an overview of the community opposition to live-fire training exercises there.

The U.S. Right has a License to Write Anything
Ward Churchill, a tenured prof at the University of Colorado. Churchill is known nationally as a fiery historian and writer, particularly on Indian matters. Back in 2001, after 9/11, Churchill wrote an essay called "Some People Push Back", making the simple point, in his words, that "if U.S. foreign policy results in widespread death and destruction abroad, we cannot feign innocence when some of that destruction is returned." Churchill concludes, "If the U.S. public is prepared to accept these 'standards' when they are routinely applied to other people, they should be not be surprised when the same standards are applied to them. Is it a crime to say that chickens can come home to roost and that the way to protect American lives from terrorism is to respect international law?

A Mysterious Streak Above Hawaii
What in heavens-above was that? Not everything seen on the night sky is understood. The Night Sky Live (NSL) project keeps its global array of continuously updating web cameras (CONCAMs) always watching the night sky. On the night of 2004 December 17, the fisheye CONCAM perched on top of an active volcano in Haleakala, Hawaii, saw something moving across the night sky that remains mysterious. The NSL team might have disregarded the above streak as unconfirmed, but the Mauna Kea CONCAM on the next Hawaiian island recorded the same thing. The NSL team might then have disregarded the streak as a satellite, but no record of it was found in the heavens-above.com site that usually documents bright satellite events. If you think you have a reasonable explanation for the streak, please contribute to the on-line discussion.

FCC issues ruling on phone company
For several years, fees on telephone bills have paid for Sandwich Isles Communications Inc. to build a telephone network to serve customers living on Hawaiian Home Lands.

Council votes 6-3 to repeal condo lease law
The Honolulu City Council yesterday voted as expected to repeal the city's controversial condominium leasehold conversion law, with the majority saying that the decision came down to fairness.Government should not be involved in taking land from one private property owner to give it to another, said Councilman Nestor Garcia, summing up the majority position of the council.

Taro patch experience helps problem kids
Island children are discovering themselves and their roots in the taro lo'i (patches) of Kapahu Farm in Kipahulu.During a morning tour with school groups that can last up to four hours, they "talk story" about taro: its importance in old Hawaii, the legends surrounding it. Then they invite the keiki to kick off their shoes and step knee-deep into the muddy lo'i to turn the soil, pull weeds, and plant and harvest taro. It seems the dirtier the kids get, the more effective the cleansing process. Their faces brighten; they squeal and laugh," says Lind. "Their expressions say it

Your Ideas for Bioneers Hawai'i 2005
Next fall we hope to host the first Hawaiian Bioneers Conference ever! We need your help and ideas. What are the most important issues facing each Hawaiian island and the islands overall? Can a Bioneers satellite conference (www.bioneers.org) support the work in Hawai'i and the activists who do it? We need your mana'o, guidance and information to be truly reflective of the community. Please share as you feel comfortable. In order to participate "Register" first. Each time you subsequently visit the bulletin board you will need to "Log In"if you wish to a add your comments. Click Here: Visit Forum Now | Pledge Your Support Now

Attorney: U.S. must leave
A professor of international law contends that the so-called Akaka Bill would strip Hawaiians of their right to self-determination. He also says independence would be best achieved through international law."Under the Akaka legislation, kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiians) are going to get an entity, not a government, not a state, just an entity, whatever that is," Boyle said. Sovereignty, he said, would not be determined by the Hawaiians as declared in the "Apology Bill" -- Congress' 1993 resolution apologizing for the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Clash of Cultures
Maui— Dispute between Hawaiians and environmentalists moves up a notch as squatters refuse to get off Maui Coastal Land Trust land. “Houseless by choice.”

Seismic halt urged for whales
SEISMIC tests carried out in oceans to search for gas and oil should be stopped until the whale migration season had ended. "There is growing evidence that such activities may impact on whales and dolphins

Humanitarian Law Groups File Rights Petition At Oas Against The United States For Attacks On Hospitals, Clinics
"Attacks on hospitals and medical personnel are truly shocking." The Geneva Conventions prohibit attacks on any medical facility or medical personnel, whether civilian or military. "Imagine the outrage if the opposition in Iraq attacked one of the medical facilities for American wounded. There would be calls for war crimes tribunals," stated Karen Parker, the attorney in this action. "Rather than being "quaint" as administration Attorney-General nominee Gonzales has said, the Geneva Conventions and human rights agreements are meant to prevent acts of barbarity in war. Besides preventing atrocities, they are meant to protect GIs from the psychological damage that afflicts people who carry out this type of action."

These could be final days of a nation united
Maybe this is where America ends. Dismayed at the fractures and fissures exposed by an acrimonious presidential campaign and despairing of ever putting this Humpty Dumpty together again, he advanced a radical thesis. We are, he pointed out, a nation founded not on common ancestry but rather, shared ideals: liberty and justice for all. Maybe that sort of bond ultimately cannot hold. It would be no surprise to see the U.S. split into two or more separate countries in his lifetime. He is 32.

Hawaiian group told it doesn’t own Waihee land
Several Hawaiian families will be forced to move from their campsites along the Waihee shoreline after a judge ruled the documents they held did not prove ownership to the parcel that was recently purchased by the Maui Coastal Land Trust. At the crux of the matter was who really owns the land. Both the Maui Coastal Land Trust (MCLT) and the families arrived in court with separate documents that each claimed to give them absolute rights to the property: MCLT had a title and title insurance from Title Guaranty of Hawaii Inc., while the families produced a deed from His Majesty Akahi Nui of the Kingdom of Hawaii that had been recorded and stamped by the state Bureau of Conveyances on Jan. 7, 2002, and signed by a notary public.

Hawaiian seawater, going for $6 a bottle
Hawaii — Known for its $30-a-pound Kona coffee beans, posh $1,000-a-night hotel suites and $1 million ocean-view condos, the west coast of Hawaii's Big Island now is cashing in with another pricey offering: $6 bottled water from the bottom of the ocean. Koyo, the only company selling the deep-sea water from Hawaii, is expanding its plant and has applied to sell the water in the United States. It will sell for much less than in Japan. Asia's thirst for Hawaiian seawater also has attracted Los Angeles-based Deep Sea Water International; Japanese-owned Enzamin USA and Hawaii Deep Marine Inc.; and South Korean-owned Savers Holdings Ltd.

Statement by John Kerry on Native Hawaiian Self-Determination
“John Edwards and I are committed to improve the lives of Native Hawaiians. Once elected, we will work to support their right to self-determination as a Native people. [Editor: John, real Hawaiian people want to be free from the U.S. Occupation, not to be recognized as a tribal entity under the authority of the U.S. government.]

The U.S. Is Failing World History
As America drunk with ambitions of global hegemony and empire staggers and stumbles in Iraq and Afghanistan it is becoming clearer and clearer on the home front the ruling elites and plutocrats who were counting on an "easy A" have not done their homework in world affairs and history. Now, unprepared for the fallout and consequences of their latest debacle they will compound their hubris and insanity by replicating the heavy handed European tactics of the last two centuries that failed them thirty years ago in Vietnam.

Native Hawaiian group laying claim to Waihee coastal parcel
WAILUKU – An unusual case has been unfolding in 2nd Circuit Court where the Maui Coastal Land Trust’s ownership of the 277-acre Waihee preserve has been challenged by members of the Kingdom of Hawaii who have been camping near the shoreline and refuse to leave. The Kingdom claims it has rights to the land because of a document filed with the state Bureau of Conveyances in 2002 by Majesty Akahi Nui that includes the lands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai. Maui Coastal Land Trust has a deed specific to the property issued by Title Guaranty of Hawaii Inc., along with title insurance.

FBI Seizes IMC Servers
Thursday morning, US authorities issued a federal order to Rackspace ordering them to hand over Indymedia web servers to the requesting agency. The servers hosted twenty local IMCs, including UK Indymedia, Belgium, African imcs, Palestine, UK, Germany, Brasil, Italy, Uruguay, Poland, Belgrade, Portugal and others. The last few months have seen numerous attacks on independent media by the US Federal Government. In August the Secret Service used a subpoena in an attempt to disrupt the NYC IMC before the RNC by trying to get IP logs from an ISP in the US and the Netherlands. Last month the FCC shut down community radio stations around the US. Two weeks ago the FBI requested that Indymedia takes down a post on the Nantes IMC that had a photo of some undercover Swiss police and IMC volunteers in Seattle were visited by the FBI on the same issue. On the other hand, Indymedia and other independent media organisations were successfull with their victories for example against Diebold and the Patroit Act. Today however, the US authorities shut down IMCs around the world.

Akaka Bill in stranglehold
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs in Washington has confirmed that Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl placed the hold on the Akaka Bill that has kept it from coming before the full Senate for a vote.

Paradise cleansed
There are times when one tragedy, one crime tells us how a whole system works behind its democratic facade and helps us to understand how much of the world is run for the benefit of the powerful and how governments lie. To understand the catastrophe of Iraq, and all the other Iraqs along imperial history's trail of blood and tears, one need look no further than Diego Garcia.

Groups file suit over Stryker land deal
Native Hawaiian groups went to court yesterday to try to block the Army's acquisition of 1,400 acres of pineapple fields and other agriculture land near Schofield Barracks for its new Stryker brigade.

Outraged Farmers, Consumers and Backyard Papaya Growers Outraged at GMO Contamination
“It is an outrage that UH is selling contaminated papaya seeds to our local farmers and growers,” said Toi Lahti, an organic farmer and papaya grower from the Big Island . “Not only could organic farmers lose their certification by growing genetically engineered papayas, GMO papaya seeds are also patented by Monsanto among others. This opens farmers to oppressive lawsuits based on claims of patent infringement, where corporations such as Monsanto have not hesitated to sue even those who unknowingly planted such seeds.”

Charges filed in eBay skull case
A California man was criminally charged yesterday for allegedly trying to sell on eBay.com what he claimed was the skull of a 200-year-old Hawaiian warrior.

Hawaii's homeless law fuels tension
Despite a strong state economy, the homeless rate in Hawaii has nearly doubled over the past four years, and the majority of the new homeless are native Hawaiians and those with some Hawaiian ancestry. Fueling the ill feelings is a new state law that went into effect in May allowing police to arrest homeless people if they return within a year to a spot from which they were rousted. Hawaii is listed at No. 3 on the ''Meanest States" list at the National Coalition for the Homeless web site. Honolulu will come in at No. 9 on the ''Meanest Cities" list.

Sneaky Backdoor approach eyed on Native Hawaiian bill
Hawaii senior Sen. Daniel Inouye said last week he and Sen. Daniel Akaka will seek to slip the Native Hawaiian Recognition Act into a much-larger appropriations bill and hoping it rides all the way through Congress' review process. It's a technique that some will "frown" on at the Capitol.

Rescuing the Law of the Sea
A worthy global treaty has been awaiting Senate ratification for 22 years. If a tiny but noisy group of xenophobic activists, assisted by a callow Senate leadership, have their way, it will wait forever. And the world, the oceans and the strategic interests of the United States will be the poorer. The treaty has been approved by 145 nations. In this country, it has won support from all sorts of people who are often at odds, including environmentalists, fishing interests, the oil and gas industry, the shipping industry, the State and Commerce Departments and the Navy. Yet Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader, has said that he wants to take another look at the treaty.

Court to hear sovereignty defense in tax evasion case
The case of John P. "Pilipo" Souza, a retired Honolulu fire captain and private insurance investigator, is the latest action by sovereigntists who assert their Hawaiian citizenship by disregarding certain U.S. and state laws they say don't apply to them.

Greed and the oceans
The ocean eco-system is collapsing, study says." This headline from last year still resonates. It is another sign - a major one - of the world’s ongoing and growing ecological crisis. This was the result of the first major study of ocean conditions in 30 years. The oceans are the soup of life on Mother Earth. Fish, mollusk and all manner of abundance have been provided to humankind by the ocean.

Homeless in Hawaii: More land for the military than for Hawaiians — Part 1 | Part 2
It’s summer in Hawaii, the state is considering another generous land donation to the military and has made homelessness a crime. Under the cover of the term "Military Transformation" and with the blanket of 9/11, the military is taking a wide berth in land stealing. And, recently enacted Act 50 makes criminals out of people who have been displaced by the military itself, many of them Native Hawaiian.

'Artists,' and a few pests, clog Waikiki
As visitor arrivals have soared, so have the number of vendors and performers along Kalakaua Avenue, reigniting the 20-year battle among business owners, city officials and free-speech advocates about which activities are acceptable on the sidewalks of Waikiki.

Judge orders disclosure of genetically modified crop locations
A federal judge yesterday issued a landmark ruling ordering the U.S. Department of Agriculture to disclose locations of open-air field tests in Hawaii of genetically modified biopharmaceutical crops. "Biopharming could have disastrous effects on human health and the environment and should not be shielded from public scrutiny," said Paul Achitoff, an Earthjustice attorney.

In Historic Court Victory for ACLU, Honolulu Agrees to Create New Rules Affirming Religious Neutrality and Free Speech
The government cannot censor speech or exclude people from public events simply because officials do not agree with the participants’ sexual orientation, gender identity or their message.

Hawaii Leaders Outraged Over New Cigarette Brand
State officials from Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste to Governor Lingle are condemning ads for a new Camel cigarette featuring a hula girl and promoting a flavor called "Kauai Kolada."

Whaling Commission Puts Brakes on Plan
The International Whaling Commission put the brakes Thursday on a plan critics said might lead to lifting an 18-year ban on commercial whaling, ending four days of acrimonious talks. Japan and other pro-whaling countries favor lifting the moratorium, while the anti-whaling bloc opposes any move that might lead to an end of the ban.

County working to improve Upcountry water quality
Maui — Mayor Alan Arakawa, with the cooperation of the State Department of Health (DOH), directed the County of Maui Department of Water Supply (DWS) to begin to step-down the use of phosphoric acid in the Upcountry Maui water system. The step-down reduced the phosphoric acid dosage by 0.25 ppm.

If You Want to See Me Cry...
Tla tik neke techitas ni chokas ... Si quieres verme llorar ... If you want to see me cry ... Talk to me about how some human beings are less human and less worthy of the legal protections afforded all other human beings. It will remind me of when Europeans once debated the humanity of my ancestors.

State GOP blasted on environmental record
The Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club lambasted Republican lawmakers in their environmental scorecard yesterday.

Controversial US Missile Plan
Australia and the United States have signed a pact to develop a controversial missile defense shield. Critics believe the development of a defensive shield could have a destabilizing effect on the country's Asia-Pacific neighbors and could spark an arms race with China..

Microsoft posts work-around for Internet Explorer flaw
Microsoft released on Friday a work-around for an Internet Explorer vulnerability that has left Windows users open to attacks for almost nine months. The flaw, in an ActiveX scripting component, gained notoriety last month when it became the mechanism used by a network of compromised Web sites to install a malicious program on victims' computers. The software giant has published a work-around on its Web site and directed customers to use its Windows update service to download the patch.

Global Independence Day
I was born on the Fourth of July. Growing up everyone would tell me that the fireworks were for me, and naturally I believed them. As I grew up I discovered the world doesn’t revolve around me, or my country for that matter. I learned that all the celebration wasn’t for me, but it remained my favorite holiday.

Hawaii Biotech's West Nile Vaccine Shows 100% Protection in Animal Study
Hawaii Biotech, Inc., a Hawaii-based biopharmaceutical company, announced today that in a second study its West Nile vaccine protected 100 percent of test animals from both illness and death when challenged with human West Nile Virus. In contrast, 53 percent of the control animals died, and survivors showed signs of illness.

Police Believe Sex Offender May Be In Hawaii
Honolulu police were searching for a convicted child sex offender from Washington state who is apparently hiding in Hawaii.

BOE approves first Molokai charter school
KEALAKEKUA, Hawaii - The Board of Education approved a plan to convert Kualapuu Elementary School on Molokai into the island's first public charter school.

Military deployments hurt Hawaii merchants
On military paydays, this rural town surrounded by a sprawling Army base and vast pineapple fields used to bustle, living up to its Hawaiian name meaning "place of noise." No longer.

Live-fire training set for valley
A company of Schofield Barracks soldiers headed to Iraq likely will get to conduct convoy live-fire training in Makua Valley for three days next week as the result of an agreement with community group Malama Makua. It would be the third time that Malama Makua has agreed to the convoy training, since an Army "prescribed burn" got out of control last July and blackened half the valley.

Moore's Film Rakes in Record Amount
If Sunday's estimates hold when final numbers are released Monday, "Fahrenheit 9/11" would set a record in a single weekend as the top-grossing documentary ever

'Extremophiles' Prove Their Worth
They live in toxic Superfund cleanup sites, boiling deep-sea rift vents, volcanic craters and polar glaciers. Such "bio-prospecting" efforts have huge potential for good. They just might make hazardous waste cleanup more affordable, reduce pollution and make better medicines if the microbes' genetic durability can be exploited and controlled.

Thank You, Michael Moore
People hypnotized by television and deliberately enforced fear can certainly support a war, and a President, which are fundamentally at odds with basic American decency. In fact, people hypnotized by television and deliberately enforced fear will feed themselves into the meat grinder with "God Bless America" on their lips. Michael Moore's film will snap that hypnosis, but good.

Hawaiian loan rule revised
A change in a federal rule will make it easier for more Hawaiian homesteaders to finance the building of their homes. The new Federal Housing Administration rules, which take effect July 15, will make all homesteaders who are at least one-quarter Hawaiian eligible for FHA-insured mortgages.

New law puts teeth in battle to curb illegal dumps
Anyone caught illegally dumping a large truckload of waste material will face up to five years in prison and a 50-thousand-dollar fine.

Recreational fishermen criticize license plan
Peter Mainaaupo says he won't pay to fish, which he considers part of his native Hawaiian culture.

Dobelle protests his firing
A political figure prominent in Connecticut is forced from his state job after being accused of misusing an expense account to pay for personal items, hiring his cronies at big salaries, and treating his top aides to perquisites like first-class airfare upgrades and free tickets to a rock concert.

Dobelle's Attorney Schedules News Conference
The attorney who's representing Evan Dobelle has scheduled a news conference for the fired University of Hawaii president for Friday.

Airlines Accused Of Teaming Up On Illegal Deal
The question is whether Aloha Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Island Air have set up an illegal deal which will discourage other airlines from serving Molokai and Lanai.

Recently Discovered Grave Sites Could Delay Highway Plans
Recent findings of five ancient graves in the path of the planned Alii Highway construction on the Big Island have prompted challenges by Hawaiians who want the sites left intact.

University aims to start construction of telescope next month
Construction is expected to begin next month on a $5 million telescope atop Haleakala that's to serve as the prototype for the world's most powerful telescope for seeking out asteroids that could hit the Earth.

State installs barricades
Concrete barricades topped with 8-foot high wire fencing have been installed on Kailua Pier. The new U.S. anti-terrorism rules will impact everyone from fishermen to paddlers beginning July 1, required by the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002.

Mainland gas prices ease faster than Hawaii's
Hawaii gas prices are back to being the most expensive in the nation, not because they have risen further but because they have failed to fall as much as prices have eased on the mainland.

Hawaii to allow students to meet standards in Hawaiian
Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle signed Friday a bill to set up a program for schoolchildren to meet state education standards through the medium of the Hawaiian language.

New law targets squatters
Hawai'i has adopted one of the nation's severest penalties to discourage people from living on public property, raising objections among advocates for the homeless and questions about whether the law can be enforced. Laws banning people from public places in other parts of the country have been stricken down as unconstitutional

Obesity proves tough opponent
As concern grows over the rising problem of obesity in the United States -- about 30 percent of U.S. adults are obese -- more state officials are trying to tackle the issue. But state legislators across the country are discovering it's difficult to pass laws intended to reduce obesity.

Pacific experts in Hawaii to discuss disasters, security
Experts from Hawaii and 16 Pacific nations and territories opened meetings at the East-West Center to plan a regional strategy for helping island economies recover from hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other disasters.

Sierra Club condemns Big Isle plan
The state Sierra Club blasted a proposed revision of the Hawaii County General Plan yesterday as a "developer's dream" and a "gift to special interests."

Past has a place at high-tech center
Construction has begun on the $28 million Mauna Kea Astronomy Education Center, whose unique exhibits will attempt to connect high-tech scientific discoveries with ancient Hawaiian cultural traditions.

Polynesian farmers earn praise in scientific study
Hawai'i's early Polynesian settlers have been lauded for their greatness as navigators, but they don't get enough credit for their farming skills, according to an international research team.

Hawaiian Royal Descendants Honor King Kamehameha
June 11, 2004 — The day to honor King Kamehameha I. Descendants of Hawaii's ali'i (royalty) gathers to remember the warrior who became the first ruler of the islands.

Aloha posts net loss
The privately held carrier posted a net loss of $7.2 million in the first three months of the year, according to its latest filing with the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

University of Hawaii president fired
The University of Hawaii Board of Regents fired the school's president after a closed-door session. While it did not immediately disclose a reason, the board said the action was "with cause."

Power struggle at Kalihi church headed to court
Charges were serious enough that the state attorney general's office opened an investigation into the church's operations. The church owns more than one (m) million dollars worth of Hawaii properties and collects thousands of dollars in member contributions a month.

Talk radio takes flight over Hawaii airwaves
The talk radio network Air America Radio and its front man Al Franken debuted yesterday afternoon on KUMU-AM 1500 in Honolulu, KAOI-AM 1110 on Maui and KQNG-AM 570 on Kauai.

As development rises, so does concern over human remains
More human remains were found last week in an area of Kaka'ako that is rife with development, just as the controversy over dozens of similar discoveries nearby had begun to subside.

The princess diaries
Ke'elikolani's fierce commitment to the native people, culture and language of Hawai'i — not to mention her administration of the massive land holdings that would eventually constitute much of Kamehameha Schools Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate — make her an intriguing subject for contemporary scholars and an unlikely role model for Hawaiian activists.

Kahuku Ranch To Close
(Honolulu-AP) -- Damon Estate says it plans to close its Kahuku Ranch on the Big Island this summer. Last year the estate sold most of the ranch for 22 (m) million dollars to the Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service.

Big Island events to honor king on holiday weekend
The Big Island will honor its native son, Kamehameha I, with a number of events over the three-day holiday weekend. The celebration will open with a ceremony at 8 a.m. at the statue, with Na Papa Kanaka O Pu'ukohola and members of the Ka'ahumanu Society participating. An oral history of Kamehameha will be presented, along with hula, music, ho'okupu and the draping of lei.

Hawaii Tops For Rising Home Prices
Hawaii ranks first among the states when it comes to rising home prices, according to a new federal report.

Aloha Air Eliminates First Class
Aloha is removing all 12 first-class seats in its 10 Boeing 737-200 planes and replacing them with 21 coach seats. The conversion program already has begun and is expected to be completed by mid-July.

Bunchy top virus threatens a piece of Hawaiian culture
Maui — Many people know that Hawai'i's banana industry is under attack by the banana bunchy top virus. Few know that a part of Native Hawaiian culture is also caught up in the life-and-death struggle.

Maui Residents Get Additive Free Water
(Wailuku) -- Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa says the county Department of Water Supply will use tanker trucks to provide phosphate-free drinking water to Upcountry residents who want it.

Some fear new law will mean more prison inmates
The new offense, "habitual property crime" is punishable by up to five years in prison. Some observers of Hawaii's prison system say a new law that gets tough on habitual property offenders may mean more new inmates entering the state's prisons and jails.

Hawaii tourists find higher prices, few deals
With hotels running more than 80 percent full and crowds waiting outside popular Waikiki restaurants for available tables, many businesses are increasing prices

Lockdown on Sea Island
The body bags have been shipped in, locals are running scared, and foreigners are being arrested and deported. Organisers of this week's G8 Summit are taking no chances with security. E Jane Dickson reports from a community under siege

State report on tourism identifies areas of concern
To sustain Hawai'i's tourism industry, the state should focus on Native Hawaiian values, do a better job of tracking and regulating certain tourism businesses, and find the money to prevent the spread of invasive species.

How Tough Are the Crop Cops?
The fact that they're purposely growing pharmaceutical drugs in food crops in Hawai`i seems indefensible and foolhardy in the extreme. The Center for Food Safety sued the USDA in Hawaii in 2003, asking the courts to force biotech companies to reveal the location of pharmaceutical crops.

Company apologizes for flawed tests
In a letter of apology sent to Hawaii's public schools, Harcourt Assessment Inc. said no students will need to be retested as a result of errors the company made in preparing tests given statewide this spring.

Hawaii Hopes Chocolate Will Sweeten Economy
In Hawaii -- the only U.S. state with a climate temperate enough to grow chocolate -- legislators and business leaders hope the sweet stuff will give the state's agricultural economy a lift.

Throw Away Society New Threat to Island Paradises
Handling solid wastes from industry, households and tourism is emerging as another issue with which they need advice and help. Such wastes are not only unsightly and a threat to wildlife, they can also contaminate rivers and ground waters as they slowly degrade.

Illegal Snakes and Lizards In Custody
In the past two weeks agriculture investigators have captured several illegal snakes and lizards in Hawaii.

Hawaiian music getting its due
The deep cultural roots of Hawaiian music were recognized when the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences board of trustees voted last week to create a new category for the annual Grammy Awards for "Best Hawaiian Music Album."

Hawaii bike trail proposed
A proposal to open a Maui trail to commercial bike tours has sparked criticism from some hikers and environmentalists who worry the move could result in a flood of people and deteriorating conditions.

An Update from Senator Gary Hooser
7th Senatorial District - Islands of Kaua'i and Ni'ihau
Aloha Friends, The legislative session is now complete and I believe history will show that it was one of the most productive ever. In addition to passing major legislation focusing on improving public education and fighting the ICE epidemic, the Kaua'i legislative delegation was able to secure much needed funding for many important Kaua'i projects. Traffic, affordable housing, protecting public access, supporting agriculture and creating jobs via ethanol and technology tax credits are just a few of the additional items that were also addressed.

Last solo trip not the end for paddler
In the past six years, Kahakui, 40, has completed several amazing feats of strength and endurance: In 1998, she paddled solo from Maui to O'ahu. In 1999, she paddled 59 hours to cross from Hawai'i island to O'ahu. In 2001, she paddled 55 nautical miles up New York's Hudson river.

Thieves are farmers' newest pest
Lance Yamashiro's exotic crops of wasabi and Japanese radishes used to attract the attention only of chefs and grocers. Lately his produce has caught the eye of a new breed of food enthusiasts - thieves.

Science backs theories about global warming
Hawaii—Two miles up, above black lava fields and a white blanket of clouds, a tower rising from this U.S. government observatory gulps in some of the clear, crisp air and gets a taste of man's future on Earth.

Governor signs Niihau shell bill
Gov. Linda Lingle has signed Act 91, the bill to protect Niihau shell lei from counterfeiting by setting labeling requirements.

Bench is gender biased?
Critics allege that women are held to a different standard in Hawaii’s legal world

Shipping security procedures hurt Hawaii shrimp shipments
The shrimp industry is a casualty of anti-terrorism security measures. The Saipan Tribune reported in its Monday online edition that baby shrimp purchased from Hawaii are now dead by the time they get to shrimp growers in the Northern Marianas.

Authorities increase counterterrorism efforts in Hawaii
Federal and local law enforcement officials say they are increasing their counterterrorism efforts in Hawaii. Local F-B-I agents are going to be "interviewing a lot of people" in hopes of getting wind of any possible terrorist threats or suspicious activity.

Goo-filled landmark distresses Hawaiians
Hawaii’s 35-year-old Capitol is a modernist landmark. White pillars, reminiscent of royal palm trees, form the perimeter, with the center open to the sun, wind and rain. The House and Senate chambers are swooping cones of volcanic stone rising from two enormous pools meant to evoke the Pacific Ocean. Except they do not. The pools are fetid and furry with algae, and have been for decades. The state has tried to keep them clean almost since the day the building was dedicated in 1969.

Earth's golden age of sunshine has faded
Bank Holiday sunseekers this weekend may find it harder to get a tan. And cinema-goers emerging from the global warming blockbuster, The Day After Tomorrow, will have something new to worry about.

Anger resurfaces over artifacts
Conflict is brewing again over the Bishop Museum's handling of burial artifacts, especially the ongoing push by museum officials and others to retrieve objects that were reburied four years ago in Kawaihae Caves.

Grammys might create Hawaiian music category
A major announcement next week will give Hawaiian music a big international boost, state officials say, and local music industry representatives expect the news will be the creation of a Hawaiian music category in next year's Grammy Awards.

Canoe part of national exhibit
After 15 years, a Hawaiian koa canoe that was rough cut by master canoe builder Wright Bowman Jr. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., will be headed back to the nation's Capitol to become a living exhibit in the new Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian set to open in September. Bowman died in 1997 before he could finish the 18-foot-long fishing canoe, but Jason Tabata, who worked with Bowman for more than 20 years, and Dennis Lai Hipp, an apprentice to Tabata, have nearly completed the canoe. The canoe — called Au Hou, or New Era — will be blessed during a ceremony tomorrow for those who worked on the vessel and invited guests.

PETA Offers $2,500 to Nab Honokohau Cat Killer
Group Joins Hawaii Island Humane Society in Effort to Bring Animal Abuser to Justice PETA believes that other animals in the area—and even human residents—may be in danger as long as the person or persons who committed this crime are at large and is urging residents not to leave animals outside unattended. Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact Frannie Kinslow of the Hawaii Island Humane Society at 808-329-1175.

Bringing the Hawaiian Language back to Hale‘lea
Members of the Waipa Foundation have secured a $53,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Native Americans to revive the use of the Hawaiian language in the Halele‘a district, known more commonly as Kaua‘i's North Shore.

Akaka Bill revisions draw Hawaiian ire
After a year and a half of delicate maneuvers designed to navigate the Akaka Bill through the 108th Congress with a minimum of stormy weather, its sponsors turned in a virtuoso job of sailing close to the wind without quite capsizing at an April 21 business meeting of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on S. 344. But the new short title tells a tale of sea-changes that have alarmed some indigenous Hawaiians. Instead of unamended S. 344’s "Native Hawaiian Recognition Act of 2003," the amended short title is "Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2004."

Global warming brings bad tidings
The “greenhouse effect”, climate change, has languished on the world’s agenda since the 1970s, a seemingly distant threat. But year by year, centimetre by centimetre, it is rising to the top – as ocean islets flood, glaciers retreat, Arctic permafrost melts, and leading voices raise new alarms.

Almond recall continues to expand amid reports of food-poisoning
On Thursday, Kerry Inc. of Beloit, Wis., recalled almonds sold under its Pacific Seasonings' Gold Shield brand in Hawaii.

Hawaii Gas Prices Continue Climb
Hawaii's average was the third highest in the nation, 5 cents behind California and a penny behind Oregon, according to AAA.

Kakaako Pumping Station to Get Facelift
Hawaii Community Development Authority executive director Daniel Dinell says the facility will be cleaned up in the next few weeks. He says the facility will be spruced up so it doesn't look "so sad and neglected."

Police Search For Kalihi Bank Robber
Honolulu police are asking for the public's help in finding the man who robbed the Kalihi branch of American Savings Bank Wednesday morning.

Kellogg Recalls 6,300 Packages Of Corn Flakes
The recall affects about 6,300 packages of the cereal with UPC codes of 381200. The cartons also have a use-by date of March 31, 2005, and the number KLB 009 stamped on top.

FAA regulation would ground many barnstorming flights
The issue arose after the aerial sightseeing businesses came under scrutiny because of crashes in the 1990s that involved helicopters and airplanes in such scenic places as the canyons of Hawaii and the glaciers of Alaska. The accidents sparked special regulations for the Hawaiian commercial air tour industry and prompted the National Transportation Safety Board to recommend that the FAA establish national standards to improve safety of all air tours.

Property crimes drop 12% on Oahu
Major crimes overall decreased by about 11 percent on Oahu last year from the year before, to 50,912 offenses in 2003 from 57,271 in 2002. Violent crimes increased by 0.2 percent and include a 10 percent increase in assaults, a 13 percent decrease in rape and a 17 percent drop in murders.

Navy gets buffer for Kauai base
After a contentious eight-hour hearing, the state Land Board agreed yesterday to establish a buffer zone on 5,641 acres of state-owned land adjoining the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility.

Typhus cases decline
here were 12 confirmed cases of rodent-borne typhus in Hawaii this year, including six on Oahu, four on Maui, and two on the Big Island.

Cell phone portability rules take effect in Hawaii
Cell phone customers in Hawaii and nationwide can keep the same phone numbers when switching to new wireless carriers starting Monday.

Hawaii Gas Prices Keeps Rising
Near the top of the list is Hawaii, with all-time high prices across the board.

Hawaii Tops Nation In Per Person State Tax Collections
A report out today from the U-S Census Bureau shows Hawaii citizens paying the most per person in state taxes in the nation. In a breakdown, the average Hawaii resident spent 90 dollars on electricity and gas, 63 state tax dollars on gasoline, 61 tax dollars on insurance, 57 dollars on tobacco products, and 32 dollars on booze.