Spotlight Now: Green Fee Advisory Council on where $100M+ should go

On this edition of Spotlight Now, Green Fee Advisory Council members Eric Co and Dr. Chip Fletcher discuss spending priorities for the estimated $100+ million fund. The council made public its recommendations to the governor. The governor will submit his plan to the legislature for approval.

Spotlight Now: Gov. Josh Green discusses immigration and health care in Hawaii

Fresh off his State of the State address, Gov. Josh Green discusses his top priorities for the 2026 legislative session. The governor covered a wide range of topics, including the proposed partnership between Hawaii Pacific Health and HMSA. Green also said he plans to support legislation to prevent…

Spotlight Now: HMSA and Hawaii Pacific Health discuss partnership plan

A historic health care partnership between two of Hawaii’s biggest medical companies aims to provide health care more efficiently to hundreds of thousands of patients. On this episode of Spotlight Now, we sit down with Hawaii Pacific Health CEO Ray Vara and HMSA CEO Mark Mugiishi to learn more.

Spotlight Now: Hawaiian Airlines CEO, softening tourism in Hawaii

On this episode of Spotlight Now, we talk tourism with the CEOs of Hawaiian Airlines and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB). Hawaiian Airlines CEO Diana Birkett Rakow acknowledges that the Alaska-Hawaiian merger brought real challenges for travelers and promises a smoother 2026. Mean…

Spotlight Now: Immigration in Hawaii

As the federal government increases immigration enforcement across the state, state Rep. Della Au Belatti is helping to launch the Oahu Rapid Response Coalition, a hotline for people to report ICE activity. We also sit down with Aparna Patrie from Patrie Law Associates about the uncertainty a lot o…

Spotlight Now: Law enforcement, paramedics prepare for New Year’s Eve

As the one-year anniversary of the deadly fireworks explosion at Aliamanu approaches, law enforcement is taking additional measures to prepare for New Year’s Eve. Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement director Mike Lambert shared with Spotlight Now plans to blanket the island of Oahu through manpow…

Spotlight Now: Hawaii's economic outlook; top stories from 2025

Economist Carl Bonham from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization discusses what's in store for the state's economy in 2026, including the impact from Hawaii's minimum wage increase.  And from the New Year's deadly fireworks accident to ICE raid arrests, HNN's Daryl Huff helps bre…

Spotlight Now: Governor on TMT, illegal fireworks, and tax cut pause

Gov. Josh Green joined Spotlight Now to discuss top issues for the state, which includes looking for a new way forward to build the Thirty Meter Telescope on Hawaii Island. With New Year’s Eve and the anniversary of the deadly fireworks incident in Aliamanu approaching, the governor is urging the …

This Is Now (December 3, 2025)

Five alleged leaders of 'Greggy's Cult,' a group targeting kids online, have been indicted. A mom of a teen killed in a crash on Maui last year begs judge to not dismiss the case. A man accused of a Thanksgiving Day robbery at a sushi restaurant has been indicted.

Spotlight Now: Former governor, entrepreneur on Rediscovering Hawaii’s Soul

Community leaders join Spotlight Now to continue the conversation on rediscovering Hawaii's soul. We're joined first by former Gov. John Waihee, followed by entrepreneur Olin Lagon, a movement by the Hawaii Executive Collaborative to build a shared understanding of the depth of meaning, history, an…