Spotlight Now: Honolulu mayor on permanent rail tax extension, interim landfill plan

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi joins "Spotlight Now" to address the biggest issues facing the City and County of Honolulu. The mayor reveals his push to make the general excise tax surcharge for rail permanent to fund future extensions to Waikīkī and the University of Hawaiʻi, explains the city's u…

Spotlight Now: Stewardship in Heʻeia from watershed to fishpond

Nonprofits and volunteers have spent decades restoring streams in Waipao, taro fields and wetlands, and the fishpond in Windward Oʻahu to manage water and grow food. Stewards of Heʻeia said the work connects the mountains to the sea and depends on community participation. In this episode, Rick Bar…

Spotlight Now: Tommy Waters on future; charter amendments explained (October 20, 2026)

Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters discusses the state Supreme Court decision that ruled him ineligible to run for another term, council leadership and a possible run for mayor. Then Charter Commission member Jacob Aki and HNN political analyst Colin Moore break down 20 charter amendments fac…

Spotlight Now: From gas to groceries, Hawaii families hit by rising costs

Hawaiʻi residents are facing rising costs on everything from gas to groceries. Hawaiʻi Foodbank CEO and President Amy Miller said more people are seeking food assistance — many for the first time — with demand now exceeding levels seen during the height of the pandemic. Economist Paul Brewbaker sa…

Maui mayor, state Sen. Awa join Spotlight Now ahead of general election (Oct. 6, 2026)

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen and state Sen. Brenton Awa joined Spotlight Now Tuesday ahead of the upcoming general election. Bissen is seeking a second term as Maui County mayor facing challenger Yuki Lei Sugimura, while Awa is challenging U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda for the 2nd Congressional District seat…

Spotlight Now (Sept. 29, 2026)

Today's episode of Spotlight Now focuses on the recovery efforts and tourism impacts left in the wake of several severe weather events this hurricane season. Gov. Josh Green sits down to address Hawaiʻi’s ongoing recovery efforts. In today’s Community Spotlight segment, Aloha United Way President a…

Spotlight Now (Sept. 22, 2026)

On this week’s episode of Spotlight Now, we examine Hawaii’s multifaceted homelessness crisis and dive into the use of state funding for these projects. Department of Human Services Acting Director Joe Campos joins today’s episode to break down the latest data on homelessness in Hawaii. HomeAid Haw…

Spotlight Now: Kauai mayoral candidates forum on storm recovery, housing crisis

In the wake of Hurricane Lowell’s devastating impact across the Garden Isle, the race to become Kauaʻi’s next mayor has taken on renewed urgency. Today’s special edition of Spotlight Now features a live candidate forum with the two contenders vying to lead Kauaʻi County: County Council Chair Mel R…

Is Hawaii too expensive? Spotlight Now looks at tourism trends, cooling Waikiki economy

Today’s episode of Spotlight Now looks at the current state of Hawaiʻi’s economy and tourism trends. Recent state data indicating more visitors came to the islands in July but stayed for fewer days. The figures show the state lost more than one million visitor days with growth concentrated on neig…

Spotlight Now: State leaders outline Hurricane Lala recovery efforts, land lease battles

In this episode of Spotlight Now, Gov. Josh Green and Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chair Kai Kahele join the program to detail the critical recovery efforts following Hurricane Lala and map out the state's long-term resilience. Gov. Green reports on the $81 million in damages concentrated on the Big…