Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we've been following today:
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Breezy trade winds and showers continue through tonight. Trades will weaken into early next week, with clouds and showers favoring windward and mauka areas. It will be wetter than normal through Tuesday.
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Today's Big Stories
1. Hirono, colleagues urge reinstatement of cryptocurrency prosecution team
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and five Democratic colleagues are calling on U.S. deputy attorney general Todd Blanche to reverse recent decisions that have effectively done away with the Department of Justice’s investigation and prosecution of cryptocurrency-related crimes.
On Monday, DOJ ordered the disbanding the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, which focused on cryptocurrency crimes, as part of the broader initiative to no longer pursue crypto cases that involve banking and securities law.
The Associated Press quoted a memo from Blanche to DOJ prosecutors in which Blanche stated, “The Department of Justice is not a digital assets regulator.”
In the memo, Blanche also criticized the Biden administration for using DOJ to “pursue a reckless strategy of regulation by prosecution,” AP reported.
The DOJ’s moves mean it will no longer enforce federal laws that apply to entities that handle so-called mixing and tumbling services. Such services — sometimes used by drug traffickers, child pornographers or even rogue nations like North Korea — involve mixing identifiable cryptocurrency with others to make it harder to trace.
In a letter to Blanche, the senators equated the DOJ’s actions to giving “a free pass to cryptocurrency money launderers.”
The senators further suggested that the real reason the department was giving up on investigating and prosecuting cryptocurrency crimes was President Donald Trump’s supposed interest in selling his cryptocurrency assets.
2. Public invited to provide input for Hawaii’s wildlife action plan
Hawaii officials are inviting the community to provide input on the state’s wildlife action plan during two virtual meetings at the end of April.
According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the review process for the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan is an opportunity for residents, conservation partners and other stakeholders to share their views on conservation priorities for Hawaii.
During the two virtual meetings, officials will share with the public an overview of the SWAP process, highlight key updates for 2025, and provide space for public questions and feedback.
Meeting details:
- Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2025
- Two times: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Join Zoom Meeting: https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/83526168265
- Meeting ID: 835 2616 8265
- Passcode: 864652
3. Registration for After-School Plus program opens April 14
With online and in-person registration for the After-School Plus program opening 4 p.m. Monday, April 14, the Hawaii State Department of Education and A+ program providers statewide encourage families to prepare for the upcoming 2025 to 2026 school year.
A+ programs provide safe and supervised after-school care for public elementary school students in grades K-6 whose parents or guardians are working, attending school or participating in job training programs during after-school hours.
To register for the program, families must submit proof of eligibility for both parents or legal guardians regardless of marital status.
Parents can register online at the HIDOE A+ website or via the A+ provider’s website — YMCA of Honolulu, Kamaʻāina Kids, Dream Co.
4. Honolulu Civil Beat: Hawaiʻi Rep. Ed Case angers Democrats over ‘Proof Of Citizenship’ vote
A Hawaiʻi congressman was one of four Democrats to cross party lines Thursday and vote with Republicans to pass a controversial measure that would require people to show proof of citizenship before they could register to vote.
U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a moderate Hawaiʻi Democrat, said in an email that people who aren’t citizens shouldn’t vote and the legislation helps ensure that. He thinks concerns that it will lead to significant voter suppression are overblown.
The vote to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act, was 220-208.
Case’s decision to vote in favor of a measure that was strongly denounced by Democrats — even Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez has already joined a lawsuit opposing a similar Trump administration executive order — angered Democrats, including in Hawaiʻi.
Lisa Gibson, the group leader for the progressive pro-democracy organization Indivisible Hawaiʻi, said she’s been getting calls and emails all day from her members.
Indivisible Hawaiʻi is leading a campaign to have people contact Case’s office via email or telephone to, as an email pitch said Thursday, “give him a piece of your mind!”
Nestor Garcia, Case’s spokesperson, confirmed that the congressman has indeed been getting lots of complaints to his office.
Garcia said the congressman was traveling and could not be reached to talk about his vote.
Federal law already states that it is illegal for non-U.S. citizens to register to vote or cast a ballot in federal elections.
According to the Brennan Center, about 146 million people do not have a passport and 13 million U.S. citizens do not have ready access to citizenship documents.
5. Hawaii water polo team secures top Big West seed with win at UC San Diego
The No. 3 Hawaii water polo team claimed a Big West regular-season championship for the sixth time in seven conference seasons with a 12-7 win over No. 11 UC San Diego in La Jolla, Calif., on Thursday night.
UH (17-3, 6-0) clinched the No. 1 seed for the upcoming Big West tournament at UC Irvine April 25 to 27. The Rainbow Wahine, who have won eight in a row own a share of the regular-season title and can win it outright at Cal State Fullerton on Sunday.
Sisters Bernadette and Gabrielle Doyle scored two goals apiece, Stevilyn Griffin scored a brace and goalkeeper Daisy Logtens recorded a season-high 15 saves.
The Wahine break from the Big West to face No. 4 UCLA at the Spieker Aquatics Complex in Los Angeles on Saturday. The Wahine are 1-0 against the Bruins this season with an 8-5 win at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational on Feb. 23.
6. AGs warn voice service providers of possible robocall violations
The Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, a coalition of 51 attorneys general that includes Hawaii AG Anne Lopez, put nine voice service providers on notice for routing allegedly unlawful robocalls across their networks.
“These telecommunications companies continue to transmit suspected illegal robocall traffic, despite task force demands to identify, investigate and mitigate suspicious, high-volume robocalls across their networks,” Lopez said in a statement released on Thursday. “Many robocall scammers trick people into giving up personal information or into paying them money and it’s time for these telecommunications companies to stop transmitting illegal robocalls and become part of the solution.”
Warning letters detailing the task force’s investigation and analysis of each provider’s suspicious robocall traffic were sent to the following companies: Global Net Holdings, All Access Telecom, Lingo Telecom, NGL Communications, Range, RSCom Ltd., Telcast Network, ThinQ Technologies (Commio) and Telcentris (Voxox).
The task force shared information about the potential violations with the Federal Communications Commission and other law-enforcement partners.
Your Notes for the Weekend
Saturday, April 12
- Chinese 125% tariff on U.S. imports comes into effect
- U.S. and Iran hold talks in Oman on Iran's nuclear program
- Passover – a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt begins this evening and runs through Sunday
- The Masters golf at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia - the first major of the year - continues with the third and penultimate round
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Frozen Four championship game
- Billie Jean King Cup women's tennis qualifiers continue, including U.S. vs. Denmark
- Record Store Day, 18th annual international celebration of independent record stores, featuring in-store shows and exclusive releases from artists
Sunday, April 13
- Palm Sunday, marking the Biblical account of the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the fulfillment of Old Testament scriptures about the Messiah. Marks the start of Holy Week, in the runup to Easter Sunday
- The Masters golf reaches climax on final day
- Final day of NBA regular season
- Billie Jean King Cup women's tennis qualifiers conclude, including Slovakia vs. U.S.
Monday, April 14
- 5th anniversary of President Trump halting U.S. funding to WHO
- Trial in FTC case seeking to unwind Meta-Instagram merger
- Congress breaks for recess
- OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report
- Mission: Blue Origin’s NS-31 mission, an all-female crew launches today.
- Katy Perry will be on the suborbital spaceflight, as will Gayle King and Aisha Bowe
- Lasts approximately 11 minutes, from liftoff to capsule touchdown
In Case You Missed It
April is Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawaii
Statewide emergency management agencies remind residents and visitors that April is Tsunami Awareness Month, providing an opportunity to prepare, protect properties and plan for the safety of loved ones if a tsunami should reach the Hawaiian Islands.
April was designated Tsunami Awareness Month to remember the April 1, 1946, tsunami triggered by a powerful earthquake off the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The tsunami reached the Hawaiian Islands in just 4.5 hours claiming 159 lives — in Hilo alone, 96 people died — injured 163 people, demolished 488 buildings and damaged 936 others. Waves from the tsunami reached heights of 33 to 54 feet across the state, causing over $340 million in damages.
Click on the link above for information on each county's tsunami awareness resources.
