The State of Hawai’i said goodbye today to Congressman K. Mark Takai who passed away at age 49 last month from Pancreatic Cancer. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.
Wayne Yoshioka is an award-winning journalist who has worked in television, print and radio in Hawaiʻi. He also has been on both sides of politics as a state departmental appointee and political/government reporter. He covered Hurricane Iwa (1982) as a TV reporter; was the State Department of Defense/Civil Defense spokesperson for Hurricane Iniki (1992); and, commanded a public affairs detachment in Afghanistan (2006). He has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is a decorated combat veteran (Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 22 other commendation/service medals). He resides in Honolulu.
University of Hawaiʻi administrators hope to learn more this week about how deep budget cuts will be as a result of a U.S. Department of Education decision to reduce funds for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian programs. Chad Walton, interim vice president of research and innovation at the University of Hawaiʻi, spoke to The Conversation.
The Trump presidency has been marked by its willingness to break long-standing democratic norms. That can hurt one of Hawaiʻi's economic drivers — tourism.