Square Kady Pascual Headshot RGZ5762

Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Eating straight from the tree hits different.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Chardonnay.Music

<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Fruitful tree</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @Chardonnay.Music, with a tasty snack she found in her backyard.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Fruitful tree

Eating straight from the tree hits different.  Make sure you follow @Chardonnay.Music on Instagram! For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Government & Politics

As of Saturday, Nov. 8, there have been 16 votes in the U.S. Senate on ending the federal shutdown that began Oct. 1.

Most of these votes have been to approve 

, "a bill making continuing appropriations and extensions for fiscal year 2026, and for other purposes."

House Bill 5371 is described as a "clean resolution," which authorizes current spending from the federal budget as-is, with no other additions or subtractions.

There have been other bills related to the shutdown, notably Democrat-authored 

, which is not a simple authorization to continue spending as-is, but which adds major budget items to the federal ledger as a condition for reopening the government. These add-ons include such things as making permanent Affordable Care Act tax subsidies that had been temporary and undoing portions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

Republicans defeated S.B. 2882, leaving 5371 as the only remaining path to ending the shutdown.

Democrats have consistently voted against the "clean resolution" in sufficient numbers to keep it from passing. Sixty votes are needed in the Senate to pass it.

Here's how U.S. senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz voted for each of these two bills to end the shutdown:

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Senators

<title>Congress Watch: All the times Hawai‘i's senators have voted on reopening government</title>

Here are each of the 12 times senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz have voted against reopening government under a "clean resolution" so far, as well as their votes for the Democrat-preferred alternative.

Congress Watch: All the times Hawai‘i's senators have voted on reopening government

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

Ward Village — Howard Hughes' 60-acre master-planned community located between Downtown Honolulu and Waikīkī —

 broke ground Wednesday on its 11th residential tower, The Launiu Ward Village.

You’ll find The Launiu on the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Ward Avenue, marking the makai entry into the neighborhood. In an announcement Wednesday, the developer said the project will add to the community another 486 one-, two- and three-bedroom homes; more ground-floor retail and restaurant spots; and 21,000 square feet of public open space.

To commemorate Wednesday’s groundbreaking, Ward Village and its construction partner, Swinerton, donated a combined $40,000 to two local nonprofits: Laukahi Network and Downtown Arts Center

“The Launiu at Ward Village marks a significant milestone in the continued evolution of our master-planned community,” Doug Johnstone, president of the Hawai‘i Region and National Condominium Development for Howard Hughes Communities, said in the announcement. “This groundbreaking reflects the momentum of our vision and our commitment to delivering design-forward, quality homes that integrate the character and lifestyle of Hawai‘i.”

The Launiu was designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica, with interiors by San Francisco-based ODADA and landscaping by San Rafael, California-based VITA, Inc. It was inspired by “the historic coconut groves of the Ward family estate,” the announcement reads. “Its slender, mid-century coastal profile is oriented toward Diamond Head and Honolulu’s coastline, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, Juliet balconies and open layouts that capture expansive views and abundant natural light.

In addition to retail and dining, the street level also will have landscaped sidewalks, pedestrian and bike paths that connect to 

, which opened in September, and the adjacent Ulana Ward Village, the announcement notes.

A Ward Village spokesperson told Aloha State Daily via email that construction on The Launiu is expected be finished in 2028.

According to the developer, 324 units, or about 67% of the residences, were under contract as of June 30.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The story so far …"}]

Ward Village has sold out its first seven mixed-use residential towers: Waiea, Anaha, Ae‘o, Ke Kilohana, ‘A‘ali‘i, Kō‘ula and Victoria Place.

In addition to The Launiu, new residential buildings under construction or in development at Ward Village include Ulana Ward Village, The Park Ward Village, Kalae, Melia Ward Village, and ‘Ilima Ward Village, which is being developed in partnership with Discovery Land Co.

The Ward Village spokesperson told ASD that residents are set to move into Ulana Ward Village, which will have 697 workforce units, in November. Construction began in 

According to the spokesperson, The Park Ward Village is scheduled to be finished next year. This development is located adjacent to Victoria Ward Park and will add another 546 new homes to the neighborhood.

, located between residential towers Victoria Place, which 

, and is bordered by Auahi Street on one side and Ala Moana Boulevard on the other.

Kalae is expected to welcome residents in 2028, adding another 330 new homes, creating more green space along Ala Moana Boulevard and bringing new ground-floor retail spaces and public art to the neighborhood, the spokesperson noted.

Meanwhile, a construction timeline for Melia Ward Village, and ‘Ilima Ward Village — which are planned for the block where Ward Centre is currently located — has not been finalized, the spokesperson says.

The 33-story ‘Ilima Ward Village will have 148 homes while Melia Ward Village, its 35-story companion, will offer 221 residences

“The two buildings will be connected by a native botanical garden pathway linking the restored IBM Building to Ka Lei Park, a 1-acre public space with walkways and native planting

A $17.8 million elevated walkway connecting Victoria Ward Park Makai to Ala Moana Beach Park and Kewalo Basin 

01 The Launiu Groundbreaking courtesy of Ward Village

<title>Ward Village breaks ground on 11th residential tower</title>

Located at the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Ward Avenue, The Launiu Ward Village will provide 486 homes, more retail and 21,000 square feet of public open space.

Ward Village breaks ground on 11th residential tower

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Access to health care, especially in rural Isle communities, coupled with 

 and rising costs are some of the ongoing challenges the state and its partners in the sector have been up against for a while.  

Recently, there have been wins for Hawaiʻi physicians including a new law beginning January 2026 that will exempt reimbursable medical services and goods provided at hospitals, clinics, pharmacies dental offices and more, from the state’s General Excise Tax (

). Bills in the 2025 legislative session focused on continued funding for educational training programs at local universities and DOE schools (

) and a health care education loan repayment program (

Policy Director Malia Hill recently addressed lawmakers in a research paper called “

Why Hawai‘i lawmakers should adopt interstate telehealth

She cited the most recent report by the Hawaiʻi Physician Workforce Assessment Project; “the statewide shortage of 543 full-time equivalent physicians is actually closer to 768 after factoring in geographic limitations and the lack of specialty care on Neighbor Islands.”

“The ideal solution would be to recruit more doctors to live and work in Hawai

i,” Hill wrote. “However, it would be foolish to ignore the ways in which telehealth expansion could mitigate some of Hawai

i's problems related to lack of access and doctor shortages — without compromising patient safety.”

In the report, she recommended three policy options to improve health care access and outcomes in the state: establish a registration program for new, out-of-state providers with agreed upon terms; offer temporary or special licenses under specific circumstances; and enter into reciprocity agreements with participating states.

Hill told Aloha State Daily that during the Covid-19 pandemic, telehealth technology “became workable” and state leaders across the country “took down the barriers to cross-border telehealth, demonstrating how helpful it can be to people with more specialized conditions or those in rural areas – and you can get good outcomes, just as much as you would in-person care, in some cases.”

“Telehealth shouldn’t be the only choice, but it is an option” she said.

i medical license through the compact will be able to engage in telehealth services with Hawai

i patients,” Hill wrote. “However, Hawai

i’s in-state licensure requirement for telehealth will continue to limit the use and scope of telehealth.”

“I get asked why these restrictions even exist and I have to say, well, you know 

 is older than telehealth," she told ASD. "If 50 years ago you could get good health care via a fax machine, you could see why people would have doubts about that. Times have changed. Technology and its offerings have changed, and I think people have to realize this technology is a really viable option.”

Telehealth reform nationwide is continuing to evolve, she said, noting that 27 states have some kind of exemptions to in-state licensing. She lists Florida’s telehealth registration model as an example for Hawai’i.

Lawmakers concerned about public safety issues related to out-of-state telehealth might find it comforting that a registration model allows oversight of participating providers and protections for patients,” she wrote.

When asked about other solutions to Hawaiʻi’s health care worker crisis, Hill said, “There’s no on answer to the workforce shortage, that’s why we’re in favor of the compact, and there are more medical compacts that we could join. I think these compacts are a good approach to addressing our physician and medical staffing shortages."

She listed additional challenges for doctors here, such as the high taxation, cost of living and housing, and the difficulty of starting a business here in the state.

“The broadest, sweeping change would be for Hawaiʻi to just say, ʻSo long as you have a good license in the U.S., in any state, practice telehealth here.’ I don’t present that as an option because that is politically speaking, unrealistic.”   

“I think if you read the paper in full, you’ll see that I am not advocating for anything that would endanger people. I’m advocating for more options,” Hill said. “The ideal situation is if we get a bunch of incredibly talented doctors to move to Hawaiʻi, but you have to work in the reality, not the ideal. We need to find practical ways to address the problems.”

commenting on the access of specialty health care across the Islands. “If we had cross-border telehealth, it would be that much easier for a cancer patient to get help from a specialist at Harvard or UCLA,” Hill said.   

Telehealth encompasses more than just opening a computer and visiting with a doctor online, she added. “There’s things like remote monitoring and even something as simple as scans getting sent from place to place. ... It has a lot of potential, we just need to continue educating people.”

Bradley Kuo, a board certified family nurse practitioner and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, founded 

 in 2017 and serves as its president and CEO. 

Since January, the company has offered its partial hospitalization program and intensive outpatient program for “adults who require intensive care but do not need 24-hour supervision,” the website notes.

He replied to the Grassroot Institute's paper on 

"Telehealth is important. But Hawai‘i’s future doesn’t lie in deregulation for convenience. It lies in thoughtful reform, strong oversight and growing a health care workforce that knows us, sees us, and stays with us," he wrote. "Let’s not outsource care. Let’s build it here."

started in response to health care worker shortages on the Neighbor Islands. “I used to work at Queen’s and when it was time to discharge folks, we had a really hard time finding mental health providers. So, we started a telehealth company. It grew most significantly during Covid. We had about six part time staff members to now over 30 employees.”

As a telehealth provider, he emphasized, “I am supportive of telehealth. But it is my strong belief that these individuals need to be fully licensed in the state of Hawai

i, whereas this paper is not advocating for them. It

’s a weakening of checks and balances that make sure providers are practicing appropriately and taking good care of our residents.”

“My company – myself and the providers – are all very well established here in the state,” he said, noting that’s what allowed Wellness Partners Hawaiʻi to mobilize during the 2023 Lahaina wildfires. “If we did what the Grassroot Institute suggests, would we have the providers to be able to jump into a disaster like this or would we already be at a deficit because our [health care] infrastructure has been weakened?”

“This idea of having telehealth providers who are not directly licensed with our state means that they could potentially erode the infrastructure of providers that we already have,” Kuo continued, “There’s the possibility of providers, working within the state of Hawaiʻi, who are not going to be vetted by their colleagues and the folks on the [various] boards, and they would be able to practice in the state via telehealth with very limited oversight. That’s a major concern.”

When asked about other solutions, he said, making health care tax exempt is one. “Health care is a right, in my opinion. And so, when we tax it like a business, that

’s problematic. That now makes it more difficult for providers to establish themselves and maintain their presence here in the state.”

“I am interested in finding solutions, but I think that the solutions we develop need to be grounded in our communities, not something that is being pulled from the Mainland because we really need to rely on our health care infrastructure.”

I Stock 1225416472

<title>Hawai‘i experts disagree on interstate telehealth to solve doctor shortage — here's why</title>

In this deep dive, Aloha State Daily spoke with Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi Policy Director Malia Hill and Wellness Partners Hawaiʻi President and CEO Bradley Kuo on the issue of permitting out-of-state physicians to treat local patients.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Fruitful tree

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Starbucks holiday launch draws crowds for limited-edition cups

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Dreams do come true

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Going big

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Take a trip

Most read

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Fruitful tree

Authors

Kady Pascual

Social Media Editor

More in Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

Starbucks holiday launch draws crowds for limited-edition cups

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Dreams do come true

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Going big

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Take a trip

Most read