New Title IX law

State senators grill University of Hawaiʻi on salary funding details
University of Hawaiʻi officials Friday were unable to answer pointed questions from state senators about who should pay for what could be more than $14 million worth of “fringe” employee benefits for an estimated 1,076 UH salaried positions paid through tuitions rather than the state’s general fund. Honolulu  Star-Advertiser.

Cyber spies are quietly boosting Hawaiʻi’s high tech economy
Overgrown pineapple fields in central Oʻahu might seem an unlikely high-tech spot. But every day, around the clock, a huge team, including some of the nation’s top cyber experts, works there to decode messages from foreign communications systems — wireless phones, satellites, the internet — and create programs to sift through mountains of data for information signaling threats to U.S. national security. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi bankruptcies in 2019 hit highest level in 5 years
There were 1,666 bankruptcy cases for the year, up 11.8% from 1,490 in 2018 and the most since there were 1,702 in 2014, according to data released Thursday from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Hawaiʻi. Until the recent uptick, Hawaiʻi bankruptcies had fallen for seven years in a row. Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Pay hikes for special ed, Hawaiian language, rural school teachers start on Tuesday
The initiative gives special education teachers a $10,000 annual pay increase. Rural teachers would receive between $3,000 and $8,000 on a tiered system based on schools meeting certain criteria. Hawaiian immersion teachers would receive an additional $8,000 yearly. Hawaii Public Radio.

A $75,000 settlement is scaring Hawaiʻi charter schools
A recent legislative directive that forces state agencies to cover the costs of legal claims could have a big impact on charter schools. Civil Beat.

New law on reporting inmate deaths exposes alleged prison homicide
A new law that requires prison officials to report to the governor each time an inmate dies in custody has already revealed the case of a prisoner who died on Christmas morning after being assaulted at OCCC.  Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

TMT supporters rally at convention center
Supporters of the Thirty Meter Telescope waved signs and flags Sunday outside of the Hawai‘i Convention Center while a major astronomy conference was being held inside. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Big Island Video News.

Traffic in Hauʻula still impacted as crews make emergency repairs to crumbling roadway
A lane of Kamehameha Highway in Hauʻula remains closed Monday morning as crews make emergency shoreline repairs to the crumbling roadway. Some residents questioned why the state allowed the road’s condition to deteriorate to that extent. Hawaii News Now. Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Development firms to build affordable housing through state resolution
A development partnership is positioned to start building a low-income housing tower in Pāwaʻa later this year following a recent tentative endorsement by the state to finance the $89 million project. Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

New rules for tent installers impact vendors at Aloha Stadium Swap Meet
Vendors of the popular Aloha Stadium Swap Meet say they were caught off guard when trying to set up Saturday, leading to tensions over the market. A new rule that started on Jan. 1 prevented trucks from bringing in tents that are normally set up for vendors in advance. Hawaii News Now.