Dozens of women from the Marshall Islands are traveling to the U.S. every year to adopt out their babies to U.S. families despite government efforts to crack down on this unique baby pipeline. We examine the people and practices that are continuing to perpetuate the problem.
University of Hawaii researchers tracked dozens of hungry tiger
sharks to a remote atoll in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine
National Monument this summer. Civil Beat photojournalist Alana
Eagle documents the expedition in this multimedia special report.
Experts agree it’s only a matter of time until Oahu gets hit by a hurricane or tsunami. We examine the island’s vulnerabilities and what steps are being taken to make it more resilient.
A Civil Beat Investigation: In Hawaii’s workers’ comp system, people with long-lasting injuries are often forced to battle doctors hand-picked by insurance companies to get treatment and disability payments.
The assessment says the commission fails to hold lessees accountable for delinquent loans, is not focusing enough on the thousands of Hawaiians who remain on the waiting list for plots and that rising loan obligations and delinquencies pose a solvency risk.
According to the audit:
The commission has not fulfilled its fiduciary responsibilities to prudently mitigate overall loan risk and impartially administer the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act (HHCA) on behalf of all beneficiaries, having instead favored one class of beneficiaries— lessees—over those on a growing waitlist for leases and an unknown number of people who have yet to apply. As of June 30, 2011, there were about 9,200 beneficiary leases and nearly 26,200 applicants seeking leases.
Legislature Has A Chance To Encourage Retirement Savings