Civil Beat Staff
Caitlin Thompson
Caitlin Thompson is an investigative reporter and audio journalist who has reported internationally and across the U.S. Most recently, she was on the investigations team at NPR in Washington, D.C. where her reporting on a real estate company offering sale-leaseback deals to cash-strapped homeowners sparked a Senate investigation. As a Global Reporting Centre Investigative Fellow, she reported on the child welfare agency in New Mexico.
Caitlin Thompson/Civil Beat/2026
Honolulu Police Shoot Teen In Stolen Vehicle
Interim Chief Rade Vanic said a police officer was injured in the incident, but did not provide details on the extent of the officer’s injuries.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026
Hawaiʻi Storms: Otake Camp Evacuation Ordered Again
Honolulu officials had planned to hold a press conference to provide updates on the storm Friday afternoon, but canceled it shortly after the evacuation order went out.
Craig Fujii/Civil Beat/2026
Hawaiʻi Storms: Governor Orders Oʻahu Shutdown Friday
Public schools, parks, libraries and most government offices on Oʻahu will close amid forecasts of heavy rain and strong winds.
California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation
Hawaiʻi Weighs Shorter Probation, Lighter Punishment For Drugs
A committee of stakeholders from across the criminal justice system is working to bring the state more in line with national trends on drug possession and probation.
Satellite image ©2026 Vantor
Neglected North Shore Plantation Waterways Fueled Damaging Floods
Sugar and pineapple acreage was sold off over the years, divided into hundreds of smaller plots for farming and housing. After the deluge, everyone is pointing fingers.
Sean Hower/Civil Beat/2026
Recent Rains Decrease Drought Across Hawaiʻi
As farmers recover from devastating floods and historic rainfall, drought-stricken areas are soaking in the moisture.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026
Flying Blind: Honolulu Officials Held Off On Evacuations As North Shore Flooded
By the time emergency management officials told people it was time to evacuate in Waialua and Haleʻiwa, some residents had already been swimming for their lives.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026
Mud, Mud And More Mud: Residents Of Oʻahu’s North Shore Start To Dig Out
Residents of Haleʻiwa and Waialua were allowed over the weekend to return to their neighborhoods, flooded in the second of two powerful Kona lows. The damage was sobering.
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026
For These Waialua Residents, No Easy Way To Get Home
In the wake of the flooding and a National Guard evacuation, this father-and-son duo had to improvise.