Hawaii

Tennessee voters will weigh two criminal justice amendments in the November midterm election. Amendment 1 would expand judges' authority to deny bail beyond capital murder to include crimes such as second-degree murder, child rape, terrorism, and aggravated torture, requiring judges to record their reasoning. Supporters cite public safety; opponents say it undermines the presumption of innocence. About 22 states already allow broader bail denial, while 10 jurisdictions, including New York and Georgia, do not guarantee a constitutional right to bail.

Amendment 3, a version of Marsy's Law, would add victims' rights protections, including notification, participation in proceedings, and restitution, while preserving due process. Early voting is underway ahead of the November 3 election.

Illinois homeowners regularly raise the idea of scrapping property taxes, which fund schools, police, fire departments, and local governments statewide. Eliminating them is theoretically possible but would require replacing tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue. No large U.S. state has fully eliminated property taxes; states like Texas, Florida, and Hawaii that limit or forgo other taxes still lean on property taxes or alternative revenue like sales and tourism taxes. Education funding is the biggest obstacle, since schools depend heavily on local property tax dollars. Options to offset elimination include raising income or sales taxes, new statewide levies, or shifting school funding to the state—each with political tradeoffs. No major reform proposal has gained traction so far.

Maui-based Alpha Inc. has been selected as contractor for a major restoration of East Hawaii Veterans Cemetery No. 2 in Hilo. The project will raise and realign nearly 4,500 grave markers, add burial section markers and watering stations, and carry out grading and soil and turf rehabilitation across 5.5 acres on Laimana Street.

The work is funded by a federal grant of up to roughly $6.1 million awarded in late September by the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Cemetery Administration, with the state Department of Defense's Engineering Office overseeing construction. Work is slated to begin in early January and take about three and a half years to complete. The county Parks and Recreation Department, which handles day-to-day upkeep, welcomed the collaboration.

The restoration follows a 2021 VA Inspector General audit that found longstanding deficiencies at the cemetery, including improperly installed flat markers and grave sites left unmarked for years due to the county lacking funding and staffing to meet federal standards.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has rejected Illinois' request for a major disaster declaration following severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes that struck the state in August. FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton said federal assistance was "not warranted," affecting Champaign, Cook, Ford, Fulton, McLean, Tazewell, Vermilion and Will counties. Gov. JB Pritzker's office says the state will appeal, citing extensive damage to homes, infrastructure and widespread power outages. Pritzker accused Trump of playing politics with disaster relief, a charge echoed by Illinois Democrats including Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Robin Kelly, while Republican Rep. Darin LaHood also urged approval of the declaration.

The denial follows renewed attacks by Trump on Chicago over crime and comes amid separate reporting that Trump approved disaster aid for Ohio ahead of a campaign rally while leaving other states' requests pending. Trump has also approved aid for Hawaii and New Hampshire, complicating claims of a partisan pattern. The White House denies any political motive behind its disaster aid decisions.

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. v. Board of County Commissioners of Boulder County, a case testing whether local governments can use state tort law to seek damages from energy companies for climate-related harms tied to global carbon emissions. Boulder County filed its suit in Colorado state court in 2018, arguing that fossil fuel producers should pay damages for local impacts of climate change. It is one of dozens of similar suits filed by cities, counties, and states nationwide, including a $51.5 billion claim from Multnomah County, Oregon.

Critics argue these suits are an attempt to achieve carbon-tax-like outcomes through litigation rather than legislation, and that allowing them to proceed would let a single jurisdiction effectively dictate energy policy nationwide, raising energy costs for consumers. Supporters of the litigation maintain they seek only monetary damages, not regulatory changes. The Court's ruling could determine whether similar climate liability suits against the energy industry continue across the country, with major implications for energy markets and producers.

The Hawaii National Guard is managing overlapping recovery operations after a string of storms battered the islands since August, the fourth being Hurricane Nolo, which struck Sept. 26-27. During Nolo, high-water vehicle teams carried out five rescue missions and assisted 19 civilians. The Guard is drawing on roughly 5,500 personnel in a rotational structure to support county and state partners across multiple islands simultaneously.

On Hawaii Island, Task Force Hawaii continues cleanup after Hurricane Lala dumped an estimated 1.3 trillion gallons of water in mid-August, including 421 wellness checks in remote areas and sensitive debris removal and recovery work at a flood- and landslide-damaged cemetery. A partnership with Pacific Air Forces, dubbed Operation Trek 808, airlifted electrical restoration equipment from California. On Kauai, Task Force Kauai remains active following Hurricane Lowell's early September landfall, having helped reopen Lihue Airport, conducted aerial damage assessments, and distributed food and water with the Hawaii Foodbank amid supply shortages.

Most of the U.S. will turn clocks back an hour on Nov. 1, reverting to standard time, as the long-running debate over ending the twice-yearly time change remains unresolved at the federal level. South Carolina is among 19 states that have passed legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, but state law cannot take effect without congressional action, since federal rules currently bar states from unilaterally adopting year-round DST (states may only opt out to observe permanent standard time, as Arizona and Hawaii do).

The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, which would make DST permanent nationwide, passed the House in July but remains stalled in the Senate, with lawmakers away for a monthlong break starting Oct. 5. A separate South Carolina bill seeking a federal waiver has stalled in committee since 2025. Polling cited by the Post and Courier found South Carolinians split, with more residents preferring permanent standard time than permanent DST.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed Assembly Bill 2164, which would have barred California governors from honoring extradition requests from states seeking to prosecute people for performing or assisting with abortions or gender transition procedures banned elsewhere. The bill passed the Democratic-controlled Legislature largely along party lines. Newsom said he supports the underlying goal but objected to the Legislature binding a future governor's executive authority over extradition, calling it "an entirely executive function" that should remain discretionary.

California is among roughly 20 states with shield laws protecting abortion or gender-affirming care providers. Reproductive Freedom for All criticized the veto, warning that a potential win by Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton could leave providers vulnerable, though polling shows Democrat Xavier Becerra with a substantial lead in the race. Newsom, seen as a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender and currently polling second behind Kamala Harris in early primary surveys, touted his broader record on reproductive rights protections despite the veto.