Some Republicans are pushing back on the Trump administration's anti-DEI assault on a contracting program that helps Native people, although Democratic U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz admits it might need reform given recent scandal in Hawaiʻi www.civilbeat.org/2026/02/it-i... @civilbeat.bsky.social

Hawaiʻi Democratic Rep. Ed Case doesn't agree with the Trump administration's anti-DEI rhetoric, but he says the SBA's 8(a) program is in need of better oversight citing reporting from @civilbeat.bsky.social and @propublica.org www.civilbeat.org/2026/01/hawa... .

Must-read story about the SBA 8(a) program: He Spent Funds Meant for Native Hawaiians on Polo and Porsches. The Federal Government Failed to Stop Him. @nickgrube.bsky.social @civilbeat.bsky.social

Republicans have seized upon a scandal involving a Native Hawaiian defense contractor to target a civil rights era program meant to help disadvantaged businesses compete in the federal marketplace. www.civilbeat.org/2025/12/frau... (A collab w/ @civilbeat.bsky.social & @propublica.org)

At a congressional hearing in 2019, Linda McMahon, then head of ⁦‪⁦‪@SBAgov‬⁩, lavished praise on a Native Hawaiian defense contractor as a shining example of a federal program designed to uplift Indigenous people. But there’s a lot more to the story. 👇 @nickgrube.bsky.social @civilbeat.bsky.social

Chris Dawson built an empire off a program that gave him massive no-bid contracts in exchange for the promise of uplifting Native Hawaiians. He’s now accused of cheating it to line his own pockets. Check out my latest with @propublica.org and @civilbeat.bsky.social www.civilbeat.org/2025/12/hawa...

A must-read story about the SBA’s failure to oversee a no-bid program for Native businesses and the grift that followed. He Spent Funds Meant for Native Hawaiians on Polo and Porsches. The Federal Government Failed to Stop Him. by @nickgrube.bsky.social @civilbeat.bsky.social

Trump has indefinitely withdrawn federal funding for: • Investigating child sexual abuse and internet crimes against kids; • Responding to reports of missing children; • Preventing youth violence New, @propublica.org

Exclusive: The Merit Systems Protection Board is one of the only avenues for fired federal workers to challenge dismissals. I spoke with Raymond Limon, the former MSPB vice chair who retired on Friday, about the "unprecedented" moment we're in. www.scrippsnews.com/... 1/10

During Trump's first administration, the Western states were the hotspot for fighting his policies in court. This time, it's shaping up to be New England, even though its one of the smallest circuits. Here's why: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/02/24/n...

Behind the scenes of the state Supreme Court race, a 'turf war' simmers between Wisconsin GOP and Turning Point "There’s a war. It’s a quiet war. Nobody’s really paying attention to the war. But there’s a war going on." www.jsonline.com/story/news/p...

New: 46 Senate Republicans led by John Thune have proposed to eliminate the estate tax. Elon Musk's heirs would benefit more than any other, as he's worth ~$400 billion. A 40% tax on that would be close to $160 billion, though there is a whole industry devoted to helping the rich bypass the tax.

I spoke with former VA IG Mike Missal after he was fired by Trump a week ago along with the IGs at 17 other agencies. The dis-Missal (sorry) came after he led investigations that ID'd $37.6 billion in savings and exposed patient harm related to the new EHR, likely averting more harm to veterans.

This thing lives in my house

A lot has been said about the fringe religious sect that's a through line of Tulsi Gabbard's personal and political life. But the only person to bring it up during her confirmation hearing was ... Tulsi Gabbard. www.civilbeat.org/2025/01/tuls... @civilbeat.bsky.social

"Edward Snowden broke the law." Tulsi Gabbard has repeated this statement no less than seven times during her DNI confirmation hearing today, but that hasn't been enough for lawmakers here who say they want her to call him a traitor. (Fun fact: Both former Hawaii residents.)

The Science of Identity Foundation that Tulsi Gabbard grew up in isn't just a fringe religious sect (or cult, as former members say). It also has deep connections to shady business dealings that she apparently tried to hide, per the @wsj.com www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, whose late father was an outspoken critic of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, just took to the Senate floor to condemn the nomination of RFK Jr., who, he said, wants to turn Americans into "lab rats."

"I really consider this the most dangerous nomination that President Trump has made." A pretty damning assessment from U.S. Rep. Ed Case about his former colleague, Tulsi Gabbard, being nominated for director of national intelligence. www.hawaiinewsnow.com/video/2025/0... @HawaiiNewsNow

I've been covering Tulsi Gabbard since she was on the Honolulu City Council so I know all too well the challenge of trying to understand her constant shapeshifting while balancing that against her ties to the cult-like Science of Identity Foundation. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/u... @nytimes.com

Before he kept the company of Trump, populist podcast personalities, and fringe conspiracy theorists, RFK Jr. was a true Democratic insider. Now those former allies will be his most aggressive interrogators. Story by @sambrodey.bsky.social www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/27/n...

Lots of interesting findings here about the scramble to cover up potentially damaging details of Gabbard's trip to Syria www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio... @washingtonpost.com

Beloved Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker has died www.jsonline.com/story/sports... ‬⁩

the internet is so sick. can’t we just go back to reading books

More people needed specialized care for burns from a deadly fireworks blast than from the 2023 Maui wildfires. www.civilbeat.org/2025/01/too-... @civilbeat.bsky.social Byline: Brittany Lyte

Hawaii officials know they have an illegal fireworks problem. They even set up a task force to help, but despite it seizing more than 100 tons of explosives over the past 1.5 years no one has been charged with a crime. www.civilbeat.org/2025/01/will... @civilbeat.bsky.social

My colleague Daniel @americalabs.org sheds light on what has happened to open government nonprofits in the U.S.A. over the past decade — which has been my sector of work. It’s been a hard era, at the worst time. www.thebulwark.com/p/open-gover... I hope funders read this, & act.

NEW: Maine Public Housing Tenants Face Eviction at High Rates. A New Program to Keep Renters Housed Excludes Them. For those who are evicted from public housing in Maine, experts say the consequence “is almost certainly homelessness.” w/ @bangordailynews.bsky.social

"We cannot be neutral about this, by definition. A free press that doesn’t agitate for democracy is an oxymoron," @glichfield.bsky.social writes.

New from me: As his campaign was floundering this summer, RFK Jr. quietly inked a fundraising deal with Libertarians. The unusual arrangement ended up being a windfall for his campaign -- and Trump's www.bostonglobe.com/2024/12/11/n...

Should senators ask Tulsi Gabbard about her "deep and intense" ties to a secretive sect in Hawaii that former members describe as a cult? Experts we interviewed say yes. www.civilbeat.org/2024/12/sena...

A former disciple of a cult-like group in Hawaii is sounding alarm bells over Tulsi Gabbard's nomination for director of national intelligence. “Everybody is thinking her allegiance is to Trump, but in reality her allegiance was already given away to her guru.” www.civilbeat.org/2024/12/sena...

I don’t think Civil Beat is on Bluesky yet, but here’s a local Hawaii write up on Luigi Mangioni, suspected of being the CEO shooter. His Hawai`i friends are shocked by the news. www.civilbeat.org/2024/12/luig...

Some of us at Honolulu Civil Beat, myself included, have been covering Tulsi Gabbard for years, well before she stepped into the national spotlight. As noted here, it's been a long, strange journey www.civilbeat.org/2024/12/tuls...

Our latest investigation with @propublica.org found that FEMA sidestepped its own policies when setting up a housing program for Maui wildfire survivors. As a result, some people were pushed out of their homes by landlords seeking higher rents. www.civilbeat.org/2024/11/maui...

A FEMA program set out to house survivors of Maui’s 2023 wildfires in short-term rentals. But with no guardrails in place, some landlords kicked out long-term residents and made more money housing survivors, exacerbating an ongoing housing crisis. By @nickgrube.bsky.social propub.li/4eKluuc

Why hello there