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Today, the Hawaii State Senate has unanimously approved the launch of a specialised task force to explore the use and regulation of the crypto ecosystem through bill SB2695. The bill was co-signed by Sens. Donovan Dela Cruz and Rosalyn “Roz” Baker. Hawaii's bill seeks to determine how the state could regulate, oversee, and potentially use blockchain and cryptocurrencies. The task force is to study data from other states and develop "a plan to expand blockchain adoption in both the private and public sectors," among other things. The task force will be comprised of government officials and members of the Web3 space, plus professors from the University of Hawaii that specialise in digital currency. The task force will be dissolved after reporting its findings before the 2024 legislative session commences. https://decrypt.co/99372/hawaii-becomes-latest-state-to-approve-crypto-taskforce

After noting the Chinese and Russians are excellent allies and have engaged in several military drills together of late, Japanese State Defense Minister Yasuhide Nakayama, in a press interview, had this to say, “[Russian naval forces] are really exercising just right in front of the western part of Honolulu, and so I don’t want to remind the [sic] seventy years ago, but we have to be careful of the exercising of the Russians.” Russian ships just practiced sinking an aircraft carrier roughly 35 miles off of Honolulu’s coast Russia and China are engaging in a large number of military drills together

From Hawaii we say A big HI to the worldwide association of brothers and sisters!View the full article

Total homes destroyed by new criteria: 235. Improvements to map display and techniques used in assessing 'homes lost' have been made. Home status in this map now relies on the use of Hawaii County, Real Property Tax Department's publicly released information. The information from the County is used to locate, address, and account for homes lost. This allows for more accurate way to distinguish between a 'home' and a 'structure'. Each home now lists it's associated address. Addresses are determined to be 'lost' via on the ground reporting, aerial comparisons, USGS lava flow surveys, and disclosures by home owners. Homes that have been damaged by cracks, SO2, and even properties totally surrounded by lava were not counted. Also, since this change in methodology relies on tax records many un-permitted homes, and Ohana homes on the same parcel as a primary home, have been excluded. If there are in errors seen in locations of homes marked (not just the slightly off placement of dots) or something that is missed please post in the comments. My condolences to all homeowners who have lost their homes and displaced families. This is a hard time for everyone involved. Mahalo to Jen Naylor Sexton for assisting in the map parcel examination and compiling a list of addresses. Heath Dalton for his accurate and robust information on status of specific homes. Ryan Finlay for his many, many contributions. And all residents that have contributed in this hard time by providing information about the homes and neighborhoods in which they lived. Also, a Mahalo to Kris Burmeister and Andrew Hara for their reporting back of addresses as homes are lost. Â

Devastating Hawaii! Pray for Hawaii! Volcano ?. Tap on Video Link mp4 __________ ???? . #Repost @miguelsaravia89 B93B54E8-ABC2-4EA4-B5A8-B923F0AE979A.MP4

Massive New Fissures Open On Hawaiian Volcano, Prompting More Evacuations Some 37 buildings have been destroyed and nearly 2,000 people ordered to evacuate in the past 10 days. PAHOA, Hawaii, May 13 (Reuters) - Two new fissures opened on Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, hurling bursts of rock and magma with an ear-piercing screech on Sunday, threatening nearby homes and prompting authorities to order new evacuations. One new fissure from Sunday morning was a vivid gouge of magma with smoke pouring out both ends and was the 17th to open on the volcano since it began erupting on May 3. Some 37 buildings have been destroyed and nearly 2,000 people ordered to evacuate in the past 10 days. Viewed from a helicopter, the crack appeared to be about 1,000 feet (300 meters) long and among the largest of those fracturing the side of Kilauea, a 4,000-foot-high volcano with a lake of lava at its summit. “It is a near-constant roar akin to a full-throttle 747 interspersed with deafening, earth-shattering explosions that hurtle 100-pound lava bombs 100 feet into the air,” said Mark Clawson, 64, who lives uphill from the latest fissure and so far is defying an evacuation order. Read more: https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5af91febe4b00d7e4c1be095

via .ORGWorld News

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Sorry, not those aliens. A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution points to the Hawaiian Islandsas a global hotspot for "established alien species," or invasive breeds of plants, animals, and insects. So although when we picture the Big Island we may conjure its iconic giant sea turtles and surfing dolphins, it's actually teeming with life introduced by humans. Hundreds of feral pigs, goats, donkeys and sheep run free on land, while cute-but-destructive guppies are pervasive beneath the waves. The study, conducted by an international team of scientists based at Durham University, is the first to identify global hot and coldspots of invasive species by analyzing data on eight different taxonomic groups (birds, fish, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, vascular plants, ants, and spiders). Yes, spiders get their own category. By identifying areas saturated with non-native species, the researchers were able to find trends—qualities that made these areas especially prone to ecosystem-upsetting infiltrators. In particular, they found that hotspots are more common in island or coastal areas in regions with high gross domestic product per capita, and high human population density. In other words, wealthier, more populated areas connected to the ocean have more alien species. That means there is no doubt that we play a key role in introducing these potentially destructive creatures. Read more: http://www.popsci.com/hawaii-alien-species#page-2

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“It is time for states and governors to lead,” Gov. David Ige said. Hawaiian Gov David Ige (D) signed two new climate bills into law on Tuesday that adhere to the Paris Agreement. Hawaii has become the first American state to pass environmental measures that adhere to the Paris climate agreement, just days after President Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the international pact. “Truly, in this day and age, it is time for states and governors to lead,” Hawaiian Gov. David Ige (D) said at a press conference on Tuesday, ahead of signing the two bills into law. Senate Bill 559 and House Bill 1578 commit to expanding methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the state. They also target agricultural practices with the goals of improving soil health and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to a statement from the governor’s office. “Hawaii’s natural environment is under threat,” Ige said. “Climate change is real, regardless of what others say. Hawaii is seeing the impacts, first hand.” Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hawaii-joins-paris-accord_us_5938096de4b01fc18d3f5f64?d2f&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

The states with the lowest well-being scores were West Virginia and Kentucky, appearing in the last two spots for eight years in a row in the Gallup-Healthways rankings. Hawaii has emerged as the undisputed winner of the title of the happiest state with two recent polls awarding the Aloha state with the top spot on their respective lists. The state topped the Gallup-Healthways 2016 State Well-Being Rankings, released Wednesday, as well as America’s Health Rankings Annual Report for the sixth and fifth time, respectively. Alaska, which was also the runner-up in the Gallup-Healthways rankings for 2015, came in on the second spot, followed by South Dakota, Maine and Colorado. “Hawaii has had a heck of a run,” Dan Witters, research director of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, told Today. “They do a lot of things right there. They take good care of themselves. They do the blocking and tackling of physical wellness really well.” The state with the lowest well-being scores was West Virginia, which along with Kentucky, Oklahoma, Indiana and Arkansas rounded off the bottom five. Kentucky and West Virginia have been at the last two spots for eight years in a row, according to Gallup-Healthways. The Gallup-Healthways conducts interviews with over 177,000 U.S. adults across the 50 states between January and December of a particular year. On the basis of these interactions, each state is given a well-being score depending on how the participants answered questions about their sense of purpose, social relationships, financial situations, involvement in the community and physical health. The full list of states ranked by their well-being score out of 100 can be seen below: 1. Hawaii 65.2 2. Alaska 64.0 3. South Dakota 63.7 4. Maine 63.6 5. Colorado 63.5 6. Vermont 63.5 7. Arizona 63.4 8. Montana 63.2 9. Minnesota 63.2 10. Texas 63.1 11. Florida 63.1 12. Wyoming 63.0 13. California 63.0 14. Massachusetts 63.0 15. Nebraska 62.9 16. North Dakota 62.8 17. Utah 62.8 18. Idaho 62.7 19. Iowa 62.6 20. New Mexico 62.6 21. Virginia 62.6 22. New Hampshire 62.6 23. Washington 62.5 24. Oregon 62.5 25. New Jersey 62.5 26. North Carolina 62.4 27. South Carolina 62.3 28. Wisconsin 62.3 29. Georgia 62.3 30. Pennsylvania 62.1 31. Maryland 62.0 32. Kansas 61.8 33. New York 61.8 34. Nevada 61.8 35. Connecticut 61.7 36. Missouri 61.7 37. Illinois 61.6 38. Tennessee 61.5 39. Michigan 61.4 40. Delaware 61.4 41. Mississippi 61.3 42. Rhode Island 61.3 43. Louisiana 61.0 44. Alabama 61.0 45. Ohio 60.9 46. Arkansas 60.8 47. Indiana 60.5 48. Oklahoma 60.5 49. Kentucky 60.5 50. West Virginia 58.9 https://www.yahoo.com/news/hawaii-happiest-state-again-083951336.html

Our brother is enjoying the moment with his parents after his baptism in Maui.

Courtesy photo A painting depicting Chiefess Kapi‘olani at Kilauea praising Jehovah’s name in December 1824. Published in 1920, the “Hawaiian Annual,” a sort of “Farmer’s Almanac” for Hawaii, made this comment: “More than one historian has related that Chiefess Kapi‘olani was a loyal adherent to her religious faith.” And in the 1883 book, “Fire Fountains,” author C.F. Gordon-Cummings calls Chiefess Kapi‘olani, “the Hawaiian Elijah.” Gordon-Cummings’ biblical reference (1Kings 18:19-40) is that of Elijah in his loyalty to his God Jehovah. Loyalty, it has been said, is a lost virtue. In a door-to-door campaign, Jehovah’s Witnesses will be inviting the public to attend their free 2016 “Remain Loyal to Jehovah!” regional convention July 8-10 at the Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium. Showing loyalty to kupuna, the doors will open each morning at 8 a.m. for those 65 and older and their caregiver. General admission will follow at 8:15 a.m. The afternoon session each day will conclude before 5 p.m.. The three-day event will feature 49 presentations, each exploring the theme “loyalty.” Additionally, the Witnesses have prepared 35 video segments specifically for the program plus two short films that will be shown July 9 and 10 depicting various facets of loyalty. Each of the three-day morning and afternoon sessions will be introduced by music videos recorded for the convention. “We strongly believe that loyalty is an essential part of any healthy relationship,” said David A. Semonian, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses at their world headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y. “Our convention this year features content that will help people develop stronger bonds with friends, family members and, above all, with God. We are confident that all who attend will enjoy this program.” Online: www.jw.org Source: http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/community/jehovah-s-witnesses-hosting-regional-convention