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NBC News •

Maui’s Latino community contends with destruction, grief and immigration fears after fires

Lahaina, the historic town on the island of Maui where Kimberly Romero lived, worked and sent her 5-year-old daughter to school, was already in flames when they fled this month with just minutes to spare. Mother and daughter found housing in an Airbnb. But now, Romero faces an uncertain future as her home and belongings were destroyed. Originally from Honduras, Romero moved to Lahaina a year ago and was just getting to know what she called a “homey” Latino community.

“I did see pictures of my a
Columbia Daily Spectator •

The saga of Celsius: What the energy drink reveals about tensions between Barnard Dining and students - Columbia Spectator

In December 2021, the @barnarddining Instagram account posted a picture of two women wearing “Celsius. Live Fit.” shirts and masks and holding the popular energy drinks in their hands. The image’s caption announced that the energy drinks would now be available in the Diana Center Cafe and Liz’s Place, and that the drinks contained “0 calories,” “accelerate metabolism,” and “burn body fat.”
Untapped New York •

The NYC Bodega: A History of Violence and Resilience

You probably won’t find Jesus next to ketchup and mayonnaise anywhere but a New York City bodega where the city’s character, diversity, and history are embodied in a physical space. Morning to night and night into morning, bodegas are open, offering an assortment of goods including New York’s famous Chopped Cheese sandwich, as well as the head-turning bodega cat.

The Spanish term “bodega,” dating back to the 1840s, originally referred to wine cellars, the hull of ships, and warehouses. Today in

My Latest Work

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com •

Secretary Haaland stresses importance of indigenous knowledge in ‘era of climate crisis’

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Hawaii leaders gathered in Heeia on Tuesday to underscore the importance of indigenous knowledge preservation in conservation efforts.

“I see healing all over this area where people are bringing back native plants and native ways of doing things and I think that indigenous knowledge is one of the absolute most important things that we can practice in this era of the climate crisis,” Haaland said.

On the grounds of Kakoo
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com •

By day, he works at the airport. By night, this poet is a 3-time Honolulu grand slam champ

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Zarqui Omar Edwards, also known as “Z From Baltimore,” used to write poems to impress girls in middle school. But as he grew out of schoolyard love poems, Z expanded his verse to civic themes, landing himself on the stage of Slack Key Lounge as Honolulu’s poetry Grand Slam Champion last Thursday.

By day, Z works at the Honolulu airport as a training supervisor for UPS. But after work, he is a poet, activist, author, emcee, and now, three-time Grand Slam Champion.

Thi
Columbia Daily Spectator •

West Harlem Art Fund pushes for new narratives in art curation - Columbia Spectator

West Harlem Art Fund Executive Director and Chief Curator Savona Bailey-McClain led a walking tour of New York’s Master Drawings galleries on Friday, Jan. 20, offering collectors and the public alike a look at historic artwork from art dealers in the United States and Europe. Following the walking tour, on Sunday, Jan. 22, Bailey-McClain moderated a panel with expert art dealers discussing a shift in art curation toward including historically underrepresented creatives.
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com •

A ‘meaningful moment’: Remains of South Korean soldiers repatriated in Hawaii ceremony

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The U.S. government repatriated seven sets of remains from the Korean War to the Republic of Korea Tuesday in a ceremony at Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Through a partnership, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and Republic of Korea’s Agency for KIA Recovery used shared laboratory and historic analysis to identify the remains.

“We’re here today to honor that sacrifice with our Republic of Korea partners in the 70th anniversary of the ironclad alliance as well as the armis
Columbia Daily Spectator •

Max Caffe will close at the end of August after rent increase - Columbia Spectator

Max Caffè, located on 122nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue, will close at the end of this month after 19 years of operation. Owner Tony Bruno told Spectator that rent was raised significantly but declined to disclose exact numbers. The café features couches, an attentive waitstaff, and hot coffee, all conducive to productivity, which has attracted Columbia students for nearly two decades.
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com •

Green issues emergency proclamation on housing aimed at streamlining new projects

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Gov. Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation on housing Monday aimed at streamlining regulatory processes for the development of 50,000 housing units.

In a news conference at the state Capitol, Green declared that Hawaii’s housing crisis an emergency, and that speeding up housing development will minimize its adverse impacts on residents.

But some, including Sierra Club of Hawaii Executive Director Wayne Tanaka, worry that the proclamation will compromise environ
Columbia Daily Spectator •

Talking jars, gender politics, copper IUDs, and financial independence with TikTok star Eli Rallo, Journalism ’21 - Columbia Spectator

Eli Rallo, Journalism ’21, made $35,000 last month on social media and owes part of this success to a glass jar. Rallo lives with celiac disease, and throughout her childhood, her parents sought to find creative ways to make Rallo feel “normal” when it came to food. Their solution was a big glass jar filled with a mix of gluten-free snacks.
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