Join Civil Beat reporters and staff at our Kaimukī newsroom on Friday, October 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for coffee, pastries and an opportunity to learn more about our journalism. We will also be introducing Civil Beatʻs new Digital Democracy tool, which can reveal how decisions are made in Hawaiʻi’s state Legislature.

Our unprecedented, custom-built AI tool tracks every word spoken in public hearings, every dollar donated to politicians, every bill introduced, every vote cast and more. If there’s something you should know, Digital Democracy has it.

We recently gave a glimpse into how it looks on our Instagram and also published an essay about this new tool our newsroom is using.

Come and learn more about this new tool, how we’re using it in our newsroom, and how you can use it, too.

Complimentary coffee and light snacks will be provided.

This event will be held at the Civil Beat headquarters in Kaimukī, located on the second floor above Goodwill Hawaiʻi. Parking is located within the building at 3650 Waiʻalae Avenue, entrance on Wilhelmina Rise. Parking validation for up to 2 hours will be provided for all attendees.

Register to attend in-person here.

Join us for Civil Beatʻs storytelling event that will feature a powerful group of wāhine leaders from Hawaiʻi, taking the stage on Thursday, October 16, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Honolulu Theatre for Youth. These influential wāhine voices will share personal stories of triumph, challenges, and the lessons that have shaped their journeys as community trailblazers and leaders.

Doors open at 5 p.m. Pre-show entertainment will begin at 5:45 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 6 p.m.

If you are unable to attend, a free recording will be sent to everyone who registers.

Featured Storytellers:

Trish K. Morikawa – Judge for the Oʻahu First Circuit Court of Hawaii and recipient of the 2025 Jurists of the Year award.

Jessica Muñoz – Founder of Ho’ōla Nā Pua and former nurse practitioner for US Acute Care Solutions and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health.

Kaʻiulani Murphy – Hoʻokele (Navigator) with Polynesian Voyaging Society, Kumu at Honolulu CC and UH Mānoa

Sarah Milianta-Laffin – Educator at Department of Education and Recipient of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, President of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association (Leeward Chapter).

Maile Meyer – Kānaka maoli community advocate, Owner of Native Books Inc. and Founder of Nā Mea Hawaiʻi

Rebecca Soon – President at Ward Research and Chief Operating Officer at Solutions Pacific.

This community event is supported in part by a grant from the Hawai`i Community Foundation as part of its CHANGE Framework.

Civil Beat’s reporting on women’s and girls’ issues is funded in part by the Frost Family Foundation.

Watch the event recordings here.

Join us for a community-focused listening session on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani dedicated to uplifting the voices of Maui residents dealing with the aftermath of the Maui fires. Come talk about what life is like for you right now — the challenges you’re facing, the changes you’ve seen, and the hopes you have for the future of your community. Your insights will help shape how the Civil Beat newsroom continues to cover Maui.

Light refreshments and snacks will be served. The official listening session will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., followed by Newsroom “Drop-in” Hours where anyone can stop by and talk individually from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Here are some stories informed by our last listening session in Wailuku in July. Mahalo to all the community members who shared their experiences with us.

• ’The Crisis Isn’t Over’: Maui Kids’ Mental Health Needs Are Mounting
• 2 Years After Deadly Fire, Lahaina Struggles to Rebuild
• His Life in Lahaina Descended Into Homelessness, Then Death in FireRegister now to attend the official listening session from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Newsroom Hours from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. are open to everyone and do not require a ticket to attend.

Civil Beat’s listening session is supported in part by grants from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation as part of its CHANGE Framework, and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation.

Register to attend in-person here.

You’re invited to a Friday pau hana with Civil Beat reporters and staff at BeerLab HI (S. Beretania location) on Friday, August 29, 2025 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Come by anytime to say hi and talk story with our staff. At this event, we will be introducing BeerLab HI’s exclusive Civil Beat beer!

This event is free and open to the public and includes one (1) complimentary beverage and complimentary pūpū.

Address: 1318 S Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI, 96814

Parking: You may park in the front lot of the brewery or park on Beretania street. Street parking is free after 6:00 p.m. Rideshares are encouraged as parking is limited.

Register here to attend in-person.

Our next Civil Cafe will focus on the expansion of early education in Hawaiʻi. For years, working families have struggled to find affordable programs that support their children’s academic growth, social development and overall well-being. Now, state leaders and providers are making historic investments in early learning as they race to meet Hawaiʻi’s ambitious goal of providing all children with access to preschool by 2032.

More than 6,700 children in Hawaiʻi currently lack access to preschool. What will it take to improve access to early education in Hawaiʻi? Join us in the newsroom on Wednesday, August 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for a conversation with educators, advocates and other families working to improve access to early education in Hawaiʻi.

Our panelists include:

Sylvia Luke – Lieutenant Governor of Hawaiʻi

Ben Naki – Executive Vice President of Early Childhood Education Programs of Parents and Children Together and President of the Head Start Association of Hawaiʻi

Jeff Bock – Director of UH Mānoa Childrenʻs Center and President of the Hawai’i Association for the Education of Young Children.

This event will be moderated by Civil Beat education reporter Megan Tagami.

Watch the event recording here.

In our next Civil Cafe, we will be taking a deep dive into one of Hawaiʻi’s most pressing and deadly threats to residents: ocean drownings. Drowning remains a leading cause of death across the islands, and in a recent Civil Beat investigation, reporter Caitlin Thompson uncovered a disturbing shift where local residents have accounted for nearly as many ocean drownings as tourists.

What is behind this trend? And more importantly, what can be done to help locals avoid this horrible fate.

Join us for a panel discussion on Wednesday, July 30 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the KROC Center in Kapolei with safety officials and ocean experts who will share personal stories, explore data and discuss actionable solutions to help make Hawaiʻi’s waters safer for everyone.

Speakers include: Kurt Lager, director of Honoluluʻs Ocean Safety Department; Jessamy Town Hornor from the city Department of Health, Emergency Services & Injury Prevention System Branch; and Duane Desoto of Nā Kama Kai, a famed waterman and former lifeguard for the City and County. Reporter Caitlin Thompson will moderate the panel.

Watch the event recording here.

Join us for a community-led listening session on Monday, July 21, 2025 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku that is dedicated to uplifting the voices of Maui residents still facing the ongoing challenges and emotional toll of the wildfires. Weʻre inviting anyone who has been impacted by the fires, as this is your space to speak up, be heard, and share your story in a safe and supportive environment.Come talk about what life is like for you right now — the challenges you’re facing, the changes you’ve seen, and the hopes you have for the future of your community. Your input will help shape how the Civil Beat newsroom continues to cover Maui with accuracy, respect, and care.

Light refreshments and snacks will be served.The official listening session will take place on Monday, July 21, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., followed by Newsroom “Drop-in” Hours where anyone can stop by and talk individually from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku.

Register now to attend the official listening session. Newsroom Hours are open to everyone and do not require a ticket to attend.

Gov. Josh Green joins Civil Beat environmental reporter Marcel Honoré in the newsroom on Monday, June 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to discuss the new green fee bill, which adds an additional 0.75% to accommodations — hotels, short-term rentals, cruise ships — to offset visitors’ impact on Hawaiʻi’s natural resources and help shield the state from climate change. We’ll be learning more about this new bill in detail and hear about how the state plans to implement it.

This event will be guided by written questions submitted by the audience in person and in advance. Send in your questions through this form.

This free in-person event will be live-streamed and recorded. The recording will be sent to everyone who registers, including those who cannot make it live. Transcripts will be available by request following the event.

The in-person event will be held at the Civil Beat newsroom in Kaimukī, located on the second floor above Goodwill Hawaiʻi. Parking is located within the building at 3650 Waiʻalae Avenue, entrance on Wilhelmina Rise. Parking validation for up to 2 hours will be provided for all attendees.

A link to join the virtual event will be sent 24 hours prior to the event.

Watch the recording of the event here.