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(HONOLULU) — Hawaii has passed legislation to increase people staying at hotels to help the islands cope with the increasing pressures from climate change.

The bill, SB1396, adds a 0.75% levy to existing taxes on tourist lodging within the state — including hotels rooms, timeshares and vacation rentals starting Jan. 1, 2026. It also imposes an 11% tax on cruise ship bills for each night the ship is in a Hawaiian port.

The new legislation is expected to raise nearly $100 million a year, and will be used for environmental protection and defenses against natural disasters amplified by climate change, including rising sea levels, coastal erosion and shifts in rainfall patterns. The state sees up to 10 million visitors per year, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Among the projects needed on the island are coral reef protections and clearing invasive grasses that can fuel wildfires.

The new tax will be added to the existing 10.25% tax Hawaii imposes on short-term rentals, raising the total to 11%. In addition, counties in Hawaii charge a separate 3% lodging tax. Travelers also pay a 4.712% general excise tax that applies to virtually all goods and services.

Come Jan. 1, the state’s total tax on short-term rentals will climb to 18.712%.

The bill passed by a large margin in the state’s House and Senate. Gov. Josh Green also supports the bill and intends to sign it, according to a statement released on Friday.

It represents “a generational commitment” to protect the ‘āina — a Hawaiian word that mean “land” but also signifies the deep connection between people and the environment — Green said. It is also the nation’s first statewide tax on lodging meant specifically to address the impacts of climate change, Green said.

“Hawai’i is truly setting a new standard to address the climate crisis, and I want to thank lawmakers for their unrelenting work these past two years in bringing this to fruition,” Green said.

Green told The Associated Press that he predicts visitors will be willing to pay taxes that help to protect the environment.

Care for ‘Āina Now, a local environmental advocacy group, estimates a $560 million gap for environmental stewardship on the Hawaiian islands.

A higher tax increase was initially proposed but was pared down after legislators heard concerns from the travel industry, AP reported.

The governor has until July 9 to sign the bill into law.

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(NEW YORK) — A federal judge in New York ruled Tuesday that the Alien Enemies Act “was not validly invoked” by the Trump administration when it opted to deport alleged Tren de Aragua members, marking the second time a judge has deemed the administration’s use of the AEA unlawful.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction in the case of two plaintiffs identified by their initials, GFF and JGO, who were pulled off planes to El Salvador and transferred back to New York from Texas, where they had been detained on suspicion of alignment with the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.

Tuesday’s ruling comes after a Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas last week permanently blocked the Trump administration from detaining, transferring or removing Venezuelans targeted for deportation under the Alien Enemies Act in the Southern District of Texas — ruling that the administration’s invocation of the AEA “exceeds the scope” of the law.

The Trump administration has invoked the Alien Enemies Act — an 18th century wartime authority used to remove noncitizens with little-to-no due process — to deport alleged migrant gang members by arguing that Tren de Aragua is a “hybrid criminal state” that is invading the United States.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision last month, lifted an injunction issued by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., that had halted deportations under the AEA — but said detainees must be given due process to challenge their removal in the district where they were detained.

GFF and JGO “have not been given notice of what they allegedly did to join TdA, when the joined, and what they did in the United States, or anywhere else, to share or further the illicit objectives of the TdA,” Judge Hellerstein’s opinion said. “Without such proof, Petitioners are subject to removal by the Executive’s dictate alone, in contravention of the AEA and the Constitutional requirements of due process.”

Hellerstein also said Trump was not justified when he invoked the Alien Enemies Act.

“I hold that the predicates for the Presidential Proclamation that TdA has engaged in either a ‘war,’ ‘invasion’ or a ‘predatory incursion’ of the United States do not exist,” Hellerstein’s opinion said. “There is nothing in the AEA that justifies a finding that refugees migrating from Venezuela, or TdA gangsters who infiltrate the migrants, are engaged in an ‘invasion’ or ‘predatory injunction.'”

Judge Hellerstein set a hearing in the matter for May 21.

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(OKLAHOMA CITY) — Seven people were shot at an Oklahoma City bar where fans were gathered to watch the Thunder-Nuggets NBA playoff game on Monday night, police said.

The shooting erupted around 10:39 p.m. during an altercation at The Collective, a popular restaurant and bar near downtown, Oklahoma City police said.

Seven people were hit by gunfire and two others were hurt from flying glass, police said.

Of the seven victims struck by bullets, four were seriously wounded, but everyone is expected to survive, police said.

No arrests have been made, police said.

The top-seeded Thunder lost Monday night’s opening game of the Western Conference semifinals to the Denver Nuggets. Their next game is on Wednesday.

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(BALTIMORE) — A federal judge in Maryland is hearing arguments from the federal government Tuesday over the 20-year-old Venezuelan man deported to El Salvador whose removal violated a previous court settlement, according to a court order.

The hearing comes two weeks after U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of the man, identified as Cristian in court filings.

In her opinion, Judge Gallagher referenced the case of wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and said that “like Judge [Paula] Xinis in the Abrego Garcia matter, this court will order Defendants to facilitate Cristian’s return to the United States so that he can receive the process he was entitled to under the parties’ binding Settlement Agreement.”

The class action case from 2019 was filed on behalf of individuals who entered the U.S. as unaccompanied minors and later sought asylum.

The group sued the government to be able to have their asylum applications adjudicated while they remained in the United States. The parties settled in 2024.

But in a court filing on Monday, attorneys for the Department of Justice called Cristian a member of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua and argued that, if returned, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would deny his asylum application because of his alleged gang membership.

The government said USCIS issued an “Indicative Asylum Decision” last week “making clear” that if the 20-year old Venezuelan returned to the U.S., the agency would deny his asylum application.

“USCIS based this decision on Cristian being [redacted] TdA which has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and described as “a brutal organization ‘that uses murder and torture to achieve its aims,” the government said.

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(VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas) — A murder suspect is on the loose in north Texas after allegedly removing his ankle monitor before a court appearance, according to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.

Trevor McEuen was due in court on Monday for a murder charge in Kaufman County, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Kaufman County, which is east of Dallas, has an active warrant for bail revocation for capital murder for McEuen, officials said.

“If you are aware of anything suspicious in the area, please contact 911. Do not attempt to apprehend McEuen,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Our number one priority is the safety of all citizens of Van Zandt County. We are working diligently with our partner agencies to ensure the safety of all our citizens,” Sheriff Kevin Bridger said in a statement.

McEuen is accused of shooting his neighbor to death in May 2023, according to Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA. Aaron Martinez, 35, was found dead in his truck, which had been riddled with bullets.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, had called for hate crime charges when the shooting happened, saying, “Three weeks ago, Aaron Martinez was murdered in cold blood by a man who wanted to drive Hispanics out of Kaufman County. … If Kaufman County authorities continue to drag their feet on filing hate crimes charges against Trevor McEuen, federal prosecutors need to step in to ensure that justice is served.”

McEuen was arrested again in September 2024 after he posted a photo of Martinez and Martinez’s uncle on Instagram and threatened to shoot the uncle.

The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of McEuen.

ABC News’ Bonnie McLean contributed to this report.

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(COLUMBIA, SC) — The body of a young woman was discovered inside a rented house in Columbia, South Carolina, over the weekend, according to a press conference held by Columbia Police Department on Monday.

She was later identified as Logan Federico, a 22-year-old from Waxhaw, North Carolina, police said. Her cause of death was a fatal gunshot wound to the chest, according to Columbia Coroner Naida Rutherford.

The college student was spending the weekend with friends in a rented house in South Carolina when she was “randomly murdered by a career criminal” who was “on a spree of thefts, break-ins and credit card fraud,” the CPD said.

Alexander Dickey, 30, allegedly broke into a neighboring home around 3 a.m. and stole a firearm, credit and debit cards, and keys to a vehicle, the CPD said.

The suspect then allegedly entered the house where Federico was staying, entered her room, and shot her, police said, before fleeing the scene in a stolen vehicle.

Dickey is believed to have used the stolen cards to make purchases across Lexington County before his stolen vehicle broke down, officials said. He had it towed back to a residence in Lexington County, where investigators said they tracked him down.

When law enforcement closed in, Dickey fled into nearby woods, leading to a manhunt in severe weather conditions, police said. He later broke into another home and set it on fire, they added.

Officers were able to extract Dickey through a window and take him into custody, the CPD said.

Federico’s father, Steve Federico, spoke through tears during the press conference.

“I am Logan Haley Federico’s father, better known as ‘Dad,’ or her hero. Unfortunately, that day, I could not be her hero,” he said. “My daughter, I cherished. She was a strong, fun-loving individual who did what she wanted to do and was spicy.”

“My daughter was working hard at school, working two jobs, to become a teacher. She loved and adored kids, children of all ages,” he said. “The message I wanted to send to Dickey, who took my daughter’s life — this is from her: ‘You can’t kill my spirit. You might be able to kill my body … but you cannot kill my love that my family and friends shared with me.'”

“Logan was not an intended target,” Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said at the press conference, adding that her death “touches all of us in a way that it’ll never leave us.”

He said that the CPD issued warrants charging Dickey with murder, two counts of first-degree burglary, weapons possession and larceny. The Lexington County sheriff said Dickey was also charged with burglary first degree and arson second degree, and that he was denied bond.

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(WASHINGTON) — Escalating an ongoing clash between President Donald Trump’s administration and Harvard University, the Department of Education announced an immediate pause on Harvard’s grant funding — making the school ineligible for new research grants until it agrees with compliance criteria.

“Harvard is not eligible for any new grants from the federal government until they demonstrate responsible management of the university,” a senior official from the Department of Education said on a call with reporters on Monday.

The pause extends to medical research funding, according to the senior official, but does not impact federal student aid.

The official said public confidence in the university is at an all-time low — and that Harvard has failed to combat antisemitism and discrimination on its campus.

It has also abandoned the rigor of academic excellence and has become a leftist institution with “zero viewpoint diversity,” according to the official, who said that only 3% of Harvard’s faculty identifies as conservative.

“Today, we received another letter from the administration doubling down on demands that would impose unprecedented and improper control over Harvard University and would have chilling implications for higher education,” Harvard said in a statement to ABC News.

The statement called the move retaliatory and implied that its efforts are illegal.

“Harvard will continue to comply with the law, promote and encourage respect for viewpoint diversity, and combat antisemitism in our community,” it said, adding that the school would “continue to defend against illegal government overreach.”

The weeks-long feud between Trump and Harvard stems from several investigations by federal agencies, including the Department of Education and the Health and Human Services Department. They are probing into accusations ranging from failure to disclose foreign gifts to discrimination on the basis of race within the Harvard Law Review.

The administration has also launched a wide-reaching antisemitism task force review, which froze 2.2 billion dollars in funding for the institution last month.

But the university has refused to comply with demands, with Harvard President Alan Garber claiming that Trump has exceeded his executive authority.

“No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote in a statement to the Harvard community in April.

In order for Harvard to return to compliance under federal law, the university would have to come into agreement with the administration, according to the senior official.

There was no announcement about the university’s tax-exempt status, which Trump threatened to take away on May 2.

The president can’t unilaterally revoke a school’s tax-exempt status under federal law, but sources told ABC News that the Internal Revenue Service is considering revoking the school’s status.

A Harvard spokesperson told ABC News last week that there’s no “legal basis” to rescind the university’s tax-exempt status and that it would endanger the school’s ability to carry out its mission.

“The tax exemption means that more of every dollar can go toward scholarships for students, lifesaving and life-enhancing medical research, and technological advancements that drive economic growth,” the spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News.

The move would not only lead to “lost opportunities for innovation” for Harvard itself, the spokesperson said.

“The unlawful use of this instrument more broadly would have grave consequences for the future of higher education in America,” they explained.

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(WASHINGTON) — After having his security clearance revoked by President Donald Trump, high-profile whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to have his security clearance restored — saying that it was revoked for “improper political retribution.”

“The Trump Administration is seeking to neutralize someone viewed as an adversarial threat,” the complaint, filed in Washington, D.C., stated.

In March, Trump issued a presidential memorandum that revoked the security clearances of more than a dozen individuals, including Zaid, former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Hillary Clinton — a move the complaint says is “a dangerous, unconstitutional retaliation by the President of the United States against his perceived political enemies.”

In his memorandum, Trump wrote he had “determined that it is no longer in the national interest” for Zaid and others to have access to classified information.

Zaid, according to his complaint, has represented “whistleblowers in every administration” dating back to Bill Clinton, doing so “without regard to party politics” — and that the revocation of his clearance is now “undermining” his ability to fully represent his clients.

According to the complaint, Zaid has had access to classified information in some capacity for about three decades, since approximately 1995. His first “fully approved” clearance, according to the complaint, came in 2002 as part of ongoing litigation. He was granted a “secret” clearance, which he maintained for years, until he was increased during the first Trump administration to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS-SCI) as part of a case he was handling for a DHS whistleblower. He was last “read out” of his security in 2024, though it was not fully processed until 2025.

“In summary, Mr. Zaid has been a practicing attorney for over thirty years and for most of his professional career he has maintained authorized access to classified information,” the complaint states. “Indeed, far from being a security risk, he has established himself and has been recognized by legal and non-legal entities as a leader in the legal community and in the national security field specifically.”

Zaid’s complaint says he has already suffered real-world harms as a result of Trump’s memo after it was “blindly implemented” by a number of agencies. In one instance, the complaint says Zaid was notified in an email from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s inspector general’s office that he was “denied access to a client’s classified complaint” because he no longer had a security clearance.

“In sum, Mr. Zaid currently represents multiple clients for whom he now cannot access relevant classified information as part of his effective and zealous representation,” the complaint states.

Attorneys for Zaid, including Abbe Lowell and Norm Eisen, say in the complaint that they suspect Zaid “came onto President Trump’s radar” when he represented a whistleblower in 2019 who filed a complaint about Trump’s 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leading to his first impeachment.

The complaint says the revocation is a violation of First and Fifth amendments, and asks a judge to declare the presidential memorandum unconstitutional, block any further implementation, rescind the revocation, and “Require the Defendants to conduct a name-clearing hearing.”

“No American should lose their livelihood, or be blocked as a lawyer from representing clients, because a president carries a grudge toward them or who they represent,” Zaid said in a statement. “This isn’t just about me. It’s about using security clearances as political weapons.”

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(LOS ANGELES) — A man crashed his vehicle through the gates of actress Jennifer Aniston’s Los Angeles home on Monday, police sources confirmed to ABC News.

The “Friends” star was home at the time, police sources said.

Private security at the Bel Air home detained the driver and he is currently in LAPD custody, sources close to the investigation told ABC News. He will be booked Monday night for felony vandalism due to the damage, the sources said.

The incident does not appear to have been an accident, though there is also nothing to indicate yet that the driver was targeting Aniston, the sources said. The LAPD’s Threat Management Unit, which has handled cases involving Aniston before, is going to take this case out of an abundance of caution, the sources said.

The suspect, who has a minor criminal history, was not actively being investigated for anything involving Aniston before the incident, the sources said.

Investigators are currently looking into the suspect’s background and social media, the sources said.

Aniston’s representatives declined to comment on the incident.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News this incident highlights the need for celebrities and high-profile types to take prudent measures to have high-level, on-site security.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(BOSTON) — A first responder testified Monday in Karen Read’s murder retrial that she heard the defendant say, “I hit him,” multiple times after her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, was found unresponsive in the snow outside a Massachusetts home in 2022.

Prosecutors allege, following a night of drinking in Canton, that Read struck O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV outside of a get-together at another officer’s home and left him to die in a blizzard in January 2022. An autopsy found that the 46-year-old died of hypothermia and blunt force injuries to the head.

After a jury was unable to reach a verdict in the initial murder trial last year, Read is being retried on charges including second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of a collision causing death. She has pleaded not guilty and maintains her innocence, with her attorneys arguing the police investigation was “riddled with errors” and alleging that witnesses colluded on their narrative about O’Keefe’s death.

Katie McLaughlin, a Canton firefighter paramedic who responded to the scene after Read and two others found O’Keefe in the snow outside the residence, was one of several witnesses who testified Monday in the ongoing trial.

As she did when she testified during the first trial, McLaughlin told the court that Read told her, “I hit him,” while she was trying to get details on O’Keefe during the early morning of Jan. 29, 2022.

“I asked if there had been any significant trauma that happened that preceded this, and she answered with a series of statements that she repeated — ‘I hit him. I hit him,” McLaughlin testified.

McLaughlin testified that she heard Read say, “I hit him,” four times.

An officer who was also present then signaled for his sergeant to come down, she said.

McLaughlin said she didn’t ask Read to clarify what she meant.

“I felt at that point, given the situation and how disturbing — and it was a very emotional situation, the woman was very upset — I didn’t feel comfortable pushing and asking for more. I just didn’t think that it was the right time for that,” she said. “And it was also really not my place at that point, and I feel like that was something that the police were — that’s more their role.”

McLaughlin said she subsequently told two colleagues in the ambulance at the scene what Read allegedly said.

O’Keefe was found by a flagpole near the home of Boston police officer Brian Albert.

Similar to the first trial when McLaughlin testified, defense attorney Alan Jackson grilled the witness on her relationship with Albert’s daughter, Caitlin, while mentioning times the two have attended the same social functions.

McLaughlin described Caitlin Albert as someone she went to high school with, shares mutual friends and socializes with, but wouldn’t consider a friend.

“We’ve known each other for years, but we are not close friends,” McLaughlin said. “We don’t have a relationship, just her one-on-one. It’s just group settings.”

Jackson also questioned if McLaughlin took any notes on what she said she heard Read say. The paramedic said she didn’t, and had only jotted down demographic information on O’Keefe onto her glove, such as his name and date of birth.

Asked by the prosecutor how she remembered Read’s alleged remarks, she said, “I won’t ever forget those statements.”

Jennifer McCabe, a key witness for the prosecution, testified last week that she also heard Read say, “I hit him,” while standing with Read and McLaughlin.

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