‘Akamai Arrival' takes off: Ag declaration form goes digital
'Safety is nonpartisan': Despite aircraft incidents, experts say flying is still safe
'These creatures, which are very scary, especially this one, should not be coming into Hawaiʻi,' said Gov. Josh Green while pointing to a tarantula in a tank next to him.
Now the paper ag declaration form is getting an overhaul, making fumbling for a pen at 35,000 feet no more.
'We all know the best time to let a passenger know what not to bring into the state is before they get on the plane. Not when they're scurrying through their baggage to look for a pencil and then, oops, I got a ferret. Oops, I brought in live plants,' said Sen. Glenn Wakai, chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Beginning March 1, select flights on most domestic airlines that fly to Hawaiʻi will participate in the three month long pilot program.
'Akamai Arrival' has the same questions as the paper form and will be accessible on both laptops and smartphones. Travelers will fill out the form electronically before landing.
State Department of Agriculture inspectors will review the manifest compared to the number of completed declaration forms and similar to the paper form, the data will be deleted.
'It's going to be helpful for our state, but most importantly, it's our biosecurity weapon,' Green said.
Some passengers, like Cheryl Engle from Michigan, welcome the change.
'It was a little bit of a pain, we didn't have a pen on us. We didn't have anything to write on,' Engle said.
The state says it's hoping the digital form will also help increase compliance, which currently is around a 60% completion rate.
As for the effectiveness of the declaration form in stopping invasive species, the Department of Agriculture says about 75% of all flights coming in have something to declare, but it's not easy to catch everything sneaking into the islands.
'We're getting those types of animals maybe one or two a year. I would say regulated goods, things that require permits or treatments beforehand, you're probably getting one per day,' said Jonathan Ho, HDOA Branch Manager.
Wakai says he hopes to use the approximately $800,000 saved from going paperless to buy ag sniffing dogs to do more to keep invasive species out of the islands.
'Zero. Not one person in 79 years has ever been prosecuted. What does that tell you? It tells you that the ag form is really not keeping bad things out of our community,' Wakai said.
For now, the state says they eventually plan to add more languages to the form and the valuable tourism survey will be included. For more information, visit the Akamai Arrival website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
21 hours ago
- Newsweek
GOP States Sending Troops to DC: How Their Cities' Crime Rates Compare
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Six Republican-led states are sending hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support President Donald Trump's "crime crackdown," even though some of those states have cities with crime rates higher than the nation's capital, according to FBI and local police data. Why It Matters Earlier this month, Trump announced that National Guard troops will be stationed in Washington, D.C., to "reestablish law, order and public safety." As of Monday evening, six states have agreed to send troops to D.C. in support: West Virginia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, South Carolina and Ohio. About 800 National Guard members had already been activated in D.C. before additional state authorizations. Trump's efforts build on a previously signed executive order titled "Making The District of Columbia Safe And Beautiful," an order that seeks to reduce crime in D.C., among other measures. What To Know The FBI released data this month showing that over 14 million criminal offenses occurred across the country in 2024, but that various crimes nationwide decreased compared to previous years. Compared to the most populated states like California, New York, and Texas, Washington, D.C., also appears to have a higher rate of crime against persons, according to the FBI data. According to data released by the Metropolitan police, there were 29,348 total reported crimes in the capital in 2024. Of those, 3,469 were classified as violent crimes, with 187 homicides reported, and 25,879 were identified as property crimes. Crime levels in D.C. both exceed and trail those in certain cities from the six Republican-led states contributing National Guard troops. National Guard members are seen outside the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington, D.C., on August 19, 2025. National Guard members are seen outside the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington, D.C., on August 19, 2025. Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images Tennessee At least two Tennessee cities had higher rates of violent and property crime than Washington, D.C., last year. Memphis reported 15,338 violent crimes last year, including 249 cases of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, according to the FBI's Crime Data Explorer. The city also recorded 42,305 property crimes. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department reported 7,857 violent crimes in 2024, more than Washington, D.C., but recorded fewer murders, with 102. Nashville also logged 31,521 property crimes, a higher total than the nation's capital. Louisiana In Louisiana, two cities reported less crime than Washington, D.C., in 2024, and crime in the state's most populous city, New Orleans, dropped about 25 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to figures provided to Newsweek by the New Orleans Police Department. New Orleans recorded 2,543 crimes against people last year, including 124 murders as well as hundreds of assaults, rapes and robberies. Police also logged 14,079 property crimes, such as burglaries and thefts, for a total of 16,622 crimes in 2024 compared with 22,376 in 2023. In Shreveport, one of Louisiana's northern cities with higher crime rates, police recorded 2,151 violent crimes in 2024, including 47 murders, according to the FBI's Crime Data Explorer. The city also reported nearly 7,000 property crimes. Ohio Cleveland reported the most violent crime in the state, with 5,663; however, Columbus reported more murders and property crimes, 112 and 24,290, respectively. Columbus, the state capital and largest city, reported less violent crime than Cleveland, at 3,981. However, in total, both reported less than Washington, D.C. South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina's capital, has the largest reported violent crime in the state, with 1,113 reported last year, 14 of which were murders. The city saw 4,673 property crimes, according to the FBI's Crime Explorer Data. On the coast, Northern Charleston reported more murders, 21, with overall reported violent crime at 1,001. The city saw more property crimes, 4,886. Mississippi While the FBI Crime Explorer Data did not have information on Jackson, in 2024, the local police reported 111 homicides. Newsweek reached out to the Jackson police department and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for comment via email on Wednesday. Southaven, according to the FBI's Crime Data Explorer, had the highest number of violent crimes last year at 175. The city also had 1,165 property crimes. Tupelo had 147 violent crimes and 1,420 property crimes. West Virginia Huntington, West Virginia, reported 359 violent crimes last year and 1,616 property crimes, while Charleston reported 251 violent crimes, including 6 murders, with a similar property crime number of 1,443. What People Are Saying Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves on X on Monday: "I've approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump's effort to return law and order to our nation's capital. "Crime is out of control there, and it's clear something must be done to combat it. Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of. I know the brave men and women of our National Guard will do an excellent job enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement." Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry on X on Monday: "I have approved the deployment of approximately 135 @LANationalGuard soldiers to Washington DC to assist in President @realDonaldTrump's mission of restoring safety and peace in our nation's capital. We are a nation of law and order. Our capital is a reflection of our nation's respect, beauty, and standards. We cannot allow our cities to be overcome by violence and lawlessness. I am proud to support this mission to return safety and sanity to Washington DC and cities all across our country, including right here in Louisiana." President Donald Trump on Truth Social on Monday: "D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety. This is a very bad and dangerous thing to do, and they are under serious investigation for so doing! Until 4 days ago, Washington, D.C., was the most unsafe 'city' in the United States, and perhaps the World. Now, in just a short period of time, it is perhaps the safest, and getting better every single hour! People are flocking to D.C. again, and soon, the beautification will begin!" Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on X last week: "Let us be clear about what the law requires during a Presidential declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, DC to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the President. We have followed the law. In reference to the U.S. Attorney General's order, there is no statute that conveys the District's personnel authority to a federal official." What Happens Next Washington officials have sued to block aspects of the federal takeover. Out-of-state troops have arrived in the capital.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins: American Farmland Is Not for Chinese Solar Panels
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In rural Tennessee, standing before more than 1,200 farmers, ranchers, and future farmers of America, I unveiled the next step in protecting our family farms and our way of life: ending taxpayer subsidization of foreign solar panels on prime farmland. Over the past few years, the unchecked expansion of solar farms, heavily subsidized by the federal government and fueled by foreign adversaries like China, has proved a serious obstacle for new farmers. The massive amount of prime farmland consumed by these projects makes land more expensive, less available, and out of reach for the next generation of producers. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbott during a news conference in the State Capitol on August 15, 2025, in Austin, Texas. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins speaks alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbott during a news conference in the State Capitol on August 15, 2025, in Austin, of the biggest barriers for new farmers is access to farmland. In a nation blessed with 880 million acres of farmland, it is unacceptable to price young families out of the American Dream. That's why the Department of Agriculture in the Trump-Vance administration is taking bold action to eliminate USDA programs that spend taxpayer dollars subsidizing solar panels on productive farmland. In the last 30 years in Tennessee alone, farmers have already lost over 1.1 million acres and are projected to lose another 2 million acres by 2027. Across the country, solar panels on farmland have skyrocketed by nearly 50 percent since 2021. While cash rents are already climbing, averaging $160 per acre this year, solar companies are luring landowners with payouts as high as $1,500 per acre annually. That puts family farmers in an impossible position during tough economic times. The consequences extend far beyond farmland loss. Solar panel construction damages the soil, compacts the ground, and changes drainage patterns, threatening nearby productive acreage. The Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act and federal solar tax credits have only worsened this problem, accelerating competition for farmland and driving up costs. This is perhaps one of the greatest moral crimes of the past administration, in that it enlisted both the American taxpayer and the government of the United States against the American farmer—and it now ends. Ending these reckless subsidies is about more than protecting farmland; it's about securing American energy dominance. For too long, Washington has forced taxpayers to underwrite unreliable and expensive energy sources like wind and solar, leaving our grid weaker and our nation more dependent on foreign supply chains controlled by our adversaries. Thanks to President Donald Trump's July executive order on ending market-distorting subsidies for unreliable, foreign-controlled energy sources, those days are over. No American tax dollars will be funneled to Beijing for unreliable energy projects. We are taking this action because agriculture is not only America's first industry, but its foundational industry. And when I look out at today's farmers, I also see the next generation, men and women who will carry forward the torch of liberty that has secured the promise of America for almost 250 years. Through the next 41 months, we will leave no stone unturned in protecting our farmland, strengthening our family farms, and defending a way of life that has carried our nation through every challenge. Brooke L. Rollins is the 33rd United States secretary of Agriculture. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Politico
3 days ago
- Politico
The unusual GOP alliance pushing earmarks in this fall's funding fight
Conversations around government funding are ongoing. But so far, signs point to earmarks being one of the most viable pathways for breaking the impasse. It's a sweetener leaders can use to satisfy holdouts who want to be able to deliver wins for their districts — and represents a compromise for hard-liners like Harris who think this arrangement might present the best possible outcome for members who want to spend as little money as possible. Harris, who is also chair of the appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Department of Agriculture and FDA, has floated the year-long, flat-funded spending bill that contains earmarks — but paired with the guarantee that Congress will also pass several more rescissions packages to claw back funds already appropriated by Congress. He also wants the White House to send over a major package of pocket rescissions that would unilaterally cancel tens of billions of dollars. Unlike with a typical rescissions bill, where Congress has 45 days to pass it before the administration is forced to spend the money as lawmakers originally intended, a pocket rescissions measure is transmitted to Capitol Hill with 45 or fewer days left until the end of the current fiscal year — and if Congress doesn't take any action by that deadline, the money is considered revoked. There's no certainty Congress can even pass a second rescissions request, while legal experts and the federal government's top watchdog have questioned the legality of the pocket rescissions process. But the pitch could be appealing to even the likes of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who is chair of a House Oversight subcommittee tasked with identifying government waste. She said in a social media post earlier this month she was uninterested in 'another CR that will leave out much needed appropriation requests that benefit our districts.' 'Funding to support critical infrastructure projects like water, roads, and community projects will AGAIN be left not funded,' she said of a government spending bill without earmarks. Greene's position signals a critical opening for proponents of earmarks — and something of a change of tune for Republicans.
