Aloha, Tourists! Hawaii’s New Climate Fee Hit
Hawaii’s new tax on hotel stays and cruise cabins will generate $100 million annually to fund environmental protections and climate disaster preparedness starting in 2026.
Hawaii made history Tuesday, becoming the first U.S. state to implement a “Green Fee,” which will charge visitors an additional tax to help protect the state’s environment and build resilience against climate disasters.
The policy will increase the state’s transient accommodations tax (TAT) by 0.75%, bringing the total rate to 10%. The fee will apply to hotel stays, short-term rentals, and, for the first time, cruise ship cabins. It is projected to generate approximately $100 million annually beginning in 2026.
“Today Hawaii ushers in the first Green Fee in the nation. Once again, Hawaii is at the forefront of protecting our natural resources, recognizing their fundamental role in sustaining the ecological, cultural and economic health of Hawaii,” Governor Josh Green said at the signing ceremony.
The bill emerged following the 2023 wildfires that decimated Lahaina and many other parts of Maui. In 2024, Governor Green established the Climate Advisory Team, led by Chris Benjamin, to develop community-informed policy recommendations for climate resilience funding.
Source: Hawaii to become first state to charge visitors a climate fee
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James McCune Smith (1813)April 18, 2026
Smith was the first African American to obtain a medical degree and operate a pharmacy in the US. Denied admission to American colleges due to racial discrimination, he studied in Scotland, obtaining a series of degrees. After returning to New York, he became the first professionally trained black physician in the country. He wrote forcefully against common misconceptions and false notions about race, science, and medicine and once used statistics to refute what argument about slaves?
Smith was the first African American to obtain a medical degree and operate a pharmacy in the US. Denied admission to American colleges due to racial discrimination, he studied in Scotland, obtaining a series of degrees. After returning to New York, he became the first professionally trained black physician in the country. He wrote forcefully against common misconceptions and false notions about race, science, and medicine and once used statistics to refute what argument about slaves?Today’s Holiday
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Zimbabwe Independence DayApril 18, 2026
Like much of Africa, the area that is now Zimbabwe was long controlled by Europeans. In 1922, the 34,000 European settlers chose to become a self-governing British colony, Southern Rhodesia. In 1923, Southern Rhodesia was annexed by the British Crown. A fight for independence took place in the 1970s. An independent constitution was written for Zimbabwe in London in 1979, and independence followed on April 18, 1980. Independence Day is celebrated in every city and district of the nation with political rallies, parades, traditional dances, singing, and fireworks.
Like much of Africa, the area that is now ARTICLE OF THE DAY
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The Percy-Neville FeudApril 18, 2026
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The Percy-Neville Feud was a string of skirmishes between two prominent northern English families and their followers that helped provoke the Wars of the Roses—a series of dynastic civil wars between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York in the 15th century. Six months after the Nevilles allied themselves with Richard, Duke of York—rival of the Lancastrian King Henry VI—the Percys met the Nevilles and the Duke in the first battle at St. Albans. What was the original reason for the feud?
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