Native Hawaiian programs are under growing legal pressure, and Hawaii families are getting squeezed by high gas prices at the same time — bad news on both fronts.

• State senators held a briefing on the wave of lawsuits aimed at Native Hawaiian institutions and programs.
• One idea on the table is a legislative task force to defend those programs against federal legal challenges.
• Many of the nonprofits are hunting for new funding sources and trying to stay low-profile to avoid drawing federal attention.
• The pressure traces back to the administration's push to dismantle DEI programs, with the legal fight hinging on what counts as Native Hawaiian.
• Hawaii's cost of living keeps climbing: consumer prices rose 3.7% over the year, gas jumped 9% in September alone, and Kauai drivers are paying nearly $6 a gallon.

Outlook: The lawsuits and funding squeeze are likely to keep building, and gas prices show no sign of easing soon.