ASD Staff

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

[{"text":"Mr. T would pity the fool who doesn't find this funny.","type":"text"}]

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: An amazing chain of events</title>

Today's social media find comes from nailsbydanny, and it's all about the links.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: An amazing chain of events

Mr. T would pity the fool who doesn't find this funny. 

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

Behind an ornate iron gate, adorned with gilded crowns and seals, lies Mauna ʻAla, the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaiʻi. It is the final resting place of kings, queens, princes, and princesses who once shaped the destiny of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

Today, a weathered, old kamani tree stands as a guard just behind the gates, branches reaching low across the driveway, seeming to hold back unwanted visitors. The manicured lawns roll gently across the grounds, tended with care to preserve both their beauty and gravity. The sound of birdsong and the scent of flowers invoke a sense of calm and dignity.

But beneath the tranquility, the ‘āina, the land, whispers stories upon the breeze. These are tales of sacred duty, moonlit processions, and a people’s most profound respect for their ali‘i.

In the Hawaiian tradition, the iwi, the bones, of aliʻi were not merely human remains; they were vessels of mana, carrying one’s spiritual essence and power. To ensure that one’s enemies could not dishonor or desecrate one’s bones, or use the iwi for their own power, the highest priority lay in safeguarding them once the ali‘i has passed. Only a few people were chosen to carefully conceal the bones of an ali‘i, an action that was veiled in secrecy and strict protocol. This tradition continued even up to the death of King Kamehameha I.

After his death in 1819, his iwi were hidden in a secret location to protect his immense mana from falling into the wrong hands. According to oral tradition, the two brothers entrusted with this sacred responsibility were Ho‘olulu and Ulumaheihei, also known as Hoapili. Both were among Kamehameha’s closest advisors and companions, chosen because of their loyalty and courage. They carried out the secret ritual of concealing his bones, and the location of his final resting place remains one of the most closely guarded mysteries in Hawaiian history.

After Kamehameha’s death, the remains of Hawaii’s subsequent ali‘i rested at Pohukaina, a sacred royal burial site, off-limits to most people, on the grounds of ʻIolani Palace. By the mid-1800s, however, Pohukaina was becoming overcrowded. Western-style coffins took up more space than the traditional burials of earlier times. King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma envisioned a new resting place that would be both secure and fitting for the dignity of their ali‘i status. They chose a site in lush Nuʻuanu Valley, where cool mountain breezes and the sound of flowing water created a serene sanctuary. This place would be named Mauna ‘Ala.

In October 1865, the remains of 21 Ali‘i were transferred in a midnight ceremony from Pohukaina to Mauna ‘Ala. The quiet procession, lit by flickering kukui torches that cast long shadows, was flanked by the Royal Guard and led by kahu who knew the proper chants and prayers. Thousands of people accompanied the movement of their ali‘i as the silent march wound its way through the streets of Honolulu up into Nuʻuanu Valley. At the front walked King Kamehameha V himself, accompanied by his father, Governor Mataio Kekūanāoʻa, guiding the solemn parade on foot through the darkened streets.

When they reached Mauna ʻAla, the new mausoleum stood ready to accept its dignified occupants. As the caskets were placed inside, the torches were extinguished one by one until the valley was once again wrapped in darkness.

Mauna ‘Ala has a reverence about it. Whether you’re there day or night, there’s a constant haunting presence that is palpable.

Former Kahu of Mauna ‘Ala, William Kaihe‘ekai Maioho, affectionately called “Uncle Bill,” once told me that the kūpuna come out at night, and there were things he had to do to malama them. He never explained what he had to do. He never really said much more than that, but his smile shared volumes.

There’s a heaviness there that, if you’re open to it, will leave you in tears. But we don’t tell ghost stories here. There is no need because the place and the chicken skin you feel will tell you all you need to know. Here, we share the mo‘olelo of the ‘āina, of each of the ali‘i who lie in eternal repose here, of the kuleana shouldered by the one chosen to be kahu, the keeper of Mauna ‘Ala.

The kuleana of guarding ali‘i iwi did not end with the brothers Ho‘olulu and Hoapili. There have been keepers of Mauna ‘Ala since its inception. Up until 2024, the Kaihe‘ekai ‘ohana, lineal descendants of High Chief Ho‘olulu, have continued this sacred duty, serving as caretakers of Hawaii’s ali‘i. For seven generations, the Ho‘olulu family has preserved this tradition, ensuring that the resting places of Hawaii’s ali‘i remain protected, dignified, and treated with the reverence their mana deserves.

The stories of our ali‘i are never told with fear, but with reverence. For Hawaiians, the presence of the aliʻi is not something of which to be frightened. It is a reminder of the responsibility they carried, the sacrifices they made, and the enduring connection between the land, the people, and their leaders.

Mauna ʻAla is not just a cemetery. It is a place where history lives in stone and shadow, in lei placed gently at the tombs, in the quiet conversations between visitors and the spirits they honor. Descendants of the aliʻi still come to pay respects. Cultural practitioners visit to chant and offer hoʻokupu, gifts of lei, mele, or hula.

[{"type":"text","text":"The air here is different, thick with the weight of memory."}]

The name Mauna ʻAla means “Fragrant Hill,” and perhaps that is fitting. For though time and politics have changed the islands, the fragrance of respect, tradition, and aloha for our aliʻi still lingers here. If you come in the daytime, you’ll realize that chicken skin, those goosebumps that run up your back, are not caused by the wind.

And perhaps, if you find yourself walking past its gates on a moonlit night, you’ll remember that torchlit procession of long ago—the one that carried Hawaii’s rulers to their final home. The flames may be gone, but their light has never truly gone out.

Mauna ‘Ala is now managed by the State of Hawai‘i as a state monument. For information on visiting, click 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Mauna Ala Royal Mausoleum Large

<title>Ali‘i are ever-present at Mauna ‘Ala</title>

In October 1865, a solemn procession of ali‘i moved 21 sets of royal remains from the grounds of ‘Iolani Palace to a then-new final resting place in Nu‘uanu Valley, Mauna ‘Ala, the Royal Mausoleum.

Ali‘i are ever-present at Mauna ‘Ala

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Atmos Rewards, the new joint loyalty program offered by Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, takes flight today.

As of Aug. 20, Alaska Mileage Plan members are now Atmos Reward members. They'll retain their existing account numbers with no interruption to their benefits, a Wednesday announcement from the airlines notes.

HawaiianMiles members and their miles will transition into Atmos Rewards 

. If you don’t link your HawaiianMiles account to a Mileage Plan account, you’ll receive a new account number.

Miles will be converted 1-for-1 into Atmos Rewards Points and will hold the same value in the new program, Alisa Onishi, managing director of Hawai‘i marketing for Hawaiian Airlines, told Aloha State Daily ahead of Wednesday's announcement. No one will lose any miles.

"My only concern would be that people might feel like they have to do something right now and really they don't," Onishi said when asked about any concerns the airline might have about the rollout. "Our HawaiianMiles program will transition, again, on Oct. 1, and again, if you only have a HawaiianMiles account and you don't do anything, you don't touch your account until Oct. 1, it's just going to seamlessly transition into Atmos Rewards."

While the new program offers some new benefits for HawaiianMiles members, Onishi says there are some changes to be aware of.

For instance, HawaiianMiles member will be able to redeem miles for first-class and business-class upgrades on Hawaiian Airlines-operated flights through Sept. 25, another airline spokesperson told ASD in a follow-up email, but noted that first-class upgrades using points won't be available in Atmos Rewards.

Elite members, though — Pualani Platinum is equivalent to Atmos Titanium, Platinum or Gold, and Pualani Gold is equivalent to Atmos Silver — are eligible for unlimited complimentary first-class upgrades on Alaska Airlines and American Airlines flights starting Oct. 1 and on domestic Hawaiian flights next spring, the spokesperson noted.

All elite members are eligible for complimentary first-class upgrades on all Neighbor Island flights. And all members can redeem points for a first-class ticket or pay for an upgrade.

According to the spokesperson, there are roughly 2.1 million active HawaiianMiles members who have earned or redeemed miles within the last 18 months.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here are a few more things you should know about the new program:"}]

— One Mileage Plan or HawaiianMiles mile is equal to one Atmos Rewards point. The value of points doesn’t change and they don’t expire. You can still redeem points for travel on Alaska, Hawaiian and their global partners. Elite-qualifying miles are now "status points."

— Starting in 2026, members can choose how to earn points: by distance traveled, earning one point for every mile flown; by the price paid, earning five points for every $1 spent when buying a flight, including airfare and upgrades purchased in premium cabins; or by segments flown, earning a flat 500 points for each flight segment flown. You can change your preference once a year. Points can be redeemed for travel to more than 1,000 destinations on both Alaska and Hawaiian — and 30-plus global airline partners, the announcement noted.

— Have an airline credit card? Alaska Airlines Visa cards are being rebranded as Atmos Rewards Visa cards, but account numbers and benefits remain the same. There's no action for you to take. The Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard, however, will keep its name and the benefits will remain the same. There's no action for these cardholders to take, either.

A new premium credit card also will be available, the Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card. Earn one status point for ever $2 spent but note that there’s an annual fee of $395. 

Alaska Air Group, Inc. and Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. 

 that Alaska Airlines would acquire Hawaiian Airlines in a deal that was valued at approximately $1.9 billion, including $900 million of Hawaiian’s net debt, according to an announcement at that time. The acquisition was 

The distinct Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines brands will be maintained but it was previously announced that the loyalty programs from both will be combined into a singular program.

 of Hawaiian Airlines in September following its combination with Alaska Air Group.

ASD sat down with Sprague earlier this year to talk about the merger and future plans. You can 

Alaska Air Group last month announced a Honolulu leadership team that will oversee Hawaiian and Alaksa's combined operations in Hawai‘i once the carriers receive a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. Read 

Atmos Rewards lockup ASHA presskit 02 Atmos Rewards ASHA spbl Alt 01

<title>Alaska,  Hawaiian airlines launch joint loyalty program</title>

As of Aug. 20, Alaska Mileage Plan members are Atmos Rewards members while HawaiianMiles members and their miles will transition into the new loyalty program on Oct. 1

Alaska,  Hawaiian airlines launch joint loyalty program

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

A lawsuit against the state over a single email in 2021 has been dismissed by an appeals court.

In 2021, an employee of the former state Department of Public Safety emailed about 260 departmental workers about their responsibilities regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and tests.

Specifically, the email advised all recipients that they were required to submit negative COVID tests each Monday, contingent to a 2021 proclamation by then-Gov. David Ige requiring that state and county employees confirm to their departments whether they were vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to legal documents, the DPS employee who sent the email accidentally “cc’d” all recipients, allowing them to see all the email addresses of every other recipient. And the Hawai‘i Government Employees Association and United Public Workers alleged in a lawsuit that the slip-up “revealed the identify and vaccination status” of those email recipients to every other recipient, which the unions argued constituted negligence by DPS toward confidential personal information.

DPS disputed this claim, stating in its own response that no vaccination information was disclosed to any email recipient, and that the only personal information improperly handled was some 260 business email addresses shared among members of the same department.

Nonetheless, HGEA and UPW sued DPS on behalf of their members, about 200 of whom were included in the mass email. The suit accused DPS of invasion of privacy, negligent supervision and negligence.  

The First Circuit Court dismissed the case in March 2022. But HGEA and UPW argued in an appeal that the court’s reasons for dismissal undermined the law and the state’s COVID policy.

“The First Circuit Court … overruled the Governor and Attorney General’s promise to keep employees’ COVID-19 vaccination status confidential … and immunized government employers when they release, unsolicited, records in which employees have a ‘significant privacy interest,’” read the unions’ appeal, written by Honolulu attorney Ted Hong in 2022.

The First Circuit Court had also ruled that the unions lacked standing to sue on behalf of its members, something Hong challenged in the appeal as well.

But the Hawai‘i Intermediate Court of Appeals once again ruled against the unions on Monday, although Associate Judge Clyde Wadsworth wrote that the unions were partly correct in their arguments.

For example, Wadsworth wrote that the unions were able to sue on behalf of their own members and the Circuit Court was wrong to dismiss the case on that ground.

Furthermore, Wadsworth determined that the erroneous email could be considered an invasion of privacy — even if the harmfulness of the improperly disclosed personal information was a question for a jury to decide.

Nonetheless, the unions’ claims of negligence and negligent supervision were found unwarranted.

Based on Wadsworth’s ruling, the case is remanded for further proceedings. Neither HGEA nor UPW responded to questions by Aloha State Daily regarding whether they will pursue the case further.

The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — one of two bodies DPS split into in 2024 — could not comment on the case Tuesday.

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<title>COVID lawsuit against state dismissed</title>

Two government workers unions sued the state in 2021 over an email mistake that they alleged improperly revealed the vaccination status of workers.

COVID lawsuit against state dismissed

The Hawai‘i Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is allegedly censoring books available to inmates, claims a human rights group suing the state.

 filed Thursday in U.S. District Court by the Human Rights Defense Center — a non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of U.S. prison inmates — state correctional facilities are blocking books and magazines being mailed to inmates in the state.

Paul Wright, executive director of HRDC, told Aloha State Daily that the organization publishes two monthly magazines, “Prison Legal News” and “Criminal Legal News,” which cover news related to the prison system and criminal rights.

“We’ve been publishing for 35 years and we’ve had subscribers in Hawai‘i for probably 34 years,” Wright said. “What happened was we started getting messages from subscribers saying they weren’t getting their magazines.”

The lawsuit alleges that, between April 2024 and July 2025, DCR has returned 56 items mailed by HRDC to Hawai‘i inmates. Many of those items — books, magazines, brochures and other correspondence — were marked as “UNAUTHORIZED MAIL,” and one was marked “CENSORED.”

DCR reportedly did not provide HRDC any reason for the rejection or a way to challenge or appeal the decision.

 lists a series of criteria that could lead a publication to be banned. These include descriptions of how to build weapons, how to escape prison, how to brew alcohol or make drugs, martial arts guides, sexually explicit material, seditious material, and the like.

The policy also states that, if a publication is rejected or denied, the publisher and inmate will be notified of the rejection, the reason for it, and an appeals process.

The lawsuit notes individual DCR facilities have their own mail procedures, and seven of DCR’s eight facilities have 

 stating that “books, magazines, food items, etc. may not be sent to an inmate.” The exception appears to be Kulani Correctional Facility, the minimum-security prison on Hawai‘i Island, where “there is no restriction on incoming and outgoing mail,” 

Wright said that “as far as [HRDC] can tell,” all mailed publications are being withheld from inmates, not just HRDC magazines.

"Basically, it's everything," said Jeff Portnoy, a Honolulu attorney representing HRDC. "This sort of blanket prohibition is very severe. Of course, there's always some censorship in prisons ... if these had instructions on how to build a bomb, that'd be a different story."

Portnoy — who also represents Aloha State Daily — said he doesn't believe anything in the magazines could be interpreted to violate any of DCR's criteria, but even if they do, DCR's own rules state the department should explain its reasoning. Instead, he said, DCR has not responded to any of HRDC's requests.

“It’s surprising, since we’ve never had problems with Hawai‘i corrections before,” Wright said.

Wright said the censorship is a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution, and opined that withholding the ability for vulnerable groups to educate themselves is “the sort of thing you see in police states.” The suit also calls DCR’s actions a violation of the Due Process Clause of the 14

The lawsuit names as plaintiffs Tommy Johnson, DCR Director, and Pamela Sturz, DCR’s former deputy director of correctional institutions. Sturz has also 

 DCR for wrongful termination after she was fired in January; she alleged she received discrimination for her sexual orientation, sex and race.

 HRDC calls for DCR’s actions to be declared as unconstitutional, for an injunction prohibiting the department from continuing to violate HRDC’s rights, and unspecified nominal, compensatory and punitive damages.

Wright said HRDC has successfully litigated similar cases against dozens of Mainland prison systems, including in California, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Illinois and more.

"Everywhere this has been challenged, they've lost," Portnoy said. "You'd think eventually they'd start learning from each other."

[{"type":"text","text":"Portnoy said no court date has yet been set."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"ASD reached out to DCR for comment."}]

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