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Kady Pascual

Hawaiʻi Scene on Social

If you got a water hose in front of your house, it’s a communal water fountain.

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<title>Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Secret water oasis</title>

Today’s social media find comes from @ZabrinaPeters2.0. She knows how to stay cool this summer.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Secret water oasis

If you got a water hose in front of your house, it’s a communal water fountain.  Make sure you follow @ZabrinaPeters2.0 on Instagram!  For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter!

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Katie Helland

Business & Tourism

Arts & Entertainment

Disney’s live action adaptation of “Moana,” 

filmed for nine days on Oʻahu and sails into theaters on Friday, July 10. 

"Moana" generated around $39 million in estimated economic impact for Hawaiʻi, said Georja Skinner, the chief officer of the creative industries division of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. That number includes money spent on labor, vendors, contractors, transportation, and more.

“First of all, having a major production in Hawaiʻi does so many things, not just with the spend and the jobs that it generates, but also the on-the-job learning experience from being on major productions like this,” Skinner told Aloha State Daily. “And that's what helps inform our own local creative economy and our local content development, which is a big focus of our department going forward.”

aia as Moana and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — who was the voice of Maui in the original animated films — as the demigod. The 115-minute movie is directed by Thomas Kail.

Auliʻi Cravalho, the voice of the animated heroine in “Moana” and “Moana 2” is one of the executive producers of this movie.

The movie had 560 local resident hires, and 185 non-resident hires, Skinner said. Those hires have 39 job categories and include accountants, actors, production office support, special effects, stunts, transportation and on-set teachers.

Pre-production for "Moana" was comprised of 280 days of work over three years: 2022, 2023 and 2024, Skinner said. Work was halted by strikes in 2023.

The release of the live action “Moana” comes during the same week as Gov. Josh Green signing 

, which amends the motion picture, digital media and film production tax credit to allow a 

5% increase to current tax credit rates for productions that film on Oʻahu and Neighbor Islands, if at least 80% of the hires are local

. The new legislation will bring the tax credit rates up to 27% on Oʻahu, and 32% on Neighbor Islands.

Filmmakers and movie industry professionals as well as politicians hope the new tax credits will make Hawaiʻi a more economically enticing place to make movies.

The legislation expands the tax credits to cover not just movies and television series but streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Apple TV. The total tax credits for all productions in a year will increase to $60 million, up from the current $50 million cap. If the 

total tax credits for a year exceed the cap, they may be claimed in the following year

, a clause that sunsets on Dec. 31, 2037. 

Independent producers and studios are already calling.

“We've had a ton of calls,” Skinner said. “From the moment that the bill signing happened — and before that — people were very interested in how it works, not just people that are coming in with a new project, but those that were on the ground this year that are still coming in, and those that are working with us now to make sure that they can qualify for the certain aspects and all of that good stuff.”

The legisislation stipulates that these new tax credits apply retroactively to costs incurred by productions filmed after Dec. 31, 2025, if these productions had at least 80% local hires. So far, in 2026, several large productions have filmed in the state including “Protecting Jared,” “Jumanji 3,” and Season 2 of the Netflix series “Untamed.” 

In the future, Disney has also announced 

 a second live action movie, which would follow 

an earlier production that filmed entirely on Oʻahu

Want a chance to win tickets to Disney’s live action adaptation of the animated film? 

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Catherine Lagaʻaia

<title>What are the economic impacts of 'Moana' for Hawaiʻi?</title>

When a Disney movie has nine days of filming on Oʻahu and 280 more days of pre-production, there are economic impacts for the state. Georja Skinner, chief officer of the Creative Industries Division for the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, shared some numbers.

What are the economic impacts of 'Moana' for Hawaiʻi?

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ASD Staff

Daily Smile

This is George. He just tried freshly grated pecorino romano for the first time. Will not be accepting anything less from here on out...

Smile 26 7 10

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, July 10, 2026</title>

Daily Smile: Friday, July 10, 2026

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Christian Shimabuku

Sports

LAS VEGAS — Clad in another fancy suit and a pair of UFC belts on both shoulders, Conor McGregor showed up on time. 

McGregor, the star Irish mixed martial artist, was over an hour and a half late to his scheduled time slot at UFC 329 media day on Wednesday. For Thursday's UFC 329 press conference at T-Mobile Arena, free and open to fans, McGregor's rare promptness allowed the show to start as scheduled at 7 p.m. PDT. 

Thousands of supporters filled both sides of T-Mobile Arena, eager to get a free glimpse of McGrgeor as he returns to the octagon after a five-year hiatus. Spotted in the crowd were about a dozen Hawaiian flags in support of the man he's set to fight against on Saturday night, Max Holloway. 

Though the UFC 329 presser also featured lightweights Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis, the co-main event of the card, McGregor and his undeniable gift of gab controlled the crowd like none other on Thursday. 

Both Holloway and McGregor spoke with complete confidence in predicting what will happen when the cage gets locked on Saturday night. 

“I’m going to destroy Max. I am going to eliminate Max," McGregor said. "The final opponent of mine still within the UFC ranks. All of my other opponents are gone. Max is the last one left, and Saturday night, he gets eliminated for good.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Said Holloway: \"I hope he knows how to swim. I’m drowning his a**.\" "}]

McGregor's influence on the UFC was one of the motivating factors in the organization landing a seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcasting rights deal with Paramount+ that runs from 2026 to 2033. While his return is welcomed by many die-hard fight fans, 

 have becoming a polarizing issue for others. 

Love him or hate him, the UFC is confident the world will be watching on Saturday, and McGregor's return has already served as an economic boon to the organization. Per TickPick, the average price of a ticket on Saturday will cost $1,537, surpassing the previous UFC record of $1,250 set by UFC 306 in September 2024, a special one-off event that took place at the Las Vegas Sphere. 

McGregor's popularity and pull in the sport has allowed him to confidently speak down on his opponents.  

“The entire game, along with Max (has tried to replicate McGregor)," he said on Thursday. "Max has added some shots of mine, even the carrying of his nation’s flag. I didn’t see that one before. He went on to do some good things. That’s why we’re here again. Saturday night, I’m gonna show the evolution of McGregor. Get out your notebook, the entire fight game. The Mac is back.”

When it was time for Holloway and McGregor to face off for the first time all week, Holloway took off his shirt to put on a life jacket, doubling down on his belief that he's going to drown McGregor. McGregor then flicked Holloway's sunglasses off, and the two men had to be separated. 

“It’s gonna be a long night for Conor McGregor come Saturday night," Holloway said. "Taking him to deep waters.”

Said McGregor: “The Mac goes all night long, baby. All night we’re here. ... If we go into these deep waters, Max is going to be in a lot of trouble."

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Max Holloway Conor McGregor 070926

<title>Wai‘anae's Max Holloway and Conor McGregor exchange barbs during contentious UFC 329…</title>

Fight week continued to heat up as Holloway and McGregor faced off for the first time at the UFC 329 press conference on Thursday evening.

Wai‘anae's Max Holloway and Conor McGregor exchange barbs during contentious UFC 329 presser

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A now-retracted paper on solar energy offered "nothing serious" for discussions about the future of energy on O‘ahu, the state's chief energy officer said.

Last month, the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization published a paper about how O‘ahu will meet electrical demand through 2050 while also transitioning to net zero carbon emissions.

In particular, the paper posited that extensive solar power development on O‘ahu is sufficient to meet the island’s projected power needs, and that plans for additional fuel-burning power plants — such as, 

, a liquid natural gas facility proposed by Japanese company JERA — are less cost-effective and less energy-efficient than solar buildout.

On Tuesday, the paper’s lead author Michael Roberts 

 the study following criticisms about its methodology and data from the Hawai‘i State Energy Office and Gov. Josh Green.

Mark Glick, chief energy officer of the HSEO, told Aloha State Daily that the paper was favorable to solar energy to a reasonable degree. 

“There are a lot of players that are looking at this system and agree that there need to be major and not incremental changes,” Glick said. “And we’re kind of wondering why some people are proposing solutions that almost perpetuate the status quo, when we know it needs to change.”

Glick said the report's supposition that an island-wide energy grid could operate primarily with solar and batteries and with a minimum of new sources of "firm" energy — reliable sources of electricity that are unlikely to be interrupted, such as power plants — is drastically at odds with reality.

"I would say, that is not a common sort of engineering practice," Glick said, before amending his statement: "It's not 'not a common practice,' it's not a practice, it's not utilized anywhere."

The HSEO released on Wednesday a review of the paper enumerating its various inaccuracies and poor assumptions, such as the paper’s “centerpiece assumption” that O‘ahu can simply increase its utility-scale solar generation twelvefold by building solar infrastructure across about 31,500 acres.

“The … report appears to treat the hardest constraint in Hawai‘i as though it were a secondary implementation issue,” the HSEO review read, adding that such a colossal buildout of solar infrastructure would face resistance every step of the way. “Land use is not a minor implementation detail in Hawai‘i; it is often the central constraint.”

The HSEO also challenged the paper’s estimates on the cost of solar procurement — drawn from 2018-2019 data instead of more recent and expensive figures — and its interpretation of the projected cost of JERA’s LNG plant.

The energy office’s report also found the paper made unsupported claims about the JERA facility’s projected emission rates, while overestimating the durability and resilience of not only its imagined all-solar infrastructure, but also the island’s existing oil-burning power plants, on which that solar infrastructure would rely during the buildout.

The HSEO report concluded with 56 unanswered questions about the paper’s findings, and warned that the paper’s conclusions “may be true only within the model’s assumptions.”

Glick noted that the paper heavily relies on contributions by one Matthias Fripp, an energy industry researcher with 

 to an environmental NGO with a history of lobbying against the JERA plan. The paper specifically cites a pair of papers Fripp co-authored several times, and includes a brief acknowledgement thanking him for “his contributions to [the] report,” a gesture not granted to any other person cited.

Glick said Fripp’s previous assertions about JERA — including a claim in March that the HSEO erroneously presented the costs of JERA to be $1.2 billion less than reality — have been “clearly false,” and “fiction.”

With the paper now rescinded — a UH Mānoa statement claims Roberts withdrew the paper to correct identified errors, complete a comprehensive review, seek additional input and feedback from stakeholders” before republishing a revised draft — its potential impacts on future energy discussion remain to be seen. But Glick said he was surprised the paper got that far at all.

“UHERO has had a long history of providing credible and generally unbiased information that has helped inform,” Glick said. “But this clearly does not fit into the level of that kind of product.”

UHERO is reviewing its publication standards, according to a UH statement released Tuesday.

"The findings and conclusions in any UHERO publication are those of its authors, not of UHERO or the University of Hawaiʻi," the statement read. "UHERO does not take positions on policy questions. UHERO’s role is to provide the evidence and analysis that decision-makers and the public need, not to advocate for particular outcomes."

Meanwhile, JERA still seeks permits to begin development of its planned 500-megawatt LNG facility in Kapolei.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Image0 16x9

<title>State energy office slams retracted UHERO solar energy report</title>

State energy officer Mark Glick said the now-withdrawn report was unrealistic, unserious and unsupported by data.

State energy office slams retracted UHERO solar energy report

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, formerly known as Harry’s Hardware Emporium, is officially open within Pint + Jigger. The speakeasy opened in May, and it’s currently open Fridays to Sundays only.

Customers can make reservations for the speakeasy using OpenTable. Search for Pint + Jigger; Hush Hush is listed under “Experiences.” When you click on it, you’ll be able to choose your preferred time slot. The speakeasy is open starting at 6 p.m. until 10 or 11 p.m.

For those who have visited Harry’s Hardware in Pint + Jigger’s previous location on South King Street, you’ll notice some familiar elements. The countertop is from the old location — it’s just been trimmed down, since the current space is smaller — and the speakeasy has the same wallpaper, stools and lighting, according to lead bartender Max Kamm, who explains that the intimate lounge now features New Orleans-inspired cocktails.

“We wanted to do a nod toward the New Orleans bar scene,” he says. “If you look at the menu, it’s going to seem like there’s a lot of usage of cognac, absinthe and French ingredients. A lot of New Orleans staples are on there — like Sazerac, Grasshopper — that are real prevalent there. I think there’s something on there (the menu) for just about anybody.”

The “HH” logo stood for Harry’s Hardware, but after Dave Newman stepped away from Pint + Jigger, the team changed the speakeasy’s name.

“It was named after his (Newman’s) grandpa,” Kamm says. “We’re doing the same concept — just wanted to do good cocktails, and we have a nice space to do it in.

“Harry’s (Hardware) closed right before the Covid-19 pandemic,” he adds. “We got to this location just about four years ago, and we just opened it (the speakeasy) now, so it’s been a long time. The reason we never opened this prior was because we’re just always shorthanded when it comes to the bar staff.”

The bar seats around 12 individuals, and there are three booths in the speakeasy. The speakeasy space can seat approximately 25 guests, according to Kamm.

“The booths are really different (compared to the old location),” he explains. “When they were doing the buildout for this, it was during the Covid-19 pandemic, so it made more sense to do it this way (with booths).”

The cocktail menu features a variety of barrel-aged options — which are popular, according to Kamm — refreshing libations, “guilty pleasures” and slushies. There are also beers and wines by the glass or bottle.

“If you’re into Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, a lot of the cocktails under the ‘boozy’ section are in your wheelhouse,” Kamm says. “If you’re looking for something fun and playful, but still tasty and leaning toward the dessert side, the ‘guilty pleasures’ section is good to look at.”

An example of this is the Grasshopper ($15), made with Raynal Cocnac, crème de menthe, crème de cacao, fernet branca and cream.

“For the Grasshopper, I wanted to make it look like you’re drinking a diner milkshake,” Kamm says. “If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, I think you’ll enjoy it.”

The barrel-aged Vieuxcarre ($25) has also been a customer favorite. It comprises Rittenhouse rye, Old Overhault Rye, Raynal Cognac, Carpano Antica, Benedictine and bitters.

“The barrel-aged cocktails are always a hit,” Kamm says. “I think people are just intrigued by the fact that they’re barrel-aged.

“The only drink I have to talk to people about is the Frappe,” he adds. “Absinthe is such a huge thing in New Orleans. It’s one of those if you don’t like black licorice, you’re going to hate it (the cocktail).”

The speakeasy’s slushies ($16-$18) have also been well received. Choose from Irish coffee — Bushmills Irish whiskey, cold brew and cream — and Henny Colada, made with Hennessy VS (an iconic cognac), coconut and pineapple. (During our visit, we were indecisive about the flavors, so Kamm gave us samples of both.)

Right now, the speakeasy features cocktails only; customers can go downstairs to Pint + Jigger to order food. However, a small food menu might be coming soon to Hush Hush, according to Kamm.

“Eventually, the goal is to be open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,” he says. “Our chef is (also) working on getting some food here; the idea is to continue wit the New Orleans scene (for the food menu).”

Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting at 6 p.m.

Hush Hush decor 070126

<title>Hush Hush is a new speakeasy in Pint + Jigger</title>

The speakeasy is currently open Fridays to Sundays for cocktails. The entrance is hidden in plain sight inside Pint + Jigger. The speakeasy’s menu now features a New Orleans-style theme with drinks like Sazerac, Grasshopper, and libations with absinthe.

Hush Hush is a new speakeasy in Pint + Jigger

t has announced its next director and CEO, David Odo, who will start on Sept. 1.

Odo, who grew up in Kailua, is currently the director and chief curator at the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia. There he oversees institutional vision and strategy, as well as fundraising, collections, educational direction, and more. 

Under Odo’s leadership, the Georgia Museum of Art had paid membership increase 67%, donors grow 8% and overall museum revenue increase 141%, according to numbers shared by HoMA.

“David brings the experience, vision and leadership that HoMA needs as we prepare to enter our second century,” said Amber Strong Makaiau, chair of HoMA’s board of trustees, in a written statement. “His record of strengthening museums through thoughtful strategic growth, sound institutional stewardship, and meaningful community engagement gives us every confidence that he is the right leader for HoMA at this important moment in our history. His understanding of Hawai‘i and international experience uniquely position him to lead the museum forward.”

, who led the museum for about a year, and former director 

, who led it for five years, from 2020 to 2025, before becoming director at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.   

He is the son of Franklin Odo, who helped found the 

 at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Previously, he held leadership positions at Harvard Art Museums and Yale University Art Gallery

“I am honored to work alongside the Honolulu Museum of Art’s talented team, trustees, members, supporters, educators, and community partners at this important moment in its history,” said Odo, in a written statement. “HoMA holds a world-class collection, deep civic roots, and a community that has claimed it as its own for nearly a hundred years. What excites me is honoring that legacy while boldly positioning the museum for its next century.”

Founded in 1927, HoMA has more than 55,000 works for art from around the world. As a middle school student, Oda remembers being drawn to the sculptures in the Buddhism gallery.

“They sparked my curiosity about world religions,” he said, in a written statement. “That’s one of the things I love about art museums — they hold so much possibility to encourage one’s interest in a limitless number of subjects, and I’m excited to continue that legacy for others in our community.”

HoMA is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with extended hours until 9 p.m. on Fridays. Admission is $15 for kamaʻāina. It is free for youth 18 years old or younger, as well as college students attending Hawaiʻi state universities or colleges, and SNAP beneficiaries. 

David Odo

<title>HoMA announces new director and CEO</title>

The Honolulu Museum of Art has announced its next director and CEO, who will assume the role on Sept. 1. Learn more about the executive, who grew up in Kailua.

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Secret water oasis

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Social Media & Marketing Manager

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Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Secret water oasis

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Kady Pascual

Social Media & Marketing Manager

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