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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Stephanie Salmons on a flight home. "Nothing like flying into Hawai‘i and being greeted by blue skies, the blue sea and sunshine."

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25 10 16 STEPHANIE SALMONS

<title>Hawai'i Skies: Flying home</title>

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Stephanie Salmons on a flight home.

Hawai'i Skies: Flying home

Today&#039;s Hawai&#039;i Skies was captured by Stephanie Salmons on a flight home. &quot;Nothing like flying into Hawai‘i and being greeted by blue skies, the blue sea and sunshine.&quot; To submit your Hawai&#039;i Skies photo, visit us online or email: general@alohastatedaily.com For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.

Arrasmith Portrait

Perry Arrasmith

Government & Politics

Columnists

Just when I thought the dust settled, another layer was added to the confusion. 

It’s nothing short of a crisis. On June 4, the Chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Andrew Ferguson, made an announcement from Ohio that throws Hawai‘i’s Medicaid program in the middle of a growing national fight over fraud. 

As a result of Ferguson’s announcements, the state agency certified to investigate Medicaid fraud in Hawai‘i is now decertified and defunded. In the federal government’s eyes, it functions with no credibility. 

, “Hawai‘i’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has received millions and millions of dollars to fight fraud and has consistently been one of the lowest-performing fraud units in the country.”

, a little-known agency nestled under the Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General charged with investigating fraud. 

The crisis has unfolded gradually over the past 10 years and now finds itself at an unprecedented inflection point. 

“They have been the subject of continued demands to improve their performance since 2014 — dating back to the Obama Administration — and from 2021 to 2025, Hawai‘i’s Medicaid funding went up 27%. Their Medicaid enrollment went up 40%, and they did not produce a single conviction or obtain a single indictment of a fraudster from 2021 to 2025.” 

The Attorney General of the State of Hawai‘i, Anne Lopez, had previously clapped back at the Trump administration's accusations against Hawai‘i just a week earlier. On May 26, the California Department of Justice 

 a press conference with several Democratic Attorneys General to address a ‘last-minute’ invitation extended by Vice President Vance to join the White House’s Medicaid Fraud Task Force. Attorney General Lopez was flanked by her counterparts from Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, and California.

 an Anti-Fraud Task Force on March 16 to be chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance. For politically disparate Hawai‘i, the gravity of the Task Force’s importance was brought to bear on May 13 at a 

 on Medicaid fraud hosted by Vice President Vance. 

“The Hawai‘i Medicaid program has received billions and billions of dollars from the federal taxpayers,” Vance observed at his May conference. “Hawai‘i taxpayers have paid in a lot of money into this program over the last years as well. Guess how many convictions or indictments Hawaii has had over the last few years in its Medicaid fraud program? The answer is zero.”

For those who don’t know, Medicaid is a joint federal-state program administered by the states. Each state has a designated Medicaid agency (

 in Hawai‘i’s case, which functions under the Hawai‘i Department of Human Services). Hawai‘i will then pay different providers and/or health plans to provide health care and report those expenditures to the federal government through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Hawai‘i then seeks federal funds to match some of the costs borne by the State. 

, the U.S. federal government covered 71% of Hawai‘i’s Medicaid costs ($2.2 billion) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, leaving the State of Hawai‘i to cover the remaining 29% ($890 million). It’s a lot of money, leaving fraud as a consistent possibility.  

Gov. Green brushed off Vance’s concerns on May 18. “He didn’t take the time to call me at all,” Green 

Gov. Green, for now, is committed to avoiding squabbles with the federal government. Where health care is concerned, he’s enjoyed a largely warm relationship with the Trump administration. 

To date, Governor Josh Green has expressed a ready willingness to engage with the Trump Administration on a select basis. 

This relationship has notably extended to the CMS headed by Dr. Mehmet Oz. CMS Administrator Oz has directly engaged with Governor Green on more than one occasion. On July 23, 2025, the Governor’s Office 

 that Green would facilitate a discussion with CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz (alongside Republican Vermont Governor Phil Scott). 

CMS, so far, has also shown a willingness to fund rural health efforts across the United States, including Hawai‘i. On December 29, 2025, it 

 that the State of Hawai‘i would receive nearly $189 million in funding to “expand access to care in rural communities, strengthen the rural health workforce, modernize rural facilities and technology, and support innovative models that bring high-quality, dependable care closer to home.”

 focuses on six specific areas: (1) a Rural Health Information Network; (2) the Pili Ola Telehealth Network; (3) a Rural Infrastructure for Care Access (RICA) network; (4) a Rural Healthcare Workforce Pipeline; (5) a Rural Respite Network of five separate sites designed to reduce hospital stays; and (6) a Rural Value-Based Innovation and AHEAD Readiness Fund to encourage “value-based care and population-health models.” 

Ties between Gov. Green and Dr. Oz, at least for now, appear to be warm. Oz even 

 Green for collaborating with him for National Walking Day on March 19, just a few days after the formation of Vice President Vance’s Task Force. 

Despite Vance’s attacks on Hawai‘i, Gov. Green pulled back the veil to explain that he still maintains good relationships with the Trump administration. As he explained in one May interview, “I actually spoke right after that interview with the head of CMS – that’s Dr. Oz – to share what we’re actually doing.”

 (MFCU), organized under the State of Hawai‘i’s Department of the Attorney General. To that end, criticism of our MFCU is not new. 

In fact, managing the MFCU is a wicked issue with a decade of history. During the Obama Administration, an October 2014 

 conducted by the HHS OIG found that “only two of the [MFCU]’s seven investigators were hired as long-term employees (as required), the Unit did not have an auditor, it did not have written policies and procedures for its operations, and it did not have a required training plan for its professional employees.” 

The same report found that the MFCU failed to “regularly communicate with Federal law enforcement agencies, it worked outside of its grant authority, and it did not exercise fiscal control of its resources.”

 found that the MFCU “experienced significant turnover of investigators and lacked sufficient Medicaid fraud cases to adequately train new and inexperienced investigators.” Furthermore, the MFCU appeared to receive “few fraud referrals from the Medicaid Program Integrity Unit and other stakeholders, which limited the number of cases available for the Unit to investigate and prosecute.”

Similarly, the Center for Program Integrity within the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services called for better cooperation in two reports issued in 

In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) dispatched its Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) MFCU Oversight Division to review the state’s work on Medicaid fraud. Per the Attorney General’s office, the review “identified a number of challenges that have impacted its ability to initiate criminal charges and obtain convictions.” 

To that end, the division has ample room for improvement. Efforts to streamline the MFCU’s work include “increased collaboration with the unit’s state and federal partners to detect and investigate Medicaid and Medicare Fraud in Hawai‘i, accelerated recruitment of new investigators, and developing tools for investigation.” 

 directly to Hawai‘i’s Attorney General. The Inspector General, T. March Bell, doubled down on the Vice President’s rhetoric and went a step further. Bell confirmed that he had directed his office “to engage in a robust review of [Hawai‘i’s] MFCU.” To that end, he further confirmed that he “will be reaching out to you personally to review the effectiveness of your MFCU, as well as its compliance with program requirements.” 

“Hawaiʻi has not ignored Medicaid fraud,” Attorney General Anne Lopez 

 on May 14. “Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has secured or helped secure more than $14 million in judgments, settlements, and recoveries since 2021, filed recent criminal charges, and is actively working with federal and state partners to strengthen investigations and prosecutions.”

It is still true that the State of Hawai‘i did not have any convictions resulting from the MFCU. This fact is confirmed by a 

 released by the HHS OIG. Small states like Montana, Vermont, North Dakota, New Hampshire, and Delaware had at least one conviction. The same sheet shows that Hawai‘i managed to engage in 388 fraud investigations, although not a single investigation resulted in a single indictment.  

Despite his methods, the vice president's press conference is shining attention on an inconvenient, long-term issue with serious consequences for Hawai‘i’s fiscal health. 

For now, Attorney General Anne Lopez’s decision to align with other Democratic Attorneys General may run out of step with Gov. Green’s conciliatory approach to folks like Dr. Oz and the Trump Administration’s increased focus on Hawai‘i. 

It’s a game of money overshadowed by the inclination of national officials to make an example of Hawai‘i. To weather this storm, Hawai‘i’s money — and Hawai‘i’s health — require more attention from Hawai‘i’s people.

Josh Green state of the state 012125

<title>Making Sense of Hawai‘i’s Medicaid Fraud Conundrum</title>

On Thursday, the federal government decertified and defunded Hawai‘i's Medicaid fraud unit in response to having spent millions on the unit for years while getting few results. ASD political historian Perry Arrasmith explains how we got here and what it means for Hawai‘i, where Gov. Josh Green had been on fairly good terms with the Trump administration on health matters.

Making Sense of Hawai‘i’s Medicaid Fraud Conundrum

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Aloha Spirit

A little more than three months after the University of Hawai‘i officially 

 to reestablish the chancellor position at its flagship Mānoa campus, the UH Board of Regents unanimously approved the appointment of 

 to the role during a special meeting Thursday, June 4.

Syrmos is no stranger to the university, joining UH Mānoa 35 years ago as a faculty member in the College of Engineering, an announcement from the university on Thursday noted. He has served as interim provost of UH Mānoa since July 2025, and spent 12 years as UH vice president for research and innovation and eight years as associate vice chancellor for research at UH Mānoa.

[{"type":"text","text":"He starts in his new role on July 1."}]

"I am honored by the confidence placed in me and grateful for the opportunity to serve UH Mānoa at this important moment,” Syrmos said in the announcement. “While I know the university well, I also know there is always more to learn. My first priority will be to visit every school, college and major unit across UH Mānoa to listen and learn directly from our students, faculty and staff. The strength of this university has always been its people, and I believe our best path forward begins by listening first.”

In his role as interim provost, UH says Syrmos helped secure legislative support for the UH Cancer Center's research and helped strengthen its ability to maintain a National Cancer Institute designation, among other efforts. And while vice president for research and innovation, he led long-range strategic planning efforts that led extramural funding to record growth, including a high of $734 million in fiscal year 2025 — the fourth straight year that UH exceeded $500 million in research funding.

As chancellor, Syrmos will serve as the campus' CEO, reporting to the university president and serving on the president's senior leadership team, UH says. According to the university, he'll oversee an annual budget of more than $800 million and more than 5,000 employees, "leading academic affairs, research, student success, enrollment and administrative operations in partnership with the provost and executive team."

 for the position after the nationwide search, which kicked off in February. 

Syrmos will make an annual salary of $450,000, or $37,500 a month, according to a 

 from Hensel to Board of Regents Chair Gabriel Lee.

Currently, the UH president also holds the campus' chancellor responsibilities, while academic affairs, research, enrollment management and student affairs are led by the provost, UH 

But this isn't the first time the president and chancellor roles have been separated. Over the decades, the BOR has approved two primary leadership structures for UH Mānoa: one where there was a dedicated chancellor role and a combined chancellor-president role, the memo states.

According to the memo, the College of Hawai‘i was led by the UH president from 1907 to 1972. There was a dedicated chancellor role at UH Mānoa from 1972 to 1985, as the UH system and its campuses continued to grow, but the roles were combined to oversee both Mānoa and the UH system from 1985 to 2001.

A dedicated chancellor role split from the UH president again from 2001 to 2019, and the roles were combined again starting in 2019, "with established hybrid functions and established provost position."

"The last dedicated chancellor served until August 2016," Hensel writes in the memo. "Effective September 2016, the UH president assumed the interim UH Mānoa chancellor role while the UH Mānoa chancellor search process, launched earlier in April 2016, continued. However, the search concluded in February 2017 without an appointment. After much evaluation and discussion, effective April 2019, the Board of Regents approved the reorganization to recombine the president and chancellor roles and subsequently approved the establishment of a new provost. This was the beginning of 'hybrid' roles and programs in which select UH System and UH Manoa operations were integrated."

According to UH on Thursday, the BOR voted in December 2025 to reestablish the chancellor position following a recommendation from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to separate the chancellor and president roles.

UH says the nationwide search attracted 32 applicants and generated nine more nominations and inquiries. 

 was selected from a finalist pool that included the provost and vice president for academic affairs at San Francisco State University and the president of National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, the announcement notes.

Vassilis Syrmos

<title>New chancellor for UH Mānoa selected</title>

The University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents unanimously approved the appointment of longtime UH leader Vassilis Syrmos to the role on Thursday.

New chancellor for UH Mānoa selected

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

The "Sunset on the Beach" movie series has returned to Queen’s Beach on the Diamond Head side of Waikīkī. The free, family-friendly events will screen five films this summer. The series started with a screening of “Zootopia 2” on May 30.

The program is provided through a partnership between the City and County of Honolulu, the Waikīkī Improvement Association and Southwest Airlines. 

Before each screening, there are opportunities for games, activities and photos. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. 

Coca-Cola will provide Coke ice cream floats. 

Seating is first-come, first-served, and families are encouraged to 

 will make a donation and recognize a local nonprofit. This year, the featured nonprofits are: 

, Make-A-Wish Hawaiʻi, Chaminade University Athletics, Hawaiʻi Foodbank, and the Hawaiʻi High School Athletics Association. 

One of the films, “A Minecraft Movie,” 

, who was born in Honolulu. These films are scheduled for July, August and September:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"July 3"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“Wicked: For Good”"}]

Festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. | Movie starts at 7:30 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"July 25"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“Smurfs”"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Aug. 29"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“A Minecraft Movie”"}]

Festivities begin at 4 p.m. | Movie starts at 7:05 p.m.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sept. 26"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"“The Bad Guys 2”"}]

Festivities begin at 4 p.m. | Movie starts at 6:40 p.m.

 with pathways and sidewalks that reach the beach and restrooms.

Movies

<title>Four movies to see with ʻSunset on the Beachʻ in Waikīkī</title>

Looking for a free family movie night on the beach where you can have your toes in the sand? That is possible through the "Sunset on the Beach" movie series, which started in May, and brings five family-friendly movies to Queen’s Beach in Waikīkī. Learn which movies are showing this summer.

Four movies to see with ʻSunset on the Beachʻ in Waikīkī

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 — centered on desserts highlighting fluffy cakes topped with colorful, round sprinkles — has taken social media by storm. The trend originated from a New York-based bakery, but business owner Ailene Lau is launching her own twist on the viral dessert this weekend. 

, an espresso and matcha bar at Bayview Golf Course in Kāneʻohe, is launching a dot cake-inspired latte ($9.50 with espresso, $11.50 with matcha), along with a dot cake dessert ($10) this weekend.

“We offer a rotating specialty latte; for this month, we will be offering the viral dot cake-inspired latte,” Lau says. “One of my favorite things is bringing fun food and drink trends to Hawaiʻi. Not everyone has the chance to try the viral trends they see online, so it’s always exciting to re-create them locally and share them with our community.”

The dot cake latte features your choice of milk and caffeine — espresso, hojicha (extra $1) or matcha (extra $2) — with birthday cake sauce, housemade cream topping, and thousands of dot sprinkles. Meanwhile, the business’s dot cake is made with Funfetti cake and vanilla ice cream, and is topped with dot sprinkles.

“The dot cake drink will be available until July, and if people really like it, I might keep it to the end of the summer,” Lau says.

Lau opened Bean on the Green at Bayview Golf Course in March. It’s currently open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays to Sundays, and it’s open to the public — not only to golfers.

“This space (for the coffee shop) has been empty for some time, and I wanted to utilize it to bring convenience not only to the golfers at Bayview, but also to the community,” Lau says. “Whether you’re charging your car at the (Tesla) Superchargers, playing mini putt, practicing at the driving range or just looking for a comforting place to have breakfast and coffee, we’ve been working to expand our menu to ensure there’s something for everyone.”

Bean on the Green offers classic coffees, blended drinks and caffeine-free options, but it’s most known for its specialty lattes. Specialty lattes come with the customer’s choice of espresso, hojicha or matcha; matcha lattes feature Ami Mei matcha and each drink includes 4 grams of matcha, according to Lau.

“I worked a few coffee shop jobs in the past; I started at Starbucks and then I worked at Aliʻi Coffee,” she says. “My menu is inspired by local flavors. For the specialty lattes, I make all the sauces myself.”

The Chantilly puff latte ($9.75) features housemade Chantilly sauce, dark chocolate sauce, a cream top, crushed roasted macadamia nuts and a dark chocolate drizzle. The Coco Puff latte ($9) is made with a dark chocolate sauce and a cream top, and is finished with Coco Puffs cereal and a dark chocolate drizzle.

“That one’s really fun because it’s inspired by the Coco Puff cold brew in Disneyland,” Lau says. “The Coco Puffs and Chantilly lattes match better with coffee; a lot of people like to get the banana bread latte with matcha.”

The banana bread latte has become a customer favorite. It includes banana puree, brown sugar cinnamon glaze, a cream top and crushed roasted macadamia nuts.

“All specialty lattes come with a cream top,” Lau says. “So far, our banana bread latte and Chantilly puff latte have been the most popular.”

Non-coffee options include Red Bull spritzers ($6.50) — which include Red Bull with Nerds Candy and a choice of Harder’s syrup — and blended drinks like frappes and frozen lemonades.

“Some flavors (for the Red Bull spritzers) include green river, melon and lychee,” Lau says. “It’s good with the Nerds candy added for a fun crunch.”

The business offers a limited food menu, which includes bagels with cream cheese ($5), breakfast bagels ($11), breakfast sandwiches ($11) and breakfast burritos ($15). The latter are stuffed with Spam or Portuguese sausage, scrambled eggs, jalapeno cheddar potatoes, cheese and aioli, and come with a side of salsa.

“Classic tots (instead of the jalapeno cheddar) are available as well,” Lau says. “It’s finished with a crispy cheese crust on the outside of the burrito, so there’s cheese on the inside and on the outside. The crispy cheese skirt is my favorite part.”

Spam musubis ($4) and walking tacos ($8) — a combo of Doritos, seasoned ground beef, cheese, lettuce and salsa — are also available as grab-and-go options.

Customers can call or text 808-941-3883 for free delivery throughout the Bayview property, according to Lau.

“This service started as free on-course delivery for the golfers, but we received a lot of delivery requests from other business patrons on the property,” Lau says.

Bean on the Green also participates in the Bayview Night Market, which is from 4 to 8 p.m. every first and third Tuesday at Bayview Golf Park.

“We sell huge dirty soda buckets with Harder’s syrups, our housemade cream top, and fun candy toppings,” Lau says. “It (the night market) features lots of food and craft vendors, as well as a card show for Pokémon, One Piece and sports card collectors and fanatics.”

Bean on the Green owner 060426

<title>Bean on the Green is launching viral dot cake-inspired lattes</title>

The coffee shop and matcha bar, located at Bayview Golf Course in Kāneʻohe, is open Fridays to Sundays. The business — which is open to the public, not only to golfers — is launching its trendy dot cake-inspired lattes and desserts this weekend; they will be available while supplies last.

Bean on the Green is launching viral dot cake-inspired lattes

New legislation, passed this year and recently signed into law by Gov. Josh Green as 

, expands the Hawai‘i Medical Leave Law.

Now, eligible employees can take family leave for a "qualifying military exigency" involving their child, spouse, reciprocal beneficiary, sibling, grandchild or parent serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, according to an announcement Thursday from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

[{"type":"text","text":"The law takes effect July 1."}]

"The Legislature finds that military families face unique challenges stemming from the demands of military life, including frequent relocations, short-notice deployments and other service-related obligations," the legislation, passed as Senate Bill 3082, reads. "These disruptions often result in financial stress, food insecurity and urgent needs for time off from work to manage essential responsibilities such as arranging childcare, attending military briefings, securing legal and financial services, and ensuring continuity of care for dependents."

The legislation also states that aligning the state's family leave law with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which acknowledges such exigencies, "will provide critical support and reinforce the state's commitment to those who serve."

DLIR says that the state's Family Leave Law provides employees — who work for employers with 100 or more employees — up to four weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave during any calendar year upon the birth or adoption of a child; to care for a child, spouse, reciprocal beneficiary, sibling, grandchild or parent with a serious health condition; or for a qualifying military exigency, or urgent demand.

“The expansion of Hawaiʻi’s family leave law ensures that workers can respond to urgent situations related to active‑duty military service without jeopardizing their employment,” DLIR Director Jade Butay said in the announcement. “This amendment recognizes the unique challenges faced by families of service members and reinforces Hawaiʻi’s commitment to supporting military families.”

[{"type":"text","text":"Green signed the measure on May 19."}]

20251030 120817 16x9

<title>New law expands family leave</title>

The legislation expands the state's Family Leave Law to allow eligible employees to take family leave for a "qualifying military exigency."

New law expands family leave

Business & Tourism

The island-inspired footwear company OluKai, which has 

, is collaborating with Super Bowl Champions Jason and Travis Kelce of the New Heights podcast on a new men’s sandal: Mea Ola Nuʻu. 

 ahead of Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21.  

The New Heights podcast brings brothers Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs together for an audience of more than 3 million subscribers. Last year, New Heights featured 

 and in OluKai’s retail stores on Tuesday, June 9. 

 on Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi, as well as California, South Carolina and Florida. In 2014, the company founded

, a nonprofit in Hawaiʻi that partners with local organizations to preserve Hawaiian culture.

New Heights x OluKai

<title>OluKai collaborates with Jason and Travis Kelce</title>

The Island-inspired footwear company is partnering with New Heights from Super Bowl Champions Jason and Travis Kelce on a new men’s sandal, which releases just before Father’s Day.

Hawai'i Skies: Flying home

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Hawai'i Skies: Flying home

Authors

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