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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Bryan Mick in Kahaluʻu. "

My son loves to watch the clouds roll from the hills makai of us over to the Koʻolaus which are mauka of us. These clouds were especially impressive!"

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

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<title>Hawai'i Skies: Over the hills</title>

Today's Hawai'i Skies was captured by Bryan Mick in Kahaluʻu.

Hawai'i Skies: Over the hills

Today&#039;s Hawai&#039;i Skies was captured by Bryan Mick in Kahaluʻu. &quot;My son loves to watch the clouds roll from the hills makai of us over to the Koʻolaus which are mauka of us. These clouds were especially impressive!&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.

Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"This is Summit. He is a friend to pretty much everyone he meets......."}]

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<title>Daily Smile: Saturday, March 28, 2026</title>

This is Summit. He is a friend to pretty much everyone he meets.......

Daily Smile: Saturday, March 28, 2026

[{"type":"text","text":"Camera inside dog bowl....."}]

Smile 26 3 27

<title>Daily Smile: Friday, March 27, 2026</title>

Camera inside dog bowl.....

Daily Smile: Friday, March 27, 2026

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A measure intended to prevent corporations from influencing elections is still going strong in the state legislature.

 sets limits on what it calls “artificial-person powers,” political powers afforded to corporations or similar entities.

Under current state laws, corporations have “the same powers as an individual to do all things necessary or convenient to carry out [their] affairs,” such as the power to file lawsuits, to own property, to make contracts and the like.

Most of those powers would not be impeded by SB 2471. However, the ability of a corporation to be involved in elections or any “ballot-issue activity” would be terminated by the bill. Specifically, this would include the ability for a corporation to pay, donate or otherwise spend money to support or oppose a political campaign, political party, constitutional amendment, charter amendment or any other issue on a ballot.

These limitations would apply to corporations, associations, limited-equity housing cooperatives, limited-liability partnerships and nonprofits. It also applies to “foreign corporations,” which in this case means any corporation formed in other states as well as other countries.

Should any such organization take any action considered to be an election activity, that organization will forfeit all of powers and privileges afforded by the state.

The bill is a response to the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court verdict in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The upshot of that verdict was that laws prohibiting political spending by corporations were determined to be a violation of the First Amendment’s protections toward free speech.

 on the measure by the Senate Judiciary Committee stated that, since the Citizens United verdict, “corporations and other entities have spent large sums of money to influence political campaigns and elections, undermining public trust in the democratic process.” That report added that the Hawai‘i State Constitution allows for the Legislature to “withdraw any corporate or entity powers that the State has conferred.”

The Center for American Progress, a self-described nonpartisan public policy think tank, has testified extensively in favor of the measure, testimony which multiple committees have specifically responded to. In 

, CAP senior fellow Tom Moore wrote that corporations only exist because states allow them to by conferring privileges and powers, something that states can change without violating the Citizens United ruling.

Moore wrote that there is a distinction between “powers” and “rights,” whereby SB 2471 limits a corporation’s “powers” but not its “rights”. Instead, he wrote, it simply “defines the powers that Hawai‘i chooses to grant to the artificial entities it creates and authorizes to do business within the state.”

Whether this will actually hold any legal water is unclear. The state Department of the Attorney General has 

, warning that it will likely be challenged under the Citizens United verdict — something which, the attorney general noted, will likely incur 

“While many Americans strongly disagree with … Citizens United, under our federal system of government, it is our duty to state that this opinion remains the law of the land, irrespective of its merits (or lack thereof),” read the Attorney General’s letter (parenthetical theirs).

During the bill’s most recent committee hearing, on Tuesday, Rep. Scot Matayoshi (D-Kāne‘ohe) said he hopes “we don’t get too smoked in court” should the bill pass.

Matayoshi moved during Tuesday’s meeting of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce to remove language in the bill differentiating charitable donations and political donations. The current draft of the measure defines “artificial-person powers” as those powers necessary for a corporation to carry out its “lawful, charitable or public-benefit purposes.”

This language, Matayoshi said, would effectively force many nonprofits, unions and veterans associations to lose their nonprofit status if they engaged in any ballot-related donations. If passed, the bill would effectively prohibit political donations by for-profit corporations while allowing it for non-profits and unions.

“It is this committee’s belief that a natural person’s free speech is not impeded by the restriction of corporate speech,” Matayoshi concluded.

The bill passed Tuesday’s committee with no opposition: all committee members present, including Republican Rep. Elijah Pierick (Royal Kunia), voted to recommend the bill’s passage with Matayoshi’s amendments. No legislator has voted against it in committees since its introduction.

The bill must still pass review by the House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, but that committee has not scheduled any hearing for the bill yet.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

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<title>Bill prohibiting corporate political donations nearing the finish line</title>

A bill limiting a corporation's ability to make political donations has passed all but one committee in the state Legislature.

Bill prohibiting corporate political donations nearing the finish line

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

The seasonal pop-up — presented by Prince Waikīkī and The House of Suntory — soft opens today and is grand opening tomorrow. The pop-up is located on the lobby level of the hotel, and is open from 5 to 10 p.m. (last call 9:30 p.m.) Thursdays to Sundays through May 31.

Attendees can look forward to a curated selection of Beam Suntory cocktails — along with premium sakes, Japanese beers, and select wines by the glass — along with shareable dishes.

Dishes on the food menu include a seafood platter for two ($80), sando trio combo ($25), fresh ‘ahi sashimi ($20), yakitori and yaki onigiri combo ($15), and a matcha dessert combo ($12).

The seafood platter comprises a lobster tail, crab, shrimp, oysters and ‘ahi sashimi. It’s served with lemon wedges, Kona ogo and a variety of sauces (ponzu, mignonette and cocktail).

Meanwhile, the sando trio combo ($25) features Japanese-style sandwiches with fillings like tamago (egg salad), tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) and steak (grilled wagyu skirt steak). The combo features sandwich halves, making it easier for customers to try a little of each. 

The fresh ‘ahi sashimi ($20) and yakitori and yaki onigiri combo ($15) are perfect if you want a pūpū-sized snack. The latter features grilled chicken thigh skewers (three per order) served with a grilled rice ball.

Meanwhile, the matcha dessert combo ($12) features Dave’s matcha ice cream and housemade matcha warabi mochi, served with kinako powder and brown sugar syrup.

The beverage selection includes beers ($9), select wines by the glass ($10), Toki High Balls ($15) and a variety of themed cocktails ($17). Choose from shiso-spritz — shiso-infused Suntory Haku vodka, Midori, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, Bene soda water and expressed lemon peel — Pink Ryu, which is a vibrant mix of dragon fruit, Suntory Roku gin, Haiken lychee vodka, Funkin passion fruit puree and Liquid Alchemist coconut syrup; and Citrus Sanpin.

The latter features Jasmine green tea-infused Suntory Haku vodka, Jasmine green tea syrup, fresh lemon juice, Jasmine green tea and an expressed lemon peel.

Customers can order premium sakes by the glass or bottle. Sake flights ($20) are also available.

[{"type":"text","text":"Complimentary self-parking is available with validation from the pop-up."}]

Open from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays

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<title>House of Sakura pop-up opens in Honolulu</title>

This spring pop-up at Prince Waikīkī opens today. It will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays until May 31. Attendees can look forward to curated cocktails, premium sakes and shareable dishes in an aesthetic setting.

House of Sakura pop-up opens in Honolulu

One week after the Wahiawā Dam came feet away from failing, the state will begin to take over ownership of the area’s irrigation system.

The century-old dam’s current owner, the Dole Food Company, has been unwilling or unable to mitigate various safety issues, leading the company to propose donating the properties to the state.

Two weeks ago, the Board of Land and Natural Resources was scheduled to officially take over management of lands associated with the Wahiawā Reservoir, but the board meeting was postponed due to the first Kona low storm of the month. On Friday, after the second Kona low emphasized the dam’s weaknesses, the Board will finally decide whether to approve the transaction.

Should the Board approve the acquisition, lands associated with the Reservoir will fall under the care of the DLNR’s Division of State Parks, while repairs to the dam and spillway will be carried out by the state Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Andrew Laurence, DLNR’s Communications Director, told Aloha State Daily. 

However, the state Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity is responsible for acquiring the dam and spillway, and making any necessary improvements to that infrastructure. 

Once DAB’s improvements to the dam are complete, the dam and spillway will be transferred again , this time to the state Agribusiness Development Corporation, a division of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. The Reservoir will remain with DLNR

Dole initially proposed donating the dam to the DLNR in 2021, after the DLNR fined Dole $20,000 for failing to address the dam’s undersized spillway, which doesn’t meet modern federal design standards.

, written prior to the storms this month, noted that “the dam is anticipated to overtop during storm events” and that “the aging concrete spillway structure integrity is uncertain and may potentially be compromised during a significant flow event.”

Following Dole’s 2021 proposal, the state Legislature passed 

 allocating $26 million to DLNR to acquire the dam and spillway and bring them up to safety standards. That bill set a deadline: the transaction must be completed by the end of June or else the funds will lapse.

Following the 2023 bill, Laurence said the DLNR has been conducting various assessments of the Reservoir parcels involved in the transactions. Amid those assessments, teams found several environmental violations, including improperly stored petroleum products leaking onto the soil, floor drains from a neighboring autobody shop emptying onto the land, and more.

These violations are cited in the BLNR report as additional justification for the DLNR to take over the land.

Several farmers and agricultural groups have submitted testimony supporting the state takeover of the dam, although that testimony was written before last weekend’s flooding.

The Hawai‘i Farm Bureau wrote that the Wahiawā Irrigation System cannot be replaced by individual farmers in Central and North O‘ahu, who rely on the irrigation system to sustain their operations, particularly during drought conditions. Consequently, state ownership is preferable to the possibility of Dole selling the land to other private owners which may raise water rates or disrupt water availability.

Dole itself also testified in support, noting that the company has been seeking to transfer the property to the state for years.

This article has been corrected to clarify the state agencies involved.

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<title>What's next for the Wahiawā Dam?</title>

Ownership changes coming throughout Wahiawā Irrigation System.

What's next for the Wahiawā Dam?

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Sterling Higa

Aloha Spirit

Columnists

The candidate knocked at my door. “Good afternoon, sir. My name is such and such and I’m running for so and so.” After a bit of small talk, I asked what high school he went to. He started to answer in all but a whisper: “Puh, puh, puh.”

I told him to speak up. “Don’t worry. I went to Roosevelt. I went to community college. I don’t care if you went to Punahou.”

“All I care about is what you’re going to do for our district. How are you going to lead?”

This is more common than you’d think. Put some of our private school alumni in a mixed room and they suddenly become shy about being Raiders (to be fair, Punahou alumni should be shy about pretending that the winged-O is a mascot).

Someone, somewhere taught them that privilege is something to be ashamed of. Maybe it was a college professor. Maybe the DEI director at their corporate job. Maybe they got tired of cousins giving them grief at the family potluck. However it happened, they absorbed the idea that the advantages they received were a verdict on their character.

But consider what they’re actually ashamed of. Better-resourced classrooms. Championship athletic programs. Campuses that genuinely do look like country clubs. College counselors whose entire job is getting seniors into good schools. Alumni networks that, 15 years after graduation, still open doors.

The Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy graduates are the funniest. They almost always have to preface, either admitting that they were kicked out of another school or maintaining that they were not. And you’ll occasionally meet the Punahou or ‘Iolani alum who hastens to clarify that they were on athletic scholarship, or that financial aid covered most of it. Midpac students are the least squeamish, though that’s changing as tuition rises. This year, tuition is over $30,000 at most of the elite private schools. And it’s okay, brother. I don’t care if your family is rich.

Being poor is not a virtue, and having wealth is not a sin. The most contemptuous attitudes toward the poor I’ve ever encountered came not from old money but from the man who clawed his way out of poverty. You’ve met the Horatio Alger type, who now looks back at his childhood friends and sees crabs in a bucket. Shame about wealth doesn’t produce generosity. It produces paralysis, or the bitterness that mistakes suffering for moral achievement.

Private school does not protect families from themselves. I’ve known private school students with drug problems, children of divorce, kids who came home to an empty house and a credit card on the counter. The school doesn’t sanctify the household.

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow” is not a line for people who arrived at their blessings by their own effort. It’s a line for people who received something. The apostle Paul put the same question more bluntly: “What do you have that you did not receive?” The man who buried his talent didn’t lose it because he was wicked; he lost it because he was afraid, and fear made him useless.

The candidate at my door wasn’t being asked to apologize for his education. He was being asked what he planned to do with it.

There are, of course, situations where you shouldn’t identify yourself with Punahou. When you’re bodyboarding at Sandys and you drop in on an uncle and he starts yelling, don’t bring up Obama. Don’t answer when Uncle asks what school you went to. No need to start singing 

"O‘ahu a, O‘ahu a, Punahou, our Punahou."

That’s not shame. That’s just reading the room.

Hawai'i Skies: Over the hills

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Hawai'i Skies: Over the hills

Authors

ASD Staff

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Hawaiʻi Skies: O’ahu Skies

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