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Hawai'i Skies

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Cuong Do in Kahaluʻu. "I thought it was a unique view of the koolaus and the texture of the clouds."

To submit your Hawai'i Skies photo, visit us 

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26 1 8 Cuong Do 16x9

<title>Hawai‘i Skies: Textured clouds</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Cuong Do in Kahaluʻu.

Hawai‘i Skies: Textured clouds

Today&#039;s Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Cuong Do in Kahaluʻu. &quot;I thought it was a unique view of the koolaus and the texture of the clouds.&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":"It's worth it to get a cat just to buy these..."}]

Smile 26 7 9

<title>Daily Smile: Thursday, July 9, 2026</title>

It's worth it to get a cat just to buy these...

Daily Smile: Thursday, July 9, 2026

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Scott Martin on Lānaʻi. "God provides us a nightly sky show that never disappoints."

Scott

<title>Hawaiʻi Skies: Sky show</title>

Today's Hawai‘i Skies was captured by Scott Martin on Lānaʻi.

Hawaiʻi Skies: Sky show

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Business & Tourism

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.

HoMA announces new director and CEO

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

A civil complaint alleging that Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke violating campaign spending laws will go to the state Attorney General for potential prosecution.

Last week, the Hawai‘i Campaign Spending Commission published a 

 accusing Luke and her campaign team of 12 different violations of campaign finance laws during the 2022 election.

On Wednesday, the Commission moved to refer their complaint to the state office of the Attorney General, which is already conducting a separate investigation into financial impropriety by Luke, tied to the infamous 

 that was the subject of an FBI investigation.

The commission’s complaint accuses Luke, her husband Michael Luke, campaign treasurers Emmanuel Zibakalam, Leodoloff Asuncion Jr., and Matthew Sasaki, deputy treasurer Kalowena Komeiji, and the Friends of Sylvia Luke of mishandling campaign funds.

The complaint includes allegations that Luke signed checks for her candidate committee instead of a treasurer, that her treasurers signed checks for the committee despite no longer being listed as treasurers — some of which were to the former treasurers themselves — and that the group failed to accurately report campaign expenditures to the commission.

The complaint concluded with two options: either the Commission concludes that a violation of law likely took place and refer the matter to the Attorney General; or the Commission makes its own preliminary determination, fines Luke and her associates $28,300 and orders them to correct their campaign spending reports within 20 days. 

On Wednesday, the Commission voted for the former option. The vote was unanimous, although Commission Vice Chair Danton Wong recused himself from proceedings Wednesday, citing a conflict of interest based on prior donations he made to Luke.

Eunice Park, general counsel for the Commission, said the extent of the alleged impropriety cannot be attributed to technical errors, particularly given Luke’s extensive political career. She said Luke had “ample opportunity” to correct the violations in the four years since her election, but did not.

Attorney David Louie, who represents Luke and the Friends of Sylvia Luke, spoke briefly before the Commission, but only to decline comment.

Fellow Attorney Randall Hironaka, representing Michael Luke, Komeiji and Sasaki, asked the Commission if his clients could be left off the complaint because, he said, the complaint does not allege any criminal activity by his clients, merely that untoward activity was made without their authorization.

Nonetheless, Park told Hironaka that it will be up to the Attorney General to determine the criminality of anyone named in the complaint.

Luke’s campaign finances from 2022 have come under heavy scrutiny this year as fallout continues from an FBI corruption investigation.

That investigation had previously alleged that former Hawai‘i Rep. Ty Cullen — who had turned informant for the agency — oversaw a transaction between an unknown man and “an influential state legislator” involving the $35,000 in 2022. In February, Luke denied any involvement in that transaction, but admitted that she had accepted two $5,000 checks during a 2022 dinner with former Cullen.

That admission — Luke claimed she never cashed the checks, but never reported the contributions — led to further investigations of Luke’s 2022 campaign finances. In the midst of the furor, Luke 

 in April she will not run for reelection this year, and days later 

 she would take an indefinite leave of absence, which has continued to this day.

DavidLouie

<title>State AG to investigate alleged Sylvia Luke campaign finance violations</title>

A complaint by the Campaign Spending Commission alleging 12 campaign finance violations has been referred to the state Attorney General for possible prosecution.

State AG to investigate alleged Sylvia Luke campaign finance violations

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

[{"type":"text","text":"LAS VEGAS — What does money do to a man? "}]

Conor McGregor has earned lots of it during his rocketship to superstardom, a rise to prominence that began with the UFC in 2013. 

In 2021, Forbes named him the world's highest-paid athlete after he earned $180 million following the sale of a majority stake in his Irish whiskey company, Proper Twelve. In 2018, he was ranked fourth after taking home $99 million, a chunk of it coming from his 2017 boxing megafight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

On Saturday, McGregor will make the walk against 

 for the main event of UFC 329. It will have been five years since McGregor stepped in an octagon, his most recent bout cut short due to a leg fracture against Dustin Poirier on July 10, 2021. 

 just as easily as the cash. Perhaps his most publicized transgression with the law was when an Irish court found him liable of sexual assault in 2024 for a 2018 incident in a Dublin hotel with a woman named Nikita Hand. McGregor's appeal was denied in 2025, and he was still required to pay the equivalent of $257,000 in damages. 

In spite of the ruling, the UFC welcomed McGregor back with open arms. On Wednesday, about 100 journalists from all over the world mobbed McGregor when he made his media day appearance at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. For many, it was the first chance to speak to McGregor following his half-decade hiatus as a fighter. One of the the first questions asked was whether his money became detrimental to him. 

"Obviously," McGregor admitted. "Obviously. You know, 2017 double weight (UFC) world champion, Floyd Mayweather bank. And then I launched an Irish whiskey. I didn't drink heavily, if at all, in that time of my life. I was an athlete at the top of my game. Next thing you know, thousands of thousands of bottles in my garage, 'Sell this, Conor.' God gave me these lessons. That's it. I was trapped and caught, and it is what it is. I trust in God. I trust in my journey, and I trusted the truth. The world is against the truth, then I am against the world, that is where I stand."

McGregor has received the full celebrity treatment during fight week. Dozens of cameras have followed his every move while the organization has promoted his return, choosing him and Max Holloway to headline International Fight Week, the UFC's signature event each summer. While McGregor remains the sport's most iconic name and face, he has lost supporters along the way. How should fight fans approach his return while grappling with his issues away from the canvas? 

"I continue to fight. I know the truth, and I know that lying lives are an abomination to the Lord, and I know that anything known in darkness will soon come to light," McGregor said when asked about the rape case. "And I trust in God that it's coming. You best believe it's coming, and I look very, very forward to the day."

McGregor, 37, had just one UFC fight under his belt when he defeated Holloway, 34, in 2013 via unanimous decision. McGregor earned a reported $24,000 for that fight, while Holloway pocketed $14,000. In a rematch 13 years in the making, money pales in comparison to McGregor's desire to return to his element. 

"The excitement is going to be off the charts on Saturday night. The performance is going to be off the charts," McGregor said. "I have some shot selection here, and some set of moments that I planned. I'm excited to showcase it."

As for Holloway, money certainly remains a motivating factor. Although UFC 329 fight purses have yet to be disclosed, Holloway is expected to earn his greatest payday yet due to the magnitude of McGregor's return. 

"I'm fighting for money. I'm a prize fighter," Holloway said. "If you wasn't fighting for money, you're an idiot, right?"

In Holloway's most notable moment as a UFC fighter, his last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April 2024 earned him $600,000 in bonuses before he even got to his base pay for the fight. 

The victory over Gaethje opened new doors for Holloway as the 

. With Gaethje earning the UFC's lightweight belt with a stunning TKO over Ilia Topuria on June 14, Holloway knows his options are plentiful if he secures an exciting victory on Saturday. 

"Who would have thought that Conor was even coming back after what happened with the injury? It's just big," Holloway said. "I finally get to right the wrong, and I'm looking forward to it. He's a killer, and I'm looking forward to seeing the best Conor McGregor on July 11, and hopefully I get a SportsCenter No. 1 spot up there.

"This guy has unlimited money, and he has a lot of connections. Yeah, he's coming back from a crazy injury. He supposedly found God. His kids are gonna be here at the fight. ... I'm getting ready for the most dangerous Conor McGregor we ever saw, and nobody's told me otherwise."

Despite the three years of youth Holloway has on McGregor, the Wai‘anae native joined the organization a year before McGregor did. And while McGregor has sat out the last five years, Holloway has fought eight times in that span. 

Nearly every other fighter on the 329 card was asked about the bout between McGregor and Holloway, with the vast majority backing Holloway due to his activity. Others gave simpler answers.

"I'm backing Max because I like him," said former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, who will take on Nikita Krylov in the main event of the prelims. 

One of the longest running traditions in the sport has been fighters clamoring for a McGregor bout after a big win, knowing the kind of prominence and financial windfall the fight would bring. McGregor was asked about Gaethje, who said he would attend the fight on Saturday in hopes of challenging him.

"Get in the queue," McGregor replied as he brushed off a question about the UFC's new lightweight champ. 

Holloway's potential next move with a victory? Another McGregor fight to complete the trilogy. 

"I'm gonna put my paws on him, and I'm gonna make him wish that he didn't come back," Holloway said. "Actually, no, I'm not gonna make him wish that. I'm gonna make him think that he can do it one more time, so we can rematch at the end of the year."

Conor McGregor Max Holloway 070826

<title>Max Holloway, Conor McGregor take to the mic and reflect ahead of UFC 329</title>

The two mixed martial arts stars and Saturday's headliners were the main attraction of UFC 329's media day at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday.

Max Holloway, Conor McGregor take to the mic and reflect ahead of UFC 329

Anna O’Brien’s, the Irish pub in Mōʻiliʻili not far from the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, is under new management. The bar and performance space will have its soft opening on Friday, July 10, under the direction of singer and songwriter Tavana McMoore, who goes by the professional name, Tavana.

The pub’s upstairs space is being renamed Tavana’s at Anna’s and will be a listening room, where groups can perform. A new stage and a green room for the band are already in the works. Downstairs, Anna O’Brien’s will remain much the same as it has been in the past, with pool tables and darts, the singer and songwriter told Aloha State Daily.

“I spent my whole career here in Honolulu and have been given so much,” Tavana said. “There's so much talent out there in Honolulu, and I'm hoping that this can serve as a hub where people can come and curate their artistry and perfect it.”

Tavana started playing in this space as a teenager, more than 30 years ago. It is where he has seen some of his favorite bands, he said. The knick-knacks that the Irish pub has accumulated over the years will stay.

“All the cool quirky things about Anna's are still going to be here,” Tavana said. “It's still the same beautiful space it always has been, and I'm just showing up every single day and trying to beautify it.”

The space will continue to have its outdoor patio, he added.

“People can go out and relax outside, as well,” he said.

When the pub’s owners wanted to move on to other things, Tavana stepped in.

“The idea of it not being here was really a not fun thought,” he said. “It means a lot to me to be able to come in here and start to curate shows and try to save the space.”

Just days ago, on Tuesday, July 7, the Irish pub celebrated its 57th birthday. The space will be celebrating that milestone, plus soft opening under new management, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 10. There is a $20 cover charge.

“We got Nick Danger and Ronnie V's flying over,” Tavana said. “We got Local Mojo. I'll be playing there. A lot of other musicians are going to be stopping by. Everybody's talking about it. We're all pretty excited.”

Other events on the calendar for July include 

karaoke, comedy, and musical open mic nights, as well as live performances

Tavana

<title>Anna O’Brien’s under new management</title>

Learn what will and won't change as this Irish pub — not far from the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa — soft opens under new management on Friday, July 10.

Hawai‘i Skies: Textured clouds

ASD Staff

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Hawai‘i Skies: Textured clouds

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

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