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[{"type":"text","text":"“I got my dog a button to press when he's hungry... BIG MISTAKE!”"}]

Smile 26 2 2

<title>Daily Smile: Monday, February 2, 2026</title>

“I got my dog a button to press when he's hungry... BIG MISTAKE!”

Daily Smile: Monday, February 2, 2026

 “I got my dog a button to press when he&#039;s hungry... BIG MISTAKE!”

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Crime & Courts

A Pearl City woman was sentenced Wednesday to three years of supervised release after threatening to kill President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden.

In March 2024, during the Biden administration, Rebecca Ann Folley, then 47 years old and and posting under the name Becca Waters, posted on Facebook a picture containing the message “Going to kill the president,” followed by “INSPECTOR GENERAL, I NEED YOU ASAP.”

The picture appeared to be a screenshot of a comment field on the official White House website; the threat to kill the president had been written in the comment field, under the prompt “What would you like to say?” It is unclear whether Folley actually submitted the comment via the White House website or merely screenshotted a draft message without submitting it.

, the U.S. Secret Service became aware of Folley’s comment in December of 2024, after the election of President Donald Trump, but before his inauguration. A pair of Secret Service agents met Folley that month at her Pearl City residence.

During an interview with the agents, Folley reportedly told them she was a victim of trafficking but law enforcement would not respond to her reports. In order to provoke a response, she posted “bad trigger words” online as a “cry for help," according to the agents' report.

Folley told the agents she had sent hundreds of such messages since 2022, but received no response, even after posting the White House screenshot on the Facebook page of Gov. Josh Green.

“I started bragging, I was like, ‘I’ve got to be the only person in the United States’ history that’s ever been able to get away with 200 of these things on record,’” Folley reportedly told the agents.

The agents then told Folley to “please don’t do that anymore,” to which she agreed, adding that she was taking medication and receiving mental health treatment.

However, about a week later, Folley herself submitted a tip to the FBI linking to another of her own posted presidential death threats, a Facebook post identical to the previous one. She also posted a new message, warning that, in January 2025, she would “certified mail something VERY VERY VERY special to the field office in Honolulu, the secret service dudes, a enduring gift.”

This went on for months, with Folley sending substantially similar messages to various state agencies, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, and the President’s official Facebook account. Her message to the president was direct: “I’M GOING TO KILL DONALD TRUMP.”

In other posts, Folley said she would blow up the White House, and on one occasion commented on a Facebook post by Hawai‘i Rep. Ed Case “Sir, would you mind if I killed you? Just spit balling.”

Secret Service agents once again interviewed Folley in March, whereupon she said she was no longer receiving mental health treatment and acknowledged that her repeated comments were federal crimes.

Court records also indicate that Folley had previously made threats to a family member in 2021, which prompted an FBI response, and was convicted of third-degree assault in Hawai‘i that year as well, for which she served five days in jail.

For her presidential threats, Folley was arrested in April, and she remained incarcerated for seven months. During this period, attorneys discussed Folley’s mental competence to stand trial, with a U.S. District Court Senior Judge Helen Gillmor finding it plausible that Folley was mentally unwell.

The details of a court-ordered mental competency evaluation are restricted from the public. However, the court found her mentally competent in October, and she shortly thereafter pled guilty to making threats against the president, a federal felony carrying a maximum possible sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

However, Folley was sentenced only to seven months in jail — which she has already served — and three years of supervised release. As part of her supervised release terms, she is required to participate in substance abuse and mental health treatment programs, and will have her use of computers strictly monitored.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Courtfed

<title>Pearl City woman gets supervised release following threats against the president</title>

Rebecca Folley made hundreds of Facebook posts threatening to kill Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Pearl City woman gets supervised release following threats against the president

Arrasmith Portrait

Perry Arrasmith

Government & Politics

Columnists

The voting power of the average O‘ahu resident has declined in the past century. 

When elected government first took shape in 1905, the Islands were less populated than they are today. In June 1900, a census count estimated that 154,001 resided in the entire Territory of Hawai‘i, of which 58,504 people lived on O‘ahu. The island experienced a great deal of population growth over the next decade, reaching 81,993 persons by the next count on April 15, 1910. 

O‘ahu’s legislative body is always changing, if not to the detriment of the average resident’s voting power. At least one 

 of the Honolulu City Council outlines the history of the Council’s evolution, dating back to its early formation just a few years less than a decade after Hawai‘i’s annexation into the U.S.

As of 2020, approximately 1,016,508 people reside on O‘ahu. Each member of the Honolulu City Council represents more than 112,000. 

Given the island’s population expansion, it’s only natural. However, that shouldn’t have to mean that the voting power of an individual will shrink in perpetuity, subject only to the growth (or decline) of O‘ahu’s population. 

However, that’s the way the current system is evolving. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"THE TERRITORIAL ERA"}]

Population growth is not the only natural reason for the shrinking power of an O‘ahu voter. The composition of the island’s Legislature, known initially as the Board of Supervisors and now as the City Council, has shifted since that point, too. 

The size of O‘ahu has also expanded since 1905, the year counties were formally established across the U.S. Territory of Hawai‘i through Act 39 of the 1905 Territorial Legislature. 

Elections for the first Board of Supervisors were made in late 1906. Three of the supervisors would hail from the City of Honolulu, one from the district of ‘Ewa, one from the districts of Wai‘anae and Waialua, and one more from the districts of Ko‘olauloa and Ko‘olaupoko, and an at-large member. Other county officers to be elected would be a Sheriff, a County clerk, an Auditor, a County Attorney, a Treasurer, and a Deputy Sheriff for each district of O‘ahu.

Even with O‘ahu’s 1910 population, each member of the Honolulu City Council represented less than 14,000 constituents each. 

This framework, in the grand scheme of history, was nothing more than a brief aberration. More reform was on the horizon. 

In 1907, the Territorial Legislature once again modified the fabric of O‘ahu’s organization through Act 118. The measure, among other gambits, formally chartered the entire island as the City and County of Honolulu. Members of the Board would serve two-year terms, 

Before the end of the Territorial era, O‘ahu was already evolving from employing a Board of Supervisors to a formal City Council.

O‘ahu was also rapidly growing. Between April 1950 and April 1960, the island’s population grew from 353,020 to 500,409 people. While the populations of every other county were in sharp decline, the island was becoming the gathering place of an emerging U.S. State. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"AN ISLAND IN A NEW STATE"}]

The Board preceded the Honolulu City Council, which was not established until statehood in 1959. Honolulu, with statehood, was set to get a City Council. 

In 1955, the Territorial Legislature once again initiated reform through Act 225. A new Charter Commission was authorized, resulting in the expansion of the Council to nine members. Under this new scheme, the composition of the Council would be divided between three rural members and six members selected from the entire county. The influence of rural voters was weighed more heavily than the votes of urban residents. 

Each at-large councilmember now represented an average of approximately 83,400 residents. At this point, each councilmember now represented a constituency larger than the total size of the island at the time of the first council elections in 1906.  

The inequities of the new system inspired controversy in the 1966 county elections. Resolution 173 provided two options for the future composition of the Honolulu City Council to the resident’s voters. 

The first option proposed a new council of nine members elected at-large. The second option proposed an expanded council of 11 members. Six would be elected from at-large seats, while five would be selected from council districts. 

The gambit confused voters. Nearly two-thirds of the voters favored both the first and second propositions. However, an electorate divided in three roughly even ways both meant that neither vote received a majority of the electorate’s support. The Council’s traditional structure remained in place.

The 1972 Charter Commission marked a turning point in the history of the county. Reform approved by the voters established nine district-based councils. Honolulu no longer had at-large seats. 

By April 1970, O‘ahu’s population grew to 630,528 residents. As a result of the transition to geographically based districts aligned to the principle of “one-person one-vote,” each district now had approximately 70,000 constituents. 

Compared to the system established before statehood, this arguably widened the relative voting power of individual voters. Since 1970, O‘ahu’s population has increased by more than 350,000 residents. The number of councilmembers, in the meantime, has stayed the same. 

Since that point, Honolulu has enjoyed nine members, each representing a specific geographic district of the county. While O‘ahu’s population has exploded in the last 50 years, the composition and method of our Council’s shape has stayed static, while the voting power of the individual has declined. 

As of this writing, varied efforts are underway to re-imagine the ideal size and scope of the county’s councilmembers. Each proposal is geared towards increasing the voting power of the individual.

Many arguments for lowering the size of an individual council seat are inspired by the overwhelming size of a council seat relative to the size of a district in the State Legislature. In 2026, a member of the Hawai‘i State Senate – the upper chamber of our State Legislature, represents an average of fewer than 60,000 residents. 

, for example, entertains increasing the size of the Council, albeit without a clear eye towards an ideal number of members. 

, Trevor Nagamine wants to increase the size of the City Council to 81 members. “The large size of Council districts in both population and physical area limits the ability of Councilmembers to be responsive to community issues, especially since City matters tend to be highly local in nature,” Trevor explains. Tom Heinrich is a little more measured through 

, arguing that the Council would be better served with 13 councilmembers. 

, want to make each member of the Council a county-wide representative. 

Many of these proposals are contradictory. However, they are a clear and present reminder that the size and shape of the City Council has never been fixed. It is a fluid construction, one that we could easily change. 

Reform may come. The voting power of the individual may increase, if present reforms move against the trajectory of history. 

Oahu Districts 16x9

<title>The Incredible Shrinking Voter of Honolulu</title>

The voting power of the average O‘ahu resident has declined over the past century, to where each of the nine city council members now represent more than 112,000 people across multiple neighborhoods. That's twice as many people as a Hawai‘i state senator represents. There are some efforts underway to change that.

The Incredible Shrinking Voter of Honolulu

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

The top four teams in collegiate men's volleyball were supposed to converge in Southern California from Feb. 19-20 as part of an NIL tournament at the Honda Center in Anaheim. No. 1 UCLA, No. 2 Long Beach State, No. 3 Hawai‘i and No. 4 USC were set to compete against each other in what would have served as a first in the sport. 

As the start date for the landmark event crept up, no tournament sponsor was announced. Then on Jan. 27, teams were notified that the event was being scrapped in 2026. That meant all four teams suddenly had gaps in their schedule. 

The University of Hawai‘i pivoted quickly, securing a home series against No. 7 BYU. Matches are set to be played on Feb. 25 and 27 at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Warriors, who originally 

did not have any home matches scheduled in February

, are set to host the Cougars for the first time since 2020. A thrilling five-set sellout victory over BYU on March 6, 2020 turned out to be the last time Hawai‘i played in front of fans until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prior to their home series against BYU, the Rainbow Warriors will head to the Bay Area for a pair of road matches at No. 18 Stanford (3-6) on Friday and Saturday. First serve for both matches is set for 4 p.m. HST. While UH will not look past the Cardinal, who took a match off the Rainbow Warriors in a 2025 series at the Stan Sheriff Center, there certainly is a sense of relief that the 'Bows will have more competition to come home to.

"It was a lot of good work by a lot of people," Hawai‘i head coach Charlie Wade said of the scheduling pivot. "I think we were in contact with both UCLA and USC about dropping down from Stanford to play them. That would have required us to literally stay on the road for another week. There wasn't a lot of help financially for that. And then our administration started asking the idea about finding an opponent to come here. 

"We were able to do that, not only an opponent, but a really good one. A team that's played really well, and we have a long history and tradition with so I give a lot of credit to (UH athletics director) Matt Elliott and to Brian Santiago, the AD at BYU. ... Those guys were able to come up with an understanding it works well for both teams. And I think it just it speaks to the fact that you're talking about two schools where volleyball means a lot, that the ADs are willing to get in and do what's right for the program. And we're excited to have a couple quality matches against a great opponent here at home."

Part of the agreement in getting BYU to come to O‘ahu entails UH heading back to Provo in 2028 for a road series. The Rainbow Warriors most recently visited Provo in 2025, winning both matches. Additionally, in lieu of the NIL tournament cancellation, a portion of the ticket sales for the BYU series will go towards the Hawai‘i men's volleyball team's NIL fund. 

"Again, it speaks to just a level of commitment that our institution has to men's volleyball," Wade said. "They're willing to step up and do something great for our program and for our fans. We're pretty fortunate that volleyball is a big deal here."

As for the NIL tournament, Wade is hopeful it can come to fruition in the future. 

"Certainly a lot of promise, right? I know the people are putting the event on are looking at doing a women's (NIL tournament) in the fall, and we've 

," Wade said. "The devil's always in the details. What's the venue, and how many teams in the field are you trying to do? I know there's going to continue to be discussion of a men's volleyball event, and we'll see what happens in the future."

Hawaii mens volleyball 021126

<title>Hawai‘i men's volleyball continues to take on the best amidst scheduling pivot</title>

The Rainbow Warriors will travel to No. 18 Stanford before taking on a longtime rival at the end of the month thanks to a new scheduling change.

Hawai‘i men's volleyball continues to take on the best amidst scheduling pivot

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

Aloha Spirit

 says he’s been lucky — he’s been able to work on “some of the most important historic sites in Hawai‘i” throughout his decades-long career.

Often recognized for his work in historic preservation, Mason’s portfolio includes work on a 

number of historical sites across the Islands and Guam

, including ‘Iolani Palace, Lunalilo tomb, the former Advertiser building, Hulihe‘e Palace, Kalahikiola Church and Kawaiaha‘o Church. He also serves on the 

The founding principal of MASON will be awarded the Medal of Honor by the American Institute of Architects Hawai‘i State Council and the Hawai‘i Architectural Foundation at an upcoming awards gala.

AIA Hawai‘i and HAF will present the second annual Huaka‘i Awards Gala from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at the Pacific Club. Find more information and tickets 

The Medal of Honor is the council’s highest distinction, awarded since 1998 to architects who advance the profession and inspire fellow practitioners, a recent announcement from AIA Hawai‘i and HAF noted. It’s not awarded annually and Mason is just the 12th recipient of the honor.

In an interview last month, Mason told Aloha State Daily that he’s been involved with the award since the beginning and did the write-ups on nearly all previous winners. So it’s “very weird,” he says, to be on the other side.

Although he initially had mixed feelings about receiving the award — he was in favor or recognizing another architect — he told ASD that he’s happy to receive the award, “but I’m not much of an awards person, so I’m going with the flow.”

His interest in historic preservation goes back to his college days. Even as a student at the University of Michigan, Mason says he was interested in the field.

“Now, I can’t say that I thought of myself as a preservationist,” he told ASD. “They didn’t have a preservation program, but I was interested in older buildings. They had an observatory structure there that just fascinated me, so I worked on that a little bit. But my first couple of years in architecture, I really did almost none of that work because I worked for Val Ossipoff’s office, and that’s not what they were doing.”

Opportunities, though, presented themselves later.

When asked how he got into architecture to begin with, the response is simple.

“Well, I like building stuff,” Mason says. “That’s the core of it.”

He took a few years of architectural drafting in high school and “kind of liked that.”

After graduating high school, Mason says he was interested in pursuing either architecture or math, “and then calculus kind of convinced me that I was not cut out for math and so I gravitated toward architecture.”

“It just is a natural fit,” he says. “Preservation is a natural fit for me because I have always thought of myself as a problem solver, and the challenge with old buildings in particular, among other things, is how do you bring those buildings up to date and still respect the buildings, still respect the historic nature of the buildings, and that … thought process is the real challenge for me. It’s all a puzzle, and I kind of like puzzles, figuring out how to do things. Sometimes, you get surprised by the answers that you come up with.

“But you have to start by saying, ‘I want this particular building or structure or whatever to retain as much of its original look or feeling as possible, but on the other hand, I’ve got to insert a fire suppression system. How do I do that?’ And you figure out the way to do it with the least amount of damage to the structure. That is not as straightforward as one might think. Sometimes, you have to think a little bit out of the box, and I’m just a little bit more suited to that.”

Mason received the President’s Award in 2013 and the Frank Haines Award in 2014, both from the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation.

Previous Medal of Honor recipients include Carol Sakata (2023), Chris Smith (2021), Daniel Chun (2019), John Hara (2017), Donald Goo (2015), Kenneth Brown (2004), Ernest Hara and Elmer Botsai (2002), Frank Haines (2000), Charles Sutton (1999) and Vladimir Ossipoff (1998). 

Also being recognized at the upcoming gala are:

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Glenn Mason FAIA 2025 Cropped

<title>Glenn Mason to receive Medal of Honor for work in architecture</title>

Mason, who is known for his historic preservation work, is just the 12th person to receive this award.

Glenn Mason to receive Medal of Honor for work in architecture

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year, starts Tuesday, Feb. 17. To mark the event, there are parades, parties and more. Kung Hei Fat Choi!

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"MONDAY, FEB. 9"}]

 A new Sig Zane design called “Hoʻohei,” which means “to lasso,” or figuratively, “to fascinate,” according to the alohawear clothing brand, released in stores on Monday, Feb. 9. The design features two color schemes: one where the horse is orange and the other where it is black. The shirts will be available online starting Wednesday, Feb. 11.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SATURDAY, FEB. 14"}]

Chinatown 808’s Chinatown Festival and Parade, presented by American Savings Bank, returns for its 50th year. The all-day event runs from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. and takes place in ʻAʻala Park on N. Beretania Street, between Maunakea and ʻAʻala streets. The parade starts at 4:30 p.m. along Hotel Street and goes from the Hawaiʻi State Capitol through Chinatown. Look for lion and dragon dances, martial arts demonstrations, activities for keiki, live entertainment and vendors with crafts and food. There will also be a pony and donkey petting area. 

The District is hosting a Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day party, which is located one block from Ala Moana Center. The event features DJs, two rooms of music and opportunities to get table service or private karaoke rooms. Enjoy a mix of hip-hop and top 40 hits, as well as dance music. The event runs from 9 p.m. until 4 a.m. Business casual or standard night club dress code applies. The cover charge is $20. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SUNDAY, FEB. 15"}]

. This free yoga class is designed to help attendees start the Lunar New Year with a fresh start. Wear red, if possible. Bring a mat or towel. The class starts at 8 a.m. at the Lululemon store at Ala Moana Center. Water is provided. Afterward, shop the Lunar New Year collection. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"MONDAY, FEB. 16"}]

This event will have attendees building a 2026 mini bingo card, which can be turned into a magnet or key chain. The goal is to get the group back on track with New Year’s resolutions for 2026. Attendees must be at least 18 years old. No artistic experience is needed. Craft as golden hour settles over the North Shore at LPN Farms. Tickets start at $55. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"TUESDAY, FEB. 17"}]

. From Chinese food to coffee and pastries, Food and Dining Reporter 

This challenge asks participants to join a virtual challenge and commit to 2.026 miles, 20.26 miles or 202.6 miles in the year of 2026. Registration for the virtual race costs $25. It includes a commemorative medal and bib, plus 15% of the registration fee goes to the nonprofit Soles4Soles, which takes donated used shoes and creates business opportunities for low-income families across the world. 

 Head to the Royal Hawaiian Center to catch a lion dance from the Lung Kong Physical Culture Club, which will visit The Royal Grove and participating stores. The event starts at 5 p.m. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SATURDAY, FEB. 21"}]

Waikīkī Beach Walk Welcomes Lunar New Year. 

There will be a pole-jumping performance at 5 p.m. at Waikīkī Beach Walk Plaza. Lion dancers will visit retail stores and restaurants after that. 

 Watch an acrobatic lion dance from the Wah Ngai Lion Dance Association at The Royal Grove within the Royal Hawaiian Center. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SUNDAY, FEB. 22"}]

 will share traditional Chinese folk dance at The Royal Grove within the Royal Hawaiian Center. The performance starts at 3:30 p.m. 

Celebrate the Lunar New Year starting with an opening ceremony at 11 a.m. at Centerstage at Ala Moana Center. There will be calligraphy demonstrations by Ina Chang at ‘Ewa Wing Stage from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. At noon, more than 100 lion dancers will collect lai see (red envelopes) at stores and restaurants across Ala Moana Center. This will be followed by pole jumping with the Wah Ngai Lion Dance Association at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Centerstage. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"SATURDAY, FEB. 28"}]

This all-day event includes live entertainment, food and craft vendors, and a keiki zone. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Palama Settlement. Parking is available at Likelike Elementary School. Free. 

Chinese New Year with Mahjong Social Club. 

This monthly competitive mahjong community is meeting to celebrate Chinese New Year. The friendly competition is for experienced players only. The event includes a nightmarket with food and vendors. Dress your best. Arrive promptly at 4 p.m. to play. The winner takes home a grand prize. Mahjong costs $15 and includes a complimentary herbal mocktail. 

 Catch calligraphy with Ina Chang at The Royal Grove within the Royal Hawaiian Center. The event runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

Celebrate Lunar New Year at the museum by playing mahjong with the Bad Luck Club, exploring centuries of Chinese art and eating biang biang noodles made by Guest Chef Andrew Pressler. There will be a lion dance and live music. The event runs from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. General admission is $28. Members and keiki receive discounted admission. 

Chinatown Festival and Parade

<title>What to do for Lunar New Year on Oʻahu: parades, lion dances, and more</title>

Across Oʻahu, residents are preparing to usher in the year of the fire horse, which starts Tuesday, Feb. 17. Events in the next few weeks include parades, lion dances and opportunities to set intentions for the new year.

What to do for Lunar New Year on Oʻahu: parades, lion dances, and more

This is Foster. A massive rainstorm hits, but he's out there gleefully swimming laps in the pool like it's the best day ever...

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