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Since my friend came over with her dog I haven't seen my cat anywhere, then I noticed this...

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<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, February 18, 2026</title>

Daily Smile: Wednesday, February 18, 2026

 Since my friend came over with her dog I haven&#039;t seen my cat anywhere, then I noticed this...

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawaii History

Columnists

A place of gentle rains, verdant forests, and an almost daily arch of color across the sky, Mānoa has long been known as the Valley of Rainbows. In Hawaiian tradition, this beauty is explained through the story of Kahalaopuna, the famed “Rainbow Princess” of Mānoa.

Long ago, Kahaukani, the strong, swirling wind deity, and Kauahuahine, the gentle, misty rain deity, were united, and from them was born Kahalaopuna, a young woman of extraordinary spiritual radiance whose presence was marked by rainbows. From infancy, she had been promised in marriage to Kauhi, a high chief of Kailua.

But jealousy and deceit intervened. Two lesser chiefs falsely boasted of intimacy with Kahalaopuna. Hearing the lies and never having met his betrothed, Kauhi believed them. Consumed by jealousy, he sought her out and, despite her innocence and gentle nature, attacked and killed her. Through the aid of a large pueo who was a god and a relative of Kahalaopuna, she was restored to life several times as Kauhi continued his cruelty across the mountains and valleys of Oʻahu.

After Kauhi killed his betrothed one last time and buried her under the roots of a huge koa tree, the pueo was unable to retrieve her. However, her story did not end there. Her spirit came across a kind young ali‘i named Mahana and directed him to where her body lay. After he pulled her from the shallow grave, he brought Kahalaopuna to his home in Kamō‘ili‘ili. Mahana’s brother, a powerful kahuna, and their two spirit-sisters were able to once again restore the young maiden to life.

When the truth of her murder was revealed before the ruling ali‘i, Kauhi confessed to his actions. Justice followed, and Kahalaopuna was freed from her betrothal and allowed to choose her own future. She married Mahana, who had shown her love and loyalty.

Yet their peace did not last forever. In time, Kauhi returned in the form of a shark and claimed Kahalaopuna’s life as she was swimming just off the shore at Kaimana Beach. With her passing, her parents returned to their elemental forms as the Wind and Rain of Mānoa. Their presence, it is said, still brings the valley its gentle showers and brilliant rainbows — everlasting reminders of Kahalaopuna.

Mānoa Valley was known as a place favored by aliʻi, including King Kamehameha I, King Lunalilo, Princess Ke‘elikōlani, and Queen Lili‘uokalani. Its cool winds and steady rains made it one of the most fertile and desirable regions on Oʻahu. Queen Ka‘ahumanu kept her home in the valley and passed away there in 1832. 

Extensive loʻi kalo spread across the valley floor, fed by numerous streams descending from the mountains. The valley also contains significant travel routes that connected Mānoa to Waikīkī and other parts of O‘ahu. Through generations of use, the trails running through Mānoa became associated with processions of high-ranking individuals and their attendants. In later years, these ancient routes would be recognized in stories of the huaka‘i pō, the ghostly processions said to retrace the footsteps of aliʻi and warriors.

Even today, many believe Mānoa remains under the watch of its ancestors, particularly in the back of the valley in the area known as Paradise Park. Visitors and caretakers have long reported unexplained whispers, quiet chanting, shadowy figures, moving pōhaku, and the unmistakable sense of being watched by unseen eyes.

Paradise Park has welcomed visitors to its botanical and zoological garden since 1968. Many of us remember the tropical gardens and mazes, but we’ll never forget the birds! People walked past the aviaries with their huge collection of tropical birds, such as flamingos, macaws, and cockatoos, while others lined up to have their picture taken with the parrots on their shoulders. After walking the grounds, visitors converged on the Kamehameha Amphitheater to watch the birds perform circus tricks, like riding a miniature bicycle across a tightrope. In its later years, the park featured a dinosaur exhibit that set many a child’s imagination wild. Upstairs in the main building, Treetops Restaurant hosted quiet dinners with a beautiful and extensive view of the back of Mānoa Valley.

A significant decline in visitors, coupled with rising operational costs, caused the park to close its doors in 1994. The dinosaurs were packed up, and aside from a few escapees, the birds were sold to zoos and other aviaries. For a time, only the restaurant and offices remained.

Today, while the Rainbow’s End shop greets hikers and local explorers with coffee, snacks, and Pineapple Soft Serve, others attend dance classes and meetings in the halau and classroom that are available for hourly rental. Aunty Pua, one of the caretakers, shares her art gallery full of beautiful sculptures and paintings by local artists, with a large section featuring the works of Brooke Kapukuniahi Parker.

But the spirits of Mānoa remain active with consistent reports of strange encounters in the building, odd occurrences on the grounds, and even reported night marchers in the lower parking lot.

A few years ago, we were given permission to bring a group into the closed park to share stories of hauntings that occurred in the valley. We met in the lobby of the building and then walked down the gravel driveway to the main part of the park. We passed old cages covered with overgrown vegetation and explored a couple of buildings that were still structurally sound. And then we sat in the amphitheater for several minutes, listening for anything strange or unfamiliar. After the tour was over, we all walked back up the hill and sent our guests on their way.

A few in the group stayed with us as we went to the visitor’s center to meet with Aunty Pua. When we knocked on her office door, she came out, surprised and confused. She questioned us thoroughly about when we returned and whether anyone had come looking for her earlier.

She showed us the chicken skin on her arms and said that a few minutes after we brought the group down to the park, she glanced at the security monitor and saw me, my wife, and three or four others standing in the lobby. She said it was clearly us.

“You’re kind of unmistakable, even on a small monitor!” she told me.

She thought there was a problem with the tour or getting down to the park, so she came rushing out to see what we needed. But we weren’t there. Classes were over, the shops were closed, so nobody else was in the building. Rushing to the entrance, thinking we walked away, she saw no one. When we returned over an hour later with our group, we looked exactly the same as when she rushed out, and no one was there.

According to Aunty Pua, there are ghosts, spirits, and even night marchers that wander through Paradise Park, but doppelgängers were a new kind of haunting for her. Although the park is closed, it’s worth a drive to check out the shops and the gallery. If Aunty Pua is there, she’ll be happy to share a haunting story if she has time. But even if you don’t see any ghosts, the artwork is amazing, and the Pineapple Soft Serve hits the spot.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":" "}]

Paradise Park amphitheater 2016

<title>Paranormal activity at Paradise Park</title>

If you want to understand why Mānoa Valley is filled with spirits and strange occurrences, consider that even the beauty of its endless rainbows has a dark side in the tragic story of Kahalaopuna, the famed “Rainbow Princess” of Mānoa.

Paranormal activity at Paradise Park

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

Government & Politics

When I was in 6th grade attending a parochial school in my midwestern hometown, I became interested in politics. 

It was our school's curriculum to study civics at the grade level where we learned the basics of government and citizenship. 

The class teacher was Mr. Bickel, who was also the head of sports for the school. I remember ran his class like a team.

He was the coach and you were the players, and you better know what you're doing both on and off the field.

I also recall me and a couple of the boys were invited to visit Mr. Bickel after school one day after goofing off in his class. Everybody knew what that meant.

[{"type":"text","text":"Yup, a paddle swat on your butt. "}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Like I said, you better know what you're doing in Mr. Bickel's class."}]

The year was 1972. It was a tumultuous time in America following the challenging times of the late 1960s. Vietnam was still on but winding down, President Richard Nixon made a historic trip to China, tensions in Vietnam then escalated with the U.S. mining of Haiphong Harbor, Governor Wallace of Alabama was shot while campaigning for president, the Watergate break-in occurred along with other concerning events. Oh, on the upside, my second favorite movie of all time, The Godfather, debuts so it isn't all bad.

Mr. Bickel captured my imagination and I wanted to learn and do more in his class. I was particularly impressed with the elections and campaigning. Again I'm in 6th grade which puts me at just about 10 years-old which is impressive since I wasn't even potty trained until I was 14.

While I was in town, I came across a flyer inviting the public to help with a presidential candidate campaign in our small town. I was intrigued so I made my way to the local campaign office. I introduced myself and asked if I could help. They were delighted to bring me on board, and I was tasked with stuffing envelopes and distributing similar flyers on car windows. Wow, I was part of a presidential campaign which is exactly what we were discussing in my 6th-grade civics class. I was excited to tell Mr. Bickel and he was very supportive of my news. This was truly a win-win.

I was immersed in my role. I put campaign posters on our homes window, had stickers to hand out to friends and was invited to be at the headquarters on election night. 

As exciting as this all sounded election night was my first taste of substantial disappointment.

You see the presidential candidate I supported was Sen. George McGovern who at the time lost by the largest margin of victory by incumbent President Richard Nixon.

[{"type":"text","text":"It was a landslide. "}]

I am sharing this to add some perspective to current events taking place at home.

In all honesty, I didn't know a damn thing about presidential politics. I was apprised of the civic duties of American citizens to participate in our electoral process. I learned about our constitution, our Bill of Rights, the offices of political leadership, and the concept of patriotism. We said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning including "one nation, under God," we sang The Star-Spangled Banner, and we would pray to the Lord every day with Matins (a morning church service) once, sometimes twice, a week. Love of country and our Lord was as important to my childhood as breathing. And it still remains.

There was never a moment in Mr. Bickel's class was where he would tell us what to think about politics. When we discussed government, it was simply and solely about the history and formation of our country. When talking about political history, there wasn't a word about this one was good or this one was bad. 

[{"type":"text","text":"And that's the way it should be."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Today is a whole other story."}]

There are a slew of reports of local high school students who have been motivated to take to the literal streets in protest of ICE actions in Minnesota and other states.

I am not in opposition to student protests, but why is this? What is the basis of their inspiration?

I shared that in Mr. Bickel's class there was no partisanship. This teaching model followed us into high school. Yes, there were discussions about current events but we were not propagandized with a teacher's opinion or agenda. We were tested on our knowledge of civics fundamentals and we were required to pass this class in order to earn our diploma.

If there was political referencing, it was in the role of effectuating foreign relations in the best interest of our home and country. And, yes, we said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, we sang The Star-Spangled Banner every afternoon when the colors were lowered and we were given time to pray to whomever we wanted.

[{"type":"text","text":"I graduated High School in 1979."}]

There were substantive events occurring — America turning its back on Taiwan in favor of China, the post Iranian revolution develops culminating with the seizing of American hostages in Tehran, C-SPAN launches, the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, takes place and a shift in international politics comes about with the rise of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Many opportunities to ingratiate opinion and agenda from teachers but it simply didn't happen.

Fast forward and classrooms starting in the earliest grades have become the breeding ground for student indoctrination via 

It is clear the vast majority of teachers are aligned on the left and the Democrat party. Affirmation is found in the composition of the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association and the Education Committees and chairs in the State Legislature.

All of this and more equals a disdain and rejection of the right and especially President Donald J. Trump who is the center of the ICE OUT narrative espoused by 13 to 17 year old high schoolers protesting here and on the Mainland.

That said I believe the indoctrination of students with biased information in the classroom is far beyond what parents expect and is a far cry from "Reading, Writing and Arithmetic." Teachers who subscribe to this assume it is their responsibility to raise your children beyond providing a basic yet quality education. They may feel this is their mission but it's misguided and circumvents or collides with a parents ultimate authority as the mother and/or father of their child/children.

Do not view this as a lambasting of teachers. The intent is to call attention to educators to respect their own lane when it comes to going beyond education and creating students to ultimately meet their own personal priorities and beliefs. Your personal right may be the families'ogagnolton,emitasawerehT wrong.

I wonder how Mr. Bickel would fare in these days in which we live.

I Stock 641149582

<title>Hamada: Hawai‘i's classrooms should be politically neutral</title>

A quality public education used to include a solid grounding in civics — a neutral understanding of how the government works and how to participate in the democratic process. Now it includes activist teachers using the classroom as a pulpit for their personal politics.

Hamada: Hawai‘i's classrooms should be politically neutral

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

HĀLAWA — On Tuesday morning, the Aloha Stadium Authority held a blessing for its temporary offices in the facility's lower Hālawa parking lot. 

he New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED) and its developer, 

 (AHDP), were present on Tuesday. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Sen. Glenn Wakai and University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa athletics director 

 were some of the other names who attended. 

It turns out there was plenty more to celebrate. 

The temporary offices for the Stadium Authority was a tangible sign of progress in itself — the old offices were located inside Aloha Stadium, which is currently being dismantled in favor of the new one. 

In his speech during the blessing, Stanford Carr of AHDP mentioned that NASED and AHDP have agreed in principle on a master development plan, marking the third agreement between the two parties. All that's left to be agreed upon is a 

Reciprocal Easement Agreement (REA) and the associated Reciprocal Easement Shared Infrastructure Agreement (RESIA). 

Carr also says the new planned seating capacity for the new Aloha Stadium is 31,000, a sizable jump from the 

. The stadium will feature individual seating (as opposed to bleacher seating) and approximately 28 luxury suites. The surrounding housing and entertainment district will also have 4,500 housing units, two hotels and retail spaces. 

"It's going to be a place for economic revitalization, for homes, for new jobs and events that will showcase Hawai‘i to the planet," Wakai said during his speech.

After the blessing, the first piece of exterior demolition at the current Aloha Stadium took place when a high-reach excavator made contact with the stadium's side awning. Water was also being poured on the awning during the process. 

"Whenever you're doing construction, especially when you're ripping out old stuff, you never know what kind of dust and things that will kick up, so you spray it down. That's not uncommon," Aloha Stadium interim manager Michael Yadao explained. 

All in all, Yadao says he was extremely pleased with the order of events on Tuesday morning in Hālawa. 

"It was incredible. I think today was about making sure that all of our partners were a part of our forward momentum," he said. "It was about making sure that the Governor's office, the private sector, the Mayors the city, that everybody on the stadium authority was on board, and even Senator Wakai and his great vision and leadership, everybody was together to move this forward. 

"It was the first event where we were no longer talking about the old stadium, but now we're talking about what it can be. And so I'm over the top happy. If today had only been one of those things, had today just been the MDA (master development agreement), or just been the event, or just been a part of the demo, I would have been stoked, like, really happy. But the fact that today is all three, and it ain't over, it's really amazing."

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Aloha Stadium 021726

<title>Officials gather for new Aloha Stadium milestones</title>

A blessing was held for the Aloha Stadium Authority's temporary office, where multiple new pieces of information were also revealed.

Officials gather for new Aloha Stadium milestones

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

It was chance — and a pandemic — that led West Maui resident Melissa Dyckman to start her interior design business.

Dyckman, who moved to the Valley Isle nearly 20 years ago, says she was in the hair industry there for many years and had her own hair and makeup business.

“When Covid happened, it shut our whole island down and I sold that business,” she told Aloha State Daily.

During that time, an influx of people moved to the island and one asked Dyckman to help furnish her home, “just totally randomly,” she explained. “I was like, ‘sure I think I can try that.’ ... It snowballed from there. I’ve now done many, many projects for the same family and then they’ve referred me out. That’s how my business got going.”

Dyckman is the founder and principal designer at her namesake interior design firm, 

She studied hospitality management at the University of Central Florida and moved to the island a few months after college in 2007, taking job in food and beverage at a Maui resort.

“That was very short-lived, so I went to beauty school and that is how my career got started here in hair, which actually translates quite a bit to what I do now — the creative side and the color theory,” Dyckman told ASD.

Today, she largely works on residential interiors, including new construction, remodels, home furnishing and styling. She also offers a concierge service for those who might need updates here and there.

“I just love working in interiors,” Dyckman says. “I love working in design and anything creative. Also, my husband is an electrical contractor, so I have pretty extensive knowledge of the construction side of things, which I think has helped me a lot in my business.”

Dyckman works with clients from start to finish, whether it’s a new design or if they’re remodeling.

“I love to go in from day one and work with them on the design concepts and then layouts, space planning, down to picking the materials, selecting tile, countertops, cabinetry, all of the finishes, paint … and then logistics of shipping things to Hawai‘i — it can be really challenging, so I spend a lot of time working on logistics.”

[{"type":"text","text":"She also does whole-home furnishing and styling."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"\"It's a lot of customer service at the same time.\""}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Dyckman prefers to source locally when she’s able for two reasons."}]

“I want to support then local economy and then also logistics of getting things here, it can be a challenge,” she explains. “Sourcing locally is shopping with a few local furniture stores that I have great relationships with that bring in really good quality, good-for-our-climate type of furniture. And then I also love to source from local vintage and antique stores. You can find some treasures here.”

When asked about other challenges she faces as an interior designer on Maui, Dyckman says that shipping will always land at the top of the list, but accessibility in general is another hurdle.

“We don’t have the options that you have really anywhere on the Mainland,” she says. “So educating people on what we can get here on island, and then things are more expensive here, so educating people on the cost of what it takes to design here.”

Dyckman says her husband was born and raised in Lahaina and the pair — and her business — are based in West Maui. Their family was "heavily impacted' during the deadly wildfires that ravaged parts of Maui in August 2023 and destroyed much of Lahaina.

“A lot of what we do, both my husband and I, is working with Lahaina families that are starting their rebuild process, and I am formulating a way to be a resource for families that are rebuilding,” she says. “Most people that lost their homes in Lahaina aren’t exactly able to justify having a designer come and do their space for them, but they’re also starting from the beginning and have never done this before. I want to really be able to bridge that gap and help them move forward and be really happy with the home they get or they build.”

Dyckman says part of that includes a comprehensive handbook she’s working on and calling a “Lahaina Rebuild Roadmap” that would include “everything you need to know, from starting with your architect through moving into your space and furnishing your home.” She’s also blocking time out of her schedule to work with families on an individual basis at a “very heavily discounted rate.”

When asked what families that are rebuilding should keep in mind, Dyckman emphasizes quality over quantity when it comes to the size of your home.

“I am seeing so many people go really, really big but then have to sacrifice on the quality of what they’re putting in their home, from their cabinetry to their flooring to all of the finishes. [It’s about] really nailing down the budget early on and being very realistic about that budget and if you can’t do a quality home for that size, then think about scaling back.”

She also encourages people to go with “timeless” rather than trendy, “because you don’t want to have to do this again,” she explains. “You don’t want to have to remodel in 10 years. You don’t want to feel like your kitchen is dated and you just spent everything on that. So, really going with timeless design and quality materials.”

PHOTO CREDIT Dmitri and Sandra Photography Melissa Dyckman Interiors 2

<title>Chance, and the pandemic, led West Maui resident to interior design career</title>

Melissa Dyckman is the founder and principal designer at her namesake interior design studio, Melissa Dyckman Interiors.

Chance, and the pandemic, led West Maui resident to interior design career

Daniel Farr 02

Daniel Farr

Some of the most valuable residential properties on Hawai‘i Island could face higher property taxes under a new proposal before the Hawai‘i County Council. Supporters say the measure is designed to generate millions of dollars annually for housing and homelessness programs without increasing taxes on full-time residents.

Councilmembers Jenn Kagiwada and James Hustace introduced Bill 128, which would expand the county’s current two-tier residential tax system into three tiers based on property value and owner-occupant exemptions.

Under the proposal, residential properties with a net taxable value under $2 million would remain in Tier One. Properties valued between $2 million and $4 million that do not qualify for an exemption would fall into Tier Two, while residential properties valued above $4 million without a home exemption would be placed in a new Tier Three.

For example, a home valued at $5 million and not occupied by the owner would fall into Tier Three and be subject to the higher rate once the council sets the 2026 tax rates, while an owner’s primary residence would remain in Tier One regardless of value.

In Hawai‘i County, homeowners who live on their property full‑time and claim a home exemption remain in Tier One for tax purposes, even if their home is assessed at more than 

County officials say the higher tiers are primarily aimed at investment properties and other non-owner-occupied residences, while primary homeowners and long-term or deed-restricted affordable rental properties would generally remain outside the higher rate structure.

The measure applies only to residential properties. Hotels and other commercial classifications are not included, although residential properties located in resort areas would still be subject to the tiered system.

The County Council will determine the specific tax rates for each tier during the 2026 budget process. For properties up to $2 million, the 

 tax rate is $11.10 for every $1,000 of net taxable value while the tax rate for properties valued at $2 million or more is $13.60 per $1,000. Homeowners who live in their homes and qualify for the owner‑occupied exemption pay a lower rate of $5.95 per $1,000.

Officials estimate the revised structure could generate at least $9 million each year. The bill also requires that no less than $9 million collected annually from the higher tiers be directed toward county-sponsored housing and homelessness programs, unless amended by a future ordinance.

is set for its first reading at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center in Kailua-Kona, and it has already sparked disagreement among council members.

Council Chair Holeka Inaba opposes creating a new tier.

“I think it’s better to just increase the Tier Two rate that already exists,” Inaba told Aloha State Daily. “Adding a new tier might make future tax decisions more confusing for both taxpayers and the council.”

Hustace said the measure would make the tax structure more equitable and bring Hawai‘i Island more in line with other counties that already use multiple residential tiers. He added that recent revenue adjustments tied to long-term affordable rentals have affected projections, and the proposal is intended to help stabilize funding.

“The goal is to create fairness for homeowners and investors while supporting the community with a more balanced tax structure,” Hustace told ASD.

Kagiwada said the intent is to protect residents who live on the island year-round.

“We want to support people who live here full-time,” she said. “Bringing in revenue from outside investors helps our community.”

Some of the island’s luxury residential communities include 

, a private, low‑density residential community in Kealakekua; and 

, a private club and residential community on the Kona coast. A luxury estate in Kohanaiki sold for $23 million late last year.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

638715158538530000 16x9

<title>Hawai‘i County proposes higher property taxes for $4M-plus homes</title>

New plan aims to raise millions for housing and homelessness programs, while protecting full-time residents.

Hawai‘i County proposes higher property taxes for $4M-plus homes

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

A pair of proposed bills that would regulate sports betting and other gambling in the state have drawn mixed reactions from anti-gambling advocates.

The State House of Representatives has continued to support a pair of bills that would close legal loopholes that have allowed sports betting and other forms of gambling form operating in the state outside of gambling regulations.

, which would add a new chapter to the state’s gambling statutes specifically targeting sports wagering.

Under the new chapter, sports betting would only be legal in Hawai‘i if done through licensed sports betting operators. Such licenses would require a $500,000 fee and would need to be renewed every five years, which would require an additional $500,000 renewal fee.

Licensed sports betting operators would also be taxed at a new rate, with the state collecting 15% of the year’s gross wagering receipts.

The bill has received pushback from anti-gambling advocates, who warned that providing further legitimacy to sports betting will worsen addiction and financial insecurity among the state’s most vulnerable.

Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm told the House Committee on Economic Development and Technology 

 by the University of Californa San Diego, policies legalizing online gambling lead to a greater increase of irresponsible gambling among lower-income gamblers.

“So that would mean we’d be making our tax money on addicted gamblers in Hawai‘i,” Alm said. “I don’t think we really want to be in the addiction for profit business.”

On the other hand, several sports betting sites and organizations have supported the measure. Kathleen Owen, representing the Sports Betting Alliance, estimated that Hawai‘i residents wagered more than $680 million in illegal sports betting in 2025 alone.

Assuming that number is accurate, the tax in the bill would generate over $102 million in revenue per year.

Owen added that consumers are hungry for legal gambling markets instead of illegal ones. She cited geolocation data that found that sports betting accounts in Hawai‘i attempted to access sportsbooks that are legal in other states more than 460,000 times last year, but were denied access.

 would redefine the state’s definition of “gambling” to include sports betting and other practices.

The measure itself is brief, but explicitly includes under the state’s gambling definition any financial speculation based on a variety of future events. While this new definition includes bets on sporting contests, it also accounts for the existence of prediction markets — essentially, markets where people can gamble on real-world events — by including bets on politics, catastrophe or “mass casualty events.”

The preamble to the bill judges that much of the gambling within prediction markets “violate moral and ethical standards” while also taking advantage of the current gap in Hawai‘i’s gambling statutes.

Alm told the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce earlier this month that prediction markets “are gambling by any other name.”

Alm added that users of prediction markets 

on whether Gov. Josh Green would use specific words during his State of the State address in January. While he said such bets may be harmless on their own, he added others may be financially incentivized to interfere in world events: in January, an unknown bettor won 

through the platform Polymarket by betting that former Venezelan President Nicolás Maduro would be out of office, bets made only hours before Maduro’s capture by U.S. special forces.

No gambling platform has testified on HB 2198, and the bill has received little pushback.

Both bills have passed second reading in the House but have not been scheduled for their final House committee hearings.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Daily Smile: Wednesday, February 18, 2026

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