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[{"type":"text","text":"Playing a prank on the office..."}]

Smile 26 4 1

<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, April 1, 2026</title>

Playing a prank on the office...

Daily Smile: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

Waimea means “reddish water,” an appropriate name for the colorful canyon on the west side of Kauaʻi. After heavy rains, the streams that run through Waimea can turn reddish-brown as water washes iron-rich red dirt into the river. But the red cliffs of Waimea Canyon tell a much older story.

Waimea Canyon is often called the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” but it is not simply a Hawaiian version of a famous Mainland landmark. It is evidence of the violent creation, collapse, and slow transformation of Kauaʻi itself.

Kauaʻi began as a massive shield volcano, built by layer after layer of volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Around four million years ago, a huge section of the volcano’s summit collapsed, creating a vast depression in its center. Later eruptions filled portions of that depression with new lava. Then the rain began to shape the island.

As one of the wettest places on Earth, rain falls in the high mountains around Waiʻaleʻale. Water flowed down the ancient volcano, collecting in streams and rivers and steadily wearing away the rock. Over millions of years, the Waimea River and its tributaries cut deeper into the landscape, exposing layer after layer of the island’s volcanic history.

The result is a canyon that is roughly 10 miles long and more than 3,600 feet deep. Viewers can see the many red, brown, and gray layers of basalt lava flows and volcanic deposits in its walls, with bright green trees, shrubs, and grasses clinging to its shelves and crevices. Long before visitors arrived to look into its depths, Hawaiians knew these valleys, streams, and uplands as part of a living landscape, with their own histories and moʻolelo, and of course, ghost stories.

Among the legends associated with Waimea Canyon is a story said to date back hundreds of years about an old Hawaiian man who was killed while traveling home from Kalalau. People claimed that his spirit returned each year to the place where he was murdered, sitting beside the road with a pack of dried fish on his back, and killing the first man who encountered him on those nights.

Another haunting tale associated with the area is the Woman in White, sometimes called “the White Lady.” In one account, a man driving to Waimea Canyon one night saw a woman wearing a white dress walking alongside the winding road. He stopped to ask if she needed a ride, and she politely declined. He continued driving when, just a short distance up the road, he saw the woman again ahead of him. This time, he refused to stop, believing it must be a spirit, because how could an actual person travel faster than his car?

These stories have become part of the folklore surrounding this remarkable landscape, but many more tales remain.

Two years ago, a visitor shared her experience while hiking with friends in Waimea Canyon. They were following the Kukui Trail, headed for Wiliwili Camp at the bottom of the canyon next to the Waimea River. The hike down the 2,000-foot cliff was strenuous but not too challenging for the four experienced hikers.

About halfway down, the group took a short water break. But just when they were about to continue, she thought she heard someone coming down the trail behind them. She told her group to wait, to see who was coming. No reason, she said, just curious to see who else was hiking. But no one arrived. While she thought it was strange, the rest of her group thought she was hearing things because they didn’t notice anything.

The rest of the way down, the woman said she began to feel nervous, like someone was following and watching them. She said she’d been visiting Kaua‘i for nearly a decade and had never felt the eeriness she experienced while hiking in Waimea Canyon. The rest of the hike was uneventful, and the group made it to the campsite and began setting up for the night.

The river was much drier than she expected, just a trickle of water through the rocky bed that barely flowed over their feet. They sat at the river’s edge, soaking their feet for a while and taking in the beautiful scenery. But then the eerie feeling returned. While her three friends were talking, she thought she heard someone approaching. She stood up and looked around, but saw no one. She assumed it was animals nearby.

The only man in the group decided it was time to set up a campfire, but for some reason it was impossible. The other two women teased him at first, but quieted down when they saw their friend’s frustration growing. She said it’s not that hard for an experienced camper to build a fire, and her friend must have done it a hundred times before. But this time was different. As they looked on, they’d see the kindling light up, they’d witness a couple of sticks start burning, and then watch as the flames died for no reason. It wasn’t a very windy day. It wasn’t raining, and the wood was as dry as it could be.

After more than an hour, they gave up on a campfire and just used their lightsticks and flashlights as needed. After a filling meal of protein bars and beef jerky, they settled in their tents to sleep. But it was a restless night for her.

The entire night, she kept hearing footsteps outside her tent and mumbling sounds like people talking in low voices far away. Yet every time she looked outside her tent, no one was there. None of her friends heard anything. Unable to sleep and worried someone was hanging around their campsite, she sat outside their tents and waited to see if anyone approached.

For an hour or so, she saw and heard nothing and thought that her presence might have scared away whoever was hanging around. Then, just as she was about to nod off, a light caught her attention. In the middle of where the water should have been flowing, a man stood on the dry riverbed. But the man wasn’t bathed in shadows, he was glowing.

Terrified, the woman woke up her friends so they could see what was happening, but the man had already disappeared. In the morning, despite plans to stay the weekend and hike to Lonomea Camp, they decided to leave. While her friends were disappointed, they believed she saw something out of the ordinary, and it felt like a bad omen.

“The very next day, there was a huge fire nearby,” she said. “It ended up burning over 1,600 acres. I still think about what would have happened if we were still camping.”

The woman believes the eerie feeling that someone was following them, the way the fire wouldn’t start, and the glowing man were warnings. She was especially glad her friends believed her and that they agreed to leave.

Waimea canyon

<title>The Hauntings of Waimea Canyon</title>

Carved by rainwater over ages, Kauai's Waimea Canyon holds mysteries both ancient and modern. Have you ever felt watched while hiking the canyon's trails?

The Hauntings of Waimea Canyon

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Ready to make plans for the weekend? Aloha State Daily compiled a list of 10 ways to spend the weekend on Oʻahu. From the final days of the 

 to a convention focused on a cappella and barbershop music, there are lots of ways to spend this Friday, Oct. 9, through Sunday, Oct. 11.

, a children’s hula competition, will take place on Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10, at Kamehameha Schools Maui. Or head to Hawaiʻi Island and catch the 

No plans to travel? ASD has you covered with these events happening across Oʻahu. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Friday, Oct. 9"}]

Honolulu Orchid Society Show and Plant Sale. 

Looking to adopt an orchid? Or just want to see the variety of plants that exist? Go to the Washington Middle School Cafeteria, and catch the Honolulu Orchid Society Show and Plant Sale. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10. Free. 

Feast the Flavors of Waikīkī Restaurant Week. 

More than a dozen Waikīkī restaurants are featuring specials and prix fixe menus as part of this new, 11-day Flavors of Waikīkī Restaurant Week, which runs Oct. 1 through Oct. 11. Monkeypod Kitchen Waikīkī offers drink and breakfast specials, while Ruth’s Chris Steak House lists a four-course meal from $75+ and Roy’s Waikīkī offers a three-course meal for $72. 

Chorus and quartet singers from New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the West Coast will gather on Oʻahu for the Pan Pacific Harmony Convention, which focuses on a cappella and barbershop music and will convene at Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Waikīkī Beach Resort, and more this week. Events run Tuesday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 11. Tickets are $80 for adults, $40 for youth, and $30 for keiki. 

Brian Culbertson’s Hawaiʻi Jazz Getaway. 

Join the award-winning jazz fusion artist Brian Culbertson for two nights of music at Hawaiʻi Theatre. The getaway starts with a VIP Welcome Reception with Brian Culbertson and special guests on Thursday, Oct. 8. The following night, on Friday, Oct. 9, catch Brian Culbertson & Band, featuring David Benoit and Paul Taylor, at Hawaiʻi Theatre. On Saturday, Oct. 10, catch Brian Culbertson & Band along with Candy Dulfer and Keiko Matsui

 at the same location. There is an additional VIP luncheon on Sunday, Oct. 11. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Saturday, Oct. 10"}]

Bring a book that made an impact on you and trade it for another thoughtfully chosen read at Fort Street Mall. The curated book exchange, which runs from noon until 6 p.m., also includes ambient beats from local musicians and a chance to shop a market of local vendors. Free. There will be single-origin coffee and ceremonial grade matcha available for purchase. 

. Celebrate Hawaiʻi’s 34th annual Hispanic Heritage Festival, which falls during Hispanic Heritage Month. There will be live entertainment, food trucks, pop-up booths, crafts, cultural and art displays, and a classic and vintage car show, plus activities for keiki. The festival also has a beer garden for attendees who are at least 21 years old. The event runs from noon until 10 p.m. at AMVETS West Oʻahu. Tickets are $10, if purchased in advance. 

Halloween is on the way and locations across Oʻahu are hosting themed events for Spooky Season.

 with prizes, while the Children’s Discovery Center is hosting a 

, where keiki can explore hands-on experiments with Halloween magic on Saturday, Oct. 10. 

 with opportunities to get food and drinks, plus visit a pumpkin patch.

Sample local beers from Hana Koa Brewing Co., Honolulu Beerworks, Kona Brewing Co., Lanikai Brewing Co., Maui Brewing Co. and more inside a historic hanger at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. There will be live music and food. The event runs from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Tickets start at $50, plus fees. There are also $20 tickets for designated drivers, which include food, soft drinks and activities. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Sunday, Oct. 11"}]

More than Pink by Susan G. Komen Hawaiʻi. 

Join about 3,000 walkers and runners in this fundraiser sponsored by the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which provides resources to those dealing with breast cancer and supports research for more effective cures. So far, about $143,000 has been raised for the event’s $200,000 goal. The walk starts and ends at the finish line for the Honolulu Marathon, near the bandstand at Kapiʻolani Regional Park. The opening ceremony starts at 8 a.m. 

 ʻIolani Palace will host a kōnane tournament at the upcoming Kamaʻāina Sunday. Check-in for the tournament starts at 9 a.m. and the competition is open to players who are at least 12 years old. While the tournament is limited to 16 competitors, others can play kōnane casually in Hale Koa, which is also known as ʻIolani Barracks. Kawika Lum-Nelmida will also lead cultural workshops, including one for a hulu hairpin and another for a hulu brooch at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively. Complimentary self-led audio tours are available to the first 500 visitors. Free. 

Kamaʻāina Sunday workshops

<title>Spooky season, jazz and more: what to do on Oʻahu this weekend</title>

Aloha State Daily rounded up 10 ways you can spend the weekend. From a pumpkin patch visit at Waimānalo Country Farms to a craft beer event inside a hanger at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, there are lots of events happening on Oʻahu this weekend. ʻIolani Palace will also host its Kamaʻāina Sunday this weekend, which includes a kōnane tournament.

Spooky season, jazz and more: what to do on Oʻahu this weekend

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Business & Tourism

An inaugural event “to literally slow down and simply be” is coming to Windward O

, which was created by local mindfulness coach and clinical psychologist Gaby Toloza, will debut from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, at YWCA Kokokahi in Kāneʻohe.

The family-friendly event aims to encourage participants to unplug and connect in-person through screen-free fun and activities, a collective 60-minute pause, and chance to shop local vendors focused on food, wellness and creativity, and more.

“I’m excited about the novelty of it," she told Aloha State Daily ahead of the event. "

I’m also really excited about the beautiful space at YWCA, which is right there on the ocean."

When asked how PauseFest came to be, Toloza replied: “It came from just really wanting a more public, preventative space. I do a lot of mental therapy, often working in the reactive space … I wanted a place that allows for us to experience [things] in a healthy way without it having to be therapy. … This is not meant to be deep, therapeutic work.”

There will be messaging sent beforehand to those who sign-up on what to bring (a yoga mat or lawn chair) and expect, as well as a handful of wellness facilitators available on site, she notes. About 20 staff and volunteers will be present, and she is expecting at least 100 guests, who will be asked to turn in their phones to the "phone house." (Donʻt fret about capturing memories, there will be a photographer and photo station.)

For this experience, she adds, it will “likely be lighter and fun,” Toloza said, noting that during the collective pause in the middle of the day, participants can expect silence with some breath work and meditation built in.

“I suspect in that there will be some discomfort, and I kind of want that for people. I want them to learn to embrace their pleasant and unpleasant feelings that really are their power. … 

Mindfulness is a super power when we learn how to channel it as an individual and how it can work in a group.”

One of her goals is for the concept of mindfulness to become “a practical, usable skill [to] pause, notice and care.”

What that looks like internally, she explains, is noticing

rather than evaluating or judging. She says that the emphasis for this approach to mindfulness is to “pay attention on purpose.”

witnessing ourselves, and we need to slow down in order to do that. Our minds in particular need to slow down and pay attention to other things like our environment or what’s around us.”

Toloza adds that PauseFest aims to be a safe and accepting space, where individuals will learn to practice patience and “the benefit of non-striving or non-doing,” or "conscious rest."

Attendees of all ages can also experience “the fun zone, bubble buffet, sticker and doodle mural, mindful rebel rest stop, slow lane, conversation cafe and take what you need station, along with the Mindful Marketplace, a curated collection of local, values-aligned businesses, makers, creatives and entrepreneurs,” a recent announcement from the half-day event reads.

Vendor applications and sponsorship opportunities for this event remain open. Interested? Contact 

“The only moment we actually have is right now, the present,” said Toloza, who was born and raised in Kailua.

She shared with ASD about grief and healing after the loss of her dad and boyfriend in her late teens, early adulthood.

“What it taught me is fragility of life; tomorrow is not promised and the unexpected is sort of normative,” she said. “At the time, I got a lot of support from community and friends, and there was this almost accidental slowing down of life.

After college, Toloza was an elementary school teacher for a decade and later worked to help integrate children with autism into the community. For nearly 20 years, she has practiced as a licensed psychologist in both Hawai

ʻi and Oklahoma; her husband served in the military, which took her from the Islands to the Mainland, as well as Italy.

She launched Mindful Connections in January 2022 as her clinical practice and, more recently, Mindful Rebels Collective, “a gym membership for your heart and mind,” which includes community events. 

Toloza aims to grow both aspects of her business in the future.

As a healthcare professional, she says she continues to check herself and self-reflect, so that she knows “what it’s like to sit on the other side.”

Toloza adds that becoming a mother has made her a better teacher of mindfulness, among other life lessons.

“I wanted [my daughter] to have a toolbox that is going to be with her always, even when I’m not around. If she knows how to be mindful and how to practice that, then that’s a good resource for her.”

PauseFest tickets start at $29 per individual and $49 per family (2 adults and kids). Parking will be available at the venue. 

Gaby Toloza

<title>Press ‘pause’ at this upcoming event on Oʻahu’s east side</title>

Kailua-based mindfulness coach and clinical psychologist Gaby Toloza will debut PauseFest on Oct. 24 at YWCA Kokokahi in Kāneʻohe. The family-friendly event aims to encourage participants to slow down, unplug and connect in-person through screen-free fun and activities, a collective pause and chance to shop local vendors focused on food, wellness and creativity. Toloza says come as you are.

Press ‘pause’ at this upcoming event on Oʻahu’s east side

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

The votes have been cast and counted, and the best hotels and resorts across the Islands have been ranked in 

Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach

General Manager Mike Kass said in an announcement Tuesday that the recognition is a reflection of the "passion, dedication and genuine care demonstrated every day by our ladies and gentlemen."

 that is set to bring the Parisian pâtisserie, known for its macarons, to Hawai‘i for the first time; a collection of guest experiences will culminate with the debut of a pop-up Ladurée cafe on Dec. 4. 

Rounding out the top 10 hotels in Hawai‘i are 

The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikīkī

Kōloa Landing Resort at Po'ipū, Autograph Collection

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection

Top 25 Destination Spa Resorts in the United States

Best Spa Resorts in the U.S. and Around the World

Hawai‘i's four major islands were all ranked on the list of 

, with Maui at No. 3, O‘ahu at No. 4, Lāna‘i at No. 6, Hawai‘i Island at No. 10, Kaua‘i at No. 11 in the U.S.

Hundreds of thousands of people submitted their ratings between April 1 and June 30, and the results were tabulated by Condé Nast. Read more about the methodology 

A number of Hawai‘i hotels and resorts were recently ranked among the best in the U.S. in the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Read more about those 

HNLRR Exterior HERO 2022

<title>These Hawai‘i hotels, resorts recognized by Condé Nast Traveler</title>

Hundreds of thousands of people voted between April 1 and June 30 to find the best hotels, resorts, cruise lines, spas, cities and more around the world, including the top hotels and resorts in Hawai‘i, which were ranked in the magazine's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards.

These Hawai‘i hotels, resorts recognized by Condé Nast Traveler

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, is not, in fact, a specialty pickle shop. The business, located next door to the husband-and-wife team’s ice cream shop, 

, just celebrated its grand opening on Saturday.

“‘Little Pickle’ is actually a nickname for our 7-year-old son,” Kyle explains. “We call our five-year-old son ‘cornichon,’ so he’s the mini version of little pickle.”

While the biz does sell pickles — “We love pickles, and we serve local pickles from Ho Farms,” 

— its primary specialty is gourmet hot dogs.

[{"type":"text","text":"These aren’t your typical Costco food court hot dogs, Kyle notes."}]

“They’re all-beef, pasture-raised hot dogs with no hormones and no antibiotics,” he says. “Nowadays, a lot of people are health conscious and don’t want to put ultra-processed meats in their body. This (what we’re serving) is a super high-quality hot dog; we hunted down the perfect bun, as well.

“It took us months,” Kyle adds. “It’s so hard to find buns that don’t have preservatives. We found a local baker who could do them, and they were perfect. It was a journey to get there.”

The journey began before the couple got the space next to their ice cream shop. While they do love hot dogs, Kyle and Josephine say they were trying to come up with a savory concept that was both affordable and family friendly.

“We love food, but we love community more than food,” Kyle says. “We wanted to do something amazing next door to our ice cream shop, to keep building community and invite more people in. This spot opened up — it was supposed to be a bakery, but the couple that was doing it had to pull out for personal reasons — and it became available. It was open for a while; we decided to go for it.”

He says that if they didn’t settle on hot dogs, the space could have been a pizza, hamburger, dumplings or sandwich shop.

“We want to make places and experiences for the neighborhood,” Josephine says. “We always consider ourselves a family party that the whole neighborhood is invited to. I guess that can be manifested and expressed in many ways.

“It’s expensive to eat out in Kailua — you can’t really grab and go for anything less than $30 — and we were like, ‘What can we do?’” she adds. “There aren’t a lot of hot dogs on the Island. We really challenged ourselves to find a relatively healthy hot dog with no nitrates.”

The couple officially got the space last December, but say the build out and sourcing for their products took longer than expected.

Little Pickle’s opening menu features six specialty hot dogs ($12 each); flavors will rotate every month or two, according to Kyle. Customers can choose from Chicago, Seattle, nori, chili cheese, tropickle and L.A. Dirty dogs.

“They’re all kind of different and unique; they all have sweet and savory flavors,” Kyle says. “Jo is from L.A., so for her, the L.A. Dirty Dog is kind of like a homecoming. The chili cheese dog is my favorite — just savory and delicious; you put cheese and onions on top of that, I won’t say ‘no.’”

The business’s Chicago dog features an all-beef, premium hot dog with yellow mustard, sweet relish, chopped white onions, tomato wedges, pickled sport peppers, poppy seeds, celery salt and a dill pickle spear. Meanwhile, the Seattle dog features a schmear of whipped cream cheese, housemade yellow onion jam, a sliced jalapeno and Sriracha zig zag.

“We didn’t even know what a Seattle dog was, initially,” Kyle says. “Somebody came in and was like, ‘You should do a Seattle dog.’ We looked it up; apparently, it’s a whole thing to put cream cheese and jalapenos. The nori dog is for people who love kewpie mayo; it has Japanese flavors.”

For customers who want something unique, Kyle recommends the tropickle dog, which comes with lilikoʻi mustard and pineapple-mango salsa. Josephine says the biz will eventually offer a vegan and vegetarian option.

He says the flavors will keep rotating — with the exception of the Chicago dog and chili cheese dog, which will likely stay on the menu — to give customers new options to try. He says they also want to do chef partnerships and collaborate with different chefs to create a specialty hog dog.

“We’ll create something really special (with them),” he says. “We’re also going to have fun and maybe do meatball sandwiches, oysters on the half shell and fun things that we rotate in to keep it exciting.”

Besides its gourmet hot dogs, Little Pickle also offers side dishes — ranging from kale yuzu salad ($9) to chili cheese fritos ($8) — and drinks.

“We make our own agua frescas ($5),” Josephine says. “We do a liliko

i iced tea and yuzu lemonade. We do a pickled Coke ($6), which features salty, dill pickle brine. Since we have the ice cream shop next door, we’ll have root beer floats (with Please Come Again’s vanilla ice cream) as well.”

While the business will start by opening from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays, Josephine says the shop’s goal is to eventually open from 8 a.m.

“We’ll start serving breakfast sandwiches,” she says. “Then, as soon as we can, we’ll open more days. We’ll probably always be closed on Mondays.”

“We just wanted to have fun (with this new concept); accessibility, quality and affordability are important to us,” Kyle adds. “We just want to give people a high-quality option that doesn’t break the bank; something they can pick up on the way home from the beach.”

Open 12 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Parking available in the surrounding municipal lots 

Little Pickle owners 100226

<title>Little Pickle is a new specialty hot dog shop in Kailua</title>

Located next to Please Come Again Ice Cream, Little Pickle celebrated its grand opening this past Saturday. The biz specializes in all-beef, pasture-raised hot dogs made with no hormones, nitrates or antibiotics. Choose from a rotating selection of flavors, ranging from the Chicago dog and chili cheese dog to the Japanese-inspired nori dog.

Little Pickle is a new specialty hot dog shop in Kailua

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

Another organization has sued Hawai‘i over Act 11, the law passed this year that limits corporate spending in political campaigns.

Act 11, which Gov. Josh Green signed into law in 

, limits “artificial-person powers” granted by the state to corporations; in particular, the law rescinded the power of corporations to spend money on political campaigns.

The law challenges the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court verdict in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, wherein the court found laws prohibiting corporate political spending violates corporations’ First Amendment. Proponents of Act 11 have argued that the law does not impede corporations’ 

The Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America disagrees. Last month, the national chamber 

 state Attorney General Anne Lopez and Nadine Ando, Director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, over Act 11 in U.S. District Court.

In its complaint, the Chamber argues that the law “extinguishes the power to speak on certain topics and viewpoints, enforces that … prohibition with significant corporate penalties up to involuntary dissolution … in direct defiance of binding Supreme Court precedent.”

The Chamber claims that the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the fundamental premise of Act 11 — that a corporation’s “powers” conferred by the state are distinct from their “rights” — in Citizens United. It adds that Act 11 applies to foreign entities that Hawai‘i has no authority over.

Furthermore, Act 11 is discriminatory, the Chamber argues, because it permits media corporations to publish content concerning political campaigns while simultaneously prohibiting other corporations from doing the same.

Because the U.S. Chamber of Commerce regularly participates in political speech — including repeated endorsements of Rep. Ed Case and a planned voter-education tour this year about “the virtues and benefits of free enterprise and the dangers of socialism” — the Chamber argues that it has been directly harmed by Act 11.

The Chamber’s complaint notes that its arguments are not original. In fact, it points out that Lopez 

 testified against the bill as it passed through the state Legislature, calling it “likely impossible to defend” and warning that passing the law would all but guarantee costly legal challenges.

, filed in June by Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i, followed much the same arguments. Progress in that case has been slow; a hearing for a proposed preliminary injunction that would suspend Act 11 until the case is resolved, which was proposed in June, is scheduled for Oct. 13.

The Chamber has also moved for a similar preliminary injunction in its case, but no hearing has yet been scheduled on the matter.

Daily Smile: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

ASD Staff

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Authors

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