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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"There are two different types of bulldogs...."}]

Smile 26 4 15

<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, April 15, 2026</title>

There are two different types of bulldogs....

Daily Smile: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

 There are two different types of bulldogs....

[{"type":"text","text":"Now, let's all enjoy watching the viewing of Lady & The Tramp..."}]

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<title>Daily Smile: Friday, June 5, 2026</title>

Now, let's all enjoy watching the viewing of Lady & The Tramp...

Daily Smile: Friday, June 5, 2026

Arrasmith Portrait

Perry Arrasmith

Government & Politics

Columnists

Just when I thought the dust settled, another layer was added to the confusion. 

It’s nothing short of a crisis. On June 4, the Chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Andrew Ferguson, made an announcement from Ohio that throws Hawai‘i’s Medicaid program in the middle of a growing national fight over fraud. 

As a result of Ferguson’s announcements, the state agency certified to investigate Medicaid fraud in Hawai‘i is now decertified and defunded. In the federal government’s eyes, it functions with no credibility. 

, “Hawai‘i’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has received millions and millions of dollars to fight fraud and has consistently been one of the lowest-performing fraud units in the country.”

, a little-known agency nestled under the Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General charged with investigating fraud. 

The crisis has unfolded gradually over the past 10 years and now finds itself at an unprecedented inflection point. 

“They have been the subject of continued demands to improve their performance since 2014 — dating back to the Obama Administration — and from 2021 to 2025, Hawai‘i’s Medicaid funding went up 27%. Their Medicaid enrollment went up 40%, and they did not produce a single conviction or obtain a single indictment of a fraudster from 2021 to 2025.” 

The Attorney General of the State of Hawai‘i, Anne Lopez, had previously clapped back at the Trump administration's accusations against Hawai‘i just a week earlier. On May 26, the California Department of Justice 

 a press conference with several Democratic Attorneys General to address a ‘last-minute’ invitation extended by Vice President Vance to join the White House’s Medicaid Fraud Task Force. Attorney General Lopez was flanked by her counterparts from Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, and California.

 an Anti-Fraud Task Force on March 16 to be chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance. For politically disparate Hawai‘i, the gravity of the Task Force’s importance was brought to bear on May 13 at a 

 on Medicaid fraud hosted by Vice President Vance. 

“The Hawai‘i Medicaid program has received billions and billions of dollars from the federal taxpayers,” Vance observed at his May conference. “Hawai‘i taxpayers have paid in a lot of money into this program over the last years as well. Guess how many convictions or indictments Hawaii has had over the last few years in its Medicaid fraud program? The answer is zero.”

For those who don’t know, Medicaid is a joint federal-state program administered by the states. Each state has a designated Medicaid agency (

 in Hawai‘i’s case, which functions under the Hawai‘i Department of Human Services). Hawai‘i will then pay different providers and/or health plans to provide health care and report those expenditures to the federal government through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Hawai‘i then seeks federal funds to match some of the costs borne by the State. 

, the U.S. federal government covered 71% of Hawai‘i’s Medicaid costs ($2.2 billion) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, leaving the State of Hawai‘i to cover the remaining 29% ($890 million). It’s a lot of money, leaving fraud as a consistent possibility.  

Gov. Green brushed off Vance’s concerns on May 18. “He didn’t take the time to call me at all,” Green 

Gov. Green, for now, is committed to avoiding squabbles with the federal government. Where health care is concerned, he’s enjoyed a largely warm relationship with the Trump administration. 

To date, Governor Josh Green has expressed a ready willingness to engage with the Trump Administration on a select basis. 

This relationship has notably extended to the CMS headed by Dr. Mehmet Oz. CMS Administrator Oz has directly engaged with Governor Green on more than one occasion. On July 23, 2025, the Governor’s Office 

 that Green would facilitate a discussion with CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz (alongside Republican Vermont Governor Phil Scott). 

CMS, so far, has also shown a willingness to fund rural health efforts across the United States, including Hawai‘i. On December 29, 2025, it 

 that the State of Hawai‘i would receive nearly $189 million in funding to “expand access to care in rural communities, strengthen the rural health workforce, modernize rural facilities and technology, and support innovative models that bring high-quality, dependable care closer to home.”

 focuses on six specific areas: (1) a Rural Health Information Network; (2) the Pili Ola Telehealth Network; (3) a Rural Infrastructure for Care Access (RICA) network; (4) a Rural Healthcare Workforce Pipeline; (5) a Rural Respite Network of five separate sites designed to reduce hospital stays; and (6) a Rural Value-Based Innovation and AHEAD Readiness Fund to encourage “value-based care and population-health models.” 

Ties between Gov. Green and Dr. Oz, at least for now, appear to be warm. Oz even 

 Green for collaborating with him for National Walking Day on March 19, just a few days after the formation of Vice President Vance’s Task Force. 

Despite Vance’s attacks on Hawai‘i, Gov. Green pulled back the veil to explain that he still maintains good relationships with the Trump administration. As he explained in one May interview, “I actually spoke right after that interview with the head of CMS – that’s Dr. Oz – to share what we’re actually doing.”

 (MFCU), organized under the State of Hawai‘i’s Department of the Attorney General. To that end, criticism of our MFCU is not new. 

In fact, managing the MFCU is a wicked issue with a decade of history. During the Obama Administration, an October 2014 

 conducted by the HHS OIG found that “only two of the [MFCU]’s seven investigators were hired as long-term employees (as required), the Unit did not have an auditor, it did not have written policies and procedures for its operations, and it did not have a required training plan for its professional employees.” 

The same report found that the MFCU failed to “regularly communicate with Federal law enforcement agencies, it worked outside of its grant authority, and it did not exercise fiscal control of its resources.”

 found that the MFCU “experienced significant turnover of investigators and lacked sufficient Medicaid fraud cases to adequately train new and inexperienced investigators.” Furthermore, the MFCU appeared to receive “few fraud referrals from the Medicaid Program Integrity Unit and other stakeholders, which limited the number of cases available for the Unit to investigate and prosecute.”

Similarly, the Center for Program Integrity within the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services called for better cooperation in two reports issued in 

In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) dispatched its Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) MFCU Oversight Division to review the state’s work on Medicaid fraud. Per the Attorney General’s office, the review “identified a number of challenges that have impacted its ability to initiate criminal charges and obtain convictions.” 

To that end, the division has ample room for improvement. Efforts to streamline the MFCU’s work include “increased collaboration with the unit’s state and federal partners to detect and investigate Medicaid and Medicare Fraud in Hawai‘i, accelerated recruitment of new investigators, and developing tools for investigation.” 

 directly to Hawai‘i’s Attorney General. The Inspector General, T. March Bell, doubled down on the Vice President’s rhetoric and went a step further. Bell confirmed that he had directed his office “to engage in a robust review of [Hawai‘i’s] MFCU.” To that end, he further confirmed that he “will be reaching out to you personally to review the effectiveness of your MFCU, as well as its compliance with program requirements.” 

“Hawaiʻi has not ignored Medicaid fraud,” Attorney General Anne Lopez 

 on May 14. “Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has secured or helped secure more than $14 million in judgments, settlements, and recoveries since 2021, filed recent criminal charges, and is actively working with federal and state partners to strengthen investigations and prosecutions.”

It is still true that the State of Hawai‘i did not have any convictions resulting from the MFCU. This fact is confirmed by a 

 released by the HHS OIG. Small states like Montana, Vermont, North Dakota, New Hampshire, and Delaware had at least one conviction. The same sheet shows that Hawai‘i managed to engage in 388 fraud investigations, although not a single investigation resulted in a single indictment.  

Despite his methods, the vice president's press conference is shining attention on an inconvenient, long-term issue with serious consequences for Hawai‘i’s fiscal health. 

For now, Attorney General Anne Lopez’s decision to align with other Democratic Attorneys General may run out of step with Gov. Green’s conciliatory approach to folks like Dr. Oz and the Trump Administration’s increased focus on Hawai‘i. 

It’s a game of money overshadowed by the inclination of national officials to make an example of Hawai‘i. To weather this storm, Hawai‘i’s money — and Hawai‘i’s health — require more attention from Hawai‘i’s people.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Josh Green state of the state 012125

<title>Making Sense of Hawai‘i’s Medicaid Fraud Conundrum</title>

On Thursday, the federal government decertified and defunded Hawai‘i's Medicaid fraud unit in response to having spent millions on the unit for years while getting few results. ASD political historian Perry Arrasmith explains how we got here and what it means for Hawai‘i, where Gov. Josh Green had been on fairly good terms with the Trump administration on health matters.

Making Sense of Hawai‘i’s Medicaid Fraud Conundrum

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

More than 200 candidates are running for elected offices in Hawai‘i and will appear on ballots this year. See the candidates for city and county races, 

Tuesday marked the filing deadline for prospective political candidates to submit their nomination papers to run for office in the upcoming 2026 elections. The 2026 primary election will be held Saturday, Aug. 8, with the general election set for Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Here are the candidates for statewide races. 

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

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Lieutenant Governor"}]

U.S. Representative candidates, District II

State Senator District 5 (Wailuku, Kahului)

State Senator District 8 (Kaua‘i, Ni‘ihau)

State Senator District 9 (Hawai‘i Kai, Diamond Head)

State Senator District 10 (Kaimukī, Kapahulu, Mō‘ili‘ili)

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"• Incumbent Les Ihara Jr., Democrat "}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"• Jackson Sayama, Democrat  "}]

State Senator District 11 (Mānoa, Makiki, Punchbowl)

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"• Incumbent Carol Fukunaga, Democrat "}]

State Senator District 13 (Liliha, Iwilei, Nu‘uanu)

State Senator District 14 (Moanalua, ‘Aiea, Fort Shafter)

State Senator District 15 (Kalihi, Māpunapuna)

State Senator District 17 (Mililani Town, Wahiawā)

State Senator District 19 (Pearl City, Waipahu)

State Senator District 20 (‘Ewa Beach, Ocean Pointe)

State Senator District 21 (Kalaeloa, Kapolei)

State Senator District 25 (Kailua, Waimānalo)

State Rep. District 3 (Hilo, Keaukaha, Kea‘au)

State Rep. District 4 (Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Beaches)

State Rep. District 5 (Kea‘au, Mountain View, Volcano, 

Pāhala, Punalu‘u, Nā‘ālehu, Hawaiian Ocean View

State Rep. District 6 (Captain Cook, Kailua-Kona)

State Rep. District 7 (Kailua-Kona, Honokōhau)

State Rep. District 8 (Hawi, Waimea, Waikōloa)

State Rep. District 12 (Pukalani, Makawao)

State Rep. District 13 ( Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe)

State Rep. District 15 (Hā‘ena, Hanalei)

State Rep. District 16 (Wailuā, Līhu‘e)

Kōloa, Po‘ipū, Kalāheo, Ele‘ele, Hanapēpē, Waimea

State Rep. District 18 (Portlock, Hawai‘i Kai)

State Rep. District 19 (‘Āina Haina, Niu Valley)

State Rep. District 20 (Leahi, Wai‘alae, Kaimukī)

State Rep. District 21 (Pālolo Valley, Wilhelmina Rise)

State Rep. District 23 (Mō‘ili‘ili, McCully)

State Rep. District 25 (Ala Moana, Downtown Honolulu)

State Rep. District 26 (Makiki, Punchbowl)

State Rep. District 27 (Pacific Heights, Nu‘uanu)

State Rep. District 28 (Sand Island, Chinatown)

State Rep. District 29 (Kamehameha Heights, Kalihi Valley)

State Rep. District 30 (Kalihi, Hickam Village)

State capitol 022725

<title>Here's who's running for office in 2026, part 1</title>

Tuesday marked the filing deadline for prospective political candidates. See who's running for state offices here.

Here's who's running for office in 2026, part 1

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

— Howard Hughes' 60-acre master-planned community located between Downtown Honolulu and Waikīkī — has opened.

The Park Ward Village has brought another 546 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes and more than 30,000 square feet of retail and dining space to Kaka‘ako.

The residence was 97% pre-sold when it was completed, an announcement from the developer this week noted.

As the name implies, you'll find the 41-story tower located adjacent to the newly finished 3.5-acre Victoria Ward Park. Ward Village opened the 1.4-acre 

 in early 2025 and the mauka expansion was completed in February, the announcement says.

“The Park Ward Village represents an important milestone in Ward Village’s master plan, introducing homes and gathering spaces with views to the ocean in the heart of the neighborhood,” 

Doug Johnstone, president of the Hawai‘i region and national condominium development for Howard Hughes Communities, said in the announcement.

 “Its setting alongside Victoria Ward Park, as well as the refined island aesthetic design that has become synonymous with Ward Village, has been central to its success, and we look forward to welcoming residents to their new homes.”

According to the announcement, The Park Ward Village, which draws inspiration from Hawai‘i's "mid-century architectural heritage," was designed by architecture firm 

Solomon Cordwell Buenz with interiors by Yabu Pushelberg, and landscape architecture by VITA Planning and Landscape Architecture.

An amenity deck includes resort-style and lap pools, pickleball and tennis courts, barbecue cabanas, spa amenities and landscaped lawns. 

The Park's completion also brings public improvements, including expanded sidewalks, enhanced pedestrian paths and bicycle connections, the developer says.

 coming to The Park: Rigo, which will introduce a new dining concept with a menu specially crafted for Ward Village, and ‘Āina Bowls, a new acai and health food-focused eatery.

To commemorate the tower's opening, Ward Village donated $120,000 to four Hawai‘i nonprofits: Residential Youth Services & Empowerment in 

support of its Beretania Street capital project; Aloha for Hawai‘i for Kona Low flood recovery assistance; Honolulu Community College construction and trades programs to provide tool kits and educational resources for students; and Re-Use Hawaii for sustainability-focused reuse efforts serving Kaka‘ako and Ward Village, according to the announcement.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The story so far..."}]

Ward Village has sold out its first eight mixed-use residential towers: Waiea, Anaha, Ae‘o, Ke Kilohana, ‘A‘ali‘i, Kō‘ula, Victoria Place and Ulana Ward Village. New residential buildings in development or under construction include Kalae, The Launiu Ward Village, ‘Ilima Ward Village and Melia Ward Village.

In an emailed response to questions, Johnstone told Aloha State Daily that to date, Ward Village has completed more than 4,200 homes across its first nine residences.

An additional 1,636 homes are planned or underway, including Kalae and The Launiu Ward Village, which are currently under construction, and Mahana, Melia and ʻIlima, which are advancing through the planning and permitting process," he says.

There seemingly continues to be demand for condos within Ward Village.

In Hawai‘i last year, Howard Hughes contracted to sell 287 condos, which accounted for roughly $1.6 billion in future revenue, according to 

During 2025, 220 units at Melia and ‘Ilima and 63 units of The Launiu were pre-sold, the report, published earlier this year, noted. At year-end the predevelopment condos of Melia and ‘Ilima were 60% pre-sold and The Launiu was 71% sold. Meanwhile, Kalae was 93% sold.

Melia and ‘Ilima are towers planned at the site of Ward Centre. The 33-story ‘Ilima Ward Village will have 148 homes while Melia Ward Village, its 35-story companion, will offer 221 residences.

A specific timeline for demolition and redevelopment of the Ward Centre site has not yet been finalized.

Its eighth residential tower, Ulana Ward Village, 

01 The Park Ward Village Courtesy of Ward Village 16x9

<title>The Park Ward Village opens</title>

The ninth residence in Ward Village, The Park delivers 546 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes and more than 30,000 square feet of retail and dining space.

The Park Ward Village opens

Business & Tourism

Peter Dames, president and CEO of Servco Pacific Inc., has been on the job for just under two years now.

"It’s been a whirlwind — exciting, humbling and full of learning," he recently told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions. "I was never really a person who wanted to be in the spotlight and enjoyed putting my head down and getting things done. Now, I’m in a role that puts me out front, and it’s stretched me in the best ways.

 when Peter Fukunaga bought Henry Voss' Hale‘iwa Garage for $1,500. In 1921, it merged with two other operations and incorporated into Waialua Garage Co., a history on the company's site notes.

Many people today know the Servco name through their car dealerships in Hawai‘i, but the company has diversified over the past 100-plus years.

Servco has exclusive distributorships of Toyota, Lexus and Subaru in the Islands and is the largest Toyota dealership group in Australia.

But if you're in the market to make some music, Servco can help with that, too. Its musical instrument businesses include 

, hydrogen-based mobility solutions and musical instrument manufacturer 

And earlier this year it was one of two investors who partnered 

 — an online marketplace where you can buy and sell new, used and vintage musical instruments — from Etsy. That deal closed in June.

Dames, who had been executive vice president, 

 as president and CEO in late 2023. Then-CEO Mark Fukunaga, founder Peter Fukunaga's grandson, transitioned to executive chair of the board.

In May, the company was recognized as a U.S. Best Managed Company for the sixth consecutive year. That program is sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal.

ASD spoke with Dames about his work at Servco, challenges the company currently faces, what's on the horizon — and more. 

For his part, Dames says he's a "California kid turned global citizen," thanks in part to a degree in Japanese studies and a career that has taken him from Toyota Japan to Europe and, now, Hawai‘i.

"During my time in Japan, I had the opportunity to work with the Fukunaga family, which led to my involvement on Servco’s board of directors and eventually joining the company in 2018," he told ASD. 

Dames is a self-proclaimed life-long music nerd, percussionist and bassist who says he still gets excited about gear talk. Outside of work, though, he says he finds joy in "giving back through causes tied to music, youth leadership, cultural exchange and technology."

Stepping into his role, Dames says his priority was to continue to earn trust.

"Any leadership change can be tricky, and being the first non-family member to lead a family-founded company meant listening deeply, respecting legacy and building bridges," he says. "Thankfully, the Fukunaga family and our team members welcomed me with open arms and shared wisdom — including four family members who are active in the business."

On a day-to-day basis, Dames says he's "driving the company vision forward, setting us up for long-term growth and success."

"As a centennial company, it’s my mission to continue the Fukunaga family’s vision and legacy, maintain the values that got us here and bring Servco into its next 100 years and beyond."

Servco, he says, "continues to grow in these uncertain times and we've got a great team — not only in Hawai‘i, but across the world — that fuels that growth."

Tell us about the challenges with business today and any hurdles Servco might currently face. What’s the company’s current business landscape like? 

Macroeconomic challenges like high interest rates, inventory shortages and inflation are real. But Servco’s strength has always been adaptability — we’ve shifted across industries over 100 years and we’ll do it again. It’s all about listening to our customers and evolving with the world around us.

Looking ahead, what’s your goal for the next year?

We’re writing Servco’s next chapter — one where mobility, music and meaningful investments come together to shape our future. My goal is to lead with curiosity, scale our impact globally and root everything we do in our core values of respect, service, teamwork and innovation.

The message of “think global, act local” has really resonated with me — meaning we have an innovation and growth mindset, but we never forget where we came from and those who helped us get there.

What else is on the near-term horizon for Servco?

We’re reimagining how we do business to continue competing in the market and to stay ahead of the latest consumer trends. Additionally, we strive to provide excellent customer service, which starts with our team members. With an award-winning company culture, we will continue investing in Team Servco so they can show that same care to the communities we serve.

What’s something that people never ask about, but you wish they would — and what’s your response? 

Not many know that while we’re rooted in Hawai‘i, we have a hand in shaping music culture around the world with Fender. And, last month, we became co-owners of Reverb, the world’s largest online used music gear marketplace — an exciting leap from our beginnings as a two-car garage in Waialua!

While we remain humble and focused on Hawaiʻi, we want to start telling that story more going forward; highlighting the many business areas and markets we operate in, how we can bring that investment and expertise back to Hawaiʻi, and the many incredible team members that make it all possible.

What role do you think Servco plays in the community? 

Service is not only part of our name, but also in our DNA. It’s never lost on me that our success is because of the communities around us. Giving back is our way of saying thank you to those that have supported us for over 100 years.

Peter Dames servco 1

<title>Peter Dames: 'Servco’s strength has always been adaptability'</title>

Aloha State Daily recently caught up with Dames, who became president and CEO of Servco Pacific Inc. in late 2023, to talk about his leadership role, the challenges the company currently faces, what's on the horizon — and more.

Daily Smile: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

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