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Daily Smile

[{"type":"text","text":"Best backup singer ever..."}]

Smile 26 6 3

<title>Daily Smile: Wednesday, June 3, 2026</title>

Best backup singer ever...

Daily Smile: Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Business & Tourism

 has opened its newest location in Honolulu — guests and the community can now find the Korean convenience store at the recently refreshed Pagoda Hotel.

In the 648-square-foot retail space you'll find fresh grab-and-go items, customizable beverages, a ramen bar with various Korean instant ramen offerings, travel and wellness necessities, and a range of Korean and local products, according to an announcement Monday.

"When we started looking at the retail space, we really wanted to bring in something that would be useful not only for our hotel guests, but also for the people who live and work in the neighborhood," 

Chue Yang, general manager of Pagoda Hotel, told Aloha State Daily in an emailed response to questions. "

CU was a great fit because it offers so much more than a traditional hotel convenience store. You can grab a quick meal, snacks, drinks and everyday essentials, and having that right on property is a great amenity for our guests. At the same time, it gives people in the surrounding community another reason to come to Pagoda."

CU Hawai‘i at Pagoda will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

The shop's debut follows a new, property-wide refresh that was 

As ASD reported then, citing an announcement at that time, the refresh included updated guest rooms with contemporary island-inspired interiors and upgraded furnishings; in-room artwork by kama‘āina artist 

; a restoration of the koi pond area; revitalized corridors and updates to the exterior; an art wall in the lobby; and a new snack and retail concept in the lobby.

Yang told ASD that CU is just "another piece of the larger transformation happening at Pagoda."

"We’ve invested significantly in updating the hotel and improving the guest experience, but the goal has always been bigger than just renovating the rooms and lobby," Yang says. "We’re also rethinking the businesses and amenities on the property and how they can better serve both our guests and the surrounding neighborhood. CU is one of those additions, and with Rainbow Drive-In and Paris Baguette still to come, there’s a lot more happening at Pagoda."

, a bakery and cafe that originated in South Korea, is slated to open in 2027, while Rainbow Drive-In, which is set to takeover the Pagoda's iconic floating restaurant, is targeted to debut later this fall.

“In addition to expanding our guest offerings and delivering on our commitment to ensuring the highest levels of service, we’re thrilled to introduce this thoughtful, delighting neighborhood staple to the people working, living and visiting the midtown Honolulu area,” Robert Kurisu, CEO of CU Hawaiʻi, said in the announcement. “This partnership is a natural extension for both brands, and it's exciting to bring CU Hawaiʻi to a property with so much history.”

Located on Rycroft Street near Ala Moana, the 199-room, 12-story Pagoda Hotel, was built in 1964 and is currently managed by Highgate. 

 on Bishop Street in Downtown Honolulu last November.

BGF Retail Hawai‘i, the local subsidiary of CU’s parent company, 

signed a master franchise contract with Hawaiʻi-based CU Hawaiʻi LLC to bring the convenience store to the Hawai‘i market. CU operates more than 18,500 stores across South Korea and more than 730 stores globally.

CU Hawaii Pagoda 083126

<title>CU Hawai‘i opens in Pagoda Hotel</title>

CU Hawai‘i opens in Pagoda Hotel

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Do you remember what you were doing right before the 9/11 attacks, and how did that moment lead you to different choices?

, a 20-year broadcast news veteran who was credited as the first national journalist to report the first 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, it was a “turning point” in her career 

It sent her overseas to cover the war in Afghanistan, among other global events, while also reconciling her marriage with late husband, Will Robinson, whom she met at CNN and had been diagnosed with a fatal cancer. The pair had hoped to become parents, and did in 2003 to their daughter Chloe, though, Robinson died when she was 10 weeks old.

After she left the network in 2008, Lin, who is from Los Angeles and now lives in Hawaiʻi with husband Mike Dowling, started to pen a memoir of her experiences, but set it aside until a couple of years ago when Chloe was in her early 20s. Her book “When News Breaks: A Memoir of Love and War,” published by Third Rail Press, dropped in December 2025.

“To write this memoir, it was only possible if I did not think of how many people are going to read this. It’s not about selling books or putting myself out there again. But writing this was really for my daughter,” Lin told Aloha State Daily in a recent interview. “She was asking the questions I asked at her age about life stuff: who we love, why we love, why we choose a career or stay with a career that no longer serve us. I wanted her to understand that beyond the facade of who she knew me as a mother that there was this woman who made choices.

“But what the story really is about is a complicated love story with an older news man and a career, and in this arc, the readers will meet my traditional Chinese parents who escaped the communists.”

The book’s cover features  jade jewelry, symbolic of a woman’s sacrifice, Lin says, which serves as a reminder of when her great grandmother passed down jade to her mother as a wedding gift and a goodbye; her mother, who barely spoke English, 

would leave China for the U.S. and marry at 16 years old.

Her parents both played a different role in her reasoning to get into journalism, she reflected upon while writing. Lin described her late father as an academic who encouraged her to read and write with encyclopedia sets and would often talk of the American Dream. Conversely, her mother warned her “that words would never love me back,” Lin says, and that she’d blend in better as a nurse, school teacher, or engineer.

Lin committed to words and got her start at a satellite news company, which grew into roles at a small local station in Northern California before she eventually went on to anchor for major networks such as ABC News and CNN. “This was a career that was killing me,” according to Lin.

Becoming a mother; however, was even more daunting, Lin shares, noting that her community showed up to help, including to her surprise, her mom.

“I knew nothing about motherhood and had never even changed a diaper before, so I really had to make decisions about who I was going to be and how those decisions were going to be guided through this post 9/11 era,” she says. “The takeaway of ‘When News Breaks’ is really what happens when news breaks for all of us. … You never know how you’re going to respond in that moment or how it will shape who you are becoming. It’s really to honor that split second before and after, and how that moment impacted us for better or worse.”

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Lin has returned to her journalism roots to help individuals around the world tell their personal stories from 9/11 

This week, she’ll be headed to New York for an 

 at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3, at the Bedford Playhouse Clive Davis Arts Center. On Sept. 11, Lin will be at Zibby’s Bookshop from 6 to 7 p.m. in a 

 with author and Dateline NBC correspondent Josh Mankiewicz.

Earlier this year, she held a book signing at Barnes & Noble in Ala Moana Center, with plans to continue her book tour throughout 2026.

Her advice for aspiring authors? "Write every day for an hour, even if it's just observations of your day or journaling, she says, noting that her own book used artifacts when available, including old letters, journals, and her news stories. Join a writer's group and constantly get feedback, she adds. 

"Write what is in you that you must write and do it because you love it."

“When News Breaks: A Memoir of Love and War” is available for purchase on 

Carol Lin Ala Moana

<title>Former news anchor Carol Lin shares memoir ahead of 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks</title>

Carol Lin, an award-winning journalist who now calls Honolulu home, wrote “When News Breaks: A Memoir of Love and War” for her daughter Chloe, who is navigating life as a young adult. Now, nearly a year since its launch, the book has created space for an online collection of personal stories from 9/11.

Former news anchor Carol Lin shares memoir ahead of 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

Like the Hawai‘i prep football icons that came before him, Hunter Fujikawa is poised to become the next great quarterback to come out of Mililani High School. 

, Fujikawa, a junior with the Trojans, is hoping his name can be uttered in the same sentence by the time it's all said and done. 

 from schools such as Ohio State, Alabama and Oregon, Fujikawa, a 6-foot-2 four-star quarterback, is on pace to have been on the list of notable alumni regardless of the school that produced him. And prior to this summer, that school would have been Punahou. 

Fujikawa won the starting job on Punahou's varsity team as a freshman and in all likelihood would have held the role for all four years. 

"Just a great opportunity to play under coach 

 and (offensive coordinator) Samson Satele," Fujikawa told Aloha State Daily of his decision to transfer. "Being able to have that caliber of coaches to help me develop and get to the next level. God closes one door and opens another."

Fujikawa is far from the only former Punahou standout to join Mililani this offseason. Star 6-foot-4 receiver Zion White, who began his high school career with the Buffanblu, transferred to national powerhouse IMG Academy for his junior season. White returned to the Islands for his senior year and will suit up for the Trojans alongside Fujikawa. 

"It's been great so far," White said. "Over here, all the boys just have their heads down 24/7, just working super hard."

White and Fujikawa grew up playing against each other on the youth circuit — White for the ‘Ewa Beach Hammerheads and Fujikawa for Fiyah Squad. Fujikawa was a freshman when White was a sophomore racking up college offers before Fujikawa went on to do the same. 

"I knew he had potential," White said of Fujikawa. "We kind of just had to build that relationship. We spent multiple hours just throwing together and just spending time together. And the connection, honestly, hasn't gone anywhere. It feels like a brotherhood in a sense."

In addition to Fujikawa and White, the Trojans will also feature a trio of Satele brothers in linebacker Toa, and defensive linemen Trison and Tayden. Toa and Trison have already committed to Oregon, while Tayden is entering his freshman year. Their father and offensive coordinator, Samson Satele, is a former University of Hawai‘i standout offensive lineman and eight-year NFL veteran. 

"It's been great so far," Fujikawa said of the transition to Mililani. "I love the boys. This team, we should have a great year ahead of us."

White, who is entering his senior year, has already committed to California, choosing the Golden Bears over a 

. Fujikawa, meanwhile, says he's putting his recruitment "on pause" in order to focus on his junior season. 

"Recruiting is going to keep going, but I just want to continue to build relationships with coaches and focus on the season, and then see what happens after," Fujikawa said. 

Mililani's season officially begins on Aug. 14 with a home game against Liberty High School of Henderson, Nev. As a program, the Trojans have two state titles to their name: one in 2014 as the HHSAA Division I champions, their lone top-tiered state crown. Mililani won the 2016 Division I HHSAA state title, but it was the same year the state introduced a new top tier in the Open Division. 

"What everybody wants to do and everyone's vision is winning the state championship," Fujikawa said. 

Added White, when asked about his individual goals for the 2026 season: "I have personal goals, but honestly, I'm a team-first kind of guy and I just want to win states above all." 

Mililani football 080328

<title>Mililani's new dynamic duo looks to take Trojans back to HHSAA mountaintop</title>

Former Punahou teammates Zion White and Hunter Fujikawa are reunited at Mililani and have the Trojans thinking big ahead of the 2026 high school football season.

Mililani's new dynamic duo looks to take Trojans back to HHSAA mountaintop

Royal Hawaiian Center is set to welcome a number of new merchants — now and in the coming months.

[{"type":"text","text":"Here's what you should know."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Now open"}]

, a premium headware company founded in SoCal, opened its first O‘ahu location Friday, Oct. 10. The store will showcase both lifestyle and active collections, along with four curated designs you can only find at this location. Find it on level 1 of Building B.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Coming soon"}]

, the center's first-ever fitness concept, is set to open in December. Find it on level 3 of Building A.

 will open its second spot at Royal Hawaiian Center in December 2025 or early 2026, serving grab-and-go coffee, bagels and more. Find it on level 1 of Building A.

 will bring its Mexican cuisine to its first location at Royal Hawaiian Center in early 2026. Find it in the Pa‘ina Lanai Food Court, on level 2 of Building B.

— Kona Coffee Visitor's Center opens in 2026, offering an "interactive and educational experience celebrating Hawai‘i's world-famous Kona coffee," RHC says. It'll feature a coffee roaster, displays and merchandise. Find it on level 2 of Building C.

Daily Smile: Wednesday, June 3, 2026

ASD Staff

Reporter

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

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