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Daily Smile

Now, let's all enjoy passengers' reactions to Uber driver who brought dog along for ride...

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<title>Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 9, 2026</title>

Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 9, 2026

 Now, let&#039;s all enjoy passengers&#039; reactions to Uber driver who brought dog along for ride...

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Government & Politics

Crime & Courts

Gov. Josh Green recently appointed Ryan Kanakaʻole — who is from Waiʻōhinu on Hawaiʻi Islan

chairperson and director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Kanakaʻole replaces Dawn Chang, who is retiring, 

Kanakaʻole has served as acting chairperson and director of DLNR since December 2025. He previously served as First Deputy of DLNR. 

 serves on the Advisory Committee for Military Leased Lands to provide guidance and advise the governor on cultural, natural and economic strategies regarding military leases. He has represented DLNR on the Mauna Kea Stewardship Oversight Authority, Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity, the Agribusiness Development Corp. Board and the Commission on Water Resource Management.

Prior to joining DLNR, Kanaka‘ole was a deputy in the Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General, as an attorney for the Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corp. and the Mauna Kea Stewardship Oversight Authority

. He was also previously a deputy attorney general for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. In the

 state Office of the Auditor, he also was part of performance audits of some of the state’s largest agencies, including DLNR.

“I am humbled and grateful for the trust Gov. Green has placed in me,” said Kanakaʻole in a written statement. “Serving the people of Hawaiʻi as Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources is an enormous responsibility, one I take very seriously. Our public trust duty to protect the cultural, historical and life-giving resources of these islands is the legacy we pass on to our children.”

Green also appointed David Day to serve as first deputy, effective July 7.

 Day has more than a decade of experience with the state and served as the hearings officer in the Department of Health vs. U.S. Department of the Navy case regarding the release of 

 from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in November of 2021. 

Day has also served as the Special Assistant to the Attorney General, where he represents the state as counsel in federal cases, regarding immigration, solar energy for low-income households and the Disaster Care Management program for survivors of the Maui wildfires.

Day also served as a deputy solicitor general and deputy attorney general representing the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Commission on Water Resource Management and the Land Use Commission.

“I am deeply grateful to Gov. Green for entrusting me with this position and its weighty responsibilities,” Day said in a written statement. “Public lands, pure water, Hawaiʻi’s native flora and fauna, a clean and healthful environment and Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices must be preserved and protected for the people of Hawaiʻi today and for future generations.”

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Ryan Kanakaʻole

<title>Gov. Green announces new DLNR leadership</title>

Dawn Chang will retire as chairperson and director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources next month. Gov. Josh Green has announced her replacement.

Gov. Green announces new DLNR leadership

Yamachika Tom IMG 1913 Large

Tom Yamachika

Viewpoints

Back in 2020, an Arizona State swimmer named Grant House sued the NCAA in a landmark class action case alleging that the NCAA’s rules forbidding compensation for college athletes were illegal under antitrust laws. The settlement of that lawsuit in 2025 cleared the way for college athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness (referred to as NIL).

Of course, we in Hawaiʻi need to be competitive nationally, so we need to pay some of our student athletes for their NIL. Or so our University of Hawaiʻi has been arguing. And, 

, our university has already committed to some $5 million in NIL payouts.

University officials began their journey navigating the twists and turns of the "NIL"e environment by coming to our Legislature this past session with hat in hand, seeking $5 million.

A request for a budget line item to this effect made it into the House version of the budget, but it was swatted down in the Senate. A separate House bill, 

, made it all the way through the House but had a chilly reception, and no hearing, in the Senate. And a compromise bill, 

, tried to set up an endowment fund the income from which could be used for NIL payments. It made it through a House-Senate conference committee, but university officials asked the House and Senate money chairs to scuttle the bill, contending that it would create more problems than it would solve.  A Senate floor vote then narrowly killed the bill, 11-12.

So, what is to become of NIL funding here in Hawaiʻi?

According to UH’s athletic director Matt Elliott, “We’re in the budget process right now,” he said. “Our mindset is we’ve got to find those resources to cover those expenses. … We’ll find a way.”

Which means that although the Legislature tried to sink NIL funding, UH’s ship stubbornly refuses to go down. “We can do this the easy way … or the hard way,” UH is saying.

During a hearing on another measure we were following, 

, Senate Education Committee Chair Donna Kim pointed out multiple instances of UH pulling millions of dollars out from a block of money given for repairs and maintenance, and then repurposing them for other projects that UH was interested in — but were not repairs or maintenance. One example is renovation of the Sinclair Library.

Is UH going to pull the same kind of stunt here?

about UH’s Tuition and Fees Special Fund, which had an unencumbered balance of some $430 million. 

 was a bill to raid the fund and put excess moneys back into the General Fund (and thereby ease the pressure to raise additional money from taxpayers). That bill died in this past legislative session when the House decided not to appoint conferees to work out the bill with the Senate.

At a hearing on that bill, UH President Wendy Hensel said, “I don’t want anybody to ask me for a dime when they have a dollar in their hand. And I feel the same as we come to you and ask for funding.”

Fine. UH, do what you promised. Use that money.  No pulling from the repair and maintenance fund. Use that fund to clear UH’s infamous backlog of repair and maintenance projects. And, most of all, don’t use this as an excuse to ask lawmakers for taxing power (like the DOE did when they asked for and received the authority to impose 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Related ASD content:"}]

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Matt Elliott 021126

<title>Community Voices: Navigating the 'NIL'e</title>

University of Hawaiʻi's Athletic Director Matt Elliott is determined to find a way to get millions in resources for college athletes to be compensated for their name, image and likeness (referred to as NIL). Although the Legislature tried to sink NIL funding, UH’s ship stubbornly refuses to go down, per the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi.

Community Voices: Navigating the 'NIL'e

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

 at Halekulani just launched its Aha ‘Aina Plantation Pāʻina, which is available every Sunday for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. The dinner buffet costs $95 per adult and $55 per child (ages 10 years and under). The buffet, which started on May 24, will be weekly until Sept. 6.

The buffet celebrates Hawaiʻi’s diverse cultures, with designated buffet stations representing each one.

“I wanted to do something to represent the plantation era and figures that made the food scene here in Hawaiʻi,” explains House Without a Key chef de cuisine Jarrin Otake. “I tried to combine a little bit of everything, something that represents each country or ethnicity. All these countries influence the food we eat today; without them, we wouldn’t have the Pacific Rim flavors.”

“[At House Without a Key], we have beautiful Hawaiian music and the education of Hawaiiana through the song and mele; now, we have the food to match,” Otake says.

Buffet guests can look forward to a carving station with slow-roasted and carved proteins, inspired by Hawaiian and plantation traditions; a Japanese station with a variety of tempura and made-to-order hand rolls; a Chinese station with Peking duck, char siu chicken and steamed pork and shrimp dumplings; and Korean station with bulgogi, kalbi and tteokbokki.

There’s also a plantation market table with Island-inspired starters — including inari, California rolls, spicy nairagi poke, ‘ahi poke with ogo, and watermelon and tomato salad with feta cheese and balsamic glaze — and fresh garden selections.

The dessert station includes a variety of unique offerings, ranging from Tahitian fruit pudding with coconut cream and coconut butter mochi to banana lumpia, malasadas and chocolate haupia tarts.

Guests can not only enjoy the island-inspired cuisine, but also live Hawaiian music and hula, which House Without a Key is known for.

Buffet guests will also have the chance to try the legendary KONG burger, available as sliders. Originally created in partnership with radio icon Kamasami Kong, this signature burger includes a beef patty topped with grilled pineapple, beanless chili and melted cheese in a soft potato bun.

The sliders are a throwback to the original KONG burger, which started in 1977 when Kong was working at KKUA. It was served by local eatery MeatBun and was given away on-air, according to Kong.

“In 1977, I was working at KKUA wand we needed a promotion to get more listeners,” Kong recalls. “I said, ‘Let’s create a promotion that’s a win-win for everybody involved. Let’s make a burger and we’ll give away free burgers on the air every night.’

“It has to have some Hawaiian essence,” Kong adds, when asked about the burger’s elements. “[I said], 'Let’s cook the burger up through a thin slice of pineapple to give it a little bit of Island sweetness. We’ll have the burger on top of that; homemade chili on top of that; and a little bit of cheese to give it a little extra flavor.' It had to be topped with a toasted bun to give it a little bit of crunch.”

Every night, Kong would call the MeatBun restaurant, and the burger giveaway would be live.

“The first five people to run up to the window and say, ‘I’m hungry!’ would get a free KONG burger,” Kong remembers. “We would hear people over his telephone, screaming and yelling, ‘I’m hungry! I’m hungry!’ It was wild; it was crazy. We gave away these KONG burgers every night from 1977 to 1980.”

The KONG burger sliders at House Without a Key’s Aha ‘Aina Plantation Pā‘ina are similar to the original burger, according to Kong.

Halekulani chef de cuisine Melissa Kaniki "did such a great job at improving the original KONG burger by adding her own little touches with the cheese and the chili; it’s her own homemade chili,” Kong says. “She got the buns toasted to perfection. It’s just a little bit different from the one we started with.”

halekulani.com/dining/house-without-a-key/

House Without a Key Kamasami Kong 060826

<title>House Without a Key launches new Sunday dinner buffet</title>

The Halekulani eatery’s Aha ‘Aina Plantation Pā‘ina is a new Sunday dinner buffet that will run until Sept. 6. It celebrates Hawaiʻi’s diverse cultures, and guests will also have the chance to try the legendary KONG burger, created in partnership with radio icon Kamasami Kong.

House Without a Key launches new Sunday dinner buffet

Arts & Entertainment

North Shore brothers Nyjah Music & Zyah Rhythm

 will take one of the biggest talent competition stages as they audition for “America’s Got Talent” in an episode that will be televised tomorrow.

The duo already has a connection to fame as 

. Nyjah Music & Zyah Rhythm will be featured in the second episode of Season 21 of “America’s Got Talent,” which airs at 2 p.m. HST on 

 on NBC. The grand prize for the competition is 

 and has millions of followers on social media.

The brothers could not be reached immediately for comment.

“Every stage is an opportunity to share our passion, learn and grow,” shared the duo on Instagram.

Currently, they have more than 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. In 2025, their cover of the Elvis Presley classic “Burning Love” was featured in Disney’s live action 

 Today, that song, which was produced by their pop star uncle, has more than 12 million streams on Spotify.

 include “Always on My Mind,” “The Island Girl is Mine,” and “Love Slow.”

Contestants for “America’s Got Talent” can be 

, according to the show’s audition website. The judges for this season are Howie Mandel, Melanie Brown or “Mel B,” Simon Cowell and Sofía Vergara.

, where select acts get a chance to perform a second time before judges choose which groups advance to the live shows, according to NBC’s website.

Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm recently announced new music. The duo shared on social media that their new song “Waste No Time” will be released on June 12.

Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm

<title>'America’s Got Talent' has Hawaiʻi contestants</title>

These North Shore brothers will be featured in Season 21 of “America’s Got Talent.” Tune in Tuesday, June 9, to catch their performance.

'America’s Got Talent' has Hawaiʻi contestants

 officially started in March 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to business owner Colleen “Coco” Bui. She never intended her passion project to turn into a hobby or business; it “started as a way to connect with people.”

“Like many people during that time, I found myself feeling isolated, physically, mentally and emotionally,” she says. “I was looking for connection and purpose in a season where so much of the world felt disconnected.”

One day, Bui’s childhood friend, Rina, invited her over to her home. Bui recalls how she made homemade cinnamon rolls.

“I’ve known Rina since second grade; I still remember how comforting those cinnamon rolls were,” she says. “They weren’t just delicious; they felt like warmth, kindness and connection during a time when those things were hard to come by.”

That experience inspired Bui to start baking at home and working with yeast for the first time.

“Soon after, I went down a rabbit hole, watching YouTube videos from Japanese home bakers who specialized in soft milk breads,” she says. “I became fascinated with the process and began teaching myself how to make all kinds of sweet and savory milk breads.

“One Japanese baker, in particular, became a huge inspiration,” she adds. “I reached out to her directly and asked if she would mind if I used her recipes as a foundation, and developed my own variations. She graciously encouraged me to do so, and that gave me the confidence to experiment.”

Bui started creating both sweet and savory pastries, based on the flavors she enjoyed and craved.

“Eventually, I began adapting cinnamon roll recipes into a Japanese-style milk bread dough and spent countless hours refining and tweaking the formula until it became what people now know as Cocobonz,” she says.

Bui started giving away breads and delivering them to friends and family, simply because “it gave me a reason to see people and bring a little joy into someone’s day.”

“The moment I realized this could become a business was when the people around me wouldn’t stop telling me to sell them,” she recalls. “Friends, family and complete strangers kept encouraging me to turn it (the breads) into something bigger. Looking back, I’m grateful they believed in me before I fully believed in myself.”

Coming up with a business name was easy for Bui, who worked in the food and beverage industry since 2005.

“‘Coco’ was a nickname I was given during my years working in the industry,” she says. “The word ‘Cravings’ came naturally because I never wanted to limit myself to one specific product. If I had named the business something like ‘Coco’s Bread’ or ‘Coco’s Cinnamon Rolls,’ it would have put me in a box.

“I’ve always loved creating and sharing the foods I personally crave, whether that’s sweet milk breads, savory breads, cinnamon rolls or shortbread Crumbarz,” she adds. “The name ‘Coco’s Cravings’ gave me the freedom to explore and create whatever inspires me.”

The business’s Cocobonz ($5 each) — milk bread cinnamon rolls — are still the bestselling dessert, and it was the first pastry Bui ever made and shared. Every roll is hand-kneaded, and made with a rich milk dough, cinnamon-infused brown sugar butter filling, and finished with a signature butter whip frosting, according to Bui.

“For a typical pop-up, I often produce around 90 or more cinnamon rolls, in addition to other flavors,” she says. “Even then, many events sell out, which I am grateful for. Every item is still made the same way it was when I started — every dough is hand-kneaded; every bread is handcrafted. We use real ingredients without preservatives or additives.”

The business’s newest milk bread creation is the ube Chantilly bonz ($7), which is a sweet milk bread rolled with ube cheesecake. It was designed to celebrate one of Hawaiʻi’s most beloved flavors, while staying true to the business’s milk bread base, according to Bui.

“This is a triple collaboration featuring Sheila’s Den’s handcrafted ube halaya and Hau’oli Pastry’s handcrafted Chantilly cream,” Bui says. “We combined those elements with our signature milk bread to create a dessert that celebrates the talents of multiple local businesses.”

Other milk bread flavors include strawberry guava — complete with a fresh pink guava and strawberry compote cheesecake and strawberry guava butter whip — and ‘love you latte’ bonz, which is espresso-infused.

“I constantly experiment with new flavors,” Bui says. “At any given time, I probably have more than 30 future flavor concepts sitting in my notebook, waiting to be developed and perfected.”

The milk bread rolls can be purchased as individual pieces ($5) or as packs of six ($27).

Crumbarz are Bui’s buttery shortbread cookie bars, available in a variety of flavors; at pop-ups, Bui makes approximately 48 Crumbarz per flavor. Lemon ($5) is layered with fresh tart and zesty lemon curd topped with brown sugar dusted shortbread crumbs.

“This has been one of our bestsellers since the launch,” Bui says. “Customers often debate whether the gooey center or caramelized edges are the best part. They’re best preserved and eaten frozen or cold.”

Other Crumbarz flavors include lime, pumpkin V2, and peanut butter cookies and cream. The latter — which includes peanut butter Oreo shortbread layered with Reese’s chips, crunchy peanut butter and Oreo cream — is the newest flavor, according to Bui.

“It combines the nostalgia of cookies and cream with rich peanut butter flavors,” she says.

Meanwhile, the pumpkin V2 Crumbar is back by popular demand. It features a pumpkin spice chocolate chip shortbread crust, spiced pumpkin custard, cinnamon brown sugar and pumpkin spice shortbread crumbs.

“It was originally intended to be seasonal, but so many customers requested its return that we decided to bring it back, despite being out of season,” Bui says. “It’s always humbling when customers remember and request flavors months later.”

Savory options include ham and cheese milk bread ($5), pizza pocketz and pizza rollz ($6-$7 each), and deluxe pizza rollz ($8). The latter features sweet milk bread rolled with housemade pizza sauce, mozzarella, Italian sausage, fresh spinach and thinly sliced sweet onions.

“The ham and cheese savory milk bread is a simple but incredibly popular grab-and-go food option,” Bui says. “Pizza pocketz are a savory milk bread filled with mozzarella, pepperoni and housemade pizza sauce. These have developed a strong following and are especially popular for re-heating at home in an air fryer.”

Coco’s Cravings regularly pops up at Central Pacific Plaza’s Tidepools events in Downtown Honolulu. The business will also be at the Ono Grindz & Makeke market from 4 to 8 p.m. on June 11 at Wai Kai in ʻEwa Beach.

“I’m excited because it’s an opportunity to continue building relationships with customers on the West side of O

ahu, while staying connected to the community I’ve built in town,” Bui says.

She also will be at Ala Moana Center’s Nordstrom pop-up on June 20, during Father’s Day weekend.

“Those events have been some of my busiest; I often sell out within an hour,” Bui says. “I usually launch a new specialty flavor there, and this Father’s Day, I’m planning something fun that I think dads will appreciate, along with a gift-with-purchase promotion.

“One of the most surreal experiences isn’t necessarily during the events themselves; it’s the week leading up to them,” she adds. “Every time I release a menu and open pre-orders, my Instagram inbox starts filling up almost immediately. Those moments remind me how fortunate I am. I never expected this level of support, and I’m incredibly grateful for every single customer who chooses to support what I do.”

Although Bui is the face behind Coco’s Cravings 808, she credits her mom and friends for helping her behind the scenes.

“They help me prep, bake, package, transport and sell at events,” she says. “Their support has allowed this little business to grow while still maintaining the quality and care that are important to me.

“People often tell me my prices should be higher (when) compared to similar businesses,” she adds. “While this business is certainly my livelihood, it has never been only about money. The greatest gift this business has given me is connection. I’ve shared conversations, laughter, struggles and life stories with people I may never have met otherwise.”

At the end of the month, Coco’s Cravings 808 will be at Walmart Mililani. Bui says she had her first event there last month and sold out of milk breads quickly, even though it was raining.

“The pre-order list for that pop-up was one of the biggest ones yet,” she says. “I’m so grateful to connect with that part of the island again.”

Although her business participates in more events across the island, maintaining a personal connection with customers and preserving relationships have been essential for Bui.

“Bread has always been the product, but connection has always been the purpose,” she says. “Every recipe I create carries a piece of my heart because food has always been my way of showing people that they matter.

“Some of my customers have been with me since my earliest days of delivering bread from my home kitchen,” she adds. “If there’s one thing I hope people take away from Coco’s Cravings, it’s that food has an incredible ability to bring people together. Sometimes, a simple cinnamon roll can become the start of a friendship, a conversation, or a memory that lasts far longer than the food itself.”

Cocos Cravings owner 060426

<title>Coco’s Cravings 808 offers sweet and savory Japanese milk breads</title>

While the business is known for its Cocobonz — cinnamon rolls made from Japanese-style milk bread dough — and savory pastries, connection through food continues to be essential for business owner Colleen Bui.

Coco’s Cravings 808 offers sweet and savory Japanese milk breads

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Aloha Spirit

Rooted in the Japanese Buddhist tradition of Obon, which honors the spirits of ancestors through communal dance, music and gathering, Bon odori is celebrated each year in Hawaiʻi through various festivals at local temples, missions and public sites over the summer season.

 hosted community members interested in warming up for the summer festivals, with an Obon Dance Workshop! led by 

Dozens of dancers were in attendance, varying in age from keiki to kūpuna, some dressed in happi coats, casual kimonos (yukata) and wooden-soled sandals (geta). Fans were provided as the group circled up for the first Bon dance, which had four movements, backed by drums and pre-recorded music.

Once the music started, hand movements began to mimic plantation workers, a nod to early Japanese immigrants

The only thing missing was lanterns overhead. But by the look of children and their parents’ faces, they were already having fun.

The free event ran for an hour in partnership with 

 was at the library Tuesday prior to the scheduled Bon dance, promoting her newly released children’s book “I Am a Bon Dancer,” which is inspired by her early experiences with her grandfather at an Obon Festival in Kauaʻi. She also jumped in on the first song.

“In my story, the main character feels like everyone’s watching her, like she’s in the spotlight of the lanterns, while everyone’s doing the same dance,” Uyemura previously told Aloha State Daily. “Even when I was a kid, I would sit on the bench and watch my grandpa go around and around. And I think that any child who has that fear of making a mistake, the whole point is realizing the meaning behind your ancestors’ sacrifice, that it gives you courage. I want children to read it and feel like they can get courage.”

Looking for more Bon Dances and Obon Festivals this summer? Check out 

the Japanese Culture Center of Hawaʻi’s list

Kaimuki Library Obon 01

<title>Obon season kicks off at Kaimukī Public Library</title>

Aloha State Daily caught part of the Obon Dance Workshop! at Kaimukī Public Library on Tuesday, which attracted all ages learning traditional Bon dances, or Bon odori, led by Hawaiʻi Shin Kobukai amid the Japanese Buddhist summer festival season, which in Hawaiʻi runs now through October.

Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 9, 2026

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

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