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[{"type":"text","text":"On today's episode of \"Fat and Jobless\"..."}]

Smile 26 6 22

<title>Daily Smile: Monday, June 22, 2026</title>

On today's episode of "Fat and Jobless"...

Daily Smile: Monday, June 22, 2026

 On today&#039;s episode of &quot;Fat and Jobless&quot;...

Higa headshot white shirt square

Sterling Higa

Crime & Courts

Columnists

The flashing blue light caught my eye from across the Longs parking lot, and for half a second I looked for a squad car. There wasn’t one.

The light sat up on a pole, bright and tireless, flanked by two cameras and a speaker. Every so often the speaker cleared its throat to remind me, and the myna birds, that these premises were under surveillance.

Without leaving the lot I had wandered into Oceania. This is Hawaiʻi now.

We are used to it, which is the strange part. The locked cases came first, only for the obvious things — cold medicine, cans of Spam. Then they spread. Now you summon a clerk with a key to buy honey, or laundry detergent. The plastic barrier that did not exist a few years ago is now as common as the shopping cart. The pole in the lot is the next turn of the same screw.

We have quietly traded places. The man who steals walks out with his arms full and his pulse even, having learned that little will happen to him. The man who obeys the law frets over a lapsed car registration or the fender he tapped. The thief is hard to find. But the taxpayer is right there, with an address.

Some of this we chose. In 2016 the Legislature raised the felony-theft line from $300 to $750, the first such change since 1986. Some argued that the increase was necessary to keep up with inflation, though 1986's $300 was worth $657 in 2016 — lawmakers essentially excused an extra nearly $100 worth of theft as non-felonious. But others sold it as mercy, and as thrift besides: fewer felonies, which means fewer prisoners and a smaller bill. When the tenderhearted and the tightfisted want the same thing, what they usually want is to stop paying for something. What we stopped paying for was justice, and the camera arrives when the state steps away.

The thief is not beyond love. The addict on the sidewalk is a man God made and Christ died for, and a city that forgets it turns cruel in a hurry. But there is a mercy that is only cowardice in better clothes.

To watch a man sink into what is destroying him and call your inaction compassion is to flatter yourself at his expense. Real mercy wants his good, and his good includes consequences. The civil ruler, Paul writes, “beareth not the sword in vain.” The sword is part of the office.

There is a bill for all this. Stores call their losses shrink, and shrink is folded into the price of everything you carry to the register. The guard, the wired cases, the minutes spent waiting for someone to unlock the condiments — everyone pays to cover the lawlessness of a few.

The state has one job it cannot hand to anyone else. It must protect the people who keep the law and discipline the people who break it. Order is not a luxury bought only when the budget allows. It is the first thing government is for. When the state does this work, the honey can sit on an open shelf. When it quits, a private company bolts the honey down and hoists cameras up on poles.

Justice is not mysterious. We could enforce the repeat-offender laws already on the books, and set a theft threshold a thief has some reason to fear. We could fund the courts and police well enough that a stolen cart leads to more than a shrug. We could also watch the law-abiding a good deal less than we do.

There is an old story about a pole like the one in the lot. When the Israelites in the desert were dying of snakebite, God had Moses raise a bronze serpent. Whoever looked at it lived. It was a strange mercy, and it worked. The trouble came later. Generations on, they were still burning incense to the bronze snake as though the metal had saved them. A king named Hezekiah finally broke it apart and named it Nehushtan — a thing of bronze.

We have hoisted another Nehushtan. The pole can record a theft, but it cannot reform the man committing it.

History runs in seasons, and a law that sleeps can wake again. Meanwhile, we pray for the only lifting-up that ever healed anyone. Not bronze on a pole, but the Son of Man raised on a cross, who reaches the man standing under the cameras. The blue lights will keep flashing over him. They were never going to save him.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Longs security camera 16x9

<title>Why Hawaiʻi locks up the honey</title>

The honey is locked up and cameras watch the lot. ASD opinion columnist Sterling Higa on what Hawaiʻi bought when it stopped paying for justice.

Why Hawaiʻi locks up the honey

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Government & Politics

 Thursday. Joining former president Barak Obama and Michelle Obama in Chicago, Illinois, were former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden, and a host of Hollywood, music and media celebrities.

Far as I can tell, no one locally has covered this event, outside of a wire service story picked up by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. If Hawai‘i Democrats attended the party, they were certainly quiet about it. You can hardly tell that, back in the day, Hawai‘i tried really, really hard to be the home for Obama’s presidential library.

Maybe, now that we can see it, kama‘āina are, like me, breathing a sigh of relief that it isn’t here. But first some backstory, before I dust off my architecture critic skills.

You don’t hear about this much anymore, but all through the Obama administration, Hawai‘i — well, maybe just especially prominent, political parts of Hawai‘i — were totally in love with Barack Obama. They were eager to claim him as Hawai‘i’s own, on the grounds that he attended high school here*, and acted as if someone from the Islands had been elected directly to the White House. This one-sided love affair was in full swing when, early in Obama's first term, talk of his presidential library first emerged.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Pick me!” Hawai‘i said."}]

“The Hawai‘i Legislature has sent the White House a joint resolution that it passed last session urging Obama to pick Hawai‘i as the site for his library,” reported Dan Nakaso in the Star-Advertiser on 

We did more then send a resolution. Nakaso reported that a University of Hawai‘i working group would be created to study potential sites, designs, archive management policies and more. UH Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Reed Dasenbrock was scheduled to fly to Washington D.C. “to meet with the head of the presidential library division of the National Archives and to Little Rock, Ark., to meet with the director of the Clinton Presidential Center and the Clinton Foundation.

An especially fervent fan was UH Associate Professor of American Studies Robert Perkinson, who, while he knew Chicago officials were already pushing to have the library, said, “But I feel the stars are aligned a certain way that we are really going to fight to win this. I think we’re going to do what it takes. And that means over the next months and years developing an architectural proposal that is breathtaking and a museum that’s innovative and has a really robust public education component that could benefit all of the kids of Hawai‘i and a policy center that could really help us meet Hawai‘i’s challenges and those of the larger Pacific and the larger world.”

Not that Hawai‘i believed it could beat Chicago, where Obama’s political career actually began. In a May 27, 2011 reader poll, the Star-Advertiser found that 70% of 923 respondents thought that Chicago would win.

Four years later, Hawai‘i was in the top four locations vying for the library when Star-Advertiser political columnist Richard Borreca 

on presidential libraries who advised Hawai‘i to quit. The proposed Kaka‘ako location was unlikely to draw the foot traffic that would make it succeed, and the next steps to advance were expensive in terms of developing a “detailed master development plan for the surrounding community.” Meanwhile, Borecca noted, UH was still hot for the library, hoping it would transform the university and its stature.

[{"type":"text","text":"Ultimately, Chicago won."}]

As for the architecture of the Obama Presidential Center, I’m hard pressed to say anything original, as people have been blasting it since the final design first emerged, and more so once people could see it looming 23 stories over an otherwise low-rise, residential neighborhood. It’s been compared to a mausoleum, a headstone, to Saruman’s tower in the "The Lord of the Rings," to something the Empire would build in a "Star Wars" movie. Note: When people make comparisons of this building to movie architecture, it is always Buildings for the Bad Guys.

, based in New York City. Perhaps they hated their client. Or perhaps they were bold enough to honestly reflect the singular, monumental ego of a man who once 

 while running the first time for president, “I think I could probably do every job on the campaign better than the people I’ll hire to do it” and “I think I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about policies on any particular issue than my policy directors. And I’ll tell you right now that I’m gonna think I’m a better political director than my political director.”

Or, when he’d won the nomination — not the presidency, mind you, just the nomination — that 

 as “the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.”

So given all those and countless other examples, it’s no surprise the architecture stands alone, angular, imposing, humorless. It resembles Soviet naked-concrete brutalist buildings but is actually clad in American granite, yet a granite so gray that they might just as well have skipped the expense and stuck with the cement underneath.

To me, the most significant detail is the tower’s near total lack of windows. This building is literally blind to the outside world and internally recursive — all views bounce back in upon themselves to see only the interior. It’s an architectural manifestation of self-absorption.

What windows the building does have are cropped into one top corner, and are obscured by a massive a massive inscription of — what else? — a quote from one of Obama’s own speeches. One cannot look out without looking through the man himself, through his words given on the 50th anniversary of the Selma marches.

 but the inscription has been rendered deliberately illegible. Yes, deliberately.

“One of the key questions I asked at the beginning was, are people supposed to read this?” said designer Micheal Bierut, who typeset the lettering with a team at Pentagram, led by designer Britt Cobb, as reported by 

. “Is legibility the primary goal here? Do we want people to be able to stand on the ground, look up at this tower, and read those words? And that was discussed on the client end, and the answer came back, ‘No, it should have the promise of meaning, it should be decipherable, everything should be spelled right and it should make sense.’”

[{"type":"text","text":"“The promise of meaning.”"}]

[{"type":"text","text":"I just rolled my eyes so hard I pulled an eye muscle."}]

Then there’s the totally on-brand, real world social and economic dimensions of the project.

The cost of construction ballooned from $350 million to $850 million, per 

. Black residents of the neighborhood have been displaced and priced out, so much so that the city of Chicago is budgeting $6 million for affordable housing to make up for it. Construction companies are still owed “hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions.” Private funding came nowhere near the investment needed and the State of Illinois, all told, will have spent some $200 million on infrastructure.

Since his foundation hasn’t paid its bills, since the building and its namesake have taken so much from their neighbors, there’s actually another famous quote from Obama that comes to mind:

[{"type":"text","text":"Mahalo, Chicago, for taking this off our hands."}]

*Adding a note 6/21, lest this piece get dragged into the "birther" madness: Of course Obama was born here, too, but when I look back on our local reaction when he rose to political prominence, it was the fact that he later returned to attend Punahou that really completed the "born 

 raised" sentiment. "Where you wen grad" is a real thing here for establishing a local identity.

A. Kam Napier is editor in chief of Aloha State Daily. His opinions in Pipikaula Corner are his own and not reflective of the ASD team.

Obama library Getty Images 2281570460 16x9

<title>Pipikaula Corner: Hawai‘i dodged a library bullet</title>

Hawai‘i tried very hard to be the home of Barack Obama's presidential library. Now the thing exists in Chicago, open to the public, over budget and overwrought. ASD Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier recaps Hawai‘i's doomed quest to secure this building and gets into what the architecture of the finished project tells us.

Pipikaula Corner: Hawai‘i dodged a library bullet

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Students from across the state were joined by Gov. Josh Green to urge lawmakers to pass bills outlawing disposable vapes in Hawai‘i.

At a rally at the State Capitol Wednesday, scores of keiki — members of the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i Youth Council, a program of the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute — waved signs in support of several bills in the state Legislature that would mitigate an epidemic of young people becoming addicted to vapes and e-cigarettes.

, would outright prohibit the sale of disposable vapes in the state, while another, 

, would require vape manufacturers to certify every year that their products are in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations.

As written, HB2121 and SB2175 are functionally identical. Beginning in 2027, both measures would make the sale of “disposable electronic smoking devices” illegal within the state. Both bills specify that the ban only apply to devices that cannot be refilled or have a non-rechargeable battery.

Nate Hix, policy director at the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, told Aloha State Daily that, if the bills were to pass, Hawai‘i would be the first state to implement a ban on disposable vapes. However, other nations have enacted similar bans, including the United Kingdom.

Meanwhile, HB1573 sets a series of requirements for vape manufacturers, which would have to prove every year that the FDA had issued their product a “marketing granted order,” without which it would be illegal to market their product in the U.S.

Furthermore, manufacturers would need to prove each year that each of their product lines sold in Hawai‘i are in compliance with state and federal laws, and pay $1,000 for each product line sold in Hawai‘i each year. The state Department of the Attorney General would then maintain a list of products approved to be sold in the state; any manufacturer who fails to prove a product complies with the state’s requirements would have that product de-listed.

Hawai‘i Attorney General Anne Lopez said the bill consequently allows the state to remove unlisted products from store shelves. Distributors selling unlisted products would be fined between $500 and $2,000 for each product in violation, while the manufacturer would be fined $10,000 per violation.

Students and politicians spoke Wednesday about the continued prevalence of vapes in schools, with Kohala Sen. Tim Richards — co-introducer of SB2175 — saying that more than one-third of Hawai‘i high schoolers have tried vapes, and that users are four times more likely to take up smoking.

Jeremiah Jacinto, senior at H.P. Baldwin High School, told ASD that vaping is out of control at schools, with school restrooms constantly crowded with illicit vapers.

“It’s gotten to the point where it’s a gamble whether the bathroom is closed because of all the kids vaping,” Jacinto said. “Sometimes the teachers don’t even bother trying to confiscate the vapes anymore.”

Jacinto said he could name “like 50 kids” addicted to vaping, adding that many keiki seem unable to function without a vape.

“It’s like a brain vacuum,” Jacinto said. “It’s like a phone, they can’t leave the house without one in their pocket. They’re always trying to sneak a hit in.”

Kea‘au Rep. Jeanne Kapela — co-introducer of HB2121 — called vape manufacturers “companies selling addiction disguised as candy,” adding that disposable vapes generate needless plastic waste that tends to litter Hawai‘i's beaches and shorelines.

While the lawmakers were optimistic about the bills passing — the House bills are scheduled for a Senate committee hearing on Friday, while the Senate bill passed its first of two committee hearings in the House on Tuesday — they haven’t been uniformly popular. HB2121 and SB2175 have received some opposition by a group called the Hawai‘i Smokers Alliance, which advocates against smoking bans in Hawai‘i.

Michael Zehner, co-chair of the Hawai‘i Smokers Alliance testified on HB2121, calling it a “mean spirited, anti-business mess of a bill” that will destroy local vape retailers.

Meanwhile, a handful of other vape-related bills are still alive in the Legislature, even though they were not discussed at Wednesday’s rally, including HB 1563 and SB 3076.

 would relinquish to the counties the authority to regulate the sale of tobacco products and vapes. This would allow the counties to enact local restrictions on the sale of flavored vape juice — which Jacinto said helps manufacturers target keiki — which the counties of Hawai‘i, Honolulu and Maui have already introduced but cannot actually implement.

 would allow the Attorney General and Department of Taxation to inspect and seize tobacco products including vapes, and that untaxed vapes can be seized as contraband in the same way as untaxed cigarettes.

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<title>Governor and attorney general endorse disposable vape ban</title>

Keiki and lawmakers rallied Wednesday in support of bills cracking down on vape sales.

Governor and attorney general endorse disposable vape ban

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros Headshot

Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Kāneʻohe-born and raised Emalia Dalire started doing pageants at 16 years old. She was crowned Miss Hawaiʻi Teen Volunteer 2024 by 

. Next, she'll represent the Aloha State at the 

“My mom had actually pushed me to go into pageants to gain not only scholarship money, but also to gain more confidence. She believed that it would help me come out of my shell and comfort zone, and to ultimately grow from it,” Dalire told Aloha State Daily. “Then, after competing at age 16, I got the bug, and I kind of got hooked.

“I never thought I would enjoy getting dressed up in makeup because I thought I was a tomboy,” she continued. “So [with] pageantry, people think it's all about the glitz and glam and the beauty, but truthfully, it's teaching women to be leaders. ... It has helped shape me [and] I'm so grateful for it because now I can step into this role as Miss Hawaiʻi.”

Dalire, 19, said she’s become more confident speaking and connecting with large audiences. For the talent portion of the competitions, she enjoys performing hula.

“Hula is something I’ve been bred to do,” she said. My mother [Keolalaulani Dalire] is a kumu hula, my grandmother [Aloha Dalire] was the first Miss Aloha Hula. So, it’s been in my family. People say it’s in my blood and I would have to agree because hula's been everywhere in my life.”

Today, Dalire dances with her mother’s halau, 

, serving as alakaʻi, or lead mentor, to its students. She also helps promote the halau via marketing and social media.

“I still can't believe that I can use the platform that I have to spread my community service initiative “R.O.O.T.E.D.,” [which] stands for remembering our origins to empower dreamers," she said. “It stems from my time as a mentor. I teach hula and cultural arts, mainly to preserve Hawaiian culture, but it's through hula that I've really learned my foundation, who I was, what I believed in. I learned about where I came from, and it gave me confidence to be able to spread my wings and fly.

“I currently help my community as a mentor to younger generations of hula dancers who are finding their own identities through culture. And that's something that I think the rest of the world could be reminded of: how important it is to stay rooted in your identity, to know who you are. … I feel it's something the entire country, in a time like this, 

Dalire noted that this is not the same community service initiative (“K.E.Y. to Life: Keep Empowering Yourself") that she shared 

, but it has a similar concept. “I changed it to ‘R.O.O.T.E.D.’ because I felt like it was the core of my purpose,” she said.

For her family’s halau, Dalire is most proud of programs she’s helped introduce and execute like lei making and learning to read ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, in addition to competitions.

“What I cherish most is seeing the confidence and the joy in their eyes of like, ʻwow, they really did it.’ Winning is something that we don't always expect, 

but it’s being able to see my students as their mentor get rewarded for their hard work and feel good about themselves," she said.

When asked who some of her mentors are, Dalire said her family and hula sisters.

“My mom taught me that it takes a village to raise a child, but we really focus on the ‘it takes a village’ part,” she said. “I'm sure everybody can agree that when we come together and we really focus on a task, we can get it done so much better because we're working together. And I am so thankful for everyone coming together to help me become Miss Hawai’i and now going on to represent Hawai’i at Miss America. My heart is filled with gratitude.”

Whatʻs something most people donʻt know about Dalire? “I’m 19 years old, I have three college degrees, but I don’t have my driver’s license,” she said with a laugh.

A self described “overachiever in school,” Dalire started taking both high school and college courses at age 14; she earned her associates degree from Windward Community College and graduated high school early at age 16; and received a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing in from the University of Hawai’i – West O‘ahu in December 2024.

A fundraiser for Dalire’s journey to the Miss America Competition is set for Friday, Aug. 1, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Bayview Golf Course. The event, which falls on her 20th birthday, will feature live music, small bites and door prizes.

Interested in attending? Purchase tickets by emailing Blaine Dutro, executive director of the Miss Hawai‘i Organization, at 

 provides women with the opportunity to promote platforms of community service, share their talents, intelligence and positive values, while serving as role models in Isle communities.

Miss Hawaii 2025 Emalia Dalire

<title>Meet Miss Hawai‘i 2025 Emalia Dalire</title>

Born and raised in Kāneʻohe, Dalire, 19, was crowned by the Miss Hawaiʻi Organization in May and will soon be headed to The Miss America Competition. Those interested in supporting her journey are welcome to come out to a fundraiser this Friday, Aug. 1, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Bayview Golf Course, featuring live music, small bites and door prizes.

Daily Smile: Monday, June 22, 2026

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