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[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"You've been booped.."}]

Smile 26 7 16

<title>Daily Smile: Thursday, July 16, 2026</title>

You've been booped.....

Daily Smile: Thursday, July 16, 2026

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

Arts & Entertainment

Aloha Spirit

Hawai‘i-based content creator and influencer Bretman Rock — whose Instagram feed features glam looks, travel and, recently, baby peacocks — has been named to Time magazine's second annual edition of Time100 Creators.

The list recognizes 100 of the world's "most influential digital voices," 

"Rock, 27, first popped up on Vine and later YouTube, infusing his short- and long-form content with humor and tons of natural charisma, and developing a significant following as an early beauty creator," Time 

. "Now, he’s added a new, more down-to-earth side to his content. With hilarious videos about naming baby peacocks or applying false lashes to his chickens so they look more like him — not to mention the 

 that won him the 2025 TikTok Video of the Year Award — Rock’s content is a reminder of how living in harmony with nature can make life more beautiful."

Rock, who has more than 19 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, also hosts the podcast, Da Baddest Radio.

In addition to Rock, you'll also find University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa alum 

Time selected creators for the list, limiting selections to those who post in English, after listening to the platforms where they make their living, speaking to experts and using data from creator agency Whalar, the publication 

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Getty Images bretman rock

<title>Hawai‘i's Bretman Rock makes 2026 Time100 Creators list</title>

The list recognizes 100 of the "most influential digital voices" of 2026.

Hawai‘i's Bretman Rock makes 2026 Time100 Creators list

Square Mike Brestovansky Headshot RGZ3736 Large

Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

Restrictions are coming to deepfakes and AI chatbots under a pair of new laws Gov. Josh Green signed on Tuesday.

As AI-generated products grow increasingly commonplace, 

 — now enshrined in law as Acts 247 and 248, respectively — attempt to limit the potential harm those products can cause.

The first, Act 247, establishes circumstances where using AI to generate the likeness of a real person is and isn’t permitted. Publishing such a “realistic digital imitation” — commonly referred to as “deepfakes” — in a way that causes reputational injury or financial harm, or is intended to commit fraud, harassment, or other criminal acts, entitles the subject of those images to sue for up to $25,000 per image.

The law also prohibits the use of deepfakes in advertisements without the subject’s consent.

Green said Tuesday that he expects the state will face lawsuits attempting to overturn Act 247. Although he did not specify who might file such a suit, the Department of the Attorney General warned during the bill’s passage through the state legislature that the measure could be considered a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.

Meanwhile, Act 248 is aimed at combatting “

,” a purported phenomenon where frequent users of AI chatbots develop delusional beliefs exacerbated by the chatbot’s responses. In some cases, chatbot users — often young people in their teens — have ended their own lives after they confided their suicidal thoughts to a chatbot, only for the chatbot to validate those thoughts and encourage them to kill themselves.

The law sets requirements for developers of AI chatbot services to include periodic reminders for users that the chatbot is non-sentient. If the user is believed to be a minor, those reminders must be persistently visible throughout the session.

Furthermore, chatbot services are required to respond to user prompts about suicidal ideation or self-harm by referring the user to crisis intervention services and make clear that the chatbot is not intended to provide professional mental health care. Developers of the chatbot must also institute measures to prevent the service from encouraging a user to self-harm or cause harm to another person.

When a chatbot user is believed to be a minor, developers are also required to prevent the service from using a point system to incentivize engagement, or to otherwise discourage disengagement, with the service, and to prevent the service from producing sexually explicit materials.

Beginning in 2028, chatbot operators must provide an annual report to the Department of Health detailing how many times their services have referred users to crisis intervention services.

Green acknowledged that neither of these bills will be sufficient to keep up with the rapidly changing AI industry, adding that he believes the legislature will likely need to update the measures next year “to add thoughtful and appropriate guardrails.”

“It was 80 years from when cars started to the time we got smart enough to know seatbelts save lives,” Green said. “It’s happening so fast, it’s not going to be 80 years, or eight years, or even eight months … We’re going to have to be on top of it.”

While Green didn’t speak about the measure Tuesday, he also signed another technology bill into law: 

, which requires social media platforms to include a mechanism for users to permanently delete their accounts and all personal information associated with said accounts.

 For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

55393956396 d20931e758 k

<title>Green signs laws restricting AI</title>

Regulations are coming to deepfakes and chatbots under new laws.

Green signs laws restricting AI

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Business & Tourism

[{"type":"text","text":"If you’re driving too fast on South King Street, you’ll miss it."}]

 can be found at his red trailer — located on South King Street, between the 76 gas station and McDonald’s — on specific days of the week. He’s been in business for about 10 years serving up Tennessee-style barbecue.

“I learned how to cook from my grandfather in Tennessee,” says business owner Sean Paul Jones. He says he was one of 12 grandkids.

“My grandfather taught me how to cook barbecue,” he says. “Since I was a kid, he taught me how to barbecue and cook. For Tennessee-style (barbecue), we use a little dry rub mixed with the barbecue sauce; that’s what makes it really good.”

Jones, who previously worked as a contractor for the military, knew he wanted to start his own barbecue-centric business. He decided to name his business after his grandpa, Bozie Jones, in honor of the man who taught him how to cook.

Jones moved his red trailer around various locations on Oʻahu before settling on his current spot on South King Street.

“A lot of customers wanted me back (here); they kept asking me to come back,” he says.

Jones’ menu is simple, and comprises rib tips ($18), ribs ($24), brisket ($28), chicken ($17) and combo plates ($30). He says the ribs and brisket are the bestsellers.

[{"type":"text","text":"“Within two to three hours, the brisket sells out,” he says."}]

Jones prepares the meats with kiawe wood. He says it takes about three to four hours for the ribs and rib tips to cook.

All plates come with a side of baked beans and Jones’ housemade barbecue sauce.

“The sauce is my granddaddy’s special that he made in Tennessee,” Jones explains. “It’s a vinegar and mustard-based sauce.”

“It’s been a lot of work, and a lot of relationships have been built,” Jones says. “A lot of people keep coming back for the same barbecue.

“I wanted to bring part of the soul and love from Tennessee to Hawaiʻi, and infuse southern barbecue with Hawaiʻi by using kiawe wood,” he adds. “I didn’t just want to bring Tennessee here, but bring Hawaiʻi and Tennessee together.”

Jones’ trailer is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays and Sundays. Earlier this year, he also opened a second location with Maunakea Marketplace in Chinatown; his food stall is open every day except Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Chinatown location’s menu is mostly the same as the one at the trailer, but it features more daily specials, according to Jones.

Bozie Jones BBQ owner 041626

<title>Where to find Tennessee-style barbecue in Honolulu</title>

Bozie Jones Barbecue — with its signature red trailer on South King Street — has been serving Tennessee-style barbecue for about nearly 10 years. Owner Sean Paul Jones learned how to cook barbecue from his grandfather in Tennessee, and now serves up brisket, barbecue ribs and rib tips.

Where to find Tennessee-style barbecue in Honolulu

Christian Shimabuku Headshot

Christian Shimabuku

Sports

University of Hawai‘i head football coach 

 has agreed to a long-term contract extension to remain the head coach of the Rainbow Warriors. 

In a Q&A with Aloha State Daily, UH athletics director Matt Elliott confirmed that the two sides have a deal in place that includes an increased salary pool for the football team's assistant coaches, as well as two-year deals for multiple assistant coaches. Many coaches on the UH football staff operate on one-year contracts. (Click 

The deal is pending university approval and will be announced by the school upon completion, Elliott says. 

"We have a deal," Elliott said. "It's just a matter of going through those signature processes. We'll announce it very soon. But yes, we have a long-term extension.

"He and I reached a deal in the in the winter. His focus was, 'I want to get deals done for all my staff,' so that's where we spent some time. In a lot of cases, we're doing two-year deals for a lot of the assistant coaches, so kind of getting all those in place first, and now we've been just going through it, and it takes regent approval. It takes different levels of our university to approve the contract. So, it's done. It's just a matter of getting it all signed."

Chang, who was hired in January 2022, has gone 22-29 in his four seasons at the helm. The Rainbow Warriors went 9-4 in a breakthrough 2025 campaign, ending their season with a dramatic comeback victory over California in the 

Prior to the extension, Chang's contract was set to expire following the 2026 season. His initial four-year deal with the school was extended by one year in December 2024. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Hawai‘i opens its 2026 season at Stanford on Aug 29. "}]

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Timmy Chang 061526

<title>Timmy Chang, UH agree to long-term contract extension, UH AD Matt Elliott says</title>

Chang's current contract was set to expire following the 2026 season.

Timmy Chang, UH agree to long-term contract extension, UH AD Matt Elliott says

It’s been a crazy month — to say the least — for James Webb, co-founder of 

. The business’s last day at its Ward Centre store was June 27, and it opened in its new Ala Moana Center location on July 1. Ali

i Coffee Co.’s Ala Moana Center store is located on the street level next to Jollibee.

“We got the keys (to the new space) on June 15; it happened really quick,” says Webb, who co-owns Ali

i Coffee Co. with business partner Will Gold. “The menu’s the same; we make everything fresh. We

Finding a location close to the former Ward Centre store was important to Webb, who says Ali

i Coffee Co. was located in the Ward Village neighborhood for more than five years.

“It’s only four minutes away (from our former location); that was my goal,” Webb says. “We have a ton of customers from the Ward location and we have some from downtown (Honolulu), too.”

A big change for the Ala Moana Center store is its longer operating hours. The biz is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to Webb.

“We’ve never been open this late; we always closed around 2 or 3 p.m.,” he says.

Closing the downtown Honolulu store wasn’t planned, but the move to Ala Moana Center was a catalyst for it.

“Will and I sat there and were like, ‘Maybe it’s time,’” Webb says. “When this (Ala Moana Center store) became available, I moved everything (from downtown) into here; it could all fit. Everyone knew we were struggling to keep the doors open downtown.”

The menu is still the same at the new Ala Moana Center store; customers can find Ali

i Coffee’s signature cold brews and lattes. Bestselling beverages include The King ($6-$6.75) — cold brew on tap with chocolate, coconut, breve and coconut milk — The Queen late ($7.25-$7.75) and the taro ube latte ($7.25-$7.75). The latter features taro powder, ube concentrate and liquid cane sugar.

Meanwhile, The Queen latte features a creamy blend of hazelnut and coconut.

The food menu features breakfast and lunch fare. The business’s avocado toast ($15), cinnamon sweet bread toast ($14) — cinnamon sweet bread toasted with butter and brown sugar, and topped with berries, cinnamon and powdered sugar — and breakfast burrito ($16) are popular morning options. The latter features a spinach tortilla stuffed with bacon, scrambled egg, Mexican cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, green salsa, avocado and sour cream.

Popular lunch options include the classic turkey pesto ($18) — turkey, provolone, red onions, tomato, mixed greens, balsamic drizzle and pesto between slices of rosemary sourdough — turkey avo ($18) and pastrami sandwich ($18).

i Coffee Co.’s next location, which will be opening next month on Monsarrat Avenue (in the former space of Gecko Girlz). Webb says the biz will also open its first central O

“When you have the right cup of coffee in the right environment, you feel like a king or a queen,” Webb says. “You feel special; that’s where it (the business name) came from. It gets harder as it (the business) gets bigger, but we try our best to serve people like they’re alii.”

Alii Coffee James Webb 071426

<title>Aliʻi Coffee Co. is now open at Ala Moana Center</title>

The coffee biz — which closed its Ward Centre and downtown Honolulu locations — recently opened in Ala Moana Center. The menu is the same; customers can enjoy the business’s signature cold brews and lattes. Aliʻi Coffee Co. plans to open another location soon on Monsarrat Avenue.

Aliʻi Coffee Co. is now open at Ala Moana Center

Lopaka and Tanya Kapanui

Lopaka Kapanui and Tanya Kapanui

Hawai‘i History

Columnists

On the eastern edge of Hilo Bay, the small Waiākea Peninsula was one of the most fertile and abundant landscapes in East Hawaiʻi Island. This peninsula was fed by freshwater streams and springs, creating thriving estuaries that supported generations of skillfully managed agriculture and aquaculture.

Fresh water was diverted from the streams through a system of ʻauwai (ditches) to the loʻi kalo (taro patches) before being returned to the sea. The loko iʻa (fishponds) were carefully maintained, full of mullet and milkfish, shellfish, limu, and other marine life. These food systems provided sustenance not only for the residents of Waiākea but also for the aliʻi that governed the region. By the time the first Western ships arrived in Hilo, the peninsula had already been shaped by centuries of careful stewardship.

Throughout the Waiākea Peninsula stood fishing shrines (koʻa), heiau, family shrines, homes, and burial grounds, creating a landscape where daily life and sacred obligations were inseparable.

Historical accounts describe Kūakaʻananuʻu as a massive heiau that once towered almost 60 feet above the shoreline of Hilo Bay, near the area where the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel now stands and directly across from Mokuola, commonly known as Coconut Island. Unlike many Hawaiian temples, Kūakaʻananuʻu featured a distinctive pyramidal design with two platforms and a central chamber, making it one of the more unusual heiau described in Hawaiʻi.

Dredging, harbor improvements, land reclamation, road construction, and hotel development have substantially altered the landscape over the last two centuries. Since much of the original shoreline was destroyed before modern archaeological documentation, the precise extent of the heiau complex is impossible to determine. However, it is estimated that the heiau occupied what is now the shoreline between Banyan Drive and the bridge to Mokuola and may have been part of or immediately adjacent to the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. 

Kūakaʻananuʻu was a luakini heiau, where men were sacrificed to the gods. There were a number of ceremonies performed during and after a sacrifice that included the body being laid out for several days while kāhuna offered pule (prayers) to the gods. Once the protocol was finished, about 20 days later, the body might be returned to relatives to be stripped. The flesh was thrown into the luapaʻu, a refuse pit in the luakini enclosure, and the bones were taken to the tiny island of Kaulaʻinaiwi to dry.

While Kūakaʻananuʻu has been destroyed, Hawaiians often believe that the mana, the spiritual essence, of the past is not separated from the present. Our kūpuna (ancestors) remain connected to the places they lived in and loved. The sacred ground of Waiākea was never just a piece of land. It is a living landscape shaped by generations of people from ancient moʻolelo to modern history. It is perhaps fitting, then, that stories continue to emerge from this place long after the voices of earlier generations have faded.

For years, people have shared their tales of strange events at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. Many of those reports involve guests watching spheres of light dancing about their rooms. These silent orbs are said to be visible to the naked eye and drift from corner to corner unimpeded. No source for the lights could be found: no headlights from outside, no reflections, and no malfunctioning electronics. Witnesses insist that they were wide awake, certain of what they saw.

Two former housekeepers at the hotel have said these experiences are not uncommon. One of them said she tried to ignore any weird happenings, kept her head down, and cleaned the rooms as quickly as possible.

Far more unsettling are the accounts of guests startled from sleep without explanation, heart racing for no apparent reason. When they look around, they see an elderly man dressed in old-style clothing, standing at the foot of the bed or resting against the wall. He remains silent and still, watching them until he vanishes moments later.

One friend shared that one year, as hundreds of hula dancers and spectators descended upon Hilo for the Merrie Monarch Festival, the women of her halau stayed at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel. One night, she awoke to the sound of electricity crackling near the bathroom. An elderly woman suddenly appeared, floated a bit near the window, and then settled on the edge of her bed. The kupuna wore a mu‘umu‘u with a handkerchief around her neck and a papale (hat) on her head. Unfortunately, my friend said that even with the soft, warm light of the morning sun, she didn’t recognize her silent visitor.

Even though the landscape of a place changes, imprints of the past often remain. The Waiākea Peninsula has been inhabited for hundreds of years. Who were these ghostly visitors and what did they have to do with this particular location?

Hilo Hawaiian Hotel

<title>Silent Spirits at the Hilo Hawaiian</title>

Life thrived along Hilo Bay and Waiākea Peninsula, with abundant taro lo‘i, fish ponds, for centuries before Western contact. Spiritual life was ever-present and the landscape was dominated by the towering Kūakaʻananuʻu heiau, where men were sacrificed in elaborate ceremonies. Now the site is home to Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, and guests share stories of spectral visitors from long ago.

Daily Smile: Thursday, July 16, 2026

ASD Staff

Reporter

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Daily Smile: Thursday, July 16, 2026

Authors

ASD Staff

Reporter

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