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Daily Smile: Saturday, July 4, 2026

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Daily Smile: Friday, July 3, 2026

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Daily Smile: Thursday, July 2, 2026

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Now, let's all enjoy watching Bowser the Bulldog play with the door-stopper thing...

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Daily Smile: Tuesday, June 30, 2026

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Daily Smile: Monday, June 29, 2026

This is Penny. She found the perfect stick today and is determined to retrieve it. Hasn’t moved an inch so far, but her human didn't raise a quitter.

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Daily Smile: Sunday, June 28, 2026

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Daily Smile: Saturday, June 27, 2026

When you thought you were getting a smart German Shepherd but instead you got one with one brain cell...

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Daily Smile: Friday, June 26, 2026

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John Pritchett

Government & Politics

Red wave

<title>Paddling to the future</title>

Paddling to the future

Kam Napier Headshot

A. Kam Napier

Columnists

Aloha State Daily received a press release today from a Mainland-based national interest group, U.S. Term Limits (USTL), letting us know that “2026 Hawai‘i state senate candidate, Wallyn Christian (District 13) has committed support for term limits on Congress by signing the term limits convention pledge.”

Why does this matter to that organization? “(USTL, the leader in the national, non-partisan movement to limit terms for elected officials, is gathering support from state lawmakers across the nation,” the statement says. “Its mission is to get 34 states to apply for an amendment proposal convention specific to term limits on Congress.”

Term-limiting Congress is a popular idea, and USTL cites a 

 that, “An overwhelming majority of adults (87%) favor limiting the number of terms that members of Congress are allowed to serve. This includes a majority 56% who strongly favor this proposal, just 12% are opposed.”

The idea emerges often for local politicians, as well. Civil Beat has found public support for term limits to be as high as 70% in a 2018 poll of likely voters, a stat Honolulu Civil Beat resurfaced 

 of the lawmakers themselves to see where they stand on the idea of limiting their own time in office. “Nearly half of House members and more than a third of senators say they support term limits. There are enough undecideds in both chambers to give it a good shot if they held their position for two years,” CB found.

Respectfully, all of these people are wrong. Well intentioned, but they're aiming term limits at the wrong people.

I mean, I totally understand where the frustration is coming from. We elect people, nationally and locally, then are disappointed in their results. We could end their terms ourselves by simply not reelecting these people and yet obviously a lot of the people who say they want term limits do something very odd: They seem to reelect the lousy politicians they say they want to term limit.

You want to limit someone’s term? You’re just a month away from your next opportunity to vote for someone else!

So we’ve always had the power to fire politicians with every election, but don’t, then remain convinced that what we need is more turnover in government to make it more efficient, effective and responsive. Somebodies’ terms need limiting, but who?

Easy: The workforce. The bureaucrats. See, I want term limits, too, but I want them on the people staffing all the departments and agencies that we’re perpetually frustrated with. 

Consider, to cite just one example, how many different mayors you’ve seen over the past 20 or 30 years promise to reform the departments of planning and permitting in each county. The mayors have term limits. They come and go. Have any of them succeeded at this reform?

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi has done more than any predecessor but there’s a long way still to go.

How many Hawai‘i governors — term-limited governors — have promised Hawai‘i a public education second to none? Which of them succeeded? Who is still in place, immune to reform?

What happens in real life is, candidates make bold promises of reform, we elect them, then they announce bold plans for reform and those plans run headfirst into a culture of unfirable civil servants shielded by union protections. These folks don’t even have to noisily and aggressively oppose the reform, all they have to do is … not do it. And wait. Four years later, or eight years later, their antagonist is gone, the staff remains, with its culture of job security over excellence safely intact.

[{"type":"text","text":"We, the taxpayers and voters, then sit around wondering what happened."}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Two Hawai‘i’s"}]

What’s happened is simple: Since statehood, Hawai‘i’s people have steadily split into two camps, those who work for government and everybody else. The appeal of Government Hawai‘i is the security and benefits — lifelong employment, if you want it, totally protected from market forces and competition, with solid benefits like healthcare and retirement, paid for by the rest of us in Real Hawai‘i.

If you think the security and the bennies of government jobs are a trade-off to compensate for low pay, guess again. Government Hawai‘i earns more than Real Hawai‘i.

The annual average wage of a non-government job in Hawai‘i is 

 from the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

The average annual wage in state government? 

What does Real Hawai‘i get in return? One of the highest tax burdens in America for one thing, and then very little to brag about in high-quality government service. (

I would say that that two Hawai‘i’s have hardened into opposing camps, except that’s not exactly true. Government Hawai‘i drives an Us vs Them dynamic, that was never clearer to me than it was during Covid, when Government Hawai‘i showed us that it will shut the rest of down for years at a time given the slightest opportunity. It will also protect itself first, at the expense of the public is supposedly serves, as we see in the lingering effects of the schools closing for so long. That policy made no one safer, but it did mess up the kids. (And have you noticed ever since then, Government Hawai‘i takes the day off for even bad weather like it never did before, while the rest of us soldier on with our work?)

Out here in Real Hawai‘i, we grumble but otherwise settle for apathy (i.e., low voter turnout) or outright flight to states where it feels like a good life is more possible. I don’t know who Government Hawai‘i is going to tax when the last of us moves to Vegas.

With all that in mind, term limits on government service seem like the one revolution we haven’t tried, haven’t even discussed, but should. Say 10, 15 years max, total lifetime employment in government at any level. We want people to stay long enough to learn the ropes and finish things they’ve started, not so long that they just settle in and kill time until retirement.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"text":"The upsides:"}]

Breaks up all the pockets of resistance to change. Turnover would occur systemwide, one person at a time, as they age out. Reformers at the top have a chance building support in the workforce among newer staff.

[{"type":"text","text":"Brings in new people and new ideas in government at every level."}]

Opens up more opportunities for Government Hawai‘i and Real Hawai‘i to trade places and live in each other’s worlds. This may be the biggest upside — more of us would get a chance to feel like we had a chance to change the system from the inside and deliver the service we’ve always wanted, while more of them would be forced to realize that Real Hawai‘i is something more than subjects to be ruled and tax cows to be milked.

Forces a revolution in how government hires. Using Mayor Blangiardi again as an example, he’s talked about how it took people six months on average to get hired by the City & County of Honolulu when he assumed office. 

, he had cut that down to three months. Compared to the speed at which the private sector can hire, that’s still an eternity, and that would have to change immediately to deal with the kind of turnover we need.

(To be fair, government is not alone on this front. In my decade at Pacific Business News, I heard executives at Hawai‘i’s larger companies talk endlessly about a labor shortage. At the same time, I knew plenty of talented people who could not land great jobs. Something is seriously broken in the hiring process, and I suspect HR, especially using automated keyword-based filters on resumes, is to blame. Make Direct Hiring by Managers Great Again!)

Loss of expertise, I suppose, but we’ve seen what the accumulated expertise gets us: A chief elections officer who thought a lauhala basket suited the dignity of a Hawai‘i electoral tie-breaker and ended getting his office sued — successfully — and 

. Scott Nago has worked at the Office of Election for nearly 26 years, almost 17 of those years as its chief election officer. As Civil Beat 

, it’s just about the only place he has ever worked in his life. Well, in the private sector, you can lose your job for bungling things so badly you get sued. Under my plan, the private sector is where he would’ve been sent years ago. Had someone else, perhaps with a wider range of life experience, been at the helm, maybe that person would've made better decisions.

[{"type":"text","text":"So, OK, there are no downsides."}]

Term limits on government service. If you like this idea, spread the word. We’d be moving a mountain to make it happen. But that’s got to be better than carrying the mountain of Government Hawai‘i on our shoulders forever.

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.

Term limits i Stock 517737402 16x9

People take time out of their lives to participate in the democratic process by testifying before committee hearings. Too often, the committee isn't there.

I Stock 1169235347

Pipikaula Corner: Invisible Legislators

It's not getting much media attention, but the private diaries of Dr. Anthony Fauci have been published online by Sen. Rand Paul in advance of his hearings this week into Fauci and Covid-19. What they reveal across thousands of pages is man in love with the adulation he received, who privately knew that many of things he said publicly about the pandemic were wild exaggerations.

Getty Images 2155919948

Pipikaula Corner: Fauci revealed as fear-mongering, fame-loving fraud

<title>Pipikaula Corner: Limiting the wrong terms</title>

It's an election year, and some people are running on the popular idea that legislators and Congress should have term limits to prevent lifers from working the system. ASD Editor in Chief A. Kam Napier argues this is a great idea, with the wrong target. What if it's actually the government workforce itself that needs a term limit?

Pipikaula Corner: Limiting the wrong terms

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

, remember meeting each other at a pop-up.

“We both happened to move into the same building,” Sean Miguel says. “We didn’t even know each other (at first) and met at a pop-up in our lobby. Around the same time, we started sharing our baked goods with our neighbors.

“I reached out to Mehana about teaming up, and what started as two neighbors simply sharing their love of baking naturally grew into something much bigger,” she adds.

Miguel says she always loved cooking and baking, but it wasn’t until she started sharing her cookies with friends and family that she “discovered she had a talent for creating something special.”

“Mehana had a similar experience with her cinnamon rolls, which quickly became a favorite among the people around her,” Miguel says.

From there, the two began developing their bakeshop concept and Neighbors officially started in July.

“It was exciting to see something that started so organically between two neighbors turn into a business we’re both genuinely passionate about,” Miguel says.

“We’re neighbors who started baking for our neighbors and now, we collab with our neighbors around Kaka

When it comes to flavors for their cookies and cinnamon rolls, Miguel says they started with the classics. So far, she has made brown butter chocolate chip, Biscoff and s’mores cookies, while Coen has made cinnamon rolls in sweet and savory flavors.

“We leave it to our customers to tell us which they love the best,” Miguel says. “So far, s’mores cookies and the classic cinnamon rolls have been fan favorites.”

Coen has made cinnamon rolls in flavors like birthday cake and ham and cheese. Cinnamon rolls usually cost $5 to $6, depending on the flavor, while cookies cost $5 each.

As the business has expanded, Miguel says they still see some of the same customers at every pop-up.

“We’re really passionate about our community,” she says. “We want to stay as local as we can because our people love our products. We love our community and the amazing support they’ve shown us since day one.”

Neighbors Bakeshop is currently at fishcake in Kaka

ako on every other Wednesday. For updates, follow the business on 

“We take pre-orders and we’re open to collabs,” Miguel says. “We have more pop-ups in the works.

“Mehana and I are both mothers to little ones,” she adds. “Baking and growing a business has really given us the opportunity to do something we have so much fun doing, while still allowing us time to spend with our kids. We’ve developed a genuine friendship, and we’re both excited to see where this all takes us.”

Neighbors owners 091126

<title>Neighbors is a new bakeshop pop-up in Honolulu</title>

Owned by Sean Miguel and Mehana Coen, Neighbors Bakeshop opened in July and pops up at events across Oʻahu. The biz specializes in cookies and cinnamon rolls; you can catch Neighbors at fishcake in Kakaʻako every other Wednesday.

Neighbors is a new bakeshop pop-up in Honolulu

Business & Tourism

 is almost one year old; the business opened on Aug. 8, 2025, in the former Ba-le space, next to the Don Quijote Pearl City food court.

According to business owner Nathan Wu, the cafe's name is inspired by his family.

“It stands for Nathan, Ava, Katy and Sheldon,” Wu says. “Ava is my daughter and Sheldon is my younger son.”

Wu has worked in the restaurant industry for the past 25 years; his previous culinary experience includes roles at Hau Tree 

when the property was still called The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel 

“The chef (from Le Bistro) was really talented,” Wu says. “I learned a lot from him; I got a lot of inspiration from him. I was there (at Le Bistro) for around 10 years.”

Wu always wanted to open his own restaurant; he currently operates Mezzo Bistro & Bar, which is in Market City Shopping Center.

“That restaurant is American-Italian fusion,” he says. “It’s been open for five years.”

He wasn’t necessarily looking to open a new concept in Pearl City, but once he learned about the space, he thought it was a good fit.

“In Hawaiʻi, everybody is so busy,” Wu says. “After work, maybe people just want to go home and enjoy a good meal. I wanted to have upscale takeout for busy people; they can still get takeout with restaurant-quality food.”

Wu describes Naks Cafe's cuisine as “international fusion.” He says many of the featured dishes are personal favorites.

“I’ve been putting more wagyu items on the menu,” he says. “We have a supplier directly from Japan, we are getting A5 Toriyama wagyu directly from their farm. We are trying to introduce more wagyu items to the Pearl City area.”

When Naks Cafe first opened, the biz only had ramen on the menu. Now, the menu offers a variety of sandwiches, pastas, wagyu dishes and specials.

“We now have the wagyu beef burger, wagyu loco moco and wagyu beef curry,” Wu says. “I’m thinking we’ll have more wagyu items in the future.”

The wagyu beef burger ($18.85) is one of the most popular dishes. It features a wagyu beef patty with caramelized onions, cheese, arugula and wasabi aioli. The burger comes with fries and mixed greens.

“The salad comes with our housemade dressing, which is a raspberry vinaigrette,” Wu says.

The cafe also offers specials like the Cajun shrimp plate ($17.85) and barbecue chicken and shrimp mix plate ($19.85). The Cajun shrimp plate comes with fresh greens and rice; the shrimp boasts a slight spice.

The fettuccine al funghi ($16.85) and The Naks ($16.85) — which is a bite-sized French toast — are also customer favorites, according to Wu. The latter features crispy, deep-fried French toast bites, tossed in cinnamon sugar and served with a housemade cream cheese whip.

“Kids love it; our homemade cream cheese whip is really good,” Wu says.

Customers can also choose from drinks like Oreo milk with Nutella cloud ($6.85), and mango or strawberry matcha lattes ($6.85). While most customers order their meals to-go, they can also enjoy their meals in the adjacent food court area, which offers seating.

Naks Cafe is celebrating its first anniversary this Saturday, Aug. 8. The biz will be offering a 16% discount on food, along with a buy-one-get-one-free special for drinks.

“We’re offering 16% percent off because Aug. 8 is like 8 plus 8,” Wu says. “We want to make it memorable.”

Open from 11 am. to 7 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Naks Cafe owners 073126

<title>Naks Cafe offers gourmet takeout meals in Pearl City</title>

The business, which is located next to the Don Quijote Pearl City Food Court, has been open for one year. Business owner Nathan Wu strives to provide the community with affordable, high-quality meals for takeout.

Naks Cafe offers gourmet takeout meals in Pearl City

Stephanie Salmons Headshot

Stephanie Salmons

The momentum continues for L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, with new locations recently opening in Washington and California. This follows a record April, wherein the Hawai‘i-based chain opened six new franchises.

L&L opened in Vancouver, Washington, on May 18, marking the 12th location in the state. That restaurant is owned by 

franchisees Lyle Erickson and Monica Baker.

"While stationed at Kaneohe Bay on O‘ahu in the late 1990s, L&L became part of his everyday life," a May 20 announcement from L&L noted. "After returning to the continental U.S., he realized there was nothing quite like it in Southwest Washington and spent years thinking about how to bring Hawaiʻi’s plate lunch and aloha spirit to the community."

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. You can find it in Centerpointe Retail Center at 8720 NE Centerpointe Dr., Ste. 201.

Meanwhile, the chain's 100th location in California has also recently opened. The newest restaurant can be found in 

La Costa Town Square, 7610 Via Campanile, Ste. 142, in Carlsbad. This location will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

According to another announcement on May 21, this restaurant is owned by franchisee Chloe Tran, whose recent openings in Colton and Jurupa Valley helped bring the brand to the 100-location milestone.

The company says California remains its largest U.S. market.

“California continues to be one of the strongest growth markets for L&L because the demand for Hawaiʻi’s local-style cuisine is already deeply established,” Josie Akana, vice president of franchising at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, said in the latest announcement. “The state’s proximity to Hawai‘i, combined with the number of former residents and frequent visitors who understand the plate lunch experience, has created long-term momentum for the brand. We’re also seeing strong franchise interest from operators who recognize the staying power of the Hawaiian Barbecue category and the opportunity to introduce Hawaiʻi’s local food culture to more communities throughout California.”

CEO Elisia Flores said in the same announcement that reaching 100 locations in California is a "proud moment" for the brand and carries special meaning.

“California was the first location we chose to bring the Hawaiian Barbecue we love beyond Hawai‘i," she continued. "That first expansion made Hawaiʻi’s Plate Lunch more accessible to people who enjoy the flavors of the Islands, as well as those discovering them for the first time, without having to travel to Hawai‘i. What connects them is the comfort of local-style food and the feeling of aloha. For me, this milestone is also personal. My father came to Hawai‘i as an immigrant and, together with our co-founder Johnson Kam, helped build L&L from a local restaurant into a brand that now shares Hawaiʻi’s Plate Lunch with communities around the world.”

 and Johnson Kam acquired L&L Drive-Inn in 1976. The restaurant founded as L&L Dairy back in 1952. In 1999, they introduced the franchise to the Mainland. Elisia Flores, Eddie Flores' daughter, took over as the CEO of L&L 

[{"type":"text","text":"L&L is aiming for a record year in 2026."}]

Flores recently told Aloha State Daily that she hopes 

— and expects — that L&L will open 25 locations this year, which would be a record year for the company in terms of new store openings. You can read more from our conversation with Flores 

CREDIT Matt Armendariz Shooter Stylist LLC LL Hawaiian Barbecue 2

<title>L&L Hawaiian Barbecue continues Mainland expansion</title>

The Hawai‘i-based restaurant chain has recently opened new locations in Washington and California.

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue continues Mainland expansion

Cheers to 2026! Whether you prefer to go out or stay in on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, check out the following:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"100 Sails Restaurant & Bar"}]

: The New Year’s Day brunch buffet ($111 per adult, $54.50 for children ages 6 to 10 years old) includes temaki sushi, waffle station with toppings, carving station with slow-roasted prime rib and rack of lamb, omelet station, hot dishes (Kalua Benedict, snow crab legs, misoyaki butterfish and more), ‘ahi poke, sashimi, and assorted dessert (Prince bread pudding, Laie vanilla custard pie, peppermint white chocolate brulee, Kahlua Yule log, ginger snap cookies and more). The dinner buffet ($117 per adult, $58.50 for children ages 6 to 10 years old) includes similar offerings. 

: 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. brunch, 5-9:30 p.m. dinner Jan. 1, 2026

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"53 By The Sea"}]

: This special New Year’s Eve course ($160 per person) includes:

: Dec. 31; reservations highly recommended 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Arancino at The Kāhala"}]

: This limited-time holiday special course — created by Arancino at The Kāhala’s executive chef Daisuke Hamamoto — costs $250 per guest (additional $100 for wine pairing). 

: Available only Dec. 31, 2025 and Jan. 1, 2026

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

: The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort, 

: This five-course New Year’s Eve dinner (seating one: $275 per adult, $85 for children ages 12 years and under; seating two: $325 per adult, $85 for children ages 12 years and under) features ocean views and diners will have access to the resort’s Dreaming in Pink event.

[{"type":"text","text":"The menu includes:"}]

: 6-8 p.m. (seating one); 8:15-10 p.m. (seating two)

royal-hawaiian.com/festive-traditions/detail_4.php

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Chart House Waikīkī"}]

: This three-course holiday menu costs $110 per person. It includes:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Dell’s Kitchen & Bakery"}]

: Dell’s Kitchen & Bakery is offering a variety of osechi dishes. Choose from:

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

: The eatery will serve black-eyed peas on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The dish is believed to bring prosperity, luck and abundance for the upcoming year ahead. 

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

: Hau Tree’s New Year’s Eve dinner costs $185 per person. This special course meal includes:

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hiromi-Ya"}]

: The Hiromi-Ya and Sato Seafood collab Osechi box costs $300. It includes a premium seafood and high-quality wagyu, including wagyu gyoza with fresh truffle, roasted wagyu with black garlic sauce, live lobster, boiled shrimp, fresh uni, wagyu braised beef, wagyu meatballs, miso butterfish, crab cream croquettes, wagyu pilaf with salmon and ikura, scallops in cream stew, special sea bream tartare, aburi chutoro with wasabi sauce. 

: Pick-up from 12 to 4 p.m. at Sato Seafood or Hiromi-Ya 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"Hoku’s At The Kāhala"}]

: The eatery will offer a special four-course menu ($225 per person) during its early seating, and a seven-course menu ($425 per person) during its second seating.

Guests dining can enjoy complimentary access to the resort’s poolside champagne celebration. 

: 5-8:30 p.m. Dec. 31; four-course menu from 5-6 p.m., seven-course menu from 7:30-8:30 p.m. 

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"bold"}],"text":"House Without a Key"}]

: The eatery’s 2025 New Year’s Count-Down Party Buffet costs $155 per adult ($75 for children ages 5 to 10 years). It includes:

: 5 p.m. Dec. 31, 2025 to 12:30 a.m. Jan. 1, 2025

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

: The Kaimukī eatery is offering holiday party pans. Choose from:

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

: The shop is offering a 2026 Osechi Cake box ($55) at its Eaton Square location. The box includes Kuri-kinton (Mont Blanc), shrimp (strawberry shortcake), Ko-haku kamaboko roll (roll cake with marshmallow), Kuromame (hojicha mousse), kagami-mochi (strawberry nama daifuku), tamago-yaki (baked cheesecake).

Pre-orders in-store and online are accepted with pre-payment. Limited quantities (45 boxes) available. 