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Daily Smile: Saturday, January 31, 2026

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If there's a better chess match out there, we have yet to see it...

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Daily Smile: Thursday, January 29, 2026

"This is the largest stick Daisy has ever selected to bring home..."

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Daily Smile: Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Baby's reaction to seeing a puppy for the first time...

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Bill Brennan

Viewpoints

Government & Politics

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) will present a special statewide television premiere of "Held in Trust: The Future of Hawaiʻi’s Public Lands Beyond Military Leases," a half-hour documentary examining the history of U.S. military use of Hawaiʻi’s public trust lands and the consequential decisions approaching as longstanding military leases begin to expire.

"Held in Trust" will air simultaneously at 6:30 p.m. on 

on KGMB, KHNL, KFVE, KITV, KIKU and KHII, and will stream live at 

“For more than six decades, these leases have simply been part of the landscape of Hawaiʻi, and many people know very little about how they came to be or what their expiration means,” said OHA Board of Trustees Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele. “'Held in Trust' is an opportunity to know the history before we decide the future. These are decisions involving ʻāina that could have consequences for generations, and the people of Hawaiʻi deserve to understand what is at stake.”

The documentary takes viewers through the history of lands that once formed part of the Crown and Government lands of the Hawaiian Kingdom and today comprise portions of Hawaiʻi’s Public Land Trust. It examines how thousands of acres came to be leased for military use, what has occurred on those lands over the ensuing decades, and the cultural, environmental and public trust issues surrounding their future.

In 1964, the State of Hawaiʻi, through the Department of Land and Natural Resources, entered into 65-year leases involving thousands of acres of public trust lands for military purposes. Most were issued for $1 for the entire lease term. Military leases and easements held by the Army, Navy and Air Force across the islands begin expiring between 2028 and 2031.

Among the lands involved are the Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawaiʻi Island and Mākua, Kahuku and Kawailoa-Poamoho training areas on Oʻahu, where Army leases dating to 1964 are scheduled to expire in August 2029. Other military leases and easements involving public trust lands have expiration dates between 2028 and 2031.

The approaching expirations raise complex questions involving Native Hawaiian rights and interests, the State’s Public Land Trust responsibilities, cultural and natural resources, environmental stewardship, military readiness and national security, and the future disposition and use of the lands.

OHA has made military-leased lands a significant focus of its advocacy and public education efforts as those expiration dates approach. OHA’s Board has established a process to address the leases and has called for its work to be grounded in Native Hawaiian rights and Public Land Trust obligations.

“This documentary is not about telling people what to think,” Kahele said. “It is about giving Hawaiʻi the historical and cultural context needed to have an informed conversation. National security is part of that conversation, but so are Native Hawaiian rights, environmental stewardship, cultural resources and our responsibility to future generations. We want people to watch, learn and become part of that conversation.”

OHA is constitutionally charged with protecting and advocating for Native Hawaiian rights and interests. OHA has emphasized that the future of military-leased Public Land Trust lands presents a significant federal-state decision point involving national security, fiscal stewardship, cultural protection and constitutional trust obligations.

Community briefings and listening sessions

OHA is continuing to host community informational briefings to raise awareness on the number of military leased lands set to expire between 2028 and 2031.

Community briefings and listening sessions this month include:

Saturday, Oct. 17 at 10:30 a.m.
University of Hawaiʻi Maui College – Pā‘ina Dining Hall
310 W. Kaʻahumanu Ave., Kahului

Thursday, Oct. 22 – 6 p.m.
Leilehua High School Cafeteria
1515 California Ave., Wahiawā

Read more coverage on the U.S. military land leases at OHA's monthly magazine 

[{"type":"text","text":"Related coverage by KWO:"}]

You can also share your manaʻo on the matter by filling out the online form 

Military Lease map 1024x627 1

<title>Community Voices: OHA documentary examines history, asks about future of military-leased…</title>

Learn more about "the history of U.S. military use of Hawaiʻi’s public trust lands and the consequential decisions approaching as longstanding military leases begin to expire," from The Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The premiere of the organization's documentary "Held in Trust: The Future of Hawaiʻi’s Public Lands Beyond Military Leases," will air at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 8 across television stations statewide, as well as via live stream on its site.

Community Voices: OHA documentary examines history, asks about future of military-leased lands

IMG 1445

Rick Hamada

Business & Tourism

Columnists

[{"type":"text","text":"Hawai‘i’s tourism industry is in trouble. "}]

Now, this is not breaking news. We have encounted over generations the apparent demise of our No. 1 economic engine. Time after time, we have emerged, at times even stronger, and business would continue, even flourish. 

However, our dependence on one industry would also continue. The exposure would continue. And our vulnerabilities would become more pronounced promoting uncertainty, anxiety and, yes, economic failures. 

I am not a tourism expert. I worked in the tourism industry when I was a younger and more adventurous man and I have been blessed to have hosted national and international tours with listenters 20-plus times over the years. But I do have eyes and I do have a degree of expectation and perspective when it comes to travelling and touring. I am sure you do to so instead of asking the “experts” I am asking you. 

[{"type":"text","text":"Why is Hawai‘i tourism in trouble? "}]

We first have to understand that our tourism is a product in the open market. Tourism is one of the most competative industries anywhere. Our product is the unique experience of Hawaiian culture and beauty in the Pacific. When selling a product, one of the most important aspects to a customer is value. 

When you’re considering a family vacation what is likely first on the list? You would think that it’s destination but leading the charge is price. Cost. Cash. Budget. Now, you may say it is destination first but I maintain that cost that is often the final deciding factor. 

OK, yes, some tourists don’t care about the cost. I want to go to Paris and I’m going. I want to go to Australia and I’m going. I want to go to Boise and I’m going. Well, two out of three and you get the picture. This percentile of traveler is comparatively low.

From the purveyor's perspective you base your business on one of two premises. 

One, you rely on volume. Your pricing and inventory determine profitability. I need to sell a thousand widgets a day at X amount of dollars, that covers my hard cost and what remains is profit. You don’t care who buys. As long as a thousand are sold, you’re good. 

Two, you rely on premium pricing to attract a specific demographic. You market your product as essential, desirable, exclusive, and assure the customer they will receive a premium return on their increased investment. It's not quantity, it's quality.

[{"type":"text","text":"There are some businesses that co-mingle these two different strategies."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"One that comes to mind is Macy's."}]

Macy's, especially here at home, has a certain cache, a reputation for upscale brands in virtually all they sell. Clothing and jewelry come to mind. But they are also known for their deeply discounted sale items. When the kids were young, we shopped at Macy's at Kāhala Mall for their clothing from infant to pre-teen years. It's not that we were loaded but the discounts on Polo, for example, were 30% to 50% off and more on some items. Cha-ching! 

[{"type":"text","text":"Hawai‘i marketed our tourism product in a similar way."}]

We would have travel organizations and agencies in the past that would market a discounted or budget experience in Hawai‘i. The state would rely upon great numbers of visitors to generate more of a volume-based revenue model. And it worked. For example, in 2019, we hosted about 10.4 million tourists. That's about 10 times the number of residents statewide. This number generated over $17.75 billion. From a marketing and sales perspective, this would define success.

[{"type":"text","text":"Then Covid hit."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Numbers plummeted, both in visitors and revenue."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"The industry and, well, life took a hit."}]

I'm in a fairly decent mood so I'm not going to continue down the Covid path. We all know because we all lived it.

[{"type":"text","text":"However, in the years to follow, recovery has been mixed."}]

The upside. Domestic travel increased dramatically. Many believe Hawai‘i is an exotic destination, albeit one safely within the United States.

The downside. International travel continues to produce flaccid numbers far below pre-pandemic times. 

According to a recent Civil Beat report, "there was once a time when about 1 in 4 tourists on Oʻahu was from Japan. In 2019, almost 1.5 million people — 24% of the total tourism traffic that year and more than any country outside the U.S. — came from the island nation. But that’s not the case anymore, according to data from the Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Over the last six years, the number of people traveling to Oʻahu from Japan dropped by roughly 50%. Last year, only about 1 in 8 tourists visiting the island was from Japan — a total of just over 715,000 people."

International tourists, especially Japanese, are the ideal customers. They spend more, they stay longer, and they'll come back. Unfortunately, that's not the case now.

"The number of foreign travelers coming to the Hawaiian islands crashed by 95%," Civil Beat reported, "falling from roughly 3 million in 2019 to just over 148,000 in 2021. The number of tourists from abroad remains about half of what it was before Covid-19. Visitors from countries including Korea, Canada and Australia still aren’t back to their pre-pandemic numbers."

[{"type":"text","text":"A post-COVID reality was the impact to locals after the pandemic."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Without tourists, we could again enjoy our home!"}]

Beaches were clear and open. Hiking trails were accessible. Locals reacquainted themselves with places like Waikīkī, the Ko'Olina lagoons, and tourist typical attractions. Once we got a taste of it, things changed. Overtourism was always a topic of discussion but this time it was more than just talk. Educational outreach to visitors on how to behave was implemented and the already-high rates for accommodations, car rentals and meals and restaurants went higher and higher. Interestingly, despite these changes, tourism numbers were holding steady for the first quarter of 2026.

[{"type":"text","text":"That swiftly changed."}]

Hawai‘i tourism is now having its worst year in recent memory, with storms, shorter stays, and higher costs worrying the industry. Residents and businesses have faced one severe weather event after another, and the tourism sector has taken a huge hit.

As a series of storms, powered by a strong El Niño, continued to skirt around the Islands, the number of visitors on any given day dropped dramatically. In March, the average daily visitor census was 

 compared with the year before. The decline widened to 

The state reported there was over $1 billion in damages suffered due to these storms. Coupled with the drop in tourism revenues the financial situation looks bleak.

I understand resiliency and that incredible quality which is found in our people, businesses and more.

[{"type":"text","text":"Yes, through time and incalculable efforts, we will overcome."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"But, at what price?"}]

I admire and commend the positivity held by those who were the most negatively affected by storms and more. You should be elevated, celebrated and advocated by all.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"},{"type":"italic"}],"text":" "}]

Unsplash waikiki aerial

<title>Hamada: Tourism on the rocks</title>

We said we wanted fewer visitors and our wish was granted — and now revenue is dropping. Where do we go from here?

Hamada: Tourism on the rocks

WEB square crop Hayley Lehman Headshot RGZ1636

Haley Lehman

Aloha Spirit

can now put food waste in their green compost carts after the City and County of Honolulu announced Tuesday that residential compost services will expand islandwide starting Oct. 1.

Here’s how it works: residents can include fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, bones, coffee grounds, eggs, eggshells, rice, bread, leftovers and spoiled food in their green compost carts. Bags are not allowed due to concerns about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (

freezing food scraps and waste until the night before or morning of collection day, 

layering food waste with green waste in the green cart, sprinkling baking soda or coffee grounds and keeping the lid closed to contain odors.

“Putting our food scraps and leftovers in our green carts is a simple step that we can all take to make a real and meaningful difference," Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement. "GROW (

) is an innovative program that just makes sense, and we are thrilled that our creative team at ENV (

 is bringing this wonderful idea to life.”

Hawaiian Earth Recycling was awarded the city contract to collect and process compost. According to the company's website, 

 is the largest producer of compost in Hawaiʻi and recycles more than 140,000 tons annually.

 $13.9 million toward green waste recycling services in 2026. 

Approximately 160,000 single-family homes are in the 

, according to ENV. Residents who are not in the three-cart curbside recycling program can drop off food scraps at the Hawaiian Earth Recycling facility in Wahiawā.

Henry Gabriel, recycling program branch chief for ENV, said in recent meetings with neighborhood boards that 

the GROW program aligns with the city’s goal of 95% landfill diversion by 2030.

2019 Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan Update

 is to “investigate the potential for different ways to process or collect food waste.” At the time, Cascadia Consulting Group found that paper, food waste, green waste, wood and plastic film and wrap made up 59.1% of the waste stream accepted by H-POWER and 

with food waste generating 20.1% of that waste.

The management plan also tied goals to the 

 to reduce waste by 70% by 2030 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency’s 

 of Oʻahu’s solid waste was diverted from the WGSL through its recycling and waste-to-energy programs in 2023. The ENV stated that food waste makes up 

 on Oʻahu each year, and Blangiardi said Tuesday that GROW could "reduce Oʻahu’s waste stream" by 20%.

ENV Deputy Director Daniel Brieck stated in the announcement: “Every pound of food scraps you include in your green compost cart is a pound that doesn’t end up in our landfill. Everything we compost instead of sending to H-POWER is a win because food scraps and wet materials rob energy from the burn process. Keeping them out of the waste stream helps H-POWER run more efficiently, and that benefits all of us.”

So far this year, ENV has launched the GROW program in April in Kailua, Hawaiʻi Kai, Mililani, Nānākuli, Waipahu and Kalihi.

In the six neighborhoods that piloted GROW over the last six months, about 15% of residents participated in the pilot, according to ENV Refuse Chief Josh Nagashima

Nagashima stated that “results from our pilot phase have been promising” with a “significant reduction in contamination so far.”

Darsha Lee, of Mililani, told Aloha State Daily that she has been putting food waste in the green bin when her own compost is too full.

“I think it’s a good program,” she said. “Our food waste is a huge thing and we shouldn’t be sending that to landfills.”

Donna Wong, of Kailua, said that she heard of the program at her neighborhood board meeting but never received additional information from the city. She did not participate in the compost program because she composts at home.

ʻi Kai, attended an informational meeting about the program and heard concerns about storing food waste.

I don’t have room in my freezer to store things,” he said. He added that the city didn’t clarify how the program would significantly reduce food waste in the landfill when food waste already decomposes.

GROW program

<title>City compost program grows islandwide</title>

Thousands of Oʻahu residents can now put food waste in their green compost carts, thanks to The City and County of Honolulu's expanded its GROW program.

City compost program grows islandwide

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

Hawaiian Airlines engineer Ashton Simpkins tells Hawaiʻi stories about planes — one Lego brick at a time. Among his custom built creations is the famous six-seat Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker, built in 1929, which was part of Hawaiian Airlines’ initial 

, which can seat hundreds and was introduced in 2018.

The engineer’s planes are just some of many projects part of Bishop Museum’s special exhibit, “Aloha Bricks '26: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” which is on display for 12 more days, before it closes on Sunday, Oct. 11. Located inside the Castle Memorial Building, it features native birds, butterflies and plants made entirely with Lego bricks and is included in general admission. 

 was created in partnership with members of the Hawaiʻi Lego Users Group (HILUG), who made replicas of not just Hawaiian Airlines planes, but also ʻIolani Palace, Hawaiʻi Theatre, the USS Arizona Memorial and Bowfin Submarine, and more; Bishop Museum scientists and staff, who built mosaics of flora and fauna; and middle school students representing 50 schools across the state, who created their campus logos.

Simpkins is part of HILUG, which builds to-scale models with Lego bricks. 

For example, we have a model of Bishop Museum, itself,” he said. “And then, there's one of Hōkūleʻa. There's one of the rail. And then, my section was the Hawaiian Airlines section.”

Simpkins used Lego bricks to create five custom-built aircraft models

the 1929 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker, a Douglas DC-3 and DC-9, a Boeing 717 and 787 Dreamliner

The project took at least 180 hours, he said. The largest build, the 787 Dreamliner, had about 10,000 parts, and needed to be transported to the museum in three pieces because “simply, it wouldn't fit through my doors,” he said with a laugh.

A few days before the exhibit opened, Simpkins sat on the museum floor for several hours, bringing in the design a few inches on each side, so that it would fit properly in its glass case.

As a kid, he remembers building intricate tracks for Thomas the Tank Engine.

I would always tell stories with it,” he said. “I'd have my grandma sit on my bed, and I'd tell her a story about what was happening with the trains.”

Eventually, he moved on to Lego bricks, starting with Star Wars-themed sets.

“Aloha Bricks '26: Stories of Hawaiʻi"

 includes giant replicas of the endangered i’iwi bird and the vibrant fish, humuhumunukunukuapua‘a.

“It's hard to walk around an exhibit and not want to build something yourself,” Simpkins said.

In fact, one room includes bricks so kids of all ages can try their hand at engineering. Along the walls of that space are the logos of local schools.

“And the Bishop Museum actually reached out to local middle schools to get them to build their logos for the exhibit,” he said. “Those were actually made by the people that attend those schools, which is really cool.”

Simpkins hopes that seeing these models will inspire keiki to do their own building and problem solving.

Part of what's really cool about this exhibit and the familiarity of it all is that a kid can come and see it and say, ʻOh, someone just like me made this. Maybe I can do the same thing,’” he said. “It inspires somebody else to create, to tell stories, and to figure things out, because that is a very important part of growing up and making the world a better place is figuring out problems and being creative and sharing.”

The exhibit is open during museum hours, which are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Use the code MAHALO20 to get a 20% discount at check-out. 

," which features the work of three Hilo artists: the late Nālani Kanakaʻole, as well as that of her husband, Sig Zane, and their son, Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane. 

That exhibit runs now until Feb. 15, 2027. 

. And while you're there, support local at 

(ICYMI: ASD sat down with Bishop Museum's CEO 

Kris Helgen over the summer to learn more about his first year, as well as his top challenges and opportunities running a nonprofit museum. 

Ashton Simpkins

<title>Lego bricks inspire sky-high imagination on display at Bishop Museum</title>

The sky might be the limit for this Lego enthusiast, who is a Hawaiian Airlines engineer and after work creates custom-built aircraft currently on display as part of the museum’s special exhibit “Aloha Bricks '26: Stories of Hawaiʻi.”

Lego bricks inspire sky-high imagination on display at Bishop Museum

AKINA portrait 2

Keliʻi Akina

[{"type":"text","text":"We have a few victories to celebrate together. Four, in fact."}]

That’s because Hawaiʻi has received four shipments of fuel from refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast — something that hasn’t happened for at least two decades.

Moreover, one of those deliveries was propane transported aboard a bulk liquefied petroleum gas carrier, a type of vessel that has been unavailable to serve Hawaiʻi from U.S. ports for decades because there simply haven’t been any in the Jones Act fleet.

That shipment was also noteworthy because the tanker was large enough to move roughly half of all the propane Hawaiʻi has imported so far this year.

These landmark voyages, discussed at length in 

 by Grassroot Scholar and Cato Institute trade policy analyst Colin Grabow, were completed thanks to the ongoing waiver of the federal Jones Act, first ordered in March as a wartime measure to facilitate greater access to fuels and fertilizers.

The ostensible reason for the waiver is unfortunate — not only because it took overseas military hostilities to trigger it, but also because Americans deserve relief in any case from this costly 106-year-old, special-interest maritime law.

The evidence has been mounting for years that the Jones Act strangles trade within the U.S. and increases the cost of living for Americans nationwide, especially for those of us who live in places that rely heavily on water transportation for our daily needs.

This happens because the Jones Act restricts the transportation of goods between U.S. ports to ships that are U.S. flagged and built and mostly owned and crewed by Americans.

Allegedly intended to bolster national security, boost shipbuilding and ensure a vibrant merchant marine force, the Jones Act has achieved none of those goals; and it is way past time that this anachronistic law be lifted for good — if not wholly, at least in ways that would benefit Americans more generally.

When it comes to fuel, the Jones Act in normal times has resulted in Hawaiʻi importing the vast majority of its supplies from foreign sources. This is partly because of the high cost of transporting U.S. fuels to Hawaiʻi on Jones Act ships, but also because doing so is sometimes simply impossible, as is the case with certain types of vessels not existing in the ever-dwindling Jones Act fleet.

The four fuel deliveries Hawaiʻi has received from U.S. producers so far under the waiver might not seem like much, but they are a promising indicator for the future.

Nationwide, the waiver has resulted in an explosion of new shipping routes between U.S. ports. And that’s even considering its temporary nature and limited scope.

For that reason, the shipments that have come to Hawaiʻi so far under the waiver represent the floor — not the ceiling — of what could be accomplished.

Right now, the waiver is proving in real time and with hard facts that the Jones Act is a barrier to our economic well-being and our national security.

The only remaining question is why Congress hasn’t yet acted on this new information to modernize the Jones Act.

Reprinted with permission from the Sept. 26, 2026 "Presidentʻs Corner" of 

9 27 26 cartoon

President Donald Trump recently issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act and within 24 hours, foreign ships were being chartered to carry essential goods. When nearly every emergency, from hurricanes to military action, raises the need for a Jones Act waiver, it is time to stop issuing temporary waivers and start looking at permanent reform. 

Container ship

Community Voices: Is the Jones Act finally sinking?

The Jones Act was supposed to protect the American shipbuilding industry, but the industry has withered away despite that support. New legislation by U.S. Rep. Ed Case of Hawai‘i proposes changes to the act that could ultimately reduce shipping costs to the Islands.