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Kady Pascual

Today’s social media find comes from @InstaMauiMatt, showing us what Maui means to him.

InstaMauiMatt

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: When in Maui

Today’s social media find comes from @76.Strokes, who’s stuck in the tee box.

76.strokes

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Teed up

Today’s social media find comes from @Morris_Lures_Hawaii, with an important life lesson.

Morris_Lures_Hawaii

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Daddy Day Care

Today’s social media find comes from @808SurfClips, with the best tandem partner.

808SurfClips

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Man’s best friend

Today’s social media find comes from @Chardonnay.Music, with a tasty snack she found in her backyard.

Chardonnay.Music

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Fruitful tree

Today’s social media find comes from @CatsuMatsu89, with an accidental car wash.

CatsuMatsu89

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Morning kine action

Today’s social media find comes from @JbKillenIt, with a stoked little grom.

JbKillinIt

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Start um young

Today’s social media find comes from @TheRealHong, who misstepped.

TheRealHong

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Stepped on

Today’s social media find comes from @Hawaii_Drumline, who may have gotten the coolest pull.

Hawaii_Drumline

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Pokémon go

Today’s social media find comes from @HowsDisGuy, with a lesson some of you really need to take.

Hows Dis Guy AI

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Skanking 101

Today’s social media find comes from @Stan_Biz4Yu, who needs to work on time management.

StanBiz4Yu

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: Running late

Today’s social media find comes from @KennyKharisma2.0, who may need to stay home for a few days.

Kenny Kharisma2 0

Hawai‘i Scene on Social: PTO preparations

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Michael Brestovansky

Government & Politics

A state audit of Gov. Josh Green’s Kauhale homelessness support initiative found $13.7 million of mismanagement, including sex toys bought on the state’s dime.

The Kauhale Initiative, which Green proposed during his 2022 gubernatorial campaign, establishes small communities and shared spaces for homeless people in an effort to reduce homelessness statewide. As of June, the state 

 26 Kauhale projects throughout the state, offering more than 900 units.

 by the State Auditor released Wednesday found that the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions, which administers the project, did not properly oversee the public funds it spent, neglecting to implement basic accountability measures such as signed agreements with contractors.

In some cases, the audit found that SOHHS allowed work on projects to begin before contracts were signed; in at least two cases, a 20-home project in Kalihi Valley and a now-closed medical respite unit, no contracts were signed at all.

The audit highlights SOHHS’ relationship with HomeAid Hawai‘i, a contractor selected to develop plans for many of the Kauhale communities. In actuality, SOHHS awarded HomeAid several no-bid agreements before those plans were even developed, thus committing the state to paying for work before the scope of that work was ever made clear.

For example, on two contracts — for the Ka Malu Ko‘olau Kauhale near Windward Community College, and the Ho‘okahi Leo project in Kalihi, both HomeAid projects — SOHHS paid out more than $1 million more than was approved in budgets, the audit states.

These budget overruns were possible because SOHHS did not require proper accountability for project changes. The audit notes that at one project, the Alana Ola Pono development in Iwilei, HomeAid replaced a planned $500,000 communal facility with imported South Korean units that cost about $1.23 million. Despite this cost increase, the project only constructed 45 units instead of the 75 units specified in the agreement.

Furthermore, HomeAid reportedly included “10% indirect costs” in its development agreements, for which the state paid out more than $3.3 million across the nine HomeAid contracts the audit reviewed. But SOHHS records reportedly do not reflect how that 10% figure was derived or what those indirect costs were.

Ultimately, the audit identified $7.7 million in unauthorized expenditures that SOHHS paid out: for example, for the Alana Ola Pono project, SOHHS paid a $2.5 million advance to HomeAid before a contract was ever signed, and the subsequent agreement did not document that advance.

In other cases, SOHHS paid more than $110,000 for expenses that were explicitly given zero-dollar budgets in its development agreements. A HomeAid contract that budgeted $0 for vehicle rentals nonetheless paid out more than $3,000 for the HomeAid CEO — potentially current CEO Kimo Carvalho, although the audit does not specify — to rent a vehicle for two months.

Other HomeAid expenses on the state’s dime include a $5,020 bill for an unnamed HomeAid CEO to attend a conference in Las Vegas in 2024. That bill included two $54 charges for an “intimacy kit,” which the audit confimed included “condoms, lubricant, vibrators, restraints, an eye mask and a feather tickler.” Carvalho 

 the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that those charges were mistakenly incurred when he inadvertently moved the kit in his Vegas hotel room's minibar, which he believed triggered an automatic charge.

On top of the unauthorized $7.7 million was another $5 million the audit deemed “questionable,” as SOHHS could not establish whether those expenses were directly related to the contracted work. Some of those expenses included a $78,000 bill for a condo rental in Wailuku, whose purpose for the Kauhale project was never confirmed.

And SOHHS never documented work done to justify another $1 million in HomeAid personnel costs.

While the audit notes that HomeAid “had little experience as a planner or developer” when it was first selected for the Kauhale project, it does not identify who at the state is responsible for placing such heavy reliance on the company — coordinators and state officials variously pointed fingers at each other, the report found.

In the face of this mismanagement, the audit issued recommendations for SOHHS, including the establishment of written policies and controls for the Kauhale projects that require fully executed contracts before work begins, procedures for reviewing payment requests, a comprehensive review of all HomeAid payments, and more. It also recommends that the department “recover from HomeAid amounts that the comprehensive review determines were not reimbursable under the applicable agreements.”

Green’s office announced Wednesday that SOHHS has accepted all recommendations within the audit, but asserted that the report contains “significant factual errors.”

Among those errors, according to Green’s office, were several of the “unauthorized payments” identified in the audit. Green’s office stated that the $2.5 million Alana Ola Pono advance, along with another $2.4 million to HomeAid for a pre-development agreement, were authorized.

Green’s office also reported that SOHHS has “aggressively taken steps” to recover improper expenses, including more than $16,000 in unauthorized travel expenses.

“We welcome accountability and will continue strengthening the program,” Green stated. “But we will not lose sight of what matters most: kauhale are working, they are changing lives — and we are going to keep building on that progress because the people of our state deserve a real solution to this generational problem.”

Green’s office stated that, since 2024, the number of homeless people statewide dropped by 13.1%.

 to the audit Wednesday, stating that the audit “misses the full value” of the company’s approach to deeply affordable housing.

“We believe the audit gave insufficient attention to how the Kauhale Initiative can deliver safe, affordable homes to those most in need,” read HomeAid’s statement.

The statement argued that many of the suspect $13.7 million have already been reconciled, and that “fewer than 5%” of those reconciled transactions have required correction in favor of the state. In fact, the statement goes further, and claims that HomeAid has not been reimbursed for an additional $1.7 million.

The statement went on to note that the audit only investigated nine HomeAid contracts, less than half of the Kauhale Initiative’s total $88.2 million budget.

“We believe that concentration leaves the public without a complete evaluation of program outcomes and value,” HomeAid’s statement read.

Kauhale 16x9

<title>State audit finds Kauhale Initiative made $13.7 million in unauthorized payments</title>

Statewide homelessness initiative saw project changes, airfare and more ballooning budgets, alleges audit.

State audit finds Kauhale Initiative made $13.7 million in unauthorized payments

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

ikoi Steak — which opened last August — recently changed its restaurant name to 

“I wanted a restaurant name that would make an impact,” explains chef Shiori Okuya. “I wanted something catchy and memorable.”

The restaurant is not associated with the previous eatery that was at this location.

Macho Grill is known for its sizzling steak skillets. Choose from popular options like beef steak ($25-$35), pork chop ($18-$26), rib-eye and pork combo ($54), or filet ($60).

Other options include chicken cream saute ($22-$25) , Korean spicy cheese chicken ($25-$28) and grilled Caesar salad ($14).

Most plates come with corn, a side salad, and a choice of starch (Japanese rice, mashed potatoes or a baguette). 

The entrees are delivered piping hot to diners’ tables with a protective wrapping around the plate. If you choose to add sauces — like homemade steak sauce — the protective layer is intended to prevent the sauce from splashing.

Diners can add toppings to their steaks for an additional charge. Options include garlic whipped cream ($3), truffle butter ($5), or grated daikon with ponzu ($3).

Customers can end with desserts like homemade ice cream and sorbet ($8) or custard pudding ($10).

Dining reservations are accepted for groups of six or more. Limited customer parking is available right outside the restaurant.

Open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch, 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner Wednesdays to Mondays (closed Tuesdays)

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<title>Macho Grill offers sizzling steak skillets</title>

The eatery, located on Piʻikoi Street, specializes in sizzling steak skillets. Choose from popular options like beef steak, pork chop, rib-eye and pork combos and more.

Macho Grill offers sizzling steak skillets

Crime & Courts

Another organization has sued Hawai‘i over Act 11, the law passed this year that limits corporate spending in political campaigns.

Act 11, which Gov. Josh Green signed into law in 

, limits “artificial-person powers” granted by the state to corporations; in particular, the law rescinded the power of corporations to spend money on political campaigns.

The law challenges the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court verdict in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, wherein the court found laws prohibiting corporate political spending violates corporations’ First Amendment. Proponents of Act 11 have argued that the law does not impede corporations’ 

The Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America disagrees. Last month, the national chamber 

 state Attorney General Anne Lopez and Nadine Ando, Director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, over Act 11 in U.S. District Court.

In its complaint, the Chamber argues that the law “extinguishes the power to speak on certain topics and viewpoints, enforces that … prohibition with significant corporate penalties up to involuntary dissolution … in direct defiance of binding Supreme Court precedent.”

The Chamber claims that the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the fundamental premise of Act 11 — that a corporation’s “powers” conferred by the state are distinct from their “rights” — in Citizens United. It adds that Act 11 applies to foreign entities that Hawai‘i has no authority over.

Furthermore, Act 11 is discriminatory, the Chamber argues, because it permits media corporations to publish content concerning political campaigns while simultaneously prohibiting other corporations from doing the same.

Because the U.S. Chamber of Commerce regularly participates in political speech — including repeated endorsements of Rep. Ed Case and a planned voter-education tour this year about “the virtues and benefits of free enterprise and the dangers of socialism” — the Chamber argues that it has been directly harmed by Act 11.

The Chamber’s complaint notes that its arguments are not original. In fact, it points out that Lopez 

 testified against the bill as it passed through the state Legislature, calling it “likely impossible to defend” and warning that passing the law would all but guarantee costly legal challenges.

, filed in June by Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i, followed much the same arguments. Progress in that case has been slow; a hearing for a proposed preliminary injunction that would suspend Act 11 until the case is resolved, which was proposed in June, is scheduled for Oct. 13.

The Chamber has also moved for a similar preliminary injunction in its case, but no hearing has yet been scheduled on the matter.

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<title>National Chamber of Commerce sues Hawai‘i over corporate spending law</title>

A second lawsuit challenging Act 11 has struck the state.

National Chamber of Commerce sues Hawai‘i over corporate spending law

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Haley Lehman

Business & Tourism

The Chinatown Cultural Plaza will be demolished and redeveloped, the City and County of Honolulu announced Wednesday. When Aloha State Daily visited the site, we saw Taiwan and U.S. flags flapping in the wind, graffiti scrawled on the side of the plaza, empty storefronts, and a handful of restaurants and shops.

Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi has been open with his frustration over the property over the past five years and has pushed for improvements as part of a broader revitalization effort in Chinatown. He met with a Taiwanese 

 in Honolulu in July to discuss the future of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza. In a statement issued Wednesday, he said that the redevelopment is a breakthrough to transform Chinatown and Honolulu.

“This is about much more than redeveloping a single property,” Blangiardi said. “It is about what Chinatown can become. This community has extraordinary history, culture and character, and we want to see that reflected in its future. A revitalized Cultural Plaza can help bring new energy and economic activity into Chinatown while remaining a place that celebrates the cultures and traditions that have made this community so special.”

Six Chinese organizations designed and built the 3.97-acre Chinatown Cultural Plaza in 1974. Taiwan purchased the property in 1979 through China Airlines and Longevity International Enterprises Corporation has 

The center, located at 100 N. Beretania St., is bordered by River Street, Kukui Street and Maunakea Street. The Mun Lun School is not part of the Chinatown Cultural Center.

In April 2025, Blangiardi told the Chinatown-Downtown neighborhood board that he was “totally dissatisfied … with the state of the cultural plaza,” pointing to disrepair.

Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock, founder of the Chinatown Business and Community Association and chair of the Downtown-Chinatown neighborhood board, told Aloha State Daily Thursday that the “plaza is dilapidated from years of neglect.”

The management company has not adequately addressed maintenance over the years, leading to holes in the ceiling and broken elevators, Shubert-Kwock said. Community members have also seen homeless encampments, drug use and illegal gambling at the plaza.

Shubert-Kwock said that the property managers should be held accountable for failing to maintain the building to proper standards. She expressed concern that tenants will not be compensated for moving before their leases are up and received short notice of the lease terminations, calling it “unfair to tenants.”

 added that she supports the redevelopment project, and said she'd like to see affordable housing, retail, restaurants and public parking at the site. She would also like a large Chinese restaurant at the plaza. The Empress Restaurant opened in 1979 and closed by the end of 2018, leaving a 10,000-square-foot banquet space empty on the second floor of the Chinatown Cultural Center and eliminating a banquet space for community gatherings, she noted.

, co-founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and chairman of 

, said that the plaza was beautiful when it was first built, but “slowly, gradually deteriorated” after it was sold to Taiwan.

“The problem is mismanagement,” Flores said. “Nobody cares. I’ve never seen a property so mismanaged in my life.”

Flores said that the redevelopment could bring affordable housing, retail, a community center and a large Chinese restaurant to the plaza.

“We’re looking forward to the future. People are afraid to go there at nighttime," he said.

Flores gave Blangiardi an “A+” for advocating for change in Chinatown. He said that Chinatown has been a center of business activity, community and historical significance, and the area could be a tourist attraction second to Waikīkī with investment.

According to the City and County of Honolulu, preliminary work at the plaza will include environmental impact assessments and archaeological studies, followed by demolition of existing structure and requests for redevelopment proposals.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu stated in a news release Friday that the redevelopment ushers in a new chapter for the Chinatown Cultural Plaza.

TECO identified Longevity International Enterprises Corp. as the owner of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, and stated that owners agreed to redevelop the plaza to align with the City and County of Honolulu’s efforts to promote the development of Chinatown.

“The redevelopment aims to create a modern, safe, and vibrant new landmark with stronger Taiwanese characteristics, while continuing to serve the community and function as a bridge connecting Taiwan and Hawaii,” TECO stated in the news release

It’s not clear how the demolition and reconstruction will impact local events like the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Hawaiʻi Chinatown Peace Festival, formerly called the Buddha Peace Festival, used to be held at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza and has moved to Maunakea Marketplace in recent years.

Tenants were given a notice of lease termination and must vacate the premises by March 31, 2027, per the county.

Sandy’s Café has been open since 2020, and the restaurant’s lease is up in 2028, owner Henry Cheng said Thursday. The restaurant is in a good location, he said, adding that increased security could deter homeless people and improve conditions.

Cheng said that tearing down the plaza could mean the end to the businesses that set up shop there.

Eva Chen, one of the owners of Lee Ho Fook Restaurant, has been operating the restaurant out of the Chinatown Cultural Plaza for 30 years. She does not currently have plans to relocate, and her son, Matthew Wu, said that his parents want to take a break when the lease ends in March and may reopen in the future.

Wu said that the plaza seemed thriving and livelier when he was younger, but has turned into a “ghost town” in the last five years.

Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam said by email Thursday, “My priority is making sure the existing tenants receive clear communication, timelines and expectations as this project moves forward. I want the City to be a partner in supporting these businesses as much as possible and will continue advocating for our small businesses throughout this process. I hope the redevelopment will contribute to a stronger, more vibrant Chinatown while recognizing the important role these longtime businesses play in our community.”

Chinatown Cultural Plaza

<title>UPDATED: Chinatown Cultural Plaza to be razed, redeveloped</title>

The center, owned by the Taiwan government, will be demolished and redeveloped after a years-long push by the City and County of Honolulu to improve the site. Over the past 50 years, Chinatown Cultural Plaza has “carried forward our unique cultural traditions and preserved the shared memories of Honolulu,” said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu. Its tenants received end of lease termination notices and must vacate the premises by the end of March 2027.

UPDATED: Chinatown Cultural Plaza to be razed, redeveloped

Located on Waimanu Street — upstairs from 

 recently celebrated its soft opening. The space is home to an apparel line and café, according to business owner Momo Sakauye.

Sakauye, owner of Dear you Honolulu clothing line, says she ran pop-ups for her apparel business, but always wanted to open a café alongside it.

“The clothing line has options for both babies and adults — someone special to you,” she says. “I have a basic menu right now (for the café) because I’m running it myself.”

The new café space features Sakauye’s apparel line along with drinks and pastries. The café’s name is inspired by the concept of a “blank canvas,” according to Sakauye.

“It’s like a white canvas; people can come here and create different memories,” she explains.

[{"type":"text","text":"Limited customer seating is available within the café."}]

The café menu currently features Americanos ($5.50), espresso shots ($5) and lattes ($6). Customers can enhance their lattes by adding caramel or honey ($1 each). Sakauye explains that she wanted to soft open her business with a smaller menu, but plans to expand the drink options. All drinks come in 12-ounce sizes.

Sakauye also recommends trying the café’s Ichigo milk ($6.50), or Japanese strawberry milk, a refreshing beverage that features housemade strawberry jam mixed into cold milk.

The café also offers a rotating selection of pastries. Options during our visit included butter croissants and a lemon yogurt cake.

[{"type":"text","text":"“It’s like a butter cake; it’s not too sweet,” Sakauye says."}]

The café is currently open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed on Sundays and Wednesdays). Customer parking is available in the building’s lot.

Open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Sundays and Wednesdays

Blanc Nook Cafe business owner 060126

<title>Blanc Nook Café opens in Honolulu</title>

The cozy café recently opened on Waimanu Street; it’s located above Ry’s Poke Shack’s Honolulu location. The space is home to an apparel line and a café, and business owner Momo Sakauye plans to expand the café menu to include more drinks.