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Government & Politics

Aloha Spirit

It’s 5 p.m. on a Wednesday in early July and the church bells are ringing out over Lahaina. The day may be ending, but it’s still hot and the sun is still shining brightly over the West Maui community.

It’s a different sight today than it was on Aug. 8, 2023, when wildfires driven by winds from a passing storm ravaged parts of the Valley Isle. While 

 through several other areas of Maui, Lahaina saw the worst as an inferno destroyed much of the historic town and killed more than 100 people. It was one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in more than a century.

Lahaina’s famed Front Street is no longer bustling in the way it was before the wildfires, but on this July day, nearly three years later, there are signs of new life on the quiet streets.

When I was here two years ago, just before the first anniversary of the fire, heaps of debris and piles of twisted metal remained in many areas. It was quieter then, almost silent, as I spoke with business owners who had lost everything. They sifted through the rubble and ruins and paused poignantly as they took in what was, seemingly reflecting on what had been.

[{"type":"text","text":"On this day, though, it's different."}]

A small group has gathered in a parking lot off Front Street; signage there directs people to “Meet Here” for various tours leaving from the nearby 

. More signs direct pedestrians along a route to get there.

[{"type":"text","text":"Some hazards may persist, the signs warn. Access at your own risk."}]

There’s plenty that’s still off limits on this day — roads closed, fencing up, warnings posted — but this afternoon, a few people, including this reporter, are trekking down the roadway, a portion of which was still closed to vehicles, on foot.

Visitors pause and take in the sight of the 153-year-old banyan tree, still looming large. The tree was damaged by the heat of the blaze and is still recovering from the fire, but wasn’t destroyed. It’s been fenced off, with no trespassing signs posted. Following an assessment this spring, arborists have decided that the tree will remain fenced off for another two years, but you can still admire from the sidewalk.

A man walks one way down the road, his dog on a leash. Walking in the other direction is a man with a surfboard under his arm. A short time later, a young boy bikes down the empty street, with his family following close behind. He rings the bell on his bicycle.

[{"type":"text","text":"Some visitors on the sidewalk lament the loss."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"Look at those buildings, they say. It’s all gone, they say."}]

[{"type":"text","text":"And that’s true, but it isn’t."}]

So where’s Lahaina today, three years later? It’s still there. Recovery is still underway and what the community will ultimately look like is yet to be seen, but work is progressing, more slowly for some than others, but it is progressing.

Aloha State Daily sat down with county leaders last month to find out where things stand three years after the fires.

[{"type":"text","text":"Rebuilding residential"}]

When talking about the fires, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, who is seeking reelection this year, first offers up some context, and starts by recounting a community meeting in September 2023, the month following the fires.

“I recall this vividly. The question was put to us: When do you think we will be able to get a building permit?” he told ASD during a sit-down interview in July. “And this man, he was not angry. He was very matter of fact. He said, ‘We just need to know how to plan.’”

Bissen told the man that based on what was known from other communities like Paradise, California, which was devastated by 

, and others, it would take at least two to three years to get a building permit.

But in November 2024, a little more than a year after the fires, Bissen said the first two rebuilt homes were moved into — 

“So, not only did it not take two or three years to get a building permit, it didn’t take two or three years to move back into a rebuilt home,” Bissen says.

As of Aug. 5 of this year, 577 homes have been completed, including 264 single-family units and 313 multi-family units, according to data on the county's 

There are 667 homes with issued permits, including 583 single-family units and 84 multi-family units, which means permits have been issued allowing construction to begin. Another 597 homes — 176 single-family units and 421 multi-family units — have permits processing, which means applications for permits have been submitted.

A total of 400 homes, including single-family and multi-family units, are under construction.

"I just needed to put that in perspective because it’s hard to say if you’re ahead or you’re behind without comparing it to something,” Bissen explained. “There’s so many reasons why that happened in terms of debris clearing and in terms of building, but I think for us, a big reason it happened … is we told our community so they would know in advance that our focus was going to be returning people to their homes, especially owner-occupied homes, because there are people who own second and third homes out there too, of course, [but] that has been our focus and we’re well on our way.”

Housing in Lahaina was a challenge even before the fire, but according to the 

, 2,207 structures were damaged or destroyed in the Lahaina fire, of which 1,898, or 86%, were residential. The residential structures that were damaged or destroyed made up about 45% of Lahaina's residential housing.

"The challenge of finding replacement housing units for residents who lost their homes is exacerbated by the average household size in Lahaina (3.53 people) being significantly higher than than the average in the county (2.96 people), state (2.92 people) and the United States (2.57)," the report reads. "The scarcity of rental housing amidst competition with short-term rentals presents an affordability challenge for displaced residents, increasing the pressure on the housing supply availability and high cost of living, compounded by the fire, have resulted in 45% of fire-impacted respondents to say they are considering leaving the county and moving elsewhere."

Across the August 2023 wildfires in Lahaina and Upcountry Maui, 2,145 dwellings were destroyed, according to information provided by the county, citing county real property assessment data.

[{"type":"text","text":"Commercial activity and infrastructure"}]

The county also has been focusing on the commercial rebuilding concurrently, but the challenges are different, Bissen says.

“But now that infrastructure has been restored — we’re talking about water, wastewater, power, roads — that’s all infrastructure that commercial needs,” he told ASD. “You can put up a building, but you still need to bring water to the building, have wastewater go away from the building, get roads [so] people can get to the buildings, parking. There are things that are needed for our commercial business and I’m really proud of where we’re at on that, as well.”

 told ASD in a follow-up email that overall, infrastructure restoration was one of the "first and most critical phases of Lahaina's recovery."

"Before homes and businesses could be rebuilt, the community needed  safe drinking water, functioning sewer service, reliable roads, electrical service and other essential utilities," she said, noting that many of the projects required coordination among the county, state, utility providers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 program, which encompasses all the recovery programs funded by $1.6 billion in federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds appropriated for the 2023 wildfires, 

announced conditional funding allocations

 that will help restore 519 affordable housing units and fund 22 critical infrastructure and mitigation projects.

Some of those infrastructure projects include major corridor improvements, including phase 1C of the Honoapi‘ilani Highway realignment, or Lahaina Bypass extension; street extensions and connector roads; repairs to damaged roads and sidewalks; upgrades to recycled water systems; sewer system expansion and upsizing, replacement of critical wastewater pump stations, emergency power for essential water facilities, and reconstruction of public-serving facilities in West Maui, that announcement noted. 

This summer alone, though, there's been a flurry of movement recently in Lahaina’s commercial sector.

An interim marketplace and community gathering spot in development by Hawaiian Council — with support from its Kākoʻo Maui Fund and the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation — will be the first project to bring storefronts back to Front Street, Maui County said in a July 2 announcement of its launch.

Called ‘Ulu o Lele, the marketplace will be located at the former Outlets of Maui site and offer a temporary home for local businesses, nonprofits, cultural practitioners, farmers and community programming while permanent commercial redevelopment progresses, the announcement noted.

According to the county, Hawaiian Council, formerly known as the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, has secured a two-year lease for approximately three acres at the site and is leading the planning, development and implementation of the project, itself designed as an 18- to 24-month recovery initiative.

The project will use modular retail spaces and supporting infrastructure to "quickly activate the site and create new opportunities for local businesses and organizations," the announcement says. Meanwhile, the marketplace is expected to hold approximately 25 to 50 local vendors and help sustain about 90 jobs.

Meanwhile, Kimo’s Restaurant, a popular waterfront eatery lost in the fire, has also 

announced its intent to return to Front Street

Parent company T S Restaurants will partner with business leaders Kent Untermann and Mousa Hassan who are restoring the Chan Wa Building, which is where you’ll find the restaurant in the future.

Overall, five Front Street commercial permits were issued as of mid-July and two more commercial projects were nearing permits, according to information provided by Maui County. More than a dozen commercial properties were in planning consultation at that time.

"Permitting and approvals in the Lahaina Historic districts have been one of the most heavily regulated processes in the state, involving national, state and local rules. Besides being one of the most storied places in Hawaiʻi and the Islands’ first capital, it was the only historic district in the state with buildings constructed out over the water," the county noted in its July 2 announcement.

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Risks ahead"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"But there are risks."}]

Some business owners may be hesitant to be the first business to return and reopen in Lahaina Town without other draws, but Abraham told ASD in July that’s why the upcoming ‘Ulu o Lele Marketplace is so critical, “because it paves the way and provides foot traffic and accountability, that there will be people down there when they do open their doors.”

 Bissen noted, too, the dynamics between landowners and tenants in Lahaina’s commercial areas.

“Some of the landlords are their own tenants — they work in the building that they own. Many of them are landlords who lease their space to other businesses, which means it takes two people to really make that work,” he explained. “If the tenant wants to come back, but nobody builds the place, then they’re waiting. If the landlord rebuilds and no tenant wants to rent their space, then why did they rebuild?

“But if you own your own building and restaurant or retail, then you know you’re coming back. It’s very different from residential. ... Not enough people are factoring that in because not only do they have to risk financially, but also the time and effort and energy it takes to rebuild. I think that was part of the hesitation, but now that groups are coming back, I think people will see that momentum and see that synergy that’s starting to happen.” 

But businesses could have moved forward with rebuilding at any time.

“I think it was a ‘Let’s wait and see’ in their mind how this is really going to go,” Maui County Office of Recovery Administrator John Smith told ASD during the same interview in July. “They knew that we were concurrently working to pave the way for them in terms of how permits go through, how infrastructure was going to be ready, because building a commercial building has a different standard than a residential [building] and we’re holding current building code standards ... . All of that stuff in a very old town has to be considered.

“When you have all these really old buildings and you’re going to rebuild, one, you’re going to rebuild to meet what the community wants — and that’s where we developed design guidelines. Commercial wanted to see how that was going to turn out. That’s all done now, so there’s a very, very clear path to go fast with commercial guidelines — but you also have to build to current building code and sometimes that means you need to upgrade your own infrastructure on your property, depending on the age of the structure.”

All that’s being weighed concurrently with the residential rebuild, harbor opening and streets coming back online, Smith says.

“In a major disaster, where an entire town is lost, commercial is naturally the lagging factor until there’s people to be there for business,” he told ASD.

, commercial design guidelines approved by the Maui County Cultural Resource Commission in May “aim to support the Lahaina community’s rebuilding efforts and assist in meeting community needs, incorporating climate resilience and sustainability, and honoring the cultural and historical significance of Lahaina,” the 

 notes. “These guidelines build on existing regulatory and policy documents and are grounded in historic Lahaina building styles and community feedback.

The Rebuild Lahaina Plan itself covers about 120 acres and focuses on the core of Lahaina.

Smith said, too, that the county has engaged with all owners in the commercial area at this point.

“We’ve seen their plans. We’re working with them on their plans. We understand their timelines, when they’re coming back, how they’re coming back and in the interim things like the new marketplace that’s coming will be a significant help until reconstruction can occur,” he says.

Smith also told ASD in July that operations at Lahaina Small Boat Harbor are integral to Lahaina’s commercial activity. And while it’s actively operating now, the repair work isn’t finished.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation 

resumed limited commercial boat operations

 at the harbor in December 2025 — the first time since the wildfires. According to June 

, among the work already completed or underway, construction on a $5 million dredging project began June 1 and is anticipated to be finished by December.

Moving into a commercial area is different than moving into a home, Smith says.

“These commercial owners need to know that they’re going to have enough traffic down there.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"Timeline to rebuild"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"How long will it take to rebuild Lahaina?"}]

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"That depends on who you ask."}]

“When you say that, if somebody’s home is already built and up in Lahaina, have we rebuilt Lahaina?” Bissen says. “Do we have to wait until we build the very last one to say we’ve rebuilt Lahaina? I think we’re in phases. We’re in stages. I think that’s how you rebuild any [community]. I don’t think we’re unique in that sense. I think that you can visibly see the tangible results that have happened if you saw the before and after — and I mean right after the fire to where it is now.”

Smith mentioned the 519 additional affordable housing units the county has helped fund, which are expected to be completed between 2029 and 2031.

“We can see over the next few years that every time one of those comes online, it’ll be another phase is done, another phase is done,” he told ASD. “I think it’s a very, very reductionist view … to just say ‘When’s it going to be done?’ For the 236 that have already moved into their homes, Lahaina’s back. The other [residents] that are in a temporary situation, they’re still there. … Lahaina’s still there, it’s just at what stage is it? And the answer to that is granular per neighborhood, per site, per unit.”

Smith says that more than 80% of all properties have a plan to “come back completely."

"I think we’ll get back to beyond 100% because we’re also talking about building new houses in new areas. Some of those multi-family [properties] are coming back more dense on purpose because they realized that they weren’t really utilizing the property efficiently.”

How would the county’s leaders rate the recovery efforts so far?

“I can only really answer it based on what other communities that have gone through similar things are telling us,” Smith says. “We know that we're doing, I would say, well. Easily, we’re doing well. I would say we are in some ways setting a new standard for recovery, and this is not just here. Maybe globally, we’re setting a new standard.”

For his part, Bissen says, “If you ask somebody who’s in their home right now … they’ll say ‘It’s great. We’re home quicker than we thought,' and if you have somebody waiting, you’ll always be able to find somebody who will say, ‘No, this is going way too long. It’s taking so long,’ and it’s true to them. It is absolutely true. I wouldn’t disagree with them.”

[{"type":"text","marks":[{"type":"textStyle"}],"text":"One ‘Ohana Fund"}]

Gov. Josh Green on Thursday announced that the One ‘Ohana Fund, formally known as the Maui Wildfires Compensation Program, has offered the full $175 million available through the program to families who lost loved ones and individuals who suffered serious physical injuries in the fires.

An Aug. 6 announcement from the governor's office noted that as of Aug. 4, the program has offered compensation for 162 eligible claims across two phases, including 102 death claims and 60 serious physical injury claims. More than $155.7 million has been delivered to date.

According to the governor's office, the fund was made possible through $175 million in contributions from Hawaiian Electric Co., the state, Kamehameha Schools, Maui County, Charter/Spectrum, Hawaiian Telcom and West Maui Land Co. This funding is separate from the $4 billion-plus global wildfire settlement still in litigation proceedings, the announcement noted.

The program was announced on Nov. 8, 2023, two months after the fires, "

to provide a prompt, accessible and Hawaiʻi-centered alternative for compensating eligible death and serious physical injury claims," the announcement says.

Eligible death claims receive $1.5 million, while serious physical injury awards are determined by the severity of the injury and may total up to $1.5 million, the state says.

For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up 

Lahaina Front Street rainbow 070826

<title>Lahaina, three years after the fires</title>

It's been three years since wildfires destroyed much of Lahaina Town. Recovery is still underway but work to rebuild is progressing.

Lahaina, three years after the fires

Malia Hill GRIH headshot

Malia Hill

If you or a loved one is still waiting in long lines for dialysis, you can blame embattled former state Rep. Ryan Yamane and the system that allows Hawai‘i’s culture of corruption to flourish. 

 revealed that Yamane seems to have used his position as chairman of the House Health, Human Services and Homelessness Committee to influence the passage and defeat of bills affecting the clients of lobbyist Tobi Solidum. Yamane has been charged with receiving bribes from Solidum and others.

Committee chairs hold an inordinate amount of power in the Hawaiʻi Legislature. It’s an unspoken rule that a bill will pass through a committee only if the chair supports it. They can also quietly kill a bill by simply refusing to hear it. In Hawai‘i’s non-adversarial, one-party government, there isn’t much anyone can do if a committee chair is determined to kill or pass a bill.

One of the bills Yamane allegedly killed at the behest of Solidum is HB224 (2021), which Yamane himself introduced. The bill in part proposed carving out exemptions from the state’s restrictive Certificate of Need requirements for dialysis and psychiatric services. Had it passed, new dialysis facilities would no longer need to obtain state Department of Health approval before opening, bypassing a lengthy and expensive process that has been shown to restrict healthcare access. 

As I explained in a Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i policy 

 about reforming Hawai‘i’s Certificate of Need laws, CON requirements are often referred to as a “competitor’s veto” because they give potential competitors the ability to stop a new service before it even begins 

It’s very much like giving McDonald’s a say in whether a new Burger King can open in the same neighborhood. Naturally, McDonald’s would claim it already meets local burger needs and that another burger restaurant would threaten the area’s entire burger delivery market. 

Likewise, the CON approval process allows healthcare competitors to block new facilities from opening — which is why studies on CON laws find that access to care improves after they are repealed.

This also explains why established health organizations tend to strongly oppose CON reform. Intentional or not, the CON system protects their commercial interests by making it difficult for new companies to enter the market.

Thus, Solidum worked both publicly and behind the scenes on behalf of Liberty Dialysis to kill HB224. Although the measure made it all the way to conference committee, where House and Senate lawmakers agreed on a final version, Yamane used a technical maneuver to block it from passing — a move that phone records show earned him praise from Solidum, who is now accused of bribing Yamane to torpedo the reform.

In other words, it appears the state did not make it easier to open new dialysis and psychiatric centers because a lobbyist for a dialysis company allegedly paid a legislator to kill that bill. It is hard enough to address Hawai‘i’s healthcare challenges without having to confront a system that allows bribery and self-dealing to defeat even the smallest improvements.

Ultimately, unethical behavior does more harm than simply undermining public trust. Hawai‘i residents are literally suffering from reduced healthcare access because of the state’s culture of corruption.

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

Dialysis i Stock 1179977561 16x9

<title>Community Voices: How Hawai‘i's latest bribery scandal blocked healthcare access</title>

Rep. Ryan Yamane, recently indicted for bribery, allegedly killed a bill that would have exempted certain critical categories of health care facilities from the state's onerous Certificate of Need requirements. As a result, treatments like dialysis remain in short supply.

Community Voices: How Hawai‘i's latest bribery scandal blocked healthcare access

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta Headshot

Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

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

[{"type":"text","text":"There’s a new salt bread bakery in Honolulu."}]

 officially opened in the former space of Hawaiʻi Banchan Co. on Kapiʻolani Boulevard. The bakery is currently open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or until sold out.

The business specializes in salt breads. Right now, flavors like original, truffle and spicy arabiki are available; salt breads are limited to four per customer.

Salt breads are baked fresh throughout the day, according to baker Edrian Bautista, who says it takes about two hours for a batch to be ready.

’s mostly inspired by a Filipino bread called pan de sal, Japanese milk bread, and Korea’s salt bread,” he explains.

When asked about a good salt bread’s qualities, Bautista refers the bread’s crispy bottom and soft, fluffy interior.

“It’s like a milk bread inside,” he says. “It’s not dense at all; it’s still fluffy. Personally, I like to eat it when it’s cooled down.”

Eventually, the business will have a total of eight salt bread flavors, according to Bautista. The menu lists flavors like mentaiko, kimcheese and avocado.

While only the original, truffle and spicy arabiki salt bread flavors were available during our visit, Kilo Deli will also offer other desserts like ube butter mochi ($4), brown butter mochi ($4) and Kouign-Amann ($8).

Customers can look forward to a variety of beverages, ranging from strawberry milk ($6) and strawberry matcha ($9.50) to honey oat lattes

The salt breads are conducive to takeout, but there's limited customer seating inside the cafe. 

 for updates. There’s limited customer parking in front of the store.

Open daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or until sold out

Kilo Deli salt breads 080526

<title>New salt bread bakery in Honolulu</title>

Kilo Deli just opened on Kapiʻolani Boulevard, in the former space of Hawaiʻi Banchan Co. The bakery specializes in salt bread, which is available in flavors like original, truffle and spicy arabiki. Salt breads are limited to four per customer. Kilo Deli is currently open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or until sold out.

New salt bread bakery in Honolulu

Katie Helland Headshot

Katie Helland

Arts & Entertainment

North Shore brothers Nyjah Music & Zyah Rhythm

 earned a spot in the live shows of Season 21 of “America’s Got Talent” this week, in episode 10, which aired on NBC

That means three Oʻahu residents have a chance at $1 million in the "America’s Got Talent" live shows. 

The brothers, who are Bruno Mars’ nephews, first auditioned on “America’s Got Talent” in an earlier episode, where they 

sang their latest single, “Heartbeat.”

who is stationed on Oʻahu and has advanced straight to the live shows when Judge Mel B hit the golden buzzer during his audition.

This week, an episode aired featuring the brothers in the 

, which is new this season and gives select acts a chance to perform a second time before judges choose who advances to the live shows, according to NBC’s website. Cowell reviewed six contestants — including Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm — in his judges callback round filmed at his house in Malibu, California, along with guest judges Normani and Poo Bear.

“I think you did better today than you did the first time we saw you,” Cowell told the North Shore brothers in the latest episode. “I am worried about your lack of experience. And it’s a lot of pressure. At the same time, I think our audience is gonna love you, which is why you are joining us in the live shows.”

The brothers’ mother, Tahiti Kemper, a gym owner and fitness coach, is married to Billy Kemper, 

 took to social media to post about the day.

“Life is about taking chances and doing everything with love, passion, and dedication,” she wrote on Instagram. “Whatever the outcome is, every opportunity is always a great one.”

Contestants for “America’s Got Talent” can be 

Several acts featuring Oʻahu residents earned spots in the live shows of “America’s Got Talent.” The grand prize of the talent competition is $1 million, plus a potentially career-changing platform with an audience that spans more than 20 countries.

Malia Hill

Latest from Malia Hill

Community Voices: How Hawai‘i's latest bribery scandal blocked healthcare access

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