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Tom Yamachika

Government & Politics

Viewpoints

A new bill would tax health plans so that the state can buy bulk vaccines for people not otherwise entitled to receive free vaccines. It also immunizes the state itself — against lawsuits.

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Community Voices: Universal vax for Hawai‘i

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Christian Shimabuku

Sports

The Rainbow Warriors took two out of three from the nationally ranked Gauchos.

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Hawai‘i baseball digs deep in statement series win over No. 15 UCSB

The Rainbow Wahine are playing in the WBIT for the second straight year.

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Hawai‘i women's basketball draws UNLV in WBIT

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Stephanie Salmons

Real Estate

A new report from the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization says that legal action related to construction defects is becoming an "increasingly significant source of uncertainty and risk in Hawai‘i's housing marketing."

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Here's how construction defect litigation is affecting housing in Hawai‘i

The No. 3 Rainbow Warriors fell to the No. 5 Trojans in the Outrigger Invitational finale on Saturday night.

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Hawai‘i men's volleyball falls to USC in Outrigger championship

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Katie Helland

Entertainment

Arts & Culture

Meet one of the artists performing at this inaugural market in Waikīkī.

Landon Chung

Pau hana with singer and songwriter Landon Chung this weekend

Meet the luthier who makes ʻukelele that incorporate everything from seashells to resin to parts of kitchen countertops.

Kimo Hussey and Manny Halican courtesy DAGS

Oʻahu ʻukelele builder Manny Halican talks story in new Hawaiʻi State Archives show

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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros

Business & Tourism

Aloha Spirit

Viper Heart, owner of Viper’s SanctuarNII, took over Waipahu-based Nii Superette last year after her friend and store owner Stephen Nii died suddenly. Heart, who is in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, hopes to promote healing in the new space, which officially opens April 1. Its offerings include spiritual services and community events complete with hand-crafted mocktails, herbal teas and mushroom coffee, crystals, chicken feet and more.

Honolulu Fort Street Viper Heart

​​From Waipahu to Fort Street Mall, this new sober living store and bar prepares to open in Downtown Honolulu

The Warriors boast a pitching staff considered one of the deepest in state history.

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Behind its pitching staff, Kamehameha baseball enters 2025 ahead in the arms race

Despite a remarkable rally, the Rainbow Wahine lost as the top seed for the second year in a row.

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Hawai‘i women's basketball eliminated in Big West semifinals

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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta

Food & Dining

Hiro no Uchi is open daily for dinner on North King Street.

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There’s a new, hidden omakase in Honolulu’s Chinatown

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Keliʻi Akina, Ph.D.

It's not just big developers who have to pay these fees, which add to the cost of housing, even individuals adding an ADU have to come up with thousands of dollars.

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Community Voices: Let’s close the book on school impact fees

One bill in our legislative session that was getting a lot of attention, at least with respect to written testimony, is 

, Relating to Universal Immunization Funding Program. This bill is an Administration bill sponsored by the Department of Health. 

The bill would establish a “universal immunization funding program” and an associated special fund. The idea would be that the Department of Health would buy a bunch of vaccines in bulk along with equipment that would be necessary to preserve them, such as cold storage. Those vaccines would then be distributed to everyone who needs them, at little or no cost to the patient or the patient’s family. In that way, we would take advantage of economies of scale because of the bulk purchasing, and we would be able to distribute vaccines to people who can’t afford them, thereby saving on costly treatment costs and possibly saving lives as well. According to the bill preamble, 14 states have a similar program in place. 

What doesn’t seem to be covered in the bill is how the vaccines in the program are selected, how they are going to be distributed, and to whom the vaccines will be administered. 

And, when it comes to immunity, the State gives some to itself as well. One of the bill sections states that “there shall be no liability on the part of and no cause of action against the department, its independent contractors, or its employees for any action or omission in the course of operating the universal immunization purchase program.” This is different from the general rule in chapter 662, HRS, which says that the State can be liable for negligence or intentional harms inflicted, but not for exercising the discretionary functions of government. I guess that means they think people might be harmed through operating this program, and they want to rid themselves of all possible liability in advance. How reassuring. 

Then, someone or something needs to pay for these vaccines. So here is the funding mechanism: a new assessment (a new tax) against health plans and health insurers. Specifically, the bill defines “assessed entity” as “any health insurer in the State, that is not federally funded, issuing individual and group accident and health or sickness insurance policies, individual or group hospital or medical service plan contracts, and nonprofit mutual benefit society, fraternal benefit society, and health maintenance organization health plans.”

For this aspect, we have to wonder why this program is not funded through normal tax revenue appropriated to the Department of Health like other programs run by the Department. A tax on health care plans and insurers would certainly be passed on to employers and health plan members, and that tax would probably fall on ordinary workers and salaried employees more than anyone else. In that respect, it would probably be more regressive than our current tax system &#40;which is quite regressive as it now is&#41;. And then, why is a special fund needed? What is so different about this program that makes it impossible or impractical to fund through the normal legislative appropriations process that is set forth in the Hawai‘i Constitution?

As with a number of other bills this session, there are attractive aspects but also provisions that raise substantial concerns. 

<title>Community Voices: Universal vax for Hawai‘i | Aloha State Daily</title>

 among the best teams in the Big West Conference, the University of Hawai‘i baseball team dug deep to do just that. 

The Rainbow Warriors took two of their three games against No. 15 UC Santa Barbara over the weekend at Les Murakami Stadium. Hawai‘i's series win over UCSB, the presumed favorite in the Big West, clinched the program's first series win over a ranked opponent since topping Oregon in 2010. 

After the Gauchos took the series opener on Friday, the 'Bows won on Saturday to break UCSB's 25-game conference winning streak that dated back to 2024. Then on Sunday, UH took the rubber match 1-0 behind an inspired pitching performance from true freshman Cooper Walls and staff staple Isaiah Magdaleno.

"It feels great," Hawai‘i baseball coach Rich Hill said following Sunday's win. "I'm more proud. I think it feels better with how we pitched, how we kind of out-toughed those guys. That's a nationally ranked team and that's just a great performance, gutty performance, especially by our pitchers."

On Friday, the Gauchos won the series opener 2-1 in a classic pitcher's duel. MLB Draft prospect Tyler Bremner kept the Rainbow Warriors at bay with eight strikeouts in six innings, allowing one run over his four hits and three walks. 

To counter, UH trotted out Itsuki Takemoto for the first series-opening start of his career. He lasted 5.2 innings, striking out six with four hits and two runs allowed. Regular Friday night starter Sebastian Gonzalez was summoned in the sixth inning and did the rest of the pitching for the Rainbow Warriors, tossing 3.1 scoreless frames to go with his six strikeouts. But the 'Bows couldn't scratch another run across, falling narrowly to the Gauchos.

On Saturday, Takemoto was in the lineup as the designated hitter. His 3-run home run, the first of his college career, broke the game open in the fourth inning and set the tone in a a 15-7 rout. 

Hawai‘i turned to true freshman Cooper Walls prior to Sunday's decisive game. Jared Quandt's RBI single in the fourth inning was all the run support he needed, as Walls took a shutout into the eighth inning. Walls allowed just four hits and two walks with three strikeouts. 

"Everything felt good. I got a good night's sleep last night," Walls said. "My body was rested. I felt good. Coming to this game, I knew we had win a series."

The Rainbow Warriors improved to 14-5 overall and 3-3 in Big West play, recovering from a series loss the week prior to UC Riverside. UC Santa Barbara, meanwhile, fell to 15-4 overall and 4-2 in conference games. 

"We had a rough series and growth, and obviously a tough one, but we bounce back. We're a tough team," Walls said. "Getting stabbed in the heart there is obviously tough, but we bounce back. Santa Barbara is a really good program. We're tough, and that win is huge for us."

After Walls got pulled in the eighth inning, Isaiah Magdaleno took the ball and finished the game, notching a six-out save. 

Magdaleno threw 48 pitches in a nine-out save on Saturday night and returned to throw 19 on Sunday, turning in a workhorse performance for the second week in a row. Magdaleno threw 44 pitches over three innings against UC Riverside on March 8 and returned to throw 10 pitches the next day. 

"I feel great," Magdaleno said after Sunday's game. "I mean, the fans, they really just pump me up, just putting it all out for my team. Honestly, just going out there and trying to get the team to win and do all I can."

"The man's a machine," Hawai‘i pitching coach Keith Zuniga said of Magdaleno. "He gets after in the weight room every single day. His arm care is important to him. His mobility is important to him. His catch play is important to him. His short boxes, his bullpens throughout the week. It's no surprise when he goes out there and does it, because he's doing it Monday through Friday, so when he's out here, that's his time to shine, and he's made the most of it for sure."

UH returns to action for a three-game home series from Saturday to Monday against UC Davis. 

"We sold this thing out Saturday night. This is a huge Sunday crowd. Friday was great. Fans were just treated as some great baseball all weekend long," Hill said. "The fans of Hawai‘i deserve that."

<title>Hawai‘i baseball digs deep in statement series win over No. 15 UCSB | Aloha State Daily</title>

The University of Hawai‘i women's basketball team drew UNLV during Sunday's Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament selection show on Sunday. 

Tipoff time for Thursday's first-round contest is set to be announced at a later date. 

The Rainbow Wahine of the Big West (22-9) will take on the Rebels of the Mountain West (25-7). Both teams won their respective conference regular season titles before falling in their conference tournaments, falling short of an NCAA Tournament bid. 

Hawai‘i is competing in the WBIT for the second straight year. The WBIT debuted in 2024 as the second most prominent postseason tournament in women's basketball behind the NCAA Tournament. 

"We still have an opportunity to continue to play," Hawai‘i head coach Laura Beeman said on Sunday. "This team has done some really 

After winning the Big West regular season title in 2024, the Rainbow Wahine fell in the conference tournament semifinals to UC Davis. The 'Bows were then sent to face Cal in the WBIT season opener, losing 65-60. 

Beeman has guided the Rainbow Wahine to nine postseason appearances in her 13 seasons as the helm but has yet to win a postseason game. Come Thursday, the 'Bows will have an opportunity to earn that elusive victory. 

"We're going to have a conversation about what it takes at this stage to overcome the disappointment [of not making the NCAA Tournament], but to also have an opportunity to end your season on a win," Beeman said. "End it on a note that sits a little bit better than what happened in the conference tournament."

<title>Hawai‘i women's basketball draws UNLV in WBIT | Aloha State Daily</title>

Housing availability and affordability have long been issues in the Islands, with the state's housing shortage often attributed to factors like high costs and 

regulations that can stymie new development

University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization

 says that legal action related to construction defects is becoming an "increasingly significant source of uncertainty and risk in Hawai‘i's housing marketing."

[{"text":"A new UHERO report looks at the economic implications of such lawsuits.","type":"text"}]

"While legal action plays a critical role in addressing legitimate construction deficiencies, the study — prepared for the Hawaiʻi Homeownership Center — examines how the rising volume and scope of lawsuits contribute to financial uncertainty, which increases costs for developers, insurers and, ultimately, homebuyers," UHERO said in a March 10 announcement.

Here are some highlights from the report, which was published on March 10 and can be 

— To begin, let’s define construction defects and construction defect litigation.

UHERO says construction defects are "flaws or deficiencies in the design, materials or workmanship of a building that may compromise its structural integrity, functionality or aesthetics," and may arise during or shortly after construction, or develop over time.

These defects may stem from the lack of planning, the choice of material, improper construction techniques, inadequate inspection processes or undetermined causes, and can range in seriousness, the report notes.

Construction defect liability is the legal responsibility that the homebuilders, developers, architects and contractors have to repair or compensate for such defects, which the report says is limited to a certain period set by law. Meanwhile, construction defect litigation is legal action filed against one or more of those parties that allege defects have occurred.

— The number of new homes being built in Hawai‘i is not meeting demand.

Housing production has slowed over time, the report notes, citing data from the 2023 5-year American Community Survey. During the 2010s, 44,000 housing units were produced in Hawai‘i — 40% fewer than the prior decade and nearly 70% fewer than the 1970s.

"Many factors increase housing costs and discourage developers from bringing new homes to market, including a restrictive regulatory environment," the report states. Meanwhile, 

— Based on public records, UHERO says construction defect cases have grown larger and more frequent over the past 25 years, now affecting nearly 1,000 units per year on average, a "significant share of the 5,000 homes built each year in Hawai‘i."

"Public records also show settlements of tens and hundreds of millions of dollars, 30% to 40% of which is for legal costs and taxes," the report notes.

 requires homeowners alleging construction defects to submit a written notice to the contractor at least 90 days before taking legal action that includes a "detailed description of the alleged defect as well as any relevant test results." The contractor then has 30 days to inspect the property and offer to repair the defect, propose a financial settlement or reject the claim, UHERO says.

If an agreement can't be reached, the report says the parties must enter mediation before pursuing litigation. 

Proposed legislation under consideration by state lawmakers aims to amend laws around resolving construction defects. More about House Bill 420, 

. The measure has crossed over to the Senate and that chamber's Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection has a 

— According to the report, hard costs like materials and labor, and soft costs, like legal fees, builder’s insurance and project delays, might increase “due to the legal and financial complexities brought on by defect claims.”

Although these costs are generally not publicly available, UHERO said it gathered data from 14 one-hour interviews with industry experts, with the report also noting the scope and limitations of the evaluation. UHERO did not evaluate the legal merits of these cases.

The report notes that construction defect litigation "most directly" leads to changes in design and materials. Developers must update their own practices — whether in response to lawsuits filed against them or other developers in the same area. These are changes that can be made of their own volition or required by insurers or changes to code.

These changes often call for the use of more durable — and expensive — materials than are specified in building codes, changes that UHERO says can have wider impact on housing affordability and homeownership.

Because projects in an area tend to incorporate new practices at roughly the same time, the report further notes that "the effect on new home prices is quick and nearly universal, while wages and salaries change more slowly." This can put "a typical new unit further out of reach for the typical household."

— Soft costs have also "risen sharply" because of construction defect litigation.

"The majority of developers purchase insurance against these types of claims; however, in recent years, only one to two insurers have been active in the Hawai‘i market at a given time," the report states. "Limited competition and increasing litigation risk have led to stricter underwriting standards, higher premiums, higher deductibles and lower coverage limits."

Increased insurance prices are passed onto homebuyers in the final purchase price.

Developers also noted that the cost of defending against such claims have increased by up to 200% in the last decade, the report stated.

— Generally speaking, construction liability litigation also makes it harder for homebuyers to find or afford mortgages.

That's because homes that are under litigation aren't eligible for public financing through the Federal Housing Administration the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies, according to the report. 

The loss of those public subsidies can especially affect lower-income households and first-time homebuyers "whose ability to purchase is typically more dependent on the lower mortgage rates and down-payments associated with public programs," the report notes.

And while those who are able to qualify for a conventional mortgage can still do so, the report also states that loans on homes under litigation can't be sold on the secondary mortgage market.

Andrew Pereira, director of public affairs for Pacific Resource Partnership, told Aloha State Daily in an email that the nonprofit organization — which represents the Hawai‘i Regional Council of Carpenters, the largest construction union in the state, and 250 contractors across the Islands — has, for many years, heard from its homebuilders that construction defect litigation was having a negative impact on their homebuilding efforts.

"The UHERO report was startling, but not surprising, as it clearly showed what PRP had long suspected — construction defect litigation is preventing homes from being built, and those that are built face higher construction costs as homebuilders try to protect themselves from the potential of additional lawsuits," he continued. "Ultimately, these higher costs related to building materials, insurance and litigation are passed onto homebuyers, adding tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of purchasing a home."  

<title>Here's how construction defect litigation is affecting housing in… | Aloha State Daily</title>

For a brief moment, it appeared the No. 3 University of Hawai‘i men's volleyball team had another improbable comeback in store, but it was not to be as the No. 5 USC men's volleyball team closed out the Rainbow Warriors 25-21, 25-20, 26-28, 25-21 on Saturday night. 

A Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 7,771 on Saturday night provided a true championship feel when the 'Bows and Trojans took the floor against each other, with both teams entering 2-0 in the final match in the 

Both USC and UH swept its previous opponents in the tournament, Penn State and Ball State. USC did not come out fazed, jumping to a 15-11 lead in the first set before taking the frame. Dillon Klein had six kills on seven swings as the Trojans hit .545 in the first set. Klein finished with 21 kills and just one error on 34 swings, hitting an efficient .588 to take home tournament MVP honors. 

"There's no question they played really good, and we really didn't play up to our numbers," UH head coach Charlie Wade said following the match, a grind that took two hours and 52 minutes. "Kind of where you are in a big match like this, you hope somebody's going to kind of elevate their game. ... We were a little off across the board, and Dillon Klein was amazing. It was really impressive. They deserve all the credit. Got to tip your hat to them, and that's the way it goes sometimes."

After taking the first two sets, the Trojans (16-2) served while 24-23 and 25-24 in the third set, but the 'Bows (19-2) fended off both match points and eventually won the set. The comeback was reminiscent of when the 'Bows fought off four set points against Harvard on Jan. 10 and six at BYU on Jan. 31. A determined Trojans squad took a quick 7-3 lead in the fourth set and never looked back, leading by five as late as 23-18. 

During Thursday's Outrigger opener against Penn State, UH freshman 

 had 14 kills on 25 swings, hitting .400. On Saturday, he had a season-high 23 kills but also committed 12 hitting errors, hitting .224. After a chippy ending between the two teams, Titriyski left the floor early. 

"He sets a high standard for himself," Wade said of Titriyski. "I think he's an emotional guy that's upset he didn't play well and his team lost, and he's certainly not shy about showing his emotions in that moment."

Saturday night served as Hawai‘i's final nonconference match of the 2025 season, another opportunity for the 'Bows to bolster their resume, but it was an opportunity lost at the hands of the Trojans, who compete in the MPSF. 

"All wins are good, all losses are bad, whether it's the first match of the season, the last match of the season, everything in between," Wade said. "I don't get all the talk of the (NCAA Tournament) 

 through the whole year. The only time that's really going to be relevant almost is into the last part of the season, because there's so much volleyball to be played. (USC) plays in a top league. We play in a top league. There's upsets and every night you're going to play teams the rest of the year that have a chance to win, especially in our league, where every team is going to be ranked. There's so much volleyball to be played. The more you win, the better chance you have. 

"And at the end, like we've always said, there'll be one match in our league that'll get (an automatic bid). We have to be in it. We have to win it. And I've said multiple times, I do not believe that the NCAA committee is going to give three bids and both at-larges to one league. I just don't think that's how they're wired. I don't think it's in their DNA to do that, even if it was the right thing, or whatever it would have to be."

Hawai‘i will remain home ahead of an idle weekend before taking on UC San Diego for a Big West Conference series from March 28-29.

<title>Hawai‘i men's volleyball falls to USC in Outrigger championship | Aloha State Daily</title>

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Landon Chung is one of several artists taking the stage at the Pau Hana at Paradise, an inaugural market taking place at the 

, formerly known as Ohana Waikīkī East, on Saturday, March 15. 

The event supports Keu, The Brand, a nonprofit founded by 

, which promotes uplifting Native Hawaiian creatives through mentorship and community programs.

The performing artists include Laʻamea Paleka at 3:30 p.m., Chung at 4:30 p.m. and Jonah Davis at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature live performances and activities, as well as local artisans.

Chung, a graduate of Kamehameha Schools, “always loved music,” he said. He participated in Song Contest and was part of the Hawaiian ensemble. Eventually, he started doing gigs locally around town and in Waikīkī. 

Music runs in the family. Chung’s dad was the emcee for the luau at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for about 30 years, he added. His older brother, Hualālai Chung, has also been involved with Keu, The Brand and is the voice of Moni in Disney’s animated feature film, “Moana 2.” 

Chung started with the ʻukelele, “which is probably a very classic, typical thing for kids in Hawaiʻi,” he added. Then, he transitioned to guitar, which was “always the plan.”

He draws inspiration from Jack Johnson, John Mayer and Jason Mraz on how to write and play music. Chung performs at a variety of places, including bars, such as Off the Wall Craft Beer and Wine in South Shore Market and Valor Hawaii in Pearlridge Center, as well as spots such as Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikīkī Beach. 

“Keu, The Brand, who's part of putting the market on this week, had reached out,” he said. “They're a nonprofit looking to give space and voices both to people wanting to participate in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, in Hawaiian language, as well as trying to give platforms and voices to Native Hawaiian kids and artists and talent.”

For Chung, it feels like family affair “to represent ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and Native Hawaiians across huge stages like Disney as well as things like this market,” he added.   

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Opinion

Community Voices: Universal vax for Hawai‘i

Hawai‘i baseball digs deep in statement series win over No. 15 UCSB

Hawai‘i women's basketball draws UNLV in WBIT

Here's how construction defect litigation is affecting housing in Hawai‘i

Hawai‘i men's volleyball falls to USC in Outrigger championship

Pau hana with singer and songwriter Landon Chung this weekend

Oʻahu ʻukelele builder Manny Halican talks story in new Hawaiʻi State Archives show

From Waipahu to Fort Street Mall, this new sober living store and bar prepares to open in Downtown Honolulu

Behind its pitching staff, Kamehameha baseball enters 2025 ahead in the arms race

Hawai‘i women's basketball eliminated in Big West semifinals

There’s a new, hidden omakase in Honolulu’s Chinatown

Community Voices: Let’s close the book on school impact fees

News

Community Voices: Universal vax for Hawai‘i

Hawai‘i baseball digs deep in statement series win over No. 15 UCSB

Hawai‘i women's basketball draws UNLV in WBIT

Here's how construction defect litigation is affecting housing in Hawai‘i

Hawai‘i men's volleyball falls to USC in Outrigger championship

Pau hana with singer and songwriter Landon Chung this weekend

Oʻahu ʻukelele builder Manny Halican talks story in new Hawaiʻi State Archives show

​​From Waipahu to Fort Street Mall, this new sober living store and bar prepares to open in Downtown Honolulu

Behind its pitching staff, Kamehameha baseball enters 2025 ahead in the arms race

Hawai‘i women's basketball eliminated in Big West semifinals

There’s a new, hidden omakase in Honolulu’s Chinatown

Community Voices: Let’s close the book on school impact fees

From Waipahu to Fort Street Mall, this new sober living store and bar prepares to open in Downtown Honolulu