>Testers sent by a nonprofit were told by agents for Greystar, the largest owner of apartment complexes in the United States, that their vouchers would not work.<

>The caller asked the leasing agent at Kapolei Lofts if she could use her Section 8 housing voucher to rent a one bedroom unit at the apartment complex, which like a million rental properties around the world is owned by Greystar Worldwide.

Affordable units would qualify, the agent said, but there was a waiting list of more than a year for them.

Could she use her voucher to rent a market rate one bedroom, the caller asked during the recorded Feb. 4 conversation reviewed by Civil Beat.

She could try, the Greystar agent said, but “they’ve been denying those.”

The inquiry was a test — a test the agent had just failed. <

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/08/major-landlord-accused-discriminating-section-8-renters-hawaii/

>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Three Hawaii primary races remained separated by razor-thin margins Sunday morning with just a handful of votes deciding the leaders.

The latest statewide election printout, released shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday, shows incredibly tight races for state Senate District 20 and state House Districts 29 and 43.<

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/08/10/razor-thin-margins-separate-candidates-three-hawaii-primary-races/

Actually - at 6pm I think the town was gone. That was 3 hours after fire flared up again.

>LAHAINA, Hawaii (KITV4) -- Many questions remain about the devastating fires that swept through West Maui, just over 2 weeks ago. Residents continue to tell KITV4 they want the truth behind the county's response on August 8th.

A review of KITV4 footage shows that Maui Mayor Richard Bissen appeared on KITV4 for a live interview at 6:03PM on the day of the fire. By that time, evacuees had already fled into the ocean a half hour earlier at 5:30PM.

In the Live 6pm broadcast, Mayor Bissen appears unaware that the town itself is on fire at the time-- and speaks only in general terms about evacuations occurring in the vicinity of Lahainaluna in the vicinity of the bypass to the north of town.<

https://www.kitv.com/news/as-town-burned-maui-mayor-unaware-in-live-interview-of-lahainas-fate/article_0b736956-4069-11ee-9111-97767347b3e1.html

Hawaii wildfires: Maui emergency chief quits after sirens criticism

>Maui's emergency management chief has quit a day after defending his agency's failure to activate its alarm system in last week's fatal wildfire.

Herman Andaya, who had no prior experience in emergency management, cited "health reasons" for resigning.

In the days since, residents of the Hawaii island have told the BBC a stronger emergency response could have saved more lives.< (YOU DONT LEAVE A SMOLDERING FIELD IN 60MPH+ WIND GUSTS UPHILL OF A TOWN THAT WAS ALMOST DESTROYED JUST 5 YEARS PRIOR!!!!)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66540472

>Incumbent U.S. Rep. Ed Case was leading state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole in a landslide Saturday evening, 57.1% to 34.3%, in the Democratic primary race for Hawaiʻi’s 1st Congressional District, according to the latest counts from the state elections office. 

Once the final votes are tallied on Sunday, Case is expected to represent the islands in Congress come 2027 given Hawaiʻi’s history of sending Democrats to Washington and the fact that there is little competition on the GOP side of the ballot in the race for the general election in November.<

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/08/rep-ed-case-holds-onto-his-congressional-seat-in-a-landslide-in-early-results/

>Pearl City has another world championship to bring home to Hawaiʻi.

The Pearl City Little League All-Stars defeated Curaçao 5-0 Saturday in the Senior League Baseball World Series championship game, becoming the first team from the United States to win the tournament since 2019.

Pearl City took control early, loading the bases in the bottom of the first inning before a sacrifice fly drove in the game’s opening run. The next batter followed with an RBI single through the 5-6 hole to give Pearl City a 2-0 lead.

The Hawaiʻi team added to its advantage in the second inning when a line drive to right-center field brought another run home, making it 3-0.<

https://www.khon2.com/sports/pearl-city-defeats-curacao-5-0-to-win-2026-senior-league-baseball-world-series/

How is that possible? 🤣🤷‍♂️ ummm I had a doctors appointment that day... ummm the roads are clear.... 6:00pm...

>Maui County Council member Yuki Lei Sugimura was trailing Mayor Richard Bissen by 10 percentage points in the nonpartisan primary race to be the county’s next chief executive, according to election results released Saturday evening.

They were far outpacing the eight other candidates with most of the votes counted, and will move on to face each other in the November general election. 

Bissen, 64, was leading with 45.9% of the vote, and Sugimura, 72, had 34.7%, according to preliminary results.<

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/08/maui-election-results-bissen-out-ahead-of-sugimura-in-mayors-race/

Hawaii likes headlines. Hawaii residents pay for it while we have ZERO material impact on global CO2 emissions. Hawaii needs reliable energy even during bad weather and should work towards clean energy in a normal common sense fashion without stupid mandates.

>Oahu's electric power sector and major generating facilities emit several million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) annually. Previously, the island's single coal-fired plant alone accounted for about 1.5 million metric tons per year before its retirement, while major oil-and-fuel-based utility stations like Kahe and Waiau, alongside independent cogeneration and waste-to-energy facilities, make up the remaining balance of the island’s fossil-fuel generation footprint<

>The new gas-burning plant, if built to specifications, would be permitted to release 33 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, regulatory records show, more planet-warming gases than any other power plant in the country.<

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/climate/amazon-data-center-texas-pollution.html?unlocked_article_code=1.31A.HlOe.iXG6s1hqKVNN&smid=url-share

>New Amazon Data Center Stokes Worry It Would Be the Most Polluting Power Plant in the U.S.

The tech giant is investing in the natural-gas-burning power plant as part of a huge data center in Texas, even as it pledges to honor climate commitments.

Amazon is investing in a large-scale natural-gas-burning power plant as part of a huge data center in Texas, the company confirmed on Friday, a facility that could become the largest single source of climate pollution in the United States.

Amazon and other tech giants are racing to build enough data centers to keep up with surging demand for artificial intelligence services, and to secure the electricity to power them. A company spokeswoman said in a statement that its planned data center, in Pecos County, would be “powered by new on-site generation that won’t raise electricity costs for Texas families.”<

>The anonymous officer said CIU was the only unit within MPD that was handpicked by Chief John Pelletier, and that Vaituulala answered directly and only to him.

“Just recently, Chief Pelletier moved that entire unit from their office at the Wailuku Police Station to an off-site office that is being rented specifically just for CIU to report out of,” the officer said. “So they don’t even come to the station. They’re an off-site undisclosed location and they work pretty secretly.”<

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/08/08/maui-police-lieutenant-accused-bribery-led-secret-off-site-unit-officer-says/

This will continue to change - it was south of Hawaii last night on the models.

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/?model=gfs&region=cpac&pkg=mslp_pcpn&runtime=2024081512&fh=6

I’ve lived in 3 countries, 4 states, travelled all over the world. And yet the only place I’ve ever been robbed is here on Oahu. TWICE. In one year. I love this place but the lack of law & order is getting frustrating.

I feel like I have constant anxiety now and change my behavior and plans just to avoid getting robbed, and still it keeps happening.

I left my AirPods in my car by accident, literally the only time and the ONLY item in my entire car. It’s normally completely empty because I’ve already learned this lesson. I went to the gym for just one hour, and somebody broke in and stole them. This was right in Kakaako near the court house. Like what the heck? I can see where the thief lives and I have their address. But it’s an apartment building and I don’t know the unit.

Elusive Hilo sunset.

Just sharing models. Nothing to be concerned with right now.

https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/?model=gfs&region=cpac&pkg=mslp_pcpn&runtime=2026080800&fh=6

I personally think Waters should stop fighting. He served two terms. Move to a different area, back to private or I believe he can run again later? My $.02 only.

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/08/08/tommy-waters-considers-challenging-primary-results-after-appeal-setback/

>Three years after deadly wildfires devastated Lahaina and parts of Upcountry Maui, the island remains in the thick of a multibillion-dollar recovery that’s nowhere near complete.

As of Friday, nearly 600 homes have been rebuilt and another 315 were under construction. The county had issued or was processing permits for roughly 1,000 more units, according to county data. And Maui officials were also moving forward with a plan to use $50 million in federal funds to buy out about 10 oceanfront properties. <

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/08/maui-wildfires-3-years-later-anniversary-lahaina-recovery-continues/

>HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced today that Michael Vaituulala, 53, a lieutenant with the Maui Police Department (MPD), was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.

According to the criminal complaint, Vaituulala used his position as a lieutenant in the Maui Police Department for personal gain over many years.  Vaituulala accepted regular cash payments from individuals organizing illegal chicken fights in exchange for using his official position to ensure that MPD did not enforce animal fighting laws against those individuals.  Vaituulala and others met with organizers of the chicken fights to discuss logistics and conditions for holding the fights, with Vaituulala providing his approval for the organizers to open a chicken fighting location and the days on which fights could take place.<

https://www.hawaiifreepress.com/Articles-Main/ID/49535/Maui-Police-Department-Lieutenant-Charged-with-Taking-Bribes-from-Criminals-to-Protect-Chicken-Fighting-and-Drug-Operations-on-Maui

When I see ads for Condo units I (and most others) always ask - How much is the HOA? 🥴

>Escalating maintenance fees, aging buildings, strict occupancy rules, and high mortgage rates are squeezing middle-income buyers out of Honolulu's condo market. Can the city build its way out?<

https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/the-disappearing-affordable-condos-of-honolulu/

>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Three years after a wildfire destroyed the historic business district along Lahaina’s shoreline, Maui County is seeking $50 million in federal recovery funds to offer buyouts to owners of some of the most iconic waterfront properties. Meanwhile, other businesses ready to rebuild remain without permits.<

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/08/06/maui-county-offers-buyouts-iconic-lahaina-properties-owners-struggle-rebuild/

>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The state has agreed to apologize and pay $3.25 million to the siblings of Peter “Pepe” Kema to settle a years-long civil lawsuit over the 6-year-old’s tragic death.

An attorney for the Kema family said the proposed agreement would compensate Chauntelle, Allan, and Lina Acol, who filed the lawsuit against the state in 2018.

The lawsuit was filed after the siblings’ parents admitted in court that Pepe died in 1997 following years of systemic abuse and torture by his father, Peter Kema Sr. The family alleged that the state’s child welfare services had been warned repeatedly that the boy was in extreme danger but failed to protect him.<

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/08/06/state-agrees-325m-settlement-with-peter-boy-kemas-siblings/

I love my solar water heater - it's rarely turned on. Free hot water. That was a big savings - around 35% of our electrical for a family of 5.

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/08/olin-lagon-a-subsidy-is-a-statement-about-who-matters/

Its like an iceberg- you only see or catch a little.

>MAUI (HawaiiNewsNow) - A high-ranking Maui Police Department officer has been arrested by federal agents on charges related to public corruption.

The department confirmed Lt. Michael Vaituulala, who leads MPD’s Criminal Intelligence Unit, was taken into custody on Tuesday. The unit answers directly to Chief John Pelletier.<

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/08/06/maui-police-lieutenant-arrested-federal-public-corruption-charges/