Hawaii Man Arrested for Assaulting Police During Jan. 6 Capitol Attack
Q-Anon Cult Leader Loses Hawaii Real Estate License
Honolulu CIA man will serve 10 years for espionage involving China
Common Cause Thinks Hawaii Congressional Delegation is Nearly Perfect
Kouchi not running for reelection in 2026—Kawakami to take seat
CB: … a safe bet that in 2026 Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami will be filing for the Kauai Senate seat now held by his buddy, Senate President Ron Kouchi.
The Blog reported last month that Kouchi was promoting a fundraiser for Kawakami at The Pacific Club. It wasn’t clear at the time exactly which office Kawakami might aspire to, although the hunch was that it would be Kouchi’s own seat.
That turned out to be the case. Kawakami, who is in his second and final term as Kauai mayor, held a fundraiser Tuesday night at The Pacific Club for Senate District 8, the seat Kouchi has held since 2015.
It’s unlikely that Kawakami would run against his friend so it seems pretty clear that Kouchi is ready to leave the Senate. Since he never returns The Blog’s calls we’re unable to tell you what he might say about it….
CB: John Pritchett: Keys To The Kingdom
read … The Sunshine Blog: Is One Of Hawaii's Most Powerful Politicians Giving Up His Seat?
Waianae councilmember warns of rumors swirling following mass shooting
HNN: … The public record includes $500,000 in property use fines and an illegally built party dome. There was also a prior threat against his neighbors in 2021 when he may have suspected the Keamos had talked to Hawaii News Now about an illegal and chaotic concert.
In that incident, the family shot video of Silva shining a spotlight at their property while yelling obscenities, insults and a threat. During that tirade, Silva also claimed doctors told him he only had three years to live.
Police decided not to arrest Silva that night and when they invited the family five months later to identify him, they were no longer willing to prosecute.
Tupola said she knows and expressed condolences to both families and said the grievances between the two family compounds go back years, with periods of both tension and truce.
“I think the intensity of the relationship had been stressful for both sides,” she said, adding that she’s not ready to blame government inaction.
“None of our comments in this interview or any will bring back anybody’s life. And so I’m very sad that it came to this point. I think that moving forward, we have to be better. We have to do better,” she said.
But in the larger context of a season of violence in West Oahu, she’s does believe the district needs more police officers assigned to the area, and was dismayed by HPD Chief Joe Logan’s comments after the shooting, that commanders in the area had the resources they need ….
SA: Editorial: DPP must overhaul lax enforcement
read … Waianae councilmember warns of rumors swirling following mass shooting
Army Pacific Command Nominee Blocked over Cancer Coverup
RC: … Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Tuesday he plans to block the nomination of an aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III for a top Army job over his role in sharing information when Austin was hospitalized in December and January.
President Joe Biden in July tapped Army Lt. Gen. Ronald P. Clark for a promotion to general, with an assignment as the commander of U.S. Army Pacific in Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Clark currently is the senior military assistant to the secretary of Defense.
But Tuberville said he had concerns over Clark’s involvement in decisions to delay notification to the White House and lawmakers when Austin was hospitalized to treat prostate cancer.
“He should have been the one that told the White House and the commander-in-chief that ‘we’ve got a problem; the secretary of Defense is in the hospital, in pretty bad shape,'” Tuberville told reporters. “But he didn’t. And so that’s a show of non-leadership.”
Following his early December diagnosis, Austin underwent a prostatectomy on Dec. 22 without informing the president, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, members of Congress or the public. He was readmitted to the hospital on Jan. 1 for complications stemming from the earlier procedure.
During his January hospital stay, Austin spent time in the intensive care unit, and some of his duties were transferred to Hicks on Jan. 2. Hicks, who was vacationing in Puerto Rico at the time, only learned on Jan. 4 that Austin had been hospitalized. The White House was also unaware of Austin’s status until days into his hospitalization….
The episode provoked a harsh bipartisan response, and Austin assured lawmakers at a February House Armed Services Committee hearing that the Pentagon had put new procedures in place to avoid a future breakdown of communication.
“Lt. Gen. Clark knew that Sec. Austin was incapacitated and did not tell the Commander in Chief. As a senior commissioned officer, Lt. Gen. Clark’s oath requires him to notify POTUS when the chain of command is compromised,” said Tuberville spokeswoman Mallory Jaspers in a statement on Tuesday. “Sen. Tuberville is waiting to see the forthcoming IG report.”
The Pentagon’s inspector general office is in the midst of a probe into the department’s notification procedures and the process for transferring leadership authorities. It’s unclear when that work will be completed….
SA: Tuberville opposes Fort Shafter Army nominee over Austin’s health
read … Tuberville blocks an Army nominee over Austin hospitalization - Roll Call
Republicans Optimistic About West Oahu Races
CB: … Ostrov believes Republicans have reason to be optimistic in 2024, particularly in West Oahu, Central Oahu and the North Shore. According to Ostrov, Republicans are gaining among “people in the places most neglected by decades of Democratic rule are fighting back. They’re voting differently and they have reasons to. I think people definitely feel that the institutions and the ‘political machine’ have failed us.”…
read … Beth Fukumoto: Trump Made Inroads In True-Blue Hawaii In 2020. Will He Again?
Crime Pays: Convicted Hawaii Defense Contractor Will Attend Harvard While Awaiting Sentencing
CB: … Martin Kao, a former Hawaii defense contractor who bilked the federal government out of nearly $13 million in pandemic relief aid and funneled nearly $200,000 in illegal campaign contributions to Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins will be allowed to attend Harvard while he awaits sentencing in three separate court cases.
U.S. District Court Judge Leslie Kobayashi approved an order this week that allows Kao to travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to attend classes for the fall semester. …
Kao’s legal troubles began in 2020 when he was arrested and charged for defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protect Program out of $12.8 million.
In 2022, he and two executives from his company, formerly known as Navatek LLC, were then indicted for making a series of illegal campaign contributions to Collins and a super PAC that was supporting her after she helped secure funding for an $8 million federal contract that went to the company.
Kao was charged in a separate criminal case in 2023 for bank fraud for falsifying documents while trying to obtain a $3 million loan to buy a $4.5 million home in Kahala on Oahu.
He has pleaded guilty in all three cases and is awaiting sentencing, which is currently scheduled for October…
read … Convicted Hawaii Defense Contractor Will Attend Harvard While Awaiting Sentencing
Hawai‘i’s Cost of Living Needs to Be Lowered, Say Survey Respondents
HB: … Twice a year, the Anthology Marketing Group conducts two polls on behalf of Hawaii Business Magazine. This spring, the BOSS Survey contacted 407 business owners and executives and the 808 Poll reached 459 members of the general public….
In the BOSS survey and 808 poll, 72% of business leaders and 78% of the general public say more needs to be done to reduce costs….
read … Hawai‘i’s Cost of Living Needs to Be Lowered, Say Survey Respondents
Hawaii Attorney General Lopez to present Maui fire phase two report Friday
MN: … Attorney General Anne Lopez and the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) will announce the Maui Wildfire Phase Two Report findings and present a science- and evidence-based analysis of the state and county’s response on Friday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. …. the news conference will be livestreamed on the Department of the Attorney General Facebook page. Cable viewers on O‘ahu will be able to tune in via ‘Ōlelo Channel 55. Anyone can view the channel on its website here and through its Facebook and YouTube channels. …
read … Hawaii Attorney General Lopez to present Maui fire phase two report Friday
Hawaii Supreme Court to hear oral arguments on evidence in 1991 Dana Ireland murder case
KITV: … The Hawaii Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments over evidence in the 1991 murder of Dana Ireland.
This comes after the Hawaii Police Department appealed the court’s ruling to release evidence related to the death of suspect Albert Lauro, who's DNA was found on Ireland.
Attorneys asked police to release details of its investigation, including Lauro's interrogation. But HPD claimed doing so could interfere with the murder investigation….
Proceedings begin at Ali'iolani Hale at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. The public can livestream the hearing on the judiciary's YouTube channel….
read … Hawaii Supreme Court to hear oral arguments on evidence in 1991 Dana Ireland murder case
Another Raise for Unions without Collective Bargaining--Honolulu City Council backs HPD reimbursement plan
SA: … In spite of the city’s objections, a plan to reimburse Honolulu Police Department officers for the cost of purchasing uniforms, extra firearms and other on-the-job policing equipment was recently advanced by the City Council.
The plan, urged on by the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, proposes a third-party contract with California-based CP Plus Inc. to implement a so-called accountable reimbursement plan.
If pursued, that action would see HPD establish a pretax spending account program, which officers could contribute to from their paycheck each pay period….
The withheld pay would be placed in a spending account and, upon making qualified purchases, HPD officers could then be reimbursed for the cost to pay for job-related expenses. Such costs are currently not reimbursed at HPD….
read … Honolulu City Council backs HPD reimbursement plan
Cesspools: Too Environmentally Harmful To Keep, Too Expensive To Get Rid Of
CB: … Kauai residents say a county program does far too little to solve the problem, and their elected officials agree ….
read … Cesspools: Too Environmentally Harmful To Keep, Too Expensive To Get Rid Of
City Knows Its New Half-Million-Dollar Beach Shower Isn’t Working Right
CB: … For months, Kaimana Beach-goers have complained about the weak water pressure at the popular destination’s new “low-flow” public shower, which the city paid $478,000 to install near the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium late last year.
Honolulu parks officials previously downplayed those complaints by reminding users that the shower was expressly designed to save water – and by suggesting they should use it “properly.” That meant rinsing off sand only, they said, not bathing or deep-cleaning.
Now, however, the city acknowledges there’s a problem with the shower’s flow after all. Fixing it could require more taxpayer dollars, depending on what’s wrong. …
read … City Knows Its New Half-Million-Dollar Beach Shower Isn’t Working Right
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