August 1, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

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August 1, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 9:47 AM :: 127 Views

Honolulu DPP Among 50 Best AI Systems in USA?

AG Announces Child Support Enforcement Tech Upgrade

Green Announces Appointments to HHC, CSC, Ethics

FIRE: College Free Speech Improving, but UH still stuck on Yellow

Canadian Submarine Sinks USS Mobile Bay off Hawaii

‘New Tourism’ = ‘Costs too Much’—Therefore, Trend of shorter Hawaii vacations reaches into June

School resource officer program expands on O‘ahu

Bribery? Indicted state employee allowed to continue working while co-defendants are on leave or have resigned

HNN: … Leodoloff “Leo” Asuncion Jr., one of five defendants charged in an alleged bribery conspiracy, continues to work in his taxpayer-funded state position, while others named in the same indictment have resigned or taken leave.

Asuncion appeared in court Thursday to enter a not-guilty plea alongside four co-defendants. He faces charges that include bribery conspiracy and obstruction.

Asuncion, however, continues to serve as planning program administrator of the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD).

State rules allow a public employee to be placed on 30-day paid leave immediately, but any extension requires additional justification….

Asuncion was Lt. Gov. Luke’s campaign treasurer when the alleged criminal behavior took place and in a statement, his current supervisor told HNN Investigates that his new job is unrelated to the case.

“Based on the information available, the reported matter is unrelated to his state employment or his official duties,” said OPSD director Mary Alice Evans.

Evans continued, “OPSD will cooperate with any lawful requests from the appropriate authorities, as needed. Because this is an ongoing legal matter outside our jurisdiction, we have no further comment.”

OPSD develops long-term plans to protect the environment and guides land use policies ….

Read … Indicted state employee continues working while co-defendants are on leave or have resigned | Hawaii News Now

Who Gives Together? Mapping Hawaii’s Political Contributors

ILind: … The Institutional Core
Insurers, Utilities, Corporate PACs, Major Unions, Government Relations Firms
Access to legislative leadership, incumbent committee chairs, and regulatory policy across Democratic factions.

Development & Infrastructure
Engineering firms, Land-use attorneys, Contractors, Planning consultants
County-level zoning, permitting, capital improvement projects (CIP), and procurement contracts.

Organized Labor
Public-employee unions (HGEA, UPW), Building trades (Carpenters, Laborers, IBEW), Teachers
Incumbent relationships, department budgets, collective bargaining, and legislative leadership support….

Read … Who Gives Together? Mapping Hawaii’s Political Contributors | i L i n d

Gov Green Bought His Own Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card. Now He Wants HECO to Thank Him For It

IM: … Governor Josh Green has found a new line to lean on, and he is leaning on it hard: HECO owes him. "I took deliberate actions over the last three years to make sure HECO didn't collapse after the wildfire, for the good of Hawaii ... and they owe it to the people of Hawaiʻi now to finally find partners that can help secure our energy grid." He is using the memory of 102 dead and a town turned to ash as a bargaining chip to force Hawaiian Electric into bed with his hand-picked LNG partner, JERA.

It is a shameless piece of political theater, and it depends entirely on the public not looking too closely at what that $4 billion settlement actually was. Green wants Hawaiʻi to remember the bailout and forget the reason he needed one just as badly as HECO did….

Read … Gov Green Bought His Own Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card. Now He Wants HECO to Thank Him For It | Ililani Media

Hawaiʻi education department turns to regional kitchen to boost DelaCruz

HPR: … A new regional kitchen, set to open in late 2027, is expected to largely boost the amount of ~~locally sourced ingredients used in school meals~~ (DelaCruz) across the state Department of Education.

The hopes, goals and logistics of the kitchen were a focus at the first Nourishing Hawaiʻi’s Future food summit on July 27. Hosted by the Hawaiʻi Agriculture Foundation, the event invited hundreds of food industry leaders, state lawmakers, and department heads to discuss the future of food service and security across the state.

The state DOE has a goal of hitting 30% locally sourced ingredients in school meals by 2030, mandated by a 2021 law. As of last November, the department reported about 7% of its food budget was spent on local ingredients, while the rest was imported….

Read … Hawaiʻi education department turns to regional kitchen to boost local ingredients | Hawai'i Public Radio

Hawaii healthcare system plans to fill 4,700 vacant jobs?

PBN: … Of the 34,181 non-physician healthcare jobs in Hawaii, about 4,700, or 14%, are unfilled, according to the Hawaii Healthcare Workforce Initiative Report released in February 2025. More than half of open positions are in nursing, imaging and entry-level roles, such as certified nurse aides and medical assistants ….

Read … Hawaii healthcare system plans to fill 4,700 vacant jobs - Pacific Business News

Maui Council horrified that fire station might be built near ag fields

MN: ... During a PowerPoint presentation, Managing Director Josiah Nishita told the committee the acquisition, if finalized, would increase public stewardship of West Maui’s drinking water systems from about 45% to 93%....

Separately, the Council’s Water and Infrastructure Committee has been reviewing a related but distinct $6 million proposal to acquire the smaller Launiupoko and Olowalu water systems, with a follow-up hearing scheduled by the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee for Aug. 4, beginning at 9 a.m....

Under the MOU, ML&P would continue maintenance and operations of the Puʻu Kukui Watershed for at least three years until Maui County is ready to take over.

Council members generally supported the county acquiring the water infrastructure, but they raised concerns about non-water elements included in the same MOU, such as zoning changes ML&P is requesting for housing on three parcels in Makawao and one each in Honokeana and Alaeloa. A slide presentation shows these parcels would be rezoned from agricultural to residential or business-country town, in Alaeloa’s case. The MOU separately references roughly 911,520 gallons per day in existing water source credits, plus additional credits still to be negotiated….

Multiple members raised objections to potential housing development near Maui Gold Pineapple’s active fields in Upcountry. Lee questioned locating housing or a proposed fire station next to working agricultural land.

“Do we want to abut it with residential properties or a fire station? I don’t see how that’s a good fit,” she said….

Read … Maui Council panel reviews non-binding agreement for ML&P’s Honokōhau ditch system, other West Maui water assets : Maui Now

Council committee recommends adding five years to pursue alleged ethics violations

MN: … The Maui County Council’s Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee voted 9-0 Tuesday to recommend passage of a bill extending the Board of Ethics’ jurisdiction to pursue ethics violations from one to six years, and to explicitly apply the change retroactively.

The committee, chaired by Council Member Kauanoe Batangan, approved a substitute version of Bill 55-2025 that ties the new six-year window to the date a violation occurred rather than the date an employee leaves County service.

A separate amendment, offered by Council Member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, added language directly into the Maui County Code stating “this section applies retroactively,” after members raised concerns that leaving the point in a committee report alone would not be enough to put people on notice….

Read … Council committee recommends adding five years to pursue alleged ethics violations : Maui Now

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