Does FDA Approval Mean End to Anti-Sunscreen Hysteria?

40 Years of Meth In Hawaiʻi

CB: … The smokable form of meth made its U.S. debut in Hawaiʻi in the 1980s ….

The 2024 UH study measured the toll of four decades of ice use in Hawaiʻi. Many of the overdose deaths were among people over the age of 50 — while other drugs typically take out teens and young adults — and they were dying of heart and neurological complications from chronic, long-term use….

1984: Mehau in Majuro – How the US Meth Epidemic Began

2024: Meth poisoning leading cause for fatal overdoses in older Hawaiʻi residents

Read … We're Investigating The Wrath Of Meth In Hawaiʻi — And Why It's Getting Worse - Honolulu Civil Beat

Waters’ run was a test. The law failed due to new Vote-by-Mail Timelines.

SA: … This predicament boils down to flawed elections processes, specifically strict term limits and how grievances are handled in this new era of mail-in balloting. Ozawa cut it close with his Circuit Court challenge on June 16, but was just in bounds of state law, which requires objections to be filed at least 60 days prior to Election Day. That leaves little time for a court decision and, if needed, consequent and timely corrective steps by election officials.

Voters receive their ballots at least 18 days prior to the election; they should not be hearing about a candidate’s ineligibility after that date. State law should be revised to make the objection deadline earlier and require the Circuit Court to act fast, within a narrow timeframe, to guarantee wide public notification before mail-in voting begins. In years past, when in-person voting was the norm, signage at polling places notified voters of disqualified candidates who might still be on the ballot. That no longer flies….

Read … Editorial: Waters’ run was a test. The law failed | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Redacted at the PUC, Public in Court – Bad Fuel Wrecks Turbines on Big Island and Kauai

IM: … in a single sentence: "Hawaiian Electric hereby provides a root cause analysis for the 2023 outage of Combustion Turbine 2 at the Hamakua Energy Facility."

What followed was one page:

"This page intentionally left blank….”

Then Hawaiian Electric published it all itself

On November 6, 2025, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. and Pacific Current, LLC sued Par Hawaii Refining, LLC and IES Downstream, LLC in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit, Case No. 1CCV-25-0001829, represented by Cox Fricke LLP. ililani media reported the filing on December 9, 2025.

The complaint is a public document. It contains, in unredacted detail, the substance of what was withheld from the PUC's public record:

The cause. Naphtha fuel refined by Par and delivered by IES contained alkali metals "three times the allowable levels," which stripped GE's proprietary protective coating from the hot section of two LM2500 gas turbines and then corroded the metal underneath ….

The money. $8,277,813 for the first replacement turbine; $382,318.36 for the second; $184,192 for piping; $139,806.37 to clean and inspect Fuel Tank A; approximately $1,068,709.29 in lost profits; and $4,411,377 in up-front capacity payments clawed back by HELCO based on Hamakua's actual downtime (¶¶ 63–67).

The grid consequence. Hawai'i Island "lost approximately 25-30% of its supplied power"; no electricity from Hamakua between February 24 and June 4, 2024; reduced capacity until September 9, 2024; and a return to naphtha only in March 2025 after more than a year on more expensive biodiesel (¶¶ 53–54, 66–67).

A second victim. Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, sourcing the same fuel from the same parties, experienced similar corrosion, replaced a turbine, and — per independent testing by Wyoming Analytical Laboratories — measured alkali metals "approximately sixteen times higher than maximum permitted levels" (¶¶ 8, 50–51). The complaint also alleges, on information and belief, that Par's own turbines were damaged by the fuel it refined….

Read … Redacted at the PUC, Public in Court -- The Hamakua Turbine Story | Ililani Media

Tourism Industry Activists: Keep Hawaiʻi's Reef Fish so we can Sell Dive Tours On The Reef

CB: … The Board of Land and Natural Resources must protect these resources for Hawaiʻi’s people and future generations (dive tour operators) ….

Our reefs are not commodities. They sustain subsistence fishing and cultural practices, protect shorelines and support biodiversity, education, recreation and our visitor economy. Any fish exported for ornamental display is removed not only from an ecosystem, but from a continuing relationship among people, place and future generations (the tourism display)….

Read … Keep Hawaiʻi's Reef Fish Where They Belong — On The Reef - Honolulu Civil Beat

Hawaii County Permanent Disaster Program will create One New ‘position’

CB: … In the last decade (In the millions of years since these islands first popped up from the depths,) volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, deadly pandemics and now a hurricane have rocked the island of Hawaiʻi. Yet, until last month, the county didn’t have a formal plan to guide recovery after disasters.

(And we all know that we neeeed a ‘plan’.)

In July, the Hawaiʻi County Council passed Bill 157. Authored by Puna council member Ashley Kierkiewicz, the ordinance directs the mayor to establish a (permanent) temporary disaster recovery program after disasters and appoint someone to lead it. The appointed director would be charged with creating a ‘plan’ for short-term and long-term recovery, which would need approval from the county council. …

(TRANSLATION:  They are in charge of scooping Federal Disaster Recovery Funds.)

Money: How Storms Can Be A Boon For Invasive Species In Hawaiʻi - Honolulu Civil Beat

Read … Big Island Is Activating A New ‘Temporary’ Disaster Program which will create One new ‘position’ - Honolulu Civil Beat

Be more selective about public school closures

SA: … Gov. Josh Green’s repeated Oahu-wide public school closures deserve greater scrutiny. In 2026 alone, he has shut down every public school on Oahu for weather five times — Feb. 9, March 13, March 20, April 10 and now Aug. 17. March 20 occurred during spring break, but the entire system was nevertheless closed.

The question isn’t whether schools should close when conditions are dangerous. Of course they should. The question is why closing every school on Oahu has become the response, rather than closing schools in communities actually at risk….

Read … Letter: Be more selective about public school closures | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

White Kids Sued Kamehameha. Native Hawaiians Can't Get In Either

CB: … Kamehameha admits only a fraction of the thousands of students who apply each year. On average, there are 15 applicants competing for each coveted seat at the private school, with the Kapālama campus on Oʻahu being the most competitive. Some parents enroll their kids in tutoring and interview prep courses to better prepare them for the rigorous application process. Other families have moved zip codes to increase their chances of attaining what could be a life-changing admissions offer for their children. …

The school, created through the estate of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a descendant of King Kamehameha I, is one of Hawaiʻi’s largest and most powerful landowners with an endowment valued at more than $15 billion.

Over the years, there have been calls for the school, with its vast wealth, to expand the number of campuses it has or open more seats. Since 2000, enrollment has more than doubled, from 3,530 K-12 students in the 2000 school year to more than 7,200 last year. The school has also supported Hawaiian students who did not gain admission through scholarships and other educational programs, although some of those programs helping students who attend other private schools are being phased out in favor of programs with a greater emphasis on Hawaiian culture….

The number of applicants to Kamehameha is anticipated to increase after the school went tuition-free earlier this year as part of a legal strategy to get the admissions lawsuit dismissed….

“One boy gave me the worst answer I ever heard. ‘Why do you want to go to Kamehameha?’” She recalled asking him during a mock interview. His reply: “Because the other school sucks.”…

Read … White Kids Sued Kamehameha. Native Hawaiians Can't Get In Either - Honolulu Civil Beat

Councilmember Owned and Operated by KSBE

SA: … Kailua-Kona Council member Manu Powers operates Sea Quest, a Kamehameha Schools tenant, and her children attend Kamehameha Schools ….

Read … Letter: Council member must put community first | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

QUICK HITS:

1. Big Q: How much did Tropical Storm Moke affect you? | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

2. Tropical Storm Moke – Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency

3. About 6K without power on Hawaii Island, HECO says Moke could delay remaining repairs | Hawaii News Now First Alert Weather

4. HIDOE provides free weekly meals to Ka’u families after Hurricane Lala | Local | kitv.com

5. Family of Moore woman found dead in Hawaii questions circumstances of her death - News9.com

6. Hawaii County to begin storm debris pickup in Kau | Hawaii News Now

7. Gov. Green says Moke impacts remain light, recovery continues | Hawaii News Now

8. Hawaii island gets a break as Moke weakens to tropical depression | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

9. Hurricane Lala toppled hundreds of trees across the state | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

10. UH secures $647.3 million in extramural funding | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

11. Hurricane strike on Oahu would be catastrophic | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

12. DVIDS - Video - C-17 Takes off from Hawaii to pick-up electrical trunks in California for Recovery From Hurricane Lala

13. Q&A with Hawaii Seed Bank Founder Jill Wagner | Hawaii Reporter

14. Extreme Makeover: American Dream Edition? - OpenTheBooks

15. UH Community Colleges Rank No. 11 nationally, you still have time to apply! | University of Hawaiʻi System News

16. Protest of prison conditions in 1981.A previously untold story: Part 2 | i L i n d

17. Kris Nakagawa Returns to the Hawaii PUC as Chief Counsel | Ililani Media