OHA Board Defers CEO Appointment to November 2
UH fall enrollment drops 2%
Daniel Volpe Selected as Fire Chief
Feds Bust Alleged Road Rage Shooter After Bullet Strikes Aiea Elem. School
New Plan Aims To Extend Honolulu Rail Line—and raise GE tax $4.8 Billion
CB: … A subcommittee of HART tentatively endorses extending the Skyline system to Ala Moana Center and to Ka Makani Aliʻi shopping center in Kapolei…
(TRANSLATION: We purposefully fell short of these two obvious destinations to make it easier to push thru this next rail extension. If you let us, we will build rail forever and tax you to pay for it.)
In a move that sets up the next big political play for the Honolulu rail project, a new report to the rail authority is suggesting extending the Skyline system east to Ala Moana Center and west to central Kapolei at an estimated cost of as much as $4.8 billion.
Although it is unclear how the new rail segments could be financed or when they would be built, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi has already endorsed the idea of extending the rail line in both directions in a Sept. 29 letter. The state Office of Planning and Sustainable Development is also backing the proposal.
The new report by the subcommittee of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board mentions a half-dozen ways the city might raise the billions of dollars needed to build the rail extensions. The most obvious strategy would be to ask the state Legislature to extend Honolulu’s half-percent excise tax surcharge for rail ….
(TRANSLATION: A $4.8B tax hike.)
That surcharge on goods and services sold in Honolulu raises about $360 million a year, and provides most of the funding for the $10 billion, 18.9-mile rail line now under construction. But the surcharge is scheduled to expire at the end of 2030, and the Legislature would have to vote to extend it to finance any extensions….
Given the long, fraught history of Skyline, a vote by the Legislature to extend that excise surcharge for rail (will definitely succeed) could add to past controversies (could require an elaborate song and dance to make you think it is the opposite of what it is.)
Rough cost estimates in the report suggest the addition of the Ala Moana segment and its two new stations would cost $2.2 billion to (way more than) $2.5 billion, while the Kapolei segment with one additional station would cost $2 billion to (way more than) $2.3 billion. The HART board will officially receive that report on Friday….
Two particularly powerful lawmakers who questioned spending on the city rail project were Sylvia Luke, when she was House Finance Committee chair, and former House Speaker Scott Saiki….
(TRANSLATION: Oppose rail, be finished politically.)
PART OF THE PLAN: Editorial: Give Team Green four more years | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HNN: Kakaako residents, businesses brace for next phase of rail construction | Hawaii News Now
read … New Plan Aims To Extend Honolulu Rail Line For An Extra $4 Billion - Honolulu Civil Beat
Green aide files police report after scuffle with Cordery supporter
HNN: … The incident happened Tuesday morning while Green was sign-waving on the median of Vineyard Boulevard.
Video shows Joshua Marquez trying to push past the campaign aide to shout a question at Green, whom he then called a pedophile.
(CLUE: By not providing a credible candidate, Republicans are helping Green/PRP to build more rail/TOD.)
After the incident, the Cordery campaign commented in support under Marquez’s post: “True leadership should be able to listen to the concerns of the people, not brush them off and push them away. Thank you for your efforts for demanding accountability from our leaders and your courage.”
This is not the first time Green’s campaign has complained of harassment linked to Cordery.
During the pandemic, Cordery led the Aloha Freedom Coalition, which held loud nighttime protests outside then-Lt. Gov. Green’s downtown condominium.
When asked if he was part of actions that involved active harassment of the governor, Cordery responded, “What do you mean by harassment?”
(TRANSLATION: I am what you get when nobody else steps up.)
read … Green aide files police report after scuffle with Cordery supporter | Hawaii News Now
TOD News: After 70 Years of Failure, will Mayor Wright public housing finally be torn down?
HNN: … HPHA estimates the cost of Phase 1A at $333 million. In 2017, the state estimated the total cost of the project at $1.3 billion.
The project also includes four acres of public parks and recreational areas, and walkability to the planned Iwilei rail station….
(TRANSLATION: Rail = TOD.)
Link: https://www.honolulu.gov/tod/
ASD: First phase of Mayor Wright Homes redevelopment breaks ground
SA: 10-tower redevelopment project takes shape in Kalihi | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
read … 2,400 homes, 10 towers: How redevelopment will transform Mayor Wright public housing | Hawaii News Now
Ex-Army official faces bribery charges involving Hawaii contracts
SA: … A 49-year-old ex-U.S. Army official is scheduled to make his initial appearance after he was accused by federal prosecutors of taking $1.25 million in bribes over five years to steer contracts to companies from the military’s Hawaii-Pacific Innovation Campus.
Carlos Duque is charged with conspiracy, receipt of bribe by a public official and major fraud. He will make his initial appearance in federal court in Honolulu Wednesday before Chief U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson.
During the time of the alleged conspiracy, Duque was a civilian “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities officer” employed by U.S. Army Pacific from 2016 to 2022 and was the federal government’s “primary representative” for the innovation center, according to federal court records ….
From January 2021 through October 2022, Duque, “a public official,” was allegedly bribed by Kent and Pick in return for being “influenced in the performance of an official act” and to defraud the federal government by steering contracts to Kent and Pick….
USDOJ: Antitrust Division | U.S. v. Carlos Duque | United States Department of Justice
May 2026: Feds Bust Two Defense Contractors in PACOM Bribery Scheme
2022: Army DEVCOM Strengthens Indo-Pacific Partnerships
read … Ex-Army official faces bribery charges involving Hawaii contracts | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Qui Tam: Hawaiʻi Citizens Have A Powerful Law On The Books To Combat Fraud
CB: … The issues of fraud and fraudulent billings continue to dominate national and local headlines. The state lost its federal Medicaid fraud unit funding for not aggressively pursuing falsified billings. Local officials were bribed to steer contracts to a sole-source contractor. The state is bilked out of millions of dollars by its homeless housing contractor. …
How can we be protected from this theft … ?
The answer is the State False Claims Act and the County False Claims Act — state statutes that allow private parties to bring actions on behalf of the government with certain restrictions. If the case is successful, the private party – called a “relator” – gets a portion of the recovery. But more important for the immediate prosecution of these fraudulent actors, both the state and counties can pursue these claims on their own….
PDF: HRS_0661.pdf
read … Hawaiʻi Citizens Have A Powerful Law On The Books To Combat Fraud - Honolulu Civil Beat
Flock Cameras Coming to Kauai
MN: … The Kaua‘i Police Department is introducing Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance public safety, strengthen investigative capabilities, and improve the department’s ability to respond to criminal activity throughout the island.
On Maui, County Council members voted 7-1 in committee to put safeguards on how local law enforcement uses automated license plate reader technology, but they deferred action on a second bill addressing facial recognition technology that is not yet deployed by the Maui Police Department.
“The introduction of ALPR technology represents another step toward providing our officers with modern tools to better serve and protect our community,” said Chief of Police Rudy Tai. “Our goal is to use this technology responsibly to assist investigations, improve public safety, and help to keep Kaua‘i a safe place for our residents and visitors.”
ALPR technology is a law enforcement tool that automatically captures and records license plate information from vehicles passing designated locations. The technology helps investigators track girlfriends, identify vehicles potentially associated with criminal investigations, including stolen vehicles, missing persons, and other public safety incidents….
read … KPD introduces Automated License Plate Reader technology to enhance public safety : Maui Now
AI: Hawaii Joins Cavalcade of Censorship, Fails
TC: … Threats to Americans’ access to information do not come only from abroad.
In 2025, President Trump issued an executive order on “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government.” It requires the AI models the government buys to be “truth-seeking,” ideologically neutral and not favoring ideas such as “diversity, equity and inclusion.”
“Truth-seeking” may sound like an objective, neutral term, but it can mean very different things to different people. Take media reporting: The president recently banned three news outlets from the White House for reporting “FICTION and LIES” and dismissed media polls as “fake.”
More recently, the Federal Trade Commission has suggested that AI companies that steer answers toward undisclosed ideological or biased objectives might break consumer protection law.
A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 8 in 10 Americans believe Republican and Democratic voters cannot agree on basic facts. In other words, as our report notes, government mandates to seek truth are often driven by ideological belief systems, particularly on political issues.
Meanwhile, dozens of states have passed laws restricting AI-generated political deepfakes. California and Hawaii, for example, are two states that have banned sharing deceptive AI content about candidates in the months around an election. U.S. courts have blocked both of those laws, citing the First Amendment.
What does this mean for voters? When you ask your chatbot about the elections, treat the answer as a starting point. Keep in mind that governments, both foreign and domestic, may try to influence the answer….
2026: Regulating Political Deepfakes: First Amendment Lessons from Hawaii’s Unconstitutional Effort
read … How governments worldwide are shaping what AI can say about politics
Disaster Produces $108M Jackpot for State
HNN: … Hawai‘i is receiving nearly $81.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to cover costs from recent disasters.
The funds will go toward repairs to roads, bridges and other structures…
In addition to the funding, the Hawai‘i DOT also received $2.3 million from the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program to repair bridges on Kaua‘i
KNN: Upcoming webinars provide Hawaiʻi farmers with information about disaster recovery : Kauai Now
BIN: Federal disaster funding available for private nonprofits after Hurricane Lala : Big Island Now
KHON: Hawaiʻi accounts for nearly $28.7 million in two major hazard mitigation awards that include funding for water infrastructure in Maui County and Hawaiʻi County.
NR: FOURTH PROCLAMATION RELATING TO SEPTEMBER 2026 TROPICAL CYCLONES
read … Hawaii to receive more than $80M in federal funding for storm recovery | Hawaii News Now
Prison director wants mentally ill suspects diverted from jail
HNN: … Prison officials and lawmakers say millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent incarcerating people who need mental health care instead. They point to one example they say shows change is possible while keeping people safe….
In 2019, Maui Community Correctional Center was more than 30% overcrowded when inmate anger (criminality) erupted in one of the state’s worst (typical) prison riots.
This summer, the jail’s population was 86 beds below its operational capacity. The turnaround is attributed to a program called Maui Nui Partners in Healing, which works to ensure people with mental illness receive care instead of incarceration….
“So I think whatever Maui prosecutor and the Judiciary were doing together to make sure they don’t even come to our custody, I think that’s what has to be done across the board,” Johnson said….
Cook: Second Convening of the Maui Nui Partners in Healing Initiative, led by the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney
LG: Interview with Andrew Martin
PV: Maui Reentry Solutions
read … Prison director wants mentally ill suspects diverted from jail | Hawaii News Now
Dead Pigs, Stripped Cars: Kauaʻi's Scary Public Housing Conditions
CB: … Tenants living at a public housing complex on Kaua‘i’s South Shore knew they’d have to make some trade-offs living in low-income housing, but they never imagined they’d be dealing with years of the place being a dumping ground for trash and abandoned cars, drug use, violence, trespassing and other issues.
Residents at the Kawailehua Public Housing Complex say pleas to their landlord, the Hawai‘i Public Housing Authority, to fix these issues have largely gone ignored or weren’t fully addressed. Some say they continue to feel unsafe on the property.
Residents are taking matters into their own hands. For the last year, a small group has been working to establish a tenants council that would create programs to connect residents with each other and community resources and work with the housing authority to help residents follow the property’s rules. ….
read … Dead Pigs, Stripped Cars: Kauaʻi's Scary Public Housing Conditions - Honolulu Civil Beat
Maui Council committee questions temporary site plan for drug addicts living in vehicles
MN: … The Maui County Council is scheduled to take a final vote Friday on a bill that would let the county open a temporary site for people living in their vehicles, and officials hope to begin relocating people from Pūlehu Road as early as next week.
The Council’s Water Authority, Social Services and Parks Committee, chaired by Council Member Shane Sinenci, discussed Bill 133 (2026) Monday but took no legislative action.
Department of Human Concerns Director Margaret Willis told the committee the county is preparing a site on a county parcel south of Hansen Road, about three-quarters of a mile from where people now live along Pūlehu Road. The site would initially operate for an estimated six months and serve 50 to 60 people. Willis said about 45 to 50 people currently live along the road, and they would have priority for placement at the temporary site…
“I don’t think it’s conducive to a trauma-informed environment to be requiring people to get pat-downs or have their vehicles inspected,” Willis said. “But we will put things in place regarding behaviors, and the expectation that people will behave in an appropriate manner in this sort of community setting.”
Security would call 911 (multiple times a day) when incidents require law enforcement intervention (or grass fires require mfd), she said.
Residents would have help deciding which belongings to bring to the new site, Willis said.
“We will not allow everybody to bring everything that they have,” she said. “They will need to make choices. That’s the trade-off of being able to move to a safer space that has some basic hygiene amenities, right?”
Belongings that relocating residents leave behind would be disposed of later. She said storage would also be available for people who decline to move to the site while they find another place to stay. Those who decline will be offered other shelter or treatment options, and the roadside area will be cleared, she said.
Some council members raised concerns.
Council Member Kauanoe Batangan said the ordinance changes that lift time constraints and vehicle safety and registration requirements make the project resemble “an encampment of sorts” rather than a safe parking program….
read … Maui Council committee questions temporary site plan for people living in vehicles : Maui Now
ELECTION NEWS:
- Integrity · Our Maui
- DHLM’s Gavin Thornton joins One Oʻahu Podcast to unpack housing questions on the ballot | Department of Housing and Land Management
- NEW NFIB SURVEY: Uncertainty Grows and Optimism Fades Slightly on Main Street in September - NFIB
- Editorial: Give Team Green four more years | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
- Hawaii Democrats rally on westside as Election Day approaches | Hawaii
- Hawaii 2026 Election Results — MultiState Elections
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