Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters

"Lieutenant Governor candidates' appearance shows simularities, differences."

Views expressed in this Hawaii news update are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 20 July 2026, 2221 UTC.

You can find earlier posts in the "Archives" file.

Content and Source:  "Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters."

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?service=mail&flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=AccountChooser&ec=asw-gmail-globalnav-signin#inbox/FMfcgzQhVWwKmsxDqLJdVcGPdWMRslzj

URL--https://www.hawaiibusiness.com.

Please check email link, URL, or scroll down to read your selections.

Russ Roberts (https://hawaiinewsmonitor.blogspot.com).

View this newsletter online

Lieutenant Governor Candidates’ Appearance Shows Similarities, Differences During their joint appearance, frontrunners Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami and state Rep. Della Au Belatti last week shared the need for more affordable housing, reducing Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living, and their overall support for Gov. Josh Green’s kauhale housing program expansion to create permanent, affordable homes for Hawaiʻi’s homeless. Both, however, said the lieutenant governor should remain independent from Green.  Star-Advertiser.

Belatti Files Campaign Spending Report a Week Late State Rep. Della Au Belatti finally filed the reports Thursday afternoon, but not before her rival for lieutenant governor, Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami, had issued press releases publicly calling her out for the missing report. Rep. Belatti’s campaign blamed a computer glitch for the delay. Civil Beat.

The Race for Lieutenant Governor: A Coveted Political Stepping Stone While the job itself doesn’t amount to much, it helped elevate four politicians who later became governors, and two others who eventually became U.S. senators.  Civil Beat.

Case and Keohokalole Ramp Up Their Spending in Advance of August Primary U.S. Rep. Ed Case and opponent state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole are spending big in the race to represent Hawaiʻi’s 1st Congressional District. They both spent about the same amount of money: $660,000. But they spent it very differently. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Congressional Race Draws National Attention The race to represent urban Honolulu in Congress has attracted national attention from the New York Times and the Washington Post as an example of younger, left-leaning Democrats like state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole challenging older, more moderate incumbents like U.S. Rep. Ed Case.  Star-Advertiser.

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE Why Hawai‘i Needs More Public-Private Partnerships From affordable housing to transportation infrastructure, public-private partnerships offer Hawai‘i a proven model for tackling its biggest challenges. Here’s why the state needs to embrace them. Read More ❯❯

O‘ahu Headlines Waters Holds Huge Fundraising Lead in City Council Race Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters is heading into the Aug. 8 primary election with a commanding financial advantage over his closest challenger as he seeks a third term representing East Honolulu’s District 4, campaign filings indicate.  Star-Advertiser.

Tulsi Gabbard’s Brother Charged in Alleged Waikīkī ‘Stranger Danger’ Incident The 55-year-old brother of former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was arrested and charged Friday with second-degree custodial interference after allegedly trying to lure children to a Waikīkī hotel room. Batarti Gabbard, aka Bhakti Gabbard, allegedly approached several children, including a boy, age 9, and offered them gum and money to accompany him to his hotel room, according to police. Star-Advertiser.

HECO Seeks Energy Bids as JERA Moves Forward With LNG Plan JERA Americas, a subsidiary of Japan’s largest energy company, filed a notice with the Public Utilities Commission to establish GenCo, a new regulated utility that would supply liquefied natural gas to Oʻahu’s grid. Hawaiian Electric is pushing back, arguing the unprecedented move would introduce unnecessary complexity, risk and operational inefficiencies to the state's energy system. Star-Advertiser.

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE Japan’s Richest Man Came to Maui for Golf. He Got a Water War Instead. Cast by critics as a villain in Maui’s water wars, Uniqlo billionaire Tadashi Yanai says he’s willing to contribute $40 million to help rebuild the island’s aging infrastructure. Read More ❯❯

Honolulu Could Follow Other County Councils in Calling for Aquarium Fishing Ban The city council is moving along a pair of resolutions urging state-level policymakers to prohibit the collection of fish in the state for the commercial aquarium trade. One urges the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules banning aquarium fishing, and the other is directed at the state Legislature.  Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Home at Last: New Beginning for 815 Native Hawaiian Families On July 18, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands awarded 815 residential leases on Oʻahu, the largest offering on the island this year.  KHON2.

Social Media Bans Impact Honolulu Businesses and Artists Several businesses, community organizations and artists in Hawaiʻi that have come to depend on Meta’s platforms say they’ve dealt with seemingly arbitrary bans, with little explanation from the company as it increasingly turns to AI and other systems for content moderation.  Star-Advertiser.

Waikīkī Organizations Unite to Boost Community, Visitor Impact With Hawaiʻi’s tourism marketing resources under pressure and international visitor arrivals still below expectations, two of Waikīkī’s leading business organizations have combined operations to strengthen the resort district’s voice, marketing reach and competitive position.  Star-Advertiser.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines Kona-Based Company Is Bringing Aquaculture to Florida Kona-based company Ocean Era recently received approval for a first-of-its-kind aquaculture pilot project off of the Gulf Coast of Florida. Titled the Velella Epsilon project, it will be located in federal waters about 40 miles out from Sarasota, to cultivate 20,000 red drum fish over the course of a year in a submerged net system.  Tribune-Herald.

Big Island Residents Turn In Nearly 150 Firearms During Community Gun Buyback Event Firearms collected included eight assault-style rifles and nine privately manufactured firearms, commonly referred to as “ghost guns.”  Big Island Now.

Community Raises Questions About Laupāhoehoe Boat Ramp Dozens of community members gathered July 8 for an informational meeting about planned repairs to the breakwater in Laupāhoehoe, which juts out about 100 feet from the rocky coastline.  Tribune-Herald.

Investment Firm Pays $23 Million to Become Outright Owner of Kailua-Kona Hotel Nine Brains, headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., acquired full fee-simple ownership of Pacific 19 Kona hotel — formerly Kona Seaside Hotel — 4 years after it purchased the ground lease for the property.  Big Island Now.

New Youth Hub in Puna to Guide Young People Toward Independence The Neighborhood Place of Puna has opened the Puna ʻŌpio Hub for youth and young adults, ages 14-25, as they explore employment and educational pathways that may seem inaccessible.  Big Island Now.

Maui Headlines Lahaina’s Front Street Scheduled to Reopen on Aug. 1, 2026 Repairs and rebuilding in the area have been ongoing since the 2023 Maui Wildfires, including: removal of wildfire debris and offshore pilings; repairs to the seawall and sidewalk; installation of new railings and planting of trees along the makai side of the street; installation of fencing along the mauka side of the street and around off-limit areas; and road paving and striping.  Maui Now.

‘Keep Hawaiʻi Loud’: Car Stereo Enthusiasts Boo Increased Fines on Maui Local culture or a great source of exasperation? When it comes to loud music blasting from cars on Maui, it depends on who you ask. A new county law raises fines for folks who play music that can be clearly heard from 50 feet away, with fines starting at $500 and up to $1,000 for repeat offenders. Battle lines have been drawn. Now what? Civil Beat.

Displaced Lahaina Residents Hope Jobs Will Provide a Way Home Hundreds of homes have been rebuilt, according to Maui County officials, and billions of dollars have been committed to disaster recovery. Yet many West Maui families remain displaced, businesses continue to struggle to rebuild their workforce and many former residents still cannot afford to come home.  Star-Advertiser.

Kaua‘i Headlines Kauaʻi Keiki Bring Home Free Helmets, Bikes After Annual Keiki Bike Safety Day on Saturday Forty lucky youngsters pedaled home with new bikes, and hundreds learned essential riding skills and helmet safety from dedicated Wilcox Medical Center physicians and community partners.   Kauaʻi Now. Garden Island.

Disasters, Tourism and Housing: State House District 16 Candidate Q&As Democratic House Member Luke Evslin, who has represented state House District 16 since 2023, will face Republican opponent David Hazlebeck in the general election in November. Both are running unopposed in the primary.  Civil Beat.

Income Tax Relief and Housing Affordability: State House District 17 Candidate Q&As Incumbent House member Dee Morikawa is facing Democratic challenger Chad Schimmelfennig in the Aug. 8 primary election for State House District 17, which Morikawa has represented since 2010.  Civil Beat.

Advertising & Sponsorships Submit Feedback General Inquiries Manage my Preferences

You received this email because you signed up for Today's Hawaiʻi News or because it is included in your Hawaii Business subscription. 1088 Bishop Street, Ste LL2, Honolulu, HI 96813 ©2026 Hawaii Business Magazine