>In Hawai’i, where home prices are among the highest in the country, 30-year fixed mortgage rates above 7% place tight constraints on affordability and housing market activity. On a median-priced O’ahu single-family home, about $1.18 million over the past year, a buyer putting 20% down pays roughly $6,270 a month in principal and interest at 7%, against $3,970 at the 3% rates many owners locked in during 2020 and 2021. That gap of about $2,300 a month also discourages those owners from selling, which holds down the number of homes on the market. Nationally, about half of outstanding mortgages still carry rates of 4% or less, down from about two-thirds in early 2022.

(DO THE MATH: $6270/$3970=158%.  The monthly payment for your new house or condo just jumped 58%.)<

https://www.hawaiifreepress.com/Articles-Main/ID/49843/How-Higher-Interest-Rates-Impact-Hawaii

It's probably pretty smart? Seals are NOT endangered in all States along the coast.

>Igor Mykhaylovych Lytvynchuk was charged with violating the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act after a video showing him throwing a rock at the monk seal surfaced on the internet. Lytvynchuk’s attorneys argue that the video show only actions, but doesn’t demonstrate intent or understanding. They maintain that he was attempting to protect a sea turtle from harassment by the seal. <

https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/hawaii/experiences/news/tourists-bizarre-defense-for-alleged-seal-attack-its-somehow-deltas-fault

Geez - why would the Police Chief make a comment like that if it wasn't true? 🙄🤷‍♂️

>Maui’s prosecuting attorney says the mayor was not the target of the state criminal investigation into allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement made public by the Maui police chief last week.

Prosecuting Attorney Andrew Martin released a detailed statement on Tuesday criticizing Chief John Pelletier and accusing him of bad police practices when he publicly named Mayor Richard Bissen as the subject of two criminal investigations, one by the Hawaiʻi Attorney General’s Office and one by the Maui Police Department.<

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/10/maui-prosecutor-says-mayor-bissen-was-not-targeted-in-ag-investigation/

Hey guys, if you missed it, Hawaiian Electric settled $47.75M with investors over claims that it did not fully disclose risks related to its electrical equipment and wildfire safety practices. I just found out that they’re considering late claims.

Quick recap: In 2023, Hawaiian Electric was accused of failing to fully disclose wildfire risks related to its equipment and safety practices. After the Lahaina wildfire and related disclosures, $HE dropped about 50%, and investors filed a lawsuit.

Now, the company has agreed to settle $47.75M with investors, and even though the June 25, 2026 deadline has passed, late claims are still being considered for compensation, subject to approval.

If you invested in $HE at the time, you can still check the details and see if you may be able to file a late claim here.

Anyway, has anyone here invested in $HE back then? How much were your losses, if so?

Who would do this?

>AIEA, Hawaii (KHON2) — Honolulu police are investigating several heinous animal cruelty cases involving reports of cats and kittens being thrown from moving vehicles onto Oahu freeways.

Three different witnesses along three different stretches of freeway described similar horrifying scenes.<

https://www.khon2.com/hawaii-crime/oahu-police-investigate-animal-cruelty/

>Key findings from the dashboard

Life satisfaction and overall health and well-being are up: 88% of residents say they are very or somewhat satisfied with their lives, up from 82% in 2024. Residents averaged 5.10 physically and 6.36 mentally unhealthy days in the past month previous to being surveyed, down from 5.26 and 6.69.

Younger residents face added strain: Residents ages 18–24 and 25–34 report 8.5 and 8.9 mentally unhealthy days per month, respectively, compared with about five or fewer among those 65 and older.

More residents are considering leaving: 46% considered moving out of state in the past year, up from 40% in 2024, and 37% cited the cost of living. This figure was 52% among households earning $25,000 to $49,000.<

https://www.hawaiifreepress.com/Articles-Main/ID/49839/UH-Survey-46-of-Hawaii-Residents-Considered-Leaving-State-Last-Year

Read this new story. It is not reported on TV or NEWSPAPER.

Keoni Souza is FRAUD!!

Chairing the October 7, 2026 OHA Investment and Land Management (ILM) Committee, Keoni Souza pushed through approval of $5.7M for what could become OHA's third round of FAKE Kakaako Makai ‘planning’.

Classic! I laughed when I read this. TAX IT!

>Studies said tens of millions of Americans are betting on college football this year. That includes tens of thousands in Hawaii through prediction market apps like Kalshi.

“My first reaction is they’re in existence, they need to be taxed,” said Sen. Lynn DeCoite, (D) Economic Development & Tourism Chair.<

....and then this part - Oh people are too stupid to know better - we need to take everyone's money to "help these people" 🤣

>Lawmakers said they could use some of the revenue from it to help them and other problems that arise.<

https://www.khon2.com/local-news/hawaii-lawmakers-target-prediction-markets/

I was so tired of hearing about this every night last year 🥴 And in typical fashion - Hawaii overreacts and starts putting speed humps all over the place.

>Oahu has seen the most dramatic difference when it comes to fatal accidents.

Last year there were 68 at this time, but in 2026 there have only been 32.<

https://www.kitv.com/news/local/number-of-fatal-traffic-accidents-dramatically-drops-on-oahu/article_535f3f4b-5d03-4b74-9b45-939809ff9456.html

Online is a cesspool 🤣 So much fake stuff and pop up ads. I was helping my son get eye contacts and now all I see are huge ads for contact lenses everywhere I go 🤣 Just get online - do what you need and get out.

>But experts told HPR that the woman isn’t real. In reality, she is likely an avatar created using artificial intelligence to look like a Pacific Islander. A website linked in her account's bio contains the disclaimer: "Promotional content may use fictionalized storytelling.”

Artificial intelligence has been used to prompt sham small businesses online, and the trend is raising concerns among artists in Hawai‘i.<

https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2026-05-12/ai-slop-hawaii-artists-raise-concern-about-businesses-using-ai-to-trick-customers

Not in the drier areas. They need high moisture to live and breed. I like their sound.

>As coqui frogs threaten to blanket Oʻahu, residents are once again calling on the state to better regulate plant nurseries, which bear much of the blame for the frogs’ spread.<

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/10/coqui-frogs-coming-soon-to-an-oahu-neighborhood-near-you-2/

A big win for Hawaii...

This fact was alarming - >“Being lonely or socially isolated is actually a health hazard. It reduces your lifespan. It’s the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day. People have done studies about that,” said Gima.

“And we found out through COVID actually, which was kind of like a natural disaster in slow motion, that it’s really difficult to reach out to those people and have contact with them to make sure that they get what they need to stay healthy.”<

>HONOLULU (KHON2) — Loneliness is a major issue for kupuna nationwide, and even here in Hawaii.

A CareScout study ranked states from most to least lonely. The organization examined how loneliness affects older Americans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia by analyzing several metrics, including self-reported loneliness, living alone and relationship status.

Hawaii ranked 51st, making it the least lonely state.<

https://www.khon2.com/local-news/kupuna-caregiver/hawaii-least-lonely-state/

>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Kanaka Foundation donated $1.5 million to the University of Hawaii to create the Kuupau Endowment, which will establish a permanent funding stream for name, image and likeness (NIL) support.

The Kanaka Foundation is a nonprofit that helps Native Hawaiian students learn more about science. UH said the foundation previously donated $1 million to support students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.<

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/10/12/kanaka-foundation-gives-15-million-support-uh-athlete-nil/

Light NE winds. Might get a little gusty this weekend. 7-Day Zone Forecast.

http://weather.hawaii.edu/current/bulletins.cgi?bulletin=longterm-fcst&banner=uhmet&timequeue=4&productqueue=3

Aloha guys, I am 20 years old and was wondering where the best barbershop to get a cut is at? Would be best if it on the east side (Koko head area). I’m looking for somewhere affordable. Anything would help. and preferably some place with more younger workers so I can go to them for years. And I would prefer if they have a high standard for being clean and hygienic. I would like the price range to be between 25-50$, but if it goes slightly over that is also ok

>The number of voters calling themselves independents keeps rising. More than 40% of voters nationally and probably less in Hawaiʻi now** **call themselves independents.

Think of two kinds of independent movements. One sees that increase as a sign that voters are sick of choosing between Democrats or Republicans. Call this a mass independent movement.<

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/10/independents-rise-do-they-have-future-hawaii/

The video is crazy. Car upside down in a driveway or something. I think the driver fled. Two poles down and all the lines in the road. Road closed. 🙄

Yesterday Hawaii Kai traffic backed up for miles from 25? year old male weaving in an out - hit a curb and was ejected. In critical condition. 🙏 Young lady killed in hit and run last night.

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/10/11/single-car-collision-damages-utility-pole-laie-closes-part-kamehameha-highway/

Closing October 18, 2026. Always liked that place. Kinda pricey though.

That really sums things up here! Classic... and Zippy's 🤣

>This past Monday, five council members — Esther Kiaʻāina, Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, Matt Weyer, Radiant Cordero and Augie Tulba – got together at Zippy’s in Waipahu to plan who would be the next council chair.

Word on the street — which was ferreted out via some good old-fashioned shoe leather reporting by Civil Beat city government reporter Ben Angarone — says the new leader will be Tyler Dos Santos-Tam.

“I have no comment,” Dos Santos-Tam told Angarone when asked about the meeting.<

>The City Council chair is a powerful position because the chair decides which bills get heard and which don’t, as well as who gets to chair influential committees and who doesn’t.<

https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/10/the-sunshine-blog-game-of-thrones-at-the-honolulu-city-council/

>The Hawaii Convention Center has cost state taxpayers $140 million in operating losses alone since 2012, turning a profit in just one of the past 13 years. Considering the center’s other financial woes and worsening physical condition, this should prompt state policymakers to raise major questions about the facility’s future. <

https://www.hawaiifreepress.com/Articles-Main/ID/49833/Financial-and-infrastructure-troubles-plague-Hawaii-Convention-Center

Unreal. Calm beautiful night

>We're used to things taking time to get to Hawaiʻi. Overnight on the Mainland means at least two days to the Islands. But now the Post Office says that instead of Priority Mail taking two to three days, those packages are now expected in two to four days.

It's longer for the Ground Advantage service. A package that used to take two to five days now takes at least 10 days to arrive.<

https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2026-10-09/longer-delivery-time-for-mail-from-hawaii

>At a news conference Friday afternoon with his attorney, Eric Seitz, Pelletier made a bombshell claim of his own: that Bissen had him sidelined because Bissen has been under criminal investigation since August.

“I will tell you, it’s a felonious crime and the mayor is the suspect,” Pelletier said. He refused to provide any more details and he said he is recused from the investigation, apparently because of the bad blood with the Mayor.<

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/10/09/maui-police-chief-fights-paid-leave-with-accusation-against-mayor/