Rising fuel costs prompt spike in Hawaii grocery prices. About 90% of items in a Hawaiʻi shopping cart are shipped in. Containers being unloaded at the warehouse cost about $760 more to bring in than in January, an increase of about 7.5%. Multiplied by 2,000 containers a week, that amounts to $80 m illion a year out of consumers’ pockets. Hawaii News Now.Alaska Airlines plans major upgrades for Hawaii brand. Alaska Air Group is expected to use its Investor Day today to signal that Hawaiian Airlines has not been absorbed into Alaska Airlines and instead is being positioned as the company’s flagship brand for Hawaii travel, backed by more than $600 million in planned investments through 2030. Star-Advertiser.Judges’ Crackdown On Virtual Hearings Adds Hurdles For Immigrants In Court. The changes documented in federal data and noted by advocates increase the financial burden on immigrants living on neighbor islands — and even more so for people living outside of Hawai‘i who have to appear in person.  Civil Beat.Extreme Weather, Energy Prices Put A Damper On Tourism. A particularly intense year for storms plus surging energy prices driven by war in Iran contributed to sluggish tourism numbers, according to a new UHERO report. Civil Beat.Farmers Wanted: Hawai‘i Tries To Fix Its Unique ‘Ulu Problem. Breadfruit advocates from around the Pacific and farther afield are all trying to iron out supply chain issues to get more people eating — and growing — the canoe crop. Civil Beat.OahuHonolulu building permit backlog grows despite AI processing tools. Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting said new digital and AI tools will help attack the backlog of residential and commercial building permit applications, but under the new system, the backlog has appeared to grow. Hawaii Public Radio.After a grueling 10-month deployment, the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. returned to Pearl Harbor on Monday. The destroyer and its crew of 330 sailors had been participating in the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, coordinating missile defense for the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group as they repelled Iranian drones and missiles. Star-Advertiser.FBI finds 2 more alleged victims of former coach Sean Sakaida. Two more alleged victims of a former Moanalua High School girls wrestling coach who was arrested last week for sexually exploiting one of his players have come forward to tell their stories to the FBI. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.Kaimuki neighbors try to stop the stench at abandoned Happy Days Chinese Seafood Restaurant. The popular restaurant on Waialae Avenue has been closed since the roof caved in during lunch hour on Aug. 18, injuring a handful of elderly customers. KITV4.Kailua Shooting: Son Of Miske Associate ID’d As Victim. The son of Defend Hawaiʻi owner Michael Buntenbah was killed in the Target parking lot. On Monday, the Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the victim was 30-year-old Thomas Malone, who is the son of Michael Buntenbah, a former associate of crime boss Mike Miske. Civil Beat. KITV4. Aloha State Daily. The Portable Pool That Could Help Prevent Hawaiʻi Youth Drownings. The nonprofit Nā Kama Kai says a new mobile pool on the Westside of Oʻahu can offer swim lessons for kids with limited access to public pools. Civil Beat. KHON2. Hawaii IslandNolo dropped less rain than Lala before spinning away.  Big Island residents over the weekend braced for rain that could’ve caused a second dose of Hurricane Lala-type destruction from flooding but were spared any major damage when Hurricane Nolo took a hard turn to the west. Tribune-Herald.Natural disasters devastated some Big Island business, while boosting income for others. With the storms toppling trees on roads and properties, there has been a boon for debris-clearing and tree-cutting businesses. Damaged residences, stores and other buildings have led to new business for construction companies. Big Island Now.MauiResidents Near Maui Wildfires Show Elevated Metals Linked To Impacted Lung Health, Study Says. A study of 1,400 adults found higher internal metal levels associated with respiratory harm up to a year and a half after the fires. Civil Beat. Maui News. Maui Now. Chamber of Maui Political Action Committee announces Its 2026 candidate endorsements. The Chamber of Maui Political Action Committee (COMPAC), a non-partisan non-sectarian committee who handles the Maui Chamber’s candidate endorsement process, announced the Chamber’s “business-friendly” endorsements for State and Maui County races this year. Maui Now.Rules protecting Molokai from invasive beetles expected to be reinstated. Rules regulating the movement of plant materials to prevent the coconut rhinoceros beetle is expected to be reinstated after a Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity employee admittedly misinterpreted precedent and possibly state law. Star-Advertiser.KauaiRelief organizations urged to assist Kauaʻi as Hurricane Lowell recovery continues. Kauaʻi faces continued challenges in the aftermath of Hurricane Lowell as local organizations strive to fill the void left by limited national aid. Kauai Now.  ...read more read less