July 1, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

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Wednesday, July 1, 2026

July 1, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 9:43 AM :: 189 Views

Complete Debunk: UHERO Fakes Findings to Benefit Solar Lobby

Hawaii Day Care Cost: 39% of Median Single Parent Family Income

Lahaina: Rebuilt Affordable Apartments Immediately Fill Up

Small Business Regulatory Review Board Elects officers for FY26-27

May 2026 Tourism Stats: More Visitors; Shorter Stays

8a Corruption: Dawson Changes Name to 'Laukoa'

DOJ grand jury investigates Marxist tech tycoon Singham for alleged fraud

FOX: … A federal grand jury is investigating alleged financial crimes by Neville Roy Singham, the China-based tech tycoon whose fortune has funded a sprawling network of socialist, communist and Marxist organizations across the U.S. over the last decade.

(CLUE: Including Hawaii.)

According to sources familiar with the matter, the grand jury in Manhattan has issued subpoenas as part of a probe launched by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York, one of the country's most powerful districts for federal prosecutions. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized the investigation as the Trump administration seeks to crack down on fraud, money laundering and other financial crimes in the multibillion-dollar nonprofit industry.

The grand jury action follows a Fox News Digital investigation published in mid-March, documenting how Singham pumped $285 million from his base in Shanghai into a Goldman Sachs philanthropy fund and two shell corporations that then fed the money into a constellation of nonprofit organizations, media operations and activist groups pushing sectarian division, identity politics and support for socialist politicians….

2025 Singham/Hawaii: Sovereignty Activists team up with Chinese Communist Front Group

WIKI: Tankie - Wikipedia

Read … DOJ grand jury investigates Marxist tech tycoon Singham for alleged fraud | Fox News

Hawaii's PUC Brain Drain -- Senior Staff Departures Threaten the State's Energy Future

IM: … The numbers tell a striking story. At least six senior staff departed in the six months leading up to November 2025 alone — part of a broader exodus that saw roughly a dozen attorneys, analysts, economists, and compliance personnel leave since early 2024. State Senator Keohokalole characterized the situation as the agency losing approximately one-third of its skilled workforce. The wave culminated in November 2025 when PUC Chair Leo Asuncion himself resigned.

Reports have widely attributed the departures to a toxic management environment under Randy Baldemor, who served as Chief of Policy and Research. Whatever the cause, the effect is institutional: the PUC is navigating the most complex dockets in its history — Maui wildfire grid reliability, performance-based regulation, and major renewable energy procurements — with a significantly depleted bench ….

FLASHBACK: A Bigger Fish than Luke: AG Bribery Letter Reopens PUC Lahaina Fire Coverup

Read … Hawaii's PUC Brain Drain -- Senior Staff Departures Threaten the State's Energy Future | Ililani Media

HPD officer vacancies near record levels as new chief David Lazar takes over

HNN: … David Lazar will be sworn in Thursday as Honolulu’s new police chief, inheriting an officer shortage that has grown steadily for years and now sits near record levels.

The Honolulu Police Department is currently down more than 20% of its uniformed officers. Vacancy numbers show the problem has worsened over time, rising from just under 300 in 2020 to roughly 470 at the start of this year.

Don Faumuina, president of the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO), said the shortage will be Lazar’s most pressing issue from day one.

“The staffing crisis is the largest and most difficult challenge that Chief Lazar will face,” Faumuina said. “There’s departments around the country that face similar challenges. The departments that are making progress are those that are actually acknowledging it, that it is a problem, and then they attack it head on.” …

Read … HPD officer vacancies near record levels as new chief David Lazar takes over | Hawaii News Now

‘I’m sorry’: Hawaii Island police officer keeps job after unlawful search case

HNN: … Judge Henry Nakamoto sentenced Serrao to 400 hours of community service and four years of supervision. Serrao’s criminal history will also remain clean, and he will be able to keep his job and carry a firearm.

In January, the state attorney general charged Serrao with perjury, a class C Felony, and two misdemeanors after he and officer Blane Kenolio allegedly searched an arrestee’s bag without a warrant in 2023.

Court documents say a report was filed claiming the bag smelled of marijuana and contained a meth pipe, which prosecutors determined was false.

“This was an official document submitted to the court for review. There was a false statement in there, and while the facts and circumstances leading up to that may have been due to an error or lack of judgement, at the end of the day, that offense is serious,” Deputy Attorney General Kyle Mesa said.

Serrao’s father, Norbert Serrao, a retired Hawaii Police Department sergeant, was behind him as he was sentenced….

In deciding Serrao’s sentence, Nakamoto considered a 100-plus-page report with letters from community members attesting to the officer’s character….

The Hawaii Police Department suspended Serrao for 50 days without pay. Kenolio was suspended for 24 days.

HPD reported both officers are currently on regular duty with no restrictions….

HTH: Hawaii Police Department officer sentenced in perjury case - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

Read … ‘I’m sorry’: Hawaii Island police officer keeps job after unlawful search case | Hawaii News Now

Carjacking: After 9 useless State prosecutions, Lifelong Criminal finally catches a Federal Case

SA: … A 34-year-old Waianae man pleaded not guilty Monday to allegedly using a ghost gun Feb. 16 to carjack a Mercedes-Benz from a man in Waianae.

Isaac K. Hatori is facing a charge of interference with commerce by robbery and a charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence after he was indicted by a FEDERAL grand jury on June 25. Hatori was first charged by criminal complaint on April 17.

(Some HPD are learning how to build FEDERAL cases for these lifelong repeat offenders.)

He is scheduled to go to trial Aug. 24 and is being held without bail at the FEDERAL Detention Center, Honolulu.

Hatori, who stands 6 feet tall and weighs 215 pounds, has nine prior STATE criminal convictions, according to state court records. Those convictions include felonies for firearm violations, robbery, car theft and theft. He was sentenced to five years in STATE prison for car theft on Oct. 28, 2021, but (of course) was given credit for 1,219 days of time served (which meant that he was quickly released)….

Read … Man pleads not guilty to carjacking Mercedes in Waianae | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

DelaCruz Pushing ADC to buy $5M land for Egg-Cracker?

CB: … Despite myriad questions and misgivings, state officials are forging ahead with plans to build a multimillion-dollar facility in Wahiawā with a simple function: cracking eggs. Thousands and thousands of eggs.

(On EBay an egg-cracker can be bought for $4,000: LINK. It would easily fit in one of the existing commercial kitchens owned by the State.)

Driven by Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz and state Agribusiness Development Corp. leaders, the facility is intended to crack low-grade eggs to supply an explosive increase in demand the Department of Education anticipates in the next few years. But without a clear plan for how to make the operation viable, there are concerns about the significant taxpayer investment, starting with the purchase of the $4.7 million property….

(QUESTION: Why does ADC need to buy property? They already have plenty. Egg cracking requires food-grade industrial space. This is the small-volume egg-cracking machine: LINK. A much larger volume machine is for sale at 170K Euros. LINK.)

For Dane Wicker, an ADC board member and Dela Cruz’s former chief of staff (and teabagging partner), spending years planning and deliberating rather than taking tangible action will only result in further delays. The facility could serve schools statewide as well as hotels, hospitals and food manufacturers, he said. …

The state’s largest egg producer has said building its own facility to crack eggs doesn’t make financial sense, despite producing 30,000 unsellable, low-grade eggs daily….

(Good point.)

LINK: PrimeLine | Scalable Egg Processing and Pasteurization Plant for Small and Medium Operations | Sanovo Technology

Read … Hawaiʻi Bets Millions That Students Will Eat Way More Eggs - Honolulu Civil Beat

Hawaii raises Individual Housing Account cap to $20,000

PBN: … A bill that quadruples a 44-year-old cap on a tax-deductible savings account for first-time Hawaii homebuyers will become law.

While Senate Bill 2552 has not yet received Gov. Josh Green’s signature, it was not included on the governor's intent-to-veto list, so it will be enacted with or without his signature.

The legislation amends the Individual Housing Account program, established in 1982, by raising the cap of the annual contribution limit, allowing taxpayers to place more money into these savings accounts and deduct those contributions from their Hawaii state gross income.

For individuals, the cap will rise to $20,000 per year from $5,000. For a married couple filing jointly, the cap will increase to $40,000 per year from $10,000. This will be the first time the cap on the program has been raised since it was created 44 years ago….

Read … Hawaii raises Individual Housing Account cap to $20,000 - Pacific Business News

Waimanalo kauhale faces community pushback over planned expansion to 600 units

HNN: … Hui Mahiʻai ‘Aina, led by CEO Blanche McMillan, currently operates 59 tiny homes housing 106 homeless residents. The organization has received recognition from Gov. Josh Green and others. McMillan is now planning to build 300 tiny homes to house 600 people on a different section of ‘Oluʻolu Street.

“If I had my dream. I’ll be honest with you. One-thousand people. This is my dream,” McMillan said….

McMillan said the planned expansion site is more than eight acres and that she hopes to begin building next month if plans proceed as expected.

“Blanche is fighting for the homeless rights, but as she’s fighting for the homeless rights, she’s putting our rights out,” said Paul Vega, neighbor and member of Pono ‘Oluʻolu.

Opponents say roughly 400 people have signed the petition so far. McMillan said she intends to continue with her plans.

“I’m just sticking to my plan. I’m going to go all the way with my plan. Whatever they are saying, that is their business. My business is to take care of our people,” McMillan said….

Read … Waimanalo kauhale faces community pushback over major expansion plans | Hawaii News Now

Residents blast STVRs legislation; commission defers action

HTH: … The Hawaii County Leeward Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to defer consideration of a bill seeking to overhaul vacation rental rules during a meeting attended by more than a dozen testifiers, the majority of whom spoke in opposition.

Commission Chair Dean Au justified the deferral, saying he wants “more time to process,” with other members stating they still need to “figure it out,” “think this through” and consider “what types of amendments (they’re) willing to support.”

Bill 147 would redefine hosted and unhosted short-term rentals, establish working standards and punitive fines, and expand the list of zoning areas where hosted rentals are allowed to operate without a permit. It would lengthen the rental period considered “short-term” to stays less than 180 consecutive days — as opposed to 30 days under current rules — and set occupancy limits, reduce “quiet hours,” and restrict the types of activities allowed on rental properties….

Read … Residents blast STVRs legislation; commission defers action - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

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