Maui

Voters across several states cast ballots in 2026 races. In Hawaii, Democratic Gov. Josh Green, who led the state through the 2023 Maui wildfires, is heavily favored to win reelection over Republican businessman Gary Cordery in a historically Democratic state. In Maine, Sen. Susan Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson in a race shaped by affordability concerns and views of President Trump's policies. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul faces Republican Bruce Blakeman, and Rep. Mike Lawler faces challenger Cait Conley in a competitive House district. New York City voters are also deciding ballot measures tied to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's housing agenda. The Justice Department is deploying nearly 1,000 election monitors nationwide, up from past elections.

Maui-based Alpha Inc. has been selected as contractor for a major restoration of East Hawaii Veterans Cemetery No. 2 in Hilo. The project will raise and realign nearly 4,500 grave markers, add burial section markers and watering stations, and carry out grading and soil and turf rehabilitation across 5.5 acres on Laimana Street.

The work is funded by a federal grant of up to roughly $6.1 million awarded in late September by the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Cemetery Administration, with the state Department of Defense's Engineering Office overseeing construction. Work is slated to begin in early January and take about three and a half years to complete. The county Parks and Recreation Department, which handles day-to-day upkeep, welcomed the collaboration.

The restoration follows a 2021 VA Inspector General audit that found longstanding deficiencies at the cemetery, including improperly installed flat markers and grave sites left unmarked for years due to the county lacking funding and staffing to meet federal standards.

It has been nearly 600 days since the January 2025 Los Angeles fires, among the most destructive in U.S. history, and Congress has still not appropriated more than $15 billion in long-term recovery aid. That surpasses the previous record 500-day wait faced by Maui fire survivors, according to the nonprofit After the Fire USA. Officials point to partisan gridlock and repeated federal government shutdowns as key causes. Sen. Alex Padilla accused the Trump administration of treating disaster relief as a "political bargaining chip," a claim echoed by other senators who say a June White House request for $85 billion in supplemental funds, largely tied to the conflict with Iran, excluded disaster aid entirely.

California has also been slow to act, only recently releasing $2.5 billion in state recovery funds. Gov. Gavin Newsom has requested over $10 billion in federal block grants to help survivors and local governments rebuild. Meanwhile, families face rebuilding costs of $200,000 to $500,000 above insurance payouts, prompting grassroots recovery efforts as temporary housing support runs out.