Hawaii
Family’s fears for Hawaii woman who vanished on bucket list trip to New York
A missing Hawaii woman’s family has revealed the “really weird” final texts she sent before vanishing en route to New York City last week.
Hannah Kobayashi, 30, was last seen on November 8 when she departed her hometown of Maui, Hawaii to visit her aunt in New York City. Kobayashi was excited about the trip, her mother Brandi Yee told HawaiiNewsNow. She even wrote in her itinerary: “Bucket list dreams become a reality.”
The 30-year-old flew into Los Angeles, where she was meant to catch another flight to the Big Apple. But no one has heard from her since she landed in California, according to HawaiiNewsNow.
Surveillance footage shows Kobayashi landing safely at Los Angeles International Airport. There, she began sending texts to a friend.
“I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds,” the text messages read, according to HawaiiNewsNow. “For someone I thought I loved.”
Her sister, Sydni Kobayashi, described the texts as “really weird.”
“She texted her that she was scared and that she couldn’t come back home or something,” the 30-year-old’s sister told HawaiiNewsNow. “It was just really weird texts.”
“It’s weird to me because it doesn’t sound like her, like there’s just something off about it,” she added. “So I wasn’t too sure. I don’t know if it’s her or if someone else was texting.”
Yee told HawaiiNewsNow she first knew something was wrong when she stopped hearing from Kobayashi. When Yee reached out to Kobayashi’s aunt, she confirmed the 30-year-old never made it to the city.
“She’s like, ‘No. She’s supposed to meet me at the hotel in New York City and we’re supposed to go to a show tonight,’” Yee said.
The family has filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Yee made a public plea to anyone who might have information about her daughter: “Please help her, if you can. If you know where she’s at, or you have the chance to just help her, please. We just want to bring her home.”
Hawaii
First Alert Forecast: Classic Hawaii trade wind weather
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Partly to Mostly Sunny skies with windward and mauka showers drifting leeward at times. Most of the rainfall will be light and in the overnight to early morning hours with an increasing trend on Tuesday and stronger trends on Thursday and Friday; which is good because we need to beneficial rainfall.
View the latest weather conditions here.
Trade winds will continue blowing from the east all week while a high-pressure system sits north of Hawaii, keeping conditions mostly stable. On Tuesday, a weak weather system moving in from the east will bring some extra showers across the islands, but nothing major. A more significant system arrives Thursday through Friday—it’s actually the leftover remains of a tropical cyclone—and will bring noticeably heavier rain, especially on the windward sides of the islands (the sides facing the trade winds) and on mountain slopes, with humidity increasing as well. The highest rainfall will happen Thursday through Friday, though overall rainfall amounts will stay limited due to large-scale stability in the atmosphere.
A Small Craft Advisory now in effect for all Hawaiian waters (a warning for smaller boats to be cautious). A new long-period swell from the south-southwest is already moving in and will boost south shore surf heights to near-High Surf Advisory levels through Monday before gradually fading. East-facing shores will remain rough and choppy throughout the week from the strong winds, while north-facing shores will stay relatively flat. These windy conditions and Small Craft Advisories will continue through the entire week.
Download the HNN Weather app from the Apple App Store or Google Play for the latest updates from your First Alert Weather Team: chief meteorologist Jennifer Robbins, meteorologist Drew Davis, and weather anchors Guy Hagi, Ben Gutierrez, and Billy V.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Fatal crash closes H-1 West near Aala St. overpass
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A woman has died after a crash that shut down the H-1 Freeway westbound in Honolulu Saturday.
According to the Honolulu Police Department, officers responded to a single-vehicle crash just before 6 p.m. near the Aala Street overpass.
Sources said a woman in her late 20s was pronounced dead at the scene.
First responders remain on scene, and the investigation is ongoing.
The city said via HNL Alert that all westbound lanes of the freeway near the Aala Street overpass are closed and access is restricted to emergency vehicles only.
Officials said those on the H-1 West are being diverted off the freeway at the North School Street cutoff.
Drivers are asked to avoid the area.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
La Hoihoi Ea highlights Native Hawaiian perspective amid 4th of July celebrations
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – As the United States marks 250 years as a nation today, another observance is highlighting Hawaiian sovereignty and history.
A Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea celebration is taking place today at Iolani Palace in Honolulu, offering a Native Hawaiian perspective alongside U.S. 250th anniversary observances.
The event highlights Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea (Sovereignty Restoration Day), which commemorates the 1843 restoration of Hawaiian Kingdom sovereignty after a brief British occupation. Although traditionally observed on July 31, related events are being held throughout the month.
Today’s program runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes protocol ceremonies, a historical reenactment, music, and community speakers. Musicians and speakers begin at 11 a.m. on the bandstand.
The event also includes screen-printing, and discussions on topics such as geothermal energy and RIMPAC.
Organizers say the gathering is meant to create space for Native Hawaiian voices and reflection on history, sovereignty, and the future of Hawai’i.
For more information about events click here.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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