On Last Week Tonight, John Oliver looked into Hawaii’s evolution into a haven for billionaires at the expense of the local population, as part of a long history of the state prioritizing wealthy outsiders. “For native Hawaiians, it must be difficult to shake the feeling that you’re an afterthought,” he said. “It’s like be introduced by your parents saying ‘these are our sons Tommy and Tommy’s brother,’ or having a TV show announced as ‘stick around after House of the Dragon’.”
It is “no wonder” that nearly two-thirds of residents believe that their state is being run for tourists at locals’ expense. “The more you look at Hawaii, the clearer it becomes that they’re not wrong about that, but it’s not just tourists,” he said. “Hawaii has long been run for the benefit of everyone but Hawaiians.”
At least, when run by the US; prior to its annexation, the islands, long ago settled by seafaring Polynesians, was ruled by a constitutional monarchy that abolished slavery in 1852 – before the US. In 1983, a very small group of wealthy white landowners forced the final ruler of Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani, to cede power of the kingdom of Hawaii to the US. The islands became the 50th state in 1959.
“Over the past century, a number of groups, from the US military to tourists to the extremely wealthy, have continued to exploit Hawaii,” Oliver noted.
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Firstly, the military, which leases large swaths of Hawaiian land at extremely low rates – in one case, $1 – and have bombed areas for “training purposes”, not cleaning up waste. Just three years ago, the military’s massive fuel storage facility on Oahu had a spill which poisoned the water system that served 93,000 people. “The US military has a pattern of causing an absolute mess in Hawaii, with activists having to struggled to undo the damage,” said Oliver.
Case in point: the US army seized the Mākua Valley after Pearl Harbor, evicting local families who lived there for generations with the promise that the land would be returned six months after the end of World War II. That still hasn’t happened. “Instead, it’s yet another of Hawaii’s sacred spaces that’s being used for target practice,” said Oliver. The activist group Mālama Mākua successfully sued the army to stop live fire training in the valley in 2004, but can only visit twice a month under military supervision.
On the tourism front, though it contributes over 18% to the state’s GDP, “Hawaii does seem set up to benefit wealthy outsiders”. There are currently 32,000 short term rentals in the state, meaning one out of 18 houses is a vacation rental, and nearly a quarter of Hawaiian homes were purchased by buyers outside the state. Hawaii is now the most expensive state in the nation for housing, and because the state imports about 90% of its food, residents also pay some of the highest prices in the nation for groceries.
“But maybe the ultimate expression of the extent to which Hawaii is being reshaped by wealthy outsiders is its growing population of billionaires,” said Oliver, noting that 11% of the state’s private land is owned by just 37 billionaires, including Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison and Oprah Winfrey. Ellison bought 98% of the island of Lanai – including its grocery store, single gas station and the community newspaper – for a reported $300m. “He’s basically everyone’s boss and landlord,” said Oliver.
But “nothing compares to what’s being done on Kauai” by Zuckerberg, “a real boy who wished upon a star to become a wooden puppet”, Oliver joked. The Meta founder and CEO is building a giant compound on the island that has more than a dozen buildings, at least 30 bedrooms and bathrooms, a tunnel that leads into a 5,000-sq-ft underground bunker and 11 treehouses connected by intricate rope bridges. To secure the land, Zuckerberg sued hundreds of local residents to dispute their ancestral land rights, “using a legal maneuver pioneered by white sugar planters”, Oliver explained. “It is the most on-brand white guy in Hawaii thing he could possibly do.”
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Zuckerberg did eventually withdraw from those lawsuits, and penned an op-ed promising to “work together with the community on a new approach”. But he continued to buy up parcels of ancestral rights land and support his co-claimant in the lawsuits, an owner who wanted to buy out the rights of all the others. That co-claimant did successfully get the land to be put up for auction, then bought them for $2m. “Who can say where he got the that money?” Oliver mused. “Apparently, not me, legally. Maybe $2m just fell out of a random treehouse somewhere.”
“It does seem like that new approach for the community ended up with Zuckerberg getting what he wanted anyway,” Oliver continued. “And billionaires like him will insist that they contribute to local charities and help the economy there, but it’s the larger dynamic at work here, where wealthy outsiders can out-purchase and out-maneuver a local population, that can be so dispiriting.”
Taken together – “the cost of living crisis, the low wages of a tourism dominant economy, the off chance of being exploded or poisoned by the US military” – it’s “frankly no wonder that so many are choosing to leave the island,” said Oliver. Each year, 15,000 native Hawaiians leave the state for the mainland, which now has a larger Hawaiian population than Hawaii itself.
What can be done? “When a situation is this complicated and took this long to develop, there aren’t going to be quick and easy solutions,” said Oliver. But he recommend some “obvious” steps, such as not renewing US military leases on Hawaiian land, restricting short-term rentals and second homes, and focusing state government resources on developing a diverse local economy.
“The solution is not going to come down to any single trip you might take,” he added. “It’s going to require much bigger systemic choices. That said, if you do end up visiting, try to be aware of the history that you’re stepping into.”
With approximately six years until Social Security benefits must be cut, one group of Hawaii legislators has come up with a simple plan to prevent a shortfall.
It’s no secret that Social Security, as we know it, is in a pinch. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), the Social Security and Medicare trust funds are six years away from insolvency.
The combination of more retirees, fewer people in the workforce, and the impact of President Trump’s big, beautiful bill (OBBBA) leads the CRFB to estimate a 24% Social Security cut in late 2032 if nothing is done. In addition, retirees could face an 11% cut in Medicare Hospital Insurance payments.
This isn’t the first time the trust funds have been in trouble. In 1982, the fund that helped cover the cost of monthly Social Security benefits faced a significant shortfall and was forced to borrow from other funds to pay benefits on time. Congress was able to work together long enough to raise taxes on some, adjust benefits, and prevent insolvency.
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With a similar problem facing the trusts 44 years later, Hawaii’s Senator Brian Schatz and Representative Mazie Hirono (along with Rep. Jill Tokuda) believe they have a simple solution. Here’s what their proposal, called the SAFE Social Security Act, would do.
Image source: Getty Images.
Lift the payroll tax
To ensure payroll taxes apply fairly across the board and that the rich pay their share, the proposal includes a plan to phase out the payroll tax cap so that no one can stop paying into Social Security once their income hits $184,500.
Adjust benefit calculations
The trio suggests adjusting the way current benefits are calculated, a move that would increase the average monthly benefit by more than $150.
Update how cost-of-living adjustments are determined
As of today, cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are based on increases in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of the previous year to the third quarter of the current year. In theory, using inflation tied to CPI-W is supposed to help retirees keep pace with the rising cost of living.
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For years, however, senior citizen advocacy groups have insisted that the wrong index is being used because working adults and retired adults spend money differently. For example, an older retiree is likely to spend more on medical care than a younger person still in the workforce.
The Hawaii legislator’s plan would address the issue by basing the COLA on an index that tracks inflation related to seniors’ spending. Specifically, they’re talking about the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E).
Sen. Schatz believes that the SAFE Social Security Act will expand Social Security and put more money in the hands of those who rely on it. It will also strengthen the program for the next generation of retirees, ensuring today’s workforce has something to look forward to.
Watch as Hawaii’s Kīlauea puts on spectacular lava display
Hawaii’s Kīlauea has erupted again, spewing massive fountains of lava that reached over 800 feet high, according to USGS.
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano had its latest eruption on Jan. 12, flowing lava for nearly 10 hours and attracting heavy traffic to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The volcano began erupting at 8:22 a.m. with lava fountains reaching nearly 800 feet high into the sky, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. By 6:04 p.m., the eruption ended with lava flow covering approximately two-thirds of the Halema’uma’u crater floor.
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In a Facebook post announcing the latest eruption, the National Park Service warned visitors to “expect the park to be busy with heavy traffic.” Typically, thousands more visitors than usual flock to the park during eruptions, congesting roads and parking lots for the overlooks.
Considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Kilauea has been erupting episodically since Dec. 23, 2024. Most eruptions end within 12 hours with pauses in between that can be as long as several days to two weeks. As of Jan. 13, the volcano remains under an orange “watch” alert, with USGS saying the next lava fountaining episode is “likely about two weeks away.”
Such volcanic eruptions are considered sacred in Hawaiian culture and are tied to Pele, the goddess of creation and destruction who is believed to live in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Here’s what travelers should know.
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Forget ‘aloha’: Every traveler should learn this word when they visit Hawaii
Is it safe to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park?
Yes, it’s safe for travelers to visit the park and view the lava as the eruption took place within a closed off area of the park and does not pose a risk to the community, according to the USGS.
However, it’s important that travelers are mindful of their safety by only parking in designated parking lots and staying away from closed-off areas. Last June, a 30-year-old man from Boston plummeted 30 feet off a cliff when he strayed off a trail in an attempt to get a closer look at the lava during nighttime. A tree broke his fall and the visitor was rescued by park rangers, only suffering minor injuries.
Tips for viewing the Kilauea volcano
Here are a few tips to for visitors eager to witness the Kilauea lava flow, according to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park:
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Go early or at night to avoid crowds, with peak hours at the park being between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. (And if you do visit in the evening, pack warm clothes as it’s chillier than you may think.)
Prime viewing overlooks include the Welcome Center, Uekahuna, along Crater Rim Trail and old Crater Rim Drive.
Check the air quality before you go by visiting the NPS website. Volcanic gas and other particles from the eruption can be hazardous, especially to travelers with pre-existing respiratory conditions or children.
The 2026 season kicks off this week at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu with the Sony Open in Hawaii. Nick Taylor is the event’s defending champion, taking down Nico Echavarria in a playoff last year to win.
There’s a pretty stacked field being the first event of the year, with plenty of notables heading to the middle of the Pacific for one week before the West Coast Swing begins.
Here’s a look at the purse and total prize money for the first PGA Tour event of 2026, the Sony Open in Hawaii.
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What’s the total purse for the 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii?
The total purse for the 2025 Sony Open in Hawaii is $9.1 million. That’s up from $8.7 million a year ago.
How much money does the winner make at the 2026 Sony Open?
The winner of the Sony receives $1.638 million, or 18 percent of the total purse. Taylor earned $1.566 million for his win in 2025.
The field size is 120 this time around, as compared to 144 last year.
Sony Open in Hawaii 2026 prize money payouts
Position
Prize money
1
$1,638,000
2
$991,900
3
$627,900
4
$445,900
5
$373,100
6
$329,875
7
$307,125
8
$284,375
9
$266,175
10
$247,975
11
$229,775
12
$211,575
13
$193,375
14
$175,175
15
$166,075
16
$156,975
17
$147,875
18
$138,775
19
$129,675
20
$120,575
21
$111,475
22
$102,375
23
$95,095
24
$87,815
25
$80,535
26
$73,255
27
$70,525
28
$67,795
29
$65,065
30
$62,335
31
$59,605
32
$56,875
33
$54,145
34
$51,870
35
$49,595
36
$47,320
37
$45,045
38
$43,225
39
$41,405
40
$39,585
41
$37,765
42
$35,945
43
$34,125
44
$32,305
45
$30,485
46
$28,665
47
$26,845
48
$25,389
49
$24,115
50
$23,387
51
$22,841
52
$22,295
53
$21,931
54
$21,567
55
$21,385
56
$21,203
57
$21,021
58
$20,839
59
$20,657
60
$20,475
61
$20,293
62
$20,111
63
$19,929
64
$19,747
65
$19,565
65
$19,565
Where is the Sony Open in Hawaii played?
Waialae Country Club originally was designed by famed golden-era architect Seth Raynor and opened in 1927 alongside Kahala Beach. The layout, which first hosted the PGA Tour in 1965, will play to 7,044 yards with a par of 70. Of note: The standard routing is altered for the Sony Open, with the nines reversed to better take advantage of the scenic sunsets.
