Hurricane Recovery Meets Another Storm: Hawaii Island is bracing for Tropical Depression Two-C to strengthen into Tropical Storm Moke, with forecasts calling for 5–10 inches of rain (up to 15 inches in spots) over already-saturated ground after Hurricane Lala, raising flood and mudslide concerns. Utility Restoration: Hawaiian Electric says about 80% of impacted customers are back on Hawaii Island, with roughly 13,000 still without power as mutual-assistance crews from the mainland continue repairs. Reef Insurance Payout: The Nature Conservancy’s coral reef insurance policy has triggered the first payout—$200,000—to support reef assessment and restoration after Lala, a milestone for a still-new approach to climate risk. Seabed Mining Fight: Conservation groups and Pacific stakeholders are pushing back on proposed deep-sea mining lease sales near the Northern Mariana Islands, arguing the science isn’t ready and biodiversity risks are too high. Local Governance & Housing Tech: Cities are turning to AI to speed up housing permitting by catching incomplete applications earlier, supported by new federal funding streams. Oʻahu Hospitality Oversight: The Honolulu Liquor Commission selected Jason K. White as its next Administrator, a leadership change aimed at strengthening public confidence in the agency.