Opinion and analysis by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board. Get informed with columns and commentary, and submit a letter to the editor.
The 13th annual Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) is just over two weeks away, landing in Hawaii from June 6 through June 16. About 2,500 delegates from 28 Pacific island nations will soon arrive, prepared to represent Pacific culture. Read more
Coconut rhinoceros beetles (CRBs) are now weakening and killing palms throughout the North Shore, after being “contained” to Central and West Oahu in recent years. Read more
Water utilities across the country are being alerted to a worrying increase in cyberattacks designed to disrupt drinking and wastewater facilities. Read more
Soaring child care costs, exacerbated by the lingering effects of COVID-19, are forcing many of Hawaii’s entrepreneurs to choose between their life’s work and their children. Read more
While the Kaneshiro-Mitsunaga trial ended in not guilty verdicts for all defendants, it brought attention to the practice of pay to play in Hawaii politics and government, and contributed to the public’s loss of trust. Read more
Early in the morning, my girlfriend and I were listening to the rain when we heard what we hear every morning — the automatic sprinklers. I just had to laugh. Read more
A recent letter argued against using the word “genocide” in describing what the Israelis are doing to Palestinians (“Genocide is a misnomer when talking about Gaza,” Star-Advertiser, April 19). Read more
I wonder: What does former president Barack Obama have to say about his alma maters, Columbia University and Harvard University? The pro-Palestinian student protesters boggle my mind. Read more
Lingering concerns about the state of ethics in government extend to the Legislature, where recent efforts to regulate lobbyists have been weakened or have stalled. Read more
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For all the relieved and smiling faces emerging Friday from U.S. District Court, there was a class of observers who were surely watching the corruption trial of Keith Kaneshiro and Dennis Mitsunaga with alarm. Read more
The Wahiawa Reservoir rose to uncomfortable levels last week, peaking at 82 feet — 2 feet short of official “flood stage,” which would trigger a call for evacuations. Read more
Mina Morita is a former state Public Utilities Commission chair and former chair of the state House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection; she lives in Hanalei and is a member of the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. Read more
I am writing to reassure a recent letter writer about the details and effects of Senate Bill 3202 (“Developers benefit from land use bill, not public,” Star-Advertiser, May 7). Read more
Biden’s runaway spending, inflation and immigration policies have created an economy which has reduced disposable income for mainland vacationers looking to visit Hawaii. Read more
People hiked Haiku Stairs for years without issue, following the path. Steel steps and handrails provided a safe, stable platform while protecting the aina from erosion until the stairs closed after taxpayer-funded repairs. Read more
It is sad to see that schools become more like institutions of indoctrination, especially at the university level, where we see students radicalized without knowing the facts that disprove their radical views. Read more
Let’s stop hating on the feral chickens. They are not only direct descendants of the dinosaurs, but they also eat the coconut rhinoceros beetle and its larvae, along with roaches and centipedes. Read more
With a unanimous City Council vote last Wednesday, the city is poised to establish a stand-alone Ocean Safety Department via executive action. Read more
Hawaii’s April jobless rate of 3.1%, a rate that has remained unchanged for four consecutive months now, reflects stability and solid employment statewide. Read more
Hawaii has one of the highest rates of homeless youth in the U.S. — third highest in the nation, according to 2023 federal Department of Housing and Urban Development data, and this year’s numbers are higher than last year’s. Read more
Hawaii lawmakers approved more than 200 bills during the 2024 legislative session, but the one people are likely to be talking about for years is House Bill 2404, which aims to lower the state income tax burden for average families by almost 70% by 2031 and save taxpayers roughly $5 billion during that period. Read more
