Opinion and analysis by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board. Get informed with columns and commentary, and submit a letter to the editor.
Two-and-a-half years after the disastrous Red Hill fuel spill that contaminated the area’s water, people who were sickened then — and claim ongoing health problems even now — are in the midst of a landmark lawsuit trying to make the Navy pay. Read more
For many, Hawaii’s relationship with the U.S. military feels like a tangled web. Read more
For Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono partnered with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC) to highlight AANHPI “icons” in an exhibit at the U.S. Senate Office Building. Read more
On April 26, state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole made news by killing legislation (Senate Bill 2922) that would have authorized Hawaiian Electric (HECO) to directly compel its captive customers to help pay for HECO’s Lahaina fire repair costs, while indirectly putting state taxpayers on the hook as well. Read more
Unlike past situations in Florida, Mississippi and California, where constant hurricanes or wildfires were commonplace, the fires in Kula and Lahaina may be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Read more
When I read about the road humps and the red light traffic cameras, I think about the next revenue generator: those speed cameras at the same intersections. Read more
An environmental disaster of epic proportions has been unfolding on Oahu for years and is now out of control. Read more
The biggest geopolitical mistake any U.S. government has ever made was President Harry Truman’s acceptance in 1948 of a Jewish State (Israel) in Palestine. Read more
I’m trying to wrap my head around why a U.S. president would need to stage a military coup, as Donald Trump’s lawyer told the U.S. Supreme Court in April. Read more
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Labor union members who work hard for the money — and give some of it to monthly dues — should take note of yet another case of bilking from within. Read more
Housing on Oahu took a turn to more expensive in April, bringing the median sale price for a single-family home to $1.1 million. Whether that’s good news probably depends on whether you’re looking to sell (cash register emoji) or buy (pockets turning inside out gif). Read more
Days after the Legislature appropriated nearly $20 million to boost Hawaii’s fight against invasive pests, lawmakers rightly called the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) to task — grilling officials over the agency’s weak effort to control stinging, fast-spreading little fire ants and other invasive species that threaten to overtake and overwhelm our state. Read more
As a college professor working with students for decades, it’s no mystery to me why university students across the U.S. are occupying tented camps on campuses: It’s about aloha. Read more
An April article described how the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. will have its criteria for distributing funding changed by legislators (“Flow of affordable-housing funding faces redirection,” Star-Advertiser, April 1). Read more
Exciting to read that Ala Moana Regional Park was ranked 6th in USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Award for best city parks. Read more
At Portland State University, pro- Palestinian protesters occupied Millar Library and left paint splattered on floors, spray-painted messages and screeds covering walls, furniture moved and overturned and security cameras disabled. Read more
I was very saddened to read that “NCIS Hawai‘i” has been canceled by CBS. It was a wonderful show that took viewers to many beautiful areas of Oahu, in true NCIS fashion. Read more
For most of us in the United States, retirement will come at the ripe old age of 67, when we can begin to collect full Social Security benefits. However, some former government employees return to work and collect both a pension and a paycheck. Read more
Today is the deadline for public comments on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for creation of the Papahanaumo- kuakea National Marine Sanctuary in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Read more
People can argue about what comprises a city’s “core services,” but few would dispute that handling police emergency calls, the 911 system, is at the top of the list. Read more
Seeking peace … peacefully. That appears to have been the goal of the “Day of Action” campaign at the University of Hawaii-Manoa on Friday, where more than 100 students gathered adjacent to Bachman Hall. Read more
