Opinion and analysis by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board. Get informed with columns and commentary, and submit a letter to the editor.
Lack of leadership at the Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). That was one of the top lines in the first phase of the state’s investigation of the Aug. 8 wildfires that destroyed most of Lahaina and killed 101 people. Read more
Legal battles take what seems like an eternity, and Tuesday’s announcement about a $916 million settlement award from makers of the anticoagulant drug Plavix is not the last word. Read more
Hawaii could be in for a milder-than-normal hurricane season this year thanks to favorable La Nina patterns and cooler waters, according to a forecast from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. That translates to fewer than the four to five storms seen in a typical year. Read more
Hawaii took a bold step in 2018 when it adopted the target of achieving net- negative carbon emissions by 2045. In the Legislature’s words, “Hawaii became the first state in the nation to send a clear message to the world that our citizens are determined to secure their energy future and climate health.” But what has happened since 2018? Read more
Coming on the heels of a well- researched expose on public corruption by Randal Roth, professor emeritus at the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law, one might wonder if the jury in Keith Kaneshiro’s trial was fully aware of the factions of local connections behind the scenes? Read more
Honolulu has been fighting monster homes for years, yet Senate Bill 3202 will aggravate current circumstances. Read more
I was interested to see that Honolulu police recently cited a number of people for trespassing on the Haiku Stairs, especially after HPD refused to cite a trespasser in my yard after three reports. Read more
As a longtime follower and supporter of the Merrie Monarch Festival and kanaka maoli, I can’t help but express my frustration with what appears to be ongoing bias against the Academy of Hawaiian Arts (AOHA) from Oakland, Calif. Read more
In 2009, two Zionist settler rabbis published “The King’s Torah,” a scripture interpretation stating non-Jews are “uncompassionate by nature” and attacks on them will “curb their evil inclination.” Read more
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
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
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
