Opinion and analysis by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board. Get informed with columns and commentary, and submit a letter to the editor.
The Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture takes place in Hawaii June 6 to 16, but organizers are still scrambling to solicit donations and volunteers, after COVID-19 forced postponement of the event, and hobbled fundraising efforts. Read more
Your daily cup of “Hawaiian coffee” will soon contain more coffee grown in Hawaii. And there will be truth in advertising for Hawaii-grown macadamia nuts. Read more
Fair warning, sons and daughters everywhere: Sunday is Mother’s Day. Yes, this Sunday. Read more
In response to a recent letter regarding the Thirty Meter Telescope, there are no “obsolete” or “unused” telescopes on Mauna Kea (“Compromise needed on Mauna Kea telescopes,” Star-Advertiser, May 6). Read more
Sunday’s commentary, which was almost impossible to “decipher,” told us that the Gaza war has nothing to do with “genocide,” “apartheid” or “colonialism” (“Deciphering the war in Gaza with one eye on the past,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, May 5). Read more
It is baffling why Republicans continue to support former President Donald Trump despite the fact that he attempted a violent insurrection and is under 91 felony indictments, facing a civil verdict that found him liable for sexual assault, a dangerous radical extremist, and a divisive and a fanatical agent of chaos who threatens to destroy America. Read more
The White House is oblivious to the fact that Iranian clerical leadership relies 100% on their perception of God’s will in all their motivations, decision-making processes and actions. Read more
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to continue his attack on Hamas in Rafah amid pending cease-fire negotiations. Cease-fires only prolong wars. They do not end wars. Read more
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
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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
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
