Given that NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center predicted that our region will see up to eight tropical cyclones this season, we shouldn’t be surprised that the likes of Erick and Flossie are gathering strength and moving our way.

The center can now forecast a cyclone track five days away with a similar degree of accuracy as a two-day track forecast 25 years ago. Also, an upgrade to the Global Forecast System — tested during last year’s Hurricane Lane — promises to more precisely pinpoint strength and direction. The stepped-up tech serves as a valuable tool for residents, who should now have a just-in-case emergency supply kit at the ready.

Curtains for Confucius Institute

The closure of the Confucius Institute at the University of Hawaii did not come as a surprise: Uncle Sam has been pressuring universities to shutter them or lose other funding. The Chinese cultural program had been funded through the U.S. Department of Defense.

But the Confucius Institute is managed by a part of the Chinese government; that country’s officials acknowledge it as part of political propaganda efforts.

Surely the current U.S.-China strains played a factor in the shutdown, too.