Fifty years ago in 1970, Punahou School graduate John W. Gardner — a Republican secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) under a Democratic president, Lyndon B. Johnson — founded Common Cause, which became the nation’s largest public interest group dedicated to providing open, honest and accountable government. Read more
Last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that international students taking all online courses would no longer be able to secure student visas. Read more
I am now well into my seventh decade and during this time I have been witness to our state attempting to address the issues and concerns of Native Hawaiians. These have always fallen short despite court cases, etc. Read more
The relationship between humans and the natural world is reciprocal, particularly in Native Hawaiian culture. For me, the mano (shark) is my family ‘aumakua, giving spiritual protection and guidance. Reciprocally, my family traditionally served as kahu mano (shark protectors) tasked with protecting this sacred animal from unnecessary killing. Read more
Older islanders like me learned to surf at Waikiki as keiki and spent summers surfing Queens, Pops, Threes and Publics, sharing the waves with outrigger canoes awkwardly paddled by sunburned malihini and guided by our idols, the watermen of Kuhio Beach. Read more
The pandemic has Hawaii suffering without tourism. We’re facing a large budget deficit, high unemployment, and reliance on food distribution generosity. Given the few COVID-19 cases, Hawaii is on the lists of places to go as travel opens up. Read more
In June, nearly 400 appeared at a Kailua Neighborhood Board meeting willing to risk their lives in the cramped recreation center, for a threat they deemed greater than a life-threatening pandemic: affordable housing for young families, single mothers and the elderly. Read more
The Kailua community has recently found itself in heated controversy. Read more
Adult Friends for Youth (AFY) knows this all too well. For 36 years we have worked tirelessly to stop violence in schools and communities. Read more
In the worst of times we have seen the best care-giving qualities emerge from our physicians and health care professionals. Read more
We all recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has had widespread and severe impacts on Hawaii. One of the effects from job losses and economic insecurity has been increased fishing pressure on nearshore reefs. Read more
I own and operate Hawaiian Chip Company, a taro and sweet potato chip maker in Kalihi. We have 18 employees and are struggling to keep everyone employed even now, with less than half the normal volume of business. Read more
This past Sunday, the Star-Advertiser carried an insert detailing the location of the Voter Service Centers (VSC) for those who want to vote in-person, exercise their right of same-day voter registration, drop off their ballots, or seek help with voting. Read more
Since World War II, Hawaii has become an iconic global brand — an exotic Pacific destination for honeymooners and adventurers. Read more
Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement chant, “Defund The Police,” a calling popularized during the George Floyd protests. Read more
With huge statewide unemployment triggered by the COVID-19 visitor shutdown, Hawaii is searching for new industries — guided by the governor-appointed economic “navigator.” Read more
Hawaii, which once had the lowest unemployment rate nationwide, now has the highest, with nearly a quarter-million residents out of work during this pandemic. Read more
Across the county, young people are rising up and fighting for a variety of issues — racial and gender equality, climate justice and health equity, to name a few. Read more
In response to recent cases of police brutality, including the murder of George Floyd, ideas such as “defund the police” have become frequent motifs on social media and from certain politicians. Read more
Thanks to our community, Hawaii has been given a gift. Read more
The rapid rise in police shootings has shocked many in America in recent years. Policemen once held in esteem as trusted officers who “protect and serve” are increasingly being shown acting irrationally, killing the innocent, and lying about what happened until a video shows the truth. Something has gone way wrong, but what? Read more
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