The barricades erected to secure the state Capitol building, and the locked doors required by pandemic protocols, are visual reminders of the catastrophic events over the past several months. These are known to lawmakers convening there on Wednesday, and to every Hawaii resident. Read more
Going without is not a matter of life or death, of course, but for a young person, peer activities are a critical part of life. Read more
There is urgency to get Hawaii COVID-vaccinated, but the rollout has stirred many questions. Read more
Waikiki has little room for a beach. Read more
Some 20,000 National Guard troops outfitted with riot gear, including 200 from Hawaii, are being deployed to support D.C. law enforcement in providing security for President-elect Joe Biden’s Wednesday inauguration. Read more
It undoubtedly is going to get better — or that’s what the community has been assured — but the early phase of the Hawaii COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been disappointingly disjointed. Read more
A recent University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) forecast sees meaningful economic recovery in our tourism-dependent state taking hold in mid-2021. Meanwhile, many small businesses and nonprofits, which employ more than half of the state’s workforce, will be fighting to stay afloat. Read more
There are other tenants that make regular use of the Aloha Stadium, but none as important or longstanding as University of Hawaii football. So the fact that there seems to be a disconnect between UH and the agencies involved in charting the stadium’s future presents a serious problem that needs prompt resolution. Read more
The state Council on Revenues has drafted a relatively sunny updated economic forecast, pinned on hopes that the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden will accelerate rollout of COVID-19 vaccine and testing for infection, which in turn will encourage more travel to tourism-dependent Hawaii. Read more
The national wounds, left by many years of political divisions, are deep. Many Americans did not realize how deep they were until the violent discord spilled out Wednesday on TV and digital screens, a disturbingly violent U.S. Capitol siege. Read more
With more people spending more time at home due to COVID-19 restrictions, police say they’re seeing more cases of home invasions in which intruders are unexpectedly confronting household occupants. Read more
The virus that causes COVID-19 is, as we all know by now, terribly infectious. The most recent surge in post-holiday cases last week made that fact clear to Hawaii. Read more
On Wednesday, as the U.S. Capitol was shockingly overrun by a mob that turned violent, members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation relayed statements confirming their safety — and expressing outrage at the president’s role in spurring on supporters who temporarily halted Electoral College deliberations. Read more
There is no escaping the reality that Hawaii is embarking on what Lt. Gov. Josh Green describes as the state’s largest public-health initiative in its history. Read more
After opting out of Safe Travels Hawaii in early December, Kauai rejoined the state’s program on Tuesday, thereby allowing interisland travelers who test negative for COVID-19 to bypass a mandatory 10-day quarantine. Read more
Laws are only as good as the willingness to observe and enforce them, and it seems Honolulu is lacking the will or ability to do either well at all, where fireworks are concerned. Read more
Seven years ago, the Navy reported a 27,000-gallon jet fuel leak at one of 20 aging tanks in its underground Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage facility, and later said it was caused by a contractor’s poorly performed work and the military’s own insufficient oversight. Read more
It’s just what the doctor ordered — the economists, too. The vaccines countering the coronavirus pandemic are seen nationwide as key to restoring increasing degrees of normalcy to life as 2021 unfurls. Read more
Usually bustling at near-capacity limits during New Year’s festivities, Hawaii’s hotels were too quiet as we greeted 2021, with statewide occupancy reportedly hovering at 15% to 23%. Read more
The incoming president of the U.S. may win the prize for Toughest Job in the World, but the chief executive officer of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation? That’s pretty tough, too. Read more
A lot of us had bright visions for the new decade ushered in by 2020, before the dark reality became clear in the months that followed, so it’s important to be realistic about expectations for 2021. Read more
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