Can you smell it in the air? That time of year is here. The scent of overheating computers and fresh magazines is the sign that millions of people are going into overdrive preparing for … … fantasy football. Read more
Go back one year as the COVID-19 crisis was washing across the U.S. As deaths and sickness rose, the disastrous wake was unemployment and the resulting threat of homelessness. Read more
Question: I never got the tax adjustment for my unemployment benefits. Are they still doing that? Read more
July is finally in the rearview mirror, and it’s time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused: Read more
I’m sure many readers will remember that my predecessor at the paper, Bob Krauss, wrote a column called In One Ear. It began in 1953 with things people told him. This week’s column pays homage to him with things people told me recently. Read more
Question: I understand why insurance covers people with COVID-19 even if they chose not to get vaccinated; we don’t deny care to car-crash victims who weren’t wearing their seat belts, or diabetics who eat ice cream all day. What I don’t understand is why hospitals prioritize unvaccinated COVID-19 patients over other people needing hospital care. Read more
Olympic memories always involve mind-blowing accomplishments and emotions. There is nothing quite like it and men’s volleyball at the “2020” Olympic Games in Tokyo promised all that for Hawaii before it even started. Read more
Question: While we were on our regular morning walk in Mililani, we and others watched as a policeman with a clipboard stopped a man across the street. Someone said he was being cited for walking on the road as many walkers do to maintain distance from other walkers due to the COVID-19 delta virus. Read more
Question: I did receive the money for my children, which came as a surprise because I hadn’t really been following this. Does this count as income for tax purposes? Is there any chance I will have to pay it back? Read more
America is a multiple-choice country. If you choose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, that is your right. Your body, your decision. Read more
Question: Thanks for the additional information about free school lunches. So is it too late for a charter school to participate this year? Read more
Good nutrition starts with consuming and absorbing more than 40 essential vitamins, minerals, protein and fat components. What sometimes might seem like a simple process involves many types of digestive enzymes, probiotics and prebiotics. Read more
As public confidence in the $12.5 billion Oahu rail debacle sinks ever lower, chaos abounds at the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Read more
Almost one year from today, July 26, 2022, to be exact, Hawaii’s election office will start mailing out ballots for the 2022 primary election races. Read more
Question: In-person visitation has been suspended at Oahu Community Correctional Center during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has not been reinstated. Has the state decided when or how in- person visitation will resume at OCCC or at Halawa prison? Read more
‘Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” Those were the words of President John F. Kennedy at his inauguration in 1961. Read more
Question: When the state reports the number of new COVID-19 cases every day, does it know at that time how many are vaccinated versus unvaccinated people? It sure would be nice if they could report that on a daily basis. It might encourage more folks to get vaccinated. Read more
Question: Last week, it was announced that all students will receive free breakfast and lunch at Hawaii public schools compliments of the federal government (808ne.ws/sty715). Does this include public charter schools? If not, why not? If not, what do the public charter schools need to do to qualify for this program? Read more
Tucked in the corner of a warehouse in Waipio is the area’s latest offering for young, restless bodies: 94Box, a keiki boxing and training gym with ambitions far bigger than the humble space it currently occupies. Read more
Question: To be able to work from home, I must have internet, and I pay for it. I mostly do bookkeeping on a freelance basis. I have not been completely unemployed during the pandemic, but I did lose clients — I never made much money and I still don’t. The office manager for one client mentioned free internet if I qualify. She said I should look into it, but I don’t know anything about this program. Do you? Read more
A recent study from Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance finds that 83% of people were prompted to either create, revisit or adjust their financial plan during the pandemic. That is hardly a surprise to J.R. Robinson, a financial software developer and founder of Honolulu-based Financial Planning Hawaii. Read more
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