Opinion and analysis by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Editorial Board. Get informed with columns and commentary, and submit a letter to the editor.
Human trafficking is underway in Hawaii on any given day. Police, prosecutors, social workers and health care providers know this, because cases come to the surface when a trafficking victim or concerned witness calls a hotline, when perpetrators are caught in a sting or when a victim is injured or killed by a trafficker. Read more
The bottom line has risen for Alaska Airlines since its $1.9 billion merger with Hawaiian Airlines: Alaska announced that it expects to generate a solid $1 billion in additional pretax profits over the next three years. Read more
In a swift ruling Thursday, a federal judge in Seattle blocked the Trump administration from implementing a Monday executive order that tried to curtail the right of U.S. birthright citizenship. Read more
The article on the meeting of business leaders to consider forming a downtown business improvement district was offensive but not surprising (“Downtown business improvement district proposed,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 21). Read more
Thanks for putting the problem of military housing on the front page of Sunday’s newspaper (“Service members occupy nearly 14% of Oahu rentals,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 19). Read more
Donald Trump is president again and now needs to make good on his promise to curb inflation and bring down the price of gasoline. Read more
This past New Year’s Eve was the worst, not only in terms of aerial fireworks, but also seeing people lighting and throwing fireworks out of vehicles driving on Kamehameha Highway. Read more
Some 60 years ago, young and idealistic women and men known as Freedom Riders rode in freedom buses from California to New England to Alabama, to lend support and, if necessary, life and limb to their fellow Blacks in their fight to end segregation. Read more
An estimated $500 million annually — gulp — is needed to fully shore up Hawaii’s climate-change defenses and respond to the increased risks of fire-, flood- and storm-related disaster. Read more
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To hear Gov. Josh Green tell it, the state is making considerable headway to meet the housing needs of its people. Read more
A blessing was to be held today for an 18th kauhale “tiny home” village — in Waianae and in partnership with U.S. VETS — the newest kauhale aimed at helping people out of homelessness. Read more
We write today not as an activist, a legislator, a government representative or an environmental organization. We write to you today as fathers of young children. Read more
A recent city-proposed landfill might be put into the middle of historic agricultural lands in Wahiawa without owner Dole Food Co.’s approval. Read more
Recently an Island Voices column, written by Amy Agbayani, described what I consider a fairly accurate, reasoned and compassionate argument showing all the positive contributions made by our immigrant community (“Immigrants contribute to isle economy and cultural fabric,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 16). Read more
Among the worst of Donald Trump’s deplorable executive orders was his pardoning of Jan. 6 rioters who attacked and brutally wounded Capitol police officers defending Congress, its occupants and democracy itself. Read more
Immediately, liberal media began lambasting the new president’s inauguration speech by fact-checking Donald Trump’s inflation critique, citing how the consumer price index has come down from 9% to 3%. Read more
Proponents of forming a Downtown Business Improvement District (DBID) to make the area “clean and safe” — and attractive to residents and shoppers — took their concept public last week. Read more
Congress required the Department of Defense (DoD) to report on Hawaii’s military housing and the effects military usage of private housing units has on the islands, with good reason: Hawaii was due a thorough examination of the issue. Read more
As I braced myself to witness the presidential inauguration, I thought about the meaning of this national ritual. Read more
Hawaii is among the 22 states — so far — whose attorneys general quickly signed on to a lawsuit Tuesday to challenge President Donald Trump’s executive order against birthright citizenship. Read more
A commonality between the 2023 Lahaina wildfires and the L.A. wildfires is high winds. You can’t do anything about winds, but you can do something about the fires. Read more
