David Shapiro: UH needs more protection from spiteful lawmakers
Randy Moore, former chair of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, put his finger on the reason for the poisonous dynamic between UH and our state Legislature. Read more
David Shapiro
David Shapiro is a Honolulu Star-Advertiser columnist whose "Volcanic Ash" column appears every Sunday. Shapiro has covered Hawaii and national news for five decades as a reporter, editor and columnist for Honolulu daily newspapers.
Submit a News Tip
Latest Stories by David Shapiro
David Shapiro: AI smarter than Council and collects quarters, too
It’s the last Sunday in July and time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused: Read more
David Shapiro: Rail leaders must match big talk with performance
Pressing the Federal Transit Administration in 2022 to approve the Honolulu rail recovery plan, Colleen Hanabusa, chair of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, declared: Read more
David Shapiro: Guru of the run-and-shoot gets run down online
I was perplexed by the online response to the arrest June 30 of former University of Hawaii football coach June Jones on suspicion of drunken driving. Read more
David Shapiro: For airborne Sen. Schatz it’s coffee, tea and Q&A
I was bored and browsing Twitter and came upon a stream from U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, apparently equally bored on a flight home to Hawaii from Washington. Read more
David Shapiro: Council joins upper crust; rail’s new name goes thud
It’s the last Sunday of June and time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused: Read more
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser's and Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.
David Shapiro: With start of Oahu rail, city must fulfill promises
As Honolulu rail nears the opening of its first leg from Kapolei to Aloha Stadium, I hear longtime critics of the project almost wishing to see their predictions of dire outcomes materialize. Read more
David Shapiro: Congress put people first; not so the City Council
Council members base much of their claim to full-time status on the neighborhood board meetings and other community events they attend at night, often mixing Council duties with campaigning for reelection. Read more
David Shapiro: New Aloha Stadium plan must still pass pencil test
The latest idea is for a public-private partnership in which the state would put up $400 million in public funds along with development rights to the 90 surrounding Halawa acres, in exchange for a private partner taking responsibility for designing, building, operating and maintaining a new stadium. Read more
David Shapiro: Iam Tongi’s powerful voice makes you cry with wonder
Tongi, always modest and articulate in his interactions with judges, personified Hawaii local style and never changed his casual manner or dress as attention grew. Read more
David Shapiro: When diving in the Capitol trash, look out for weasels
SB 1543 gave qualified challengers a fighting chance to compete, and this seemed to be the year; the jailing of Sen. J. Kalani English and Rep. Ty Cullen shocked legislators into at least acting like they took corruption seriously. Read more
David Shapiro: Critics of state budget show courage, insight
I was impressed by state Rep. Della Au Belatti on the opening day of her first session in 2007, when she stood and excoriated then-House Speaker Calvin Say for being power-obsessed and weak on policy. Read more
David Shapiro: Proposed Council raises reflect greed and cynicism
City Council Chair Tommy Waters hasn’t exactly led major progress on Honolulu’s pressing problems: rampant homelessness, crushing living costs, capricious property taxes, rail dysfunction, dilapidated parks, rutted roads. Read more
David Shapiro: Circus acts, family spats stoke more Capitol drama
It’s the last Sunday in April and time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused: Read more
David Shapiro: Stop letting city leaders take easy out on pay, taxes
A key rule of government transparency is that substantial public funds shouldn’t be committed without the clear and public approval of elected officials. Read more
David Shapiro: Spotlight will soon shift from Legislature to Green
Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie was quoted as saying the Legislature runs the state three months a year and the administration the remaining nine. Read more
David Shapiro: OHA too quick to reject latest ceded-lands proposal
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has made many costly misjudgments in decades of attempts to settle its ceded-lands dispute with the state, and trustees may have made another by too hastily rejecting a new proposal from House Speaker Scott Saiki. Read more
David Shapiro: Hawaii’s self-important senators need a dose of humility
You knew state Senate confirmation for Gov. Josh Green’s Cabinet nominees would be nasty from the unusually hostile reception they got at their first budget hearings before the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Read more
David Shapiro: Fast action, slow action or no action, our ills go unsolved
It’s the last Sunday in March and time to “flASHback” on the month’s news that amused and confused: Read more
David Shapiro: Mayor, Honolulu City Council asking big raises from handpicked panel
To understand the tone-deafness of our elected officials for the realities facing their constituents, look at the effort by Mayor Rick Blangiardi and the City Council to massively increase their salaries. Read more
David Shapiro: New stadium sees more political games than sports events
Who knows when the University of Hawaii will ever play football in a new Aloha Stadium, but the tangled project is serving endlessly as a political football. Read more
Having trouble finding what you need? Try using our search feature.
Subscriber Favorites
Oahu jury finds babysitter guilty of manslaughter in child’s death
American Airlines flight from Honolulu makes ‘expedited climb’ to avoid mountains
Avian influenza confirmed in birds on Central Oahu property
Alarm grows over Trump’s pick for defense secretary
Sources: Trump’s team drawing up list of Pentagon officers to fire
More Editors' Picks
HART wants 26% budget increase for fiscal year ’26
Gov. Green calls Kennedy’s choice as HHS leader ‘insane’
Kahuku’s defense closes out Mililani in state semifinals
Saint Louis stuns Campbell with rally in state semifinals
Historic Chinatown building is turned into affordable housing
