Hawaiian Electric (HECO) submitted its 2025-2027 Wildfire Safety Strategy (WSS) to the Public Utilities Commission this week, outlining its intention to protect the electric grid from being damaged or causing damage during wildfires, hurricanes, tsunami and flooding, and recognizing the growing threats that are exacerbated by climate change. Read more
The 2025 Hawaii Legislature began its 60-day session on Wednesday, and the public must see good-government reforms that should have been enacted years ago. Read more
The pressure is on the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to scale back its spending aspirations, and that’s coming straight from the top — the governor’s office. Read more
There is no such thing as “too much information” when it comes to guidance for programs to address Hawaii’s homelessness problems. Read more
Stark figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) latest Point-in-Time (PIT) count reveal a whopping 87% increase in Hawaii homelessness between 2023 and 2024, with primary blame laid on the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires. Read more
The Legislature must act to establish a Hawaii Climate Resilience Fund; set aside disaster recovery funds; and expand the new state Fire Marshal Office and related programs, like Firewise. Read more
The health of Hawaii — or at least its capacity to care for its people — is gradually on the mend. Read more
It’s been a terribly traumatic start to the new year in Hawaii. Read more
Downtown Honolulu’s character is changing to include residences and day-into-night activities, but it won’t be quick, and it’s not likely to be completely predictable, as shifting plans for redevelopment are already altering expectations. Read more
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It’s all but impossible to make Oahu taxpayers happy about looming increases in sewer fees. Read more
It’ll be one of the more consequential decisions in recent years regarding Hawaii’s contribution to U.S. military strategy: Whether to renew the Navy’s operating permit for training at sea around Hawaii and California, which aims to expand mine warfare training here. Read more
It’s heartening to hear Mayor Blangiardi promise to waste no time in moving forward. Now, as he also recognizes, the administration’s success or failure will be measured by its performance. Read more
A toppled “cake bomb” made up of massed aerial fireworks launched into a huge cache of illegal explosives inside an Aliamanu carport on New Year’s Eve, inflicting a horrific toll. Read more
The Lahaina wildfires loom large in Hawaii’s collective memory, as they must when survivors are still living through emotional, financial and, in some cases, physical strife nearly 17 months later. Read more
The new year stretches out ahead, filled with promise. That’s taking the traditional, optimistic view on prospects for 2025. Read more
So many of the big stories brought to Hawaii throughout 2024 were well known to residents, like the next chapter of a book they’re already reading. Read more
The situation over how to close the Navy’s aging and problematic Red Hill fuel facility, remediate its nearby environs and keep the area’s water safe has devolved this year, sadly. Read more
The county’s challenge is to balance the myriad responses. Some residents want the original configuration of the town maintained; others prefer that the region’s historical heritage be better reflected. Read more
All of Hawaii’s kamaaina benefit from our collective support. Read more
The fear of COVID-19, which once reshaped the way Hawaii residents regarded seasonal gatherings, seems now a thing of the past. Read more
Politically, this has been a dark time, with wars raging on in Gaza and Ukraine and numerous conflict zones less prominent in western headlines — Myanmar, Sudan and Yemen among these. Read more
