Disbanding the CRI would not be in the best interests of Oahu’s people, struggling with water-safety concerns since the Navy’s 2021 Red Hill fuel leak contaminated the water in the Pearl Harbor-Hickam area. Read more
It’s no longer inside information that the Maui Emergency Management Agency’s (MEMA) ability to coordinate a countywide response to a fast-developing disaster was inadequate on Aug. 7, 2023. Read more
Nothing demonstrates the centrality of electricity in community life more clearly than when it suddenly fails. Read more
A prime example of partnership to combat homelessness — a necessary one — came into focus Wednesday, with the unveiling of the Leahi Behavioral and Medical Respite facility near Diamond Head. Read more
In 2029, Hawaii’s leases with the U.S. military expire at three sites: the Makua Military Reservation, Kahuku Training Area and Kawailoa-Poamoho (Poamoho) Training Area on Oahu. Read more
The aerial fireworks that are smuggled into Hawaii by the tons create a real risk for both people and places throughout the islands. Read more
A civil complaint being heard this week in Circuit Court has drawn a critical eye toward Hawaii laws governing midwifery, an important facet of pregnancy care for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, in particular. The increased scrutiny is for good reason. Read more
A far-reaching study conducted in Hawaii by the State Coalition Against Domestic Violence has turned up a number of alarming revelations. Read more
Even among those who had developed a habit of guarding against COVID-19 during the pandemic, most have dropped vigilance — just at the moment when new highly infectious variants, KP.2 and KP.3, are circulating. Read more
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Hawaii has become the first state in the U.S. to gain federal approval to include community palliative care — specialized, “wrap-around” medical care for serious illnesses outside of a hospital — through Medicaid. Read more
The breaks begin right away, and properly: Hawaii’s regressive standard deduction, which was set at an unconscionably stingy $2,200 for an individual, doubles for tax year 2024. Read more
The ambitious — and contentious — Honokea Surf Villages and Resort project hit a snag last week after its environmental assessment was found sorely lacking by a state Circuit Court judge. Read more
Enough already. That’s what went through many minds as Lori Kahikina — the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation CEO who’s helped put rail construction back on track — got increasingly criticized by HART’s board of directors, culminating with public shouting in an April meeting by board chair, Colleen Hanabusa. Read more
Ten acres of prime, developable property above the thriving town of Kailua, owned by Honolulu’s city government have been sitting vacant for decades — 63 years, in fact. Read more
Last week’s unanimous decision by the state’s high court has further complicated the already murky future of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), a project that, while still offering great potential benefits to the state and to science internationally, will undoubtedly remain a flash point among those contesting its cultural and environmental impacts. Read more
Consider what’s more humane: leaving someone who’s mentally ill and homeless living in squalor and danger on the streets; or taking that person off the streets for help, perhaps even onto a road to a better life? Read more
State efforts to supercharge housing creation picked up steam on Tuesday when Gov. Josh Green signed a group of consequential housing bills, all of which reduce roadblocks to or strengthen potential incentives for development of new housing. Read more
The Hawaii Foodbank has a direct link to residents throughout the state who are experiencing food insecurity — defined as lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Read more
Every few decades, a new, more affordable and efficient means of personal conveyance emerges. E-bikes are the new kid on the block, and judging by the growing number of riders zipping by in near-silence on metro, residential and rural roads, they are likely here to stay. Read more
With so much need for affordable housing, Hawaii should definitively not expend public resources without producing additional homes for locals who need them. That’s why Gov. Josh Green must veto Senate Bill 1170. Read more
Finding a way to help teachers struggling with the recovery from the Maui wildfires is an undeniable goal of public education officials. The difficulty lies in doing so without adding to the learning opportunities the students already have suffered. Read more
