Opinions, guest essays and editorials from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Featuring Kokua Line, Rearview Mirror, David Shapiro, Richard Borreca and others.
Question: President Biden said that intentional power outages to prevent more fires in L.A. contributed to the lack of water to fight the fires; without electricity, pumps couldn’t get the water to the hydrants. Could the same thing happen in Hawaii under Hawaiian Electric’s Public Safety Power Shutoff plan? Read more
Was it two months ago when doom and gloom were set to meet in Manoa? Read more
The Sony Open in Hawaii still matters. There have been plenty of reasons for a cynical sports fan to doubt it lately, but the electricity at Waialae Country Club this week made it seem bigger than ever. Read more
There’s no word yet about when this Social Security money will start flowing. Read more
The new year is a fresh start, a chance to mend frayed relationships. Read more
This is another example of the need to keep the doctor’s office and the voting booth separate. Read more
It’s hard for many of my friends to believe it’s already 2025. Some tell me they long for the “good old days.” Were things better then? Through the magic of this column, let’s jump into my Way Back machine and travel to 1925. What was Hawaii like 100 years ago? Let’s see. Read more
Question: I change the engine oil, axle oil, gear oil and radiator fluids for our vehicles. I have been putting them in the same plastic gallon container they came in from the store. I do not know where to dispose of them. Read more
Question: Regarding U.S. passports (808ne.ws/3Pq8Ru9), I can’t renew online because my passport is so old. What about the main library? Is that still an option? Can I walk in? Read more
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Much like resort fees at hotels, secure sockets layer certificates (referred to as SSL certificates) for websites are basically a requirement that cannot be avoided without a huge headache. What exactly is an SSL certificate, and why do you need it? Read more
Question: What if we already threw fireworks away? I thought it was OK to put them in the trash after soaking in water overnight, so that’s what we did, same as in 2024. It was only a few, all legal (permitted firecrackers). I don’t see anything contrary on the Hazardous Household Waste website. Read more
Question: Why are there so many mango trees with lots of flowers now? It seems very early in the year. Is this normal? Read more
One-sided playoff games involving teams that were questionable participants? Players leaving programs even before the first attendance was taken? Read more
In these days of limitless demand for content, with broadcast hours and YouTube channels overstuffed with “analysis” (read: arguing) of various levels of quality, overreaction has become the norm in both the NFL and college football. Read more
When Brian Schatz joined the U.S. Senate in 2012, he was the youngest of Turks at 40 and determined to build a long and influential career like his legendary predecessor, Daniel Inouye. Read more
Schatz is helping to steer an estimated $1.6 billion in new federal funding for Maui’s continued recovery, saying the money goes for building permanent housing for survivors of the Lahaina fires. Read more
Question: Is the state doing a health survey? I don’t usually answer calls from noncontacts but I made a mistake and picked up and it was something about health and I hung up thinking it was a scam. They called again but I didn’t answer. Can you check if this is legit? Read more
College bowl games and the last week of the NFL regular season are almost as much about who isn’t playing as who is. Read more
Life as we know it wouldn’t exist without enzymes. These tiny proteins, found in every living organism, are the catalysts that make nearly all the chemical reactions in our bodies possible. Read more
Question: I heard on the news that pedestrian fatalities rose in 2024. Do you know how many of those involved homeless people who were lying in the road? Read more
If you watch the local television news today, you’ll see as many female reporters as male. But that wasn’t always the case. TV news reporters were all men until one woman broke through the glass ceiling in 1969. Her name is Linda Coble. Read more
