$88 Billion is the estimated liabilities for state and local governments over the next 30 years on infrastructure, pensions and climate change. We explore three broad options to pay these liabilities: increase government revenues, reduce government spending and grow the…
"I'LL NEVER FORGET IT" Three people – two women and a man – describe being sexually harassed while on the job. They asked to remain anonymous to protect their privacy and to avoid retribution. ■ For a Honolulu woman who is…
Advocates say it ensures reliable, on-time delivery of everything Hawai‘i needs, while providing a strong U.S. Merchant Marine in time of war or other crises. Opponents say the Jones Act raises prices for everyone in Hawai‘i and puts those who want to export overseas at a disadvantage.
Hawaii's Medical Aid in Dying law takes effect Jan. 1, but some doctors are among the local professionals who are not ready to deal with the law. Mary, a 78-year-old Hawaii resident, doesn’t look like someone who would want to…
A crisis can come in many forms, from the loss of a company’s founder to a volcanic eruption. These Neighbor Island businesses were knocked down and got back up. Here’s what you can learn from their lessons. Guides with Arnott’s…
A City & County of Honolulu leader wants to recycle less because she says it doesn’t make sense economically or environmentally. Environmentalists say “refusing” and “reusing” are much better than recycling. Here’s what you should know. Recycling is changing on…
The world is literally changing and here are six issues we need to understand so we can begin calculating the costs and consequences of climate change and prepare for them. We won’t be able to save everything, so all of Hawaii…
PART 1: The journey of an opioid addict begins with a pill or two that creates a glorious euphoria. Then begins a slow descent until you eventually hit a hellish bottom unique only to you. And then, maybe – if…
Here’s who they are and what they contribute to the local economy. Immigrants have an outsized place in Hawaii’s history. In the 19th and early 20th centuries they came from Japan, China, Puerto Rico and the Portuguese Azores and sustained…
For many Hawaiian musicians and singers, performing is both their passion and their livelihood. So, when there's not enough places to perform locally, or the pay is too low, they have to improvise. Some work day jobs and perform at…
Imagine a world in which robots, drones and artificial intelligence plant, monitor, harvest, and deliver your food. This may sound like science fiction, but it is, in fact, the emerging reality in farming. “We’re seeing robots that can plant, water…
Most people are smart enough to stay out of the ocean when signs warn about bacteria in the water. The problem is we don’t always get that warning, or get it quickly enough, because Hawaii has 303 miles of recreational…
The low-slung warehouse sits on the edge of a small industrial park just outside Waimea. Behind it are the humped, green foothills of Kohala, the oldest of the Big Island’s five volcanoes, and low, heavy clouds inch down the mountain…
So, you want to build a high rise. Maybe you’ve got a couple hundred million dollars burning a hole in your pocket and an acre or two of vacant land in Kakaako, and you’re wondering: How can I get in…
Our Sources Reliable data collection on a big scale takes time. The most recent statistics available for this report are primarily from 2014, sometimes earlier or from 2015. Our information came from many sources; here are abbreviations and acronyms we…
Mosquitoes have already caused a dengue fever outbreak in Hawaii. Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases may be close behind. Here’s what scientists are doing and what you should do. For most of Kepa Police’s life, mosquitoes were minor annoyances, simply…
Critics say use of the chemicals by seed companies endangers the health of Hawaii’s people, but the companies insist they are using pesticides safely and following federal regulations. A recent report suggests a way forward on the issue. Malia Chun…
Two years ago, 27,000 gallons of jet fuel leaked from the military’s giant Red Hill underground storage tanks. The Navy more fully explains what went wrong then and answers the question: Will further or bigger leaks happen and contaminate a…
We looked into the story of the island’s freshwater, including where it comes from, how good it is and whether we’re taking care of it.
There must be blood in the water. Until last year, when Hawaiian Electric Industries announced its intent to merge with Florida energy giant NextEra, the company seemed like a permanent fixture of the local economy. Only a few zealous renewable-energy…
George Atta, director of the Department of Planning and Permitting and a former principal at the architectural firm Group 70 international, knows just how swamped Honolulu's permitting system is. Hideo Simon can barely contain his frustration. “It took me six…
The coral reefs of the main Hawaiian Islands are worth $9.7 billion. That’s the finding of a well-known 2002 study by Dutch economists Herman Cesar and Pieter van Beukering. They created an elaborate equation that summed up the various types…
When Barb had outpatient surgery to remove worrisome growths in her pelvic area last November, the biggest difference she noticed from her previous hospital stay wasn’t a fancy new medical device or miracle drug – it was all the talk,…
Are sweeping changes in Department of Education’s leadership enough to fix Hawaii’s schools? New three-part strategy emphasizes student achievement first, followed by improved support and IT systems, and better training/accountability/HR. Don Horner, chair of the two-year-old, appointed Board of Education,…