An Israeli government-sponsored trip costs us not in dollars, but in principle. It's a cost paid in the devaluation of Aloha. It tells the world that in Hawaiʻi, our most cherished symbol can be weaponized to bless a genocide.

Rep. David Alcos claims he didn't know what he was doing when he failed to disclose millions in debt as required by state law. Perhaps, but either way lawmakers in debt have a lot to potentially offer to anyone willing to bail them out, with the right strings attached.