Sing, O Muse, of the ‘Herculean’ effort that could not tame the Cretan Bull of Planning and Permitting, a maddened beast of code and chaos that now stampedes over a cliff, crushing all hope in its path.

The Young Brothers inter-island shipping monopoly just won a 25 percent rate hike from the Public Utilities Commission. Parent company shareholders are made whole, while local consumers are stuck with ever-higher food prices.

When lives feel hollow, dopamine comes cheap: riskier thrills, faster rewards. The state’s fix? More cops, more drones—not solutions. Peak America. Happy birthday, indeed.

Hawaiʻi makes history as the first state to enact a green fee. Worldwide, tourists usually don’t mind paying these fees to offset their impact. But those who profit from the industry have long claimed the sky will fall as a result.

When we have money to fund tax credits for powerful film studios, but no money to invest in tax credits for our keiki, the lines between fictional exploitation and the dismal reality of life start to feel blurred. Are we not, in fact, living The White Lotus?

State lawmakers want to redevelop Aloha Stadium—predictably, for as little money as possible. The developer wants double the amount the state wants to spend in order to add all the bells and whistles to the project needed to make it profitable.

There are always winners and losers in every proposed budget, but some of the guests at this year’s budget banquet might be consuming more than makes sense, while others could use more than breadcrumbs.

On the recently-passed, governor-backed income tax cut bill the Hawaiʻi State Legislature approved. The benefits of the tax cut will mostly flow to the wealthiest households in the state, while working families will see only meager savings.