Editorial: More Americans are at high risk of COVID-19 complications than you think
In the early days of the stay-at-home orders, one of the arguments used to press for a quick and nearly full reopening of the country was that COVID-19 wasn’t that dangerous. Why be so upset about the novel coronavirus, some critics asked, when flu kills more people? That talking point was squashed when, within three months of the pandemic’s start, the coronavirus killed more Americans than the last flu season did in six-plus months. COVID-19 has now killed almost 50% more Americans (about 93,000) than the highest estimate of the season’s flu toll (about 62,000).
As I See It: You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” These words described the postal system that unified the extensive empire of ancient Persia. Over 2,500 years ago. Every efficient government in history has tried to emulate it. Some better than others. “Safe as the Royal Mail” was an advertising slogan. The world’s largest diamond was sent from South Africa in a plain brown box by Royal Mail. For 245 years, the U.S. mail has enjoyed a similar reputation. Communication ties a civilization together. In many countries, the post office is about the only government function that is trusted.
Letters to the Editor: May 24, 2020
Tests are cheap, illnesses are not
Editorial: A crowd in space: Tens of thousands of satellites planned for orbit
Space, that final frontier, could become very crowded very soon.
Commentary: Our new Cold War with China: Not like the old Cold War
Are the United States and China heading for a new Cold War? Judging by some of the rhetoric and policies emanating from Beijing and Washington, it sure looks that way.
Letters to the Editor: May 23, 2020
Please do not remove trees
Letters to the Editor: May 22, 2020
A reboot is not a fix
My Turn: Aloha Threatre will survive COVID-19
A recent story by Charles McNulty addressed the new digital landscape theaters around the world are exploring during the COVID-19 pandemic. He accurately reflected the difficulties we have encountered, and the many questions that plague us as we consider our future. While his concern over potential damage to the theater world is appropriate, all of us at the Aloha Theatre are confident that we will not only survive our current state, but we will thrive as we pass through it.
Commentary: Plan now for vaccination decisions to come
Recent news from researchers at Oxford University gives some hope that a vaccine for COVID-19 could be ready as early as this fall. But as with test kits, N95 masks and ventilators, the demand will far exceed the supply — at least initially. So, who should be first in line for a vaccination once it is available?
Letters to the Editor: May 21, 2020
A spot-on assessment
Letters to the Editor: May 20, 2020
Why not start now?
Restructuring of internal management of Maunakea will provide greater accountability and transparency
Stewardship and telescope operations have resumed on University of Hawaii managed lands on Maunakea after suspension of all activities for nearly two months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The university is pleased Gov. David Ige identified Maunakea as part of the state’s list of low-risk organizations that are safe to reopen. This allows the university to ramp up its stewardship initiatives and for UH observatories, along with the rest of the Maunakea Observatories (MKO), to gradually restart astronomical observations.
Commentary: What children need most as they face pressure to learn during this pandemic
Everyone is experiencing a degree of trauma amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus outbreak, including young children. Despite this, there appears to be a collective expectation that children can easily shift to remote schooling and will continue to advance academically as if they were still in the classroom.
Letters to the Editor: May 19, 2020
Get outside for ‘Lahaina Noon’
Commentary: A grim COVID-19 lesson. We’re paying a steep price for not investing in science
My laboratory staff and I work to find solutions for metastatic breast cancer and chronic inflammatory disease. But science is not linear; solutions designed to resolve one problem end up helping with others. That’s what happened with our research.
My Turn: Be realistic for a moment
Yes, we’d all love to get back to normal, and we know that in Kona that means being able to open the airport, hotels, short-term rentals, restaurants, fishing and diving tour boats, and the like. But permit me to try to inject a voice of reason, and let’s be realistic for a minute.
Editorial: Progress on saving America’s free press
Congress is taking some encouraging steps toward the critical challenge of saving America’s local newspapers.
Letters to the Editor: May 17, 2020
It’s only fair
Commentary: Trump just called a key coronavirus whistleblower ‘disgruntled.’ That makes him even more credible
President Donald Trump reverted to form on Thursday when reporters asked him about congressional testimony by Dr. Richard Bright, who says the White House removed him from his position leading the federal Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority because he, in essence, stood up to Trump’s political machinery in defense of science.
Editorial: Work with the world on vaccine development
On May 4, world leaders gathered for a virtual vaccine summit.