The real government conspiracy isn’t about UFOs

Three months ago, following last summer’s congressional hearings on UFOs, the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office issued a 63-page report evaluating almost 80 years of evidence. Its conclusion — not altogether surprising, given the name of the office — can be summarized as follows: Not much to see here. Please move on.

Caitlin Clark belonged on Olympic team

It’s undeniable that Caitlin Clark has rocketed women’s basketball to an unprecedented level of viewership and prominence. She’s broken records on and off the court; her games are some of the most viewed women’s basketball games of all time, and her playing history is filled with similar accolades. She’s been an incredibly positive influence on a sport that, despite the talents of her predecessors, historically has failed to receive the same attention awarded to men’s basketball.

No honor system: Supreme Court isn’t above other branches

Speaking freely at a glitzy Supreme Court Historical Society event earlier this month, Justice Samuel Alito pointed out that there are “fundamental things that really can’t be compromised” in society, and speculated that “one side or the other is going to win.” The comments were recorded by a documentarian who had attended the events and surreptitiously recorded the justices as they increasingly find themselves under the microscope for tossing precedent overboard and embarking on ideologically rigid right-wing path.

As I See It: The Legislature

Mark Twain warned us, “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.” Who does our Legislature actually work for?

Hey, United Airlines, no targeted ads at 30,000 feet, please

Over the past few years, American Airlines steadily removed seat-back screens from almost all of its domestic fleet. The airline’s rationale was that people now bring their own screens wherever they may roam, so there’s no reason to add the cost and weight of providing them when they won’t be missed.

Thank you, Pat Sajak, for your help in my life’s wheel of fortune

“Wheel of Fortune” fans everywhere are grieving Pat Sajak’s retirement, but I’m excited for him. I know a little something about big life changes. Spinning the wheel on “America’s Game” back in 1996 led me to embrace a more authentic version of myself in a terrible year when I almost lost everything.

Hamas continues to put its own people in harm’s way

Terrorist sympathizers reacted predictably to Israel’s daring rescue of four hostages on Saturday, blaming the Jewish state for harming civilians during the raid. This addled logic misses a significant point: Hamas intentionally stashed innocent captives among its own people and then fired on rescuers in a populated area.

Time to rethink the US nuclear arsenal

The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have captured most of the public attention when it comes to thinking about U.S. foreign policy, and rightly so, given the devastating human consequences. But there is another issue that cannot be ignored if we want to secure the future of life on this planet — a new nuclear arms race.

Biden’s immigration order is built to fail

President Joe Biden has issued an executive order that shuts down the southern U.S. border to all but a few asylum-seekers — a move reminiscent of former President Donald Trump’s efforts, which were blocked by the federal courts.

Regarding unhoused: ‘We are far from done’

The recent Homeless Point-in-Time Count (PITC) results for Hawaii County, as reported on by the Tribune-Herald on June 6, indicates a significant reduction of 285 individuals or 28% in our unhoused population and should be celebrated. Yet this positive step may seem contrary to what many experience daily in downtown Hilo.

Hey, Trump defenders: Knock it off!

The reaction among Republicans to the news that Donald Trump was convicted in New York of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records was fast and furious.