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Editorial

Give the road your full attention

April has been designated as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and that’s a good reminder of the importance of putting down your cellphone or anything else while you drive and putting your focus exactly where it should be: on the road and your surroundings. If common sense and the fear of a deadly wreck aren’t enough to convince you of the need to not drive distractedly, there may just be a ticket in your future if law enforcement sees you endangering yourself and others by not paying proper attention when you’re ...

The critical collector road

Last month’s announcement that a deal had been struck between the state and county to allow the opening of Kulanihako‘i High School overshadowed another landmark pledge to Kihei. Fresh off his State of the County address, during which he made public the indemnification agreement that allowed the school to open without a grade-separated pedestrian crossing, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. paid a visit to the Kihei Community Association. During the KCA meeting held last month, Bissen said a top priority of his administration is the completion of Kihei’s north-south collector ...

Addressing mental health

Responding to clamoring from parents, and dreadful stories of youth suicide and hospitalizations, leaders in both parties convey an increasing sense of urgency to address epidemic levels of teenage anxiety, depression, loneliness and lashing out. About two dozen governors described teenage mental health as a crisis during their state of the state addresses this year and proposed budgets that would expand treatment options. The need is glaring; the pandemic supercharged trend lines that have grown worse as America’s social fabric has been pulled at the seams and social media has grown ...

Ukraine, Putin and war crimes

It is entirely likely that Vladimir Putin may never be held fully accountable for his crimes. But the possibility of eventual justice grew somewhat brighter with the international criminal court’s decision last week to issue an arrest warrant for overseeing the abduction of Ukrainian children. The compelling evidence of the forced transfer of thousands of children for adoption or to “re-education camps” is appalling. But this is only one of many horrors that Mr. Putin has unleashed on Ukraine. There is growing support for prosecuting him for the invasion itself, which would ...

Lucky to live Maui, even with cost

It is all too easy to take our island home for granted. When is the last time you pulled over to watch a sunset? How about visiting the summit of Haleakala or Iao Valley? When did you last treat yourself to a Komoda Bakery cream puff or Sam Sato’s manju? We get so caught up in the day-to-day grind we lose touch with why we live here. One proven cure is to play tour guide when family and friends visit. Not only do they get you out to do activities and see the sights, their appreciation for Maui is infectious. You see the beauty of the environment and people through fresh ...

Scapegoating TikTok

TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew did not have a successful appearance before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. He did not assuage skeptical members of Congress that his enormously popular social media platform can isolate itself from Chinese government interference. Nor did he convince them that TikTok has done enough to address misinformation, protect children from harmful material or remove content that violates its code of conduct. It didn’t help his cause when Republican Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida played a video showing an animated handgun firing in a post ...