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Editorial

Immigration overhaul needed

Border Patrol agents are stopping unauthorized migrants coming from Mexico at record levels. Little wonder more than half of Americans now say an “invasion” is underway at the southern border, according to a recent NPR/Ipsos poll. At the same time, net immigration in the United States — the number of all foreign arrivals, including illegal ones, minus the number of departures — has been on a downward slope for five years, partly but not only because of the pandemic. As the Economist noted recently, migrants added just 247,000 people to the U.S. population in the year that ended ...

Climate chaos

The harm and distress caused by floods in Pakistan are difficult — if not impossible — to quantify, as a crisis of vast proportions keeps unfolding. They have killed around 1,000 people so far this summer, with at least 119 losing their lives in one 24-hour period last week. The number of those who have lost their homes, or been evacuated, is in the millions, with 300,000 dwellings destroyed. More than 33 million people are affected — around one in seven of the population. The country’s climate change minister, Sherry Rehman, says the floods — caused by torrential monsoon rains ...

Hansen Road a little safer

Maui’s most dangerous shortcut, Hansen Road, got a little safer this week. The new four-way stop installed at the intersection of Hansen and Pulehu roads is a common-sense fix that could well save lives. It allows drivers on Pulehu to cross and turn safely through an intersection where they once had to go for broke. Hansen’s new flashing stop signs force drivers to slow to a halt where they once zoomed through the dicey crossroads. Anyone who has driven down Pulehu Road can attest to the leap of faith it took to cross or turn left onto Hansen. Unless you were sitting in the cab ...

A gift that keeps on giving

President Biden’s student-loan write-off is the gift that keeps on giving, unless you’re the sap who paid off her loan or didn’t go to college. Thanks to a little-known provision in the March 2021 COVID spending bill, student borrowers will get a hefty tax benefit on top of their $10,000 or $20,000 in canceled debt. Progressives started hounding Mr. Biden on loan forgiveness while he was still on the campaign trail, and they tucked a perk into last year’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan in anticipation. The provision, sponsored by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bob Menendez, ...

Solutions for homelessness

More than 500 visits. That’s visits to a one-stop pop-up site that has had warm showers and now haircuts, too. All free. Sound too good to be true? Not in one of Connecticut’s largest cities. The services are for people who are experiencing homelessness, and the idea is not just to supply a clean shower, but also to offer respect to those who need to use the facility. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker noted the mobile facility, parked recently right on the downtown Green of the Elm City, is using resources to “welcome and support anyone” and especially “individuals ...

Platforms over political punches

Afew observations now that Hawaii’s 2022 primary election is in the rearview mirror: Let’s start with a sincere mahalo nui loa to all the candidates who promptly took down their campaign signs after losing on Aug. 13. We have been impressed by how thorough they have been. These candidates have shown they truly care about Maui. To our mind, when a politician leaves their signs up long after a loss, it says they are more concerned with promoting themself and their brand than humbly following island political tradition. Yes, it hurts to lose, but democracy itself depends upon ...