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Editorial

Guns and ‘flight rage’

Federal aviation officials say more airline passengers than ever are showing up at airports with guns. Combined with the general uptick in belligerent behavior by passengers, this is an issue with the potential for real mayhem. Those who get weapons confiscated at security already face penalties, but it’s time to talk about making them steeper. Transportation Security Administration officers stopped 4,495 passengers trying to carry guns through security at 248 airports around the country during the first nine months of this year, the TSA reported recently. That’s the highest number ...

Senate inaction on confirmations

Donald Trump spent the four years of his presidency hollowing out the State Department. Now, as Joe Biden attempts to once again make the United States a player on the world stage, Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley are continuing the mission of decimating this nation’s foreign policy apparatus. Their weapon of choice is the Senate’s own arcane confirmation process. The consequences of their separate but equally devastating political vendettas is a scandalous backlog of high-ranking State Department officials and ambassadors now stuck in confirmation limbo. Nine months ...

Another hurdle for high school

If only we had a nickel for every time the words “long-awaited” have been used in conjunction with the oft-delayed Kihei high school. Look up any story about the project from the past 25 years and there is a good chance “long-awaited” will be found somewhere in the copy. The description usually comes right at the top. “Oft-delayed” will probably show up as well. Such was the case with Thursday’s edition of The Maui News and a story detailing the state Land Use Commission’s decision to once again deny the Department of Education’s request to open the school without a ...

Uphold Congress’ subpoena power

The challenge in polarized political times is to keep your eye on democratic institutions and their proper authority. That’s the reason to applaud the nine House Republicans who voted last week to hold Steve Bannon, the sometime Donald Trump counselor, in contempt for defying a Congressional subpoena. The subpoena was issued by the special committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and there are no doubt some partisan motives at play. Speaker Nancy Pelosi hopes the committee will find evidence to back up her claim that the riot was part of a larger plot to stage an ...

Open border to Canada

Since the beginning of the pandemic, our border with Canada has remained closed to nonessential travelers. The Biden administration has kept delaying the opening, and now says it will be in early November. If there’s a good reason not to do it now, we’d like to hear it. The administration didn’t initially set a firm date, which was worrisome, but on Friday said it would happen Nov. 8. Canada eased travel restrictions for vaccinated Americans more than two months ago, yet we haven’t returned the favor. This isn’t the way to treat a close ally and trading partner. The ...

Rolo’s goal-line stand

Before being fired by Washington State University this week, Nick Rolovich was the only head coach in major college football who refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19. The former University of Hawaii quarterback dug in his heels and it cost him his job, as well as the $3 million annual salary that came with it. Without a chance to say goodbye to his players Monday, he walked away from a team that had won three straight games. Gone are the perks and prestige of being a college head football coach. Four of his assistants were also fired for refusing jabs. Talk about making a goal-line ...