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Let the Sunshine In


Tracking Corruption And Government Accountability

Tracking Corruption And Government Accountability

Civil Beat opinion writers are closely following efforts to bring more transparency and accountability to state and local government — at the Legislature, the county level and in the media. Help us by sending ideas and anecdotes to sunshine@civilbeat.org.

The Sunshine Blog: This Longtime Hawaiʻi Senator Is Calling It Quits

Short takes, outtakes, our takes and other stuff you should know about public information, government accountability and ethical leadership in Hawai‘i.

By The Sunshine Blog · November 2, 2025 · 10 min read

Turnout Is Up. People Like It. But Voting By Mail Is Under Attack In Hawaiʻi

The state Elections Commission has asked the Legislature to revert to in-person, same-day voting. But experts say voting by mail is safe and popular.

By Chad Blair · November 2, 2025 · 13 min read

We Must Push Lawmakers To Investigate The $35,000 Payoff

The leadership of both chambers must be shown it will be politically costly if they ignore public opinion this time.

By Alexander Silvert · November 2, 2025 · 4 min read

What I Saw At The Insurrection

The No Kings rally in Washington, D.C., was peaceful and plainly patriotic.

By Chad Blair · October 26, 2025 · 9 min read

More Articles

Columns

  • Lee Cataluna
    Columnist
  • Kirstin Downey
    Columnist
  • Denby Fawcett
    Columnist
  • Beth Fukumoto
    Columnist
  • Neal Milner
    Columnist
  • Eric Stinton
    Columnist
  • Danny de Gracia
    Columnist
  • Chad Blair
    Civil Beat Staff
  • Catherine Toth Fox
    Columnist
  • John Hill
    Civil Beat Staff
  • Naka Nathaniel
    Editor-at-Large
  • Jonathan Y. Okamura
    Columnist
  • Ben Lowenthal
    Columnist
  • Matthew Leonard
    Senior Reporter
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

Lee Cataluna: Money, Power And Status Make Kamehameha Schools A Rich Target

November 2, 2025 · 5 min read

Screenshot/instagram.com/kan08sei/

Lee Cataluna: Throw A Flag On This UH Football Marketing Ploy

October 19, 2025 · 6 min read

Nick Grube/Civil Beat/2023

Lee Cataluna: Ed Case Continues To Play His Own Game

October 12, 2025 · 5 min read

Newspapers.com/Honolulu Advertiser

Lee Cataluna: When Hate Speech Is Too Much. Even For The Aloha Spirit

September 28, 2025 · 5 min read

More from Lee Cataluna
David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Kirstin Downey: This Historic Kailua Estate Is Finally Getting Fixed

October 31, 2025 · 7 min read

Catherine Toth Fox/Civil Beat/2023

Kirstin Downey: 6 Land Conservation Projects Win Approval For State Funds

October 24, 2025 · 8 min read

Hawaiʻi News Now/2022

Kirstin Downey: Without Historic Inventory, We Don't Know What We're Losing

October 17, 2025 · 9 min read

Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2017

Kirstin Downey: This Trio Helped Unlock The History Of Polynesian Voyaging

October 10, 2025 · 6 min read

More from Kirstin Downey
AP/2025

Denby Fawcett: Could What Happened To The East Wing Occur Here?

October 28, 2025 · 7 min read

Courtesy: Shangri La

Denby Fawcett: Neighbors Chafe At Shangri La Museum's Plan For More Events

October 21, 2025 · 9 min read

Kenneth Hayes photo

Denby Fawcett: Seeking Love For The Endangered Hawaiian Land Snail

August 18, 2025 · 8 min read

Courtesy: David Mulligan

Denby Fawcett: Mayor Wants To Buy Wo Fat Building In Chinatown For Housing

August 12, 2025 · 7 min read

More from Denby Fawcett
Getty Images

Beth Fukumoto: Vouchers Are An Easy Way To Publicly Finance Elections

October 26, 2025 · 6 min read

Randy Kashka/Flickr.com

Beth Fukumoto: Could Portland's Election Reforms Work In Hawaiʻi?

September 28, 2025 · 7 min read

Denby Fawcett/Civil Beat

Beth Fukumoto: Hawaiʻi Homelessness Policies Often Mirror Trump's Hard Line

September 14, 2025 · 6 min read

Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Beth Fukumoto: If We Build The Infrastructure, The Housing Will Come

September 9, 2025 · 6 min read

More from Beth Fukumoto
Leilani Combs/Civil Beat/2025

Neal Milner: Democrats Like Josh Green Are Clueless About Fighting Trumpism

October 23, 2025 · 7 min read

Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2017

Neal Milner: Helping Today's Kids Thrive On Chaos And Contemplation

October 16, 2025 · 6 min read

Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

Neal Milner: Unhinged Is A Bad Look For Honolulu's Mayor

October 5, 2025 · 7 min read

Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Neal Milner: Living Life Every Day Is What Makes Us Pono In Hawaiʻi

September 11, 2025 · 7 min read

More from Neal Milner
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2018

Eric Stinton: Can Settlers Ever Be Pono In Hawaiʻi?

August 24, 2025 · 9 min read

AP Photo/Eric Jamison/2008

Eric Stinton: BJ Penn Needs Help, But He Doesn't Seem To Know It

June 1, 2025 · 7 min read

Getty Images/2023

Eric Stinton: Students Need A Better Reason Not To Cheat Using AI

May 20, 2025 · 8 min read

Getty Images

Eric Stinton: Fairness Means Giving Trans Athletes A Chance To Play

February 19, 2025 · 8 min read

More from Eric Stinton
Getty Images

Danny De Gracia: You Don't Have The Right To Use AI Deepfakes In Politics

June 15, 2025 · 8 min read

Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023

Danny De Gracia: The Case For Young People To Stay In Hawaiʻi

June 9, 2025 · 8 min read

Screenshot

Danny De Gracia: Hawaiʻi Needs Serious Leadership From Local Republicans

June 2, 2025 · 7 min read

Csilla Jaray-Benn/Flickr.com

Danny De Gracia: Why Local Government Must Help Young People Get Jobs

May 26, 2025 · 10 min read

More from Danny de Gracia
David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

We Must Preserve The Human Rights Of Children Who Commit Crimes

May 16, 2025 · 4 min read

The White House/2025

Jacob Aki: Trump’s Address To Congress Wasn’t A Vision — It Was A Warning

March 7, 2025 · 6 min read

Chad Blair/Civil Beat/2024

Chad Blair: Campaign Signs Are Everywhere. Is There Anywhere They're Not Allowed?

July 31, 2024 · 8 min read

David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Chad Blair: Senate Interrogations And House Lovefests When The Money Committees Meet

May 13, 2024 · 8 min read

More from Chad Blair
David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Catherine Toth Fox: Closed Since 1979, Waikīkī Natatorium May Be Restored

January 21, 2025 · 5 min read

Catherine Toth Fox/Civil Beat/2024

Catherine Toth Fox: The Big Business Of Pokemon Comes To Honolulu

August 16, 2024 · 5 min read

Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

Catherine Toth Fox: There Should Be Such A Thing As A Free Lunch — At Least In Schools

August 9, 2024 · 4 min read

Catherine Toth Fox/Civil Beat/2024

Catherine Toth Fox: This Principal Made A Community Centered On Raising Fish And Vegetables

July 12, 2024 · 5 min read

More from Catherine Toth Fox
Cory Lum/Civil Beat

John Hill: She Begged The State To Save Her Grandkids. Instead, One Is Dead

October 18, 2024 · 6 min read

Screenshot: Multidisciplinary team report/2024

John Hill: An Abused Child's Hidden Death

September 30, 2024 · 6 min read

David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Danny De Gracia: Government Could Help Make Day-To-Day Life Less Annoying

September 23, 2024 · 7 min read

Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

John Hill: The State Keeps Bleeding Money For Failing To Protect Vulnerable Children

September 5, 2024 · 7 min read

More from John Hill
Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

Naka Nathaniel: The Military Wants New State Land Leases. What Should We Get In Return?

September 23, 2024 · 6 min read

(Naka Nathaniel/Civil Beat 2024

Naka Nathaniel: Hawaii's Ag System Needs An Overhaul To Promote Food Independence

September 18, 2024 · 6 min read

Jonathan Salvador photo/2024

Naka Nathaniel: The Voyage To Becoming The Breadbasket Of The Pacific

September 11, 2024 · 6 min read

Cory Lum / Civil Beat

Naka Nathaniel: We Need To Foster A Culture Of Belonging In A Land Of Inequality

August 21, 2024 · 6 min read

More from Naka Nathaniel
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Jonathan Okamura: Here's How Some Hawaii Candidates Covet The Japanese Vote

July 28, 2024 · 6 min read

David Croxford/Civil Beat/2022

Jonathan Okamura: Ethnic Names Give Hawaii Candidates An Advantage — And They Know It

July 21, 2024 · 7 min read

Angelo Villagomez

Jonathan Okamura: There May Be No 'Black Jobs,' But What About Micronesian Jobs?

July 14, 2024 · 5 min read

Charlie Kaijo/Civil Beat

Jonathan Okamura: Immigrant Students In Hawaii Defy Stereotypes To Tell Their Own Stories

June 30, 2024 · 6 min read

More from Jonathan Y. Okamura
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Ben Lowenthal: Turning Chronic Unlicensed Drivers Into Felons Is A Bad Idea

May 31, 2024 · 6 min read

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Ben Lowenthal: Hawaii Just Won't Give Up Its Harsh Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws

May 17, 2024 · 6 min read

Ben Lowenthal/Civil Beat/2017

Ben Lowenthal: County Fair's Demise Is Another Loss For Maui

May 3, 2024 · 6 min read

Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Ben Lowenthal: Opponents Of Legal Cannabis Say They Want To 'Keep Hawaii, Hawaii.' Which Hawaii Are They Talking About?

April 19, 2024 · 6 min read

More from Ben Lowenthal
Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Ben Lowenthal: Hawaii Just Won't Give Up Its Harsh Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws

May 17, 2024 · 6 min read

Jonathan Okamura/Civil Beat/2024

Jonathan Okamura: Filipino UH Ceremony Creates A Cultural Space To Honor Graduates, Families And Community

May 12, 2024 · 6 min read

Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Ben Lowenthal: Opponents Of Legal Cannabis Say They Want To 'Keep Hawaii, Hawaii.' Which Hawaii Are They Talking About?

April 19, 2024 · 6 min read

Courtesy Bernie Llanes/Aggressive Gamefarm

Eric Stinton: Chickens Have Feelings Too, Scientists Say. So Where Does That Leave Cockfighting?

April 2, 2024 · 7 min read

More from Matthew Leonard

Editorials and Interviews


David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

The Civil Beat Editorial Board Interview: US Rep. Ed Case

December 2, 2024 · 31 min read

Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024

The Civil Beat Editorial Board Interview: Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami

November 21, 2024 · 32 min read

David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

The Civil Beat Editorial Board Interview: Hawaii's Climate Advisory Team

November 11, 2024 · 27 min read

Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

The Civil Beat Editorial Board Interview: US Sen. Brian Schatz

August 18, 2024 · 25 min read

Danny de Gracia/Civil Beat/2019

Pay-To-Play Politics Is Staring Us In The Face. What Are We Going To Do About It?

May 28, 2024 · 6 min read

Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Now We Know The Scale Of Pay-To-Play Politics In Hawaii. It's Long Past Time To Act

April 21, 2024 · 5 min read

More Editorials and Interviews

Political Cartoons


Will Caron/Civil Beat/2025

Will Caron: Let Them Eat Cake

By Will Caron · November 2, 2025

Will Caron/Civil Beat/2025

Will Caron: Colonial Admission

By Will Caron · October 26, 2025

Will Caron/Civil Beat/2025

Will Caron: Play Grounded

By Will Caron · October 19, 2025

More Political Cartoons

Community Voices


David Croxford/Civil Beat/2022

Why Relationships, Not Events, Sustain Hawai’s Cultural Societies

By focusing on connection across generations, they have a better chance of remaining vibrant, relevant and resilient.

By Ivy Yeung · November 4, 2025 · 3 min read

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Arbor Day Is The Holiday That Really Matters

By Noa Lincoln · November 3, 2025 · 6 min read


Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2016

Disposal Of Surgical Implants After You Die Raises Questions

By Cullen Hayashida · October 30, 2025 · 6 min read

Featured
Essays
Columns
Editorials and Interviews
Cartoons
Community
Videos

Flickr: www.gotcredit.com

We Need To Build Financial Capability In Hawaiʻi’s Classrooms

By Corey Idleburg · October 29, 2025 · 4 min read


Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2016

To Take Action On Climate Change, Make Your Voices Heard

By Mia Nishiguchi, Olivia Sousa · October 28, 2025 · 4 min read

More Community Voices

Videos


Hawaiʻi Storytellers: Trish K. Morikawa Play
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025
Hawaiʻi Storytellers: Trish K. Morikawa
Hawaiʻi Storytellers: Sarah Milianta-Laffin Play
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025
Hawaiʻi Storytellers: Sarah Milianta-Laffin
Hawaiʻi Storytellers: Rebecca Soon Play
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025
Hawaiʻi Storytellers: Rebecca Soon
Hawaiʻi Storytellers: Maile Meyer Play
Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025
Hawaiʻi Storytellers: Maile Meyer
More Videos

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