One is accused of drifting from the mission it was founded upon. The other is accused of holding to its mission so tightly that it may now violate the law. Different places, different histories — but both face the same question: how does an institution stay true to its purpose when the world keeps changing the rules around it?
The airport’s inclusion wasn’t destiny; it was a decision, argued and voted into being, but credit is due where it’s due: Charles Djou saw the value of that alignment long before the city did. When we ride past after October 16, 2025, it’s worth remembering that what feels inevitable today was once anything but.
Younger candidates are challenging Case with a much more nuanced — and far less taboo — appeal to generational change. What Case once invoked against Akaka, and paid dearly for, is now tolerated, even expected, by an electorate seemingly more comfortable weighing leadership through the lenses of age, urgency, and readiness.
Charlie Kirk’s passing now poses the same challenge for TPUSA: can an organization built on his energy adapt to new leadership, or will it remain frozen as a reflection of its founder?
Turning Hawaiian’s story into a morality play might make for easy headlines, but it does little justice to the reality. The airline wasn’t blindsided by its own arrogance — it was sideswiped by Covid, by Hawaii’s own prolonged shutdowns, by Japan’s deep and ongoing economic struggles. To say it “failed” because it didn’t copy Alaska is to confuse hindsight with analysis.
Big problems don’t lend themselves to quick-to-decide solutions. Mayor Blangiardi is only the latest leader in this state who has discovered the rock wall of opposition in Hawaiʻi, on any issue of controversy, is both well-built and able to withstand withering attack, both through policy and rhetoric.
With that, how did Politics Hawaii do in the awards? First, a setup – Politics Hawaii went in for six awards this year, including the coveted A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting (for the SMS shutdown saga). That was one of two awards this year that came with monetary prizes, a fact that the emcees noted in their presentation.
In the end, it’s a mixed bag so far – some deep cuts where support is most needed, and a few glimmers of consistency that, if nothing else, show someone’s still reading the fine print. For Native Hawaiians, it’s not the full erasure feared by some, but it’s certainly no full-throated embrace either.
While this is an interesting story, we’ll focus on the main point here – so, is Hawai‘i government procurement fixed? Technically, maybe. But let’s not declare victory just yet.
DOGE’s grip on the grant process may have lasted only a few months, but the effects could stretch much longer. There’s growing uncertainty about what rules now apply, and confusion is spreading — even among experienced organizations that once felt confident in how to compete for federal support.