Civil Beat Staff

Chad Blair

Chad Blair has been a writer, editor and teacher in Honolulu for more than 25 years. His job as reporter and editor is to cover 贬补飞补颈驶颈, especially how political decisions impact people and communities.

Chad has worked as a journalist for Pacific Business News, 贬补飞补颈驶颈 Public Radio and Honolulu Weekly. He has taught at the University of 贬补飞补颈驶颈 at M膩noa, Honolulu Community College, 贬补飞补颈驶颈 Pacific University and Chaminade University of Honolulu.

A 鈥渕ilitary brat,鈥 Chad was born on an Army base in Alabama and later lived with his family in Germany, Illinois, Nebraska and Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where he edited the school newspaper. He also minored in Spanish and studied for a semester in Mexico.

Chad worked for a year on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, where he tracked satellites for the U.S. Air Force/NORAD. He then earned a master鈥檚 degree and a Ph.D. in American studies from UH Manoa. His dissertation, 鈥淒emocracy in 贬补飞补颈驶颈: Class, Race and Gender in Local Politics鈥 (1996), was published as 鈥淢oney, Color and Sex in 贬补飞补颈驶颈 Politics鈥 (Mutual Publishing; 1998).

You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at .

House GOP Wants A Stand-Your-Ground Law For 贬补飞补颈驶颈 Chad Blair/Civil Beat/2025

House GOP Wants A Stand-Your-Ground Law For 贬补飞补颈驶颈

Republicans’ legislative package includes bills to ban cell phones in schools and set up more places to vote.

H膩pai 驶Ia Kahi Pila Noi Noi驶i E Ho驶olilo I膩 Lahaina I Wahi Ho驶oilina Pae Aupuni Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024

H膩pai 驶Ia Kahi Pila Noi Noi驶i E Ho驶olilo I膩 Lahaina I Wahi Ho驶oilina Pae Aupuni

Ke kali 驶ia nei k膩 Pelekikena Biden p奴lima 驶ana i ka pila l膩l膩lua na Kenekoa Hirono me Lunamaka驶膩inana Tokuda.聽

贬补飞补颈驶颈 Legislature Begins 2025 With High Hopes For Solving Our Toughest Issues David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

贬补飞补颈驶颈 Legislature Begins 2025 With High Hopes For Solving Our Toughest Issues

On Opening Day, housing, fireworks, insurance and invasive species top lawmakers’ to-do list. But a green fee to address climate change and legalizing pot, not so much.

Some Legislators Unhappy With Proposed Site For New O驶ahu Landfill Screenshot/Department of Environmental Services

Some Legislators Unhappy With Proposed Site For New O驶ahu Landfill

The City and County of Honolulu wants to build it in Wahiaw膩, but some lawmakers ask if there are alternatives.

Full-Time Criminal Investigative Unit Proposed To Tackle Illegal Fireworks David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

Full-Time Criminal Investigative Unit Proposed To Tackle Illegal Fireworks

A task force that began its work long before the recent tragedy in Salt Lake also recommends a unified fireworks permitting system in 贬补飞补颈驶颈 and $2 million for a new firearms and explosives lab.

The US Spent Billions Fighting Pacific Climate Change. Where Did It Go? Chad Blair/Civil Beat

The US Spent Billions Fighting Pacific Climate Change. Where Did It Go?

A GAO report says the U.S. needs more detailed information to ensure accountability over funding to help Indo-Pacific countries and territories address climate risks.

Will Tragedy Change How 贬补飞补颈驶颈 Polices Illegal Fireworks? David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

Will Tragedy Change How 贬补飞补颈驶颈 Polices Illegal Fireworks?

A task force created to find and stop shipments has seized more than 100 tons of explosives 鈥 but no criminal charges have followed.

Congress Is Poised To Approve Another $1.6 Billion For Maui Fire Aid Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024

Congress Is Poised To Approve Another $1.6 Billion For Maui Fire Aid

The money is slated for long-term housing programs but the county is also in line to receive millions more for jobs, small business loans and rebuilding efforts.

Has Tulsi Gabbard Bid Hawaii A Last Aloha? Screenshot/2024

Has Tulsi Gabbard Bid Hawaii A Last Aloha?

The former elected official representing the islands has rarely been seen here lately as she goes all in for Donald Trump.