In this silver-anniversary year, the philosophy of bridging East and West still holds for the Hawaii International Film Festival, but the choices in international fare are much broader in style and subject matter, bringing ever larger audiences.

Winning changes everything. A week ago, the Warriors had just trudged back to Honolulu following a demoralizing loss on the road and was in search of answers. A home victory later, and the Warriors are suddenly refreshed heading into the second half of the season and yet another trip to the mainland.

For the past five years, Rea Fox has been helping Mike Rossell's Production Hawaii Inc. produce outdoor events that require tents and other equipment, earning her the moniker "tent goddess."

Whistleblowers survived a challenge in March of its protection of government employees claiming sex discrimination in schools, but it faces another broader test in a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court. Los Angeles County is contesting protection of a prosecutor who was demoted after accusing a deputy sheriff of falsifying evidence in a drug case. It exemplifies the way whistleblower protection was intended to operate.