US ramps up Ukraine warning, says Russia may invade any day
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday escalated dire warnings of a possibly imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying it could happen at any moment, even as emergency diplomatic efforts continued. Adding to the sense of crisis, the Pentagon ordered an additional 3,000 U.S. troops to Poland to reassure allies.
National and world news at a glance
Fda clears covid drug from Eli Lilly that shows promise against omicron
La‘i‘opua 2020 awarded funds to perpetuate culture
La‘i‘opua 2020’s “Ola ka Lahui” program in which island historians, kupuna, story tellers and artisans share their mana‘o with residents and visitors interested in a deeper connection to Hawaii’s history, arts, and traditions recently got a boost thanks to a Hawaii Tourism Authority grant.
It’s time to rethink Valentine’s Day
Whoops! Valentine’s Day is Monday.
Editorial: Trump removed, ripped up and flushed records. An investigation is warranted
It has become clear in recent days that former President Donald Trump mishandled official presidential documents to an astonishing and possibly illegal extent while in office. Multiple sources now indicate that after winning the presidency with a campaign in which he savaged Hillary Clinton for her mishandling of official emails, Trump improperly stored possibly classified material at Mar-a-Lago, tore up other documents that staffers then had to tape back together, and even clogged White House toilets by trying to flush documents — putting an absurdly literal new twist on the old Nixonian phrase “White House plumbers.”
Ramesh Ponnuru: Trump’s failure to build the border wall is entirely his own
While the world waits and waits to see whether Donald Trump will seek the presidency again, it is worth looking back at one of the enduring puzzles of his time in office: why he failed to achieve some of his key goals on immigration even when the opportunity to win seemed to be handed to him.
Commentary: Math anxiety is real — and we’re passing it on to our kids
The disruptions to children’s schooling over the past two years have caused millions of American parents to come to an unexpected revelation: They are not as good at math as they had hoped. Nothing exposes your lack of ability with numbers like trying to teach your own child about fractions. But there is an upside: We now have more direct experience and understanding that can help improve the nation’s math literacy.
NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:
Study: Fewer crashes after Utah sets strictest DUI law in US
SALT LAKE CITY — Traffic deaths decreased in Utah after the state enacted the strictest drunken driving laws in the nation five years ago, new research published Friday by a U.S. government agency shows.
Volcano Watch: Tonga eruption recorded on Hawaii infrasound network and globally
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai is located about 40 miles north of the Tongan capital city of Nuku’alofa. As with many volcanoes in Tonga, the part of the volcano that is visible above water is small compared to the submarine extent of the edifice and eruptions can alternately grow new land or destroy any islands that are formed.
2 men indicted in Las Vegas New Year robbery-killings case
Two California men were indicted Friday on murder and other felony charges in a series of New Year’s weekend robberies and shootings on the Las Vegas Strip that left two people dead.
Hawaii congressmen back a bill to shut down Navy fuel tanks
HONOLULU — Hawaii’s U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Kaiali’i Kahele said Friday they have introduced legislation to permanently shut down the U.S. Navy’s fuel storage facility near Pearl Harbor.
In reversal, FDA puts brakes on COVID shots for kids under 5
WASHINGTON — COVID-19 vaccinations for children under 5 hit another monthslong delay Friday as U.S. regulators abruptly put the brakes on their efforts to speed review of the shots that Pfizer is testing for youngsters.
3 defense contractors indicted for illegal contributions
PORTLAND, Maine — Three former executives of a Hawaii-based defense contractor have been indicted on charges of funneling more than $200,000 in illegal donations to aid the reelection campaign of Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
Landlords finding ways to evict after getting rental aid
A day before she was due to be evicted in November from her Atlanta home, Shanelle King heard that she had been awarded about $15,000 in rental assistance. She could breathe again.
Island Life: Munchy time
A monarch caterpillar munches on a crownflower in Kailua-Kona.
Utah senator blocks internment camp designation, draws ire
DENVER — On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the forced internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans at the onset of World War II, Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is getting backlash for holding up the creation of a national historic site at a former internment camp in rural Colorado.
US pair wins gold in mixed snowboardcross
Lindsey Jacobellis has won her second gold medal of the Olympics, teaming with 40-year-old Nick Baumgartner for the title in the new event of mixed snowboardcross.
Tony Boselli leads class of 8 Pro Football Hall of Famers
LOS ANGELES — The long wait to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is finally over for several deserving candidates.