Honolulu council member seeks Republican nod for governor
HONOLULU — Honolulu City Council member Heidi Tsuneyoshi said she will run for Hawaii governor.
Obituaries: February 24, 2022
Editor’s note: Obituaries are published free of charge as a public service. Content is subject to editing for parity treatment and style continuity. Date of publication cannot be guaranteed. Any questions regarding obituaries should be directed to the mortuary or via email to obituaries@westhawaiitoday.com. Memorial advertisements may be purchased through the newspaper advertising department.
Trump splinters Republicans with praise of Putin
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump continued his criticism of President Joe Biden on Wednesday, saying in a statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “playing” him “like a drum.”
US Navy contractor names 4 killed in Kauai helicopter crash
HONOLULU — A civilian contractor working for the U.S. Navy on Wednesday disclosed the names of four employees killed when their helicopter crashed on Kauai.
Ex-defense contractors plead not guilty to illegal donations
HONOLULU — Three former executives of a Hawaii-based defense contractor pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of funneling more than $200,000 in illegal donations to aid the reelection campaign of Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
Island Life: Bird is the word
A northern mockingbird sits atop tree in the Kona Palisades.
Editorial: The cost of misinformation
“Freaking miracle.” That’s how health journalist Helen Branswell recently described the vaccines that have saved millions of lives in the coronavirus pandemic. The vaccines, offered to the U.S. population, have proved to be 90 percent effective against infection. Ready within a year of the outbreak, they have proved to be safe. And they are widely available and free. There is no parallel in modern times.
Letters to the Editor: February 24, 2022
Kona, Hawaii County’s stepchild
Commentary: What does the evidence say about universal pre-kindergarten?
With the “Build Back Better” legislation stalled in the Senate, President Joe Biden is now considering smaller bills that include important parts of the plan, such as one proposal to spend $110 billion to make pre-kindergarten available to all 3- and 4-year-olds. Helping children to overcome limitations based on their family finances or backgrounds is an appealing idea. Recent evidence, however, raises serious questions about whether more preschool improves kids’ lives over the long term.
AP-NORC poll: Most in US oppose major role in Russia strife
WASHINGTON — There’s little support among Americans for a major U.S. role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to a new poll, even as President Joe Biden imposes new sanctions and threatens a stronger response that could provoke retaliation from Moscow.
NCAA Tournament peek: Gonzaga remains the favorite, but the blue bloods are back
The NFL and college football have crowned their champions, with the Los Angeles Rams and the University of Georgia winning titles. The Winter Olympics are in the rearview mirror. And the start of the Major League Baseball season is in flux because of a lockout.
Season to be shortened if no deal by end of Monday
JUPITER, Fla. — Major League Baseball said only five days remain to salvage March 31 openers and a full season, telling locked out players that games would be canceled if a labor contract is not agreed to by the end of Monday.
US women win SheBelieves Cup title, beating Iceland 5-0
FRISCO, Texas — Catarina Macario and Mallory Pugh each scored two goals and the U.S. women’s national team beat Iceland 5-0 on Wednesday night to win the SheBelieves Cup.
Feds indict 3 Big Island men for drug trafficking
Federal prosecutors have taken over the cases of three Big Island men accused of distributing drugs.
Council members question funding requests for waste management equipment
Requests for hundreds of thousands of dollars for equipment for the county Department of Environmental Management led to frustration at Wednesday’s County Council meeting.
Council advances homeless funding bill
Hilo Councilman Aaron Chung, jogging Wednesday morning prior to the County Council meeting, came upon a large “Aloha, Welcome to Kona” sign.
UN: Wildfires getting worse globally, governments unprepared
BILLINGS, Mont. — A warming planet and changes to land use patterns mean more wildfires will scorch large parts of the globe in coming decades, causing spikes in unhealthy smoke pollution and other problems that governments are ill prepared to confront, according to a U.N. report released Wednesday.
High court wades into clash over Trump-era immigration rule
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court waded into a political clash Wednesday between the Biden administration and Republican-led states seeking to defend a signature Trump-era immigration rule that the new administration has abandoned.
Study: Child poverty rising after tax credit expires
WASHINGTON — The number of children in America living in poverty jumped dramatically after just one month without the expanded child tax credit payments, according to a new study. Advocates fear the lapse in payments could unravel what they say were landmark achievements in poverty reduction.
US vaccination drive is bottoming out as omicron subsides
HAMILTON, Ala. — A handwritten log kept by nurses tells the story of the losing battle to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19 in this corner of Alabama: Just 14 people showed up at the Marion County Health Department for their initial shot during the first six weeks of the year.
