Jay Ambrose: Biden should institute Russia sanctions this minute
Vladimir Putin thinks the Soviet Union was a great, marvelous, unmatched world power, the Roman Empire in modern setting, a historical miracle spun by Russia’s cultural and ethnic superiority with lots of nuclear weapons, to boot. And he wants it back, starting with the nation of Ukraine, peopled, as he sees it, by residents in most ways Russian themselves. He has a Soviet tactic in mind. Attack that country. Make it part of the whole again.
In case of human rights emergency, break glass and give these athletes money
In some professional sports circles, apparently all it takes to make athletes forget their high-minded principles is the waving of a wad of dollars under their noses. Sure, they’re quick to take a symbolic knee or wear an armband to raise awareness for a good cause, but lonely are those brave athletes who dare to sacrifice participation in high-dollar tournaments to warn oppressive governments against outrageous human rights abuses.
Air Force discharges 27 for refusal to get COVID vaccine
WASHINGTON — The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots.
Dock issue suspends USS Arizona Memorial tours again
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s USS Arizona Memorial has problems again with its shoreside dock, which means that boat tours to the popular Pearl Harbor site are suspended.
Navy dive team is trying to remove fuel from Hawaii water
HONOLULU (AP) — U.S. Navy divers are trying to remove jet fuel from a water shaft near Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor after people using the water in their homes reported becoming sick.
Booster blitz: UK races to get ahead of surging omicron
LONDON — Long lines formed Monday at vaccination centers across England as people heeded the government’s call for all adults to get booster shots to protect themselves against the omicron variant, and as the U.K. recorded its first death of a patient infected with omicron.
EU has little appetite to join US diplomatic Games boycott
BRUSSELS — Several European Union nations have made it clear they have little appetite to join the U.S. initiative for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Games because of concerns over China’s human rights record.
Let’s Talk Food: Various starches we use
We use various types of starches in cooking and each has different properties. They are wheat, potato, tapioca and cornstarch.
Hawaii Island selected as finalist for up to $100 million grant to support farmers, help grow ag economy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) today announced that the Hawaii Island Coalition was named a finalist for the Biden Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge and will receive $500,000 to further develop a proposal for between $25 and $100 million in potential future grant funding.
Writer profiles every USS Arizona casualty at Pearl Harbor
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — When the USS Arizona exploded and sank during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 80 years ago, brothers died with brothers, childhood friends with childhood friends, a father with his son.
Inflation is painfully high, but some relief may be coming
NEW YORK — Inflation is painfully high, but this hopefully is close to as bad as it gets.
Obituaries for December 13
Joseph Issac Alter, 49, of Ocean View, formerly of the San Francisco Bay Area, died Oct. 29, 2021 at Hilo Medical Center. He was born in Martinez, Calif. Online condolences: homelanimemorialpark.com. Survived by mother, Alanna Alter; father, Dale (Micaela White) Alter; brothers, Zack Alter and Andrew Alter; sister, Julia (Michael Canvin) Alter; a niece and nephew. Arrangements by Homelani Memorial Park.
Rain, snow fall as California braces for brunt of storm
The Western U.S. is bracing for the brunt of a major winter storm expected to hit today, bringing travel headaches, the threat of localized flooding and some relief in an abnormally warm fall.
Fox anchor Chris Wallace makes his own news with move to CNN
NEW YORK — Veteran anchor Chris Wallace has left Fox News after 18 years for CNN, dealing a significant blow to Fox’s news operation at a time that it has been overshadowed by the network’s opinion side.
Pololu Valley lookout plans in the air
“How good are you at backing up?” Paul Ishikuro asks the driver trying to find a spot to park his SUV in an increasingly crowded lot overlooking scenic Pololu Valley.
Tornado survivor: ‘Not knowing is worse than knowing’
MAYFIELD, Ky. — Autumn Kirks said she and her boyfriend, Lannis Ward, had been dating for about a year and were saving money to buy a house. They were both working the night shift at the candle factory for extra money when the tornado struck.
Boris Johnson: UK faces ‘tidal wave’ of omicron cases
LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Sunday that Britain faces a “tidal wave” of infections from the omicron coronavirus variant, and announced a huge increase in booster vaccinations to strengthen defenses against it.
Kentucky tornado toll in dozens; less than feared at factory
MAYFIELD, Ky. — Workers on the night shift at Mayfield Consumer Products were in the middle of the holiday rush, cranking out candles, when a tornado closed in on the factory and the word went out: “Duck and cover.”
America is a safe haven for domestic terrorists. What can we do about it?
In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Americans understandably became obsessed with terrorist threats from abroad, particularly the “safe haven” of Afghanistan that was the launching pad for the attacks.
Big Isle briefs, Dec . 13
T-ball players needed
Mandi Kawaha, UHH women earn landmark win against HPU, 73-50
Mandi Kawaha has played basketball all her life and ranks the UH-Hilo women’s basketball team’s 73-50 upset over No. 16 Hawaii Pacific as No. 2 on her all-time list on Sunday before 211 fans at Hilo Civic.
Vuls roll in treating HPU like a little brother, something guard Ng knows all about
Kameron Ng is a 6-foot sophomore guard for the UH-Hilo basketball team and also played at Saint Francis, where he led the Saints to a pair of Division II state titles in 2017 and 2018.
UHH women bringing balance to Shark-fest
The UH-Hilo women’s basketball team is playing a good brand of ball where others, besides Mandi Kawaha, are stepping up.
Juniors lead BIIF’s bowling contingent at state championship
Junior bowlers Krysjyn-Kydyn Nakamura of Kamehameha and Renalyn Corpuz of Konawaena each showed marked progress and ended their seasons on high notes on Kauai, where once again the BIIF didn’t dent the individual leaderboard at the HHSAA championships.
