VOICES: Good grief! Just what does that even mean?

Many of us say Good Grief ! Without thinking about it. But what does it mean? Dictionaries say: sorrow, heartache, angst, etc. Please tell me … how can that be “Good”? Webster says it’s an informal phrase expressing surprise or annoyance. “He’s burned the toast.” “Good grief! Can’t he do anything right?”

VOICES: I drank the Kool-aide

I drank the Kool-Aid and will continue drinking it. I do not like sweet, sugary drinks. However, if they help the country, I will overlook the bad for the overall good.

FBI at home of possible person of interest in Nashville bomb

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Federal agents converged Saturday on the home of a possible person of interest in the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville as investigators scoured hundreds of tips and leads in the blast that damaged dozens of buildings on Christmas morning.

Girl Scouts rebuke Boy Scouts in escalating recruitment war

NEW YORK — The Girl Scouts are in a “highly damaging” recruitment war with the Boy Scouts after the latter opened its core services to girls, leading to marketplace confusion and some girls unwittingly joining the Boy Scouts, lawyers for the century-old Girl Scouts organization claim in court papers.

Unemployment benefits for millions in limbo as Trump rages

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Unemployment benefits for millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet were set to lapse at midnight Saturday unless President Donald Trump signed an end-of-year COVID relief and spending bill that had been considered a done deal before his sudden objections.

Virus, other problems threaten to throw off homeless census

LAS VEGAS — The swanky, billion-dollar casinos of Las Vegas are bedecked with shining towers, neon signs and eye-popping extravagance. But directly beneath the glitter, hundreds of homeless people live out of sight, in the dark, in a network of stormwater tunnels running below the city.

Germany, Hungary give 1st vaccine shots ahead of EU rollout

FRANKFURT, Germany — Germany, Hungary and Slovakia began giving out their first coronavirus vaccine shots on Saturday only hours after receiving their first shipments, upsetting the European Union’s plans for a coordinated rollout Sunday across the bloc’s 27 nations.

Thailand finds new coronavirus clusters in south and east

BANGKOK — Health officials in Thailand said Saturday that two new clusters of coronavirus cases have been found that appear to be linked to a major outbreak discovered a week earlier among migrant workers in an industrial province near Bangkok.

Coral reefs protection bill passes Senate

HONOLULU — Last week, the bipartisan Restoring Resilient Reefs Act, which was authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaiʻi) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaiʻi), passed the Senate.

Hawai‘i Opioid Initiative kicks off prevention campaign

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Opioid Initiative (HOI) launched a new campaign this week for those struggling with opioid addiction and their family members. Advertisements will run on television, print, digital and social media outlets through the end of February.