Morning workout at Semper Fit gym in Kaneohe’s Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Check. A quick stop for shave ice. Dinner at Alan Wong’s and a few other foodie hot spots. And, of course, as many rounds of golf as possible, including some with family friends from Punahou school days.

We have President Barack Obama’s holiday habits down cold. Every year, for the past eight holiday seasons, a press pool has dutifully followed the president and his family and friends as they motor to their favorite places on Oahu. At this time next year, we’ll miss seeing the dispatches, but here’s hoping that the Obama ohana will continue to spend Christmastime and New Year’s in the islands for many years to come.

Talia’s Law provides much needed protection

Talia Williams was 5 years old when her father punched her so hard that she fell backward, hit her head on a concrete floor and died at Wheeler Army Airfield in July 2005. During the emotional courtroom proceedings that followed, jurors heard about a pattern of beatings and the military’s inadequate policy of dealing with cases of child abuse internally.

Under Talia’s Law, physicians, social workers, teachers and other professionals who serve military personnel and their families are now required to also report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect directly to state Child Protective Services or its equivalent agency within a state.

Signed into law by President Barack Obama last week, the measure gives an added layer of protection to abused children on military bases.