Off the News: Airlines warming up for return

It’s not only in Las Vegas where there is high-stakes gambling going on. Two airlines serving the isle market — Hawaiian and Southwest — are wagering that amendments to quarantine policy will have the potential to bring in business from the mainland U.S.

The airlines are investing in the restoration of domestic routes, in the midst of pandemic uncertainty. And here, the community waits to see how the influx will affect COVID-19 infection rates, with trans-Pacific travel scheduled to start Aug. 1 under modified-quarantine protocols. Everyone’s excited, but more than a little nervous, too.

A UH alum for vice president?

The buzz around Tammy Duckworth is surging — and it’s hard not to cheer the Hawaii-grown senator and retired Army lieutenant colonel as she’s being discussed as vice presidential material.

Whether she emerges as Joe Biden’s running mate is a long shot, but at least her fascinating life story is getting more widely known. The University of Hawaii alum was serving in Iraq in 2004 when the helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade; she lost both legs and partial use of her right arm. Her tough road to recovery has led to the U.S. Senate … and now, even the White House?