Off the News: Big bucks needed to boost child care; TMT forced to hit pause button, again

Hawaii Attorney General Clare Connors recently joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general urging the U.S. Senate to provide at least $50 billion in support for child-care providers in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill. Many providers are operating at reduced capacity or have closed, leaving little to no revenue to cover fixed costs.

The coalition cited alarming findings in a recent survey by the nonprofit National Association for the Education of Young Children. It estimates that in the absence of needed federal support, nearly 4.5 million child-care slots across the country are at risk of disappearing, including roughly 36,600 in Hawaii. Not good.

TMT forced to hit pause button, again

It’s not often that Hawaii County politics play a role in national and international endeavors, but this is the Thirty Meter Telescope, and they are inextricably linked. The project at Mauna Kea will not proceed until sometime in 2021, TMT officials say. The pandemic is a big factor, but they also are watching what government officials do, including the next mayor to be elected.

Persistent economic problems also could affect community support — though opponents vow that at least this won’t change.