Honolulu: Hawaii cruise cut short because of illness

An outbreak of viral infections similar to those that hit cruise ships in the Caribbean and Alaska cut short a Hawaiian cruise Tuesday after nearly 300 passengers and crew members became sick.

Ten days into the 15-day voyage from Los Angeles to four Hawaiian islands, Princess Cruises diverted the Sun Princess to Honolulu so nearly 2,000 passengers could take flights home.

About 100 passengers, about half of whom were sick, stayed with the ship as it left Tuesday for Los Angeles, Princess Cruises spokesman Tom Dow said.

Health officials estimate there are about 23 million cases of those and similar viruses a year — most on land. They believe there were more cases than usual last year, but do not know how many more because the disease is not tracked regularly.

Washington: Industrial unions merge for lobbying power

Twelve labor unions representing workers in declining industries are banding together in an effort to increase their political and lobbying might.

The new AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council met Tuesday to demand that Congress deal with the nation’s manufacturing crisis, which has hemorrhaged 1.9 million jobs in the last two years. Recent economic reports indicate the sector is showing slight improvements.

The council was formed last year after several industrial unions initially refused to support an AFL-CIO fee increase earmarked for politics. Those unions complained that the troubled industrial sector and loss of union jobs were not getting enough attention.