Justice Kennedy Temporarily Halts "Hawaiians Only" Election
Hawaii 7th Worst Drivers in USA
Malia Zimmerman Drops Lawsuit
Could Genetically Modified mosquitoes be key to fighting Dengue?
HNN: In the midst of a dengue fever outbreak, it might not sound like such a good idea to release additional mosquitoes in Hawaii. Dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes, after all.
But some doctors believe mosquitoes -- or more precisely, genetically-modified mosquitoes -- could be a potent tool in fighting off the spread of dengue, and other mosquito-borne illnesses.
Scientists in England have created a sterile male mosquito, which if released, would flood a region with genetically-altered mosquitoes and eventually kill off a population.
"Males actually don't bite. The females bite in order to prepare to be able to lay eggs," said Dr. Sarah Park, state epidemiologist for the Hawaii Department of Health.
She says health department officials were recently contacted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about sterile mosquitoes. Officials note any release of mosquitoes would have to go through several layers of approvals.
"The thought was Hawaii is an ideal location to try this because we share no borders and we have the capacity to potentially if this works have islands with no mosquitoes," Park said….
read … Suddenly Everybody Wants GMOs
Top VA Exec Wayne Pfeffer made $90,323 in Bonuses although Hawaii had the longest Wait-list times for Veterans
TQ: The Veterans Affairs in Hawaii was found to have the longest Wait-list times for Veterans in 2013, surmounting a scandal that continues to plague many Veterans battling for their earned VA services and benefits. And yet, we found that Hawaii’s Top executive Wayne Pfeffer who is the Medical Center Director here in Honolulu, Hawaii received $90,323 in Bonuses while many Veterans remain hurting, even dying and homeless.
Hawaii Congressional Representative Tulsi Gabbard originally asked for VA Executive Wayne Pfeffer to be fired after Pfeffer lied about Hawaii’s Wait times….
read … $90,323 in Bonuses
End Of Medicare Bonuses Will Cut Pay To Primary Care Doctors
HPR: Many primary care practitioners will be a little poorer next year because of the expiration of a health law program that has been paying them a 10 percent bonus for caring for Medicare patients. Some say the loss may trickle down to the patients, who could have a harder time finding a doctor or have to wait longer for appointments….
"When the bonus payments started, it was a pretty big deal for us," Lazris says. The extra $85,000 they received annually allowed them to hire two people to deal with the administrative requirements for being part of an accountable care organization and to help the practice incorporate two new Medicare programs…./
read … Pay Cuts and Insurance Hikes—Thanks, Obama!
Homeless Sweeps Begin Again Dec 9?
SA: Initially they got no takers, but state officials now say they’ve found the private bidders they’ll need to help them remove homeless residents who’ve recently taken shelter along the Kakaako shoreline….
Sweeps at the new encampment sites, where as many as 130 people have been counted, likely would not happen anytime before Dec. 9. That’s when the board for the Hawaii Community Development Authority, which owns the seafront parkland, is slated to review plans and procedures for sweeps, according to the agency’s executive director.
“We have reissued and received interest” from private contractors to help with sweeps, HCDA Executive Director Anthony Ching said Friday. The agency had previously approached eight contractors to submit bids on how much they would charge to clear encampments, but all declined, HCDA officials said. The agency acknowledged that at least some of those contractors might have wanted to avoid the high-profile publicity of clearing out a homeless encampment….
Scott Morishige, the state’s homeless coordinator, said there’s no set date yet for future sweeps. The timing depends on conversations between HCDA, the state Department of Public Safety and other agencies that would participate to ensure “all the pieces of enforcement are in place.”
The state would like to move forward “as soon as possible,” but it’s important to get HCDA’s approval of procedures for the sweeps first, he added.
Morishige said social service and outreach providers would also participate, to give the homeless at the shoreline parks options at shelters or the state’s Housing First program “if they choose to accept.”
“You cannot compel someone to go to a shelter,” Morishige added….
read … Sweep
“Dear UH Athletics, stay away from our wallets”
ILind: The University of Hawaii at Manoa athletic program aired a plan last week for dealing with its chronic deficit, but the plan is already getting push back from at least one key constituency, the students.
Last Friday, the newspaper reported athletic director David Matlin’s budget presentation to the Board of Regents (“How the University of Hawai’i at M?noa Athletic Department wants to balance its budget“).
Matlin laid out a plan to raise over $14 million in new annual revenues over the next four years. He identified several potential sources.
- UH Athletics’ Initiatives: $4.7 million
- Student Fees’ Increase: $1.7 million
- Direct Legislative Support: $5.5 million
- Increased UH Institutional Support: $2.3 million
The proposal would double the current student athletic fee from $50 to 100 per semester. And the additional “institutional support” would also come from tuition dollars.
The story on Matlin’s proposal was posted at Kaleo.org last Friday. And on Monday, a Ka Leo editor penned this far less than enthusiastic reply with a clear message: “Dear UH Athletics, stay away from our wallets.”
read … Wallets
UH Manoa names new head football coach
KITV: Former University of Hawaii quarterback Nick Rolovich is returning to Hawaii as head coach.
(Is his contract signed? We all know the answer to that question just as surely as we know how this will end.)
Rolovich played at UH in 2000 and 2001 and later served as offensive coordinator under former head coach Greg McMackin.
For the last four years, Rolovich has been offensive coordinator for the Nevada Wolfpack-- a Hawaii rival in the Mountain West conference. He has a 4-and-0 record against his alma mater….
Rolovich will be introduced at a press conference, Monday, Nov. 30.
HNN: Five candidates interviewed for UH coaching vacancy
read … Next to be Fired
Hawaii-Based Longline Fishermen Allowed to Keep Catching Ahi
AP: Hawaii-based longline fishermen have exhausted multiple catch limits for ahi this year, but federal regulators said Friday a new agreement will ensure the fish will be available in the state through the holidays.
Regulators have approved a deal allowing Hawaii fishermen to attribute up to 1,000 metric tons of bigeye tuna catch to Guam, said Mike Tosatto, National Marine Fisheries Service regional administrator for the Pacific Islands.
The agreement will enable Hawaii fishermen to keep catching ahi as usual and deliver their haul to Honolulu. In exchange, Hawaii fishermen will pay $200,000 toward the development of the fishing industry on Guam.
"We want to inform the public that fish will continue to be available through the holidays," Tosatto said.
Environmentalists say whine the arrangement contributes to the overfishing of bigeye tuna in the western and central Pacific. (And they promise to redouble their efforts to shut down all fishing everywhere.)
read … Local Food Still Allowed
Guamians Not Interested in Sovereignty Movement
GPDN: Members of several indigenous rights groups in Guam acknowledge many residents aren’t interested in joining their fight for self-determination.
This lack of passion about choosing Guam’s future relationship with the U.S. is a reversal from previous decades, when many on island were more aggressive in pushing for Chamorro rights, according to one activist.
The process of determining Guam’s political status has stalled over the years.
Trini Torres, of the group Taotaomona Native Rights, said many of the activists who spoke out in previous decades are getting older….
read … Not Interested
Tranny Accused in Wailuku Murder Demands Media Stop Calling Him ‘Woman’
MN: A lawyer asked that the suspect in a fatal stabbing at a Wailuku mental health group home be referred to as a man, describing the defendant as a "transgendered person."
A preliminary hearing for Taliah Nelson, 32, was delayed until Monday after the public defender's office was allowed to withdraw from representing Nelson during a hearing Friday in Wailuku District Court.
Police (and media) had identified Nelson (who has a Y chromosome and a goatee) as a woman after arresting the defendant at about midnight Sunday in the fatal stabbing of 57-year-old David Kecxon. The two were residents in the adult group home run by Mental Health Kokua at 1598 Mill St….
(What a surprise. A tranny in a mental health home.)
In court Friday, Deputy Public Defender Jared Brickey asked the court to identify Nelson as "Mr. Nelson."
"He is a transgendered person," Brickey said….
He said the witness "had a cigarette" with Nelson….
(Why isn’t this tranny on the cover of Time magazine?)
read … Indecisive Tranny
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