Honolulu Rail Critic Pushes for Middle Street Endpoint
Large organized gatherings to be suspended on O‘ahu beginning Aug. 25, 2021
Tourist Busted for Lifting Turtle out of Sea and not Eating it
A Quack Too Far? Top State Health Official Co-Founds Anti-Vaxxer Group
SA: … on its social media platforms, it’s promoted various conspiracy theories and sources derided for spreading false and dangerous information about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Earlier this month, for example, the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent retweeted a message from “Vaccine Truth” that read, “If you are under 65, the vaccine is more likely to kill you than save your life.”…
what’s particularly unusual about the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent’s campaign is whom it’s enlisted to be part of the group, including the state’s top health official on Maui and a local doctor who has been clandestinely treating COVID-19 patients with drugs that the Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly warned against.
Dr. Lorrin Pang, who has served for more than two decades as the Maui district health officer for the state Department of Health, is co-founder of the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent….
(DoH Reality: Pang has a job, Jennifer Smith does not.)
His state job entails administering state public health programs and acting as the principal public health representative for the director of the state Department of Health, who is currently Dr. Libby Char.
Pang, in an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, said that as a member of the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent, he is speaking as a private citizen and doesn’t always agree with views espoused by other members of the group. He stressed that he supports the state’s efforts to increase vaccinations against COVID-19.
(IQ Test: Do you believe him?)
“If you are going to be guilty by association, that’s kind of a form of prejudice, bias and censorship, isn’t it?” he said. “I thought in this day and age we look at people for what they are, not who they associate with.”
(IQ Test: Do you buy this argument?)
Char didn’t respond to a question about whether she was concerned that Pang’s participation in the group might undermine the public-health messaging of the Department of Health….
Dr Milhoan’s treatment regiment veers far from approved medical protocols. He outlined his treatments in a videotaped discussion with Pang that was moderated by Travis and recently posted on the group’s Rumble account. It involves using hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin as early treatment options, drugs that the FDA has warned people not to take to treat COVID-19. Ivermectin is often used to treat parasitic worms, but has caught on as an alternative treatment for COVID-19, prompting the FDA to uncharacteristically tweet this week, “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”…
Pang said that he supports the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat COVID-19. “I agree with Milhoan on this,” he told the Star-Advertiser….
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin should not be used to treat COVID-19. Hawaii Lt. Gov. Josh Green, who is also an emergency room doctor and has helped lead the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said that as a physician he has serious concerns about Milhoan’s promotion of the drugs to treat COVID-19.
“I’m not aware of who this physician is or what their mobile clinic is doing, but we have professional standards of treatment in Hawaii that the medical board and the Department of Health need to adhere to to keep patients safe,” said Green. “I’m concerned this clinic, which is practicing outside of the standard of care, could very well harm patients.”
Green called Pang’s support of using the drugs to treat COVID-19 “somewhat shocking” and “not something I would ever expect from a public health leader in our state.”…
(IQ Test: Do you think Pang’s job is in danger?)
REALITY: Pang was an anti-GMO crackpot for years. He is a well-known chemophobia activist who exploits his DoH credentials to push the anti-military depleted uranium hoax. Here is a video of Pang pushing the ‘Chemtrails’ conspiracy theory at a 2014 anti-GMO meeting. Pang got the County of Maui to fund a Chemtrails study in 2011.
DoH Reality:
read … Top state health official and doctor on Maui promote controversial COVID-19 treatments
Crisis nurse shares heartbreak and frustration over COVID surge and misinformation
KHON: … She says the last few days have been the most difficult time of the pandemic. There’s a lot more suffering than they’re used to seeing. They’re doing all they can to at least allow COVID patients to have a dignified death.
“It’s not that way with COVID patients,” said Yosting. “They don’t have a dignified death. As much as we would like to. I think that weighs heavy on people’s hearts as they don’t get the chance. Most of the time they pass alone and paralyzed because we have to help them breathe.”
She adds that many of the COVID patients now are much younger, and they’re getting a lot of bad information about the vaccine from social media….
read … Crisis nurse shares heartbreak and frustration over COVID surge and misinformation
Plans in place to deploy COVID field hospitals on Oahu if they’re needed
HNN: … “The ERs are trying desperately to keep them separate,” said Jim Ireland, head of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department. “But there’s just not enough physical space.”
Ireland confirmed plans are in place to deploy field hospitals on Oahu if and when they’re needed.
Ireland said tents, beds and equipment are all on standby, and he added a field hospital could be set up anywhere that has a lot of space.
He said the ideal location would be a hospital parking lot.
Ireland also acknowledged the grounds at the state Capitol are being discussed as a possible site.
He says one idea is to create a field hospital exclusively for COVID patients.
“They (patients) could be put on oxygen. They could be assessed. Treatment for COVID could start in this tent,” he said. “Then after anywhere from three to 12 hours a decision could be made.”
read … Officials: Plans in place to deploy COVID field hospitals on Oahu if they’re needed
Pentagon mandates US military service members receive Covid vaccine immediately
AP: … The Pentagon is mandating that US military service members get fully vaccinated against Covid-19 immediately, after the Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine this week.
"After careful consultation with medical experts and military leadership, and with the support of the President, I have determined that mandatory vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote in a memo released Wednesday.
He added, "To defend this Nation, we need a healthy and ready force." …
read … Pentagon mandates US military service members receive Covid vaccine immediately
Slew of legal cases and settlements could soon cost Honolulu taxpayers
KHON: … A city council committee voted to advance settlement of a wrongful termination claim made by former parks director Michele Nekota, who was demoted in February after a change of helm in the mayor’s office.
The state’s public housing director sued the city over damage from an overflowing Niu Valley stream water.
Ex-HART CEO Dan Grabauskas will get some legal bills covered relating to a federal investigation of the rail project. The committee opted not to fund a retainer of a special counsel for Grabauskas for the ongoing investigation.
What’s happening internationally, check the headlines in World News
The dollar amounts for the dozen approvals advancing to full council won’t be revealed publicly until next week….
Background: City Sued In Crash That Killed Three Pedestrians After Police Pursuit
LINK Agenda
read … Slew of legal cases and settlements could soon cost Honolulu taxpayers
Hawaii Co Police survey: High marks, but room for improvement
HTH: … More than 57% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that officers they came in contact with during the last year displayed integrity, while 19% disagreed or strongly disagreed. Another 21% remained neutral….
Link: Survey results
read … Police survey: High marks, but room for improvement
Hawaii vacation rentals report gains in occupancy in July
PBN: … Hawaii vacation rentals were 81.8% occupied last month, according to the latest data released Tuesday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
According to HTA’s monthly Hawaii Vacation Rental Performance Report, the figure marks a 4.2 percentage point increase from pre-pandemic levels in July of 2019, when vacation rental units were 77.6% occupied, in part due to reduction in supply level. It marks the highest occupancy rate since the pandemic began and is just slightly lower than the state’s hotel occupancy rate in July, which was 82.4%.
The occupancy rate reflects a unit supply of more than 592,900 unit nights, and a unit demand of nearly 485,300 unit nights. For pre-pandemic comparison, vacation rental supply was down 34% from 894,200 unit nights in July 2019, and unit demand fell 30% from 693,900.
The average daily rate, or ADR, for vacation rentals was $251 last month, a 27% drop from July of 2019, when ADR was $345, and well below last month’s ADR for hotels, which was $368.….
SA: Vacation rentals’ occupancy declines below hotels’ for first time in 9 months
read … Hawaii vacation rentals report gains in occupancy in July
Honolulu pilot program to cite red light runners set to start
KITV: … Once, the state selects the final 10 intersections for the pilot program, it will alert drivers cameras will be coming.
"We have to push out an education plan in areas where the red light cameras go in - so no one is caught off guard. That will be 60 days before the cameras go in," said Sniffen.
Those cameras are expected to be in operation by the end of the year, or early 2022. …
read … Honolulu pilot program to cite red light runners set to start
Investigation Uncovers Numerous ADA Violations In Hawaii Island’s Transit Service
CB: … The county agrees to fix “chronically inoperable” wheelchair lifts and make other changes to avoid getting sued….
HTH: County, Justice Department agree on improvements in Hele-On ADA complaint
PDF: Settlement
read … Investigation Uncovers Numerous ADA Violations In Hawaii Island’s Transit Service
Netanyahu on vacation on Lanai--island owned by Larry Ellison, a witness in graft trial
TI: … Israeli opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his family are vacationing on a Hawaiian island owned almost wholly by Jewish-American billionaire Larry Ellison, a prosecution witness in the ex-premier’s criminal cases.
Quoting unnamed sources, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported Friday that the Netanyahus continued on to Hawaii after flying to San Francisco for a two-week vacation in the United States….
A response sent to the newspaper on Netanyahu’s behalf insisted his family was covering the cost of the trip.
“There is no prohibition on former prime minister Netanyahu meeting with a witness. The list of witnesses includes hundreds of people, including his lawyers and members of his party, with who he is in constant contact,” the statement said….
Netanyahu is on trial for charges of fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases, as well as bribery in one of them. He denies wrongdoing.
Ellison is one of several hundred prosecution witnesses in Netanyahu’s corruption trial. His name reportedly came up in two of the cases and a report last year said he lobbied and convinced Israeli mogul Arnon Milchan to drop his lawyer so Netanyahu could hire him….
TI: Netanyahu said to dine in Hawaii with Larry Ellison, a witness in graft trial
read … Netanyahu on vacation at island owned by Larry Ellison, a witness in graft trial
Corona Virus News:
QUICK HITS: