"Gut and Replace" Held Unconstitutional
State Adopting Ballot Tracking System
City introduces amended short-term rental bill
HECO Suddenly Agrees to 39% Reduction in Cost of Electricity Bought from Kalaeloa Partners
New COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by 90%
AP: … Pfizer Inc. said today that its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% as the drugmaker joins the race to bring the first easy-to-use medication against the coronavirus to the U.S. market.
Currently all COVID-19 treatments used in the U.S. require an IV or injection. Competitor Merck’s COVID-19 pill is already under review at the Food and Drug Administration after showing strong initial results, and on Thursday the United Kingdom became the first country to OK it.
Pfizer said it will ask the FDA and international regulators to authorize its pill as soon as possible, after independent experts recommended halting the company’s study based on the strength of its results. Once Pfizer applies, the FDA could make a decision within weeks or months. ….
read … New COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by 90%
Federal Vaccine Mandate for All Employers Over 100 Workers--Already Blocked by Court
SA: … The emergency rule announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration applies to private employers with at least 100 workers, and will require these businesses to ensure all employees on the job either are fully vaccinated or get tested at least weekly and wear a face covering at work.
Affected employers have until Jan. 4 to begin enforcement, and OSHA said the rule will cover two-thirds of the nation’s private-sector workforce….
Only one-third of private-sector workers in the state at the end of 2020 were employed by companies that would be subject to OHSA’s impending rule, or 147,074 out of 443,188 workers, according to state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism data.
In terms of employers affected, only 556 companies out of 45,206 in Hawaii, based on DBEDT’s count, would be subject to the rule, which requires considerable effort by employers and could affect staffing…..
Big Q: Do you support the federal rule requiring COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing for businesses with 100-plus workers, starting Jan. 4?
Heritage: Congress Didn’t Give OSHA Authority to Impose Vaccine Mandates
NYT: Court temporarily blocks Biden’s vaccine mandate.
read … Impact of new federal COVID-19 vaccine rule not as severe in Hawaii
‘Loss of Witnesses’ to occur as Miske case drags on in court?
ILind: … The case against former Kamaaina Termite owner Mike Miske and his remaining ten codefendants is moving forward, although somewhat glacially.
A hearing to consider Miske’s motion for a further delay in the trial from March to September 2022 has been delayed until next week.
So far, attorneys for two defendants have filed objections to any further delay, citing their clients’ right to a speedy trial.
Nicole E. Springstead-Stolte, one of the Michigan-based attorneys representing Michael Buntenbah (also known as Michael Malone), said in a written objection that a further delay in her client’s trial “would not further the ends of justice, and instead, may unnecessarily delay his trial and unnecessarily result in the loss of important witnesses in his case.” …
ILind: When the public pays to provide legal representation for federal defendants
read … Legal maneuvering as Miske case drags on in court
Supreme Court ruling on New York gun control case could have big implications in Hawaii
HNN: … The nation’s highest court is hearing a case over New York’s gun control laws that could bring changes to Hawaii’s laws as well.
“In Hawaii right now there’s a concealed carry and an open carry permit,” said Andrew Namiki Roberts of the Hawaii Firearms Coalition. “They’re not issued to civilians generally, to people who want to carry a firearm for self-defense.”
That’s the issue in the case before the US Supreme Court. Two gun owners and the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association are suing for the right to carry a concealed weapon for self-defense purposes. They claim the New York law is unconstitutional….
Hawaii’s law only allows weapons to be carried for work-related defense.
“The only time that they are issued would be to security guards who are carrying firearms as part of their business — armored car drivers and such,” Roberts said.
“We just want to be able to carry a firearm for self-defense,” he added. “We’re law-abiding citizens, we’re not criminals. The criminals are already carrying guns.”
A Supreme Court ruling could also impact Hilo resident and Vietnam veteran George Young Jr.
Ten years ago, he applied twice for a license to carry a handgun in public but was denied. His case has been climbing through the legal system.
“The Supreme Court will directly rule in Mr. Young’s case,” said Young’s attorney Alan Beck. “They’re holding his petition pending the outcome of the New York case.”…
read … Supreme Court ruling on New York gun control case could have big implications in Hawaii
FAKE: ‘Hawaii eyeing professional soccer team for New Aloha Stadium’
KHON: … A contingent of five lawmakers and three Aloha Stadium Authority Board Members met up in Tampa, Florida for a meeting to bring the United Soccer League to the islands. This soccer team would play in the proposed New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District (NASED)….
(REALITY: No Stadium will be completed before 10 years. By then the soccer team and its owners/managers will have loooong forgotten this fake news discussion. The whole point of this phony exercise is to trick you into paying for another giant boondoggle.)
read … Hawaii eyeing professional soccer team for New Aloha Stadium
US Senate Judiciary approves Clare Connors as U.S. attorney for Hawaii
SA: … The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today approved President Joe Biden’s nomination of Clare Connors to be the next U.S. attorney for Hawaii.
The nomination now goes to the full Senate.
Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii spoke briefly in support of the appointment before the vote…
Background: Big Win for Mafia: Biden Appoints AG Connors US Attorney
read … Senate Judiciary approves Clare Connors as U.S. attorney for Hawaii
Judge acquits Hawaii Island woman accused of murdering foster child
HNN: … A judge acquitted a Hawaii Island woman who is accused of murdering her foster child in 2017.
Chasity Alcosiba-McKenzie is accused of being involved in the death of 3-year-old Fabian Garcia. The toddler was one of several children who the state had placed in her care.
The Waimea woman claimed the boy fell from a bench and became unresponsive hours later….
WHT: Woman found not guilty in death of child
read … Judge acquits Hawaii Island woman accused of murdering foster child
Kakaako homeless drug thieves don’t seem to care they’re on camera
HNN: … Kakako business owners say they’re grappling with an almost constant stream of criminal activity ― and they’re having to go to new lengths to protect their properties.
Recently, the owner of a Kakaako clinic managed to scare off a would-be thief who was armed with a reciprocating saw as he tried to cut the lock on the front door of her business.
The exchange was caught on a Ring security camera.
The attempted break-in happened just before midnight Monday near the corner of South and Queen streets. “My Ring doorbell alarm woke me up,” said Aure Kraemer, the owner of Hawaii Care Clinic….
Video show the attempted break-in shows it happened in front of multiple witnesses.
The suspect made no attempt to disguise himself. He also didn’t seemed phased by an ambulance crew that had responded to a call right behind him….
“The fact that police headquarters is literally right down the street. And the fire department is right there. To have this kind of activity around this area is mind-blowing,” she said.
The owner of the beauty studio next door believes a lot of the crime is connected to the people camping on the sidewalk. She says stuff getting stolen is only part of the problem.
“It’s threatening our livelihood,” said Liza Neginskaya. “The clients are afraid to come here.”
She said the campers are “constantly having fights, arguments, screaming yelling.”…
Neginskaya told HNN she’s called the police.
“I have multiple police reports,” she said. “They say they can’t really do anything.”
Meanwhile, Kraemer says she’s not certain why the would-be thief targeted her clinic Monday night.
“He might have been after medications,” she said….
read … In Kakaako, shop owners grapple with thieves who don’t seem to care they’re on camera
Civil Beat: Fishermen Should not have First Amendment Rights
CB: …The council’s leaders have done everything they can to stop presidents from creating monuments in the Pacific. Members of Congress have put forward a way to curb the lobbying….
CB: Wespac’s Aggressive Effort To Muscle In On State Control Of Fisheries
read … More Anti-WESPAC Propaganda
The carbon footprint of Hawaii Gov. David Ige's trip to Glasgow for COP26
PBN: … It’s 6,893 miles from Honolulu to Glasgow, Scotland, a round trip of 13,786 miles….
What is the carbon footprint of this jaunt?
An article on carbon dioxide production by air travel in The Guardian cites a German nonprofit, Atmosfair to state that “flying from London to New York and back generates about 986kg of CO2 per passenger."
From that we get a baseline of 0.14 kg of CO2 emitted per mile per passenger. Ige’s trip will weigh in at 1,958 kg per person, or 4,316 pounds — more than two tons of carbon dioxide emitted, just to shuttle Ige’s gubernatorial presence to the land of my ancestors.
But he’s not going alone. The release notes, “Gov. Ige will be attending COP26 with two members of his cabinet (DLNR Chair Suzanne Case and State Energy Office Chief Energy Officer Scott Glenn). Also accompanying the governor is one staff member and security personnel.”
All so Ige can join a convention of elites telling us that carbon dioxide is destroying the Earth and we need to stop pumping it into the atmosphere.
I assume Ige is at least flying commercial. Private jets have descended upon Glasgow by the hundreds.
“Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ £48million Gulf Stream has led a 400-strong parade of private jets into COP26 including Prince Albert of Monaco, scores of royals and dozens of ‘green’ CEOs — as an extraordinary traffic jam forced empty planes to fly 30 miles to find space to park,” reports The Guardian here. “On Sunday, MailOnline observed at least 52 private jets landing at Glasgow — while estimates put the total number flying in for the conference at 400. Conservative predictions suggest the fleet of private jets arriving for COP26 will blast out 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in total — equivalent to the amount consumed by more than 1,600 Britons in a year.”
read … The carbon footprint of Hawaii Gov. David Ige's trip to Glasgow for COP26
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