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Gabbard Third Trump Nominee to be Rejected?
TH: … The 119th Congress is around the corner and confirmation battles featuring President-elect Trump’s slate of nominees are set to take center stage.
Since Trump’s rapid rollout of choices, two nominees — former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for attorney general and Chad Chronister to lead the Drug Enforcement Agency — have already withdrawn themselves. …
Tulsi Gabbard is staring down perhaps the toughest confirmation battle of anyone put forward by the president-elect.
Gabbard, a former four-term Democratic lawmaker from Hawaii, has faced skepticism from segments of the Senate GOP conference for numerous reasons. Chief among them were her past remarks about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that appeared to echo talking points from Moscow, a 2017 meeting with now-exiled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and her lengthy tenure as a Democrat.
Adding to the issues is that she failed to impress multiple Senate Republicans during meetings on Capitol Hill in December, with at least a handful of them prepared to vote no on the floor — if her nomination gets that far.
“She’s the most at risk of not being confirmed,” one Senate GOP aide told The Hill.
“There are things that will never change with her,” the aide continued, pointing specifically to the Syria and Russia issues. “She has policy views that are totally contrary to where the majority of the conference is.” ….
read … Trump nominees: 5 confirmation battles to watch
‘Enough is enough’: Hawaii leaders pledge change after deadly illegal fireworks explosion
HNN: … In a press conference Wednesday, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said “enough is enough” and vowed renewed action to combat Hawaii’s systemic problem of illegal fireworks.
“We’re angry, frustrated and deeply sad and at this unnecessary loss of life,” he said. “This situation is out of control and it cannot be allowed to continue.”
Blangiardi said his administration is committed to taking decisive action.
“We will coordinate with federal and state agencies to strengthen law enforcement, impose tough penalties, explore new technologies because they exist, and implement a united effort to stop the import of illegal fireworks into our harbors and airports,” he said. “Our communities deserve better. People deserve better.”
The governor agreed with the change, but stopped short of promising an all-out ban of fireworks.
“If that’s what’s necessary to save lives, we’ll pursue that,” Gov. Josh Green said. “Right now, our initial thought is anything over 50 pounds, which would be enough to cause an accident like this, possession of that would be a class C felony, five years in prison, up to $10,000 in fines. So hopefully no one would be willing to put themselves behind bars like that while risking other people’s lives.”…
KITV: Urgency of combating illegal fireworks emphasized by local officials amidst Aliamanu tragedy
read … ‘Enough is enough’: Hawaii leaders pledge change after deadly illegal fireworks explosion
Evidence from the fatal blast
SA: … According to Honolulu Police Department Chief Joe Logan, a preliminary review of surveillance footage, witness statements and other evidence from the fatal blast suggests that shortly after midnight, a party attendee lit an aerial fireworks “cake” containing multiple smaller fireworks packed in a box in the driveway near the carport of the home.
When lit, the cakes fire a series of fireworks into the air in quick succession, creating a display of colorful explosions. In this case, the cake tipped over, causing an aerial firework to ignite two nearby crates containing additional fireworks, triggering a massive and deadly explosion….
SA: Fireworks leave trail of injuries “Queen’s Health Systems’ Punchbowl, West Oahu and Wahiawa emergency departments received and cared for nearly 40 people with fireworks- related injuries….”
read … City, state respond to deadly explosion in Salt Lake | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
State moves forward with more cameras to crack down on red-light runners
HNN: … he says the pilot program has been effective in reducing the number of red-light runners by up to 70 percent.
The state plans to make the cameras permanent, and add 10 more at additional busy intersections in 2025.
A proposed list will be presented to state lawmakers for approval and a public information period will follow….
read … State moves forward with more cameras to crack down on red-light runners
Green Energy Drives Foreign Purchases of Hawaii Land
CB: … New data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides a fresh snapshot of who owns Hawaiʻi’s agricultural lands.
Foreign ownership of Hawaiʻiʻs farmland has spiked over the past five years from 166,000 acres to 278,000 acres — a 65% increase — according to a USDA Farm Service Agency report released this month.
Maine has the highest proportion of its private farmland under foreign ownership, 21%, but the new numbers put Hawaiʻi in second place nationally after a jump from 9.8% in 2021 to 17.1% as of December 2023….
The most recent AFIDA data for Hawaiʻi shows Canadian interests ramping up in 2018 with the purchase of 41,000 acres of former Alexander & Baldwin plantation land in Central Maui by Mahi Pono — a partnership between Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board and California-based Pomona Farming.
The 71,000-acre increase can be attributed to purchases by Canada-based renewable energy interests that don't involve farming. Innergex Renewables bought over 63,000 acres for the Hale Kawehi solar and battery storage project near Waimea in 2018.
Canadian renewable energy company purchases of 7,200 acres on Maui and Big Island in 2022 and 2023 make up most of the balance. Germany's Bayer Corporation also bought 620 acres on Oʻahu last year for its crop sciences division.
What's noticeably missing in the Hawaiʻi data are any Chinese holdings….
read … Data Dive: Records Show Steep Rise In Foreign Ownership Of Hawaiʻi Farmland - Honolulu Civil Beat
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