Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we’ve been following today:
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Today’s Big Stories
1. 31,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and other health care workers strike for better wages and staffing
An estimated 31,000 registered nurses and other front-line Kaiser Permanente health care workers went on strike Tuesday to demand better wages and staffing from the California-based health care giant.
Organizers say the five-day strike across 500 medical centers and offices in California, Hawaii and Oregon is the largest in the 50-year history of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. The strike could grow to include 46,000 people.
Those on strike, including pharmacists, midwives and rehab therapists, say wages have not kept pace with inflation and there is not enough staffing to keep up with patient demand.
They are asking for a 25% wage increase over four years to make up for wages they say are at least 7% behind their peers.
Kaiser Permanente has countered with a 21.5% increase over four years. The company says that represented employees earn, on average, 16% more than their peers, and it would have to charge customers more to meet strikers’ pay demand.
The company said health clinics and hospitals will remain open during the strike, with some in-person appointments shifted to virtual appointments, and some elective surgeries and procedures being rescheduled.
Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health plans, serving 12.6 million members at 600 medical offices and 40 hospitals in largely western U.S. states. It is based in Oakland, California.
2. Hawaii airports remain running despite federal government shutdown
Two weeks after the federal government shutdown began, Hawaii’s airports are running smoothly thanks to federal employees continuing to stay on the job, prompting praise from Hawaii state officials, according to a Hawaii Department of Transportation news release.
Numerous airports across the continental U.S. have been disrupted by the shutdown — flight towers having to close for several hours, flight delays, reduced flights and longer wait times. In Hawaii, “airports have not experienced a significant impact due primarily to the commitment of federal employees who have been reporting to work.”
“We know federal workers and their families are facing uncertainty as a result of the shutdown. The fact that they continue to show up for work at our airports to minimize air travel disruptions is a testament to their character and shows how much they care for their fellow Hawaii residents as well as our visitors,” said Governor Josh Green in the release. “The state will do whatever we can to support federal airport workers in Hawaii as they continue to provide critical services to air travelers.”
“We are fortunate that our local federal employees remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of air travel in the Islands,” said HDOT Director Ed Sniffen. “Hawaii’s airports operate as ‘ohana with state, federal and private sector employees working side by side to serve the traveling public. We are grateful that our federal partners continue to provide the highest level of professionalism to keep our airports operational.”
3. Governor Green signs clean energy pact with Okinawa
Gov. Josh Green wrapped up his weeklong visit to Japan on Monday by joining Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki in signing a five-year memorandum of cooperation on clean energy.
The agreement, which focuses on shared goals for renewable energy, clean transportation and grid innovation, effectively renews a partnership between the Hawaii State Energy Office and the Okinawa Prefectural Government that was first established in 2010.
“Hawaii and Okinawa share more than history,” Green said. “We share purpose. Together, we’re proving that island communities can lead the world in clean energy and resilience, while honoring the cultural ties that bind us.”
The visit coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Hawaii–Okinawa sister-state relationship and the 125th anniversary of Okinawan immigration to Hawaii.
Green was accompanied on his Japan visit by first lady Jaime Kanani Green and a delegation of state lawmakers and business leaders.
The tour started in Tokyo, where Green met with senior leaders from NEC Corporation, JERA Co. Inc. and the Yomiuri Shimbun Group to discuss opportunities in technology, energy and tourism. While there, Green signed a strategic partnering agreement establishing a “framework for cooperation” between the state, JERA Co. Inc., (Japan’s largest power-generation company) and JERA Americas Inc. The agreement will support the state’s decarbonization goals and clean energy initiatives outlined in the state Energy Office’s Alternative Fuels, Repowering and Energy Transition study.
“Japan remains one of Hawaii’s most important partners in energy, commerce, education and people-to-people exchange,” Green said. “This mission reaffirms our shared commitment to innovation, sustainability and friendship that extends far beyond the Pacific.”
4. Tua Tagovailoa’s comments on Dolphins teammates ignites ill-timed firestorm
Instead of focusing primarily on what has gone wrong amid a 1-5 start to the season, the Miami Dolphins are answering questions again about their team culture following Tua Tagovailoa’s comments calling out unnamed teammates for being late to player-led meetings.
The Dolphins took the lead against the Los Angeles Chargers in the final minute of Sunday’s matchup but failed to hold on for the second straight game.
Asked how to keep up team morale, Tagovailoa, a Saint Louis School graduate from Ewa Beach, appeared to highlight behind-the-scenes issues.
“I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guys,” Tagovailoa said, “and then what we’re expecting out of the guys. We’re expecting this. Are we getting that? Are we not getting that?”
His comments drew widespread scrutiny from former NFL players and analysts criticizing the quarterback for publicly calling out teammates.
“I hated every bit of that. Tua, you’re a captain of this team, you’re a quarterback,” said Devin McCourty, the former defensive back who is now an analyst for NBC. “Go handle it. Get in the locker room, call those guys out by name. … Go fix it in-house. I think that’s true leadership.”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that while he didn’t believe Tagovailoa’s comments were ill-intentioned, they came at a bad time.
Several of Tagovailoa’s teammates were asked Monday about his comments. Many declined to discuss any locker-room issues.
“I try to keep those things out of the media,” left tackle Patrick Paul said. “I think that’s something that we should handle internally. I don’t think we should be giving out all the details of that.”
Asked if Tagovailoa’s comments were handled internally, Paul shook his head.
“I’m not sure,” he said.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke at a news conference after the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Dolphins 29-27 on Sunday. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
5. Lopez joins coalition condemning Letitia James prosecution
State Attorney General Anne Lopez and 21 other attorneys general condemned the Trump administration Monday for pursuing a personal vendetta against New York AG Letitia James.
James, who sued President Donald Trump dozens of times on behalf of the state and won a costly judgement against him for defrauding banks by inflating the value of his real estate holdings on financial statements, was indicted by a Virginia grand jury last week on allegations that she herself had committed mortgage fraud.
Trump had previously made public statements calling for James, Comey and other personal and political adversaries to be prosecuted and jailed.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, the coalition of AGs denounced the Trump administration’s “retaliatory prosecution” of James.
Lopez was joined in the statement by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont and the District of Columbia.
“None of us, whether our states’ top legal officials or members of the public, should stand idly by while justice is upended and this president uses the criminal legal system to pursue his personal vendettas,” the AGs said. “The Trump-directed arms of the executive branch have arrested a sitting member of Congress, charged the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and criminally investigated a governor of the Federal Reserve, among other retaliatory and politically motivated pursuits. These kinds of prosecutorial abuses are the hallmarks of police states and authoritarian regimes — not America’s democracy.”
James is accused of making false statements to a financial institution relating to the house she purchased in 2020. According to prosecutors, James was required by the mortgage she received to restrict the house for her personal use for the first year but instead rented it out.
James has called the charges “baseless.”
Your Notes for Tomorrow
Wednesday, Oct. 15
U.S. Supreme Court hears re-argument in Louisiana redistricting case
Victoria’s Secret fashion show
Fortune Fastest-Growing Companies list
In Case You Missed It
An automated rail car heading eastbound toward the Lagoon Drive station as part of Skyline Segment 2 that will debut to public ridership on Oct. 16. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
The second segment of Skyline opens to the public on Thursday. To promote the expansion, the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services announced Skyline, TheBus and TheHandi-Van will be free to ride on Saturday and Sunday, from 4:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
For the fare-free days, passengers will still be required to tap their HOLO cards at station gates or when boarding TheBus — but no fare will be deducted.
It costs $2 to buy a new adult HOLO card or replace a lost one. An adult HOLO card may be purchased at vending machines at Skyline stations. Reduced-fare HOLO cards (Disability, Medicare, Senior, and Youth cards) are available at the Transit Pass Office on Middle Street.
Skyline Segment 2 expands the existing rail system by five miles and includes four new stations, connecting East Kapolei to Middle Street.
Along with the opening of the Skyline extension, the Honolulu DOT will permanently expand the hours of operation; Skyline will now operate from 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, including weekends and holidays.
During regular operations, an adult ride on Skyline costs $3, with free transfers available.
AloJapan.com