Supreme Court Upholds Travel Ban; Examining Hawaii Pesticide Ban; Helicopter Tour CEO Responds to Noise Complaints; Albatross Film
Supreme Court Upholds Travel Ban
The impact of this week’s Supreme Court decision upholding the Trump administration’s Muslim travel ban is only beginning to be understood. It has far-reaching implications for immigration law and for the future exercise of Presidential power. Hawaii immigration lawyer John Egan sees the decision as one that opens the door to racism in national jurisprudence; we spoke earlier this morning.
Hawaii Pesticide Ban
Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide that’s in wide use around the world; it’s legal in 49 US States, and its use was legal in Hawaii until a couple of weeks ago, when Hawaii became the first state in the nation to ban its use. Nicholas Comerford, dean of the University of Hawai?i at M?noa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources in our studio to tell us why.
Civil Beat Reality Check
Despite the fact that there’s a critical need for dialysis care in Hawaii, some of the state’s fully equipped facilities have been sitting idle for years, awaiting government approval. The recent opening of two O’ahu facilities is a step in the right direction for patients in need, but the logjam continues, as reporting fellow Courtney Teague tells us in today’s Reality Check.
Heli-Tour CEO Responds to Noise Complaints
People who live in the parts of Hawaii Island where tour helicopters fly have been complaining for years about the noise, and yesterday on our program we heard from a group called Hawaii Island Coalition Malama Pono, that has lobbied for years for increased controls on the flights. Recent volcano activity has kept the choppers flying from dawn to dusk, and after yesterday’s program, we spoke with Paradise Helicopters CEO Cal Dorn. I asked him how many flights he runs each day.
Documentary Film, Albatross
Midway Atoll is a magical place, home to untold thousands of nesting seabirds in what should be a pristine environment. But it’s also the scene of an environmental nightmare, as the plastic debris we discard ends up in the bellies of young birds, lying dead on the ground. It’s a wrenching story, and an important one -- so important that Chris Jordan and the team behind the film Albatross are making their movie available for free to audiences around the world.
