HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige announced that Fitch Ratings upgraded the state’s general obligation (G.O.) bond rating (credit rating), from AA to AA+ -- based on the state’s resilient economy and continued strong performance. The upgrade, along with current ratings from Moody’s Investors Service (Aa1) and Standard & Poor (AA+) raises Hawai‘i’s G.O. bond credit ratings to the highest levels ever achieved in state history. The high ratings will help the state reduce its borrowing costs and increase savings for Hawai‘i taxpayers in future bond sales. Fitch is a private independent credit rating service that evaluates a bond issuer’s financial strength of its ability to pay back money owed. It cited Hawai‘i’s strong financial and operating performance, diversified economic base, and the state’s overall fiscal prudence – including its commitment to reducing its pension and retiree healthcare liabilities. Fitch also acknowledged that the state has made strides in growing its budgetary and emergency reserves, which is a key step in improving overall financial stability. “This is significant because we could potentially save millions in taxpayer dollars on interest payments. The state is also better positioned for the next recession, reducing the need to raise taxes or cut services,” said Gov. David Ige. “My administration has actively promoted budgetary and financial policies to live prudently within our means, address our long-term liabilities and grow financial reserves. I must thank Budget Director Neal Miyahira who has helped to implement our policies and guide us to this point.” “The bond rating upgrade reflects years of prudent financial management led by Governor Ige to improve the state’s overall financial position and address its long-term liabilities. It is important that we continue to implement similar financial initiatives to protect the financial health of the state,” said Neal Miyahira, director of the Department of Budget and Finance.” With the latest rating upgrade from Fitch, all three of the state’s G.O. bond ratings are one notch away from the highest rating possible. Fitch Ratings Report

(Honolulu) – It’s become an iconic New Year’s Day tradition in Hawai‘i and across the country.  State Parks in all 50 states are again offering free, guided, First Day Hikes, on Jan. 1, 2020. In the Aloha State, the hike to the Makapu‘u Lookout at the Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline is actually self-guided; just follow the crowd up the one-mile-long, paved path for stunning views as the sun rises at 7:09 a.m. “Hawai‘i’s unique version of the New Year’s Day hike not only provides the means for individuals and families to welcome the coming year in the outdoors, exercising and connecting with nature, but we blend in multi-culturalism,” explained Curt Cottrell, Administrator of the DLNR Division of State Parks. As in year’s past, the crowd at the top will be treated to the traditional blowing of a pu (conch shell) to herald in the first sunrise of the year, followed by an oli and then a performance by the drummers of the Taiko Center of the Pacific. Cottrell continued, “Not only are the views stunning, with the possibility of seeing Humpback whales breaching in the ocean below, but the sounds and sights of the pu, the oli, and the taiko drummers give repeat and new visitors alike, chicken skin.” The Kaiwi First Day Hike, has often been the best-attended in the country, due largely to Hawai‘i’s mild winter weather, the ease of the hike, and the fact that it is very family friendly and designed for anyone, no matter their hiking ability. As many as 700 people have made the trek in past years. The gates to the park will open at 5 a.m. to give people plenty of time to get to the top before the sun rises.  Participants are encouraged to bring a light jacket, rain gear if needed, water, and leashes and poop bags for dogs.  There are no restroom facilities at Kaiwi. Please remember to pack out all rubbish. According to America’s State Parks, last year nearly 55,000 people rang in the New Year, collectively hiking over 133,000 miles throughout the country.  Numerous others hiked state park trails throughout the day. Hawai‘i’s and America’s state parks programs are committed to promoting outdoor recreation in hopes to help address obesity, especially in children. Furthermore, exercise and outdoor activities rejuvenate the mind and body, promoting overall mental and physical health and wellness. Many believe that time spent in nature enhances creativity and lifts our moods! Source: DLNR All images/video courtesy: DLNR) HD video – First Day Hike, 2018 https://vimeo.com/249321712 Photographs – First Day Hike, 2018 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1wkoo9d5d38hhrm/AAAxmrBf5Gj5j1dSaJ0COimya?dl=0

NOTICE OF MEETING COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz, Chair| Senator Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran, Vice Chair COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION Senator Donna Mercado Kim, Chair Senator Michelle N. Kidani, Vice Chair DATE: Friday, December 13, 2019 TIME: 10:00 AM PLACE: Conference Room 211 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street A G E N D A In preparation for the 2020 legislative session, the joint Committees on Ways and Means and Higher Education will hold a budget briefing to receive an update on the University of Hawai’i system. Topics to be discussed will include, but are not limited to the following: · Enrollment · Executive and Managerial Salary Increases · Tuition Reserve Fund · S397 Special Fund and Fringe Benefits · SR 149 S.D.1 (2019 Session) · Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy · Atherton Innovation Center / Sinclair Library · Space Utilization Study and Analysis · Repair and Maintenance Backlog · Cancer Center Representatives from the departments of Accounting and General Services and Budget and Finance will also be present to offer insight and answer questions pertaining to the S397 Special Fund and Fringe Benefits. No public testimony will be accepted. If you require auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., interpretive services (oral or written), ASL interpreter, or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the committee clerk at least 24 hours prior to the hearing so that arrangements can be made. For further information, please call the Committee Clerk at 586-6800. Source: 📷https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2019/hearingnotices/HEARING_WAM-HRE_12-13-19_INFO_.HTM #HawaiiSenate #WaysAndMeans #UH #UniversityOfHawaii #Budget

The Hawaii State Board of Education (BOE) today approved the Department’s proposal to provide extra compensation for classroom teachers in three high-need areas: special education, hard-to-staff geographical locations, and Hawaiian language immersion programs. The Board voted 7-2 in favor of implementing the pay differentials, which are scheduled to take effect Jan. 7. “I’m humbled by the turnout today of students, teachers and community stakeholders who took the time to voice their support and concerns over the proposal. On behalf of the Board, we heard you and we took action based on what we believe to be in the best interest of our haumana, especially those in high-need areas,” said BOE Chairwoman Catherine Payne. “This momentous decision was about trying something new and looking for bold strategies that will address teacher staffing issues that not only plague Hawaii, but districts across the nation as well. We have an opportunity to be innovative and set the bar high.” Following the Board’s approval, the Department will send a request to Gov. David Ige to include the necessary funding in his executive budget request to the Legislature. The governor earlier this week supported the proposal at a press conference alongside the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Implementation of this initiative is timed around recruitment deadlines for the 2020-21 school year along with ongoing retention efforts. “I am thrilled with our collective decision to move forward boldly to address a long-standing challenge. We have tremendous teachers in the Department who deserve to receive competitive pay, acknowledgement and support. We are the promise to our haumana,” added Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto. For more information, click here to view the BOE agenda item.

HONOLULU –  Gov. David Ige has appointed Craig Hirai as the director of the Department of Budget and Finance, effective Dec. 16, 2019. Hirai has served as executive director of the Hawai‘i Housing Finance & Development Corporation (HHFDC), State of Hawai‘i since 2013. He is also the sole member of Craig K. Hirai, CPA, LLC. Previously, Hirai was a consultant (shareholder/director) at Bowen Hunsaker Hirai Consulting, Inc. and Bowen Hunsaker Hirai, Certified Public Accountants. In addition, Hirai has worked as a tax attorney in private practice. Hirai is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) where he earned an M.S. in accounting and an M.B.A. He went on to earn his J.D. at Hastings College of Law at the University of California San Francisco, and his LL.M – a Master of Laws (in taxation), a post-graduate law degree from New York University. “Craig’s extensive experience and knowledge, along with his administrative skill set will serve our state well. I am elated that Craig has agreed to come onboard as a member of my cabinet,” said Gov. Ige. “I would also like to thank Neal Miyahira for agreeing to temporarily serve as Budget and Finance director and for doing a fine job while we searched for a permanent candidate.” Miyahira returns to his position as budget division administrator at the Department of Budget and Finance. Hirai’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is advising travelers to be on alert for measles as international outbreaks around the Pacific and elsewhere continue to increase. This year, there were four reported cases of travel-related measles in Hawai‘i including three visitors and one resident. In 2018, there were no reported cases of measles in the state. An advisory was sent to physicians in November, and healthcare providers are reminded to be vigilant. Measles is very contagious and can be serious. It is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Persons most at risk for catching measles are those who are not vaccinated. Possible serious complications include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), and death. The risk of complications is highest in children who are less than a year old, pregnant women, and persons who have a weakened immune system. “Measles is still common in many parts of the world, and current outbreaks in areas around the Pacific and on the mainland are a concern because Hawai‘i is a cornerstone for travel and many of our residents are frequent travelers,” said Health Director Bruce Anderson. “Infectious diseases are just a plane ride away, and vaccination is the best defense against these life-threatening diseases.” The best way to prevent measles is to get vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. DOH encourages everyone to check their records and contact their healthcare provider if they need to be immunized. Before any international travel, infants ages 6 through 11 months should receive one dose of MMR vaccine. Children ages 12 months and older, as well as teenagers and adults without evidence of immunity, should receive two doses of MMR vaccine separated by at least 28 days. The symptoms of measles usually start around 14 days after exposure (range 7–21 days) and may include: High fever Cough; runny nose; and red, watery eyes Rash People who suspect that they have measles should call their healthcare provider right away and isolate themselves from others to help contain the spread of illness. For a list of vaccinating pharmacies, visit http://health.hawaii.gov/docd/vaccines-immunizations/vaccine-locators/. For more information about measles, visit http://health.hawaii.gov/docd/disease_listing/measles/. PDF: DOH advises travelers to be on alert for measles

HONOLULU – Attorney General Clare E. Connors today joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro in opposing a proposal by the U.S. Department of Labor to change the method employers use to calculate overtime, which would force employees to work longer shifts while reducing their weekly earnings. In a letter issued today, the coalition urged the Department of Labor (DOL) to withdraw its proposed rule amending the DOL’s regulation on the fluctuating workweek method of computing overtime. The coalition argues that the DOL’s proposal to arbitrarily expand the application of the fluctuating workweek method compromises worker safety, reduces workers’ compensation for overtime work, and makes it more difficult for employers to comply with fair labor laws. “The proposal goes against precedent on when a fluctuating workweek rule should be used,” said Attorney General Connors. “And it creates the wrong incentives – to overwork employees and reduce their earnings.” Under the fluctuating workweek rule, employers can agree to pay a limited class of employees whose hours fluctuate from week to week a fixed salary for all hours worked. Those employees’ regular rate of pay is calculated by dividing the employee’s fixed salary by their total hours worked. Employers must then pay those employees an additional half of their regular rate for each overtime hour worked. The rule has long been held as being incompatible in instances in which employees receive additional pay like bonuses and shift differentials linked to the hours they work. The fluctuating workweek rule is the only rule under which workers’ hourly and overtime rates of pay actually decrease as the amount of hours they work per week increase. For that reason, states such as Illinois and Pennsylvania use a modified fluctuating workweek method or apply it only in the narrow set of circumstances allowed under current law. The DOL’s proposal would expand the application of the fluctuating workweek to employees who receive any kind of additional pay, including pay incentives linked to employees’ hours worked, despite decades of legal precedent. In their letter, the coalition argues that expanding the use of the fluctuating workweek rule decreases an employee’s regular and overtime rate of pay the more the employee works. The coalition also argues that while the DOL claims the proposed rule will boost job creation, it actually creates incentives for employers to overwork employees instead of hiring additional staff. As employers reduce fixed salaries in lieu of paying employees premiums for working specific shifts, employees unable to work shifts offering premium pay will receive greatly reduced wages. Additionally, the attorneys general point out that the DOL’s proposed rule undermines the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which was enacted in 1938 and ensures that employees are fairly compensated for working more than 40 hours per week. Instead of protecting workers from long hours and unfair compensation, the proposed rule threatens to expand the use of the only method for calculating overtime where the more the employee works, the less the employee is paid for each hour of overtime. The proposed rule also runs counter to past court and department precedent. For decades, courts have held that employers may only use the fluctuating workweek rule when employees earn a fixed salary for all hours of work. In 2011, the DOL rejected a similar proposed rule because it would have the unintended consequence of allowing employers to pay a lower fixed salary and shift employees’ compensation into bonuses, resulting in wide pay disparities depending on the hours employees worked. Raoul and the attorneys general argue that, in light of this precedent, the DOL offers no evidence to necessitate its policy change. Joining Attorney General Connors in submitting the letter led by Attorney General Raoul and Attorney General Shapiro are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. The letter can be found here.

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) informs the traveling public of special events permitted on state roadways through the month of December. Events during the Holiday season include the Honolulu Marathon and Jingle Rock Run as well as Christmas parades in Wahiawa, Kaneohe, Haleiwa, Waimanalo, Waipahu and Ewa Beach. Event details, traffic changes and route information are as follows. Wahiawa Town Santa Parade (Friday, Dec. 6, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Kamehameha Highway and turning lanes will be closed in both directions at California Avenue. Police officers will allow traffic to move on Kamehameha Highway in gaps of the parade for 3 minutes at a time. County owned streets that will be closed during the event include California Avenue and Cane Street. No parking/tow away signs will be in place from 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Kaneohe Christmas Parade (Saturday Dec. 7, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) The Christmas Parade will start at Windward Mall on Haiku Road, then move towards the county owned portion of Kamehameha Highway and travel southbound occupying all lanes in both directions. The parade will then move to the mauka side of Kamehameha Highway just past Paleka Road, then will shift to the makai side of Kamehameha Highway at Hoene Place, then make a left turn onto Kaneohe Bay Drive occupying all lanes, where the parade will end at Castle High School. Parking will be prohibited and cross streets along the route will be closed until the parade passes. Honolulu Marathon (Sunday, Dec. 8, beginning at 12:30 a.m.) Closures on state roadways will begin at 12:30 a.m. on Ala Moana Boulevard from Atkinson Drive to Ward Avenue. At approximately 2:30 a.m. Nimitz Highway will be closed from Ala Moana Boulevard to Nuuanu Avenue. At approximately 4:55 a.m. participants will make a left turn from Piikoi Street onto Ala Moana Boulevard and will be diverted at Atkinson Drive to the makai side of Ala Moana Boulevard where they will continue onto Kalakaua Avenue. At approximately 4:30 a.m. the eastbound lanes of Kalanianaole Highway will be closed from Ainakoa Avenue to Keahole Street and traffic will be contraflowed in the westbound lanes. The eastbound lanes on Waialae Avenue will be closed as well from Kilauea Avenue to Kalanianaole Highway. As runners reach Waialae Avenue, motorists on the eastbound H-1 Freeway will be detoured to the Waialae Avenue offramp (Exit 26B). State roadways being used for the Honolulu Marathon include Ala Moana Boulevard, Nimitz Highway, Waialae Avenue and Kalanianaole Highway. Routes will be opened as the last participants can be safely ushered onto the sidewalk or the volume of participants no longer interfere with vehicles or cause a hazard. For more information on closures and detours of the full length of the course, please view the Honolulu Marathon website at https://www.honolulumarathon.org/. Haleiwa Town Christmas Parade (Friday, Dec. 13, from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.) Staging for the parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Weed Circle. The parade will start at 6 p.m. and travel in the northbound lanes on the county owned portion of Kamehameha Highway and end at Haleiwa Beach Park. Buses will only be allowed to access Weed Circle with assistance by HPD and all cross streets will be closed during the event. Waimanalo Christmas Parade (Saturday, Dec. 14, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.) The parade will begin at the Humuniki Street and Kumuhau Street intersection, then move west on Humuniki Street and make a right turn onto Kalanianaole Highway where they will end at Waimanalo Beach Park. During parade hours, Kalanianaole Highway will be closed between Kumuhau Street and Waimanalo Beach Park. Waipahu Christmas Parade (Saturday, Dec. 14, from 3 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.) The parade will begin at Waipahu District Park at Paiwa Street, then make a right onto Farrington Highway, a right onto Pupukahi Street, a left onto Waipahu Street, a left onto Leoku Street, a right onto Leolua Street and finish behind Waipahu Town Center. A rolling closure will be in place with assistance by HPD. Farrington Highway (state owned roadway) will be closed between Paiwa Street and Pupukahi Street. Jingle Rock Run (Sunday, Dec. 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.) The race will begin at Richards Street fronting the State Capitol. Turning lanes will be closed from Nimitz Highway to Alakea Street, Halekauwila Street and South Street. Closures on City and County owned streets include Bishop Street, King Street, Punchbowl Street, Kawaiahao Street, Auahi Street, Keawe Street, Halekauwila Street, Richards Street, Beretania Street and South Street. Ewa Beach Christmas Parade (Saturday, Dec. 21, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) Two lanes will be closed on Fort Weaver Road in the northbound direction from North Road to Kuhina Street and traffic will be contraflowed in the southbound lanes. The parade will start at Ilima Intermediate School Parking Lot and travel northbound onto Fort Weaver Road, then turn right onto Kuhina Street, turn right onto Hanakahi Street, turn right onto North Road and turn right onto Fort Weaver Road where they will end at Ilima Intermediate School. HDOT advises motorists to allow for extra travel time and to follow all traffic controls, no parking restrictions, and safety procedures. All cross streets along the event routes will be closed progressively until all units of the parade have cleared the area. Portable electronic signs will be posted at key points throughout the area to alert drivers of the temporary lane closures and detours. Special duty police officers will be on site to assist with event operations and traffic control.

HONOLULU – Attorney General Clare E. Connors, today joined a coalition of nine Attorneys General in filing a brief that argues that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is violating federal law by continuing to allow chlorpyrifos, a widely-used pesticide with well-documented harms to infants and young children’s neurological development, to contaminate common foods. The coalition is suing EPA over its decision to continue to allow chlorpyrifos to be present in foods, even though the Agency has not made a finding – as required by federal law – that this pesticide contamination is safe. In light of the EPA’s failure to address the safety of chlorpyrifos in food – and overwhelming scientific evidence that currently allowable levels are not safe, the coalition is urging the court to direct the EPA ban it from food. Photo credit: Children's Health Defense “The EPA has failed to make the legally necessary safety findings on this dangerous pesticide,” said Attorney General Connors. “The health concerns to consumers, especially infants and young children, cannot be ignored.” Today’s filing is part of a lawsuit led by New York Attorney General Letitia James that was filed on August 7 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and includes the Attorneys General of California, Washington, Massachusetts, Maryland and Vermont.  The Attorneys General of Oregon, and the District of Columbia subsequently joined the coalition’s suit. Chlorpyrifos – a widely-used pesticide on food crops, including many fruits and vegetables commonly consumed by infants, young children, and pregnant women – is well-documented to harm proper development and functioning of the central nervous system and brain. In fact, EPA’s own scientists have twice been unable to identify a safe level of chlorpyrifos residues on food.  Because of this, in November 2015 and again in November 2016, EPA issued proposed regulations to revoke all allowable levels – known as  “tolerances” – for  chlorpyrifos in food.  Revoking these tolerances would ban the dangerous pesticide from being present in food. However, in one of his first official acts, then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt disregarded those proposals – and the weight of scientific evidence amassed by the Agency – and issued an order delaying until 2022 any decision on whether to revoke or modify currently allowable tolerances for chlorpyrifos in food. In June 2017, a coalition of Attorneys General, along with a group of petitioners, filed administrative objections to Administrator Pruitt’s order. The objections argued that by leaving the current chlorpyrifos food tolerances in place, the order violated the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Food Act) because EPA failed to make the legally-required finding of safety required to maintain those tolerances. In April of this year, the Ninth Circuit ordered EPA to rule on the administrative objections within 90 days. EPA issued a decision denying the objections on July 18.  However, in its denial, the Agency still did not make the legally-required finding that the current tolerances for chlorpyrifos in food were safe. Instead, EPA said it would continue on its original timeline, deferring any decision on the pesticide’s safety in food for another three years. In today’s filing, the coalition of Attorneys General argues that EPA’s July 18 decision was arbitrary and capricious, and contrary to federal law. In particular, the coalition contends that EPA violated the Food Act by leaving the current tolerances in place without affirmatively finding that they are safe and by failing to find, to a reasonable degree of medical certainly, that the tolerances will cause no harm to infants and children.  The coalition urges the court to set aside the July 18 order, and direct EPA to revoke all tolerances for chlorpyrifos residues on foods. Chlorpyrifos is one of the most widely used pesticides in the United States on food crops, including those commonly consumed by infants and young children such as apples, strawberries, cherries, pears, peaches, nectarines, and cherries.  Residues of the pesticide have repeatedly been documented in baby foods and juices.  Chlorpyrifos has been subjected to regulatory review for nearly 20 years, and its dangers are well-documented.  The pesticide is part of a group of chemicals that includes nerve gas and acts by inhibiting an enzyme that is key to the proper development and functioning of the central nervous system and brain. Several studies have shown that children born to women exposed to chlorpyrifos during pregnancy had a variety of disorders, including delayed motor development, attention problems, pervasive developmental disorder, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and reduced IQ scores.

Jefferson Chang (left) was one of four USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists who spoke about monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes and mentored students at the 2019 National Diversity in STEM Conference in Honolulu. The Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science organizes these annual meetings to foster underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering and math. HVO colleagues Kevan Kamibayashi and Patricia Nadeau, across from Chang, helped staff the USGS exhibit during the conference. USGS photo by A. Scott. JEFFREY CHANG: About a month ago, I attended the 2019 National Diversity in STEM Conference, an annual meeting organized by the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and held in Honolulu this year. SACNAS STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) conferences are unique in that they focus on fostering diversity and inclusion. They are attended primarily by students and professionals. As a student, it is an invaluable experience to see examples of and interact with successful professionals that look like you. As a professional, it is an opportunity to mentor future scientists. The conference got me thinking about where I came from, and how I ended up as a geophysicist at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). I did not have a mentor or example to guide me. I grew up on the windward side of O‘ahu, in a modest family that barely made ends meet. I rode my bike or walked to Waimānalo Intermediate, and later caught 'TheBus' to Kailua High School. I was an average kid. Sometimes, I made good grades; other times, I made poor decisions. My teachers often sent home progress reports that said or hinted at something to the effect of "has potential" or "needs to apply himself." Come to think of it, I probably made more poor decisions than good grades! I finished high school, ranking somewhere in the middle of my class. I had no plans—and no clue. Through a bizarre turn of events, I enrolled at Leeward Community College (LCC) on the other side of the island from where I lived. There, I took an introductory geology class, which, unbeknownst to me at the time, was the first in a series of fortunate events. While taking 18-21 credits per semester at LCC, I worked full-time to pay for housing. I also had a second full-time job to pay for food and expenses. This was the normal hustle for my peers and me. I was just an average adult on O‘ahu. After a few years of working toward a two-year degree, I decided that it was not sustainable. I left Hawaii to find a college on the mainland. I now had a plan—but still no clue. While enrolling in Northern Arizona University, I was caught off-guard when the admissions official asked me to declare a major. As I strained to remember the classes I took in high school and LCC, the word "geology" came out of my mouth. I said it on a whim. It was a topic that I had only known for one fleeting semester. Geology—the study of the earth. That one word impetuously muttered so many years ago set the course for the rest of my life. During my undergraduate, master's, and doctoral studies, I received grants and awards. I conducted and presented my research around the world. I advised policy-makers on state-wide legislations. I also drifted a long way from the little town of Waimānalo . Living in Hawaii and being a scientist had never connected in my head. I had no role model, so the two seemed disconnected. That changed when I met a stranger at the airport after attending an American Geophysical Union conference. "You’re from Honolulu, right?" he asked, which seemed oddly specific. Maybe he noticed my Locals ® slippers. He was an HVO research geophysicist and reminded me that the Island of Hawai‘i has active volcanoes, which generate substantial seismicity. More importantly, he made me realize that there was indeed a place for local scientists in Hawaii. About a year after that chance meeting, I started my career as a USGS-HVO geophysicist, monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes and earthquakes. There is a disturbing lack of diversity in science, so representation matters. SACNAS works to ensure that underrepresented students in STEM get the support they need to succeed. Not all scientists look like Einstein or wear lab coats. Some of us lucky ones get to wear "slippahs." Because of my past experiences, I engage with students whenever possible, which is why I attended the SACNAS STEM conference. My hope is that students never have to choose between pursuing their dream careers and staying close to their roots. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geophysicist Jefferson Chang during his presentation at the 2019 National Diversity in STEM Conference in Honolulu. Chang and Kevan Kamibayashi (left) were two of four HVO scientists who spoke about their work monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes at the SACNAS conference. Volcano Activity Update Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.html). Updates for Kīlauea are now issued monthly. Kīlauea monitoring data showed no notable changes over the past week. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and below detection limits at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō and the lower East Rift Zone (LERZ). The water lake at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continues to slowly expand and deepen. Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption is certain. This past week, about 36 small-magnitude earthquakes (all less than M2.0) were detected beneath the upper elevations of Mauna Loa. Deformation measurements show continued summit inflation. Fumarole temperature and gas concentrations on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable. Mauna Loa updates are issued weekly. For more info on the status of the volcano, please go to: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/status.html One earthquake with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaii this past week: a magnitude-2.7 quake 25 km (16 mi) west of Pepe‘ekeo at 30 km (19 mi) depth on Nov. 23 at 9:41 a.m. HST. HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity. November 27, 2019 https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html

Shipyard ‘Ohana, It is with the heaviest heart I write to you tonight. Today we lost two of our shipyard civilians with another seriously injured in a tragic event this afternoon. I know that no words will convey the full measure of sorrow from today’s tragedy. This loss will be felt throughout our shipyard ‘Ohana, greater shipyard & NAVSEA family, submarine force, and the Navy as a whole. For any who have worked alongside those lost today, please reach out to your chain of command and let them know so that we can facilitate time for you to begin to process this tragedy. The details available at this time have been included in our released employee statement previously posted on our shipyard Facebook page. Also, know that Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Naval Criminal Investigative Services have a full investigation underway. As we learn more details, we will share that information with you. There are resources available to you as you process today’s events. If you are hurting, there is help readily available. You can always reach out through your supervisor or chain of command. Our local DONCEAP representative, Dayle-Ann Lee-Roche, is available for you and can be reached at (808) 471-3789; 24/7 line is 1-844-DONCEAP (366-2327). Family members and personnel that would like chaplain and counseling services can call (808) 285-7447. Looking ahead, we will honor the life and legacy of those lost. Even now, as we mourn the loss of members of our ‘Ohana, please take the opportunity to reconnect with each other and to reinforce and strengthen the bonds with each other. We value each one of you deeply and we are here for you. Source: https://www.facebook.com/PearlHarborNavalShipyard

STATEMENT: I join in solidarity with the people of Hawai‘i as we express our heartbreak over this tragedy and concern for those affected by the shooting. Details are still emerging as security forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam investigate. The White House has reached out to offer assistance from federal agencies, and the state is standing by to assist where necessary. --Governor David Ige