Ka`u News Briefs Friday, April 7, 2017

Hawai`i Senator Brian Schatz with Syrian refugee. Shatz tweeted on Friday that the refugee ban
should be changed. Photo from Brian Schatz

IS THE TRUMP REFUGEE BAN IMMORAL if Pres. Donald Trump is willing to bomb Syria in the name of the Syrian children threatened by chemical warfare, while closing the door on them when their families try to flee to the United States? This is a question on Hawai`i Sen. Brian Schatz 's twitter feed. On Friday, Schatz tweeted a photo of a Syrian child in a refugee camp he visited, saying, "This is a kid I met in a refugee camp in Jordan. He's from Syria, and he needs us. This refugee ban is immoral."
     Schatz also retweeted: "Trump must change his refugee policy if he wants to use morality to justify action. Public agrees: 68% oppose indefinite Syrian refugee ban." Another retweet: "Can someone explain how the U.S. can bomb Syria while still maintaining a ban against its refugees?"
      It was also noted on Schatz's twitter feed on Friday that Trump defunded the United Nations Population Fund, which offers maternal health care to marginalized women to deliver healthy babies. Among those being served are some 48,000 pregnant Syrian women, many of them  in refugee camps.
     Trump's administration is contesting Hawai`i federal Judge Derrick Kahala Watson's ruling that stopped Trump's travel ban on people from six majority-Muslim countries. The arguments will be heard in a Virginia federal court.

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JUDGE NEIL GORSUCH IS THE 113TH U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. The vote in the U.S. Senate on Friday was 54-45, with Hawai`i Senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz voting no.                Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, gave extensive testimony in her opposition to Gorsuch, contending that he would rule on the side of corporations over people.

Pres. Donald Trump, introducing Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nomination
for the U.S. Supreme Court. The nomination was confirmed Friday.
Photo from Wikipedia

     Schatz contended that the public needed to know whether Gorsuch would favor the powerful, and whether he would uphold privacy rights and the woman's right to choose. Both Hirono and Schatz said Gorsuch did not provide clarity on these and other issues during his confirmation hearings.   
     The usual requirement for confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice  is 60 votes or more by the U.S. Senate but the Senate majority leader changed the rules to allow a simple majority vote to confirm Trump's nominee. It's called "the nuclear option." Gorsuch is expected to be sworn in on Monday morning.
     The lifetime appointment means that Gorsuch, 49, could serve for three or more decades. The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice, who would agree to ban abortions and live up to other conservative expectations,  replacing  the late Justice Antonin Scalia, are named as reasons that Republicans supported the Donald Trump candidacy for President.

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A poster for the 1944 U.S. Ag Census,
which has been taken since 1840.

KA`U FARMERS ARE INVITED to be included in the federal 2017 Ag Census, which produces statistics that help protect and obtain funding for such efforts as soil conservation, agricultural water and educational programs. The Ag Census takes place every five years and dates back to 1840.       Farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their operations and communities by taking part in the national Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the census captures a complete count of all U.S. Farms and ranches and those who operate them.       NASS is in the final stage for preparing the 2017 Census of Agriculture mailing list. For those new to farming and those who didn’t receive a 2012 Census of Agriculture questionnaire there is still time to be counted by signing up. Click the ‘Make Sure You Are Counted’ button below and provide the requested information. Questions, please contact Kathy King, USDA NASS State Statistician, at kathy.king@nass.usda.gov or 808-522-8080. Go to Make Sure You Are Counted!

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FARMWORKS HAWAI'I has announced programs of interest to Ka`u farmers and ranchers. Melanie Bondera , who has assisted Ka`u Coffee growers, is helping farmers form cooperatives and write business plans and grants. Diana Duff will teach a two-day long session April 29 and July 22 on Business Plan for Famers. Classes will be in Honoka`a, free and open to the public. Registration is through the Kohala Center. See www.koha.la/fsaworkshops.  A class on beekeeping is scheduled for April 22. See more at www.farmworkshawaii.com.

Pancake Breakfast, Sat, April 8, 8 – 11 a.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033

Atlas Recycling at South Point U-Cart, Sat, April 8, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Pele & Hi‘iaka, Sat, April 8, 9:30 – 11 a.m., Kahuku Unit of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Participants discover the Hawaiian goddesses and the natural phenomena they represent on this free, moderate, one-mile walk. nps.gov/havo

Jazz in the Forest, Sat, April 8, 4:30 & 7 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Jeannine Guillory with Jean Pierre Thoma & the Jazztones present high-caliber jazz up-close & personal. Tickets at volcanoartcenter.org, VAC’s office & VAC Gallery.

Medicine for the Mind, Sun, April 9, 4 – 5:45 p.m., Volcano Art Center in Volcano Village. Buddhist healing meditation for beginners through advanced. Free. Patty, 985-7470.

People & Land of Kahuku, Sun, April 9, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park’s Kahuku Unit. This free, guided, 2.5-mile, moderately difficult hike over rugged terrain focuses on the area’s human history. nps.gov/havo

Senior IDs, Mon, April 10, 9 – 11 a.m., St. Jude’s Church in Ocean View. For residents 60 and older. 928-3100.