Survey says doctors struggling under new payment plan
HONOLULU — A survey of Hawaii primary health care providers reveals struggles to stay in business following changes to compensation by the state’s largest insurer.
Bank, foundation launch $2M scholarship fund
First Hawaiian Bank and the Hawaii Community Foundation announced recently the Stronger Together Hawaii Scholarship Fund to support career readiness in Hawaii’s 2020 public high school graduates.
Niumalu Marketplace taking shape
Construction on the 63,000-square-foot Safeway at Niumalu Marketplace in still expected to be complete by the end of this year.
Group pushes Native Hawaiian values for economic revival
HONOLULU — A newly formed policy group has announced an effort to reboot Hawaii’s tourist-based economy following the coronavirus outbreak using Native Hawaiian cultural values.
Small Business Matters: Business in post-pandemic Hawaii
Smack dab in the middle (hopefully, at least) of the current pandemic there’s a lot we don’t know. We don’t know if many small businesses will reopen; of those that do reopen, we don’t know how many can maintain themselves. We don’t know what will happen when the PPP money is gone. We don’t know where the horrendous unemployment numbers we’re looking at now will level off and where they’ll end up. We don’t know if we’re in for a “W-shaped” coronavirus curve with a recurrence of infections, or if we’re on a stable downward slope towards pre-pandemic infection rates. We don’t know when tourists will be free to travel and if they’ll have the money and will feel safe enough to do so. We don’t know what the exploding U.S. deficit will do to tax burdens, cuts in services, and the future of the national economy. We don’t know when we’ll have a vaccine.
Grocery prices are up significantly, statistics show
The coronavirus pandemic has folks paying more to stock up at the grocery store and eat at home.
Norwegian Cruise Line says 2021 bookings on track as ‘going concern’ threat appears to recede
MIAMI — Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. reported first-quarter earnings Thursday that missed analysts’ expectations. But the Miami-based company said it is already seeing demand for voyages in the fourth quarter of 2020 and into 2021.
Crossing the rubicon into tax suspension
In an article in this space just a couple of weeks ago, we growled and grumbled about the possibility that our governor, having already suspended laws and chapters in the Hawaii Revised Statutes in a listing 17 pages long, would start monkeying with the tax code.
‘A whole new ballgame’
Volcano residents and business owners continue fighting through the COVID-19 pandemic as restrictions persist and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park remains closed.
TP shortage: When will it end?
Paper goods giant Georgia-Pacific is cranking out 1.5 million more rolls of toilet paper a day than two months ago, but George Bugg still can’t find it on the shelves of the Decatur, Ga., stores where he shops.
NASA goes with SpaceX Starship, Blue Origin, Dynetics for moon mission landers
NASA went with big names SpaceX and Blue Origin as well as lesser-known Dynetics as the three commercial companies vying to build lunar landers for its Artemis missions to return humans to the moon by 2024.
Store openings at Puna Kai could be delayed
The COVID-19 outbreak will delay when some businesses will open for the first time in the Puna Kai shopping center, developer Gary Pinkston said last week.
Congress to investigate Carnival Corporation’s handling of COVID-19 on its cruise ships
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure announced an investigation into Carnival Corporation’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic on Friday.
Toyota to ramp up North American vehicle production beginning May 4
Toyota will reopen and slowly ramp up vehicle production in the U.S. and Canada beginning May 4, the Texas-based subsidiary announced Thursday.
Small-business relief program restarts Monday with $320 billion
The U.S. Small Business Administration will restart a government coronavirus relief loan program for small businesses today week with an additional $320 billion, after the first round of funding was exhausted in just 13 days.
Bank of Hawaii sets aside $33.6M for virus loan defaults
HONOLULU — Bank of Hawaii Corp. recently announced it has set aside $33.6 million to cover potential loan losses tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
PPP/EIDL: The next round of funding upon us
As I write this, Congress is voting on the second tranche of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The bill, which includes other funding provisions, is certain to pass. It then goes for Presidential signature and the wheels start turning to open the application portals. By the time you are reading this, hopefully those wheels are in motion.
Muted and vacant, Las Vegas struggles to survive shutdown
LAS VEGAS — Slot machines are powered down, casinos boarded up and barricaded.
Taxing medical practice to death
By now everyone knows that we’re in a state of emergency. There’s a virus spreading through the population and killing people. There’s no vaccine, and no confirmed effective therapy such as drugs, so if you get sick from it there’s a chance that it will be game over for you.