SENATE AND HOUSE COMMITTEES TO HOLD INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING ON INVASIVE SPECIES

The Senate Committees on Agriculture & Environment, Water & Land and the House Committees on Energy & Environmental Protection, Agriculture and Water & Land will hold a joint informational briefing to receive an update on the state’s efforts to address threats posed by invasive species and to learn more about what challenges are expected amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The briefing will be held on Monday, January 25, 2021 at 1:00pm via Zoom.

The committees will be meeting with the following agencies:

• Department of Agriculture

• Department of Land and Natural Resources

• University of Hawaiʻi – College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

Because the building is closed to the public during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the briefing will be streamed online on the Senate YouTube Channel.

To view the informational briefing notice: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2021/hearingnotices/HEARING_AEN-WTL-EEP-AGR-WAL_01-25-21_INFO_.HTM

For further information, please call the committee clerk at 808-586-6693.

Census Bureau Update on 2020 Census

The U.S. Census Bureau is implementing the President’s Executive Order “Ensuring a Lawful and Accurate Enumeration and Apportionment Pursuant to the Decennial Census,” released January 20, 2021. The 2020 Census data products including the P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Summary Data File will not include information on citizenship or immigration status. The Census Redistricting and Voting Rights Data Office will reengage the Department of Justice Voting Section to confirm that Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP) data produced from the American Community Survey (ACS) continue to meet its statistical needs. The Census Bureau has released this product annually since 2011.

All work on the immigration status of the population of the United States regarding the 2020 Census was suspended on January 12, 2021.

Source: https://bit.ly/3sUAmiL

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General's statement and COVID-19 briefing

Please find below, the link of the WHO Director-General's statement as well as other materials from the COVID-19 media briefing on January 22, 2021 and more:

https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19-22-january-2021

1. Yesterday, the United States of America announced that it plans to retain its membership in WHO. We welcome President Biden’s commitment not just to remaining part of the WHO family, but to working constructively with WHO, its Member States and the multilateral system to end the pandemic and address the many health challenges we face globally.

2. Today I’m glad to announce that COVAX has signed an agreement with Pfizer/BioNTech for up to 40 million doses of its vaccine.

3. COVAX is on track to deliver 2 billion doses by the end of year.

4. It’s important we all remember that vaccines will complement, but not replace, the proven public health measures that have been shown to suppress transmission and save lives.

Media briefing audio link (Length 1hr 08 mins): https://terrance.who.int/mediacentre/presser/WHO-AUDIO_Emergencies_Coronavirus_Press_Conference_22JAN2021.mp3

News edit link (TRT 4 mins 24 sec): https://who.canto.global/b/V456T