Giff Johnson

Runit captures global concern

Runit captures global concern

GIFF JOHNSON After decades of no one outside the Marshall Islands paying attention to the nuclear waste storage facility known as the Runit Dome, it is increasingly in the international spotlight with attention like never before. Following UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ comments of concern last month about possible leakage of radioactivity from the Runit […]

Hospital focuses on power fix

Hospital focuses on power fix

GIFF JOHNSON A small fire on an electrical panel in the TB ward Monday caused power to go off for the facility at Majuro hospital. It confirms ongoing power issues that plague Majuro hospital’s electrical system — problems highlighted in an assessment of the electrical system conducted late last month by a US expert. “The […]

Trump meets FAS ‘family’

Trump meets FAS ‘family’

GIFF JOHNSON President Hilda Heine joined with Palau and Federated States of Micronesia presidents in a historic meeting with President Donald Trump Wednesday (Majuro date) at the White House — the first time the three presidents from the freely associated states have met an American president as a group. In lead up meetings with Interior […]

‘He was Kewan Jela’

‘He was Kewan Jela’

GIFF JOHNSON A local man who transformed the nature of Marshallese political debate has died in Honolulu at the age of 56. Arthur Kaylor Laukon became the key manager of the Marshall Islands Facebook page Kewan Jela, which was founded in September 2013 to stimulate debate on a variety of Marshall Islands issues. The site […]

TB screening in high gear

TB screening in high gear

GIFF JOHNSON In five weeks of the TB/leprosy screening program, one-third of Majuro’s population has been checked, putting the Ministry of Health and Human Services on track for completing the screening of 26,000 Majuro residents by September. The screening also confirms predictions health officials made before the start of the program on June 12 that […]

Ramping up access to health

Ramping up access to health

GIFF JOHNSON An event of importance took place Tuesday this week as a group of nurse practitioners graduated following an 18-month course run by the Fiji National University. It was a groundbreaking course in more ways than one. First, the 12 nurse practitioners who graduated will dramatically increase the pool of local primary health care […]

Major fisheries facility proposed

Major fisheries facility proposed

GIFF JOHNSON Pacific International Inc. is proposing a major land reclamation project as part of developing a wide-range of on-shore facilities and services to support fishing vessels in Majuro. The plan was outlined by PII Manager Bobby Muller at a public hearing sponsored by the RMI EPA Monday held at Marshall Islands Resort’s Lomalo Room. […]

$60m for RMI denial rights

$60m for RMI denial rights

Journal 11/5/1977 P1 Demand $60M for denial rights By Giff Johnson Several major issues highlighted the first round of renewed Micronesia-US negotiations over the future political status of Micronesia. In a key development, the Micronesians presented a proposal to the US demanding specific compensation for denying the more than three million square miles of ocean […]