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FEBRUARY 10, 2022 | The Jewish Home
he had been “demeaning” to subordinates. Lander, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, is the first member of Biden’s Cabinet to resign. For Lander’s critics, his exit took far too long. They say he shouldn’t have even been nominated.
During his campaign, Biden vowed to make the White House a fair and respectful place to work and said he would terminate bullies under his auspices “on the spot.” Lander, who was founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, was tapped by Biden for scientific advice before his inauguration. The resignation came after Politico reported on allegations that Lander had “bullied and demeaned
his subordinates,” including his onetime general counsel Rachel Wallace, who resigned and filed a complaint before the White House launched a two-month investigation. Multiple women had complained to colleagues about Lander’s behavior, which they generally described as demeaning. Lander, a noted geneticist, molecular biologist, and mathematician, as well as a principal researcher on the Human Genome Project, apologized again in his resignation letter. “I am devastated that I caused hurt to past and present colleagues by the way in which I have spoken to them,” Lander wrote, adding that “it is clear that things I said, and the way I said them, crossed the line at times into being disrespectful and demeaning, to both men and women.” Following the news of Lander’s behavior, the American Association for the Advancement of Science disinvited him from its annual meeting next week. The White House was warned about Lander’s behavior when he was nominated. But went through with it anyway.
World’s Biggest Igloo
It took 64 days for 25 people to build what could be the world’s biggest igloo. But this is no ordinary igloo. It sits on top of a popular skiing resort in the western Himalayas in Gulmarg, India, which is about 540 miles north of India’s capital. Workers started constructing the ice-house on December 3, 2021. They combined snow and ice in a box and would press the mixture together in a box to create a “snow brick.” Each brick took five minutes to make. Eventually, the building took shape and is now 38 feet high and has a diameter of 44 feet. Aside from its huge dimensions, the structure is also a café for those daring enough to climb heights for a cup of coffee. For now, it’s registered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest café of its kind. Hopefully, the coffee will warm visitors as they sip their brew. There is no fireplace there, although there are sheepskin-style rugs and ice sculptures that give a rustic, cozy vibe. For now, the igloo café is expected to be open until March 15. After that date, the structure may not be safe as temperatures may rise. Sounds so cool.
So Shocking
their electric bill last month. The couple was billed by Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) for $18,000 because they are said to be the legal owners of the street and are therefore responsible for the electricity of the lights on the road. Their bill? An outstanding balance of $17,860.09, which is currently more than $18,000 due to “several years of unpaid invoices.” “Hawaiian Electric recently learned that you both own Halemaluhia Place…” the HECO said in the letter. “Because you own the street upon which the streetlights are located, Hawaiian Electric believes that you are responsible for the payment of electric energy supplied to these streetlights.” “Yes, I was shocked, overwhelmed and confused, but still remained hopeful that there is some solution to this,” Desha-Ann Kealoha recalled after opening the letter. “My husband has a colorful vocabulary – he was upset.” The HECO also provided documentation showing which of the streetlights allegedly belonged to the couple — which have been powered for several years without any payment to the company. “During the review, Hawaiian Electric learned that several of these accounts did not have an existing customer,” the letter stated. “One such account relates to the streetlights that are found within the street at Halemaluhia Place.” Desha-Ann Kealoha said this was the first time she heard about owning the streetlights. A spokesperson for the electric company said it does not expect the couple to pay the balance but is working with them and the city to track down whoever should be responsible for paying the five-figure sum. “We’re working with all parties and have spoken with the Kealohas. We want to assure them that we don’t expect them to pay the outstanding bill. Our goal is to determine who owns the street where the streetlights are located so that the bill can be paid going forward,” said spokesperson Shannon Tangonan. Sounds like there’s some light at the end of the tunnel for Desha-Ann.
A Surprise Prize Desha-Ann and Rashann Kealoha live in Waianac, Hawaii. Living in Hawaii is generally blissful, but they were in for a shock when they opened
Robert Taylor won the jackpot on a slot machine on January 8 at a casino in Las Vegas – but he never knew.
