Latest news with #Kuster
NZ Herald
26-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Diver bitten by shark thought to be a great white in Dusky Sound, Fiordland
Both the man and his dive buddy eyeballed the shark immediately after the incident, and described it to charter staff as a great white. 'Both him and his buddy saw it, [they said it was a great white] no question'. The pair were diving in Bowen Channel in the remote sound in the southwest section of Fiordland National Park about 4.30pm on Thursday when the man was bitten. 'It was one bite and let go.' The man didn't need help to get back to the surface, and when asked why, Kuster said: 'Adrenaline. He found himself on the tender before he knew it.' She wasn't aboard but had been told the man was conscious and alert, but in shock. He was given first aid and a helicopter had landed on the charter boat's on-board heli pad within an hour to fly the man to hospital, Kuster said. 'The whole situation was as smooth as it could be. That's why you have those systems in place.' A Hato Hone St John Ambulance spokeswoman confirmed a man was flown by helicopter from Dusky Sound to Southland Hospital in a moderate condition just after 5.30pm on Thursday. Kuster didn't want to say how old the man was or where he came from – although their clients were always New Zealand-based as Dusky Sound was off the regular tourist trail. The man held no animosity towards the shark, but she hadn't asked if he planned to return to the water, she said. Kuster has been involved in the charter boat business for 15 years and had never seen a great white in Dusky Sound, she said. '[We see] seven-gills all the time. We always say, 'If you're not seeing a shark, your eyes aren't open'.' A curious great white was captured eyeballing a camera set up to record fish species in Fiordland last month, with footage showing the mature male snapping at a bait pot. Scientists working on the project were amazed by the rare on-camera appearance, which occurred during a survey in Dusky Sound last month, RNZ reported. 'It was quite a shock', Sea Through Science researcher Adam Smith said. 'It's great to see these majestic creatures in their natural environment and to see how curious they are. We've only seen a [great] white shark once before during our surveys, at the Kermadec Islands, the other end of New Zealand.' The Herald contacted shark scientist Riley Elliott, but he didn't want to comment without confirmation the shark involved was a great white, such as by seeing photos of the bite marks. Department of Conservation marine scientist and shark expert Clinton Duffy couldn't be contacted. New Zealand is a global hotspot for great whites, which are protected in our waters, according to an online DoC page on the species. 'In New Zealand waters they occur throughout the Exclusive Economic Zone north of about … Campbell Island … [and] juveniles and adults occur in shallow coastal waters, including large harbours and estuaries. 'Sub-adults and adults also occur in the open ocean, as well as around offshore islands and banks.' Genetic and satellite tagging studies had shown movement of the sharks between New Zealand, Australia and the southwest Pacific, and Australia and South Africa, according to the page. Satellite tagging of New Zealand great whites had also shown that juveniles and adults migrated seasonally, from March to September, 'between aggregation sites at Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands to the tropical and subtropical Pacific'.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NH favors move of state primary up to June - but in 2028, not 2026
With an open U.S. Senate seat offering the prospect of contested primaries in both parties, House and Senate Republicans agreed to put off until 2028 a bill to move the date of the state primary forward three months from September to June. For years, the House of Representatives and Senate have been divided over where on the calendar to move the state's primary, which is held in September, making it one of the latest in the country. Last year, the House approved moving it two weeks up into August while the Senate wanted to move it up to June. House Election Laws Committee Chairman Ross Berry, R-Weare, said he could live with either option, but on Wednesday came up with a compromise. Berry offered a floor amendment to a June primary bill (HB 481) to put the change off until Jan. 1, 2027. This means it would not apply until the primary election in 2028, not the election next year that will decide who will replace retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The House approved the change on an unrecorded vote of 337-1, and passed it on to the Senate. Since Shaheen announced her decision two weeks, ago, leading Republicans and Democrats have revealed they are seriously considering a run to replace her. Four-term U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., kicked off a 10-county tour — half of them not in his district — after publicly confirming he may get in. Many close to him insist his Senate bid now is a near certainty. New U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., has refused to rule out her own bid for the Senate, though she's only three months on the job after succeeding six-term Rep. Annie Kuster. In response, Kuster herself has said a Senate bid is also possible. Kuster may not be pleased to see Goodlander considering a Senate bid after having just entered Congress. In 2024, Kuster endorsed former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern of Concord and starred in an attack ad against Goodlander as a carpetbagger who liberal Democrats could not trust. Goodlander trounced Van Ostern in that primary. Meanwhile, former Gov. Chris Sununu revealed that he's leaving the door 'ajar' that he could run for the U.S. Senate. Sununu had dismissed seeking a job in Washington and passed on running against U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan in 2022. The climate of cutting federal spending has prompted Sununu to consider a Senate bid, he said. Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who now lives in Rye, had already been moving toward seeking his own GOP Senate run next year. Brown said recently he's been in contact with Sununu but also pointed out he might get more favor from President Donald Trump, who had named Brown ambassador to New Zealand during his first term. Sununu toyed with a presidential run in 2023 and endorsed Trump's main rival for the 2024 nomination, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. 'With the potential for these primaries, it just makes sense to move it out to the next cycle,' Berry said during an interview. We should learn soon whether this new idea to delay has support in the upper chamber. The state Senate is scheduled to debate on Thursday its own June primary bill (SB 222) that would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026 and apply to the next election. Like Sununu before her, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she supports moving the primary up to June in the future to give candidates running against incumbents more time to present their plans to voters. Secretary of State David Scanlan said he favors the less significant move of the primary up to August. klandrigan@
Axios
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Scoop: Chris Pappas is running for Senate in New Hampshire
Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) is telling his colleagues that he'll announce his campaign for New Hampshire's open Senate seat early next month, according to people familiar with the matter. Why it matters: Pappas wants to put down a marker he'll run to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), regardless of who jumps into the race. Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H), a former Biden official and now a first-term lawmaker, is also considering a run, Axios has reported. Republicans are hopeful that former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu will ultimately decide to mount a Senate bid, but he hasn't given a strong indication that he's dying to jump into the race. Announcing at the beginning of the second quarter will give Pappas nearly three months to raise cash before he has to file with the FEC. He ended last year with $400,000 cash on hand, according to his filings. The intrigue: If Pappas ultimately decides not to run, former Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), has indicated she would reenter politics. There has been some friction between Kuster and Goodlander, who defeated Kuster's preferred candidate in the Democratic primary to succeed her in a brutal primary last fall. But Kuster and Pappas had a good relationship when they served as the state's two House members, and she would be unlikely to challenge him for the open Senate seat. The big picture: Senate Democratic retirements this year are making the 2026 map more favorable for Republicans, as the GOP is now looking at open seats in Michigan, Minnesota and New Hampshire.
