Doctor’s visit could include a labor dispute

Nobody can say whether an 11th-hour breakthrough will stave off the strike closing many Kaiser Permanente clinics next week, so for now it seems smart to plan accordingly. What this means, according to the health-care network, is to postpone unnecessary unscheduled visits, and use online resources that are provided.

But some patients whose clinics aren’t closing (there’s a list linked to the home page, kp.org) are probably rethinking anything that isn’t urgent. There is the issue of crossing the picket line. A phone call — or emailing the doc via the Web tools — can be a good alternative.

Ahi prices will be cheaper, relatively speaking

Hawaii island fishermen are bringing in unusually big amounts of yellowfin tuna for this time of year, which has fishmongers buying two to three times more ahi than normal. And that, in turn, has driven down prices for consumers to about $7 a pound earlier this week, compared to this period’s norm of about $15 a pound for poke and $20 a pound for sashimi.

Folks buying for Sunday’s Super Bowl game might still get a bit of a break — but don’t count on it. Remember: basic supply and demand.