Rep. Tokuda shares top priorities for 2025
HONOLULU (KHON2) – The President, new administration, and lawmakers are wasting no time with the start of the 119th Congress and Congresswoman Jill Tokuda shared that she's celebrating the positives with a passing of one of her bills at the House.'So in the first 3 weeks of Congress, we were able to pass my Rapid Ohia Death bill which is a huge thing. It's now over at the Senate. I've received overwhelming bipartisan support. And it is a testament, I think, to the fact that all of us collectively need to work to protect our forests and to really combat invasive species, disease. So it was a great first few weeks for me, in that regard, but yes, very stressful when you take a look at all the executive orders that we have been seeing coming down.'
Tokuda said the struggle is real regarding interisland flights for Molokai and Lanai residents.
Mokulele aims to resume flight operations within next 48 hours
'How do you get to your health appointments? I had one veteran literally say I decided not to go with the care I needed because it was too much of a struggle to be able to get back and forth between the islands. That's absolutely unacceptable. I've been talking with the FAA, the US Dept. of Transportation, I recently spoke to Mokulele. To me, we got to have contingency plans. Real ones in place. So it never happens again. People can always promise, we'll always fly. But the bottom line is for Molokai and Lanai, those aircrafts are lifelines. And so if those planes don't fly, what's the alternative? Either to get other planes running, to get ships running as well, to get goods, people whether it's getting people to emergency care, getting medicines or food on shore. We got to have those contingency plans in place and I'm willing to take a look if Congress has to mandate for essential air service. There needs to be real contingency plans in place to make sure this doesn't leave our communities stranded should the planes not fly,' Tokuda said.
Other priorities include cost of living for Hawaii residents being top of mind.
'The struggles that too many people have keeping a roof over their head and food on the table. And for so many in Hawaii, it's always been that cost of housing, the cost of living, and food prices. For myself very personally as you know I co-lead the bipartisan health caucus in Congress. How do you make sure that no matter where you live on our island, you have access to health care and the mental health services that you need. That is so critically important. These kitchen table issues. These are family issues, these are people issues. That's top priority for me and I will work with anyone in Congress on both sides of the aisle to get that down for our constituents.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Opinion - Don't cut off Medicaid for people in jail awaiting trial
Every day across this country, thousands of people presumed innocent are locked up awaiting trial. For many of them — particularly those battling substance use disorders or mental illness — that jail cell is more than just a loss of freedom. It often comes with the loss of health care coverage. In many states, Medicaid and other health care benefits are suspended or terminated the moment the patient is booked into jail. This policy puts lives at risk and creates gaps in care. And for those of us who have lived through addiction or worked alongside people in recovery, we know just how dangerous that gap can be. Our prison and jail systems need the Due Process Continuity of Care Act, because it will help maintain Medicaid coverage during pretrial incarceration. It's up to Congress to follow through and pass this important piece of legislation, to shift from a model that prioritizes severe punishment to one that prioritizes care and continuity. People are struggling and deserve a chance to get better, not get worse, simply because they were arrested. The link between incarceration and behavioral health is no coincidence. So many people end up in jail not because they're dangerous, but because they're living with untreated mental health challenges or deep in addiction and haven't gotten the help they need. And the damage doesn't stop at the jail door. When people are released, often without any plan to restart their medical benefits or reconnect to care, they walk right back into the same instability, only now with deeper trauma and fewer resources. It's no surprise that the risk of overdose skyrockets after release. Studies show people are up to 129 times more likely to die of a drug overdose in the first two weeks after leaving jail or prison. I've seen firsthand the deadly consequences when someone is locked up pretrial and loses access to their medications, therapy or support systems. People are in withdrawal. They suffer in silence and spiral without the care they relied on outside those walls. Our jails, already under-resourced and overwhelmed, have become the frontlines of a behavioral health crisis they were never built to manage. They're acting as detox centers and psychiatric hospitals by default, and that's not just unsustainable, it's inhumane. Keeping health care coverage active during pretrial incarceration isn't just the right thing to do morally, it's smart policy. It prevents needless suffering, reduces recidivism, and eases the burden on emergency services and hospitals. It helps people transition from jail back into their communities with the support they need to stay healthy and free. And ultimately, it saves money by keeping people out of crisis and out of the revolving door of the criminal legal system. Let's be clear: taking health care away from someone who hasn't yet been convicted of a crime is not justice. It's a systemic failure. If we truly believe in second chances, if we believe in treating addiction and mental illness as health issues, not criminal ones, then we have to make sure that care doesn't stop at the jailhouse door. Health care is a lifeline. Let's stop cutting that lifeline when people need it most. John Bowman is Kentucky senior campaign organizer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
America Has Theories on Whether Trump-Elon Musk Feud Is All Fake
After President Donald Trump's beef with Tesla CEO Elon Musk practically broke the internet, Americans are wondering if all the drama was meant to deflect from one crucial piece of legislation: Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Act. Others, however, don't think the president is smart enough to pull it off. Let's get into it. After passing in the House by the skin of it's teeth, the GOP spending bill is headed to the Senate, drawing mixed reviews from Democrats and Republicans alike. With major cuts to Medicaid– which Trump promised he wouldn't do– questionable AI regulations, permanent taxes cut to the wealthy, adding trillions to the national debt and much more, Trump's Big Beautiful Bill Act is anything but beautiful, and more folks should be paying attention. But alas, they're not… And after last week's blow up between him and Musk, many online have theories that the Trump and Musk battle got people watching the wrong fight. 'This Trump-Musk fight seems like a distraction,' @d_originalone noted on June 5. Another user pointed out the suspicious timing of the feud coinciding with the bill. 'Elon Musk sitting on Epstein information and only releasing it because him and trump aren't friends makes him just as disgusting as Trump,' @namenonew started. 'It's all a distraction & greed tactic folks.' Even CNN host Audie Cornish noted 'there's a billion-dollar bill at stake—but all eyes are on the fight between two billionaires.' She continued, 'Medicaid, SNAP, and foreign policy are all in the balance, yet headlines focus on Musk and Trump.' 'Who gives a rat's ass bout a fake feud between 2 Nazis,' @kenyadad12 boldly tweeted before adding the real concern should be 'this bill GOP pushing through that will allow trump to ignore contempt orders from the courts.' Although many are convinced Trump's alleged scheme is to divert Americans from the dangers of the tax bill with the drama of the century, there's no way to exactly know if that's the president's real plan. But, you can't put anything past the man, who is known for his antics and divisive nature. On TikTok, @omekongo listed Trump's travel ban to 12 different countries, a recent abortion directive endangering pregnant people nation-wide and most importantly, that 'big, ugly tax bill' as reasons for Trump's alleged smoke and mirrors trick on America. Other folks online don't want to give Trump and Musk any credit for allegedly scheming to deter from the real issues plaguing the country. 'There's no master plan, no distraction; they're just impulsive fascist idiots,' @LivForJReeves10 said on X. @trustno1evah on TikTok said no matter how hard Trump might try to pull the wool over Americans' eyes, they're not doing a good job at it. 'This Trump and Musk fallout is all a staged LIE,' she said. The bill itself is over 1,000 pages long, tackling any and everything under the sun while still checking off key points in the MAGA rulebook, 'Project 2025.' With legislation this long and tedious, it's not shocking Americans won't be able to digest the full impact the bill will have on their lives. In fact, even House Republicans like Ga. Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene and Neb. Rep. Mike Flood admitted to skimming over key points in the vital tax legislation. If the very people elected to read and review proposed legislation have confessed to being unaware of the very small, fine print, then Americans should probably be paying even closer attention to what's at stake.
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Attorneys get more time to argue over contested copper mine on land sacred to Apaches
A U.S. district judge in Arizona has opened the door for the next round of legal wrangling as environmentalists and some Native Americas seek to stop the federal government from transferring land in Arizona for a massive copper mining project. Judge Dominic Lanza in a ruling issued Monday denied motions that sought to halt the transfer pending the outcome of the case. However, he did preclude the U.S. Forest Service from proceeding with the land exchange until 60 days after the agency issues a required environmental review. Lanza said that would give the parties more time to analyze the environmental report and file amended complaints. He said granting a preliminary injunction now would be premature since the review will differ in some ways from the one that spurred the legal challenge four years ago. 'It is unfortunate that the result of this order will be to force the parties to engage in another stressful, abbreviated round of briefing and litigation activity" when the new review is issued, he said, acknowledging the unusual circumstances. Attorneys for the federal government and the mining company agreed during a recent hearing to the 60-day delay. That time frame also is specified in the legislation that Congress passed and then-President Barack Obama signed in 2014 authorizing the exchange. The group Apache Stronghold, the San Carlos Apache Tribe and others welcomed more time to fight for Oak Flat, an area they consider as holy. 'In this critical moment, we call on the Trump administration and Congress to halt the transfer to a Chinese-owned mine, and honor what is sacred,' said Wendsler Nosie Sr., leader of Apache Stronghold. "As we continue to fight in court, know this: Nothing will turn us away from defending the spiritual essence of our people, the lifeblood that connects us to the creator and this land.' A statement from Resolution Cooper said the ruling is consistent with prior decisions and gives the parties time to review the final environmental impact statement that will be issued later this month. 'We are confident the project satisfies all applicable legal requirements,' said Resolution president and general manager Vicky Peacey. She added that years of consultation with tribes and communities resulted in changes to the mining plan to reduce potential effects. The fight over Oak Flat dates back about 20 years, when legislation proposing the land exchange was first introduced. It failed repeatedly in Congress before being included in a must-pass national defense spending bill in 2014. San Carlos Apache Chairman Terry Rambler said Monday that the bill was not in the best interest of the American people, Arizona or his tribe. He said concerns persist about the mine's use of groundwater and the pending obliteration of the culturally significant site. Apache Stronghold and the tribe sued the U.S. government in 2021 to protect the place tribal members call Chi'chil Bildagoteel, which is dotted with ancient oak groves and traditional plants the Apaches consider essential to their religion. The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected an appeal by the Apache group, letting lower court rulings stand. The project has support in nearby Superior and other traditional mining towns in the area. The company — a subsidiary of international mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP — estimates the mine will generate $1 billion a year for Arizona's economy and create thousands of jobs. Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data