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Erin Okuno

@thiserin.bsky.social
126 followers 383 following 135 posts

Originally from Hawai'i, now in the Pacific Northwest. Work: K-12 and early learning policy, alt dispute and conflict resolution. Always on the hunt for good street food, entertaining books, and a tropical breeze. Creator of #Fakequity.

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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 9h
"Librarians are defenders of democracy. We’re defenders of the freedom to read. We’re protectors of patron privacy. Libraries are one of the few places in this surveillance economy that are not trying to collect and sell your data." www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Forget the Shushing. Librarians Have a Whole Lot to Say. (Gift Article)
We asked dozens of them about America’s libraries — what they provide, what they need to survive. Here’s what they told us.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
What are your favorite fight songs (not college fight songs)? I'm not into heavy metal. I'm building a playlist.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
"I have seen Head Start works because it makes specific and exacting demands, not in spite of them." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | We Know How to Help America’s Poorest Kids. Don’t Throw That Away.
Trump’s proposed rollback of Head Start standards will harm poor children and benefit no one.
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
DonorsChoose @donorschoose.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Thanks to the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, every donation to historically underfunded schools today will be DOUBLED, while funds last! bit.ly/3UUCLwy
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
@donorschoose.bsky.social 2x match day! Help bring new books to these kids. www.donorschoose.org/project/shar...
donorschoose.org
Sharing Our Stories, a project from Ms. Kumasaka
Help me give my students books that reflect diverse perspectives, voices, and experiences. Our students come to school with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. They love to see books on our libra...
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Today is a 2x match on @donorschoose.bsky.social. I'll post some worthy projects to help fund and close out. First one classroom book set so each kid can read out of a real book, not photocopy packets. www.donorschoose.org/project/clas...
donorschoose.org
Classroom Set of Books to Share and Learn, a project from Ms. Trout
Help me give my students a classroom set of books. I love watching my students read. It is magical when they realize they understand the text and the deeper meaning behind words. These classroom se...
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Equality isn't equity. I'll leave it at that.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Babies need herd immunity to stay safe from measles. We need more people to vax against preventable diseases. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
seattletimes.com
Details of infants who died amid growing measles outbreak released
A Pennsylvania coroner confirms that the two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania last month involved infants, and the virus itself caused one of the deaths.
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
Rogue NHC Pacific @rogue-nhc-pacific.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 500 AM PDT Tue Sep 8 2026 For the eastern and central North Pacific east of 180 longitude: Active Systems: The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Lowell, located just north-northwest of Lihue, Kauai, and on Tropical Storm Marie, lo
tropical weather outlook over the next 2 days greyscale satellite image of Eastern Pacific Ocean for
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
500 AM PDT Tue Sep 8 2026

For the eastern and central North Pacific east of 180 longitude:

Active Systems:
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane 
Lowell, located just north-northwest of Lihue, Kauai, and on 
Tropical Storm Marie, located several hundred miles west of Punta 
Eugenia, Mexico.

1. Offshore of Southwestern Mexico:
Showers and thunderstorms associated with a broad area of low 
pressure located several hundred miles southwest of southwestern 
Mexico are showing signs of organization. Gradual development of 
this system is likely, and a tropical depression is expected to 
form later this week while the system moves generally 
west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...20 percent.
* Formation chance through 7 days...high...70 percent.

2. Well South of the Southern Tip of Baja California:
An area of low pressure is forecast to develop several hundred miles 
south of the southern tip of Baja California this weekend or early 
next week. Some slow development is possible as this system moves 
generally west-northwestward.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...0 percent.
* Formation chance through 7 days...low...20 percent.



Forecaster Evans/Kelly

tropical weather outlook over the next 7 days color illustrated image of Eastern Pacific Ocean for
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
500 AM PDT Tue Sep 8 2026

For the eastern and central North Pacific east of 180 longitude:

Active Systems:
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane 
Lowell, located just north-northwest of Lihue, Kauai, and on 
Tropical Storm Marie, located several hundred miles west of Punta 
Eugenia, Mexico.

1. Offshore of Southwestern Mexico:
Showers and thunderstorms associated with a broad area of low 
pressure located several hundred miles southwest of southwestern 
Mexico are showing signs of organization. Gradual development of 
this system is likely, and a tropical depression is expected to 
form later this week while the system moves generally 
west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...20 percent.
* Formation chance through 7 days...high...70 percent.

2. Well South of the Southern Tip of Baja California:
An area of low pressure is forecast to develop several hundred miles 
south of the southern tip of Baja California this weekend or early 
next week. Some slow development is possible as this system moves 
generally west-northwestward.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...0 percent.
* Formation chance through 7 days...low...20 percent.



Forecaster Evans/Kelly
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This is reminding me to reconsider the impacts of online ordering, esp from Amazon. The ease of shopping has a human cost.
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 07/09/2026
Residents of the Hawaiian island of Kauai were preparing over the weekend for heavy rain and strong winds while trying not to let the approach of Hurricane Lowell derail their holiday plans.
nyti.ms
Kauai Braces for Heavy Rain and Wind as Hurricane Lowell Approaches
As the hurricane moved closer, the Hawaiian island of Kauai’s annual marathon was canceled. Some residents went ahead with their holiday weekend plans.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I'm intriuged by the peanut butter and pickles cake recipes. I kinda want to try making it. I think I'll start with the pancake recipes. Has anyone tried it? www.mtolivepickles.com/recipe-items...
mtolivepickles.com
Peanut Butter Pickle Pancakes Recipe by Mt. Olive Pickles
Breakfast for dinner anyone? Try something different this evening with our Peanut Butter Pickle Pancakes. Get the dill-licious recipe now!
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Go see this play in Kent, WA. Jar of Fat by Seayoung Yim is hilarious, dark, and weaves in so much commentary on beauty culture and some good digs at colonization. Support local theatre, support Asian writers, and enjoy your night out. www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
seattletimes.com
A winner of a prestigious theater prize premieres her play in Kent
Sara Porkalob and Seayoung Yim rejoin forces on this world premiere play, an absurdist take on beauty culture and thinness, premiering at Theatre Battery.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Today is 1.5 match day on @donorschoose.bsky.social. This is my friend's classroom in Honolulu, Hawai`i. She teaches high school special education and her students are great. They need a classroom set of books. www.donorschoose.org/project/clas...
donorschoose.org
Classroom Set of Books to Share and Learn, a project from Ms. Trout
Help me give my students a classroom set of books. I love watching my students read. It is magical when they realize they understand the text and the deeper meaning behind words. These classroom se...
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Head Start is a vital program helping so many families. It is regulated to ensure it's high quality. Preserve Head Start. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/u...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Plans to Upend Head Start by Deregulating It (Gift Article)
The White House tried but failed to block funding for preschool for poor children. Instead, it will seek to strip away standards on health, literacy — and brushing teeth.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Victoria BC you were lovely. Thank you for a great visit.
Victoria Canada, tourist sign that says CANADA
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Seattle U Dismisses Professor Who Criticized Provost share.google/3zKLyx4e66fA...
share.google
Seattle U Dismisses Professor Who Criticized Provost
Carmen Rivera said on Instagram she was “disturbed” by how the provost grabbed a Palestinian flag from the hands of a graduate. Two weeks later, her contract was cut short.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Worth reading www.nytimes.com/2026/07/02/u...
nytimes.com
She Labeled a Swim Party ‘Muslims Only.’ The Response Ravaged Her Life.
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
Longtail News @longtail-news.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Feed: "The Seattle Times The Seattle Times" By: Tim Burgess and Erin Okuno on Sunday, June 21, 2026
seattletimes.com
Seattle Preschool Program is worth celebrating and keeping
As the U.S. government dismantles early learning programs that millions of children rely on, Seattle’s commitment to funding preschool matters more than ever.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Mexico you played with heart. You played hard. Heartbreak. ¡Viva México! 🇲🇽
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
We know preschool works, this is why we need more of it. www.seattletimes.com/opinion/seat...
seattletimes.com
Seattle Preschool Program is worth celebrating and keeping | Op-Ed
As the U.S. government dismantles early learning programs that millions of children rely on, Seattle’s commitment to funding preschool matters more than ever.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
www.seattletimes.com/education-la...
seattletimes.com
What to know about apprenticeships in WA
Looking for a switch in careers, or a job that doesn't need four years of school? An apprenticeship might be right for you. We asked an expert how to find one.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
"I want schools to feel like where rich people live, in cathedrals, T-Mobile Park....When you go through T-Mobile, you've got to go through weapons detectors. There's multiple points of entry, but somebody's always there, and it's a way to actually make folks feel safe." www.kuow.org/stories/shou...
kuow.org
Should Seattle schools have weapons detectors, fences? Superintendent considers safety upgrades
The last day of classes for Seattle Public Schools is tomorrow. But the head of the district is already discussing campus safety changes students may see in the fall.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
I was on the task force looking at bell times when Seattle made the shift for elementary to start early and high school later. That task force broke me. Parents pack Edmonds School Board meeting to oppose 7:20 a.m. elementary start times - My Edmonds News share.google/YAOz29cK0pZi...
share.google
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
www.seattletimes.com/opinion/edit...
seattletimes.com
Former Edmonds baseball field is home run for unhoused students | Editorial
The Edmonds School District has pioneered a new answer to the riddle of how to help homeless students: build housing on school property.
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
omallj.bsky.social @omallj.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Free vaccination clinics per Seattle Humane Society WA, for 2026
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
"It asks us to remember. It asks us to learn. And it asks us to remain vigilant in protecting the dignity and the humanity of every single person.” Bellevue College rededicates ‘Never Again Is Now’ mural | The Seattle Times share.google/euF0UNNCppaC...
share.google
6 years after controversy, Bellevue College rededicates mural
A college vice president’s decision to alter the piece led to leadership resignations and a reckoning over how to acknowledge Bellevue’s painful history.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
“I’m very proud of the fact that I’m Black. … Knowing that I have a lot of family there, knowing that there’s so much history at that school, it just felt right to give it to Rainier Beach and to a school full of kids who look like me.” www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...
seattletimes.com
Student donates $50,000 tech package to Seattle high school
Kameirah Johnson, a Lakeside School student and winner of the Doodle for Google contest, will give the $50,000 technology package she won to Rainier Beach High School instead.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Seattle: Stop by Thien Phat for a delicious meal and support their @gofundme.com. Oahn is my go to for tray catering. Please help them so they can continue to support the community. gofund.me/7dd05720e
gofund.me
Donate to Support Our Family Business in Rainier Valley, organized by Oanh Nguyen
Hello everyone, We are a small family-owned business here in the Rai… Oanh Nguyen needs your support for Support Our Family Business in Rainier Valley
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
This is sad. Do we really need another warehouse? Wild Waves site targeted for 1M-square-foot industrial warehouse share.google/juBzRuZotxGR...
share.google
Wild Waves site targeted for 1M-square-foot industrial warehouse
As Wild Waves Theme Park kicks off its 50th and final season, a proposal has been submitted for a more than 1 million-square-foot industrial warehouse facility
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
This is such an important topic for schools to start acting on. I still remember when my kid called me to get him from school cause the air quality was as bad indoors as it was outdoors. We need to fortify schools against heat, smoke, and other extreme weather.
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
The Hechinger Report @hechingerreport.org · 11/05/2026
As family homelessness hits record highs, a few school districts are offering parking lots as safe sites for students and their families to sleep at night. Some families prefer the option over emergency shelters.
hechingerreport.org
A lifeline or ‘dystopian’?: Schools open parking lots for homeless students and families
SAN DIEGO — As an 8-year-old boy steered his bicycle in figure eights, his mother piled three plates with pizza and pineapple slices from an outdoor kitchen shared with more than a dozen other families who call this parking lot home. She carried the plates past her family’s sedan — their last asset and, until recently, their only shelter — and placed the dinner inside a recreational vehicle assigned to them for the next six months. After dinner, she helped the third grader with his homework, then made sure he showered and brushed his teeth before bed.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
OPINION | A Bad Cycle for South Seattle: The Inequity of Expanded Closure of Lake Washington Boulevard share.google/NY9ltzrCg3UE...
share.google
OPINION | A Bad Cycle for South Seattle: The Inequity of Expanded Closure of Lake Washington Boulevard
Just as environmental calamities hit BIPOC communities first and disproportionately, solutions — including, most certainly, a transportation mode shift away from cars — is more onerous for people of c...
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
I realized saying plantation style house means something very different in Hawai'i than on the mainland. I had to find a drawing to show sugar cane plantation houses vs Southern US plantation houses and compounds.
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
End Citizens United @endcitizensunited.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
ICYMI: Hawaii became the first in the nation to reduce the influence of corporations and dark money groups trying to shape the state's elections.
apnews.com
New Hawaii law targets corporate influence in politics after Citizens United ruling
Hawaii's Democratic governor has signed a bill to curb corporate and
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
"It is such a shame, because one reason people die earlier in this area is that the regulations do not line up with what these people actually need to be safe." #Seattle #Washinton #Duwamish www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/s...
nytimes.com
She Was Finding Sources of Dangerous Water and Soil Pollution
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Hawaiʻi no ka oi www.courthousenews.com/hawaii-legis...
courthousenews.com
Hawaii Legislature passes first-in-nation bill targeting Citizens United ruling
Supporters of the bill say citizens, rather than corporations, should have more power in elections.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
This is fascinating and not surprising. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Inside the Interstitium, the Human Body’s Hidden Pathways
The detection of another circulatory system in the human body could have enormous scientific implications.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
UW maps and tracks Seattle's Little Free Pantries www.axios.com/local/seattl...
axios.com
UW maps and tracks Seattle's Little Free Pantries
A new University of Washington project lets Seattle residents track pantry donations and needs.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Bring back the Honda Fit! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Where Did All the Affordable Cars Go? (Gift Article)
This is how cars got so ridiculously, forbiddingly expensive.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Driving less is not a bad thing for the planet but still those prices are looking high. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/b...
nytimes.com
Sticker Shock
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
“Would it matter to you if I told you I’m Pope Leo?” he asked, according to Father McCarthy. She hung up." www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/u...
nytimes.com
What Happened When the Pope Had to Call Customer Service
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Go visit Thien Phat restaurant in Seattle. The food is good, hospitality warm and fun. They need a little love to build up enough funding to pay back rent from COVID and recover from several break-ins. gofund.me/ff480bf4b
gofund.me
Donate to Support Our Family Business in Rainier Valley, organized by Oanh Nguyen
Hello everyone, We are a small family-owned business here in the Rai… Oanh Nguyen needs your support for Support Our Family Business in Rainier Valley
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
“Our forests are changing at an unprecedented rate,” she said. “The only thing we have is smart science that guides adaptive management." www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
seattletimes.com
As wildfire risks rise, Forest Service shutters Wenatchee lab that studies them
A research lab in Washington tracks ecological changes in a warming climate and provides scientific guidance for forest managers. It is one of 57 such facilities being shuttered.
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
How will this be enforced?
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
University of Washington School of Public Health @uwsph.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
in WA state, a new 20-min lunch duration rule will ensure that all elementary school students have enough time to eat. To prepare for the 2029-30 transition, students from the @uwfsnh.bsky.social partnered with OSPI to conduct interviews with stakeholders and make recommendations for implementation.
foodsystems.uw.edu
How to implement Washington state’s 20-minute school lunch rule | Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health
School of Public Health
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Grey cold spring day at Pike Place Market yesterday, but still a ton of fun. It was fun to explore the market with middle school students.
Seattle waterfront skyline, 2 ferries incoming and the ferris wheel
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Erin Okuno @thiserin.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
“I’m a New Yorker,” he said. “We live with sirens and activity happening all the time. I wasn’t scared. There are hundreds of Secret Service agents hurtling themselves over tables and chairs, and I wanted to watch.” www.nytimes.com/2026/04/26/u...
nytimes.com
Most Guests Ducked for Cover. This Man Munched on His Burrata Salad.
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
The Seattle Times @seattletimes-rss.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Seattle clinic offers free health care for thousands
seattletimes.com
Seattle clinic offers free health care for thousands
The Seattle/King County Clinic offers free medical, dental and vision care for anyone willing to wait. It is a lifeline as demand for affordable care keeps growing.
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Reposted by Erin Okuno
Senator Mazie K. Hirono @hirono.senate.gov · 22/04/2026
The regime cut HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars for Minority-Serving Institutions. That’s funding Congress approved to support the next generation of students to ensure a brighter future. They don’t think anyone’s paying attention. We can’t let them get away with it: youtube.com/live/09l0BVz...
youtube.com
Trump’s Attacks on Minority Serving Institutions Press Conference
YouTube video by Mazie Hirono
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