Aloha Reader,

"He lost the war with Iran and algae the same week." - unknown

That one quip says it all. It's been a week of contrasts, full of historical echoes for those who were listening.

What's Inside

• Sports spectacles, then and now
• The real 250th birthday party: the Obama Presidential Center
• IHSN endorses Della Au Belatti for Lieutenant Governor
• Ed Case refuses to debate before the CD1 primary
• Election shenanigans: ballots, intimidation, and mistrust
• Help us beat the algorithm

You're always in control of what you hear from us - update your email preferences anytime. Check out the chapters near you for county and local happenings. Now let's get into it. 🤙

National news

First, a quick word on what we're skipping: the Trump/Vance memorandum of understanding with Iran - already shaky and falling apart. It was symbolically signed in Versailles, where capitulations and reparations were forced on Germany in 1919. No doubt you've heard the din of disapproval (from all sides) already, so here's what stood out to us instead this week.

Authoritarians and sports spectacles, then and now

Let's spend a moment on sports. This past week gave us both the dubiously named "Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250" and the first matches of the Soccer World Cup 2026. The overlap is poignant.

Dictators have long used sporting events for propaganda. Hitler promoted the Olympics as a showcase of Aryan might and purity. More recently, Putin mandated aggressive, illegal doping for Russian Olympic teams. (Watch the Sundance-winning movie Icarus for the inside story.)

The UFC event on the White House lawn - paired with a Trump Super PAC fundraiser, attended by oligarchs and military figures, and marked by racist overtones - fits firmly within the tradition of authoritarian nationalist propaganda. (Even if Trump fell asleep watching.) Paramount+, owned by Larry and David Ellison, cashed in too: it streamed the event behind its paywall and touted new subscribers, while declining to release any numbers.

By contrast, the World Cup's opening match alone drew 25 million viewers. The tournament features 48 teams playing 104 matches - many representing countries repeatedly maligned by the Trump regime, again with racist overtones.

That's given rise, in host cities, to No ICE in the Cup - a national call to action demanding the World Cup stay joyful, safe, and secure for everyone. ICE has no place near the festivities: not in stadiums, not at watch parties, not in local businesses, not on the streets where people gather to celebrate the game they love.

The World Cup audience is a diverse mix of good-spirited folks here to have fun and root for their teams - Aloha Spirit on a global stage. New Yorkers know the feeling too: the Knicks' championship parade on Thursday was its own joyful, hard-earned celebration - exactly the kind of spectacle that brings people together instead of turning them against each other.

The real 250th birthday party: the Obama Presidential Center

Here's another way to see this week's split screen. The Obama Presidential Center's opening in Chicago felt like America's real 250th birthday celebration - a clear-eyed, hopeful reminder of who we are and what we're still fighting to become. If you can't watch it all, jump to the speeches by Michelle and Barack Obama.

From the former president's remarks: the founders fell short of the Declaration's promise - leaving slavery intact and allowing states to restrict the vote to white men who owned property. But the Constitution and Bill of Rights gave us a framework for each generation to make the union more perfect. As Obama put it, the Center's exhibits focus on "the shared values that make democracy possible." Among them: the dignity of all people, a government accountable to the law, an independent judiciary, a free press, and a military and law enforcement loyal to the Constitution, not to any president or party.

And there's a Hawai'i connection worth celebrating: Dr. Kaiwipunikauikawēkiu Punihei Lipe, poʻo kula at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, had the honor of introducing Obama at the ceremony. She noted that where she comes from, introducing someone signals a real connection - if Obama walked into her home, her children would call him uncle, because they're both children of Hawaiʻi. A reminder that this fight for democracy has island roots, too.

State news

ISHN endorses Della Au Belatti for Lieutenant Governor

We reached out to three candidates in the Democratic Primary for Lieutenant Governor, presenting our endorsement criteria and inviting each to a virtual talk story with members. Only Representative Della Au Belatti accepted. After the talk story, 90% of attendees and 100% of IHSN leadership voted to endorse her candidacy. Read more about our endorsement here.

Ed Case refuses to debate before the CD1 primary. What's he afraid of?

​As Civil Beat reported Wednesday, Ed Case refuses to debate State Senator Jarrett Keohokalole anywhere before the August 8 primary - even in Washington, D.C., where Jarrett offered to meet him. Case alternates between claiming Jarrett has no policy agenda and calling him a radical. We'll note that Jarrett agreed in writing to be graded on IHSN's policy positions.

Case calls us radicals, too 🙃😊. This is incumbency at its worst: disparage your opponent, then hide from the voters.

That's why our top statewide priority this summer is helping Jarrett Keohokalole beat Case in the Congressional District 1 (CD1) primary. We're writing postcards statewide to reach persuadable voters - and given low turnout in past primaries, we expect this to pay off.

TAKE ACTION:

• Find your nearest postcard party: Register​
• Order postcard packets to write at home: Commit to Democracy - write postcards to voters with us​
• Wave signs or canvass for Jarrett's campaign. Find an event here​

Election shenanigans: post office rejecting ballots, intimidating voters, spreading mistrust

The Trump regime is scared and preparing to block free and fair elections in 2026 by any means available. We all need to prepare - as voters and advocates - to stop voter suppression and election interference.

• It starts with education. Protect Democracy calls the Trump plan "Deceive, Disrupt, Deny" and provides a useful explainer with countermeasures we can adopt. They'll present at Indivisible National's "What's the Plan" on Thursday, June 25, 2026. Register.
• Our Honolulu chapter hosted Judith Wong of the Hawaii League of Women Voters for a virtual seminar on election security - including how to track your ballot, find your drop box, and make sure your mailed ballot is received by August 8. Per the state elections office, mail ballot packets go out at least 18 days before the election - so expect yours by July 21. Mark your calendar! And honestly, you'll feel a lot better once you realize how much power we have as voters. Watch here.
• Then there's Trump's plan to give the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) the power to reject mail ballots. Hand over your confidential information - or lose your right to vote by mail. That's buried in the new USPS rule proposal. Read more: https://www.savethepostoffice.com/​
  ​Take Action: Email PCFederalRegister@usps.gov - subject line: "Ballot Mail" - to submit a comment against the rule.

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