News briefs for July 1: Book sale support, volunteers mobilized, Right to Vote Act, consequences of Iran war

Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union donates $20K in support of 77th annual Book Sale

Hawaiʻi State Federal Credit Union donated $20,000 to Friends of the Library of Hawaiʻi in support of its 77th annual Book Sale from June 13- 21 at Ward Centre in Honolulu. The credit union — a title sponsor of the event — also hosted an exclusive member preview sale June 12, giving members early access to thousands of books and other media before the event opened to the public.

The sale featured more than 125,000 books, along with CDs, DVDs, comics, manga and other hard-to-find items.

Friends of the Library of Hawaiʻi annual Book Sale has become the largest used book sale in the state since it was established in 1947 and one of the organization’s most anticipated community events, drawing thousands of residents and visitors each year. Visit the Friends of the Library of Hawaiʻi website for more information.

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Accuity Cares Day mobilizes more than 100 volunteers throughou Hawaiʻi

Accuity brought back its annual Accuity Cares Day on June 26, marking its largest day of service to date and the first to mobilize more than 100 employees for six community service projects on Oʻahu, Maui and Hawaiʻi Island.

The day of service supported local organizations working in environmental stewardship, conservation and the care of Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources, while giving Accuity teams on each island a shared way to serve their communities.

Volunteers spent the day at Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island filling, planting and installing planters to enhance animal exhibits and add natural barriers. The work contributes to ongoing improvements in animal welfare and the visitor experience at the state’s only tropical rain forest zoo.

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Forbes names HFS Federal Credit Union Best-in-State Credit Union in Hawaiʻi

HFS Federal Credit Union was named Best-in-State Credit Union in Hawaiʻi for 2026 by Forbes. The recognition for the credit union — with branches in Hilo, Kea‘au, Honoka‘a, Waimea and Kona — was presented in partnership with Statista.

The ranking is based on an independent survey of thousands of U.S. consumers, as well as publicly available reviews. To be eligible, credit unions must have received a minimum number of evaluations, with awarded institutions averaging more than 635 evaluations. The ranking focuses on institutions that operate in 14 or fewer states and are not online-only providers, underscoring the importance of strong regional and community-based financial relationships.

Institutions are evaluated based on key criteria including customer satisfaction, trust, financial advice, digital services, terms and conditions and member service. Rankings are determined by analyzing overall performance and member sentiment, with top-performing credit unions in each state recognized.

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Hirono co-introduces Right to Vote Act

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Hawai’i Democrat, co-introduced the Right to Vote Act with fellow Democrat U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia. The legislation would create the first-ever affirmative federal voting rights guarantee for all eligible citizens.

“Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than ensuring that all citizens can exercise their fundamental right to vote,” said Hirono is a release about the legislation. “Donald Trump and congressional Republicans know their agenda is deeply unpopular, but instead of delivering for the American people, they are working overtime to disenfranchise millions of voters who have the constitutional right to vote them out of office.”

The Right to Vote Act would protect the fundamental right to vote by establishing a first-ever statutory right to vote in federal elections. This legislation would allow Americans to enforce that right by challenging in court any policy that unduly restricts ballot access. States attempting to restrict voting access would have to meet a high bar to justify any policy that makes it harder for U.S. citizens to participate in federal elections.

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Schatz condemns disastrous consequences of Iran war

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawai‘i Democrat and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently spoke on the Senate floor about the disastrous consequences of President Donald Trump’s war in Iran.

“Not only was this war reckless and illegal and unnecessary, but it also didn’t get us anything,” said Schatz in his remarks. “It’s made a lot of things worse.”

He said the mistake is not ending the war, it was starting it in the first place, as every day the war went on only compounded that catastrophe. Listen to Schatz’s full comments in the video above.