
The Conversation
311 episodes — Page 2 of 7
The Conversation: Inside the Honolulu Federal Detention Center; Native birds
The Conversation: Storm impacts on Kauaʻi; Hawaiʻi Opera
The Conversation: Storm updates; Impact to farmers
The Conversation: Storm outlook; Water conservation
The Conversation: Rainfall outlook; Leptospirosis risk
The Conversation: The Army's use of AI; Rep. Elle Cochran
Da Conversation: A hana hou show about Pidgin
Today, we're revisiting a few of our favorite interviews centered the use of Pidgin.
The Conversation: Conveyance tax hike; Operation Babylift
HPR's Ashley Mizuo reports on what a proposed conveyance tax hike could fund; Sister Mary Nelle Gage recalls her work assisting with the adoption of thousands of Vietnamese children as part of Operation Babylift

The Conversation: Maui flooding drove surveys; German film festival
Kalani Fronda with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands discusses drone surveys of flood impacts across Maui County; The Honolulu Museum of Art hosts Oʻahu's third annual German film festival
The Conversation: Immigration; Students' thoughts on AI
HPR's Maddie Bender shares the story of a Hawaiʻi Island couple caught up in the immigration crackdown; Kalani High senior Anson Li, ʻIolani senior Jackson Brewer and University of Hawaiʻi freshman Mahealani Jackson talk about how AI is affecting their education

The Conversation: 'No Kings' protests; Wahiawā Dam
HPR speaks with participants in the latest "No Kings" rally in Honolulu, one of the more than 3,000 protests held across the country last Saturday; HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports on the steps the state is taking to acquire the 120-year-old Wahiawā Dam
The Conversation: Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund; Floodwater contaminants
Terry George, CEO of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, discusses a new fund to support Hawaiʻi's resilience; Arleen Velasco, co-coordinator of the Surfrider Foundation's Blue Water Task Force, shares results from the latest testing on water contaminants after the floods
The Conversation: Oʻahu storm damage reports; OHA emergency funds
Honolulu's Department of Emergency Management asks Oʻahu residents to complete storm damage reports by today; The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is making $4 mil available to beneficiaries impacted by recent storms and the government shutdown
The Conversation: HECO power restoration; Jones Act waiver
HECO executive Jim Kelly discusses the hurdles utility crews faced as they tried to restore power in areas impacted by the Kona lows; Grassroot Institute of Hawaii's Keliʻi Akina discusses whether a temporary waiver of the Jones Act should be permanent
The Conversation: Mānoa Valley flooding; UH Mānoa response
John Bravender with National Weather Service says forecasters were caught off-guard by the degree of flooding in Mānoa; University of Hawaiʻi spokesperson Moanikeʻala Nabarro shares efforts to keep students and faculty safe amid flooding near the Mānoa campus
The Conversation: Oʻahu storm damage; Kamehameha Hwy repairs
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi shares the latest on Oʻahu's storm recovery effort; The Dept. of Transportation is working on road repairs after a landslide near Waimea Bay
The Conversation: Hana hou on masters of their craft
Today, we're bringing you a show highlighting talented professionals who have spent years mastering their craft.
The Conversation: Gov. Josh Green; Military leases
Gov. Josh Green discusses the aftermath of the storm and whether liquefied natural gas should power Oʻahu's grid; Noelani Kalipi with the U.S. Department of Defense's Hawaii Coordination Cell walks through the process of how military leases are being renegotiated
The Conversation: A call-in on cell phone use in schools
Today, our panel discusses a new statewide policy is set to restrict student cell phone use beginning next school year.
The Conversation: Kona low impacts; Compost pilot program
Community members from around the islands share their experiences of the weekend's storm; The Honolulu Department of Environmental Services is rolling out a compost pilot program meant to cut residential food waste
The Conversation: A call-in show on public corruption
Hawai'i has been roiled by allegations that a prominent lawmaker accepted $35,000 in a paper bag in 2022. The Conversation's panel will discuss what comes next to restore trust in our public officials.

The Conversation: Hana hou show about local music
On today's program, we're rebroadcasting a few of our favorite interviews with local musicians.
The Conversation: U.S. Rep. Ed Case; Kauaʻi State of the County address
U.S. Rep. Ed Case shares his thoughts on the Iran war and the top concerns of his constituents; Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami delivers his final State of the County address
The Conversation: Buddhism conference; Comedian Charlene Kaye
UH religions professor Michel Mohr shares details about an upcoming conference on the universal appeal of Buddhism; Hawaiʻi comedian Charlene Kaye returns home for a set at the Blue Note
The Conversation: Maui water; Marsupial species rediscovered
Maui Mayor Richard Bissen discusses the future of Maui's water resources; Bishop Museum CEO Kristofer Helgen describes two recently rediscovered marsupial species thought to have been extinct for thousands of years
The Conversation: U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda; Immigration
U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda discusses the war in Iran and efforts to provide relief to U.S. farmers impacted by tariffs; Immigration attorney Kevin Block provides a snapshot of immigration enforcement actions on Maui
The Conversation: Kolekole Pass; Hawaiʻi State Poet Laureate
Maj. Gen. Lance A. Okamura discusses the military's partnership with Oʻahu officials to ensure Kolekole Pass can serve as an evacuation route; Hawaiʻi's new state poet laureate Lee Tonouchi says he plans to use his role to uplift marginalized voices
The Conversation: Lānaʻi affordable housing; Kauaʻi immigration enforcement
Maui County Councilmember Gabe Johnson, who represents Lānaʻi, discusses the first affordable housing project to be built on the island in over 35 years; Kauaʻi County Councilmember Fern Holland provides an update on immigration raids that took place on Kauaʻi in November

The Conversation: International adoptees; Prisoners of war
Kristine Altwies, former head of Hawaiʻi's lead international adoption agency, shares concerns about protections for adoptees without U.S. citizenship; Maj. Gen. Kelly K. McKeague discusses efforts to retrieve a sunken Japanese ship that carried hundreds of American prisoners of war
The Conversation: Iran and oil supply; Operation Babylift
Hawaiʻi Chief Energy Officer Mark Glick discusses what oil supply disruptions due to the Iran war mean for Hawaiʻi; Devaki Murch and Steven George share their experiences as Vietnamese children brought to the United States for adoption as part of Operation Babylift
The Conversation: Oil prices; ADHD medication shortage
Hawaiʻi economist Carl Bonham discusses how the rise in global oil prices after U.S. military strikes on Iran may affect Hawaiʻi energy costs; HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports on what's causing a shortage of ADHD medication

The Conversation: ICE custody; Lunar eclipse
Former Miss Hawaiʻi Cheryl Bartlett travels to Brazil in hopes of being reunited with her husband of 17 years, Rogerio Araujo, who was detained by ICE agents last fall; Astronomer Roy Gal shares tips for viewing next week's lunar eclipse
The Conversation: Public Access Room; Whale Spotter system
Andy Langhurst, head of the Public Access Room at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, sheds light on the legislative process; Daniel Zitterbart, co-inventor of the "Whale Spotter" system, talks about how the AI technology can help avoid whale strikes
The Conversation: State of the Union takeaways; Featherwork
Hawaiʻi political analyst Colin Moore discusses President Trump's State of the Union address; Featherworker Enoka Phillips' career takes flight with his second solo exhibition
The Conversation: HMSA and HPH merger implications; Punk rock in Hawaiʻi
Fraud prevention expert Doug Shadel shares tips on how to avoid become a victim of fraud; Shawn "Speedy" Lopes captures Hawaiʻi's punk rock music scene in the new book "Local Unrest"
The Conversation: Lahaina business owners' challenges; Hawaiian board game
HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports on the challenges facing business owners in Lahaina; Kapena Baptista talks about his win at the Ka Makou Kōnane Invitational Tournament, held earlier this month

The Conversation: Gov. Josh Green; Lawmakers call for special prosecutor
Gov. Josh Green discusses Hawaiʻi's economy and reports about Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke's campaign contributions; Hawaiʻi Rep. Della Au Belatti is calling on Gov. Green to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate claims that an "influential state lawmaker" accepted $35,000
The Conversation: Marking the history of Japanese American internment
50 years ago today, the executive order that forcibly removed thousands of Japanese Americans from their homes and send them to incarceration camps during WWII was formally repealed. The Conversation is rebroadcasting interviews that discuss the experience of Japanese Americans on the continent and here in Hawaiʻi during internment.
The Conversation: Air Force plans Haleakalā telescopes; Mochi traditions
Hawaiʻi Journalism Initiative's Colleen Uechi reports on community push back against the U.S. Air Force's plans to construct more telescopes on Haleakalā; Devin and Tyler Wong of Fujiya Hawaiʻi discuss keeping sweet traditions alive at their family-owned mochi shop

The Conversation: Hawaiʻi County mayor; Democracy in South Korea
County of Hawaiʻi Mayor Kimo Alameda lays out his priorities for 2026; University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Professor Karl Kim shares takeaways from a conference on democracy in South Korea
The Conversation: Kaiapuni programs; Love stories
Office of Hawaiian Education Director Kauʻi Sang talks about the Kaiapuni placement request process; HPR’s Maui Nui reporter Catherine Cluett Pactol reports on a Hawaiian language immersion classroom on Molokaʻi
The Conversation: Vaping laws; Architects of Hawaiʻi
Pedro Haro, the executive director of the American Lung Association in Hawaiʻi, shares the longstanding push to regulate the tobacco industry; Melanie Islam, American Institute of Architects — Hawaiʻi Chapter president, on efforts to fund the State Building Code Council
The Conversation: Lt. Gov. Luke on $35K payment allegation; Journalist Jodi Kantor
HPR's Ashley Mizuo talked with Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke on details of a January 2022 meeting where she received two checks amid a current investigation on an "influential lawmaker" accused of accepting $35,000; New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor on her career and what she learned along the way
The Conversation: Lawmaker $35K payment allegation; Charter schools
Honolulu Civil Beat's Christina Jedra reports on how Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke says she may be the lawmaker mentioned in the $35,000 payment allegation; Ed Noh, executive director of the Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission, talks about the benefits and challenges of charter schools
The Conversation: Weather updates; Hawaiian Rent-All sign
Hawaiian Electric spokesperson Darren Pai shares the latest on power outages and preparedness during heavy winds; Hawaiian Rent-All co-owner Scott Jung talks about the company’s history of poking fun at current events via its sign overlooking Beretania Street

The Conversation: Bad Bunny; Kalaupapa faces big change
Professor Rudy Guevarra Jr., author of "Aloha Compadre: Latinx in Hawaiʻi," discusses the response to a hit new song by singer Bad Bunny about Hawaiʻi's history of colonization; HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports on how Kalaupapa on Moloka’i's north shore is facing a big change
The Conversation: Driver's license renewal; The art of map-making
Honolulu's Department of Customer Services is ramping up efforts to renew expiring licenses for more than 110,000 motorists; Retired cartographer Tom Patterson discusses the artistry that goes into map-making
The Conversation: History of measles in Hawaiʻi; Kaimukī High School
The Friends of ʻIolani Palace historians offer a historical perspective on measles as modern U.S. cases rise; A Kaimukī High School special education teacher is helping students design and sell t-shirts to raise money for their program
The Conversation: Hawaiʻi Republican Party; Freedom of the press
Politician Shirlene Ostrov returns to head the Hawaiʻi Republican Party; Investigative journalist Lois Parshley looks into claims of censorship from one of the country's largest owners of local newspapers, including several Hawaiʻi publications

The Conversation: Honolulu marathon; Hawaiʻi bird extinctions
Honolulu Marathon President Dr. Jim Barahal shares the economic impact of the most recent race; Researchers Kawika Winter and Kristen Harmon discuss whether Native Hawaiians caused the extinctions of birds like the flightless ibis or moa-nalo