
The Conversation
283 episodes — Page 3 of 6
The Conversation: Lahaina Small Boat Harbor; Small business
The Lahaina Small Boat Harbor has officially reopened for commercial operations; A new report says small businesses are struggling to fill job openings

The Conversation: Honolulu Marathon; Whaling shipwrecks
Participation in the Honolulu Marathon was high despite stormy conditions; Maritime archeologist Jason Raupp explores the secrets of sunken whaling ships
The Conversation: Bird flu in Hawaiʻi; Rule of law
A state wildlife biologist says bird flu in Hawaiʻi is not a matter of "if" but "when"; Retired Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald joins a coalition of former justices speaking out about the importance of the rule of law
The Conversation: Honolulu Skyline ridership; NPR host on misinformation
Jon Nouchi, deputy director of Honolulu's Department of Transportation Services, discusses Skyline's ridership; Peter O’Dowd, co-host of NPR's "Here & Now," talks about how reporting has changed in the age of misinformation
The Conversation: Local youth org gets Bezos donation; Marine debris
RYSE Hawaiʻi receives a $2.5 million donation from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund; Hawaiʻi artist Jodi Endicott turns marine debris into sculptures that highlight the impact of plastic on the environment
The Conversation: Agroforestry on Kauaʻi; Marine trash art sculptures
HPR gets a tour of an agroforestry farm on Kauaʻi; A retired city lifeguard gives marine trash new life
The Conversation: Local climate leaders; Whale behavior post-wildfire
ʻAulani Wilhelm, CEO of Nia Tero, has been named an influential climate leader by TIME Magazine; Humpback whales have changed their behavior since their return to Lahaina

The Conversation: Oʻahu water resources; Preserving Maunawili Valley
The head of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply discusses the status of Oʻahu's water resources; A coalition is working to protect parts of Maunawili Valley from future development
The Conversation hana hou: Stories of WWII
Today, we're revisiting our archives to bring you little-known stories of WWII.
The Conversation: Mālama Mākua film; Tourism
Mālama Mākua's Lynette Cruz and Sparky Rodrigues and filmmaker Mikey Inouye talk about their film that shows the decades-long fight of military leases; Ray Tsuchiyama, realtor and management consultant, talks about whether Japanese travelers are coming back to Hawaiʻi
The Conversation: Wailuku Film Festival; Native snails at the zoo
Waikulu will be home to Maui's newest film festival; The Honolulu Zoo has a new exhibit featuring rare endemic snails
The Conversation: Hawaiʻi Island affordable housing; WWII espionage
Hawaiʻi County Council Member Ashley Kierkiewicz discusses proposed changes to the island's affordable housing rules; Author Christine Kuehn grapples with her family's work as spies for the Nazis in Hawaiʻi in her new book
The Conversation: A call-in show on the future of golf
The Conversation will be hosting a live call-in show to talk all things golf. Our panel will be taking your calls live. Call in live, or send a note to [email protected]. You can also leave a voicemail before the show on our talkback line: 808-792-8217.
The Conversation: Gov. Josh Green; LA Angels new manager
Gov. Josh Green discusses military leases, the Trump administration's challenge to the Green Fee; Kurt Suzuki takes over as manager of the Los Angeles Angels, making him the first person from Hawaiʻi to manage a Major League Baseball team
The Conversation: Nursing degrees; Long-term care insurance
The federal Department of Education will no longer recognize nursing as a professional degree; Tanya Fernandes, CEO of Ho'okele Home Care, discusses the common challenges family members face when using long-term care insurance
The Conversation: Hawaiʻi's media; Chinatown eatery celebrated nationally
Local journalists Sophie Cocke and Janis Gin discuss the state of Hawaiʻi's media; Giovedi is named one of the 20 best restaurants in the U.S. by Bon Appetit
The Conversation: Stories from the field
On today's program, we're sharing stories we reported on the scene and in the field, from rural Kauaʻi to downtown Chinatown.
The Conversation: Hakalau Forest; Poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths
The Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge marks 40 years amid uncertainty about federal support; New York poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths presents at the Honolulu Museum of Art
The Conversation: Call-in show on Maui water usage
Today, we're hosting a call-in show on Maui water usage amid the ongoing drought and legal battles. Have a question or a comment? Email [email protected] or leave a voicemail on our talkback line at 808-792-8217.

The Conversation: Call for blood donors; Artificial intelligence
Kim-Anh Nguyen, the CEO of the Blood Bank of Hawaiʻi, shares the urgent need for donors; Joe Kent, Grassroot Institute executive vice president, on creating OpenHearings, an artificial intelligence program that monitors government hearings
The Conversation: Avian flu updates; Highway Inn restaurant
Susan Wilkinson of Susie's Duck Sanctuary on Oʻahu reflects on having to cull her flock due to avian flu; Monica Toguchi Ryan, the owner of the longtime restaurant Highway Inn, on staying in business amid the pandemic, tariffs, and rising minimum wage

The Conversation: Military exercises; New public school proposed for Maui
The U.S. Army is conducting military exercises across Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island until Sunday; Designs for a new school in Central Maui that could reshape how the state thinks about public facilities

The Conversation: U.S. government reopens; OHA emergency relief
HPR's Ashley Mizuo reports on what the spending bill to reopen the government means for Hawaiʻi residents; Office of Hawaiian Affairs chair Kai Kahele shares what's next for an OHA emergency relief program now that the shutdown has ended
The Conversation: SNAP benefits; Vintage Baseball
The state Department of Human Services provides the latest on what SNAP recipients need to know about their benefits; The Aloha Vintage Base Ball Association host their inaugural game

The Conversation: Tourism; Federal agencies arrest 44 people on Kauaʻi
How might the broad flight cancellations affect Hawaiʻi's economy?; Kauaʻi County Councilmember Fern Holland provides details on recent FBI and ICE raids on Kauaʻi
The Conversation: A call-in show on SNAP benefits
Today, we're hosting a panel discussion on SNAP benefits and other impacts of the government shutdown. Have a question or a comment? Email [email protected] or leave a voicemail on our talkback line at 808-792-8217.
The Conversation: Feds order HNL to reduce flights; 442nd Infantry Regiment
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is on a list of 40 airports that have been ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration to cut 10 percent of their flights; The 442nd Regimental Combat Team is immortalized in the documentary "Defining Courage"
The Conversation: Legislature; Former Miss Hawaiʻi fights for husband in ICE custody
Retired federal public defender Alexander "Ali" Silvert calls on the state Legislature to investigate an unnamed lawmaker who allegedly took a $35,000 bribe; Former Miss Hawaiʻi Cheryl Bartlett holds a rally in support of her husband Rogerio Araujo, a Brazilian citizen who has been detained by ICE agents
The Conversation: Food assistance; Kauaʻi writer pens a poem to tourists
Staff and volunteers at The Pantry in Kalihi create more food assistance options for furloughed federal workers; Kauaʻi writer Jonathon Medieros shares the intention behind his poem "To the People on the Cruise Ships"
The Conversation: SNAP cuts; Women's Court in Kona
HPR listeners share what SNAP cuts mean for them; HPR's DW Gibson reports on the newly-formed Women's Court on Hawaiʻi Island
The Conversation: Halloween hana hou
Happy Halloween! On today's broadcast, we're revisiting some of our spookiest interviews. Get ready for graves, ghosts, and creepy-crawlies galore!
The Conversation: SNAP shutdown; Haka protest in Aotearoa
Gov. Josh Green shares how the state is responding to the threat to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Debbie Ngarewa Packer, co-leader of the Māori Party in Aotearoa, or New Zealand, talks about her suspension last year after participating in a haka on the Parliament floor
The Conversation: SNAP benefits; Moments from the World Series
Dylan Moore with UHERO looks at the economic implications of the suspension of SNAP benefits; Longtime Mid-Pacific Institute baseball coach Dunn Muramaru and Hawaiʻi Pacific University head coach Dane Fujinaka discuss memorable moments from the World Series
The Conversation: C-MORE Lab; Afterschool care programs
C-MORE Lab Director David Karl reflects on the lab's greatest discoveries over the last 15 years; Hawaiʻi Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Paula Adams talks about the demand for child care across the state
The Conservation: Vacation rental regulations; 'Before the Moon Falls' doc
Gordon Zane with the Hawaiʻi Department of Taxation discusses vacation rental regulations; Kimberlee Bassford talks about the dark turn her new documentary "Before the Moon Falls" took when its subject, Samoan writer Sia Figiel, was arrested for murder
The Conversation: Pohoiki Boat Ramp; Chinatown's Pasta Boys
State Sen. Joy San Buenaventura of Hawaiʻi Island responds to the failure of the Pohoiki Boat Ramp dredging project; Louis Miller and Jon Holshue, aka The Pasta Boys, dish up homemade noodles at Proof Social Club in Chinatown

The Conversation: Health insurance premiums; Billionaire Marc Benioff
People who get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act may face higher costs soon; The San Francisco Standard reports on billionaire Marc Benioff's ties to Hawaiʻi
The Conversation: Live from Chinatown
Honolulu Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, who represents the new downtown financial district and Chinatown, discusses concerns about pushing the negative elements further into Chinatown as a result of creating the Downtown Honolulu Business Improvement District; Chu Lan Schubert-Kwock takes HPR on a walking tour of Chinatown

The Conversation: Kamehameha Schools; Kāhuli Festival
Community members rally at ʻIolani Palace in support of Kamehameha Schools' admissions policy; Bishop Museum malacologists Ken Hayes and Norine Yeung share some tips for spotting native snails ahead of the annual Kāhuli Festival
The Conversation: Honolulu's 'No Kings' protest; Coral reefs
HPR speaks to protestors at Honolulu's 'No Kings' rally; Ben Jones, director of ocean science and technology for the UH Applied Research Laboratory, shows off the building blocks of a new artificial reef system
The Conversation hana hou: Hawaiʻi's specialty courts
Today, we're revisiting interviews that highlight the work of Hawaiʻi's specialty courts.
The Conversation: Hawaiʻi's insurance landscape; Gaza ceasefire
State Insurance Commissioner Scott Saiki discusses the changing insurance landscape; Palestinian Ma'an Odeh shares his thoughts on the ceasefire in Gaza and his recent experience in the West Bank
The Conversation: Skyline; Falls of Clyde laid to rest
Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen talks about opportunities around the new Skyline service to Honolulu International Airport; Community members and state officials say goodbye to the historic vessel Falls of Clyde, which is set to be scuttled 25 miles off Oʻahu's south shore
The Conversation: Bus driver contract talks; Skyline
Oʻahu Transit Services is working to reach an agreement with the Teamsters, who represent Oʻahu bus drivers, ahead of the opening of the second segment of Honolulu's rail
The Conversation: Air traffic controllers; Federal workers' pay
U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda meets with Hawaiʻi's air traffic controllers, who are working without pay during the shutdown; Labor leader Randy Perreira responds to comments from the Trump administration that federal workers may not receive back pay
The Conversation: Israel-Hamas peace deal; Genetic study in American Samoa
Israel and Hamas agree to the first phase of a ceasefire deal; Research suggests a gene variant carried by people from American Samoa, Tonga, and Hawaiʻi may be linked to obesity
The Conversation: Honolulu rail; The history of ʻulu
Another segment of the Honolulu Skyline opens to the public next week; Author Russell Fielding traces the global history of breadfruit
The Conversation: UH enrollment; North Shore Oʻahu lifeguard
Debora Halbert with the University of Hawaiʻi says enrollment is at its highest level in eight years; Oʻahu lifeguard Kerry Atwood offers an inside look at a day's work at Waimea Bay
The Conversation: Gov. shutdown; Deep-sea mining
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono talks about efforts to reopen the federal government as the shutdown drags into its second week; Researchers raise alarms about the impact of deep-sea mining on marine life

The Conversation hana hou: The voices of 'Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!'
Today, the Conversation is sharing interviews with the host and panelists of the popular NPR news quiz show 'Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!' ahead of their Honolulu live event.