The Conversation

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today, we're revisiting interviews that highlight the work of Hawaiʻi's specialty courts.

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

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

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

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

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

Another segment of the Honolulu Skyline opens to the public next week; Author Russell Fielding traces the global history of breadfruit

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

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

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.

HPR's Ashley Mizuo speaks to Hawaiʻi's congressional delegation about the government shutdown; Jim McCoy with Pacific Historic Parks discusses how the shutdown is impacting federal parks and historical sites on Oʻahu

U.S. Rep. Ed Case reacts to the government shutdown, the first since 2019; The University of Hawaiʻi has hired eight new faculty to lead a sustainable fisheries graduate program

Mark Recktenwald, chief justice of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court, reflects on his time on the bench as he prepares to step down; Hawaiian Council CEO Kūhiō Lewis explains the organization's decision to rebrand

Honolulu Councilmember Esther Kiaʻāina talks Native Hawaiian political history and current federal funding threats; The "Mai Poina: The Overthrow Walking Tours" return after a pandemic hiatus

Today on the program, we're revisiting a few of our interviews with accomplished and creative harpists.

Jason Gamel, president and CEO of the American Resort Development Association, gives a snapshot of the timeshare landscape; Author and illustrator Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson tells her family's story of internment during World War II in her new children's book "Shell Song"

Attorney Ted Hong discusses a recent ruling in his lawsuit against HMSA; Hawaiʻi State Auditor Les Kondo talks about the launch of an AI-generated podcast

Former Damien Memorial School president wins a wrongful termination lawsuit; Hawaiʻi's Volcano Circus Executive Director Morgan Langham discusses the charter school's expansion

University of Hawaiʻi leadership is meeting with federal Department of Education officials to discuss funding cuts; More than 2,000 cyclists are expected to take part in the Honolulu Century Ride

Gov. Josh Green extends an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit Kalaupapa; E.A.R.L. Hawaiʻi sandwich shop owner Justin Parvizimotlagh goes viral with a video series describing how his business got its start

Chaminade Provost Lance Askildson and Hawaiʻi Pacific University Acting Provost Brenda Jenson discuss the latest effects of federal funding cuts; First Circuit District Court judges Mark Browning and Trish Morikawa share the importance of the Women's Court.

Retired Judge Karen Radius, Judge Dyan Medeiros and supervisor Valerie Lazo share the successes of Hawaiʻi's Girls Court; Author Hampton Sides revisits the story of James Cook in the New York Times bestseller "The Wide Wide Sea"

Legal experts discuss how specialty courts have shaped Hawaiʻi's judicial system; A Hawaiʻi guitarist showcases her unique sound on the national classical program "From the Top"

On today's program, we're revisiting stories of those who left their homelands to start new lives in Hawaiʻi.

Farm Link Hawaiʻi's Claire Sullivan on the recent announcement that it will be carrying fresh milk from Hawaiʻi's last dairy farm, Cloverleaf Dairy, on Hawaiʻi Island; Bahman Sadeghi, who bought the Meadow Gold processing plant on Hawaiʻi Island five years ago, discusses the history of Hawaiʻi's dairy business.

Graeme Blair, co-director of the Deportation Data Project, talks about how President Donald Trump's immigration policies are being felt across the country and in Hawaiʻi; Nancy Holman, Kalaupapa National Historical Park superintendent, discusses what to expect as the park reopens for public tours this week

Maura Okamoto, of the Friends of the East-West Center, discusses why community relationships are important as the center marks its 65th year; HPR's Laura Dux reports on the annual tradition of the Okinawan summer picnic

Karl Kim, head of the Pacific Urban Resilience Lab at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, shares how past threats inform the future of natural disaster planning; HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports on the resurgence of the ‘ahu 'ula, or Hawaiian feather cape

Mafalda de Freitas, megaplastics program director at the Center for Marine Debris Research at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, talks about Hawaiʻi's only marine debris recycling center; Donor Mariel Tadena, stem cell recipient Nicole Fabela, and Erika Sevilla, spokesperson for the National Marrow Donor Program, share their stem cell story

HPR's Ashley Mizuo reports on how the Office of Elections is pushing back after being accused of overcounting hundreds of ballots received in Kauaʻi County during the 2024 election; Honolulu Marathon President Jim Barahal shares that there's been an increase in runner signups in all categories

Steve Wood, president of the Aiea Community Board, discusses concerns he's heard from the community about the development of the new Aloha Stadium; Freelance investigative reporter Guthrie Scrimgeour reports on the Robinson family's ownership of 100,000 acres of Hawaiʻi land, including the island of Niʻihau

We're hosting a call-in about the redevelopment process for Aloha Stadium, which is now set to open in 2029. Call 808-941-3689 during the live show or email talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org. You can also leave a voicemail before the show starts on our Talkback Line at 808-792-8217.

Today on the program, we're revisiting interviews with local authors to help you find your next favorite read.

Seth Colby steps into the role of Hawaiʻi's chief economist; The Hawaiʻi Department of Health addresses concerns over a rise in national cases of cannabis poisoning among children

University of Hawaiʻi climate scientist Matthew Widlansky develops a new AI tool to help researchers explore complex data; Kaimuki High School teacher Chu Hong shares what her students are cultivating in WORMS club

Residents of Molokaʻi are pushing for new agricultural regulations in an effort to keep out invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles; Sara Kehaulani Goo charts the history of land ownership in Hawaiʻi through the lens of her own lineage in her new book "Kuleana"

Jean Lee, presidential chair at the East-West Center, discusses President Donald Trump's first meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung; Listen to HPR's "Chief of War" companion podcast

Today, The Conversation reairs recent interview with Hawaiʻi leaders and experts on the rule of law.

Gov. Josh Green discusses the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority's new board and the latest on military leases; East-West Center President Celeste Connors talks about the Center's budget uncertainty

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz shares what he's hearing from his constituents across the islands; Historian Alan Rosenfeld discusses myths about WWII-era internment in Hawaiʻi to mark 10 years since Honouliuli Interment Camp was named a national historic site

Hawaiʻi Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago responds to President Donald Trump's calls to end the use of mail-in ballots and voting machines; New research investigates the low number of solid organ transplants in the U.S. Pacific territories

Researchers brief officials on the increasing risk of flooding in Waikīkī due to sea level rise; Uilani Souza shares her experience driving for TheBus for over 40 years

Ron Balajadia with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health shares what parents need to know about the uptick in whooping cough cases across the state; Adaptations Dance Theater on Maui cultivates homegrown talent through a new summer residency

A judge has ruled against allowing commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument; A free seminar helps couples navigate divorce

A new policy paper says the Trump administration's actions may be weakening the country's position in the Pacific; Colliers has the latest findings on Honolulu's empty office space