The Conversation

Today, we're spotlight people and organizations who are coming up with innovative ways to deal with marine debris.

The state has reached an agreement with FEMA to extend temporary housing assistance for Maui wildfire survivors; Palolo Boxing Club coach Joel Kim talks about the impact his job has had on the community

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke talks about a federally funded effort to boost internet connectivity across the islands; Queen's Health Systems CEO Jason Chang shares his concerns about the proposed merger between HMSA and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health

Hawaiʻi Senate President Ron Kouchi reacts to Gov. Josh Green's State of the State address; Dean Minakami, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation, shares details on state programs to help first-time homeowners get into the housing market

Gov. Josh Green delivers his State of the State address; Oʻahu residents gathered to protest over the weekend in response to the second killing of a U.S. citizen by federal agents in Minnesota

ACLU President Deborah Archer discusses how the work of the organization has changed under the second Trump administration; Chef Jason Peel discusses his decision to close Nami Kaze at Pier 38 and his next culinary venture

HPR's Ashley Mizuo says affordability ranks among lawmakers' top priorities heading into the new legislative session; Musician and kumu hula Robert Cazimero discusses the new exhibition "Ke Kilo Lani," which highlights his work as a steward of Hawaiian cultural heritage

HPR heads to the state Capitol for opening day of the 2026 legislative session; State lawmakers plan to put forward measures regulating AI use among kids

The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments today in a case challenging a 2023 Hawaiʻi law that bans firearms by default on private property; The state Legislature convenes a new session tomorrow

On today's program, we're revisiting stories about Kahoʻolawe.

Gov. Josh Green talks about immigration and rising health care premiums; Musician Clara Kim kicks off the new music series "Noise Cabinet" at Capitol Modern

A panel of immigration experts will be taking your calls on immigration in the islands. Have a question or comment for our guests? Send a note to talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org or leave a voicemail at 808-792-8217.

Tourism consultant Keith Vieira talks about the current state of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority; 2025 was deadliest year on Hawaiʻi roads in nearly two decades

Green Fee Advisory Council Chair Jeff Mikulina shares how the $100 million in anticipated revenue from the green fee may be spent; the Pā‘ia Youth and Cultural Center is trying to relocate its facilities out of the way of sea level rise

Today, our panel talks about the state's work to get rid of cesspools by 2050. Have comments or questions? Send a note to talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org or leave a voicemail at 808-792-8217.

Roger Babcock, director of the Honolulu Department of Environmental Services, explains why Oʻahu residents are in for a 6% sewer rate hike; Carlos E. Juárez with the East-West Center discusses what the political upheaval in Venezuela signals for the region

Par Hawaiʻi plans to provide sustainable fuel to Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines; The British Museum has a new exhibition highlighting the Hawaiian Kingdom's diplomatic ties to Great Britain

Venezuelans living in Hawaiʻi react to the U.S. capture of President Nicolás Maduro; Honolulu's new Ocean Safety Chief Kurt Lager talks about what's ahead for the department

The Honolulu Police Department discusses the latest enforcement actions on illegal fireworks; Hawaiʻi Business Magazine's Cynthia Wessendorf reports on what industry leaders are forecasting for 2026

On today's program, we're revisiting some of the biggest stories from 2025.

Ed Freeman and Susan Bauer discuss their work to bring a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall to Oʻahu; Therapist Ami Kunimura shares tips on setting intentions for the new year

Honolulu city officials call on the public to take caution with fireworks ahead of NYE; Daniel Dinell discusses the legacy of his father, Tom Dinell, the founding chair of the University of Hawaiʻi Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Hawaiʻi Sen. Glenn Wakai shares concerns about accountability after last year's deadly NYE fireworks explosion; University of Hawaiʻi researchers Nori Tarui and Talal Khan say sea level is devaluing coastal properties

Honolulu Dep. Fire Chief Jason Samala shares a safety message ahead of the holidays; The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation awards $1.6 million award to assist members of Lahaina's Filipino community affected by wildfires

911 is seeing a rise in calls about respiratory distress this flu season; Surfer and scientist Cliff Kapono stars in the mini-doc "The Smartest Surfer in the World"

The head of the state Department of Law Enforcement discusses concerns about illegal fireworks ahead of New Years Eve celebrations; The University of Hawaiʻi Refugee & Immigration Law Clinic has a deportation-defense hotline

The Maui County Council has passed a measure to phase out short-term vacation rentals; Sierra Lynne Stone, a sixth-generation kalo farmer on the North Shore of Kauaʻi, shares how her family's farm has grown

Gov. Josh Green talks about his plan to extend expiring federal health care subsidies with state money; HPR investigates why ICE is sending immigrants from the continent to a federal detention center in Honolulu

The Lahaina Small Boat Harbor has officially reopened for commercial operations; A new report says small businesses are struggling to fill job openings

Participation in the Honolulu Marathon was high despite stormy conditions; Maritime archeologist Jason Raupp explores the secrets of sunken whaling ships

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

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

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

HPR gets a tour of an agroforestry farm on Kauaʻi; A retired city lifeguard gives marine trash new life

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 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

Today, we're revisiting our archives to bring you little-known stories of WWII.

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

Waikulu will be home to Maui's newest film festival; The Honolulu Zoo has a new exhibit featuring rare endemic snails

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 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 talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org. You can also leave a voicemail before the show on our talkback line: 808-792-8217.

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 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

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

On today's program, we're sharing stories we reported on the scene and in the field, from rural Kauaʻi to downtown Chinatown.

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

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 talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org or leave a voicemail on our talkback line at 808-792-8217.

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

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 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

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