The Conversation

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The Conversation is a weekday show on HPR’s news and information program stream, KHPR 88.1FM. For, by, and about the people of Hawaii, The shows host Chris Vandercook will be talking to all sorts of people about all sorts of things, from the state’s budge

Hawaii Public Radio


    • Apr 17, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 50m AVG DURATION
    • 1,815 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Conversation

    The Conversation: A hana hou show on local tech

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2026 50:24


    Today on the Conversation, we're revisiting a few of our favorite interviews with entrepreneurs in the local tech space.

    The Conversation: Federal disaster aid; Historic home repair

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2026 38:17


    Gov. Josh Green explains Trump's federal disaster declaration for Hawaiʻi; a foundation seeks new students to continue preserving historic Hawaiian architecture

    The Conversation: Planet Money Book; Balinese shadow puppetry

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2026 39:11


    NPR's Kenny Malone and Alex Mayyasi discuss the new "Planet Money Book"; A new Balinese shadow puppetry show is set to open this at UH

    The Conversation: Inside the Honolulu Federal Detention Center; Native birds

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2026 33:15


    U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda shares what she has seen inside the Honolulu Federal Detention Center; Wildlife photographer Bryan Shirota captures rare sightings of Hawaiʻi's native birds

    The Conversation: Storm impacts on Kauaʻi; Hawaiʻi Opera

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2026 37:47


    Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami says the Garden Isle has likely gotten through the worst of the storm; Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre is preparing a new opera about the story of Timoteo Haʻalilio, the lifelong friend of King Kamehameha III

    The Conversation: Storm updates; Impact to farmers

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2026 35:44


    Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency Administrator James Barros shares how emergency officials are preparing for possible storm impacts; Christian Zuckerman, vice president of the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union Foundation, discusses the needs of farmers in the wake of recent storms

    The Conversation: Storm outlook; Water conservation

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2026 33:33


    Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi shares the latest storm outlook; Ernie Lau, with the Honolulu Board of Water Supply urges customers to store water ahead of possible power outages

    The Conversation: Rainfall outlook; Leptospirosis risk

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2026 51:55


    University of Hawaiʻi climatologist Tom Giambelluca discusses the impact of heavy rainfall across the state; State Dept. of Health veterinarian Dr. Ariella Barry warns of the risk of leptospira in standing water and muds after the floods

    The Conversation: The Army's use of AI; Rep. Elle Cochran

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 53:33


    Honolulu Star-Advertiser's Kevin Knodell reports on how the Iran war may impact the Pacific and the Army's use of AI; State Rep. Elle Cochran explains why she switched her political party affiliation from Democrat to Republican

    Da Conversation: A hana hou show about Pidgin

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 51:57


    Today, we're revisiting a few of our favorite interviews centered the use of Pidgin.

    The Conversation: Conveyance tax hike; Operation Babylift

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2026 54:02


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2026 51:00


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2026 51:55


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2026 51:53


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2026 53:50


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2026 51:53


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2026 51:47


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2026 53:07


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2026 53:40


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2026 51:59


    Today, we're bringing you a show highlighting talented professionals who have spent years mastering their craft.

    The Conversation: Gov. Josh Green; Military leases

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2026 54:07


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2026 53:02


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2026 53:32


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2026 53:04


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2026 51:43


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2026 54:02


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2026 53:52


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2026 53:44


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2026 53:39


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2026 53:38


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2026 53:47


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2026 53:41


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2026 53:51


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2026 52:50


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2026 51:56


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2026 51:52


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2026 53:34


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2026 53:30


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2026 51:46


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2026 52:10


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2026 51:49


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2026 53:54


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2026 53:55


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2026 53:37


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2026 53:32


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2026 53:32


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2026 53:31


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2026 52:12


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2026 53:47


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2026 53:47


    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2026 53:51


    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

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