The Conversation

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

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

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

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"

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

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

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removed thousands of Japanese Americans from their homes and send them to incarceration camps during WWII was formally repealed.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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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