The Conversation

Trump calls for mining the sea floor in new executive order; Scientists have discovered a new species of caterpillar in the Waiʻanae Mountains, nicknamed "the bone collector."

Today on The Conversation, we're replaying interviews with filmmakers who focus on stories of the ocean.

Lawmakers rush to pass bills before the end of the legislative session; HPR hears from the winners of the Hawaiʻi History Day competition

Tariffs are impacting the local floral industry and popular Hawaiʻi fashion brands; A flock of endangered kingfishers has been introduced to Palmyra Atoll

HPR's Maddie Bender reports on how federal funding cuts are impacting the University of Hawaiʻi; Kitty Simonds, executive director of the Western Pacific Fishery Council, responds to environmentalists' concerns about a Trump order allowing commercial fishing within the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument

Maxx Phillips of the Center for Biological Diversity discusses President Donald Trump's executive order allowing commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument; Matthew Loke, administrator of the state Agricultural Development Division, on increasing egg prices and significant price changes at the grocery store as tariffs take effect

Today, The Conversation hosts a call-in show with guests from AARP to discuss Social Security concerns. Call in live, or leave a voicemail at 808-792-8217. You can also email The Conversation at talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org.

Anthony Giancatarino, strategic partner for the nonprofit Taproot Earth, discusses empowering under-served communities in the wake of disaster; Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke meets with USDA officials to discuss Hawaiʻi's agricultural priorities

Historian Ronald Williams Jr. takes a look at the role tariffs played in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi; Researcher Richelle Moskvichev shares evidence that sea levels in Hawaiʻi are rising faster than expected

Johnson Choi, president of the Hong Kong China Hawaiʻi Chamber of Commerce, discusses the tit-for-tat tariffs between the U.S. and China; Pacific Forum, a think tank with a mission of contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, celebrates 50 years

How could tariffs impact consumer prices in Hawaiʻi?; The Hawaiʻi Department of Health confirms a second presumptive case of the measles in a Hawaiʻi resident

Dr. Jim Ireland provides the latest information on the confirmed case of measles on Oʻahu; Junior Genshu Price wins the Gloria Barron Prize for his work collecting money from recycled bottles and cans to fund scholarships

A Consul General of France meets with military and state officials in Hawaiʻi; Peace Corps braces for the possibility of cuts after DOGE visit

Civil rights attorney Eric Seitz discusses how students with disabilities may be affected if the U.S. Department of Education is eliminated; Photographer Daniel Sullivan documents the first humpback whales to return to Lahaina after the 2023 wildfires

Thousands rallied at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol on Saturday to protest the actions of the Trump administration; Legal scholar Avi Soifer signs an amicus brief in support of a law firm targeted by Trump

McKinley driver education coordinator Leilani Okuda discusses the perils of distracted driving; Author and DJ Morgan Nixon documents the history of the Jamaican reggae music label Studio One

Gov. Josh Green reacts to President Trump's sweeping tariff proposal; HPR contributor Neal Milner takes the Long View on the benefits of marriage

State librarian Stacey Aldrich discusses how federal funding cuts and layoffs could impact local libraries; A. Kam Napier, editor-in-chief of the new Hawaiʻi publication Aloha State Daily, on what he hopes the new online outlet can add to local news

Lisa Gibson, organizer of Indivisible Hawaiʻi, shares details on an upcoming statewide protest against the actions of the Trump administration; the state Office of Consumer Protection advises listeners on how to safeguard their genetic data

Hawaiʻi's Burmese responds to the devastating earthquake in Myanmar; The Hawaiʻi Bicycling League calls attention to a rise in fatalities among pedestrians and bike riders

Today, the Conversation broadcasts lives from the Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden on Hawaiʻi Island with stories on the history of Parker Ranch and biodiversity.

Kūpuna with mobility issues face unique challenges during a disaster; The Lāhainā Film Festival comes to Oʻahu

EPA head Lee Zeldin tours Red Hill and Maui burn-zone; The state is looking for feedback on where it should plant new coral to support reef health

Glen Fukushima with the Center for American Progress discusses the transformation of national security in the Indo-Pacific; UHERO data scientist Trey Gordner examines how construction liability litigation is hampering Hawaiʻi's housing market

Dean Uchida with the state Department of Education discusses how USDA funding cuts may impact Hawaiʻi's school lunch program; Biologist Simon Scarpetta offers a theory on how iguanas got from North America to Fiji

Today on The Conversation, we're spotlighting our talented kama'aina who have received national recognition.

Gov. Josh Green discusses how Hawaiʻi is responding to federal uncertainty; DHHL head Kali Watson explores new ways to get Native Hawaiians off the wait list for homesteads

Political scientist Colin Moore reacts to the Trump administration's efforts to shutter the U.S. Institute of Peace; A measure is moving through the state Legislature that would impose longer prison sentences and larger fines for those who violate temporary restraining orders

Noelle Fujii-Oride, founder of Overstory, shares the mission of the new digital journalism outlet; HPR staff reflect on their time as members of the Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony

Tina Yamaki, president of the Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi, provides a snapshot of the retail industry amid growing economic uncertainty; Voice actors Sally Amaki and Kana Ichinose arrive in Honolulu for a fan meet-and-greet event

Today on The Conversation, experts discuss the current state of the economy amid market dips and federal funding uncertainties. Share your comments during the live show by calling 808-941-3689 (O'ahu) or 1-877-941-3689 (neighbor islands).

Former East-West Center epidemiologist Tim Brown discusses five years of the coronavirus pandemic and the various variants; Board of Water Supply Chief Engineer Ernie Lau and Director of Public Affairs for the Navy Closure Task Force-Red Hill Scott Malcolm give a snapshot of the progress made to shut down the Red Hill Storage Facility

Hye-ryeon Lee, who is the chair of the School of Communication and Information and studies health communication at UH Mānoa, on vaccine hesitancy; East-West Center's new inaugural Presidential Chair, Jean Lee, discusses the latest on the uncertainty around South Korean politics

Former NOAA Chief Scientist Sylvia Earle shares the effects further cuts to the agency could have on public access; A. Kam Napier, editor-in-chief of the new Hawaiʻi publication Aloha State Daily, on what he hopes to add to local news

Polynesian Voyaging Society CEO Nainoa Thompson talks about the principles that have guided the organization's work and how he views the next generation of voyagers; Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony President & CEO Randy Wong shares how the organization is celebrating its 60th anniversary

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez hails a court ruling against the Trump administration that will unfreeze federal funds for some programs; Federal funding freezes are hampering efforts to clear waterways around Pearl Harbor of invasive species

Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami responds to questions from HPR listeners; Members of the cast and crew of "Ride the Cyclone" share a preview of the "delightfully weird" musical premiering on Oʻahu

Maui Mayor Rick Bissen gives a snapshot of Maui County; UHERO Professor of Health Economics Ruben Juarez lays out the link between food insecurity and symptoms of depression

The state Director of Human Resources Brenna Hashimoto tracks efforts to hire laid-off federal workers for vacant state positions through Operation Hire Hawaiʻi; Kumu hula Patrick Makuakāne pays tribute to the late singer Roberta Flack

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and Hawaiʻi Rep. Jill Tokuda speak before a crowd protesting cuts to DEI programs at an Allies in Resistance rally; Eric-Preston Hamren shares what the loss of his job means for conservation efforts on Hawaiʻi Island

Gov. Josh Green responds to the recent federal firings by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency; Composer Māhealani Uchiyama shares the untold stories of people of African descent who shaped Hawaiʻi's history in new album

New Zealand geothermal consultant Gavin Murphy meets with state lawmakers and researchers about Hawaiʻi's geothermal potential; Researchers Leah Bremer and Kawika Winter map the carbon storage potential of transforming Hawaiʻi's fallow agricultural lands into agroforests

The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture announces the rollout of long-awaited digital ag declaration forms; The Hawaiian and Indigenous Future Imaginaries Lab charts a path in the AI world

Avi Soifer, former dean of the University of Hawaiʻi William Richardson School of Law, talks about the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's executive orders; Department of Land and Natural Resources survey entomologist Karl Magnacca shares how a new native bee species was discovered on Molokai

The Conversation broadcasts live from Waikīkī; Hawaiʻi Attorney General Ann Lopez discusses the legal challenge the state is mounting against some of Trump's executive orders

Fernanda Camarena with the Poynter Institute discusses the implications of the Trump administration's restrictions on the media's access to public officials; ‘Iolani School teacher Gabriel Yanagihara uses generative AI to make viral videos of snow on top of Lēʻahi and whales swimming in the Ala Wai Canal

State lawmakers may make a homeless relocation program permanent; A clinic sees success by pairing patients in diabetes treatment with "patient navigators"

Local groups organize a "Not My President" rally against the White House's executive orders; Singer-songwriter Kalani Peʻa wins his fourth Grammy with the album "Kuini"

Heather Bush and Ed Barnabas of Booz Allen Hamilton talk about the use of artificial intelligence for the U.S. military; Lynn Shue, organizer of the week-long Paint Maui Invitational shares the joys of plein air painting

Adm. Sam Paparo calls on U.S. allies to refocus on rising threats from China, North Korea, and Russia; Local authors and musicians celebrating Hawaiian language month with HPR

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi discusses how he intends to address homelessness and the housing crisis; Hawaiʻi Pacific University says competition is stiff for spots in a new physician's assistant training program