The Conversation

Ernie Lau, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, discusses hurricane preparedness; Hawai’i Marine Animal Response speaks on the recent viral news of a man throwing a rock at a monk seal and what to do when you see animals in danger.

Tom Moore, from the Center for American Progress, explains a bill that passed to limit corporate influence in elections; singer-songwriter Jack Johnson teases the debut of his new documentary film.

HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports on the status of Chuuk's Super Typhoon Sinlaku recovery efforts; local record shop and label owner Roger Bong responds to the use of AI-generated music at Honolulu International Airport.

Today on the Conversation, we're looking back on stories we've shared about the Vietnam War and Operation Babylift.

Jim Kelly, Hawaiian Electric Company, on rising electric bills; HPRʻs Ashley Mizuo reports on how it's the first year lawmakers had to decide how to spend revenue from The Green Fee

Acting Lt. Gov. Keith Regan and James Kurata of the Department of Accounting and General Services, on a drone survey underway to capture all 8 of the state's cemeteries; UH researcher Yuxin Wang talks about a new model that could help provide early warning ahead of impactful storms

Keith Regan, serving as comptroller and the acting lieutenant governor for the state, talks about balancing the two roles; Karl Banks, of the Environmental Protection Agency, out of the Region 9 office in California, on the aftermath of Super Typhoon Sinlaku in Saipan

Honolulu Star-Advertiser's Dave Reardon reports on the first high school surfing championship in Hawaiʻi; Maile Shannon and Luna Kekoa of the Holomua Marine Initiative on expanding the initiative

Today, our panel discusses all thing lei on this May Day! The local lei industry has faced tough times, and flooding from the recent Kona low storms have only added to our floral woes.

Acting Konawaena High School principal Chelsea Qualey and Ramzi Mansour of the Department of Accounting and General Services share the progress being made following damages from the recent Kona low storms; Mike Hansen, President of the Hawaii Shippers Council, on President Donald Trump's extension of the waiver for the Jones Act till August

Director of Transit Jon Nouchi talks about possibilities the city is looking at for the Skyline rail; Allie Denburg of Too Good To Go and Daniel Lee, owner of Island Glazed Donuts in ʻAiea, on bringing the app Too Good To Go to Hawaiʻi

Troy Nunley, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, talks about the strain that immigration cases have placed on his district and what led him to ask for help from Hawaiʻi judges; Honolulu's director of botanical gardens, Joshlyn Sand, on cleanup efforts at Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden in Kāne‘ohe following the Kona Lows

Gov. Josh Green on his decision to name Keith Regan, the state comptroller, as acting lieutenant governor; Hawaii Chamber of Commerce President Sherry Menor talks about the results of a survey it gave its members amid a shifting local economic landscape

Former Lt. Gov. Doug Chin speaks on the latest developments after Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke announces leave of absence; state insurance commissioner Scott Saiki speaks on the state of the insurance industry after the Kona low storms.

HPR’s Ashley Mizuo reports on a target letter sent by the State Attorney General to Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke as part of their investigation; Santana bassist Benny Rietveld presents a new stage production about a Hawaiʻi jazz saxophonist from The Cavalier, an old Honolulu jazz hotspot.

HPR’s Savannah Harriman-Pote reports on increased wildfire risks caused by the recent rains; grassroots organization Kupaʻa Kuilima files a lawsuit against a proposed second resort on Turtle Bay.

ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Attorney Leilani Stacy explains why Hawaiʻi judges are taking on California immigration cases; conflicting feelings from residents and experts arise around Wahiawā dam.

Former Hawaiʻi Governor George Ariyoshi passes away at 100; HPR reports on the current status of CRB on Molokaʻi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today, our panel discusses a new statewide policy is set to restrict student cell phone use beginning next school year.

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

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.

On today's program, we're rebroadcasting a few of our favorite interviews with local musicians.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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