Skip to content
PodParley
The Conversation podcast artwork

PODCAST · news

The Conversation

by Hawaii Public Radio

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 budget crisis to huli-huli chicken, and audience involvement and comment is invited.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Oct 17, 2026 · Source feed

Subscribe · 0 Bookmark

Episodes

  1. The Conversation: Property development pushback; Pisces V submarine

    Local 5 union members discuss the cost of living as a new luxury tower, “Park Lane 2,” is proposed for Ala Moana; the Bishop Museum prepares a new exhibit showcasing the deep sea explorations of the Hawaiʻi Undersea Research Laboratory’s submarines.

  2. The Conversation: Voting rights rally; Princess Kaʻiulani’s ball gown

    Voting rights organizations rally in the streets to get the vote out ahead of November; Historical costume designer Iris Gil Viacrusis shares the story behind Princess Kaʻiulani’s ball gown.

  3. The Conversation: A hana hou show on AI

    With artificial intelligence becoming impossible to ignore, The Conversation looks back on past stories focusing on AI in business and education.

  4. The Conversation: Aloha Tower’s Grand Reopening; Homeroom Hawaiʻi

    HDOT Deputy Director Dre Kalili shares in the celebration of the Aloha Tower’s grand reopening; see how a cellphone ban is going over with school students on another installment of Homeroom Hawaiʻi.

  5. The Conversation: Early voting; Strings that sing

    Hawaiʻi voting rights organizations encourage early voting before the general election on Nov. 3rd; the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame makes a permanent home for itself with the Hawaiʻi State Public Archives.

  6. The Conversation: Fostering farming careers; Hawaiʻi’s housing shortage

    Vince Kimura, of Leeward Community College’s Future Harvest, talks about a new program to foster career skills for farmers; HPR’s Audrey McAvoy reports on a general election ballot that could address Hawaiʻi’s housing shortage.

  7. The Conversation: Guam goes to court; Punahou podcasters

    David Henkin, Deputy Managing Attorney of Earthjustice, explains why Guam is taking the U.S. Air Force to court; Punahou School students share their entry for NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge.

  8. The Conversation: Hawaiʻi’s visitor forecast; Homeroom Hawaiʻi

    UHERO Economist Carl Bonham shares the economic organization’s unfavorable forecast for Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry; HPR’s weekly segment Homeroom Hawaiʻi looks at how schools are making up lost time from the storms.

  9. The Conversation: Tourism troubles; Wahine in the workforce

    SFGATE Hawaii Contributing Editor Christine Hitt reports on declining tourism and why the “standard Hawaii vacation is over;" Hawaii Business Magazine releases its 2026 Wahine Issue focusing on women in the workforce.

  10. The Conversation: Tracking the tourist industry; Modern-day Manapua man

    With travel prices rising and tourism numbers falling, Omnitrak President Chris Kam tracks the state of Hawaiʻi’s visitor industry; HPR heads to Waialua to meet Jordan Simmons — a modern-day Manapua man.

  11. The Conversation: USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. comes home; Habeas corpus and the Honolulu Zoo

    HPR hears from military officials, servicemembers and their families as Naval Destroyer USS Frank Petersen Jr. returns to Pearl Harbor; An animal communications expert weighs in on a Supreme Court hearing over the elephants at Honolulu Zoo.

  12. The Conversation: Hawaiʻi’s place in the Asia-Pacific; Chocolate and tourism

    Retired Brigadier General Davil Stilwell discusses Hawaiʻi’s links to the Asia-Pacific region; Mānoa Chocolate founder Dylan Butterbaugh shares how his business has fared with this year’s decline in tourism.

  13. The Conversation: U.S. Rep. Pat Saiki dies at 96; Homeroom Hawaiʻi

    HPR reflects on the life of U.S. Rep. Pat Saiki, first Republican elected to represent Hawai’i in the House of Representatives since its statehood; after the hurricanes, HPR’s weekly segment Homeroom Hawaiʻi looks at the next thing taking schools by storm: homecoming week.

  14. The Conversation: G.R.O.W. program; HIFF documentary premiere

    Roger Babcock, director of the Honolulu Department of Environmental Services, explains a new composting program the city will be rolling out; HPR speaks with the filmmakers behind “Pili Hou,” an upcoming documentary about the search for a long-lost matriarch.

  15. The Conversation: Digital literacy; POG popularity

    Kaʻala Souza talks about his organization, Māpunawai, and its goal to promote digital literacy across the state; HPR ponders the popularity of POG that’s propagating across the Pacific.

  16. The Conversation: Hearing from the islands after Hurricane Nolo

    Hawaʻi Island Mayor Kimo Alameda joins HPR live to share how the island fared Hurricane Nolo; HPR’s Bill Dorman reports on ongoing fires and power outages on Maui.

  17. The Conversation: Storm Updates and a Head-to-toe hana hou show

    HPR looks ahead for storm updates on Hurricane Nolo and looks back on some of our past stories highlighting the human body.

  18. The Conversation: Preparing for Tropical Storm Nolo; Homeroom Hawaiʻi

    Jim Kelly, of the Hawaiian Electric Company, shares updates and preparations for Tropical Storm Nolo; HPR checks in on classrooms on Kauaʻi in the latest installment of Homeroom Hawaiʻi.

  19. The Conversation: Keeping Hawaiʻi connected; Upcoming immigration conference

    Verizon shares how they're keeping customers connected after the impacts of the hurricanes; organizers of the upcoming Hawaiʻi Immigration & Inclusion Conference discuss the need for immigrant protection.

  20. The Conversation: The Great Aloha Run passes the torch; ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi immersion program

    Carol Kai Inouye, founder of the Great Aloha Run, passes the torch to developer Christine Camp to keep the race going; Kapolei Middle School faces new challenges in keeping its ʻŌlelo Hawaʻi immersion program alive.

  21. The Conversation: Storm damage to coral reefs; AI in the workplace

    Julia Rose, of The Nature Conservancy, surveys damage to Hawaiʻi’s reefs following the recent storms; behavioral scientist Gleb Tsipursky explains the practical uses and pitfalls of AI in his new book.

  22. The Conversation: Red Hill reopens; U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze

    The U.S. Navy announces the decision to reopen a shaft involved in the Red Hill water crisis; U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze discusses his work with poetry and translation.

  23. The Conversation: Gov. Green on Kauaʻi; Homeroom Hawaiʻi Skies

    Gov. Green speaks after assessing storm damage after Hurricane Lowell on Kauaʻi; HPR returns with the latest installments of its segments 'Homeroom Hawaiʻi' and 'Hawaiʻi Skies.'

  24. The Conversation: Kamehameha Schools’ tax status targeted; Pokémon 30th anniversary

    Former University of Hawaiʻi Law School Dean Avi Soifer explains how and why Kamehameha Schools could lose their tax-exempt status; HPR joins Pokémon fans in line trying to catch ‘em all on franchise's 30th anniversary.

  25. The Conversation: Senate President Kouchi on Kauaʻi’s recovery; Learning from disaster

    State Senate President Ron Kouchi shares how f Kauaʻi is recovering after Hurricane Lowell; UH Professor Karl Kim shares what disasters — both manmade and natural — can teach us.

  26. The Conversation: Live from the Ala Wai Canal

    Today, The Conversation is broadcasting live on the Ala Wai Canal — on the edge of Waikīkī.

  27. The Conversation: Bringing power back to Kauaʻi; Homeroom Hawaiʻi

    Hawaiian Electric Company VP of Communications Jim Kelly shares the latest on Kauaʻi’s recovery efforts; HPR returns with the latest installment of Homeroom Hawaiʻi.

  28. The Conversation: KIUC works to restore power on Kauaʻi; Punahou president remembers 9/11

    Kauaʻi's electric utility works to restore power across the island; Punahou president Mike Latham remembers alumni who died; Filmmaker talks LNG documentary

  29. The Conversation: Kauaʻi mayor assesses Hurricane Lowell damage; Updates on Oʻahu storm impacts

    Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami addresses Hurricane Lowell impacts; HPR's Mark Ladao has more on Lowell on Oʻahu; UH researcher talks pilot whale study

  30. The Conversation: Disaster fatigue; Climate fund

    Handling the constant storms and disasters; Honolulu takes part in Youth Climate Action Fund; Volcano Minute; Lahaina resident's mail woes; Director Destin Daniel Cretton talks Maui film lab

  31. The Conversation: Most profitable companies; Costly disasters

    Hawaii Business magazine's list of most profitable companies; Database tracks billion-dollar disasters; AI and the backbone of the American economy

  32. The Conversation: Skyline stretches towards the city; Hawaiʻi documentary

    HART CEO Lori Kahikina talks about the timeline on the latest leg of the Skyline into Honolulu’s urban core; Filmmaker Stephan Boeker shares his award-winning short film documenting the work of a Maui architect.

  33. The Conversation: Monitoring ICE on the islands; Public transit plans

    Gaye Chan, of the Oʻahu Rapid Response Coalition, shares their mission to monitor ICE activity on Oʻahu; Honolulu Director of Transit Jon Nouchi shares how the city’s public transportation plans are progressing.

  34. The Conversation: Tommy Waters speaks; Connecting through cards

    City Council candidates speak after the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled Tommy Waters ineligible to run in the general election; Maui-based motivational speaker Eric Saperston shares his new card game creation, "Three Things."

  35. The Conversation: Hawaiʻi Island Mayor on Hurricane Lala; Center for Oral History

    Hawaiʻi Island Mayor Kimo Alameda shares recovery updates after Hurricane Lala devastated areas like the Nāʻālehu Cemetery; The Center for Oral History at UH Mānoa plans new projects after receiving over half a million dollars in new funding.

  36. The Conversation: HECO Updates; Homeroom Hawaiʻi

    HECO shares updates on getting the lights back on after Hurricane Lala; HPR shares more stories from students and staff across the islands in the second installment of “Homeroom Hawaiʻi.”

  37. The Conversation: Upcoming weather disturbances; ‘Super Saturday’ at Capitol Modern

    John Bravender, of the National Weather Service, shares news of a third weather disturbance forming after Tropical Storm Moke; Capitol Modern combines several art festival events into one day: "Super Saturday."

  38. The Conversation: Hurricane insurance; Fighting the transgender military ban

    HPR reports on hurricane insurance and how much home insurance policies actually protect; Army Sgt. Clara Davis fights her discharge from the military following President Trump’s transgender military ban.

  39. The Conversation: Measuring Moke’s impact; HPD Chief on public safety

    Recovery efforts continue on Hawaiʻi Island after Lala while Moke makes its way across Molokaʻi; recently appointed Honolulu Police Chief David Lazar talks public safety after Lala took out power on Oʻahu.

  40. The Conversation: A call-in show on questions about Lala's storm damages

    Today, we are discussing how communities can access information on how to rebuild following the destruction caused by Hurricane Lala. Lala left many without power and damaged homes across the islands.

  41. The Conversation: Preparing for potential storms; Homeroom Hawaiʻi

    Gov. Josh Green shares information about another potential tropical storm, and why hurricane season isn’t over; HPR presents Homeroom Hawaiʻi, a segment that shares the stories of students and staff across Hawaiʻi’s schools.

  42. The Conversation: Restoring power after Lala; How to hurricane prep

    HPR’s Savannah Harriman-Pote reports on HECO’s progress restoring power to the islands; Peter Oshiro, head of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health’s Food Safety ranch, advises on how to prepare food for a hurricane.

  43. The Conversation: Hurricane recovery across the islands

    Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami shares how the Garden Isle fared during Hurricane Lala; business owners and residents from O'ahu and Hawai'i Island share how they're rebuilding amid storm damage and continued power outages.

  44. The Conversation: Recovering after Lala

    City and state officials deliver the latest updates on Hawaiʻi's recovery after Hurricane Lala; residents share their experience in the aftermath.

  45. The Conversation: Tracking Tropical Storm Lala; Trask family responds to possible deepfake ad

    HPR’s Bill Dorman reports with the latest developments on Tropical Storm Lala; Mililani Trask, sister of Haunani Kay-Trask, responds to a possibly AI-generated use of her late sister's likeness.

  46. The Conversation: AI-generated commercial concerns; New Punahou learning commons

    HPR speaks with state Sen. Karl Rhoads about concerns around a possibly AI-generated campaign commercial; Punahou School President Mike Latham discusses the new Mary Kawena Pukui Learning Commons.

  47. The Conversation: OHA election outcome; Fully-electric test flights

    HPR’s Cassie Ordonio reports on the results for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs races; Mokulele Airlines begins test flights with BETA Technologies' fully-electric Alia aircrafts.

  48. The Conversation: Election results; Capturing the solar surface

    HPR reviews the results of the 2026 primary election; national Solar Observatory scientists capture the highest-resolution images of the surface of the sun ever taken.

  49. The Conversation: A hana hou show on civic engagement

    On the eve of the 2026 primary election, The Conversation highlights past stories about engaging in the democratic process.

  50. The Conversation: Bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu; Voters react to Tommy Waters’ disqualification

    Bishop Michael Thomas Tupou Castori speaks with HPR about his journey and connection with the Pacific; HPR speaks with District 4 voters and Tommy Waters about his ousting from the election.

View all 260 episodes →

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

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 budget crisis to huli-huli chicken, and audience involvement and comment is invited.

HOSTED BY

Hawaii Public Radio

CATEGORIES

news politics

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Conversation have?

The Conversation currently has 260 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is The Conversation about?

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 budget crisis to huli-huli chicken, and audience...

How often does The Conversation release new episodes?

The Conversation publishes regularly with 260 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to The Conversation?

You can listen to The Conversation on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts The Conversation?

The Conversation is created and hosted by Hawaii Public Radio.
URL copied to clipboard!