Hawaii Public Radio

The Conversation

News EN ↓ 255 episodes

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.

Author

Hawaii Public Radio

Category

News

Podcast website

www.hawaiipublicradio.org

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

The Conversation: Hana hou on masters of their craft 20.03.2026

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

The Conversation: Gov. Josh Green; Military leases 19.03.2026

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 18.03.2026

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 17.03.2026

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 16.03.2026

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 13.03.2026

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 12.03.2026

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 11.03.2026

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 10.03.2026

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 09.03.2026

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 06.03.2026

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 05.03.2026

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 04.03.2026

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 03.03.2026

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 02.03.2026

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 27.02.2026

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 26.02.2026

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 25.02.2026

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 24.02.2026

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 23.02.2026

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 20.02.2026

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 19.02.2026

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 18.02.2026

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 17.02.2026

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 13.02.2026

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

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