The Conversation

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

RYSE Hawaiʻi receives a $2.5 million donation from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund; Hawaiʻi artist Jodi Endicott turns marine debris into sculptures that highlight the impact of plastic on the environment

HPR gets a tour of an agroforestry farm on Kauaʻi; A retired city lifeguard gives marine trash new life

ʻAulani Wilhelm, CEO of Nia Tero, has been named an influential climate leader by TIME Magazine; Humpback whales have changed their behavior since their return to Lahaina

The head of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply discusses the status of Oʻahu's water resources; A coalition is working to protect parts of Maunawili Valley from future development

Today, we're revisiting our archives to bring you little-known stories of WWII.

Mālama Mākua's Lynette Cruz and Sparky Rodrigues and filmmaker Mikey Inouye talk about their film that shows the decades-long fight of military leases; Ray Tsuchiyama, realtor and management consultant, talks about whether Japanese travelers are coming back to Hawaiʻi

Waikulu will be home to Maui's newest film festival; The Honolulu Zoo has a new exhibit featuring rare endemic snails

Hawaiʻi County Council Member Ashley Kierkiewicz discusses proposed changes to the island's affordable housing rules; Author Christine Kuehn grapples with her family's work as spies for the Nazis in Hawaiʻi in her new book

The Conversation will be hosting a live call-in show to talk all things golf. Our panel will be taking your calls live. Call in live, or send a note to talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org. You can also leave a voicemail before the show on our talkback line: 808-792-8217.