The Conversation

With today marking 45 years of Hawai'i Public Radio being on the air, we celebrate the occasion by looking back on the history and the people that made HPR possible.

Christine Ogura, of the National Park Service, explains the history of the Honouliuli Internment Camp, which is now open for guided tours; Halloween festivities take over on Homeroom Hawaiʻi.

Kelly McKeague, director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, shares updates on efforts to recover artifacts from a sunken WWII battleship; the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana prepares for its 50th Anniversary Concert & Celebration.

Hawaiʻi's top democrats celebrate reelection and focus on moving forward from the results of the blue wave; students speak about safety drills and the fun of field trips on Homeroom Hawaiʻi.

UH political scientist Colin Moore debriefs the results of the 2026 midterm election; chairs of the Hawaiʻi Republican and Democratic parties reflect on the losses and victories of election night.

Honolulu Elections Administrator Rex Quidilla and HPR's Bill Dorman discuss Election Day voting and upcoming results; HPR listeners share their thoughts on legalized gambling in Hawaiʻi.

HPR's Bill Dorman discusses voter turnout and ballot initiatives on the eve of Election Day; scam prevention educator Carol Gonsales shares a free online tool to check for AI scams.

HPR discusses the possibility of legalized gambling with economist Bo Bernhard and Sen. Glenn Wakai; Kaʻau Crater Boys last surviving member, Troy Fernandez, brings their legendary music back to the stage.

HPR's Audrey McAvoy reports on the race to represent Hawaiʻi's 2nd district; UH Mānoa's student newspaper Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi announces the search for an ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi editor.

Groundwork Collaborative reports on the rising costs of Halloween candy; Sacred Hearts students share "Ghosting Aloha," their collaborative fiction work about friendship and fear.

University of Nevada economist Bo Bernhard talks about the "fun economy" and its impact on Hawaiʻi; a 2026 HIFF documentary celebrates the art of dance shared by indigenous communities across North America.

UH Marine Biologist Mark Hixon explains REEFrame, a coral restoration project in Waikīkī that uses artificial reefs; Homeroom Hawaiʻi hears from students and staff just in time for the fall holiday break.

HPR looks at what's on the ballot for the 2026 midterms, the UH Insect Museum unveils a new art show and the Pisces V submarine moves to the Bishop Museum.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.