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The Conversation: Local Reaction to Derek Chauvin Verdict; Push to Vaccinate

Local reaction to former Minneapolis police officer's guilty verdict; The push to vaccinate residents; Hawaii Tourism Authority under scrutiny; Earth Day: Maui Nui Marine Resource Council cleaning up pollution

Local reaction to former Minneapolis police officer's guilty verdict | Full Article

The conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd is stoking discussions locally on the use of force and the role of racial bias in policing Hawai?i’s communities of color. HPR reporter Ku‘uwehi Hiraishi shared what she's learned from talking to local civil rights nonprofits about the Honolulu Police Department's use of force.

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HPR reporter Ku‘uwehi Hiraishi

The push to vaccinate residents

Credit Healthcare Association of Hawaii
Healthcare Association of Hawaii President and CEO Hilton R. Raethel

Oahu opened up the vaccine appointment lines to 16 and older this past Monday. The state says it is seeing a softening of the demand on neighbor islands. Health officials caution we are not out of the woods yet as variants of the virus are circulating, and they point to growing numbers on Maui. We talked to Hilton Raethel, head of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, about the snapshot. 

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Hilton Raethel, president and CEO of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii

Reality Check with Civil Beat: Raising minimum wage in Hawaii | Full Article

The end of the legislative session is just a week and a half away and the prospect of passing a bill to raise the minimum wage bill is looking bleak. Honolulu Civil Beat reporter Stewart Yerton joined us to discuss the latest developments, or lack thereof.

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Honolulu Civil Beat reporter Stewart Yerton

Hawaii Tourism Authority under scrutiny from state lawmakers | Community Input

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is under scrutiny as lawmakers have been eyeing its funding and looking to redefine its scope. Critics are looking for the HTA to better manage tourism. It has proposed action plans for Maui, Kauai and the Big island; and it's about to launch Oahu’s. We spoke to Caroline Anderson, Director of Community Enrichment, about the latest action plans. 

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Caroline Anderson, HTA Director of Community Enrichment

Earth Day: Maui Nui Marine Council cleaning up pollution

Credit Maui Nui Marine Resource Council
Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s Grace Silver helps to prepare a site in M?’alaea Harbor for the data sensor on loan from PacIOOS.

Earth Day and Earth Month is celebrated in April but cleaning the earth is a year-round effort. We spoke to the Maui Nui Marine Resources Council about a new tool to help track its progress in cleaning up pollution in Ma’alaea Bay. Program and operations manager Amy Hodges told us about the help it's getting from near shore sensors from PacIOOS -- the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System. 

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Amy Hodges, Programs & Operations Manager for Maui Nui Marine Resource Council

Talkback

If you have any comments or feedback, let us know by calling the Talkback Line at (808) 792-8217, or recording a voice memo on your smart phone and sending it to talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org. The Conversation airs live at 11 a.m. on HPR-1 and streams at hawaiipublicradio.org.

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Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Originally from Guam, she spent more than 30 years at KITV, covering beats from government to education. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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