Sophia McCullough

The City and County of Honolulu just announced it will begin initial rail service at the end of June, plus free rides for the opening Fourth of July holiday weekend. The city is calling the mass transit system Skyline. The Conversation's Catherine Cruz spoke with Roger Morton, the director of the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, to learn the latest.

A Hawaiʻi delegation recently traveled to the National Portrait Gallery in our nation's capital to welcome the official portrait of Queen Liliʻuokalani. It's the first time the 130-year-old oil portrait is on view outside of Hawaiʻi.The Conversation's Catherine Cruz traveled to Washington, D.C., and spoke with the delegation about sharing the queen's story and getting the chance to see their ancestors listed in the Kūʻē Petitions.

To mark 125 years since the United States first acquired overseas territories through warfare and congressional action, including Hawaiʻi, the National Portrait Gallery unveiled a powerful new exhibit last week called "1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions." The Conversation's Catherine Cruz traveled to the exhibit and spoke with the curators.

HPR broke a story last year about the state's intent to block the sale of Queen Liliʻuokalani's personal flag, as well as historic records listed by an auction house in New York. Now, those items are in the hands of the Hawaiʻi State Archives. The Conversation's Catherine Cruz shares how the knowledge made its way back to Hawaiʻi.

ʻĀhuimanu's goal is to keep the spirit of the manu at the forefront and restore a deep cultural connection to birds, even as many are threatened or endangered. We talked to the voice of HPR's Manu Minute, UH Hilo professor Patrick Hart to learn more.

For the first time in Hawaiʻi's 50-year history with astronomy, observatories will be removed from Maunakea. First up is the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. Most of the instruments have already been removed, but the telescope's 34-foot diameter primary mirror remains. The Conversation's Russell Subiono has more.

Hawaiʻi officials said the state has a good shot at securing federal funding to jump-start new hydrogen infrastructure. Mark Glick, head of the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office, said the plan is to use renewable energy to produce hydrogen. The Conversation's Catherine Cruz has more.

The city expects to receive the completed segment of the Honolulu rail system from Kapolei to Aloha Stadium in July, once safety testing is complete and verified. The Conversation's Catherine Cruz learned how the stations will connect with TheBus and function as a place for community gatherings.

Kamehameha Schools chose paniolo culture as the theme for its 103rd annual song contest in March. The Conversation talked to the winning class song director about celebrating Hawaiʻi's paniolo heritage and visiting Waimea.

The upcoming closure of Walmart on King Street in downtown Honolulu is the loss of another grocery store and pharmacy in an area trying to draw more families and working professionals. The Conversation spoke to Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam about the city's efforts to ease some restrictions under the housing code.