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Maui County Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura and Haleakala Ranch Vice President and Land Manager Jordan Jokiel on the drought conditions in the Upcountry area of the Valley Isle; archivist Cha Smith on an upcoming art exhibit at the Downtown Art Center focused on hula; and Afro-Brazilian musician Dendê Macêdo on making music out of unwanted materials.

The new academic year for the majority of Hawai'i schools begins in August. With certain pandemic restrictions being lifted around the state, The Conversation was joined by outgoing Department of Education School Superintendent Christina Kishimoto to examine how prepared we are for the return of students and staff to the classrooms in our islands.

Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Scott Saiki on why they pushed back on Gov. David Ige's vetoes; local sports psychology consultant Darryl Oshiro and former NFL player Jesse Sapolu on how professional athletes can handle the pressure of being under the spotlight; and acting manager of the Plant Quarantine Branch Jonathan Ho on the contents of amnesty bins at airport exits.

The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act was passed 100 years ago Friday. To mark the anniversary, The Conversation hosted a call-in show with the director of the Department of Hawaiian Homelands William Aila, chairwoman of the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Associations Robin Danner, and Honolulu attorney Tom Grande, who successfully sued the state over mismanagement of Hawaiian lands.

The Conversation talks to Kaua'i Managing Director Mike Dahilig about relaxed restrictions in the county; Public Relations and Marketing Director of the Maui Visitors Bureau Leanne Pletcher about a new shuttle program offering service to popular resorts; President of the California Surf Museum Jim Kempton about the details of his upcoming book "Women on Waves"; and creator Mike White and actress Jolene Purdy of HBO's "The White Lotus" about filming during the pandemic.

The Conversation speaks with Sheri Kajiwara from the state Department of Transportation about what travelers can expect with relaxed pandemic restrictions under the Safe Travels program starting Thursday; Acting State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble about updated COVID-19 statistics and the Delta variant in Hawai'i; and political analyst Neal Milner about what exactly causes people to laugh.

Jennifer Chun of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority's talks collecting geolocation data from cell phones; HPR reporter Casey Harlow discusses building new affordable housing inventory; University of Hawai'i political science professor Noelani Goodyear-Kaʻōpua on the influence of the late Hawaiian Sovereignty Movement leader Haunani-Kay Trask; Bill and Rabel McNutt share their effort to drum up support to hold a state funeral for the last World War II Medal of Honor awardee; and Megan Laut of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service talks about potentially taking the Hawaiian Stilt, the Ae'o, off the endangered species list

Head of ʻIolani School Tim Cottrell on the decision to require COVID-19 vaccines for staff and students; spokesperson for the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Jai Cunningham on preparing for the expected back-to-school traffic jam; and host of HPR's "Latin Beat" Ray Cruz says goodbye to the show after 30 years on the air.

We round out the week on The Conversation with a look at our relationship to the ocean. A plan to modernize the Honolulu Harbor could make us more resilient against natural disasters while citizen science organizations are partnering with the state to collect better data on our water quality. And what really happened to our native monk seal Mele?

In 1835, the Kōloa Plantation on Kauaʻi became Hawaiʻi's first commercial sugar plantation to open for business. Reflecting on Hawaiʻi's plantation history, The Conversation hosted a call-in show with Ada Koane, who is working on a book about the Kōloa Plantation, and Melissa McFerrin, the coordinator of the Kōloa Plantation Days, an annual festival held every summer.