On this edition of Sustaining Hawaii, presented by Bayer, Rick Hamada starts things by talking to Alfredo Evangelista from Maui's Binhi At Ani Filipino Community Center about the the 57th Annual Barrio Fiesta! Then, we turn back to the studio with Darlene Loo-McDowell from 'Sharing the Butterfly Experience.', part of the 17th Annual Maui AgFest on May 30th.

Rick Hamada has a fascinating conversation with Travis Gaines, a 31-year Marine Corps veteran who talks about Mantech--a company that provides AI and advanced technology support to our military in forward areas to help all our servicemembers achieve the mission.

Rick Hamada spends the hour speaking with HPD Chief Finalist candidate David Lazar. Get to know David and his law enforcement background in San Francisco, including the final 3 years of his career there as assistant chief...and what he would bring to the HPD Chief position.

Rick Hamada wraps up Friday featuring a great hour with the fun people from the Hawaii Theater, eating great food and talking about shows coming up at Hawaii Theater!

Rick Hamada welcomes one of the finalists for Honolulu Police Chief to the studio--Mike Lambert, former Hawaii State Director of Law Enforcement.

Rick Hamada spends the hour talking with Kam Napier and Michael Brestovansky of Aloha State Daily about news headlines capturing the attention of Aloha State Daily readers...plus reflections on the Hawaii legislative session.

Rick Hamada starts off Friday morning with headlines, including the close of the Hawaii Legislature and the monk seal attack on Maui.

Rick Hamada once again welcomes Honolulu Civil Beat's Chad Blair to the show on a big day...the close of the Hawaii legislature is here! What has passed, what has failed, and how much is this session going to cost us?

Episode 84: Today’s Freedom Hour – What Matters: The Family Test for Hawai‘i Government. What does life actually feel like for Hawai‘i families right now? Today, we move beyond politics and examine the growing pressures facing local families — from affordability and housing to trust, accountability, and hope for the next generation. As another legislative session concludes, we ask whether government priorities truly reflect what matters most at the kitchen table. Join us for a grounded conversation about family, leadership, and the future of Hawai‘i — and what it will take to restore balance.

Episode 83 (9 May 2026): Today’s Freedom Hour – Session’s Over: Now the People’s Audit. The 2026 Hawaiʻi Legislative Session is over — but what did the people actually get? This episode breaks down the scale, cost, and priorities of the legislative process, from thousands of bills and hearings to the small number of measures that survived. We explore the deeper policy patterns shaping Hawaiʻi’s future, the growing role of centralized systems and governance, and what was notably absent. Most importantly, we ask: what are the people of Hawaiʻi going to do about it?