Harry Kim, who previously served two terms as Hawai‘i County’s Mayor, will be returning to the seat, with a 51.6% outright win during last weekend’s Primary Election. Hawai‘i County’s Mayoral race was a crowded one, with 13 candidates vying for the office. Kim is scheduled to appear for this discussion.

INSIGHTS hosts live candidate discussions for two hotly contested neighbor island races:   –Kaua‘i State House District 14 incumbent Derek Kawakami has opted out of running for re-election, choosing instead to run for Kaua‘i County Council. Kaua‘i County managing director Nadine Nakamura and activist Fern Rosenstiel are vying for this seat.

State Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, who has represented District 13 for 26 years, is retiring at the end of this term, leaving this local race without an incumbent. District 13 includes a portion of Downtown Honolulu and the outlying neighborhoods of Nu‘uanu and Liliha.

This special edition of Insights on PBS Hawai‘i goes beyond the usual prepared talking points and sound bites to bring voters a live, loosely structured conversation with incumbent Mayor Kirk Caldwell, and his leading challengers – Peter Carlisle and Charles Djou.

In this election year, the next topic is Politics and Small Business. Hawai‘i’s small businesses are a mainstay of our local economy. Yet our state is consistently ranked among the lowest in the country for friendliness to small business.

INSIGHTS kicks off Election 2016 coverage with an overview discussion on key local races and the issues driving these races – including the messy Presidential contest, local elections for Mayor and your district’s state representative. Leaders from Hawai‘i’s Democratic and Republican parties, along with political analysts, take a look at what’s at stake.

In Hawai‘i, an average of 50 people die each year from the abuse of prescription painkillers. Are doctors prescribing too many pills to help manage pain?   Your questions and comments are welcome via phone, email and via Twitter during the Live Broadcast.

We continue to examine The Fatherless Factor. Studies show that children who grow up without an involved father experience more behavioral problems and achieve lower academic success than those who have Dad around.

The number of fatherless households is rising, according to a study by the Hawai‘i State Commission on Fatherhood. What’s behind this upward trend? And how does it affect children to grow up without a father at home?   Your questions and comments are welcome via phone, email and via Twitter during the Live Broadcast.

Service animals provide essential support for those with disabilities, and the law says all establishments must allow them access. But what about comfort animals that provide emotional support? INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAI‘I discusses both types of working animals, and whether comfort animals have a place alongside service animals.