For our last live discussion of 2017, INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAI‘I reviews the major news stories of the last year, from investigative to inspirational and more. Our guests will also explore outstanding examples of “truth to power” stories, and will offer their suggestions on the stories to watch for in 2018.

The legacy of the 100th Infantry Battalion, nicknamed “One-Puka-Puka,” continues to this day. The battalion, formed during World War II, was initially made up largely of Nisei (second-generation) Japanese Americans from Hawai‘i. After WWII, the battalion was mobilized during the Korean, Vietnam and Iraq wars.

Leadership from Hawai‘i’s major education systems convene around the Insights table for a high-level conversation about how to prepare students for the future employment landscape in the Islands, and how they can work together in doing so.

Hawai‘i Community Foundation recently held a conference for the local non-profits and programs that would be impacted by two federal proposals: domestic spending budget cuts, and a tax plan that includes changes to claiming deductions and an increase in the standard deduction.

The recent devastation in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria re-ignited discussion about the Jones Act, the federal legislation that aims to protect American maritime workers. The Jones Act was blamed for preventing foreign vessels from assisting in recovery efforts in Puerto Rico; eventually, The Trump Administration temporarily lifted the shipping restriction there.

Hawai‘i continues to be heavily reliant on imports to feed its 1.4 million residents and 8 million visitors. About $3 billion a year is spent to ship in approximately 90 percent of our food, with 6 million pounds of food arriving daily by cargo ships and planes.

The first of four Focus on Compassion HIKI NŌ episodes drawn from the archives compiles stories that center on the topic of kūpuna, or elders. This show is hosted by Crystal Cebedo, a 2016 HIKI NŌ and Wai‘anae High School graduate who is currently attending Menlo College in Atherton, California on a full scholarship.

President Donald Trump will deliver a televised address Monday on how the U.S. will proceed in the nation’s 16-year war in Afghanistan.   Trump met with his national security team, including Defense Secretary James Mattis, on Friday at Camp David, Maryland, to discuss military strategy in Afghanistan.

Hawai‘i has the Dubious Distinction of having more visitor drowning deaths than any other place in the country. According to the State Department of Health, Hawai‘i’s visitor drowning rate is 13 times the national average, and 10 times the rate for residents.

On this episode of INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAI‘I, we’ll discuss Vaccines and the Risk of Opting Out.   Your questions and comments are welcome via phone, email and via Twitter during the Live Broadcast.   Phone Lines: 462-5000 on Oahu or 800-238-4847 on the Neighbor Islands.   Email:insights@pbshawaii.