Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news & current affairs show, The Wire. Your hosts Jessica Hopkins, Jemima Huston, Frances Wright, Zazi Hewlett, Justin Wong and Noah Ferguson-Dudding focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere, in independent-thinking bFM style. Weekdays 12-1pm on 95bFM.
Earlier in the week West Tamaki experienced floods that caused road closures, extensive damage to many properties, and forced some residents to evacuate their homes. NIWA recorded the second wettest day on record for the area with rainfall of 201mm in just 14 hours and a staggering 149 percent of August’s normal monthly rainfall in just one day. On the Wire this Wednesday Frances Wright spoke briefly with Rachel Kelleher, Deputy Controller for Auckland Emergency Management about what the response has been like so far and what it will look like going forward and also to meteorologist Ben Noll from NIWA about the science behind the floods.
This article spoke about walking: how it affects our brains, and whether it could actually help students in school - to remember better, to think more creatively and help build more positive relationships between both students and teachers.
Given that New Zealand has gone back into lockdown we, as a result, are going on a lot more walks. Zazi wanted to speak to Thomas about this research to see if walking should continue to remain part of our daily lives, past the lockdown climate, as well as be incorporated into our education systems.
Zazi began by asking Thomas what the connection is between walking and thinking.
This week Zazi talks to Brooke about ACT refusing to have Parliament sit virtually and Butchers being closed during lockdown.
On Friday, the National Party and the ACT Party rejected a proposal for a virtual Parliament, saying that democracy needs to be in-person to work. And as a result, in-person Parliament sittings have been conducted this week.
Zazi starts by asking Brooke why she thinks in-person Parliament sittings are necessary, even at level 3 and 4, when there is a virtual alternative.
In the second half, Brooke goes on to talk about Butchers only being able to conduct contactless delivery during lockdown. She talks about supermarkets, lockdown restrictions, and the risk of transmission.
This week on the Wednesday Wire, Zazi Hewlett and Frances Wright continue to produce remotely from home as Auckland remains in Level 4 Lockdown, with Jemima hosting the show and bringing us the news.
The show starts off with Frances having her regular segment Dear Science with Allan Blackman. This week Frances and Allan celebrate the life of Ernest Rutherford the week after what would have been his 150th birthday; discuss why Pluto is no longer considered a planet; and talk about the discovery of the world’s northernmost island.
Frances then speaks with both Deputy Controller for Auckland Emergency Management, Rachel Kelleher, and NIWA Meteorologist, Ben Noll, about the flooding in West Auckland.
Zazi talks to the Professor of Philosophy at the University of Denver in the United States, Thomas Nail, about the benefits walking has on the brain, and whether walking while learning could actually help students.
Finally Zazi has her regular catch-up with ACT's Brooke van Velden, this week talking about ACT refusing to have Parliament sit virtually and Butchers being closed during lockdown.
Today on the Wire, Joe Wickins speaks to the founder of Pet Refuge, Julie Chapman, about the work the shelter does, how pets are impacted by domestic violence, and how COVID-19 has affected the shelter's operations.
Trishil Dayha brings us a piece on burnout. He speaks to two experts about what burnout means and how to deal with it.
Jemima Huston talks to Nathan Hawke from Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park, and Harmony Neale from Wellington Zoo about how lockdown is impacting the animals in New Zealand’s wildlife parks.
Finally, Isla and Stella bring you the latest episode of Tomorrow’s World. Today they investigate the common misconceptions about how human memory operates.
Throughout the pandemic, there have been reports that zoo animals have been missing the public while zoos have been closed due to lockdown restrictions. News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston speaks to two representatives from New Zealand’s zoos about how the Level 4 lockdown has impacted their work and their animals. Jemima interviews Nathan Hawke, the Marketing, Public Relations and Visitor Services Manager for Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park, and Harmony Neil, the Team Leader for Primates at Wellington Zoo, about this.
This week Stella and Isla give each other a wake-up call on how bad their memory recall can actually be. Investigating common misconceptions about how human memory operates, brain structures responsible for this, and evidence that says humans overestimate their ability to remember, Tomorrow's World reminds us all to use the COVID tracer app.
A large blob of warm water off New Zealand's east coast is causing drought conditions in South America. A recent report says that the blob emerged naturally in the 1980's, but has warmed much faster due to climate change.
Louis was joined by Victoria University of Wellington's Dr Kyle Clem to talk about the blob, how it was caused, and the impacts it is having.
There are nine days left for people to make submissions to the Justice Select Committee to have their say on the proposed legislation to ban harmful conversion therapy practices.
Conversion therapy has been discredited by the National Health Service (NHS) and the World Psychiatric Association.
At the time of our interview, Shaneel Lal, co-founder of Conversion Therapy Action Group said that there were more submissions against banning conversion therapy than for. This includes submissions from trans exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) groups.
Jessica spoke to Shaneel Lal about why it is important for allies, parents and the LGBTQIATakatāpui+ community to make a submission.
According to the latest estimate, there are only 54 māui dolphins remaining. Only found on the North Island's west coast, māui dolphins are threatened by fishing pressures, like trawling and gill nets, and diseases, like toxoplasmosis.
Louis talked to University of Otago's Liz Slooten and Sea Shepherd's Michael Lawry about the species' current status, the major threats, and what needs to be done to save them.
Noah Ferguson-Dudding caught up with National MP Christopher Luxon for their weekly chat. They discussed what Luxon would like to see the government to do around their recent Three Waters proposal. They also touched on a recent poll which has put National at 21.3%, and the controversy around Judith Collins' criticism of Siouxsie Wiles.
Today, Pippa and Ilena talked about how Auckland Council will be helping local businesses move down through alert levels- in particular, how the Council can help the hospitality industry with licensing requirements so that they can do trading on the footpaths and allow more space between customers.
They also talked about Vision Zero, an ethics-based transport safety approach that was developed in Sweden and is now being implemented in Auckland. The vision states that there will be no deaths or serious injuries on our roads by 2050. Ilena asked Pippa about how realistic this goal is, what concrete steps have already been taken to make our roads safer and what future plans are in place.
Justin spoke to Health Minister Andrew Little about New Zealand's Covid-19 strategy post lockdown and the vaccine bus to boost vaccination rates in Auckland.
Justin talks about the Canadian federal election with Professor Daniel Béland of McGill University. The election will take place on September 20 after Prime Minister and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau called a snap election in August.
Justin talked to Victoria University's Professor Robert Ayson on the new Ausuk defence pact between Australia, the US, and the UK. Part of the pact would see Australia acquire its first nuclear-powered submarines to replace its aging fleet with the US and UK sharing technology.
On this week's Dear Science, Frances Wright was joined by AUT Professor Allan Blackman. They began by talking about the serious but hilarious Ig Nobel Prizes and then moved onto research on toilet training cows from the University of Auckland. They finished up by talking about the food scientists who have found the key to perfectly smooth chocolate.
This week Zazi spoke to Brooke about the Māori Party's petition to to change New Zealand's official name to Aotearoa as well as John Tamihere's comments in a Newshub interview yesterday.
Zazi asks Brooke about the Māori Party's petition - whether she supports it, thinks it’s important, or believes official titles don't make much of a difference.
In the second half, Zazi and Brooke talk about comments made by Māori Party's John Tamihere, saying that ACT members contacted him, appalled and apologetic of Seymour’s Māori priority vaccine tweet, posted last week.
The Māori Party's co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer also spoke with Zazi about the Aotearoa petition in today's Wednesday Wire show. If you would like to listen to that interview as well, click the link here.
In another week of level four lockdown, Isla and Stella look into how intermittent isolation could be affecting young kiwis. They chat with Maria Corkin from the University of Auckland about her research on 'technoference' and its influence on child development, executive functioning in kids, and the differences in outcomes depending on input.
Noah Ferguson-Dudding caught up with National MP Christopher Luxon for their weekly chat. They discussed the government's potential plans for booster vaccines against Covid-19, Auckland's ongoing Level 4 lockdown, and the National Party's identity given the current strength of the government.
This week, Ilena spoke with Councillor Shane Henderson about what he calls the ‘week from hell’ for West Auckland. The week started with extensive flooding and ended with a terror attack at the LynnMall Countdown, all while the region was in level 4 lockdown. He gives some updates on where flooding emergency and support efforts are at now, and how West Aucklanders are coping.
On another note, Ilena and Shane also talked about bin tags and how a proposal to streamline Auckland’s rubbish service might look like.
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