Listen back to features and interviews from 95bFM's daily news and current affairs show. Joel Armstrong, Castor Chacko, Oto Sequeira, and Caeden Tipler focus on the issues of Tāmaki Makaurau and elsewhere in independent-thinking bFM style. Monday-Thursday 12-1pm on 95bFM.
News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins spoke to Lecturer in the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Dr Johanna Reidy, about school uniform equity in Aotearoa.
Producer Olivia spoke to Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Otago, Warren Tate, about the links between ME/CFS and Long COVID.
She also spoke to Postgraduate Fellow in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Otago, Dr Remy Muhsin, about the prevalence of parasites such as toxoplasmosis and cryptosporidium.
ME/CFS and Long COVID are both chronic diseases that can cause fatigue and memory loss. Researchers worldwide have referred to patients as the “missing millions” due to their inability to sustain employment from the illness, and are often neglected by health services.
Olivia spoke to Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Otago, Warren Tate, about his research in this area. His study has shown that ME/CFS and Long COVID are closely related, meaning that further research and treatments can be for the benefit of both groups.
Little is known about many parasites, despite their prevalence worldwide, in Aotearoa New Zealand. These parasites include cryptosporidium, and toxoplasmosis, which are both often transmitted from animals to humans. Research has shown both parasites are dangerous to humans, with symptoms including vomiting and fevers.
Olivia spoke to Research Fellow at the University of Otago, Doctor Remy Muhsin, about these parasites, and the need for research funding in this area.
The Tuesday Wire team is joined by Dr Allan Blackman for Dear Science!
Nicholas speaks to the National president of the Tertiary Education Union, Dr Julie Douglas, about the issues facing Tertiary Education in 2024 as well as the policy areas she believes need to be at the forefront of the Minister for Tertiary educations plans.
Nicholas also spoke to mental health advocate Dr Ian Soosay about his advice for the new Government’s mental health policy.
In the tumult of last year's election campaign it seemed that there were a myriad of issues that got limited to no coverage time.
Amongst the issues that took a backseat was mental health care.
Statistics from 2021 showed an increase in people reporting poor mental wellbeing and as a country we ranked 38th in the world in child mental wellbeing in 2020.
An article titled “Some mental health advice for Minister Doocey“ was recently published by Newsroom. The article highlighted three key areas of focus for policy regarding mental health, with those priorities being;
Universal Health Coverage, Parity of Esteem for mental health services and reaching unreached populations.
Nicholas spoke to the article's author Dr Ian Soosay about his advice for the new Government’s mental health policy.
The Coalition Government’s plans to dissolve mega polytechnic Te Pukenga has left the tertiary education sector in a state of uncertainty.
Last year individual polytechnics reported a collective loss of $185 million and strike action disrupted students' courses as tertiary education providers took concerns over pay and conditions to the government.
Nicholas spoke to the National president of the Tertiary Education Union, Dr Julie Douglas, about the issues facing Tertiary Education in 2024 as well as the policy areas she believes need to be at the forefront of the Minister for Tertiary educations plans.
On Friday, FIRST Union staged protests across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch outside offices of the company Deloitte and the Philippine Embassy. The protests mark a month since recruitment agency ELE entered into receivership, and 1000 workers, over half of which were migrant workers, lost their jobs. A large majority of the migrant workers are Filipino, and have received no support from the Philippine Embassy. Hundreds of migrant workers are now still struggling financially, and many of them are on temporary work visas that are running out.
Rosetta spoke to Dennis Maga, FIRST Union General Secretary, about the protests, and what support these migrant workers need moving forward.
For our weekly catch up with Te Pāti Māori, Rosetta spoke to MP Takutai Kemp about the hui-a-motu held by the Kiingitanga at Tūrangawaewae Marae on Saturday, Te Pāti Māori’s calls for the New Zealand government to support South Africa’s case against Israel at the international Court of Justice, and leaked documents revealing the government's intentions to erase Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
She also spoke to Margaret Mutu, University of Auckland professor of Māori studies, and expert on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, about Saturday’s hui at Tūrangawaewae Marae.
Rosetta also spoke to University of Canterbury (UC) Professor Ann Brower of the School of Earth and Environment, who is the lead author of the recently published research paper, New Zealand’s braided rivers: The land the law forgot, about the importance of protecting Aotearoa’s braided rivers
And finally, Rosetta spoke to Dennis Maga, FIRST Union General Secretary, about the union groups protests on Friday regarding a group of predominantly filipino migrant workers who have been left in economic hardship after recruitment group ELE entered receivership in December of 2023.
For our first catch up with Te Pāti Māori of 2024, Rosetta spoke to Takutai Kemp about the hui-a-motu held by the Kiingitanga at Tūrangawaewae Marae on Saturday. The hui had a turnout of around 10,000 people, Māori and non-Māori, all uniting to protest the current government’s efforts to challenge Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Rosetta and Takutai spoke about what action plan has been taken from the hui in order to protect Te Tiriti and Māori. They also spoke about leaked documents posted by Rawiri Waititi which show intentions from the government to erase Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and Te Pāti Māori’s labelling of the government as ‘overpromising’ Finally, they spoke about South Africa’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice and Te Pāti Māori’s vocal support of this.
Aotearoa, and particularly Te Wai Pounamu, The South Island, is home to unique braided rivers, or rivers that are both land and water, with channels throughout the rivers that cause the rivers to change throughout the seasons. In early 2023, a group of scientists, lawyers, planners, policy experts and engineers formed a group named ‘The Land the law forgot’, which hopes to advocate for the protection of braided rivers, which sometimes go unspoken for in legislation as a grey area between land and water. Advocacy from the group has in part resulted in the Natural and Built Environments Act (2023) which exempts braided rivers from the same umbrella as riverbeds under the previous resource management act, and means they can be protected under their own circumstances.
Rosetta spoke to Professor Ann Brower of the University of Canterbury School of Earth and Environment, who is the lead author of the recently published research paper, New Zealand’s braided rivers: The land the law forgot, about how braided rivers need to be protected moving forward.
The Healthcare exec Brian Thompson was shot dead by a masked assailant last week.
The crime has gained significant controversy and attention online, with many using it to restart the debate on the inequities of the United States healthcare system.
And this week Yale University was the latest college to commit to divesting from weapons manufacturing after a student vote.
For State of the States this week Wire Host Caeden speak to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about both of these topics.
The government as announced their plan for the Cook Strait ferry a year after they scrapped Labour’s plan, including cancelling the ferries the Labour government had ordered.
And a new report from the Ministry of Social Development has revealed nearly a quarter of beneficiaries are not receiving their correct entitlements.
For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni about both of these topics.
For City Counselling this week, producer Sofia caught up with Councillor Shane Henderson about proposed time-of-use charging to solve congestion problems in Tāmaki and Council selling their remaining Auckland Airport shares last week.
The Green party recently released He Ara Anamata - the Green party’s emissions reduction plan.
The document covers more than 10 areas of the economy and energy Sector that a Greens-led government would be looking to adapt to minimise carbon emissions and protect the natural landscapes of Aotearoa.
It also comes 5 months after the government released their own draft emissions plan. Numerous experts pointed out that the government is behind on their own plan’s targets to meet the crucial emissions budget for 2031-2035.
For their weekly catchup, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March to discuss the party’s new emissions reduction plan and how they would address climate and the economy in a greens-led government.
Last election, one of the National Party’s main campaign promises was to be ‘tough on crime’, promising to increase police coverage and penalties for crimes. A target was set to increase the number of police officers by 500 by November 2025, however some police leaders today say this goal is unrealistic.
The government also announced this week some shakeups to insulation standards, which they say should make houses more affordable.
In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor spoke to him about police staffing targets and new insulation standards.
This week on Dear Science, our expert Doctor Cushla McGoverin chatted with us about what latrines teach us about people, climate variation affecting Chinese dynasties, and invasive species becoming threatened.
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
Last week it was revealed that two of the ten participants in the government's pilot bootcamp programme were on the run.
The youth were two months into the community rehabilitation phase of the programme, following the three month youth justice residence phase. Both teens were found in the weekend, but had allegedly reoffended, and are now set to come before the court.
For our weekly catch up with the ACT Party, who have been heavily advocating for this programme, Producer Evie spoke to Simon Court about this incident.
She also talks to him about proposed changes to employment law which would give employers the power to dismiss workers earning over $180,000 without the employee refuting the decision.
And finally, she talks to him about David Seymour’s incumbent run as Deputy Prime Minister, which is set to begin in May of next year.
For City Counselling this week, Producer Sofia spoke to Councillor Julie Fairey about changes to Auckland Transport’s responsibilities, nationwide bus and train fare hikes, and concerns over the opening of the City Rail Link.
For State of the States this week, Wire Host Caeden speaks to Andre Fa'aoso from the Yale Daily News about President Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, who was due to be sentenced next week for three felony charges.
They also discuss Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, who is the latest in a long list of unorthodox picks for government positions from Trump
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