The Wire with Castor

Acute mental health care units remain in the shadows, neither fully integrated into general hospitals nor part of the community, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, say. Joe spoke to the lead researcher of this study, Associate Professor Ruth Cunningham on this matter.

UN experts commended the International Olympic Committee yesterday for considering allowing individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports competitions as neutral athletes.

Following discussions with two Special Rapporteurs, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee issued a statement referring to the need to respect the rights of all athletes to be treated without any discrimination, in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

Alexandra Xanthaki a UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights and Professor of Laws at Brunel University London, United Kingdom spoke to Joe about this matter. This interview is also featured on 95bFM's The Playbook!

The mass flooding in Auckland has renewed conversations and calls for the three waters reform to continue, to completion. 

The controversial Labour policy has been speculated to be on the chopping block of new PM Chris Hipkins, further supported by the appointment of new cabinet minister Kieran McAnulty to the local government portfolio. 

However, the devastation caused by the flooding reinstated how badly Tamaki Makaurau needs updated stormwater infrastructure. 

To learn about where the reform currently stands and what stormwater infrastructure needs to be put in place, i’ve spoken to UoA’s Timothy Welch, E tū Unions Mat Danaher and ACT MP Simon Court about their respective opinions on the policy. 

As people continue to struggle with rising cost of living, some economists have suggested raising unemployment rates to tamp inflation. However, doing so would further increase hardship for those laid off, and job losses would concentrate among low-income workers. Are gentler deflationary tools available?

Hanna spoke to Professor Robert MacCulloch, Matthew S. Abel Chair of Macroeconomics at the University of Auckland, about why unemployment remained low despite market shocks, the theory behind raising unemployment to tackle inflation and its critique, and the disciplinary effect of unemployment on workers.