The Wire with Joel

In the lead up to U.S President, Donald Trump’s second term in office, the United States has been in what academics, and observers are calling a state of “permacrisis”.

Since Trump’s inauguration, decisions such as the appointment of Cabinet members, the pardoning of convicts involved in the January 6th Capitol attack, and the signing of executive orders targeting immigrants, and transgender people, have uprooted political conventions, and normalised chaos as a daily occurrence.

Producer Athena spoke to Director and Associate Professor of Global Studies at the University of Auckland, Dr Chris Ogden, about how, and why Trump and his followers weaponise chaos, and manufacture crises.

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party Wire Host Caeden speaks to Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni about the first political poll of the year and National’s cabinet reshuffle.

For State of the States this week they speak to Andre Fa’aoso from the Yale Daily News about President Trump’s inauguration and the short-lived Tiktok ban.

And they speak to Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa’s John Minto about the ceasefire in Gaza.

For City Counselling this week, Producer Sofia speaks to Councillor Shane Henderson about new proposed restrictions on dog walking and the Māngere fires from over the weekend.

Also for State of the States this week, she speaks to honorary academic at the University of Auckland Faculty of Science and climate scientist Dr Kevin Trenberth about President Donald Trump withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement.

A ceasefire ending Israel’s 15 month war on Gaza went into effect on Sunday.

However, top government Israeli officials have stated they reserve to resume the war if they feel they need to.

Israel has also ramped up attacks in the Palestinian West Bank, which is not included in any ceasefire terms. Ten Palestinians were killed in a recent raid in Jenin, and an additional dozen, including medical staff, were wounded. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa’s John Minto about the ceasefire and subsequent Israeli military activity.

For their weekly catch up, Oto spoke to Green Party MP Ricardo Menendez March about the National party’s recent cabinet reshuffle, as well as the government’s changes to free speech legislation in Universities and the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli Defence Force.

He spoke to Michael Swanson, PhD Candidate in New Zealand Politics at the University of Otago, for a follow up kōrero on National’s cabinet reshuffle.

He spoke to Amanda Larsson from Greenpeace to discuss newly elected US President Donald Trump’s exit from the Paris Agreement. 

And he spoke to Chris Ogden, an Associate Professor Cultures, Languages and Linguistics at the University of Auckland, to discuss Trump’s claims of annexing Greenland, the Panama Canal and Canada.

Joel spoke to the Chair of General Practitioners Aotearoa, Dr Buzz Burrell, about the government’s ‘free vape kits,’ and the organisation's concerns surrounding using vaping as a cessation tool for smoking.