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The Wire w/ Max: 03 December, 2025

 The Wire w/ Max: 03 December, 2025 The Wire w/ Max: 03 December, 2025, 77.52 MB
Wed 3 Dec 2025

This Week on the Wednesday Wire:

For our weekly catchup w/ the Green Party Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke with MP Ricardo Menendez-March about The National Party’s newly announced rates rises cap, The Labour Party announcing they’d be providing low-interest loans for family GP practices, and last week’s Government announcement that they'd be majorly shaking up local government.

Producer Flo spoke with Dr Katherine Doolin, a Senior Law Lecturer at the University of Auckland, to talk about the effectiveness of Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Courts, the upcoming conference on AODT courts and hopes for their further implementation in the future.

Max spoke with Peter Shepherd, a Professor in the department of molecular medicine at the University of Auckland, to discuss the World Health Organisation listing Ozempic-style weight loss drugs as a recommendation to combat obesity.

And Flo spoke with Wei-Qin Zhuang, an Associate Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Auckland, to discuss a new methodology to remove nitrate from water supplies.

WHO Recommends Ozempic-style Weight Loss Drugs For Obesity w/ the University of Auckland's Peter Shepherd: December 03, 2025

 WHO Recommends Ozempic-style Weight Loss Drugs For Obesity w/ the University of Auckland's Peter Shepherd: December 03, 2025 WHO Recommends Ozempic-style Weight Loss Drugs For Obesity w/ the University of Auckland's Peter Shepherd: December 03, 2025, 17.11 MB
Wed 3 Dec 2025

According to new guidelines by the World Health Organisation, Ozempic-style weight loss drugs are now recommended to combat obesity.

The recommendations in the new guidelines are conditional for now, as the WHO have emphasised that medication alone can’t tackle the worldwide problem of obesity. They’ve also suggested behavioural therapies such as changes to diet and exercise. Overall, the WHO says these medications could play an important role in tackling a condition that affects millions of people globally.

To break down this announcement by the WHO, Wednesday Wire Host Max spoke with Peter Shepherd, a Professor in the department of molecular medicine at the University of Auckland.

Dear Science w/ Dr Cushla McGoverin: 2 December, 2025

 Dear Science w/ Dr Cushla McGoverin: 2 December, 2025 Dear Science w/ Dr Cushla McGoverin: 2 December, 2025, 21.15 MB
Tue 2 Dec 2025

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about food waste and strategies for limiting food waste and E.coli being used to create rainbow dye.

Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!

Christmas Lights at MOTAT - experience Auckland’s most magical Christmas lights - heritage trams, festive music, Santa visits, and thousands of sparkling lights Tickets at motat.nz 

Regional Council and De-centralising Health NZ w/ National's Stuart Smith: 2 December, 2025

 Regional Council and De-centralising Health NZ w/ National's Stuart Smith: 2 December, 2025 Regional Council and De-centralising Health NZ w/ National's Stuart Smith: 2 December, 2025, 12.56 MB
Tue 2 Dec 2025

Recently, the government has announced some major reforms to how regional councils operate, with regional councillors proposed to be replaced by boards made up of city and regional mayors, and potentially even Crown-appointed representatives, called combined territories boards, or CTBs.

As well as this, Health Minister, Simeon Brown, has called for the decentralisation of Health New Zealand, with the expectation that the entity focuses on deliveries closer to the front-line, additionally expecting a plan to do so by the end of the year.

For our weekly catch up with the National Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to MP Stuart Smith about these topics, starting with the regional council.

Burnout within NZ-born Pacific communities w/ University of Auckland’s Asetoa Sam Pilisi: 2 December, 2025

 Burnout within NZ-born Pacific communities w/ University of Auckland’s Asetoa Sam Pilisi: 2 December, 2025 Burnout within NZ-born Pacific communities w/ University of Auckland’s Asetoa Sam Pilisi: 2 December, 2025, 27.05 MB
Tue 2 Dec 2025

A new study by the University of Auckland has shown rising levels of burnout within the Pacific community.

The research is the first large-scale study to examine burnout within New Zealand-born Pasifika adults between the age of 18 to 65. 

The study found that 90 per cent of the adults experienced burnout, with almost 50 per cent experiencing burnout repeatedly. 

Producer Vihan spoke to University of Auckland Doctoral Candidate Asetoa Sam Pilisi about his study on burnout within New Zealand-born Pacific communities. 

The Ministry's of Health's HIV Monitoring Report w/ the University of Auckland's Peter Saxton: 2 December, 2025

 The Ministry's of Health's HIV Monitoring Report w/ the University of Auckland's Peter Saxton: 2 December, 2025 The Ministry's of Health's HIV Monitoring Report w/ the University of Auckland's Peter Saxton: 2 December, 2025, 18.41 MB
Tue 2 Dec 2025

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health released its HIV Monitoring Report to mark World AIDS Day.

The report tracks New Zealand’s goals towards the country’s National HIV Action Plan 2023-2030.

News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to Peter Saxton, an Associate Professor in Social, the School fo Population Health and HIV researcher at the University of Auckland, about the report, and where the country is at in combating HIV transmissions.

The Wire w/ Joel: 2 December, 2025

 The Wire w/ Joel: 2 December, 2025 The Wire w/ Joel: 2 December, 2025, 78.29 MB
Tue 2 Dec 2025

This week on the Tuesday Wire:

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about food waste and strategies for limiting waste, the five stages of brain development, and scientists using E. coli to create rainbow dye, thanks to MOTAT.

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to MP Stuart Smith about the substantial changes to region councils, and Health Minister Simeon Brown’s calls to decentralise Health New Zealand.

For Green World, Tuesday Wire Host Sara spoke to Dr Sze-Wing Yiu, a Wildlife Ecologist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, about this week’s wildlife conference in Queenstown.

Producer Vihan spoke to Sam Pilisi, a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Auckland, about his study on burnout within New Zealand-born Pacific communities.

And Joel spoke to Peter Saxton, an Associate Professor in the School of Population Health and HIV researcher at the University of Auckland, about the Ministry of Health’s HIV Monitoring Report.

Whakarongo mai!

Regional Council and De-centralising Health NZ w/ National's Stuart Smith: 2 December, 2025

 Regional Council and De-centralising Health NZ w/ National's Stuart Smith: 2 December, 2025 Regional Council and De-centralising Health NZ w/ National's Stuart Smith: 2 December, 2025, 12.56 MB
Tue 2 Dec 2025

Recently, the government has announced some major reforms to how regional councils operate, with regional councillors proposed to be replaced by boards made up of city and regional mayors, and potentially even Crown-appointed representatives, called combined territories boards, or CTBs.

As well as this, Health Minister, Simeon Brown, has called for the decentralisation of Health New Zealand, with the expectation that the entity focuses on deliveries closer to the front-line, additionally expecting a plan to do so by the end of the year.

For our weekly catch up with the National Party, News and Editorial Director Joel spoke to MP Stuart Smith about these topics, starting with the regional council.

Queenstown Wildlife Conference w/ the Bioeconomy Science Institute's Dr Sze-Wing Yiu: 2 December, 2025

 Queenstown Wildlife Conference w/ the Bioeconomy Science Institute's Dr Sze-Wing Yiu: 2 December, 2025 Queenstown Wildlife Conference w/ the Bioeconomy Science Institute's Dr Sze-Wing Yiu: 2 December, 2025, 11.35 MB
Tue 2 Dec 2025

From today until the 4th of December, a conference will be held in Queenstown that will look into pest management and how best to protect native species.

The event not only brings experts in the sector from Aotearoa, but will also involve Australian experts as well.

Tuesday Wire Host Sara spoke to Dr Sze-Wing Yiu, a Wildlife Ecologist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, about this week’s conference, and what to expect.

The Government's Puberty Blocker Ban's effect on Mental Health w/ The University of Auckland's Paul Hofman: 1 December, 2025

 The Government's Puberty Blocker Ban's effect on Mental Health w/ The University of Auckland's Paul Hofman: 1 December, 2025 The Government's Puberty Blocker Ban's effect on Mental Health w/ The University of Auckland's Paul Hofman: 1 December, 2025, 13.42 MB
Mon 1 Dec 2025

Starting in December, the government is banning new prescriptions of puberty blockers to adolescents. 

However, concerns have been raised about the effect this ban will have on the mental health of these individuals – research suggests that the medication reduces mental health distress in transgender youth, a community that is already vulnerable. Banning the drug may have adverse affects in this same vein.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Professor in Pediatric Endocrinology at the Liggins Institute at the University of Auckland, Paul Hofman, about the ban, and what it means for the mental health of our transgender and gender dysphoric youth.