The Wire with Joel

Following the government designating Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organisation last week, News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to representatives of the Jewish and Palestinians communities here in Aotearoa about this decision.

First, she spoke to Justice for Palestine Co-Convenor, Samira Zaiton, about their calls for the government to condemn Israel for its actions in Gaza..

She also spoke to the Co-Founder of Alternative Jewish Voices, Mariyln Garson, about her reaction to the government’s decision and concerns about misinformation about what is happening in Gaza and the occupied West Bank being spread in New Zealand.

Please note, when Marliyn discusses Simon Court’s interview on 95bFM, she is referencing our interview with him which aired last week.

MethaneSAT, a global initiative to track and reduce methane emissions, is launching today. 

Although primarily funded by the US Environmental Defence Fund, the satellite is the first government funded space mission in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

The US side of the project will focus on measuring and identifying methane leaks from oil and gas production, while scientists in New Zealand will use the satellite to study global emissions from agriculture. 

Producer, Sofia Roger Williams, spoke to Spacecraft Mission Operations Director at Te Pūnaha Ātea, the Space Institute at the University of Auckland, Chris Jackson, about the launch, New Zealand’s role, and how the data gathered can help us make global and local recommendations to reduce methane emissions. 

Yesterday Salient Magazine, the University of Victoria’s student magazine, released a statement discussing the revocation of Salient’s parliamentary press pass. Salient had held the press pass on behalf of the Aotearoa Student Press Association, or ASPA. 

As such, revoking this pass for Salient affects student magazines across the country, including the University of Auckland’s Craccum magazine. 

Wire host Castor spoke to one of Salient’s news co-editors, Ethan Rogacion, about the revocation and what it means for student journalism.

For Dear Science, Wire host Castor chatted with Dr Cushla McGoverin about tortoise migration in the Galápagos.

Then, for our weekly catch-up with National’s James Meager, he asked about the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora and the repeal of Labour’s smokefree legislation. 

He also spoke to the director of the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), Greg Durkin, about qualification rates among Pasifika tradies. 

Finally, Castor spoke to news co-editor from the University of Victoria’s Salient magazine, Ethan Rogacion, about their recently revoked parliamentary press pass.

Producer Sofia spoke to honorary research fellow, Dr Gavin Ellis, from the University of Auckland’s think tank, Koi Tū, about the impending proposed closure of Newshub. News and Editorial Director Jessica Hopkins also spoke to Head of Journalism at Massey University, Associate Professor James Hollings, about this.

She also spoke to Spacecraft Mission Operations Director at the University of Auckland, Chris Jackson, about the launch of the satellite, MethaneSAT.