The Wire with Oto

For our weekly catch-up with the Labour Party’s Carmel Sepuloni, Wire Host Caeden asks about her being announced as a contestant on Celebrity Treasure Island. They also ask about the current Government reversing the ban oil and gas exploration that was put in place by the last government in 2018.

For State of the States, our weekly kōrero on the United States election, Caeden speaks to Yale Daily News’ Andre Fa’aoso. They discuss Robert F. Kennedy Jr dropping out of the Presidential race to endorse Donald Trump, and the pro-Palestine protestors at the DNC and recent Kamala Harris campaign events. 

For City Counselling this week Sofia caught up with Councillor Julie Fairey about the annual Local Government New Zealand conference last week as well as Auckland Council’s Shoreline Adaptation Plans.

She also speaks to Greenpeace Aotearoa’s programme director, Niamh O’Flynn, about changes announced this week to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. 

And she also speaks to lawyer Harry Clatworthy from Te Mata Law about the government’s plans to restore a tougher test for Maori customary title claims in the foreshore and seabed and the urgent Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into this.

For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March about the recent changes to the fast track approvals bill, as well as the government’s plans to remove natural gas import barriers and the contamination of the Ohinemuri river.

He spoke to Kirsten Tilleman from the University of Auckland to talk about active bystanders and the role they play in reducing harassment on Auckland’s public transport.

He spoke to Nicola Owen from Disabled People Against Cuts Aotearoa to talk about austerity measures affecting the disabled community.

And he spoke to Dr Joel Rindelaub from the University of Auckland to talk about microplastics in human brain tissue.

Sasha spoke to Samantha Marsh from the University of Auckland to discuss worsening language skills in preschoolers.

He also spoke to Bill Kay Blake from NZ Institute of Economic Research about the rise of forestry farming over livestock farming

A recent study involving commuters in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, found that women and people of intersectional identities were more likely to avoid using public transport out of fear of harassment. 

Anti-harassment strategies proposed in that study promoted the idea of encouraging members of the public to become “active bystanders” during situations of harassment, where they could intervene by helping to de-escalate situations, reporting harassment incidents to transport staff and directly confronting perpetrators as a last minute resort.

Oto spoke to Doctoral candidate Kirsten Tilleman from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Auckland, to discuss what active bystanders are and the role they could play in preventing harassment on Auckland’s public transport

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of New Mexico in the United states revealed a high concentration of microplastics located in the brain tissue of a number of test subjects, as well as many other organs in the body.

While experts are still evaluating the exact physiological impacts of microplastic contamination, higher concentrations of these substances have been found in the brain tissue of subjects suffering from conditions such as early onset-dementia.

Oto spoke to Dr Joel Rindelaub, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland, to discuss the presence of microplastics in human brain tissue and their potential impacts.

If you'd like to catch Joel's science-comedy show “Science Is No Joke”, you can get your tickets here: