Orphan Sunday Stories Of Impact Podcasts

This week on The Sunday Panel, Coast day host Lorna Riley and NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson joined Francesca Rudkin for a chat about the following issues: Jacinda Ardern will be delivering her valedictory speech this coming Wednesday. She's been reasonably quiet since her departure, so what can we expect from this speech? How will her legacy…

Frustration at Auckland Airport after cancelled and delayed flights. Earlier today nineteen domestic flights were cancelled and nine delayed due to fog at Auckland Airport. Travel commentator Megan Singleton, who organises group tours, has six people at the airport hotel intending to board regional flights today. She says they're at the airport wit…

The cost-of-living crisis and increasing inflation may be having an adverse effect on our health. Rising grocery prices make it difficult for consumers to purchase healthy food, especially those from low-income households. Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara says even buying seasonal fruits and veges is more costly, especially for those tryi…

Former mountaineer David Vass has lived an exciting life outdoors- and wrote about his journey. He started out in caving and rafting and climbed his way through some of New Zealand's most challenging mountain routes. However in 2015, a minor slip while leaving a climbing trip in the Darran Mountains left David Vass with a broken neck and incomplete…

In a couple of weeks, we will be 6 months out from the general election. I know, the election has seemed an age away and then suddenly we‘re whipping through the year and October 14th is fast approaching. The last couple of weeks in politics have been interesting. The National Party released the basics of an education policy and their renewable ene…

Welcome to autumn, and more so welcome to the crazy time that comes with feijoas! They are truly one of those fruits that come all at once, and you'd better be ready for them! Many of us have a love-hate relationship with feijoas, our kids love them! As I did when I was a kid, however now I can only have a couple and that's it. Why? So this week, I…

This week, let's talk about why it's a good thing that New Zealand doesn't have hamsters! (We have guinea pigs) Babies living with certain types of pets may be less likely to develop food allergies as they grow older compared to those living in pet-free homes according to new research published this week in the journal Plos One. Food allergies in c…

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall highlights two new Apple TV+ original shows that depict catastrophic near-future scenarios. Extrapolations is the new all-star anthology series from Contagion and The Report writer Scott Z Burns showing the possible future effects of climate change. Stars include Daveed Diggs, Kit Harrington, Sienna Miller, Matthew …

Australian author, actress and comedian Celeste Barber made it big on Instagram recreating photos of actresses and models. Her social media parodies earned her 9.4 million followers on Instagram alone, on top of her sold-out comedy performances and books Celeste Barber – Challenge Accepted and Flamingo Celeste is Not like the Rest. Celeste Barber's…

Donald Trump's campaign says it's raised more than $4 million US dollars in a day since his indictment. The former US president is due to appear in court on Tuesday after a grand jury indicted him in relation to his alleged role in hush money payments made to a porn star during the 2016 election. US correspondent Katherine Firkin says it'll be inte…

More information may soon come to light about Stuart Nash's email scandal. Nash was sacked from Cabinet after it has been discovered that he had emailed two donors about secret Cabinet discussions about a proposed rent relief scheme during Covid-19. An investigation is ongoing into whether these emails should have been released two years ago under …

Yesterday, New Zealand's Superannuation was raised as part of an annual adjustment. Meanwhile, people in France have been rioting and protesting over proposed changes to lift the retirement age from 62 to 64. These events have ignited discussion about how to reform NZ Super, with one economist suggesting an increase to the eligibility age and intro…

One of Those Mothers by Megan Nicol Reed, New Zealand author. She’s a great observer of middle class life and this is set in a suburb called Point Heed, where everyone knows everyone else and they all live nice middle class lives with, every so often, a hint of hypocrisy. When a man amongst them is convicted of the possession and distribution of ch…

BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton has touched down in Rarotonga and has found some personal highlight to share. Megan returned from the Saturday morning markets and says visiting them is an experience not to be missed. She also recommends Sunday's Muri Night Markets and their local cuisine. This coming week will be a busy one for Megan, as she has a…

This week on The Sunday Panel, BusinessDesk Investments Editor and host of the Cooking the Books podcast Frances Cook and political commentator and partner at Freebairn and Hehir lawyers Liam Hehir joined in on a discussion about the following topics: Anti-trans activist Posie Parker's Auckland rally got out of hand- pushing and fighting broke out …

Summer sunshine has plenty of health benefits and many Kiwis have felt disappointed with the last few months. This last summer has been plagued with rain, grey skies and extreme weather for the upper North Island, which has impacted the region's collective ability to enjoy the benefits of sunny weather. Naturopath and Golden Yogi director Erin O'Ha…

This week I will bring you some sad news. Tony's Vineyard restaurant in Henderson has closed, the message on Facebook was very sudden and brought a restaurant of some 38 years to a very abrupt close. The Tony's chain was originally established in Wellesley Street, Auckland, some 40 years ago by its' founder Tony White. But in 1983 Tony's Vineyard o…

If I was going to be a lab rat - I think I'd like to be these lab rats! A hormone injection that sobers up mice might offer hope for treating drunk humans according to a paper published this week in the journal Cell Metabolism. In the experiments, researchers gave mice so much alcohol that they fell unconscious and weren’t able to get back up when …

New Zealand-Samoan director made his film debut with Pasifika-themed comedy 'Red, White and Brass'. Set during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the film follows a group of Tongan fans who form a brass band to get in as pre-game entertainment in a bid for tickets to the match between Tonga and France. Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall says this film manages…

Comedian Tom Sainsbury is bringing his impersonation skills to the world of true crime podcasts. 'Small Town Scandal' is set in the fictional Wairarapa farming community of Te Hoiho and delves into the mysterious death of wealthy Mitch Buchanan, owner of Mitch’s Automatic Mowers. The six-part mockumentary podcast stars Tom Sainsbury voicing over 30…

New Zealand's own Dawn Aerospace will be launching their newest venture out of Kiwi airports soon. Rocket-powered space planes have been granted approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand to operate out of the nation's airports. The first round of Dawn Aerospace's planned test flights are set to begin within the next month. Dawn Aero…

Anti-trans activist Posie Parker was escorted out of New Zealand after a skirmish at her Auckland rally. A small fight broke out between attendees and counter-protestors as Posie Parker made her way to the front of the crowd, where she was doused with a red liquid and escorted out of Auckland's Albert Park. Posie Parker has since cancelled her Well…

There are concerns about what National's newly proposed education policy might mean for neurodiverse learners. The Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand believe requirements from this proposed policy outline put neurodiverse students at a disadvantage. Dyslexia Foundation spokesperson Guy Pope-Mayell says it's highly concerning that National's educati…

7 weeks ago, I mentioned on air how impressed I was with my insurance company. We had a small amount of water seep through the back of our house during the flood on Auckland Anniversary weekend. Nothing major, nothing that evicted us from our property, nothing we haven’t been able to live around. I left it a week before calling the insurance compan…

The British Royal family has provided some of the most iconic moments in history. After becoming the go-to photographer to cover them in 1975, Arthur Edwards was the person most-perfectly placed to tell their story. Edwards has released a book called Behind the Crown, with some of his most famous shots. He told Francesca Rudkin on the Sunday Sessio…

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz. We’ve done his other books in previous years. This is the 8th (and possibly last) in the series about Evan Smoak, who was taken from an orphanage as a young boy and trained in black ops by the US government but turned his back on all that and used the skills he acquired to help people in need. Now he finds that thi…

The Vanuatu region has taken an intense battering from nature this March. Vanuatu was lashed by Cyclone Judy and Cyclone Kevin, two separate tropical cyclones in three days. BloggerAtLarge.com writer Megan Singleton says Vanuatu is used to weather events of this scale and the capital, Port Vila is already back up and running. Megan Singleton says t…

Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills and commentator and TV producer Irene Gardiner joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss the following issues of the week: The columnists have come out in droves to say that Chris Luxon is coming up short in the polls. In the Chris vs Chris debate, Luxon is in decline. Is National losing momentum? Who could …

Research suggests we may need to pay more attention to our brain health. Almost half of all cases of dementia and cognitive decline are preventable and the risk factors can be mitigated or controlled with lifestyle changes. Australian broadcaster and GP Dr Ginni Mansberg explained the best treatments to get ahead of cognitive decline in her guide: …

Daylight Saving is due to kick in on April 2nd, which will affect sleep schedules across the nation. A quality sleep experience is important for health and development, and wellness expert Erin O'Hara has some tips for getting ahead of the disruptions. Erin O'Hara says 45 percent of the world's population is affected by sleep problems, including on…

Let's wake up those taste buds as we enter autumn, with a bit of fire! The reason why I'm talking about rockmelons is that they are in season right now. We had to harvest ours last week, mainly due to the rains. But all melons, including watermelon are around at an affordable price now. A rockmelon season runs from January till March, however with …

This week we are talking dad jokes: “What do you call cheese that isn't yours? Nacho cheese.” “Dad, did you get a haircut?’. 'No, I got them all cut!” “Why did the orange stop halfway up the hill? It ran out of juice.” The good old ‘dad joke’, defined as a wholesome joke of the type said to be told by fathers that has a punchline that is an obvious…

Keanu Reeves returns to the screen this month for John Wick: Chapter 4. After being delayed in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, John Wick: Chapter 4 will be arriving in theatres on Wednesday March 22nd. This sequel will have a three-hour runtime, and Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, and Donnie Yen are confirmed to return, along with Lance Reddick…

Billy T Award-winning comedian Kura Forrester is in for an eventful few months. Kura Forrester recently wrapped up a last-minute performance at the Billy T Jams comedy showcase after a nominee was unable to appear- and she's got more gigs coming. She'll be returning to the Comedy Festival for the first time since taking home the Billy T award in 20…

Thousands of unlucky Kiwis have been cheated out of money from scams and fraud. The upcoming New Zealand International Fraud Film Festival seeks to expose these crimes and show the impact they have in New Zealand and overseas. Festival spokesperson and former acting director of the Serious Fraud Office Paul O’Neill explained that this festival was …

Stuart Nash is hanging on in Cabinet after being demoted to the lowest ranking. A third incident involving Nash's conduct as a Government Minister came to light on Friday, in which he approached a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment official about an immigration case. Chris Hipkins has gone on to say that any further lapses in Nash's ju…

Foreign and domestic problems for Russia after the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant, for Vladimir Putin. The Russian President and his Commissioner for Child Rights are accused of unlawfully deporting children from Ukraine to Russia. Otago University International Relations professor Robert Patman says the ruling will change the way fo…

On Kerre Woodham Mornings on Friday, Kerre had a robust discussion about what was taking place in our health system. There were two calls in particular which stopped me in my tracks. One was a chat with Christchurch surgeon Frank Frizelle, who this week spoke out about how local surgeons say they’re forced to decide which cancer patients to treat, …

At the beginning of March, BusinessNZ released a report which stated that without policy changes our tightest ever labour market will get tighter. The Sense Partners’ The Future of Workplace Supply report was commissioned by BusinessNZ, who also did a survey in September last year which revealed labour shortages were the biggest concern for New Zea…

Go as a River by Shelly Read This begins in the late 1940’s, set in Colorado in a town called Iola, in Colorado, where young Torie lives with three very difficult men (her father, brother and uncle who was disabled in WW2) after her mother was killed in a car accident when she was 12. It was immediately assumed that she’d take over all the househol…

Hawke's Bay tourism is reassuring travellers that Napier is open for business again. 85 percent of operators in Hawkes Bay are open and were not affected at all, and all the hotels are open and ready for tourists. BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton says Napier needs an extra boost from tourism, especially from those West and South who can drive up du…

In this week's edition of The Sunday Panel, host of the Front Page podcast, Damien Veneto and commentator and editor, Jo McCarroll joined in on a discussion about the following topics: Is it acceptable that a starting teacher will be earning $1.99 more than the new minimum wage? Why would you teach if you could literally do any other job for the sa…

Psychologist and first impressions expert Dr Angela Ahola found herself newly single at 43. Navigating the dating scene after years out of practice may seem like a daunting task, but Dr Angela Ahola used it as an experiment. She went on 100 dates and used her findings to write a guide for anyone working through the modern dating landscape- 100 Date…

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month- a complex condition with limited research. Conservationist Bindi Irwin opened a discussion about endometriosis by opening up about her long-term battle with it on International Woman's Day. Endometriosis affects roughly one in ten women and causes debilitating pain, nausea and fatigue. Wellness expert and Gol…

This week I want to bring you one of my favourite recipes, how does this sound? Fig and oozy caramel loaf! Our figs are ready, so it's time to get them off the tree before the birds do. Here in New Zealand we have two common varieties being Black mission, the darkest and sweetest of the figs. Commonly dried with it molasses type sweetness. Works re…

Are you afraid of clowns? Coulrophobia, as it is known is a very common phobia and can lead to shaking, fast breathing, fast heart rate, feeling of terror, heavy sweating and nausea anytime a clown is seen. To try and help explain the science behind this fear a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology was released this week. In th…

The 95th Academy Awards are set to kick off tomorrow, with red carpet coverage beginning at 11:30am (NZT). Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s indie sci-fi hit Everything Everywhere All at Once leads with 11 nominations. The Banshees of Inisherin Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front are also favourites to win Best Picture. Flicks.co.nz editor St…

Grammy award winning acapella group Pentatonix are returning to New Zealand. Pentatonix have released several platinum albums and gotten their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this year. Member Matt Sallee says the recent experience of having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is 'surreal'. Matt Sallee says that 2023's been a great …

Today marks four months since The Black Ferns won the Women's Rugby World Cup. Interest in women's rugby has risen since then, with early registrations for the sport doubling after the World Cup victory. Former Black Fern and NZ Rugby Women’s Development Manager Kendra Cocksedge says that 2023 is set to be a big year for the growth and development …

The fallout from the Rob Campbell saga has continued, despite Rob Campbell being out of the picture. Steve Maharey, ACC, Pharmac and Education NZ chair and Ruth Dyson, deputy chair of Fire and Emergency New Zealand have both been in the spotlight for breaking impartiality requirements. These cases have prompted Public Service Minister Andrew Little…