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Lately for Tuesday 1 September 2020

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Photo: RNZ

10:20 CovidCard trials will go ahead despite original backer pulling out

One of the original CovidCard backers, Sam Morgan, has pulled his team from the project saying it's become mired in government bureacracy.

The Government says it doesn't need him to continue with a trial at the end of this month, and at the cost of $100 million, it needs to take its time and fully interrogate the bluetooth technology.

Karyn Hay speaks with Dr Andrew Chen from University of Auckland

A card on a lanyard - what the proposed CovidCard could look like.

A card on a lanyard - what the proposed CovidCard could look like. Photo: 123rf

10:30 Facebook threatens to block Australian news

Australia's treasurer Josh Frydenberg has hit back at Facebook's warning it could ban Australian news content saying he won't respond to threats.

The US tech giant maintains it will be left with no choice but to cut news from Facebook and Instagram if an attempt to govern how media companies deal with big tech becomes law.

The Australian law will force US tech giants Facebook and Alphabet's Google to pay media outlets for news content in a landmark move to protect independent journalism.

Karyn speaks with Dr Belinda Barnet from the Swinburne University of Technology about the impact of the mandatory News Bargaining Code and Facebook's response.

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Financial Services Committee on "An Examination of Facebook and Its Impact on the Financial Services and Housing Sectors" in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC on October 23, 2019.

Photo: AFP

10:45 Libraries mask up

Libraries around the country are finding themselves at the centre of local responses to the Covid19 pandemic.

Kaipara Library swung into action last week with donated fabric and time to make masks for the community. Meanwhile Selwyn Libraries in Christchurch have sewing machines in each of their four libraries making masks.

Karyn speaks with Lisa Salter in Kaipara and Hayley Browne in Christchurch about the role of libraries in this new world in which we find ourselves.

16-year-old Yuni Cheng Wiik hangs out colourful face masks that she made for her family and friends on 20 April 20, 2020 in Nesodden, a suburb across the fjord of Oslo, Norway.

Photo: AFP