Midday Report Essentials for Thursday 31 October 2024

In today's episode, up to 2000 people could lose their jobs as a result of the government's change to the school lunches funding model, the United States presidential hopefuls Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have been hot on each other's heels, campaigning in the same battleground states with less than a week to go until polls close, a decision to move the Western Springs speedway to Onehunga has blindsided the sport's organisers and been described as a "sham process" by some on the Auckland Council, and it's terrorised and delighted visitors, but on Saturday, Wellington will wave goodbye to Quasi, the giant hand statue that has sat atop the City Gallery for the last five years.