Nine To Noon for Tuesday 7 December 2021

 

 

09:05 Concerns over youth prison units becoming Covid wards

Prison reform advocates and some lawyers are concerned about plans to repurpose two youth units into covid quarantine units, despite a promise from the Corrections Department that no young people will be transferred into the adult prison. The Department is considering using youth units in Christchurch and Hawkes Bay to care for prisoners with COVID-19. It says some of the 24 young men who are currently in those units will have to move to a youth unit at Rimutaka Prison north of Wellington, meaning some young offenders will be further away from their families. Critics say it will be detrimental to the young offenders, for whom the youth unit is a vital window of opportunity to turn their lives around. Lynn Freeman speaks with Nicola Hansen, Canterbury Criminal Bar Association president; the co-President of the Canterbury Howard League for Penal Reform, Cosmo Jeffery, Bronwyn Adams-Hooper, a volunteer for the Howard League who runs the award winning youth garden project at the Christchurch unit and Corrections Chief Custodial Officer, Neil Beales.

09:30 The only preventable natural disaster: "city-killer" asteroids

In the first ever mission of Earth's "planetary defence", Nasa has launched a mission for a spacecraft to intentionally collide with an asteroid, and knock it off its path. It's part of a plan to save the Earth from the potential risk of what are being described as "city-killer asteroids", and it could become the only natural disaster that can be predicted and prevented. New Zealand scientists will be watching closely next year when the spacecraft slams into Dimorphos, the moon of the Didymos asteroid, to see how it affects its orbit. One of those astronomers is Dr Michele Bannister from the University of Canterbury, who will be observing the collision next year from Mt John Observatory. She speaks with Lynn about the project. 

09:45 USA correspondent Kelsey Snell

Kelsey joins Lynn to talk about a new study that's found people living in areas of the US that voted heavily for Donald Trump have been nearly three times as likely to die from Covid-19 and Republicans are now the largest group of unvaccinated individuals in the US. CNN has fired one of its top anchors, Chris Cuomo, over efforts to help his brother, former governor Andrew Cuomo who's accused of sexual harassment. She'll also look at charges faced by the parents of an alleged high school shooter and the death of former senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole.

Kelsey Snell is a congressional correspondent for NPR, based in Washington DC.

10:05 Wild cats and fierce photography: Sebastian Kennerknecht

Sebastian Kennerknecht  is a wildlife photographer and conservationist. He takes award-winning photographs of wild cats in their natural habitat and has twenty different species on his camera roll.  Sebastian teams up with field biologists all over the world to learn more about wild cats and their threats and to take photos of them. Sebastian also operates a tour company so people can see wild cats in their natural habitiat, and learn about them.  Sebastian speaks with Lynn Freeman having just returned from an expedition in Zambia.

10:35 Book review: Fracture - Stories of How Great Lives Take Root in Trauma by Matthew Parris

Quentin Johnson reviews Fracture - Stories of How Great Lives Take Root in Trauma by Matthew Parris, published by Allen and Unwin

10:45 The Reading

11:05 Business commentator Rebecca Stevenson

Rebecca joins Lynn to consider how Christopher Luxon's experience might influence how he approaches his new job as National Party leader and the difference between an executive and entrepreneur. She'll also talk about the increase in direct listings on the NZX and why it's a welcome development, but won't gain any significant traction until brokers embrace them.

Rebecca Stevenson is BusinessDesk's head of news.

11:30 New young adult novel based on Kiwi maritime tragedy

It sounds like every teen or tween's worst nightmare: mum and dad drag you off to an uninhabited island for the summer with no wifi or Netflix. And it's the premise of Elizabeth Pulford's new book, a junior mystery adventure called 'A Definitely Different Summer'. She's written over sixty books for children  - from early readers to young adults. This latest one, is based on the sinking of the Tararua off the coast of Southland in 1881, with the loss of 131 lives. It was an event unknown to Elizabeth until she stopped off to view the lighthouse at Waipapa Point, near Invercargill, that was erected in the years following the tragedy. 

11:45 Safer lending and safer spending 

New regulations require finance lenders to demonstrate that they are putting in place safe lending practices. What will that mean for borrowers and does it increase the burden of proof required to take out a loan? Financial planner Liz Koh investigates the world of safer lending and also looks at plans to encourage consumers not to spend wildly during the festive season. 

Liz Koh is a financial planner and specialising in retirement planning. This discussion is of a general nature, and does not constitute financial advice.

Music played in this show

Track: Royal Morning Blue
Artist:  Damon Albarn 
Broadcast time: 10:40am

Track: In the Stone 
Artist: The Goon Sax
Broadcast time: 11:30am 

Track: Tides
Artist: Bonobo feat. Jamila Woods 
Broadcast time: 11:45am