Nine To Noon for Tuesday 18 October 2022

 

 

09:05 News and current affairs

 

09:20 What's really happening with whitebait?

It's been a tough season for many whitebaiters - some say it's been one of the worst they can remember. In a bid to take pressure off the whitebait fishery, the Department of Conservation cut the season by six weeks in most parts of the country. The season opened on September 1st and will end on October 30th. But DOC admits the true state and health of the whitebait fishery isn't known and it's been surveying whitebaiters to get a clearer picture. DOC’s Director Aquatic Kirsty Knowles joins Kathryn along with NIWA freshwater ecologist Mike Hickford to discuss how changes in habitat are affecting whitebait and whether the whitebait fritter might one day be a delicacy consigned to history.

09:45 USA correspondent Ron Elving

Ron says with the US elections being held next month, voting processes are under stress and scrutiny. This amid a backdrop of inflation running hot, interest rates continuing to rise and a looming recession. Meanwhile Donald Trump is holding firm and refusing to comply with the January 6 committee.

Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News.

 

10:05    Q.I researcher Dan Schreiber on the world's strangest theories

Dan Schreiber has made a career of combining quirky facts with comedy. He's a Q.I 'elf' - part of the team of researchers behind the popular quiz show Q.I, co-hosts a spinoff podcast called No Such Thing As A Fish, and is behind the Museum of Curiosity, a comedy talk show on BBC Radio 4. In his new book The Theory of Everything Else, he turns his attention to the most mind-boggling and thought-provoking alternative theories out there, asking questions such as... will we ever travel back in time? Are we being visited by extraterrestrials? Will we ever talk to animals? And why, when you're in the shower, does the shower-curtain always billow in towards you?

10:35 Book review: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Carole Beu of the Women's Bookshop in Ponsonby reviews Demon Copperhead by  Barbara Kingsolver, published by Faber

10:45 The Reading

10:57 All's Well That Ends Well? Reprieve for Shakespeare programme

The government says it wants the Shakespeare in schools programme to continue, after its funding was cut by Creative New Zealand. There has been a chorus of concern from the arts and education community since the funding agency's decision not to continue its $30 thousand funding for the Sheilah Winn festival run by Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand.One reason cited was that the playwright's work reinforces imperialism and colonisation. University of Auckland Shakespearean scholar Michael Neill called the decision "highly questionable". RNZ political reporter Katie Scotcher with the latest.

11:05 Inflation higher than expected

Consumer prices rose 2.2  per cent in the three months ended September - driven by higher food and housing costs. The annual rate has eased marginally to 7.2  percent from 7.3 percent, which was a 32 year high.The number was well above expectation for a quarterly rise of 1.6 percent and an annual figure of 6.6 percent. RNZ Business Editor Gyles Beckford joins Kathryn to discuss the latest figures.

11:05 Business commentator Rebecca Stevenson : Elon Musk and Twitter 

Rebecca says there's much to talk about when it comes to Elon Musk and Twitter, including the federal investigation over his conduct in his takeover deal for the firm.

Rebecca Stevenson  is a senior writer at interest.co.nz

 

11:30 Consumer news: Credit card rewards plummet and insurance add-ons

Credit card rewards have begun plummeting, and the reason may not be what you'd expect. Consumer NZ's head of communications and campaigns Gemma Rasmussen joins Kathryn to explain. She'll also talk about whether there's any value in add-on insurance - things like  mechanical breakdown insurance, guaranteed asset protection, credit contract indemnity and payment protection insurance. And she'll talk about Consumer's sentiment tracker - how are Kiwi households coping with the financial squeeze and what is it doing to their savings?

11:45 Money expert Liz Koh : Age gap couples and managing finances

When there is a large age gap between two people in a relationship, Liz outlines  a number of issues that arise when considering long term financial planning and how they can be resolved. 

Liz Koh is a money expert. This discussion is of a general nature, and does not constitute financial advice.