Nine To Noon for Tuesday 18 June 2024

09:05  Car insurance premiums are on the rise here: what may lie ahead 

Consumer NZ says car insurance premiums have risen by almost 40 percent in the last three years.  Investigative team leader Rebecca Styles says with the steep increase, some New Zealand drivers are weighing the risks, and opting for third party and theft insurance only. The Insurance Council says there are lots of variables, driving the hikes - including the age of drivers, area, type of car and its gadgetry, rising repair costs, last year's extreme weather events and the state of the roads. Meanwhile, in the United States, insurers are using data from car computers to hike premiums based on driving behaviour. New York Times technology feature writer Kashmir Hill has investigated how insurers there are using data provided by automakers.

09:25 Donor conception study: what the kids know

Researchers are asking parents of children conceived via sperm, egg and embryo donations if they've disclosed their origin.A cohort of donor-conceived New Zealand children are about to become the first who can legally request information about their birth parents. There was a law change 20 years ago which created a register of donors - which came into effect in 2006. So, that means donor conceived babies born in that year (2006)  are now turning 18 -  and have the right to seek the information from Births, Deaths and Marriages. Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cindy Farquhar  is at the helm of a nationwide survey of parents of donor-conceived children. One of the main questions is - Have you told your children yet that they were donor conceived ? 
 

09:30 Red, White and Brass gets stage makeover - with lots of Tongan pride

First there was Red, White and Brass the movie. Now, there's Red, White and Brass the stage play. The popular Kiwi film was based on a true story of a Tongan rugby fan who, stuck without tickets to Tonga's 2011 Rugby World Cup match against France, decides to pull together a traditional marching band for the pre-match entertainment. The problem was that no one knew how to play the instruments. Red, White and Brass the play has been created for the Auckland Theatre Company, and actually sees some of the original cast members, including lead actor JP Foliaki, reprise their roles. It's been adapted for the stage by playwright Leki Jackson-Bourke, who says it's the first time a Tongan play has been performed by the ATC. Red, White and Brass opens tonight at Auckland's Waterfront Theatre and you can find more details here. 

09:45 USA correspondent Ron Elving

Talk in Washington today is being dominated by speculation about who Donald Trump will pick as his running mate. The latest economic outlook is showing glimmers of hope - but why is the public feeling less positive? And the latest Supreme Court rulings are sowing confusion as ethics questions persist.

Ron Elving is a Senior Editor and Correspondent, Washington Desk for NPR news. 

10:05 Countertenor Austin Haynes on his rare vocal range

Austin Haynes is an opera singer who can reach one of the rarest and highest vocal ranges. The countertenor has been selected as a semi-finalist for Aotearoa New Zealand's premier opera singing competition, the 2024 Lexus Song Quest. Austin's passion for music extends far beyond his own voice. He's been living in the United Kingdom, studying a Masters in medieval and renaissance literature at Oxford. He's a published poet who writes both in English and te reo, and is passionate about the revival of the Māori language. And he's back in New Zealand to continue his research on the history of translation between English and Māori across song, poetry, and literature - including an ongoing project to translate all of Shakespeare's 152 sonnets.

10:35 Book review: Knife by Salman Rushdie

David Hill reviews Knife by Salman Rushdie published by Penguin Random House

10:45 Around the motu: Jonathan Leask from Ashburton

Ashburton is looking at an 11.8% rate increase in year 1 but it's down to core infrastructure and inflation. 
Mayor Neil Brown says it's no frills and an acceptable figure given national average is 15%. And research into the feasibility of a public transport service for the township has been presented to the Ashburton District  Council. Jonathan has the details.

Local Democracy Reporter - Mid Canterbury Jonathan Leask from the Ashburton Guardian

11:05 Business commentator Victoria Young

Could dynamic pricing help boost cinema audiences? Software firm Vista is trialing the use of artificial intelligence to set ticket prices. Christchurch-based exchange Cryptopia has been ordered to begin giving back the $775,000 owed to account holders before the year is up - the latest in the five-year saga after it was hacked, and liquidators stepped in. And the Government is promising to consult the public if changes are planned as part of a review of NZ Post's obligations.

Victoria Young is BusinessDesk editor.

11:25 Ethnomusicologist explores the origins and evolution of taonga pūoro 

In her new book, Echoes from Hawaiki, ethnomusicologist Jennifer Cattermole unearths the ancestral knowledge and musical traditions of early Māori and Moriori taonga pūoro. The comprehensive research project dives into the earliest known taonga pūoro in Aotearoa, how they changed with the resources of the landscape, through a century of suppressive legislation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, to the instruments' present day revival. Jennifer Cattermole is an associate professor in the music programme at the University of Otago and also an experienced taonga pūoro performer. She speaks to Kathryn.

11:45 Sport: The Chiefs' star exciting fans, Warriors break a drought

Stuff senior sports writer Marc Hinton previews the Super Rugby final between the Chiefs and the Blues this weekend. The teams bring two contrasting styles, but eyes will be on Chiefs' number 8 Wallace Sititi after a breakout performance in Wellington last weekend. The Warriors get a man into the State of Origin for the first time in seven years, while the Black Caps underwhelm at the T20 World Cup. Elsewhere Marc discusses the phenomenon of Caitlin Clark in the WNBA and why Bryson de Chambeau's US Open golf win was so hard on runner up Rory McIlroy.