Sunday Morning for Sunday 10 October 2021
8:13 Covid highlighting plight of youth homelessness
Today is World Homeless Day today, and a time to reflect on the plight of an increasing homeless population in Aotearoa.
Auckland-based community social development organisation Lifewise is calling for immediate action for the delivery of permanent housing solutions that work for people experiencing homelessness.
Over the current lockdown in Auckland, Lifewise has seen an increasing number of people reach out for help with housing, with over 65% of young people the organisation has helped with housing and support aged between 16 and 19.
Lifewise Community Service Manager Peter Shimwell is with us to discuss.
LifeWise's Jamie Akarana and Peter Shimwell outside the youth accommodation facilitiy in Auckland's CBD. Photo: LDR/ Justin Latif
8:21 How Denmark is the Covid-19 'new normal' pioneer
Denmark - home to about six million people - has lifted all its Covid-19 restrictions, with the Scandinavian country arguing that sooner or later all nations will have to learn to live with the coronavirus.
Indeed, since September 10, the virus is no longer officially considered "a critical threat to society" in Denmark, despite the fact that Covid-19 continues to spread at a rate that is similar to that in Spain.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world is watching to see what happens next, because Denmark's case could yield key information about what lies ahead.
Lone Simonsen is an epidemiologist and professor of population health sciences at Roskilde University. She joins the show to explain how the situation is likely to play out in Denmark over the coming months.
Lone Simonsen is an epidemiologist and professor of population health sciences at Roskilde University. Photo: Supplied
8:39 The Weekend Panel with Sam Stubbs and Paula Penfold
Joining us on the Weekend Panel this morning are Simplicity KiwiSaver chief executive Sam Stubbs and investigative journalist Paula Penfold. Among other topics, they'll be discussing where to from now for Delta, making teachers get vaccinated, the slowness with antigen tests and how safe a country is New Zealand anymore?
Photo: RNZ / Tom Kitchin
9:06 Mediawatch
Mediawatch looks at how the media mirrored peoples' frustration and anger over lingering Level 3 restrictions this week. Also: the Pandora Papers reveal the hidden wealth of the rich and powerful - and: can you do current affairs in music?
The New Zealand Herald headlines Matt Nippert's Pandora Papers work last Monday. Photo: photo/ RNZ Mediawatch
9:37 Calling Home: Dawn O'Connor in Brussels
West Aucklander Dawn O'Connor lives in the Molenbeek-St. Jean municipality in Brussels, Belgium, where she has been based since January 2018.
Dawn ended up in Belgium after completing her post-graduate studies in Rotterdam, following a stint back in Auckland where she had become increasingly frustrated by the city's traffic chaos and rent increases.
The communications and corporate affairs manager saves money through cheaper accommodation and food in Belgium, though income tax is almost double that in NZ. In normal (non-Covid) times, she enjoys travelling around Europe, with London, Paris and Amsterdam all only a matter of hours away. She's Calling Home this morning.
New Zealander Dawn O'Connor has been living in Brussels since 2018 Photo: Supplied/Dawn O'Connor
10:04 The ultimate guide to the everyday ailment
In his new book, Mustn't Grumble: The Surprising Science of Everyday Ailments and Why We're Always a Bit Ill, award-winning science writer Graham Lawton covers over 100 ailments and explains the latest scientific thinking around everything from clicky ankles to twitchy eyelids.
The idea for the book came about last year after Graham, a senior staff writer and columnist at New Scientist magazine, started keeping a 'mustn't grumble' diary, noting down all of his minor health woes from that day. Keeping a diary confirmed what he had long suspected -- that he was constantly slightly ill.
Graham is with us to discuss the new book and how Covid has put us on high alert to symptoms that we would have previously ignored.
Photo: 123rf
10:40 Earl Slick on the 'lost' David Bowie album, Toy
David Bowie fans rejoice. The 'lost' Bowie album from 2001, Toy, is finally about to be released as part of a new box set, David Bowie 5: Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001).
Toy mixed new songs and new versions of lesser-known songs from the early part of Bowie's career (1964-1971), but the album was ultimately shelved because of problems at the label.
Legendary Bowie guitarist Earl Slick was part of the regular ensemble of musicians who recorded the album at breakneck pace (on Bowie's instruction). The band had just come off a series of impressive gigs and were still basking in the glow of the iconic Bowie set at the Glastonbury festival the previous year.
Slick, who was a relatively unknown 22-year-old when he replaced Mick Ronson in Bowie's band in 1974, joins the show to discuss the recording of Toy and how meeting David Bowie changed his life forever.
Photo: Chuck Lanza
11:05 Covid-19 update with Professor Michael Baker
Northland moved into a snap Level 3 status overnight on Friday after a woman who travelled to the region using falsified papers tested positive for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, some public health experts remain frustrated by the government's loosening of the alert levels in Auckland -- which has now been in lockdown for eight weeks -- and the threat of undetected community cases continuing to leak outside the region's border.
Professor Michael Baker says it's been a poor week for clarity and communication, and he's imploring the government to sort out the direction we are heading. He's with us for an update.
Professor Michael Baker Photo: Supplied
11:20 Pandora Papers lead reporter: 'It's tax haven Whac-A-Mole'
The Pandora Papers have exposed how some of the most powerful and influential people in the world -- including heads of state, billionaires and celebrities -- use offshore companies to hide their wealth.
The massive global investigation focuses on a leak of nearly 12 million documents that shows tax avoidance and money laundering by some of the world's rich and powerful.
Co-ordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a non-profit network of investigative reporters based in Washington, D.C., the investigation includes more than 600 journalists in 117 countries, including New Zealand.
Will Fitzgibbon is a senior ICIJ reporter. He is also ICIJ's Africa and Middle East partnership coordinator.
Photo: AFP / Idriss Bigou-Gilles / Hans Lucas
11:45 What if the food advice we know is wrong?
Saturated fat is bad for your heart. We should eat five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Forget salt. Eat no more than two eggs a day… These are just a few of the myriad food rules we are encouraged to abide by each and every day.
But how many of these common health advice rules are backed by science? And which of them are bunkum? A new study out of Sweden says decades of official dairy wisdom is incorrect, suggesting dairy fats can actually protect us against heart attack and stroke.
Dr Ali Hill is a Registered Nutritionist and Professional Practice Fellow in the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Otago. She's with us to run the rule over some of the most well-known food myths that are out there.
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles