Sunday Morning for Sunday 20 October 2024

8:10 'Utterly dominant': Team NZ celebrate America's Cup win

We’re joined from Barcelona by Lisette Reyner Stuff’s Senior International Correspondent for the latest action on the water. 

8:20 The Sunday Morning Quiz with Jack Waley-Cohen   

Our quiz master Jack Waley-Cohen is back for another Sunday Morning quiz.   

Jack is the mind behind the questions on BBC quiz show ‘Only Connect’ which is known for being both difficult to crack and totally obvious.     

It’s Sunday morning, so wake up your brain and have a go!       

8:30 Inside Mossad’s pager operation 

The Washington Post’s security reporter, Joby Warrick talk to us about his deep dive into the details of Israel’s elaborate plan to sabotage Hezbollah communications devices to kill or maim thousands of its operatives. 

8:50 The US county that picks presidents 

Erie County, in the northwest corner of Pennsylvania, is what election watchers call a "boomerang county." In recent elections it boomeranged Democrats to Republicans going for former President Barack Obama twice, then former President Donald Trump in 2016, and narrowly for President Biden in 2020. 

Can it predict what will happen this year?  Jim talks to a local resident, Bekah Mook. 

9:10 Mediawatch 

Mediawatch looks at media coverage of pressure on Wellington’s troubled City Council - and claims the government could intervene. Also: news publishers respond to a survey showing more Kiwis dodging their news - and what’s behind a sudden pileup of scam ads on social media co-opting big names in news media? 

9:40 Mitch McCann: Which polls should we believe? 

Our US Correspondent Mitch McCann takes a look at the different ways of polling for and predicting the upcoming US Presidential Election and the benefits and drawbacks of each method. 

9:50 How worried should we be about microplastics? 

In recent years, microplastics have been found in our liver, kidneys, lungs, gut, brain – the list goes on.  

New Scientist health reporter, Grace Wade has been looking into the implications for our health. 

10:10 Andrew Fagan and the ultimate adventure for Swirly World 

In early 2022, renowned solo sailor, writer and singer Andrew Fagan set sail in his tiny 5.1m sloop-rigged plywood yacht Swirly World in Perpetuity.  

He was attempting to set the world record for “The smallest boat to sail solo around the world via the Great Capes”.  

Things didn’t go to plan, but luckily, he survived to tell the tale in his new book Swirly World: Lost At Sea. 

He joins Jim in the studio to tell us all about it. 

10:50 The Sailing Professor on Team NZ's unprecedented win

Professor Mark Orams is a world champion sailor, he was in the winning crew in the Whitbread Round the World Race, a member of Team New Zealand working alongside Peter Blake, and he's now Professor of Sport and Recreation at the Auckland University of Technology and he's been analysing the racing off Barcelona in columns for the NZ Herald as 'The Sailing Professor'.

11.05 Calling Home: Jayne Bailey in Moroto, Uganda 

In 2011, New Zealander Jayne Bailey started Project Moroto, a faith-based charity that provides a safe place and home for 22 orphan girls in Northeast Uganda. The project gives the girls opportunities to be educated, empowered and to be part of a family.  

Building on this work the charity are in the process of building a boarding girls’ high school and are planning to open in January 2025 if not before. They don’t have all the funding as yet but are hoping and believing! 

11:30 Best Song Eva: Josh Thomson

It’s Australia’s turn to take on the beloved mockumentary sitcom The Office which is available to stream this weekend on Prime Video. 

NZ Comedian Josh Thomson plays Martin, the head of Human Resources and he joins us to pick his best song ever. 

11:45 Marc Wilson: Changing bad habits and personality traits. 

Victoria University Psychology Professor Dr Marc Wilson joins us once again for a chat around habits and personality traits and whether we can ever really change.