Tova

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The owner of a Hamilton dairy targeted over the weekend has been left traumatised. A staff member lost two fingers in the machete attack and thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes were also stolen. Irvine Street Dairy Owner Puneet Singh told Today FM on Monday morning that his staff fear for their safety. "My other worker was supposed to open the shop," said Singh.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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For some it's the most wonderful time of the year... for others it's a commercial nightmare! Christmas time - mistletoe and wine? Or should it just get lost? Who's going to be the grinch - Tova or Duncan?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the other side of the world, a tiny island north of Norway has plunged into ‘winter night' - three months of icy darkness. Svalbard is home to the closest community to the North Pole, the home of Santa Claus, with just 2500 residents braving the cold. But it's unique for another reason too this year - it's inhabitants are mostly split between Russians and Ukrainians, with the two groups forging an unspoken and at times uneasy truce.  Joining us now is resident Natalia Maksimishina.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hollywood is still basking in the glow of another dazzling Emmy Awards, and one of the prestigious evening's winners is one of our own. New Zealand animation director Amnon Schwartz has picked up an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Preschool Series. He and his co-directors are the brains behind the visually and generally charming Netflix television adaptation of children's book Ada Twist Scientist. Amnon Schwartz joins us now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the Christmas present that will transform the lives of around 12,000 New Zealanders. From February the adrenaline auto-injectors Epi Pens will be free for those with severe allergies. They'll be funded to receive two a year…  and at a cost of at least $140 each, it amounts to a cost saving of hundreds of dollars annually for those who rely on the pens. But the real question is why has it taken Pharmac so long? Joining me to discuss is Allergy New Zealand CEO Mark Dixon.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We love her theme music, and we love her.  Here is the fantastic LA entertainment reporter Carol Ramos with one last celebrity wrap up for the year!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for Pae Korero - our panel segment here on Tova. On Thursdays we have our top thinkers - University of Auckland History professor Caroline Daley, and political commentator Shane Te Pou.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This couple were nominated by their son Josh. In September 2019 they opened a toy store in Glenfield Mall, and have managed to survive almost 1/3 of their possible trading days being spent in Auckland's lockdowns.  Through this all they have supported their customers, staff and each other to not only survive physically but to thrive in this difficult time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson played the grinch yesterday - announcing the end of half priced public transport and the fuel tax cut. He's briefly extended the 25 cent cut to fuel excise by a month, it's then reduced to 12.5 cents off, then gone entirely - so we'll be whacked by full price fuel come April 1st Half-price public transport fares end then too. We're joined by AA Principal Policy Advisor Terry Collins to discuss the government's decisions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calling all blood donors! 7000 eligible people need to offer up their arms if the Blood Service is to have enough blood and plasma to get through the holiday season. NZBS is forecasting a 4% increase in demand compared to the same period last year. National Marketing and Communications Manager Asuka Burge joins us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He told Tova they will look at their budgeting priorities over summer and make a decision then, on whether the Government should go through with the merger.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opinion: If only it were an April Fool's prank but alas on the 1st of April next year travelling to work, home, school, study, and kid's sport - it's all getting way more expensive.  It was a toss-up whether the Government was going to keep the fuel tax cut and public transport subsidy in place but it's chosen saving over spending as we've all been directed to do by the reserve bank governor.  And it's symbolic too. Symbolic of the broader budget that the government is trying to convince us it's running in an election year.  'Getting the basics right' is how Grant Robertson is pitching 2023 - which begs the question, have you been failing to do so to date?  He wants this to look like a frugal, no-frills, no-wild helicopter cash, money scramble in an election year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's third COVID-19 wave is picking up speed right before Christmas. Daily numbers have broken through the 8,000 mark this week - 8,428 to be exact - the highest daily total in four and a half months. The Ministry of Health predicts around 10 to 11,000 cases a day by December 25th. But how can you make your Christmas less 'sick-mas' and spread cheer and not the virus over the silly season?  This has raised the question about whether to add a layer of COVID protection, heading into summer. The Ministry of Health has passed advice to the Government to consider bringing back the use of masks - particularly on public transport, the Deputy Director General of Health Andrew Old told Tova O'Brien on Thursday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Come April next year, it's the end of the line for half-price public transport. The Government has briefly extended the scheme from January to March 31st, but said it's not sustainable long-term. There is good news though, for the million-odd community service card holders. They will still be able to access cheaper fares. But FIRST Union said moving towards free public transport should be the ultimate goal. Research and policy analyst Edward Miller spoke to Tova O'Brien on Thursday morning and said the removal of half-price fares is disappointing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One year ago Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of Cryptocurrency company FTX, was one of the world's richest young entrepreneurs, peaking at a net worth of over 40 billion New Zealand dollars. Today, he sits in a jail cell in the Bahamas, without a cent to his name, likely awaiting extradition back to the United States where he will face charges of wire fraud that could carry a life prison sentence. " Senior Special Writer for the Wall Street Journal Justin Baer has been across the case and told Tova O'Brien on Wednesday morning Bankman-Fried has been laying his case in the media for weeks. "In recent weeks, Bankman-Fried has gone public many times," said Baer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is breaching the basic human rights of those living in emergency motels according to the Human Rights Commissioner. A report into emergency housing chronicles the devastating, damaging and often disgusting conditions families and children face in emergency motels. The report was released at the same time as the government promised an overhaul of emergency housing including minimum standards for motels - mystifying they weren't in place already. Speaking on Tova, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni could not give a clear answer on whether the government is breaching human rights, as the Human Rights Commission has suggested.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"There is an insidious culture within Pharmac where I believe patients and patient outcomes are not a priority," Smalley told Tova O'Brien.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Patient Voice Aotearoa's Malcolm Mulholland questions the competence of Fitt following the continued media botch-up around this announcement. "I just think she's an idiot, To be perfectly frank," said Mulholland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two police officers are among six people dead in Queensland after a shooting at a rural property. Two other officers were injured following a siege.  Police then shot dead the three suspects. President & CEO of the Queensland Police Union Ian Leavers joins us with the latest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For some it comes after years of fighting for residency, many pushed right to the brink, ready to take their valuable skills offshore. Through our coverage we've kept in touch with several nurses including an aged-care nurse who was devastated nurses were initially be excluded from the list. She returns as well as National's immigration spokesperson Erica Stanford, who has been a big part of pushing for nurses to get a fast-tracked residency.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six people are dead in Queensland including two police officers, a neighbour and three suspects in the small town of Wieambilla. Four police officers were shot at after responding to reports of a missing person at a rural property… a siege ensued. Local Mayor of Western Downs Paul Weigh joins us,See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ease with which New Zealanders can access fentanyl online remains a significant concern for police and those involved in drug and overdose prevention. Details of how a group of people who overdosed on fentanyl in the Wairarapa sourced the drug from the dark web have been revealed in a documentary released yesterday by Today FM. Glenn Dobson is a former police officer and is the chief operating officer at the Drug Detection Agency, a business that undertakes workplace testing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Pae Korero - powerbrokers edition - with two people we have loved having on the show all year  - Labour Minister Kiritapu Allan and National's 3IC Chris Bishop! They're in for one last tussle in 2022.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months of despair, frustration and mounting pressure on the health system, nurses and midwives have finally been added to the immigration green list fast-track for residency - with immediate effect. But other professions that have been calling to be added remain left off - key among them chefs. Hospitality NZ CEO Julie White joins us now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's been years of hype, business plans, submissions and justifications from government ministers. Yet despite it all, the TVNZ-RNZ merger could now be for the scrap heap.  When asked if the merger's still going ahead the Prime Minister has changed her language from - of course it is - to saying ministers have been tasked with finding ways to trim their budgets over the summer break. But with public opinion against it, and National and Act pledging to undo the merger if they win office, perhaps it's a rat the Government is prepared to swallow. To discuss the devil in all this detail, we're joined now by former news boss at TV3 and Newsroom co-founder Mark Jennings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

And that is very nearly a wrap - Tomorrow night, Parliament sits for the last time this year, capped off by the most keenly coveted night on the political calendar - the press gallery party.  What a phenomenal year in politics it's been - and our political editor, Newsroom's Jo Moir, has had a front row seat...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six people are dead including two police officers, a neighbour, and three suspects in the small Queensland town of Wieambilla. Four police officers were shot at after responding to reports of a missing person at a rural property, and a siege ensued. We're joined by our correspondent Luke Siddham Dundon from the ABC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After months of despair, frustration and mounting pressure on the health system, nurses and midwives have finally been added to the immigration green list fast-track for residency - with immediate effect. Several other roles including teachers, drain layers, and motor mechanics can apply for the second-tier green list from next March - they still have to work for two years here before being eligible for residency. There's also a new temporary residence pathway for bus and truck drivers, through a sector agreement to help employers attract workers. But there are doubts the shake-up will ease the nursing shortage, Kerri Nuku from the Nurses Organisation told Tova O'Brien the changes fail to address the elephant in the room.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has shot down claims that the government is not doing enough to help the sector recover from COVID-19, saying much has been done.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday morning, Tova O'Brien and Duncan Garner faced off once again on the Debate Club segment.  This segment is all about winning, and getting the listeners to side with the stronger argument. How it works is a subject is chosen, both sides of the debate are disputed, and the winner is decided at the end. The moot for today was - The government will scrap the RNZ/TVNZ merger. O'Brien is arguing they won't, while Garner is arguing they will.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes, even if you're horrendously late to the party and everyone's angry with you, if you finally show up with a karaoke machine and Rashuns - all will be forgiven as we join forces to sing off-key Bon Jovi together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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A 13-year-old girl from the UK whose blood cancer was deemed incurable has just been given a second chance at life, thanks to a potentially groundbreaking new treatment. Alyssa has been cured using base editing - a technology which modifies a building block in the genetic code, to teach it how to fight off disease. It's the first time the immune system has been redirected to fight cancer - and Alyssa is the very first of 10 patients to trial the new drug. Immunologist Professor Waseem Qasim was one of the project leaders at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Qasim told Tova O'Brien the medical technology has made leaps and bounds in the last several years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealanders who were burned by the managed isolation lottery system are disappointed the Government is skirting around an apology. An investigation by the Chief Ombudsman found officials did not adequately consider the 'very real impact' the lottery system had on people's lives Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier said Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) also failed to consider individual circumstances for those trying to get a ticket home in the virtual lobby. He added he would follow up with the hundreds of complainants to see if an apology from the Ministry of Innovation, Business and Employment (MBIE) is necessary. But Grounded Kiwis spokesperson and lawyer Alexandra Birt told Tova O'Brien, New Zealanders deserve acknowledgement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firearms owners are warning a proposal to bump up licensing fees could lead to more unlicensed guns. Police want owners to cover a bigger portion of the regulatory service costs… the current fee of just over $125 makes up less than 15 percent of the actual cost. Three options are on the table - bumping licence fees to 25, 50, or 75 percent of the total regulatory costs… the last one would mean more than a 400 percent increase. On Two Sides Tova O'Brien spoke to Gun Control NZ co-founder Philippa Yasbek.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a series of events, a moment in British political history, that was stranger than fiction  Each chapter of Boris Johnson's short reign as Prime Minister is more bombastic/dazzling than the last Not to mention the events leading up to it - AND what could follow yet… The remarkable story has been exceptionally curated and chronicled by multi-award-winning journalist Sebastian Payne - Whitehall Editor for the Financial Times, host of the Payne's Politics podcast and now the author of The Fall of Boris Johnson: The Full Story Tova O'Brien spoke to Sebastian about the new book.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a lot of New Zealanders, Fiji is about winter holidays, cocktails by the pool, and that welcoming 'Bula smile'. But of course, the Pacific nation is a lot more complicated than that.  On Wednesday Fijians go to the polls – with two former coup leaders running for prime minister. In one corner, the current PM and leader of the 2006 coup, Frank Bainimarama from the Fiji First party. In the other corner, former PM and leader of two coups in 1987, Sitiveni Rabuka, and his People's Alliance Party. It will be the third election under the constitution introduced by Bainimarama – a constitution with language which still allows for the possibility of military intervention, and contains sweeping limitations on free speech. To discuss the upcoming election Tova O'Brien spoke to Dominic O'Sullivan, professor of political science at Charles Sturt University in Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US star athlete Brittney Griner will be settling back into life at home, after being released from a Russian prison 10 months after her arrest for minor drug charges. The man she was swapped out for, on the other hand, arms dealer Viktor Bout, has a slightly darker rap sheet… Referred to by some as Russia's ‘Merchant of Death', Bout was serving 25 years in the US for charges which included conspiring to kill US citizens and aiding a terrorist organisation. Tova O'Brien spoke to former US judge Shira Scheindlin, who presided over Viktor Bout's case in 2012, to discuss the swap.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flight Centre CEO David Coombes has written an open letter plea to politicians to clarify their position on travel and tourism. It comes as flights are being disrupted due to various issues including staffing shortages at Auckland Airport, concerns about fuel contamination and flight prices continuing to break banks Tova O'Brien spoke to David Coombes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time for Pae Kōrero - and on Mondays, it's our statespeople - our former MPs, two great thinkers. He's a former national minister and Attorney General, it is of course Chris Finlayson. And she was once a Green MP, Sue Bradford.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firearms owners are warning a proposal to bump up licensing fees could lead to more unlicensed guns. Police want owners to cover a bigger portion of the regulatory service costs… the current fee of just over $125 makes up less than 15 percent of the actual cost. Three options are on the table - bumping licence fees to 25, 50, or 75 percent of the total regulatory costs… the last one would mean more than a 400 percent increase. On Two Sides Tova O'Brien spoke to Council of Licensed Firearms Owners spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frustrated Surf Lifesavers say beach safety messages still aren't getting through to the public following a dangerous capsizing of a boat in big surf near Raglan at the weekend. One person was seriously injured in the incident that involved three men and rescuers say they fear the outcomes would have been much worse had lifeguards not been there to respond so quickly.  Tova O'Brien spoke to James Lea, Lifesaving Operations Manager from Surf Life Saving Northern Region. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National's candidate in the Hamiton West by-election has been celebrating his resounding victory. National had tried to pretend Tama Potaka was the underdog but he was always going to be the top dog - the question was by how much — and in the end, it was a lot, about 2,300 voters. The question is now what does the result mean for the general election - Hamiton West is a bellwether seat, almost always predicting which party will get the most votes across the country. Tova O'Brien spoke to Hamilton West's new MP Tama Potaka about how the celebrations went and if he thinks his result will impact the upcoming 2023 election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it shaping up to be a very COVID-y Christmas?  It could go one of two ways, with COVID-19's current Omicron wave expected to peak within the next few weeks. The end of the school and business year breaking the circuit, hastening the decline in cases… Or, seasonal gatherings could act as superspreader events leading to a rolling spike in cases. One group especially concerned about the possibility of a longer, rising wave is Grey Power, whose members are older and more vulnerable to the effects of the virus. To discuss this and explain how older Kiwis are preparing for Christmas, Tova O'Brien spoke to Grey Power's health group chair Jo Millar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australia, federal parliament will return this week to pass an energy relief bill that will cap coal and gas prices for a year in an effort to ease pressure on households and businesses.   Tova O'Brien spoke to Sydney correspondent Sam Emery.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been revealed the group of people who accidentally overdosed on fentanyl in Wairarapa in June sourced the drug from the dark web.  The details are outlined in a new documentary from Today FM's current affairs series The Core. The episode shows just how easy it is to access the drug online. Twelve people were hospitalised over Matariki weekend this year, and a thirteenth a week later after taking a white powder they thought was cocaine.  Police told Wilhelmina Shrimpton about an ounce of the substance was imported to New Zealand via the dark web, and then bought unwittingly by users. Speaking on Tova, host, writer and producer Wilhelmina Shrimpton tells all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.