Podcasts about life and society

Most of us try a few different jobs in our lives - and work in a few different places - but once Sally Hanrahan made the decision to become a nurse, that was it. And what's more, she has stayed in the same speciality, for almost 35 years. Sally is a palliative care nurse, and her exceptional dedication, skill and experience were recently recognised at the Southern Nursing Excellence Awards. She meets people as they are coming to terms with the end of their lives and while there is an inherent sadness to be had in that. she says it is a gift to spend time with them, to get to know them and to try and help them find whatever peace and comfort they need. Jesse spoke with Sally before her next shift at the Otago Community Hospice.

Talk isn't cheap, it's powerful. The right conversation can build trust, foster belonging, and show people they matter. But as Harvard's Dr. Alison Wood Brooks has found, sometimes we're just not that great at it. Her new book offers practical advice on how to prep and master small talk, and how to really listen. It's called Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves.

The government's halving its contribution to kiwisaver. Businesses will have to up theirs from 3 to 4 percent over time. They get a tax break in return. Theres an average $14 a fortnight increase to working for families, for low and middle income households. Changes to the pay equity law are saving the government 2.7 billion dollars a year. Finance Minister Nicola Willis spoke to Lisa Owen. 

Out of work 18 to 19 year olds may be forced to rely on mum and dad for financial support with the government planning to effectively means test parents of unemployed teenagers before allowing young people to collect a benefit. From July 2027 there will be a parental assistance test for job seekers and emergency benefits. The government said it's a human tragedy that people under 25 on jobseeker support will spend an average of 18 years on the benefit over their lifetimes. The Salvation Army's Director of Social Policy Bonnie Robinson spoke to Lisa Owen.

Asia correspondent Erin Hale spoke to Lisa Owen about Japan's rice crisis, Kanye West getting cancelled in South Korea and how a British climber has broken his own record by scaling Mt Everest for the 19th time.

As of May last year Auckland Council had removed more than 2300 public rubbish bins as a cost cutting measure. Auckland Council's website describes Musick Point as an 8 hectare reserve near Buckland's Beach, with spectacular views over the Hauraki Gulf. But locals are concerned the vista is being blighted by an increase in rubbish dumped around the reserve, a problem they believe is linked to a lack of bins. Liz Domett spoke to Lisa Owen.

An art exhibition by people who have experienced homelessness is on display at Auckland's City Mission and the artists say attending a class together has fostered friendships. Amy Williams reports.

Gregor Campbell is the man behind Darkest Dunedin, a regular tour illuminating some of the grittier parts of the city's past. He has vast knowledge of Dunedin;s history and a phalanx of stories involving "murder. shipwreck, foreign wars, and city fires and also of New Zealand's National Anthem, of tinned pineapple, and ladies' tailoring." If you have any questions around Dunedin;s history text on 21010 or email afternoons@rnz.co.nz.

It's been said the best minds a generation are thinking about how to make people click on ads. Brilliant minds are going underused while big problems go unsolved says historian Rutger Bregman. He argues it's possible to build a life that's both ambitious and idealistic. He calls for a new definition of success, measured by impact, not income in his new book, Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting your Talent and Start Making a Difference.

Dave Alexander is on a mission to set a land speed record higher than 422 kilometres an hour, in a car he built in his shed. Alexander spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A sweary few days in politics has raised questions about the use of the C word. Minister Brooke van Velden dropped the verbal grenade in Parliament in protest over the slur being directed at her and other female ministers in a newspaper column about rushed changes to pay equity laws. Keith Montgomery from the University of Auckland linguistics department spoke to Lisa Owen.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Zoe George & David Farrar. They discuss a workforce crisis facing the hospitality industry, and the huge decline in tourists visiting the USA. Zoe George is a communications consultant and freelance sports journalist David Farrar is the Editor of Kiwiblog and Owner of Curia Market Research whose clients include The National Party [picture id="4KQQY2C_045_panc03332_1_jpg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Zoe George & David Farrar. They discuss the budget lock up lock out, and the Wellington Saints campaign to get basketball hoops into schools. Plus.... Do you remember the Bermuda triangle? Zoe George is a communications consultant and freelance sports journalist David Farrar is the Editor of Kiwiblog and Owner of Curia Market Research whose clients include The National Party [picture id="4M6XEG6_copyrightīmage_270090" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Ed McKnight & Niki Bezzant. They discuss the Green Party's alternative budget, Cannes red carpet nudity ban, and why blind people are increasingly wary of dangerous dogs. Ed McKnight is an economist at Opes Partners & host of the 'Property Academy Podcast' Niki Bezzant is a journalist and author

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Ed McKnight & Niki Bezzant. The trio discuss why Cantabrians still love the car. After all the Guinea Pig chat on yesterday's Guinea Pig show we speak to a Cavy professional. Plus... Is dripping poised for a return? Ed McKnight is an economist at Opes Partners & host of the 'Property Academy Podcast' Niki Bezzant is a journalist and author

With delays of up to a year for specialist support for children with autism, a free programme has helped hundreds of families bridge the gap while they wait.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Paula Penfold & Phil O'Reilly. The three of them discuss: the governments use of urgency for the Equal Pay Amendment Bill, the history of the Potato... And Wallace ask - are Guinea Pigs cool again? Paula Penfold is an investigative journalist at stuff Phil O'Reilly is a global business leader, advocate and MD of Iron Duke Partners

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Paula Penfold & Phil O'Reilly. The three of them discuss: a lack of funding for hospice care. Plus, do we need to re -think how we provide training for apprentices? Paula Penfold is an investigative journalist at stuff Phil O'Reilly is a global business leader, advocate and MD of Iron Duke Partners [picture id="4KQWSB5_Totara_Hospice_2_jpeg" crop="16x10" layout="full"]

The Cannes Film Festival says it will no longer tolerate nudity on its red carpet but what about closer to home? Turns out being nude in public is NOT illegal in New Zealand. Not by itself, anyway ...

Imagine a mole map, but for teeth. 

Every week Jesse calls a randomly selected information center somewhere in New Zealand.

Jeff Whiting is a master barber at The Gentry in Auckland. 

Jesse Mulligan is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer Tom Riste-Smith to preview this evenings show. Plus... Tom asks for advice on a thorny ethical question that's been bothering him.

Professor Anina Rich from Macquarie University in Sydney joins Emile Donovan to take a scientific journey through synesthesia: a phenomenon where ordinary interactions with sounds and symbols can trigger extraordinary sensory reactions.

A fertility industry conference held in Singapore last weekend has considered some of the ethical issues for donor conceived people.

Back in 1982, the broken-hearted 23-year-old Elspeth Beard set out on the solo adventure of a lifetime - clocking up 35,000 miles and becoming the first British woman to circumnavigate the globe on a motorcycle. 

A next-generation living soil developed by a husband and wife in their Taranaki backyard has been named Germany's Garden Product of the Year. 

What is altruism? And is there a particular personality type that naturally delivers acts of kindness to others? Award-winning health and science journalist Nicole Karlis looks at the type of people who are more than happy to help. 

A network of specially designed public benches is being created to encourage people to sit and be mindful. 

 Dan Weijers, senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of Waikato, delves into why we make bucket lists, what they say about us, and whether ticking things off really gives life meaning.

Rubbish dumping continues to be a headache for charity op shops around the country. 

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Sue Bradford & Scott Campbell. They discuss why some ex-prisoners struggle to access the banking system. Plus the alleged Colin McCahon painting that popped up in a london auction house. Is it the real deal? Sue Bradford is an activist, advocate and former Green MP Scott Campbell is managing director of Strategicly Consulting and a former TV3 political journalist

Dr Liz Allen is a demographer from Australian National University in Canberra and she speaks to Emile Donovan.

Insurers are increasingly concerned about lithium-ion battery fires and what they may mean for home, contents and motor vehicle policies. 

A police officer has launched a map of missing people he hopes will help reunite families with their loved ones' remains.

Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Simon Bridges speaks with Kathryn following an event this morning to discuss a strategy for the supercity.

One wedding planner has said the average cost of getting hitched in New Zealand is $87,000. But Fallon Broadley says in her experience, it's closer to $40,000, and there are secrets to cutting costs.

Stag Dance, the latest novel from trans writer Torrey Peters, is made up of three short stories and the provocative titular tale of male loggers exploring their sexualities together. 

The Race Unity Speech Awards are on this weekend in Auckland. They're a platform for senior high school students from around the motu to express their ideas on how to improve race relations in Aotearoa. 

Each week we ask you to share your spooky encounters, your eerie coincidences, your unexplained mysteries. Today, Tracy calls in with her story of a nagging sense that her son was heading for trouble ...

Jesse Mulligan is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer Jose Barbosa. They discuss a pricesless painting getting damaged by a child at a museum in Rotterdam museum.

Jesse Mulligan is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer Jose Barbosa. They discuss a priceless painting getting damaged by a child at a museum in Rotterdam museum.

Nationwide tours are usually the preserve of musicians, comedians, entertainers, maybe the odd politician. But much less common - people aiming to disrupt the funeral industry But Fergus Wheeler hasn't let that put him off... For the next couple of weeks he's taking his "death without debt" tour nation-wide, hitting spots from Whangarei to Invercargill.

Ali Jones has more than a couple of thoughts on wastage and her recent efforts to reduce her own waste in her life.

A global effort to make communication clearer, kinder, and more meaningful for everyone started in the front seat of Jefferson Fisher's car. He's a Texas trial lawyer who started recording videos from his car during breaks in court.

Let's go swapping! Clothes swapping that is. Katy Gosset checks out a clothes swap where more people are updating their wardrobes for free.

The battle to save a central Wellington footbridge is heading to the high court. Spokesperson for Save the City-to-Sea bridge Stuart Niven spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

This week saw the the final few days of the coronial inquest into the death of olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore. Olivia's Mum Nienke and her step dad Chris Middleton spoke to Susie Ferguson from their Christchurch home.

What influence do male role-models, chiefly fathers, have on boys' perceptions of masculinity? We find out.

In 2012, our excentric give way rule which had allowed right-turning traffic at intersections was abolished. Now the subject of a musical comedy, writer Steven Page and show producer Dave Armstrong talk to Susie about Give Way - The Musical.