Podcasts about Lisa Owen

A blockbuster boxing was announced in Auckland. David Nyika will headline a card on August 8 on the North Shore, in an IBF cruiserweight world title eliminator with New Zealand-born Australian Floyd Masson. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Minimum income related rent contributions for social housing will rise from 25 to 30 percent. That means 84,000 households will be paying an average of $31 more a week in rent. The flip side; more than 100,000 other families will get higher accommodation supplement rates; an average of $15 a week. The assessment for social housing is being redesigned - so its " more tightly prioritised" for those who need it. Housing Minister Chris Bishop spoke to Lisa Owen.

Twenty people have been charged in an organised crime sting across several jails following an almost year-long investigation. Fifteen prison staff and five members of the public connected to inmates were among those arrested. It's alleged the Corrections' officers working at Mount Eden jail were smuggling contraband like cellphones and meth into the prison. Staff employed by the prison operator Serco have also been arrested. Police believe the mobile phones were being used by prisoners to run their drug importation and distribution operations while locked up. Corrections' chief Executive Rachel Leota spoke to Lisa Owen.

A new study has found women working in sectors with an obvious gender pay gap are not just broke, but broken. Researchers at AUT spoke with 47 Lead Maternity Care midwives and their families about their wellbeing and family life. They say what they found was "confronting" Being on 24/7 call with high caseloads led to foregoing sleep, healthy eating, and exercise - contributing to illness and injury. Lead author of the study, James Greenslade-Yeats, a research fellow at AUT Business School spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Trump administration has filed murder charges against Cuba's former president Raúl Castro. The 94 year old is accused of playing a key role in the shooting down of two American planes which killed three US citizens and one resident 30 years ago. It comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries brought on by US sanctions and a push for regime change in the communist nation. Washington DC Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen. 

The Citizens Advice Bureau is facing significant funding challenges. Wellington City Council decided yesterday to effectively halve its funding for the local bureau, leaving the free independent service reeling. Citizen Advice Bureau CEO, Kerry Dalton spoke to Lisa Owen. 

The price of plastic continues to climb because of ongoing disruption to oil supplies out of the Middle East. The use of petrochemicals and plastics is vast, they're used in manufacturing, health care including pharmaceuticals, the construction industry, packaging and recycle bins. New Zealand imports most of the raw ingredients used by the plastics manufacturing sector. CEO of Plastics New Zealand Rachel Barker spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Finance Minister on Tuesday announced more than 9,000 public service jobs will go over three years, with savings of almost $2.5 billion. It has public servants holding their breaths. The government says new tech and AI will help streamline departments, but details are sparse. Either way some people are going to be looking for work. Bruce Pilbrow, the chief executive of New Zealand owned recruitment agency Tribe spoke to Lisa Owen.

In April, there was a ten percent increase in bus trips in Canterbury compared to the same time last year. That's 120,000 extra journeys. Even before the fuel crisis the regional council, Environment Canterbury said the network was under strain. Environment Canterbury, Public Transport General manager Stewart Gibson spoke to Lisa Owen.

Nine prison staff have been arrested in a police operation at Mount Eden jail and five more at the Auckland South Corrections Facility. Senior corrections officers are among those arrested in the police sting that's part of a wider investigation in Auckland. Corrections employ about 11,000 staff. Corrections minister Mark Mitchell spoke to Lisa Owen.

Americas correspondnet Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about efforts to trap and test rodents from southern Argentina for the hantavirus strain which killed three cruise ship passengers

Caleb Tangitau was struck down with a ruptured achilles after the siren in his side's loss to the Chiefs on Friday night. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

More than 8,500 public service jobs are being axed as part of a government overhaul. AI and digital technology are a big part of the plan. The cuts are forecast to save $2.4 billion dollars over four years. Andrew Lensen, senior lecturer in AI at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington spoke to Lisa Owen.

The worst piece of legislation I've ever seen. That's an advocate's verdict on legislation supposed to clarify the purpose of Disability Support Services. The bill introduced yesterday makes it clear the crown is the not the employer of family carers. It follows a Supreme Court ruling last year, that two parents who care full-time for their disabled children should be considered government employees. Disability advocate Jane Carrigan spoke to Lisa Owen.

DNA samples are generally matched using a minimum of 6 genetic markers that are present in both samples. One sample for example may be taken from crime scene evidence and matched to samples in a data base. Now, a team of scientists has been working on a mathematical algorithm that can match DNA with just half the makers. So, three instead of six. That means it can match partial or degraded DNA samples. Dr Francois-Xavier Laurent, from the Interpol DNA unit in France spoke to Lisa Owen.

After several false starts, The Enhanced Games, a sporting event that allows athletes to dope, will get under way in Las Vegas. But days out from the start of competition, little is known about the details of the event and the athletes taking part. Sports editor Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

A property investment expert says councils could crack down on short term holiday rentals right now if they wanted to and there's no need for a bed register. Checkpoint spoke to a Christchurch councillor who is campaigning for a nations wide bed register; to make it easier to track Airbnb's and other short-term rentals. The register would force platforms to share data, like addresses and the number of nights it's being rented. Economist Ed McKnight from property investment company Opes Partners spoke to Lisa Owen.

A shooting at San Diego's largest mosque has left 5 people dead. Three victims, including a security guard, were shot and killed when two teenage shooters opened fire on the mosque. Both suspects were found dead in a car nearby soon after the incident. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime. US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Wellington Phoenix women fell just short of the ultimate prize in the A-League but the club is predicting bigger things to come. The Phoenix lost the grand final to Melbourne City 3-1 on Saturday night and a couple of hours later were already planning for the next season. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Queenstown experience could be elevated even further, if a futuristic transport project gets off the ground. Whoosh is a system of autonmous electric passenger pods that move along a static overhead network of cables and rails. Queenstown business consortium spokesperson Matthew Day spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Hurricanes are embracing the expectations surrounding them. The men from the capital have kicked clear at the top of the table and are determined to end a decade long title drought. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Game Animal Council and Wild Game Recovery Trust have set up a new online platform to simplify the process for hunters wanting to donate wild meat to families in need. The site Hunt and Share include QR codes for labelling and allows meat to be traced from the hills to the plate. The Game Changer NZ project also connects-up hunters, butchers and foodbanks. Wayne Langford, chair of the Wild Game Recovery Trust spoke to Lisa Owen.

There are calls for a national bed register, to stop so called ghost communities caused by short term holiday rentals. A bed register could force operators, like AirBnB, to share data with local councils; including accommodation addresses. The concern is that some areas, particularly in visitor hotspots, are being taken over with temporary accommodation... hollowing out neighbourhoods and making it hard for residents to find accommodation. Christchurch councillor Nathanial Herz Jardine spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about how another Labour MP has weighed in on Keir Starmer's leadership and how the Metropolitan police have revealed the scale of efforts to deescalate two rival protests held in London. She also spoke about how England is preparing for the annual Watercress Festival.

Checkpoint producer Johnny Sutherland spoke to Lisa Owen about Lucas Gill, an 18-year-old from Winton who was accepted by five Ivy League universities.

Middle East correspondent Lou Browne spoke to Lisa Owen about how dozens of ships have managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and the latest from the talks in Washington between Lebanon and Israel.

Tourism is New Zealand's second largest export but with rising aviation costs and cuts to capacity, what does that mean for the industry, which is gearing up for TRENZ, its big international tourism expo? Rebecca Ingram the chief executive of Tourism Industry Aotearoa spoke to Lisa Owen.

Businesses are becoming more cautious about investment while The Warehouse has reported flat third-quarter sales as consumers grapple with the high cost of living. Business reporter Nona Pelletier spoke with Lisa Owen.

The two sides meet in a crucial Super Rugby clash in Auckland this weekend. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke with Lisa Owen.

Runners know where they must finish but are blind-folded and dropped at a mystery start point. From there teams of two must find a way to their way to the finish line more than 20km away without any technology. Lisa Owen spoke with John Moore, the organiser of Christchurch's new Find Your Way Home adventure challenge, due to take place in July.

A New Zealander and five Australian residents caught up in a deadly cruise ship hantavirus outbreak have touched down in Perth. The group landed at an airforce base and were bussed to a quarantine centre where they must stay for at least three weeks. The group was on the MV Hondius when the rat-borne virus broke out. Three people from the ship have died and a further 11 are either confirmed or suspected to have the virus. Lisa Owen spoke to ABC Perth reporter Cason Ho.

The Woolworths in the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere, has applied for a licence to sell alcohol seven days a week from 9am to 9pm. In its submission Health New Zealand say Flaxmere is a vulnerable community with high levels of deprivation and it's opposed the licence. Submissions on the application by Woolworths have been heard this week, Lawyer Grant Hewison, who is a member of Communities against Alcohol Harm spoke on behalf of a concerned resident. Hewison spoke to Lisa Owen.

Auckland FC's A-League season is on the line once again with one last chance to make it to a grand final. Auckland and Adelaide are level at one-all heading into the second, and deciding, semifinal at a sold-out Coopers Stadium. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The SPCA's calling for nominations for its 2027 Pets of the Year Calendars. It's a fundraiser for the animal welfare group, with proceeds going to medical care, shelter and providing a second chance for vulnerable animals needing homes. SPCA Events and Partnerships manager Elinor Birch spoke to Lisa Owen.

Thousands of police officers are being deployed to central London at the weekends ahead of two protests. Meanwhile, the political drama continues at Downing Street. UK correspondent Grace Thomas spoke with Lisa Owen.

Businesses are becoming more cautious about investment while The Warehouse has reported flat third-quarter sales as consumers grapple with the high cost of living. Business reporter Nona Pelletier spoke with Lisa Owen.

The Warriors have addressed the drama surrounding one of their star playmakers. Wantaway Wah Luke Metcalf has been actively speaking to other NRL clubs, as he looks to leave Auckland. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Reusable period products are under the microscope, or they would be if researchers could get funding to investigate how safe they are. Well known microbiologist Associate Professor, Siouxsie Wiles has been trying for the past 18 months to get funding to study period cups, but with no luck. She spoke to Lisa Owen.

Andrew Maaka was last seen at a West Auckland gang headquarters 35 years ago, police believe he's dead and today they revealed they're looking for his killer, again. They made the announcement outside the Head Hunters gang pad in Henderson. More than three decades ago, Andrew Maaka was a prospect for the Head Hunters, the West Chapter. He'd been at party gang pad before he disappeared, no one has seen or heard from him since. Detective Inspector Callum McNeill spoke to Lisa Owen.

Air New Zealand's taking a massive financial hit off the back of soaring fuel costs. It's on track for a full year loss of up to $400 million, full year pre-tax loss. The national carrier's forecasting fuel price increases of more than 30 percent for the second half of the year, driven by war in the Middle East. Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar spoke to Lisa Owen.

Fourteen months ago the All Whites booked their ticket to the Football World Cup for just the third time in jubilant scenes at Eden Park. Today, in those same changing rooms where they celebrated last March, the names of the 26 men who will represent the fern at the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico were revealed. Lisa Owen spoke to sports reporter Felicity Reid who was at the squad announcement.

Don't kill off funding for arts and culture, that's the message a jazz funeral band's delivered to Wellington City Council today, along with a petition asking it to rethink budget cuts. The council's looking at slashing more than $400,000 of funding that goes to arts and events grants and venue subsidies. Arts Wellington is one of the advocacy groups behind the petition, co-chair Kirsten Mason spoke to Lisa Owen.

"It's an honour to be your friend." That from the US president to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at a high stakes meeting in Beijing today. It's part of a two-day summit involving both leaders and marks the first presidential visit to China in almost a decade. Washington DC correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen.

Kiwbanks own bosses believe the bank needs to grow if it wants go toe-to-toe with the big-four Australian banks. Minister, Simeon Brown has asked them to look at ways to do that; including a potential public listing. David Cunningham is the former chief executive of the Co-operative Bank and now runs mortgage brokerage company Squirrel. He spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australian supermarket operator Coles has been found by a court to have been misleading shoppers with fake discounts on a number of common household items. Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen.

A call tonight for a full independent review of a privately owned Southland lab service, after doctors twice missed signs a woman had cancer, delaying her treatment. She died a year later. Awanui labs failed to detect the 74 year old retired nurse had stomach cancer, despite analysing multiple biopsies, with cancer cells present. The lab is privately owned but is contracted by Health New Zealand to provide medical laboratory and pathology services. Advocacy group, Patient Voice Aotearoa wants an urgent wide ranging of the lab service, it's chair Malcolm Mulholland spoke to Lisa Owen.

Grammy winning pop star Dua Lipa refuses to be put in a box or actually anywhere on the box, when it comes to selling TVs. The singer is suing the electronic giant Samsung for $15 million us-dollars for allegedly using her photo to sell televisions in the US. The pop star's face is plastered across the packaging of Samsung's TVs. Auckland University senior law lecturer Joshua Yuvaraj has been following the action and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Middle East correspondent Lou Browne spoke to Lisa Owen about how the Iran war is approaching the 11-week mark. She also spoke about how Lebanese and Israeli officials are set to meet in Washington to try bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and how Turkey's foreign minister has visited Qatar to discuss the Iran war.

Rules around high-powered electric dirt bikes are not fit for purpose, according to AA. The motoring association's writing to the transport minister, asking him to look at the problem. Police have expressed serious concerns about electric bikes that can hit high speeds, but in some cases are being ridden in pedestrian areas. Terry Collins from the AA spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Wellington Phoenix Women flew to Melbourne today ahead of their first A-league football grand final. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.