Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Don't blame terrorism on mental health issues or treat extremism like a mental health condition.A police scene examination is continuing at Auckland's Countdown LynnMall, after seven people were injured in an ISIS-inspired terror attack on Friday afternoon.The terrorist was shot dead by police officers at the scene.Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson told Kate Hawkesby the terrorist may have been experiencing mental health issues, but that doesn't explain or excuse his behaviour.“Hundreds of thousands of Kiwis experience mental health issues. They don’t then become terrorists.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before we blow a fuse at managed isolation, let's have some context. Nearly 170,000 people have been through the system. 12 escapes all up involving 16 people, and that includes this one we had yesterday, who'd been in there not even 7 hours before he made his break. What makes you sick about this guy is that a whole bunch of police have had to go chasing after him, and be exposed to him. They now all have to be tested and I suppose isolate until they come up clear. Ironically, if they've caught it in the process of picking this character up, they'll end up in MIQ. The point is that this one escape is really serious; the guy has put a whole lot of people at risk. We don't know anything yet about where he went while he was out and who else might have been exposed. Hopefully, because everyone is meant to be at home and this happened in the middle of the night, it won't be a lot of people. But there was a driver, whether that person was a deliberate accessory is another matter. What I'm wondering, is whether this guy should have been in MIQ at all. From what I've read of his online ranting and raving, the man was not a willing guest of the system. That would have been clear from the get-go, so to point the bone at MIQ for the escape seems unfair. And now we're plucking people from their homes into obligatory quarantine, we can expect more of this. And we need to have, what shall I call it, alternative accommodation for those who don't want to play the game.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even in the midst of lockdowns, the hospitality sector has been vocal about labour shortages. The industry wants urgent visa extensions and border exemptions But a McDonald's in the United States has found a solution, recruiting kids as young as fourteen. Questions are being raised as to whether employers in New Zealand should be more open to hiring teenagers. AUT Professor of Management Jarrod Harr joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Waikato University is launching the world's first degree in climate change today. The aim is to produce graduates to lead future climate change solutions - combining science, economics and social and political systems. Margaret Barbour, the University of Waikato's Dean of Science joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns a new MIQ booking system may not make things any better. A new virtual queue for spots will come into action once the outbreak-induced pause is over. People will be selected from random, meaning they won’t have to constantly refresh the website. But Travel Technology Consultant Mike Moore told Kate Hawkesby there should instead be a system that provides people with some ability to plan. "One is the idea of a wait list, which basically provides the opportunity for people who want to to form an orderly queue, and other part is to extend the booking horizon as far as possible into the future." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Of those working in our construction industry, just two point six percent are women. Research out this morning shows both employers and women want the number to be higher, so questions are being raised as to where the disconnect is. Kelly Bennett, who is the Principal Advisor for Women at the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shout out to Auckland this morning, and Northland for that matter. The only two places still waking up in Level 4. Doing the heavy lifting for the rest of the country. Let’s hope it’s only for another two weeks Auckland.. fingers crossed. I saw some stats out of Australia yesterday where lockdowns are really starting to bite. One poll showed 86 percent of Australians intend on getting vaccinated – which is higher than pre-Delta. 50 percent of them want lockdowns to end when 80 percent of the country is vaccinated, so getting out of lockdowns is a big impetus. Their fears are the same as ours – 58 percent feared businesses closing and job losses, 56 percent worried about what effect lockdowns are having on mental health, which I talked about yesterday. And 52 percent of them find home schooling a negative. I think the thing with home schooling is the isolation of children at such a social time of their lives, but also the inequality of it. Your household’s home schooling regime may look very different to someone else’s. For every home that has a kid in their PJ’s on a laptop, there will be some homes where the child has no access to computers or wifi, where they just don’t have the resources from their school to be able to work effectively from home. I’m very grateful and appreciative to my daughter’s school who seem to have online learning down pat. They take a roll for each class for online attendance, the teacher sets out work and asks if anyone has questions, there are online portals they can go for resources and worksheets, they’re still submitting work and getting it marked. It’s probably the easiest age bracket to do the online learning to be honest. Too young for NCEA yet, and too old for primary school, which must be so hard to manage. I can’t begin to imagine how tough it must be to keep children occupied and focused and at that age when so much of the learning is visual and hands on.Of course, those in Level 3 can’t return to school yet either, so it’s still really tough for households with school children around the country, especially with parents who’re also trying to juggle working from home. But yesterday was day 14 for Auckland, and there are 14 more days of that to go. And it got me thinking, what’s our incentive out of this? Obviously, demand is high for the vaccine here, which is good, but we need to keep up that momentum. Having to slow our rollout down due to lack of supply is less than ideal, especially when momentum's building. But where are our incentives? New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian has outlined more freedoms for vaccinated people in her state after NSW hits the target of 6 million jabs. She’s outlining a roadmap for a return to normality, and setting targets to get there. So, as we sit here in Auckland, on day 15 of a Level 4 lockdown, with at least another two weeks to go, I can’t help wishing we’d adopt a similarly ambitious approach.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deliveries are also an option for those who don’t want to queue Domino's New Zealand general manager Cameron Toomey told Kate Hawkesby they’re expecting a big day But he says, they’ve been here before and they know what to do "We do serve a lot of customers every day normally, so we just make sure we've got the right amount of people rostered on and we've got the right procedures in place to allow us to meet the demand." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An immunologist says new vaccine eligibility should be celebrated. From today anyone over the age of 12 has the ability to book in to get the Covid-19 jab. Despite this some are set to face long waits. Malaghan Institute immunologist Graham Le Gros told Kate Hawkesby it needs to be targeted. "The regions, Māori community, Pacific community and really make sure that they're really safe too, because they're the ones that live in high-density conditions and they're very vulnerable to this virus if it gets into them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today will see the return of cafe coffee and gloriously greasy takeaways for those south of Auckland, regarding it can be picked up or delivered under Covid guidelines. But for a small business outside of a major city centre the cost of delivering is often hardly worth the profit margin. Development West Coast has got a scheme to help with that, and the CEO Heath Milne told Kate Hawkesby an incentive is more effective than a payout. "We thought, rather than give cash to businesses, we’ll help them to get into that market, by giving them a rebate for every delivery that they do.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lot of talk around mental health at the moment, and rightly so. This lockdown feels tougher, and we’re right to feel deflated by it, our lockdowns are stricter than Australia’s. In Melbourne you can still meet up for coffee with people outside your bubble, exercise with someone outside of your bubble, go out for takeaways, coffees, flowers. My girlfriend in Sydney says basically most businesses are considered essential and are therefore open, the same mixing of bubbles applies, and there’s more movement. That’s arguably why it’s spreading faster, but it pays to remember their lockdown is not our lockdown, so we are rightly feeling the pinch of our super strict Level 4 rules. Some say the mental health shadow pandemic will be bigger than the Covid one. In Australia it already is. There are 342 young people a week in Victoria being admitted to hospital for mental health issues, 40 kids a day in New South Wales. It’s tough. Anxiety levels are through the roof, isolation is triggering all sorts of feelings, as is loss of income and fear. Add to that increased alcohol or drug use, more sedentary behaviour, lack of socialisation and you have the recipe for a plethora of mental health issues. For parents at this time, it’s super stressful too because on top of all your own worries, you’re worried about your kids as well. So how do we keep our mental health in good shape during this uncertain time? Funnily enough, the answers to good mental health often lie in good physical health. Experts say good nutrition, getting good amounts of exercise, sunshine and Vitamin D are all key. Limiting alcohol consumption is another good idea – easier said than done for many at this time I know, but also, staying active. Knowing all this stuff often doesn’t make it any easier to do it, especially when we’re stressed or anxious, but it’s good to know that we can build resilience even when we don’t feel like it. Stress can change our appetite, energy levels, sleep patterns and concentration abilities, but we can do little things too. Like take breaks from all the news coverage, take breaks from social media, take deep breaths or pick up a meditation app. We can still connect with others through Facetime or on the phone, just as we try to boost our physical immune systems, we have to also try to boost our psychological immune systems. Focussing on positives is hard when the world feels upside down, and for many, the struggles are phenomenally difficult right now. I liken this lockdown to being at home those first few weeks with a newborn. Walking around sleep deprived and exhausted not knowing what day it is, binge eating, regarding showering and washing your hair as an accomplishment. But as author Glennon Doyle famously says, we just have to remind ourselves, “we can do hard things”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two weeks is a long time when it comes to Covid. There are 562 community cases in the current Delta outbreak -- with just 53 new cases reported yesterday. That's 30 fewer than the day before. Most of the country comes out of Level Four at midnight and Northland is likely to follow on Thursday night, while Auckland faces another two weeks under Level Four restrictions. Otago University infectious diseases physician Kurt Krause says told Kate Hawkesby while yesterday's drop in case numbers is encouraging, only time will tell whether we have the outbreak under control. "There's new variants brewing around the world, different things are happening. It really has been hard to settle down and be confident about what's going to happen from one week to the next." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Civil Defence officials still don't know the full extent of the damage, from a night of heavy rain and extensive flooding in Auckland. Emergency services have received more than 150 calls about flooding, mostly in West Auckland. One Swanson resident has described seeing cars being swept down the road, children being carried through shoulder-height flood waters, and homes ending up underwater. Auckland Emergency Management Deputy Controller Rachel Kelleher told Kate Hawkesby response crews will head out to assist, where needed. "It's still an emerging situation at the moment, we're just working through what the needs are out there." Kelleher says the need to evacuate overrides any alert level requirements, but people should socially distance where possible. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Those on one side of a Waikato road will wake up tomorrow in level three, but the other will still be in level four. Everywhere south of Auckland will move to level three at midnight but the boundary cuts across Koheroa Road at Mercer. Waikato District Mayor Allan Sanson told Kate Hawkesby he's spoken to the Prime Minister's office about it but they're sticking with their decision. "The stupidity in having a boundary down the middle of the road, I can't defend that position, it's just crazy." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may be easier than we think to combat online scams that are continuing to run rampant in New Zealand.New research by BNZ shows nearly four out of five New Zealanders are being targeted by a scam and nearly a quarter are falling for them.It comes as BNZ launches its annual Scam Savvy Week, running from today until Friday.BNZ's Head of Financial Crime, Ashley Kai Fong told Kate Hawkesby with everyone online in lockdown, they’re more susceptible.But he says there are simple steps people can take.“Keep their software updated, do all the software patches that are required and actually educate their staff not to click on links.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Public Service Commissioner, Peter Hughes, took umbrage at an editorial I wrote last week challenging the under performance of Ashley Bloomfield in his role as Director General of Health.Hughes misinterpreted this as me criticising frontline public servants, who he said deserve respect. That’s right, they do — from Ashley Bloomfield, whose supposed to be working on their behalf.No one’s a bigger supporter of people on the frontline than me. They do an incredible thankless and tireless job. I was not referring to them. I was talking about the man tasked with overseeing our Covid health response, and paid more than half a million dollars to do so. My criticism was of the bloated ineffectual bureaucracy sitting behind desks, which suffocates frontline workers with unnecessary overloaded processes. These are the people often caught off guard by announcements made from the 'pulpit' that aren’t directly communicated to them. It’d be great if public sector workers could be left to get on with it – let police police, let teachers teach, and keep funds flowing to them rather than the refurbishment of Wellington offices, but that’s not the case. Upper echelons of the public service are more interested in impressing politicians. Hughes embodies this by showing he’s out of touch. While Bloomfield may’ve previously enjoyed the halo effect of the PM’s well lubed Covid PR machine, he does not enjoy the same ‘bubblegum’ popularity with the frontline health workers he represents.Hughes argues I crossed a line critiquing Ashley, (proving my point that Bloomfield’s clearly beyond reproach). As Voltaire famously said, “to learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticise”. That's something that should concern New Zealanders — the push back on any critique or quest for accountability of highly paid officials and politicians.Our job is to question, it improves the information flow and action for all of us.Hughes argues Bloomfield fronts up to scrutiny more than private sector CEO’s. We can forgive Hughes for not knowing what scrutiny CEO’s are under given he’s spent a life in public service, but private sector CEO’s are in fact accountable to boards, shareholders, customers – some have the added responsibility of compliance with NZX and FMA regulations.They’re scrutinised by Institutional Investors, Analysts, the Shareholders Association – and, yes, the media. They operate under “continuous disclosure” which legally obliges them to release any material information as soon as they become aware of it. They do not have the luxury of controlling what information they release or when they release it, like Bloomfield does. They’re required to explain results, provide guidance – and yes, set targets.Hughes says he’s proud of the job Bloomfield’s done, and this is precisely what I’m concerned about. How can you state that in the midst of an avoidable lockdown? When the mental health of our teenagers, our elderly, and those living alone is being strangled? When we’ve known since December last year that vaccination is the answer, and that effective procurement and distribution would be critical. We’ve known about the threat of Delta since May. We’re the last country to get it, not the first. The Government commissioned report on initiatives we needed to prepare for Delta, was ignored by Bloomfield.So to say as Hughes does, that Bloomfield has delivered ‘in spades’ is disingenuous. Bloomfield has been found wanting across a litany of issues from flu shots to testing capacity to PPE to saline injections. The only thing Bloomfield has done with spades, is dig himself holes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When six rounds were complete and Lisa Adams saw her name at the top of the leaderboard in the women's shot put (F37) at the Paralympic Games, a dream had been realised.She sought out her coach and sister, Dame Valerie, and the two shared an embrace before Adams had the New Zealand flag draped around her shoulders.It was a moment she won't soon forget."Honestly, it was just phenomenal," Adams told Newstalk ZB's Elliott Smith of having her sister with her in Tokyo. "That was so special to me; that hug is up there with one of the best hugs I've ever had in my life. That was so special to be on this journey with her."I couldn't do this without her, so that was special in that moment. She's been my coach throughout, but that hug was definitely a sister hug. She put the flag on me and that whole moment, it was so special. I really, really loved that." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dame Valerie Adams (@valerieadams84) Adams' Paralympic gold is the latest in a growing collection of sporting feats for the Adams family. It matches the gold medal she won in the event at the world championship in Dubai in 2019, and adds to the family's haul in Tokyo after Dame Valerie claimed the bronze medal in the women's shot put at the Olympic Games earlier in the year.It was Dame Valerie's fourth Olympic medal in the event, with gold in 2008 and 2012, and silver in 2016, adding to an impressive medal collection from her career.In the NBA, Steven Adams has made a name for himself as one of the toughest players in the world's top basketball league since being named to the NBA all-rookie second team in 2014.After seven seasons playing with the Oklahoma City Thunder, during which he earned a contract worth more than $100m, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans ahead of the 2020-21 season, and has since been moved to the Memphis Grizzles. In recent years, he has taken on the role of a mentor to younger players around him, and was recently seen working out with rookie big man Evan Mobley, who was drafted with the third overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in this year's NBA draft.While Lisa Adams has added a gold medal to her collection, her campaign at the Paralympic Games isn't over. She is also entered into the discus (F38) event, which will see medals won on Saturday."Discus is fairly new," Adams admitted of her next event. "That's a fun event for us so we haven't had a lot of training. But we're still looking to go out and do our best and see how we go."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday praised the "colossal" effort to airlift civilians from Kabul, as U.K. troops and diplomats flew home after the two-week mission, ending 20 years of British military involvement in Afghanistan.In a video message, Johnson praised the "colossal exertions" of British troops engaged in "a mission unlike anything we've seen in our lifetimes."But his government is facing criticism for leaving behind hundreds, or even thousands, of vulnerable Afghans whom the U.K. had promised to protect.The U.K. ambassador to Afghanistan, Laurie Bristow, was among those who arrived at RAF Brize Norton northwest of London on Sunday, hours after the government announced that all British personnel had left Kabul. More flights bringing back approximately 1,000 U.K. troops from Kabul airport were due throughout the day.Britain says it has evacuated more than 15,000 U.K. citizens and vulnerable Afghans in the past two weeks, but that as many as 1,100 Afghans who were entitled to come to the U.K. have been left behind.Vice Admiral Ben Key, who was in charge of the British operation, said: "We tried our best."But the government is under pressure to explain why it didn't act more quickly once it became clear the U.S.-led military presence in Afghanistan was ending.A former head of the British Army, retired Gen. Richard Dannatt, said the government was "asleep on watch" and had been warned that former interpreters and others who worked with British forces were at risk."This issue has been on politicians' desks for two to three years and, certainly, it's been there during the course of this year," he told Times Radio."We should have done better, we could have done better. It absolutely behooves us to find out why the government didn't spark up faster," he added.Johnson acknowledged that Britain "would not have wished to leave in this way," but said it was tied to the departure timetable set by the United States, which is ending its 20-year Afghan involvement by Aug. 31."Though we now leave with the United States, we will remain represented in the region," Johnson said. "Together with our allies in America and Europe and around the world, we will engage with the Taliban not on the basis of what they say but what they do."If the new regime in Kabul wants diplomatic recognition, or to unlock the billions that are currently frozen, they will have to ensure safe passage for those who wish to leave the country, to respect the rights of women and girls, to prevent Afghanistan from, again, becoming an incubator for global terror, because that would be disastrous for Afghanistan."Text by Jill Lawless, Associated PressSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

National says scrutiny of the Government, in person, is critical.The Prime Minister suspended parliament last week, on advice from the Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield.But, it will now resume tomorrow, after National and ACT rejected a proposal to hold it virtually.National Covid-19 spokesperson Chris Bishop told Kate Hawkesby the select committees on Zoom were pretty inadequate.“We need to get back to Parliament and ask the questions New Zealanders need the answers to like: why is our vaccine rollout so slow? Why are we the slowest in the developed world? Why did we not prepare for this Delta outbreak properly?”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Isn’t it interesting how much lower the bar is for bureaucrats than the private sector? Even our sports teams get more scrutiny. Imagine if Ashley Bloomfield was an All Black coach. Bear in mind, this guy is our number one, head and shoulders above the next best suitable candidate. That’s the worryingly low benchmark we’re setting and accepting across the state service for where performance expectations sit. If he was an AB’s coach, he’d be getting dissected, analysed and critiqued by all, including the NZRU. There'd be unsolicited nominations from pundits left, right and centre on who should replace him. But obviously the national game is of greater public importance and held to a higher standard than our Covid response. Not only is this a major concern for the continued underperformance of our Health Ministry and Covid response and more importantly planning, but it also gives a stark and alarming insight to the calibre of bureaucrats in the Ministry of Health. In a global pandemic threatening our safety and our prosperity – this is it. This is what we’ve got. If this were the private sector, we'd score KPI’s, canvas high and lowlights, and grade performance. The only conclusion we could draw would result in a small chat with HR in which Bloomfield be invited to bring a support person, followed by a press release about spending more time with his family, and, if he’s lucky, a small pay-out. But this isn’t happening with Teflon Bloomfield, NZ’s highest profile bureaucrat. His key job in the last 18 months has been to effectively manage and mitigate the risk of Covid. He's had the support of the PM, backed up by the Government balance sheet and printing machine, to insure against any further outbreaks, by building in latent capacity across our defence and response network. And although he’s a likeable guy, he’s unfortunately clearly now a recidivist under performer. On numerous occasions he's at best withheld or obfuscated material information – and at worst has bare face lied to Cabinet, a Select Committee and the public. On testing, on flu vaccines, on PPE, on the critical vaccine procurement and rollout, on saline injections, on text messages to Foreign Affairs. He continues to defend the indefensible. He’s failed to act on the recommendations of Ayesha Verrall and Sir Brian Roche, and on the best practise evident globally. Our response has unquestionably been found wanting. We've been caught short – and he’s not fronting that with a mea culpa, or even highlighting areas where things could've been better, nor is he being put under scrutiny or held to account by his employer. He has not demonstrated the light-footed dynamism of thought that's required in managing the risks of an ever-evolving pandemic. In the private sector he’d be toast, and yet, we have deified him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great news overnight with New Zealand winning our first medal in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Sophie Pascoe won her 16th overall medal, getting silver in the 100m breaststroke. This will be a great Paralympic watching weekend while we are all stuck at home. What are the ones to watch out for? Sports broadcaster and commentator John Mcbeth joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the South Island might feel some relief today if they head into Level Three, for teachers, Level Three can be bit of a headache. Level Three is where schools are open for kids of essential workers, so enough teachers to cover that go into work. That means some teachers are stretched between the kids at school and the kids at home learning online. Perry Rush from the Principal's Federation says Level Three presents more challenges. “Level Four is definitely an easier level to manage, in terms of your whole staff being in the remote and being able to support all students who are in the remote.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some parts of the country could be about to move from one form of lockdown, to another. Cabinet will meet today to discuss whether to move most of the country out of Alert Level Four from midnight tonight. Auckland, the epicentre of the outbreak -- will remain at Level Four until at least Tuesday night. Otago University infectious diseases expert David Murdoch told Kate Hawkesby other parts of the country, particularly the South Island, are likely to move to looser restrictions. "It's likely to be Alert Level 3. I think the Alert level 3 might be slightly different from before, we're learned a lot about the virus as time has gone on." There are now 277 cases in the current outbreak, and there's a growing list of more than 20-thousand contacts and 500 locations of interest. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The thing that should be scaring us all more than the virus right now is the information vacuum. Now laid stark before us, for anyone that was ever in any doubt, with the saline scandal. And this critical piece of information was not even offered up by the Government or the Ministry of Health, but instead revealed by the media. The disingenuousness of this not remotely open, honest or transparent Government should worry us all. The spin being peddled, the lack of honesty, the withholding of information, and the inability to admit mistakes. Why won't they admit they got procurement and rollout of the vaccine wrong? That mistake is going to cost us now dearly. Why won't they give the same data and information they gave last time? And in a timely way? Why are they hiding so much? Why the lack of transparency? According to Act, and some media sources, the Government's purposely not releasing each day's data before they get to reveal it under a spotlight at 1pm. By not releasing it when they have it, reporters have to wait until after the press conference for it to be published, this means they have less time to interpret, review it and form questions. It allows the Government to remain less accountable. It allows the Government to have a more captive audience at 1pm. David Seymour said, “Withholding that information until Ministers and Ashley Bloomfield have left the stage ensures they aren’t scrutinised on the latest information in a timely fashion, only the cherry picked ‘good news’ they choose to highlight.” You have to ask what sort of democracy we live in when the Government won’t allow Parliament to sit, won’t bring back the Epidemic Response Committee to be held accountable, and won’t release official information in a fair timeframe. Everything they're doing is based on what suits them, what they can spin to micro manage our reactions, what commands the most attention. They're banking, based on last time, on New Zealanders buying it. Will we? Make no mistake, the propaganda machine is in full swing. We are being subject to the withholding of information until it suits them to release it. A government choosing to be opaque on forecast vaccination delivery dates, refusing to set rollout targets, game-playing on lockdown extensions they know full well are coming, staging press conferences, not giving us the full picture when they have it, and worst of all we learned yesterday - flat out lying to us. Do you know their priority right now? Extensive polling around ‘best messaging’, what makes them look good in the eyes of Kiwis, how to keep us on side. They care more about how this all looks for them, rather than what it means for us. So you have to ask yourself, who are they actually governing for?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spencer Elden, who appeared as a naked baby on the cover of Nirvana's 1991 album "Nevermind," has claimed the record's iconic artwork is child pornography and is suing the band over alleged "child sexual exploitation." The rock album's cover features Elden, then an infant, swimming underwater while undressed, his eyes fixated on a one dollar bill. It became one of the most enduring images in rock music after the record's release. But in a complaint, filed on Tuesday at a federal court in California and obtained by CNN, Elden's attorneys said the image was pornographic and that he has suffered "lifelong damages" as a result of his involvement. Elden, now 30, has listed the surviving band members, the executors of lead singer Kurt Cobain's estate, and various record labels as defendants. He is seeking $150,000 in damages from each of the defendants, plus legal costs, and alleges the defendants "knowingly produced, possessed, and advertised commercial child pornography." The lawsuit alleges Elden was sexualized because the dollar bill used in the image made the baby resemble "a sex worker." Elden has recreated the image at times during his adulthood, but has also suggested in interviews he felt uncomfortable about the popularity of the album cover. In 2007 he told the Sunday Times he found it "kind of creepy that many people have seen me naked ... I feel like the world's biggest porn star." The following year he told CNN that he was often asked to attend events as the "Nirvana baby." "Nevermind" and its lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" sold millions of copies and helped popularize grunge music in the United States. Both its content and artwork were heralded as seminal rock works, but three years after its release, Nirvana's frontman Kurt Cobain died by suicide in Seattle and the remaining members subsequently disbanded. Elden told CNN in 2008: "Rumor had it that Cobain had the original concept of wanting to show a mother giving birth under water." Elden added: "But the compromise was to have a baby swimming under water. Or so that's what I was told." The lawsuit alleges Elden "has been and will continue to suffer personal injury by the distribution and possession of child pornography," including emotional distress and loss of earnings. Cobain's wife, the singer Courtney Love, is listed on the lawsuit as an executor of Cobain's estate, alongside others including the photographer Kirk Weddle and record labels Warner Records and the Universal Music Group. CNN has contacted each party for comment. - by Rob Picheta, CNNSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have heard about ‘netiquette’. The tips and tricks so your emails in lockdown don't start accidentally offending or disrespecting colleagues. A new study shows, no matter how much you try avoid sounding ruder than you'd like, the recipient's likely to find something to be offended by. It's a real thing - called negative intensification bias. Professor of Communication at Massey University, Ted Zorn joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calls for the Government to learn the lessons of previous lockdowns when they make their decisions around this one. The transport industry is frustrated at road-blocks holding up freight, and dates for expired warrants of fitness not being automatically extended.Road Transport Forum Chief Executive Nick Leggett told Kate Hawkesby the decision-makers aren't helping. "It seems as though they're gripped by this timidity, and we don't understand where it is coming from. We think this stuff should be easier the second or third time around, not harder." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Much discussion has been taking place around the difficulty that some students, parents, as well as teachers are facing with remote learning. Several principals are said to be frustrated that some kids don't have the digital devices to do remote learning. But it's been over a year since most schools were last in lockdown, so have Kiwi schools gotten better this time round, when it comes to online learning? Kami are an education technology company that helps schools do remote learning. Chair Bob Drummond told Kate Hawkesby schools were better prepared this time around. “They’ve had a lot more notice this time and people realised schools closing down was an actual thing.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m feeling for the teachers this lockdown. For everyone to be honest, not just the teachers, and also while we’re at it, those of us parents having to juggle work and home schooling while also keeping households calm, well stocked, as well as walking the dog. What a time. Feeling slightly jealous of the people able to just sit back and watch Netflix this lockdown! But the teachers have been thrown back into something most of them don’t enjoy – and that’s having to drum up all their lessons into online learning. So much of what happens in the classroom these days is practical, hands on and experiential. That’s tough when kids are sitting at home in their PJs with a laptop on their knees trying to decipher worksheets. Made tougher if they have parents who, like me, aren’t the most helpful on the old maths front. I mean to be fair to us, it’s a long time since we did maths right? How are we supposed to remember how to multiply fractions? Actually, I can multiply fractions, it’s the algebra that throws me. We didn’t bank on having to repeat it did we? But for the teachers this is tricky. And it’s by no means easy for the kids either. My daughter lamented the fact yesterday that she didn’t have all her school supplies at home. The school had given them a heads up about a week before lockdown to clear their lockers and take all their books and bags home. They’d obviously had a directive from the Ministry of Education or Health that a lockdown may be imminent and it’d be prudent to prepare. I remember that day vividly because my daughter came out of school at pick up time loaded down with bags, convinced we were going into lockdown that night. “We must be” she said, “because they’ve made us take all our books home and they said be ready for online learning!” But that was a whole week before we actually went into lockdown. And here we are, and though yes, we’ve been here before, it's not the easiest. The teachers, from what I’ve seen, are doing a fantastic job. They’re trying their best to make the learning manageable, they’re trying to get the balance right between workload and downtime. Many of the teachers doing the online learning have kids of their own at home needing attention in the background too. Much like last time, I notice my daughter is working harder and longer for online lessons than she does at school. The first day she didn’t take a single break and forgot to eat. Without the punctuation of a bell, it can be confusing for them to stick to structure, so we’re trying to manage that better. It’s stressful for the kids, but I’m grateful to the teachers who’re showing compassion for that, who’re abandoning and redesigning their lesson plans as they try to work around the circumstances. And to the ones keeping the kids’ morale up by making some of the online learning fun and checking in on their mental health, they’re the best teachers of them all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fears a concerning pattern of healthcare inequity is once again being repeated. The Director-General of Health's confirmed more than half of the cases in New Zealand's Delta cluster are Pacific people. A health expert says it's depressingly familiar - with Pasifika making up 60 per cent of cases in the August 2020 outbreak. Consultancy firm Pacific Perspectives' director Debbie Ryan says infectious diseases disproportionately impact Pasifika, time and time again. She says there's abundant evidence the way health services are delivered is problematic. "That one size fits all approach means that our diverse communities do not get the quality of services they require." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get off the screen and stretch your legs. That's the message from an expert in mental wellbeing after new research showing a marked increase in device-time during lockdown. Neuroscience educator Nathan Wallis told Kate Hawkesby exercise is crucial. "People go on about it, but it makes a huge difference to your mental health. Kick-start the hormones that are in your brain and you can get that from just 20 minutes exercise a day, actually you can get it from just walking to the mailbox and back." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems the Taliban holds the cards, in terms of the security situation and the military balance in Afghanistan. G7 leaders have met virtually overnight, as the Islamist militant group warns the US to leave by next Tuesday. It's understood European leaders urged US President Joe Biden to push for an extension. Rand Corporation political scientist Andrew Radin told Kate Hawkesby the Taliban is more willing to accept risks, in terms of what it gets from the international community. "They've lived in harsh conditions before, they have priorities. The first of which is getting US and foreign troops out of Afghanistan." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m feeling for the South Island this morning, who really shouldn’t be here, but here we all are. They have a right to be more frustrated than anyone. And even though we had suspicions short and sharp would be no such thing, this seems a stretch for the South Island with zero cases. And every week this goes on, it’s more dire for us economically. Which makes me wonder what the handful of commentators saying the economy is in robust shape for this, are basing that on. If it’s based on printing more money, then your economic bar is very low. If it involves us all rushing out post lockdown and buying more cars and houses, I think that’s misreading the room. This is different; Delta has changed everything. Inflationary pressures are mounting, economic gains have stalled, we have no collective faith that we will stay out of lockdowns based on the Government’s flawed elimination strategy, people’s confidence will be more negatively affected this time round. If it’s based on borrowing more, how much more before it gets dangerous? The Government’s smugness around our economic performance and position is misplaced and concerning. With tourism shut down and other industries impacted by surging input costs, supply chain shortages and no labour, our economy is in a precarious position. Add to this the economic direction Xi Jinping’s taking in China, which is giving rise to a slowing if not recessionary China, which would have a knock-on effect for Australian and New Zealand economies. And the picture, despite all Grant Roberston’s smiles, does not look good. This is where the Government falls over - theory versus reality. It forgets in smiling and telling everyone that everything‘s fine, that a lot of these people are business owners, employers, tourist operators, suppliers, franchise holders, importers, exporters, people at the coal face. They’re the ones who’ll tell you the truth; it’s not fine. The Government simply has to change its narrative and start getting real with New Zealanders. It has to change its myopic thinking that what saved us last time will save us again. We are only just beefing up our vaccine rollout, 8 months behind the rest of the world. We have not even ordered booster shots yet. The fact we have known since last year that vaccination was critical, that effective procurement and distribution was critical, and yet we still sat on our hands, beggars belief. A Delta outbreak was entirely foreseeable and the stark lack of planning, preparedness and scaling up of contact tracing, testing and surveillance is actually inexcusable. Businesses must be tearing their hair out. Ongoing and repeat lockdowns and closed borders are no longer luxuries we can afford. To smile and keep saying we can afford all of it is simply dishonest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A steady hand is calling for calm amid Parliament being suspended for a week due to Covid-19 restrictions. Select committees will still go ahead online. However, there have been calls for the Epidemic Response Committee to be reinstated in order to ensure the Government is being held to account. But Wellington Barrister Graeme Edgeler told Kate Hawkesby it’s not the end of the world. "They can wait a week; Parliament didn't sit last week. Parliament didn't sit for three weeks in July, it's a week's delay.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A call for employers to cut their staff some slack as they juggle their responsibilities. Under Alert Level 4, the majority of kiwis are working from home. Working parent advocate Emma McLean told Kate Hawkesby employers need to have realistic expectations. "They wouldn't expect us to turn up to work with our three children, yet they're expecting us to work just like we do we don't have them when we're at home, so there's got to be allowances." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some South Island businesses have been left frustrated.Auckland will stay in Alert Level Four until at least next Tuesday while the rest of the country will stay in lockdown until at least this Friday.That's despite no community cases being detected in any South Island towns or cities.Business South Chief Executive Mike Collins Kate Hawkesby says there are businesses still feeling the pinch from previous Alert Level changes."I was just talking to the teams over in Queenstown the other day and they're really, really struggling. The wage subsidy is a great addition, but at the same time, it's not sustainable for the future, it doesn't cover all of the costs."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Prime Minister's plan to reopen the country at a 70-80 per cent vaccination rate and treat the Delta variant "like the flu" has been slammed as dangerous and reckless by some of the nation's top health and economic researchers.According to modelling from the Australian National University, if Scott Morrison's current coronavirus plan proceeds, tens of thousands Australians will likely die and hundreds of thousands will likely develop cases of long Covid."We found substantial morbidity and mortality is likely to occur if the Australian government sticks to the national plan," ANU economics professor and study co-author Professor Quentin Grafton said.If Australia reopens with 70 per cent of Australians aged over 16 fully vaccinated, there could eventually be 6.9 million cases of Covid-19, 154,000 hospitalisations, and 29,000 fatalities, Grafton said."We simply can't afford to do that, both in terms of lives and long-term illness from Covid."And even if the PM waits until 80 per cent of the adult population are vaccinated to open up, thousands of lives will still be destroyed, according to the modelling."Assuming 80 per cent vaccination coverage for only those over 16, as per the national plan, there could be approximately 25,000 fatalities and some 270,000 cases of long Covid," Grafton said."The consequences of prematurely and fully relaxing public health measures to suppress Covid-19, even after vaccinating 80 per cent of adults, would likely be irreversible, and unacceptable to many Australians," study co-author and University of Western Australia senior research officer Dr Zoë Hyde echoed."It's simply too dangerous to treat Covid-19 like the flu."But Morrison has stayed firm in his insistence that lockdowns will become "a thing of the past" once 80 per cent of the adult population has been vaccinated."Once you get to 80 per cent vaccination, it is against the country's interests not to open up," Morrison told the ABC last Monday.But to prevent mass deaths and hospitalisations, the ANU-led modelling outlines that a vaccination rate of at least 90 per cent, which includes children under 16, is needed."If children are also fully vaccinated, national fatalities – for all age groups – would be reduced to 19,000 with 80 per cent adult vaccination coverage. This would fall to 10,000 at a 90 per cent adult vaccination coverage," Grafton said."Children also directly benefit from vaccination. If we could achieve 75 cent vaccination coverage among children and adolescents, we could prevent 12,000 hospitalisations in these age groups."To give Australians a decent chance in a country without lockdowns or other restrictions, the researchers argue that four key steps must be achieved first:Vaccinating both children and adolescents; reaching 95 per cent full vaccination among people 60 and older as well as other vulnerable groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders; giving an mRNA booster shot to all Australians vaccinated with AstraZeneca, as well as a booster shot to those vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine, when appropriate; reaching more than 90 per cent vaccination coverage among all Australians.Study co-author and University of Melbourne environmental economics professor Tom Kompas warned his research had used the lower estimates of the severity of the Delta variant, meaning the real-life outcomes would likely be even worse than the modelling predicted."Our projections likely represent a lower estimate of the cumulative public health outcomes of fully relaxing public health measures at Phase D of the national plan," he said.But Kompas said it wasn't too late for the federal government to turn things around, noting there was still an opportunity to devise "a safe and affordable transition to a post-Covid-19 era"."If national cabinet revises its strategy to include our four vaccination steps,...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The one thing this government needs to start doing real quick is getting honest. Fewer and fewer people are tolerating the smoke and mirrors, the spin, the fudging. The best example of this was Friday’s press conference where Ashley Bloomfield admitted he’d advised Cabinet that Auckland should in fact stay in Level 4 until August 31st. The PM equivocating on this only does us, and her, a disservice.It’s dishonest because we all know as of today, odds on she'll announce Auckland's indeed staying in level 4 until August 31st.So why did she drag that news out? Why would she not want to give businesses, families, schools, some certainty in extremely uncertain times? Why don’t we get all the facts when they have them?Instead of some government controlled timeline? Is this micromanaging of when we get information a control thing? What’s the point in being disingenuous with people who are already feeling uncertain? It's treating us with contempt to leave us in an information vacuum, until it suits you politically to do otherwise.Here’s the other issue at play – apart from our excruciatingly slow vaccine rollout, we have no plan B. The government, whose had 18 months to prepare for this very eventuality, has not prepared for it. The elimination strategy which they used successfully initially, still appears their only strategy. I don’t understand how on the one hand they tell us Delta changes the game, and then on the other hand – we’re still employing the same game plan. Everything’s changed, so why aren’t we changing?I think the PM will rue the day she dug her toes in on elimination, if you just look around internationally, you’ll see it’s a pipe dream.Reassuringly, Covid Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday alluded to the fact the government may now be waking up to that reality. He admitted that they are now having to look closely and ask “some pretty big questions about what the long term future plans are”. No kidding. Pity they didn’t do that sooner.And for those still buying the elimination strategy, which I guarantee we'll eventually abandon because it’s ridiculous, think about how many times plunging in and out of lockdowns is acceptable to you. Once the novelty of Netflix marathons and baking binges has worn off and the cold hard reality starts to hit, how appealing is elimination really? Look around at the rest of the world. It’s open. To put a closed sign up on New Zealand now, is condemning us to a future as a tiny isolated backwater at the bottom of the world. Admitting you got some stuff wrong, admitting you need to change course, would be the most open honest and transparent thing this government could do for us right now.Let’s hope they see the light soon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don't dream, it's over.The Warriors still have a mathematical chance, but their playoff chances are out of their own hands after an agonising 24-22 loss to the Broncos tonight.The Auckland club will need to rely on some improbable results from the teams around them, even if they win both of their remaining games.Although the Warriors have showed great spirit with their late-season revival, this was a massive opportunity lost.They led 14-12 with 25 minutes to play, after burning back from 12-4 down, but were guilty of switching off twice as Albert Kelly and Anthony Milford scored opportunist tries for the Broncos.Still they could have forced extra time, after a 77th-minute Euan Aitken try, but Reece Walsh missed the conversion, then was just wide with an audacious two-point field goal attempt with 30 seconds to play.Goal kicking made the difference on the scoreboard, with Walsh missing four from five attempts, though they were all from out wide.But that's tough on the teenager. As a team the Warriors slipped from the standards set in previous weeks, particularly in the first half.They didn't quite click for long periods, allowing the Broncos to build pressure, and lacked crispness in attack and hunger in defence.Coach Nathan Brown, as he likes to do, shuffled the deck before kick-off, leaving Wayde Egan on the bench and omitting Kodi Nikorima from the 17, which was a brave call.The Warriors dodged a bullet early, with the Broncos nearly forcing the ball under the posts, after a risky play by Dallin Watene-Zelezniak behind his own try line, before Aitken was denied minutes later for a double movement.The Broncos opened the scoring through Xavier Coates, after Walsh completely misjudged an Milford bomb. Some hot footwork from Milford set up Coates soon afterwards, after an unfortunate Watene-Zelezniak error.Walsh had struggled to get involved in the first quarter, but finally made his mark with a sizzling break, beating four defenders from deep inside his own territory. That sparked the Warriors, with Montoya finishing a sweeping backline move.But the Broncos were dominant, and should have extended their lead through Milford, who was everywhere. The Brisbane playmaker was over the line – after a sharp passing move – before a miraculous effort by Peta Hiku to hold him up.Hiku went close at the other end, after some pinball, but the Warriors spent most of the first half on the back foot, forced to make almost 80 more tackles than their opponents, not helped by eight errors.They showed great spirit to keep their line intact, defending a series of sets as the home side benefitted from a couple of charitable calls from the officials in the latter stages.Some instinctive magic from Hiku, who was having a stormer, brought the Warriors closer early in the second half, as the centre nudged the ball between two defenders with his foot, following a Watene-Zelezniak grubber, then showed agility to touch down.There was more to come, as Josh Curran forced his way over following a bumping Bunty Afoa charge.Josh Curran of the Warriors celebrates scoring a try against the Broncos. Photo / GettyThe Warriors had all the momentum but gave some back with a disappointing Broncos try. As a Milford kick bobbled around, Kelly wanted it the most, while his opponents were guilty of ball watching.But Hiku was irrepressible, with a subtle flick putting Watene-Zelezniak across, after pressure from Walsh had forced a line dropout.That levelled the scores, setting up a frantic final 17 minutes. But Milford broke Warriors hearts with an opportunistic try, after following up his own bomb and getting lucky as it was propelled back.Aitken gave some late, late hope – forcing a Walsh grubber – but it wasn't to be.Broncos 24 (Xavier Coates 2, Albert Kelly, Anthony Milford tries; Herbie Farnworth 4 con)Warriors 22...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 24-year-old in the US has spent six years creating AI that helps users draft legal letters.If you tell the chatbot what your problem is, it will let you know what legal language to use.Do Not Pay creator Joshua Browder says the cases it's designed to help for are not rocket science to get out of."What the robot lawyer will do is talk to the user, and instantly match it with a legally correct defence, take down a few details and then use all of that, generate an appeal letter to send off to the right place."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Blair, the British prime minister who deployed troops to Afghanistan 20 years ago after the 9/11 attacks, says the U.S. decision to withdraw from the country has “every Jihadist group round the world cheering.”In a lengthy essay posted on his website late Saturday, the former Labour Party leader said the sudden and chaotic pullout that allowed the Taliban to reclaim power risked undermining everything that had been achieved in Afghanistan over the past two decades, including advances in living standards and the education of girls."The abandonment of Afghanistan and its people is tragic, dangerous, unnecessary, not in their interests and not in ours,” said Blair who served as prime minister during 1997-2007, a period that also saw him back the U.S.-led war in Iraq in 2003.“The world is now uncertain of where the West stands because it is so obvious that the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan in this way was driven not by grand strategy but by politics," he added.Blair also accused U.S. President Joe Biden of being “in obedience to an imbecilic political slogan about ending ‘the forever wars’, as if our engagement in 2021 was remotely comparable to our commitment 20 or even 10 years ago."The former prime minister, whose reputation in the U.K. took a dive from the failure to find the alleged weapons of mass destruction that were cited as justification for U.S. coalition’s invasion of Iraq, said Britain has a “moral obligation” to stay in Afghanistan until everyone who needs to be evacuated is taken out.“We must evacuate and give sanctuary to those to whom we have responsibility — those Afghans who helped us and stood by us and have a right to demand we stand by them," he said.Like other nations, Britain is trying to evacuate Afghan allies as well as its own citizens from Afghanistan, but with a U.S.-imposed Aug. 31 deadline hovering into view, it’s a race against time.In addition to the 4,000 or so U.K. citizens, the country is thought to have around 5,000 Afghan allies, such as translators and drivers, earmarked for a seat on a plane. The Ministry of Defense said Sunday that nearly 4,000 people had been evacuated so far.Blair conceded that mistakes were made over the past two decades but added that military interventions can be noble in intent, especially when challenging an extreme Islamist threat.“Today we are in a mood which seems to regard the bringing of democracy as a utopian delusion and intervention virtually of any sort as a fool’s errand." he said.Blair also warned that the decision by the U.S. to keep Britain largely in the dark about the withdrawal risks relegating the country to “the second division of global powers.”However, he said the U.K., in its role as the current president of the Group of Seven nations, was in a position to help coordinate an international response to “hold the new regime to account”.Britain's Conservative government has been working diplomatically to ensure there is no unilateral recognition of a Taliban government in Afghanistan.“We need to draw up a list of incentives, sanctions, actions we can take including to protect the civilian population so the Taliban understand their actions will have consequences," Blair said.Text by PAN PYLAS, Associated PressSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hospitality sector has questions about enforcement of the Covid tracer app.The Government's making scanning or manually signing in compulsory, in the hope to improve contact tracing.It will apply to businesses and events, and come into effect seven days after the next change in Alert Level.Hospitality New Zealand chief executive Julie White told Kate Hawkesby they still don't know how it will be enforced and what happens with non-compliance.“It’s going to be essentially a cost to the business by then refusing entry if someone comes in. And then you’ve got the added stress on the workforce.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I talked at the start this week about crime in the CBDs and how it’s on the rise, dangerously so. Businesses are exasperated, retailers are at their wit’s end, city dwellers are fed up. And it’s not like the people running these inner-city business associations haven’t been agitating for action here. They have, as I said earlier this week, been flagging this for more than a year now. It‘s not new. And yesterday, frustrated beyond measure, central Auckland business associations sent an open letter to the PM. It barely got media coverage, which was annoying but not surprising, it was after all, critical of the lack of government response on this over many, many months. But the lack of any response from government is not new either. If I had a dollar for every person who comes on this show from various sectors and industries saying they’ve tried to get engagement from the government and failed, I’d have a fortune. And bear in mind, this is all predating this Delta outbreak which many will argue will now be taking up all their time. So, yesterday’s letter pointed out that they’ve been asking for a co-ordinated cross government approach to deal with these issues, and they identified three immediate actions; increased police presence on the street, better management of emergency housing, mental health and addiction services. They point out they’ve continued to do what they can locally – their own CCTV and security systems and patrols, but they need more assistance. The letter says that “only the Government is in the position to bring about a coordinated solution between ministries of Health, Housing, social Development and Police.” It finishes by saying “please can you bring quick decisive action to keep our city safe and appealing for locals and visitors.” I mean, I wish them well with their letter. But I fear it’s going to get the same response they’ve had so far; radio silence. The inaction here of government to face up to what’s happening right under their noses is frustrating, but also short sighted. In ignoring the problem for the past year, it’s only been made worse. And adding to the woes is increasing the amount of emergency housing in these areas, which the Government has done without first of all addressing all the issues created form the first raft of emergency housing. The level of antisocial and criminal behaviour that’s come with this housing has been felt acutely by CBDs, and yet, still, nothing. The problem now is, with Delta on our doorstep and further lockdowns likely as part of the Government’s elimination strategy, CBDs are going to be facing a lot more trouble than just crime surges. I feel for these businesses right now who must be thinking as if it wasn’t bad enough already, it looks like it could get a lot worse, before it gets better.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Children aged 12 to 15 can get the jab from the start of next month, but there might still be a barrier in their way. Parents and caregivers who are already eligible, can bring their children with them before then. But, Waikato University legal expert Claire Breen told Kate Hawkesby a Ministry of Health Covid survey found some parents are still hesitant about vaccinating their children. "About 16 percent of those parents of 12 - 15 year olds said they definitely wouldn't allow it, and that's up from 10 percent a couple of months prior to that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chances are you've already asked this question to close friends and family. 'Are you getting the Covid vaccine'? Sometimes it feels like you've started talking about religion and politics at the dinner table. It really can divide some people. But it does beg another question, whether or not it's okay to ask? Tim Dare is a medical ethicist at Auckland University and he told Kate Hawkesby creating narratives around subjects like this can do more harm than good. “We ought not to create the impression that this is something which is extremely sensitive like those stereotypes of religion and politics.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Hamilton community service expected to pick up 500 kg's of unwanted food yesterday from the likes of restaurants and cafes to redistribute. It ended up collecting two tonnes, which has been redirected to feed crisis centres throughout the city. It's called Kaivolution and started up just before last lockdown. Manager Jo Wrigley told Kate Hawkesby Delta has made their job even tougher than previously. “There’s an awareness about how contagious or how easily transmittable it is, so trying to keep that distance while doing the thing.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This time yesterday I was saying how hopefully this lockdown would be short and sharp. Oh how much can change in 24 hours, that now looks like a pipe dream. But I was trying to stay optimistic, take it one day at a time, have a good attitude about it. But then I saw the 1 o’clock update. Oh my gosh. It brought everything back didn’t it? I tried, I really did, but I wanted to stick needles in my eyes by about 4 minutes in. I’d forgotten how soul destroying it is to be spoken to like a 3-year-old. I also felt exasperated that the press gallery seem to have all had lobotomies and are unable to ask a single probing question. Not one. I understand this has come from the top down. The PM apparently has issued instructions on how these 1pm pressers are to go, they have to play by the rules, and the rules appear to include only getting your question answered if your question is an easy one. Like, 'remind us again Prime Minister of what people should be doing in their bubbles? Or, ‘could you tell the NZ public again Prime Minister what you’d like them to do?’ I mean, come on. Are they handing out sleeping pills before these start? Who, apart from the Labour party, are these press conferences serving? I’m also slightly worried about the habitual patterns of people going back into the collective trance we went into last year. Where we consume the saturation coverage, turn our brains off and get into a zombie like state of just existing for 1pm updates, making shrine worthy memorabilia to Saint Ashley, and seeing the PM as some redeeming saviour. Let’s keep it real here. Our vaccine rollout, as has been pointed out by multiple international media yesterday, has been extremely poor, shockingly low, the lowest in the OECD. Add to that our porous border, and we are where we are - it was avoidable. Bear in mind, other countries are back out enjoying freedoms, all bar parts of Australia that is. And what we're seeing from our government is an instant return to the catchy mantras, the focus-grouped cliches, the ‘go hard go early’, ‘team of 5 million’, and ‘be kind’ regime. Teddy bears are back in windows for goodness' sake. And like exhausted zombies we revert to our daily ritual of watching case numbers, panic buying toilet paper, and baking banana bread. Look, I’m not suggesting we don’t follow the rules here, we absolutely must stay put, remain in our bubbles, follow the protocols, lockdown is our only choice here. But the level of this could've been avoided. So, I just hope we don't disengage our brains, don't abandon rationality, don't revert to fear ruling our lives. Because from what we now know, it looks like this lockdown may not be all that short and sharp.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An economist says an Official Cash Rate rise in October is on the cards, but it depends on how this Covid-19 outbreak goes. So far, ten people have tested positive for the virus, but early modelling shows 50 to 120 people could've been infected before the lockdown. The Reserve Bank has kept the OCR at 0.25 percent because of Alert Level Four. NZIER principal economist Christina Leung told Kate Hawkesby you only have to look across the Tasman to see how quickly things can change. "We can see there's a resilience in the economy, however, having a community outbreak does throw a lot of uncertainty over the outlook, the fact that businesses have to close at short notice." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of people who visited locations of interest will need to get tested for Covid-19 over the coming days. Otago University Professor of Biochemistry Kurt Krause told Kate Hawkesby it's crucial that people get tested, as soon as they can. "It's so important not to let this wait, because the Delta variant is much more rapidly transmissible, and if we wait too long then we could get behind." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frustration is growing around frontline police not being made a vaccination priority. Police Association President Chris Cahill believes this is a breach of work safe legislation, and they’re looking at legal action. Lawyer Chris Patterson told Kate Hawkesby the union definitely has a leg to stand on, in the eyes of the law. "All employers, which includes the New Zealand Police because they are an employer, have to take all reasonable, practical steps to ensure that every employee is protected from harm." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.