95bFM: The Wire

This week on the Monday Wire...

For our weekly catch-up with the ACT Party, News Director Castor spoke to MP Simon Court about Labour’s proposed streaming levy and recent IT issues in the Health sector, including the ManageMyHealth data breach and IT outages last week. 

They also spoke to Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, Jane Kelsey, about the World Trade Organisation and its future as the United States becomes more isolationist. 

Thursday Wire Host Caeden spoke to Samira Ghoreishi, womens rights advocate and researcher on social movements and civil society in Iran, on the nuances of the current political situation following a week of mass demonstrations and government crackdowns. 

And Producer Alex spoke to Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Otago, Robert Patman, about Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs on major EU member states over their opposition to the potential of the US Taking control of Greenland, what that says about Trump, and what it means for the EU and NATO.

This weekend, Donald Trump announced his plans to levy tariffs against European countries who oppose his plans to press for Greenland. The move, which is an attempt to levy America’s economic position to dissuade what has been fervent european opposition to his desire for the territory, has been met with severe responses from Europe.

With the EU threatening retaliatory tariffs, and the ties between the US and the rest of NATO increasingly fraught, serious concerns and questions are being raised about how the US view Europe, and indeed all their allies, under this Trump Administrations ‘America First’ agenda.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke with Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Otago, Professor Robert Patman, about these tariffs, what they say about Trump's intent, and what sort of reaction we may see.

The United States is increasingly moving away from global institutions in a pursuit of populist isolationism. In its wake, it leaves multilateral organisations founded on the assumption of US support, which many smaller nations are dependent on for foreign affairs, health support, defence, or trade. 

The World Trade Organisation is facing such pressures now, with a looming threat of US exit following similar policies curbing the organisation’s influence. To discuss what the WTO is, how dependent it is on US support, and what it could mean for a changing global society if the US withdrew, News Director Castor spoke to Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, Jane Kelsey.

Grok, an artificial intelligence chatbot on X AI, has come under fire for allowing users to edit images of real people to show them in revealing outfits. 

These include potentially pornographic and non-consensual images involving women and children. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Dr Cassandra Mudgway, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Canterbury, about this issue and what regulation should look like. 

Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders, a small New Zealand charity, has launched another court case against the United States government at the Court of International Trade.

The organisation already won a case at the Court last year against the US government’s decision to allow fish imports from set net and trawl fisheries on the west coast of New Zealand.

Maui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders are now challenging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s latest comparability report based on fish still being caught in both Māui and Hector’s dolphin habitats. 

Wire Host Caeden spoke to Christine Rose, founder and chairperson of the Māui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders, about the case.

NZ Fire and Emergency Strike action has continued this month, with the planned strike coinciding with the substantial blaze last Friday at The Pita House in Pakuranga. Volunteer firefighters arrived on the scene in half an hour, with a statement from the emergency service saying employed responders would have otherwise been at the scene in four minutes. 

Tāmaki has also been hosting the ASB Classic, with the final taking place earlier this week, crowning Ukrainian Elina Svitolina as winner. 

I spoke to Councillor Shane Henderson about these topics, as well as his focus areas for council mahi in 2026.

Two large retailers, Yoyoso and EB Games, recently announced their intention to close. The announcements follow the closure of multiple other retailers, as business owners struggle to stay afloat amidst rising costs and declining customer bases. 

To discuss the problem, its causes, and potential solutions, News Director Castor spoke to Chief Executive at Retail NZ, Carolyn Young.

A new analysis by the Public Service Association shows that the government’s funding cuts to Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand have forced the national health body to conduct over 30 restructures over the last two years, resulting in 2,100 job cuts, along with 640 healthcare workers taking voluntary redundancy.

I spoke to the University of Auckland’s Professor of Nursing, Andrew Jull, about what this actually means for nurses and patients alike, and what the wider public could do to support healthcare workers.

In November last year, feral cats were added to the list of predators to be eliminated in the New Zealand wide ambition ‘Predator Free 2050’.

The decision recognises the long-held concerns of conservationists that the uncontrolled wild cat population is endangering native animals including birds.

Courtney Addision, a Senior Lecturer in Science in Society at the Victoria University of Wellington, published an article in the Conversation voicing concerns about the move — including the distinction between feral, stray and domestic cats, as well as how welfare considerations need to be visited in approaching this species.

For Green World this week, Wire Host Sara spoke to Addison about the issue, in the context of wider environmental and ethical implications going forward.

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about a new technique for diagnosing microbial infections, new research on climate risk perceptions, and a Danish invention that could prevent counterfeiting.