Afternoons

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in 49 days, on June 11th, five days later the All Whites have their first game. They're playing Iran which has committed to playing in the World Cup despite the fact it is being held in Los Angeles. And along with our players, New Zealand is also sending a referee to the competition. That's a big deal because he's the only referee that's been selected from all of Oceania. Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh, also known as CK, chats to Jesse.

Elder Abuse is defined as a single or repeated act, which causes harm or distress to an older person in a relationship where there is the expectation of trust. The New Zealand Longitudinal Study of Ageing has shown that 10 percent of over 65s experience abuse .. but it is estimated that only 1 in 14 abuse incidences are reported. That's why Dr Kathy Peri, a senior lecturer in nursing at the University of Auckland, has created a new tool to help. She chats to Jesse.

It's never been easy to be a teenage girl. Emotions are intense, and social pressure is even worse. Girls haven't changed, but the world has. Today, adolescence is also public, shaped by social media, sexual pressure, and a constant sense of being watched and judged says Freya India, a Gen Z writer with a Substack called GIRLS. She says girls today are curating their lives on Instagram, marketing themselves on dating apps, and turning their identities into personal brands. She explores the ways girls have become products instead of people and how natural teenage angst is being exploited for profit, leading to a cycle of disconnection and dissatisfaction. Her new book is called GIRLS®: Generation Z and the Commodification of Everything

Kelly Gibney is with Jesse in the Auckland studio, and she has a delicious recipe to share, one-pan curried chicken and rice with cauliflower.

It's time for Heading Off and today, we're off to Botswana on an epic safari adventure Linda Calder first travelled to Africa on her OE in the late '90s and quickly fell in love with the region. Since then, she's turned that passion into her own safari travel business, Getaway Safari, designing bespoke experiences across Africa India and Borneo Based in Hawke's Bay, Linda still returns to Africa at least once a year.

There are almost 83 thousand people living with dementia in New Zealand and that number is expected to double in the next 15 years. For Alison and her partner Neil dementia upended both their lives and Alison's role started to shift from partner to full carer. Despite being entitled to 35 days of respite care via a government needs assessment, she discovered it's virtually impossible to actually use them. So now Alison is campaigning for better access to respite care. She chats to Jesse.

Christy Tennent owns a cafe called 'Open Coffee" on Auckland's Karangahape Road and through her cafe she gets an insight into how locals are feeling about Tamaki Makarau. It's fair to say those feelings were mainly negative. So she decided to try to change the narrative. Christy has started an event called 'Night Mayors' a chance to have a series of positive conversations about Auckland.

The Chatham Islands are a paradise for conservationists, but locals are concerned it won't stay that way.

Of all the mysteries in all the world, the greatest one of all may be how our brains produce the feeling of being you. What is consciousness, the voice in our heads? Who better to go explore the mystery than Michael Pollan. His deep sense of curiosity has sent him searching for answers with acclaimed books on food, plants, and mind-altering substances. These questions are taking on even more urgency with the rise of artificial intelligence. Pollan guides readers through the latest science and biggest debates around consciousness, what it is, who has it, and where does it come from, in his newest book, A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness.

Podcast critic (and RNZ newsreader) Evie Ashton shares what she's been listening to: Maiden Australia If Books Could Kill