Afternoons

When times are tight financially, every outgoing cost gets examined and for many of you that includes insurance payments. In February, it was revealed that the Government's going to do a review into insurance - that's after Treasury said that home insurance premiums had grown at three times the rate of the consumer price index since 2011 and been a 40 percent rise in the past two years. That's a lot of money spent hoping the worst doesn't happen. Here to talk insurance is Consumer NZ's expert on the topic, Rebecca Styles

Last week we spoke to clothing brand Kowtow about turning their clothes into organic biochar. That prompted many of you to ask about the science behind the process and any carbon cost, so we thought we'd find out! Matt Welton is fast becoming the go to person for all things biochar, he talks to Jesse.

Once touted as a future icon of Auckland's cityscape, the Seascape Tower may now be New Zealand's first "ghost tower". Construction on the 187-metre, $300 million dollar luxury skyscraper halted in August 2024, and the owner and developer Shundi Customs has gone into receivership. So for now, the tower stands incomplete, with no future date set for completion. So what happens now? Does the tower stay there empty forever? New Zealand Herald property editor Anne Gibson has been following the developments since 2024, and she joins Jesse.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is seeking legal advice after his ex wife posted some explosive allegations about him on social media. The claims - which do not relate to any alleged criminal conduct - are currently unsubstantiated and Hipkins has vehemently denied them. But it got us thinking about how a politician's private life can spill over into their public one. With Jesse to discuss this is political commentator Bryce Edwards.

The problem with artificial intelligence in education comes down to two problems. Somehow, educators need to encourage using AI creatively while discouraging taking lazy shortcuts. This is what Clay Shirky thinks, and he's the vice provost for A.I. and technology in education at New York University. The shortcuts that really concern Shirky aren't just using ChatGPT to write term papers, or cheat on an exam. He sees students skipping the struggle that comes with navigating emotional situations and relationships. Young people lean on ChatGPT for conversation starters and break up texts and writing letters to apologize for cheating with ChatGPT. Shirky sees too may students using AI to skip out on the messy work of becoming an adult.

Actor and Afternoons TV critic Michelle Langstone joins Jesse to review: Valdimir - Netflix Scarpetta - Prime Video

Each Monday we invite an expert in their field to answer all your questions - today we're looking at concussion. Every year in New Zealand there are around 36 thousand cases of concussion -which is a mild traumatic brain injury that affects brain function. And it's not just rugby players suffering. Professor Alice Theadom is a professor of brain health and co-director of the Brain Health Research Institute at AUT, she joins Jesse. If you have a question for her, do text us 2101 or email [email protected]

Every week Jesse joins a club and finds out what makes them tick! If you're a member of a club that you would like me to join for a day, please text 2101 on text of [email protected] via email. Today Helen Flockton joins us.

Brad Foster joins us from Sydney to give us the latest update on what's hitting the headlines across the Tasman.

Since coming to NZ from a small town in Punjab about 20 years ago, Rajni Kumar learnt to navigate both land and language, transforming her property into a thriving business - thanks to her green thumb. Here's Kadambari Raghukumar with the Here Now podcast.