Afternoons

Eggs are an easy dinner option midweek. Here they create a savoury spin on French toast, This is a flavour-packed version where eggs are whisked together with parsley, ham, cheese and a little mustard. Thick slices of bread are then soaked briefly before being pan-fried. A very simple little tomato salad makes for a lovely topping.

Time for our weekly travel segment Heading Off. Many of you will have been on holiday and been desperate to stay longer than planned - usually logistics and life get in the way. But that wasn't the case for our next guest, Alex Bell has just returned home after 18 months of travelling, originally he planned to be gone for only three.

In some exciting news for their fans, or anyone who wants to relive the 90s, Push Push is reuniting to celebrate 35 years of that hit single. I'm joined by the band's frontman, the one and only Mikey Havoc.

Aucklanders, this is news you need to know, congestion charging is coming. A Government bill to bring it in passed its third reading in parliament, and that means it will pass into law. Congestion charging is already seen in cities like London, Singapore and New York City, and usually involves charging motorists to enter the central city at peak times. Auckland will be the first city of the ranks - then it could be rolled out in other cities. To tell us what it might look like here, Matt Lowrie from transport think tank 'Greater Auckland' joins Jesse.

If you've heard any news at all today, you'll be aware the Independent Police Conduct Authority has released a report into the Police's handling of complaints about former Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming McSkimming hit the news earlier this year when he resigned from his post. At the time Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the allegations against him were "of a very serious nature". McSkimming was subsequently charged and pleaded guilty to possessing objectionable material on his work laptop. But it turns out there was much more to this story, and the investigation into McSkimming, than that. Here to explain all the ins and outs of this case is RNZ political reporter Giles Dexter.

It's time now for a new season of the RNZ podcast Thrift and this week host Katy Gosset investigates some cheap tweaks that can help turn your rental property into a home. Today we meet an expert renter and op-shopping queen whose homely hacks won't stretch the budget.

We've got a weekly segment called 'You're the Judge' where we present an issue that's been sent in by one of our listeners, and you, our audience, decide what the right course of action is.

"Just be yourself" is one of the worst pieces of advice out there says Psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. Authenticity and some diversity programs that encourage people to 'be themselves' often lead to failure he says. Dr Chamorro-Premuzic explains that the most successful people aren't intensely authentic, they're experts at reading a room, adapting, and understanding where the right to be yourself ends and our obligation to others begins. His new book is called Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated.

Let's find out what's happening in Australia now Brad Foster is with us now to tell us what everyone is talking about across the Tasman. Today's topics - How a Neo-Nazi rally in Sydney on Saturday got permission to be held and why tobacco sales are soaring on the Australian black market.

A few weeks ago Pip Adam was lucky enough to be part of the launch of Laura Vincent's new novel Hoods Landing. Today she chats to Jesse about three book things related to Hood's Landing. Overseas Experience by Nicola Andrews (Aporo Press, 2025) local loser podcast with host Damien Levi The Whitireia Publishing Course - Aotearoa New Zealand's only full-time industry-led qualification in book publishing.