Afternoons

Growing up on the autism spectrum, Leland Vittert knew what it meant to be singled out. He was bullied by classmates, written off by teachers, even branded "weird" by a school principal. But his father never let his son be defined by autism and he never gave up on him. His dad understood a hard truth: the world wasn't going to adapt for his son, so his son would have to learn to adapt to the world. And he did. From war zones to the anchor desk, Vittert built a career in journalism that few could have imagined. Leland Vittert's new memoir is a thank you letter to his father and the tough love and unwavering belief that helped transform a boy the world underestimated into a man defined by resilience, gratitude, and purpose. His book is called Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, and My Journey with Autism.

These soy sauce eggs are a brilliant recipe to have on hand. They are food preppers dream. Once marinated, they and be stored in the fridge for a few days and are perfect for adding to salads and homemade ramen, topping avocado toast and just snacking on as they are!

Time for our weekly travel segment. Heading Off. If you have a travel story to share with us, then please get in touch. 2101 or [email protected] Recent examples include listener Kevin who took a kayak trip down the Yukon River or David Lees motorbiking around the world. We've stopped closer to home too Louisa & Ama's guide to Mangere. Today we're joined by Australian writer Ash Jurberg, he's taking us to Yellowstone National Park.

Vinyl sales are booming. They've more than tripled since 2016, far outselling CDs and other physical media, but of course digital is where most people get their music or indeed podcasts. In a new podcast for The Spinoff Duncan Greive & former music 101 host Charlotte Ryan explore what is making vinyl hot again. Duncan chats to Jesse.

Shannen Michaela is a Guinness world record holding foot archer yes you heard that right, she can do a handstand and fire a bow with her feet at the same time. And that's just one of the amazing feats on display when the curtains go up on Cirque Bon Bon this week. Shannen joins Jesse.

The Reserve Bank will announce its Official Cash Rate decision this afternoon. While everyone is expecting a cut, economists seem divided on how deep it may fall. Here to explain why it matters is Infometrics Chief Executive and Principal Economist Brad Olsen.

We've got a new 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. Today we ask for your opinion on whether a man has to talk to his girlfriend before he gets a haircut. Text us 2101 with your judgement!

An entire generation is often summed up in two words: Avocado Toast. An Australian commentator criticized millennials for blowing house downpayment money on brunch, and the label has stuck. But millennials are far more complicated. They grew up at a time of rapid political, technological and cultural change. Bloomberg News reporter Charlie Wells comes to the defense of his generation as they reach midlife, still caught between hope and reality. His new book is called, What Happened to Millennials: In Defense of a Generation.

Time now to find out what's got people talking across the Tasman, our man on the ground in Australia Brad Foster chats to Jesse about the Sydney shooting spree; Australia and Papua New Guinea signing a new alliance and the appeal over Erin Patterson's sentence.

Crime novels are generally a hit with readers of all ages, but right now the genre is especially popular with young adult readers. Auckland Grammar School's Director of Library and 'The School Book Wizard' Catherine Ross shares her recommendations. For Ages 10+ Danger Road By A.L. Tait Published in 2025 For Ages 12+ Medici Heist By Caitlin Schneiderhan Published in 2024 For Ages 12/13+ The Champions By Kara Thomas Published in 2024 For Ages 14+ When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole (Aotearoa New Zealand) By Geoff Parkes Published in 2025