Checkpoint

An enchanted Santa experience was more of a nightmare before Christmas for an Auckland mum, after she discovered the T&Cs would allow the business to use any photos taken of her children for its advertising or social media. Enchanted Christmas in Auckland's Newmarket boasts 180 decorated xmas trees, over a 150,000 lights, decorations and photo opportunities with Santa and the Grinch. But mum Michelle Dickinson was put off after reading the terms and conditions that she believes ignore children's digital privacy and the risks of artificial intelligence. Dickinson spoke to Lisa Owen.

How would you feel if that little voice in your head went completely quiet? You know the one that stresses about all the mistakes you've made just as you're trying to get to sleep or replays that same pesky ear worm over and over again. Well for some people that's a reality and it's called anauralia. Checkpoint producer Johnny Sutherland spoke to Lisa Owen about one person's experience living with a silent mind.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the UK Covid-19 Inquiry pubishing a damning report on how political leaders responded during the pandemic, as well as the UK Home Secretary unveiling another policy cracking down on migrants.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Wellington Phoenix women have suffered a double blow with two players out for the remainder of the A-League season with an increasingly common injury. Female footballers are more at risk of ACL injuries than their male counterparts, a phenomenon that is now so prolific it is part a FIFA study. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A lawyer for Pike River families says police now have enough evidence to lay manslaughter charges over the mine disaster. Twenty-nine men were killed in the 2010 mine explosion and while charges under the Health and Safety Act were laid against former Pike River Coal boss Peter Whittall, they were dropped in exchange for a $3 million payment to the victims families. The police undertook further drilling into the mine in 2021 to gather more evidence and have been working with the Crown Solicitor trying to decide whether to lay charges. Samantha Gee has more.

Competition is picking up between the banks as they fight for home loan customers. But it looks different these days - where once we saw them slashing rates aggressively, now they use cash back offers to get new customers in the door. So who actually benefits here?Money correspondent Susan Edmunds has been checking this out and spoke to Lisa Owen.

The debate over transgender inclusion in sport is heading to court. Auckland Pride is seeking a judicial review after the Minister for Sport and Recreated ordered the removal of the guidelines for transgender inclusion in community sport. First published in 2022, the document asked sporting bodies to consider a set of "guiding principles" to make participating in community sport more inclusive for transgender people. But Sport NZ ditched the guidelines after direction from the government in July this year, also removing the document from its website. Victor Waters reports.

The head of the Principal's Federation is calling for the government to pay for asbestos testing and clean-ups in schools after a contamination scare with kids play sand. Retail giant Kmart has sold 67,000 units of the potentially asbestos laced sand. It's being recalled along with 4000 unites of other similar products. President of the New Zealand Principals' Federation Leanne Otene spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's hoped rams brains may help researchers better understand the long term consequences of repeated head blows on sports people. Rams, which frequently butt heads, will provide Auckland University's centre for brain research a model population to study. Repeated blows to the head often experienced in contact sport have been found to increase the risk of brain diseases, like CTE and forms of dementia. Auckland University senior research fellow Dr Helen Murray spoke to Lisa Owen.