Nine To Noon

In his twenties Michael Whittaker started losing his vision due to a progressive condition, retinitis pigmentosa. He was an international model at the time, and still fits in some modelling assignments alongside his studies. Michael talks to Kathryn about how he's had to adapt to living with deteriorating sight, the help he's received from Blind Low Vision NZ and also the common prejudices he's had to deal with. Now aged 32, he's at the University of Auckland, working on a PhD in NZ Literature. He is focusing on the inaugural New Zealand Poet Laureate Michele Leggott who also lives with the same progressive condition.

Nikki Mandow takes a look at managed retreat and councils' willingness to accelerate planning, the potential of green hydrogen and its role in the America's Cup, plus how embedded carbon works in the construction industry. Nikki Mandow is Newsroom's business editor.

Sally Wenley reviews Fairy Tale by Stephen King, published by Hachette.

What will the world look like in 2050? What will be our biggest challenges and the major issues shaping our world? And what countries will have the biggest economies? Hamish McRae is one of Europe's leading speakers on global trends in economics, business and society. He's also an economic and finance journalist and editor at The Independent. In his new book The World in 2050: How to Think About the Future, he maps out the next thirty years - and he has a well-established reputation for predicting global trends; thirty years ago he did a similar exercise in his book The World in 2020: Power, Culture and Prosperity; and warned, among other things, of Brexit, a populist revolution in America, and a global pandemic.

Ron Elving talks about how the US economy and inflation, which has slightly slowed, and also how the devastating impact of Hurricane Ian will affect elections. There is also more concern about President Joe Biden's state of health.

Advocacy group JustSpeak's new five-part podcast series True Justice gives a new perspective on life behind bars. It journeys through the justice system, from the moment of arrest to life after prison. True Justice is hosted by Cousins and Breaker-Upperers actor Ana Chaya Scotney,and Victoria University Wellington Criminology student Tommy Doran, who spent time in prison as a young meth addict. True Justice urges rehabilitation and restoration, and confronts what is described as the ''out of sight, out of mind' nature of our justice system. Kathryn is joined by Executive-Director of JustSpeak Aphiphany Forward-Taua and Tommy Doran.

Auckland commuters are set to have their travel plans derailed for large chunks of the coming year. KiwiRail and Auckland Transport yesterday announced plans for a major rebuild to rail lines across the city which is says will "future proof" the network for decades to come. A number of train lines will be shut for months next year, while the tracks are upgraded. Thousands of commuters on the Onehunga, Southern and Eastern lines will have to catch buses instead. But the news has been described as a bombshell - some public transport advocates say this will send tens of thousands back into their cars. And business associations are worried. Kathryn speaks with David Gordon, Kiwirail's Chief Operating Officer - Capital Projects & Asset Development and Amanda Wellgreen, Town Manager for Onehunga Business Association.

Kennedy talks to Kathryn about godwits which are currently en route to New Zealand from Alaska, the gannets of Cape Kidnappers and one of the most ancient Gondwanan forests: the Daintree rainforest.

Auckland mates Charlie Farrelly-Gruar and John 'Seymore' Harrison share a passion for delicious kai and deep kōrero.

Kathryn, Brigitte and Lamia discuss National holding firm on tax cuts, constant pressure on the Government over social housing and what the latest political poll shows. Brigitte Morten is a director with public and commercial law firm Franks & Ogilvie and a former senior ministerial advisor for the previous National-led government. Lamia Imam worked for two years for the Labour Party in the Leader of the Opposition's office under Phil Goff, David Shearer and David Cunliffe. She also worked for the Ministry of Justice, before gaining a Masters in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin. She currently works for a large technology company in Wellington.