Nine To Noon

Laura Caygill reviews The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser, published by Penguin Random House NZ.

A new storm bearing down on the country is already affecting Northland. Heavy rain and wind is lashing the very top of the country, thanks to a low-pressure system lying to the west of the North Island. Several roads in the Far North have been affected by fallen powerlines and flooding, two schools have been forced to close - yes, on the first day of the new term - and flights to Whangarei, Bay of Islands and Whitianga in the Coromandel, have been abandoned. In the past 24 hours up to 100 millimetres of the wet stuff has fallen in Northland. Metservice has just updated its watches and warnings. Kathryn speaks with meterologist Lewis Ferris to discuss them.

Think of a corset and your mind probably settles on something tight and uncomfortable. Almost the antithesis of the stretchy pants we've all got used to in the pandemic! Kathryn speaks to Dr Sarah Bendall from Australian Catholic University , an expert in early modern dress, how it was made and traded and how it differed between the sexes. She's written a book about this that focuses on what women wore in the period from 1500 to 1800 called Shaping Femininity: Foundation Garments, the Body, and Women in Early Modern England. As part of her research she recreated corsets - sewing them herself - to find out whether they really were as restrictive as the literature at the time - written mainly by moralising men - would suggest.

Italy will go to the polls for a snap election in September after the government of Mario Draghi - the country's sixth Prime Minister in 10 years - collapsed. Seamus talks to Kathryn about why so much is riding on this election. In England, travel chaos at Dover has continued into a third day with the British blaming French border staff, but the French say it's the result of Brexit. And what's happening with the Russia-Ukraine deal on grain exports after the Russian airstrike on the port of Odessa?

Amid a skills shortage, there's concern more needs to be done to increase the number of women working in construction. As of mid last year, 2.6% of building roles and 8% of trade and technical roles within infrastructure sectors are held by women. Coming down the pipe-line, women were awarded 15% of construction and infrastructure apprenticeships. A recent survey showed 60% of women spoken to expressed an interest in entering the trades, while 79% of trade employers said they'd like to hire more women But, advocates say, barriers remain connecting willing women workers with employers, and that women need to be made to feel welcome in a male-dominated workplace. Erica Cumming,Acting General Manager of Partnerships and Equity at Waihanga Ara Rau, the workforce development council, supporting women in trades, construction and infrastructure.

There's disarray in the fishing industry with massive under-staffing affecting the processing of wet fish. It's hoki season and despite efforts to hire more people, the labour is just not there One of the country's largest seafood exporters, Sealord is bracing for multi-million dollar losses as it doesn't have enough staff on the factory floor. Chief Executive Doug Paulin says last year they'd hope to recruit 450 more staff but ended up only being able to attract 300 and the situation has deteriorated since then. He's just back from a break and will be in the Nelson plant today helping to help process fish. He talks to Kathryn about the extent immigration policy and the pandemic contributing to the shortage of workers.

Te Radar and James join Lynn for a look at the highlights in news from the week, including a sign war between a Missouri McDonald's and Dairy Queen, Philippines' workers who'll be fined if they don't smile, a lifetime warranty for socks that wasn't and why you should never, ever put your parents' ashes in your checked luggage.

Sport correspondent Dana Johannsen joins Lynn to talk about pressure for changes at the top of the All Blacks, how Kiwi athletes are faring at the Athletics World Champs in Oregon and how NBA star Steven Adams is back home in New Zealand during the off-season - and is impressing folks. Dana Johannsen is Stuff's National Correspondent specialising in sport.

The sixth album from Kiwi/ Canadian treasure Tami Neilson is a kaleidoscope of ideas, guitarist Brett Adams conjures moody soundscapes, and Norwegian trio a-Ha are still making the magic.

Holly Walker reviews The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd by Finlay Macdonald, published by Penguin Random House NZ