Nine To Noon

Today's correspondent is Annika Smethurst in Australia, where there's been no let up in the rain falling in southern parts of New South Wales - what further help might be on offer for communities that keep being hit? She'll also look at Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's latest trip to Australia and the Reserve Bank's latest interest rate rise that marks one of the sharpest hikes since the 1990s.

As city centres crank back into life again, one in particular is looking the worse for wear. Auckland's heart has been plagued by a number of issues kicked off by the pandemic: absent international tourists, workers reluctant to return to the office, an exodus of retailers from the midtown and Aotea Square area and ongoing, noisy and ugly disruption caused by the construction of the City Rail Link. The central city is only 0.8 per cent of Auckland's land area, but it packs a mighty economic punch - at 20 percent - or $23b of the city's GDP. It's also home to 45,000 residents - but those with kids lack a school to send them to. So is it time for a major rethink? Kathryn talks to urban designer Garth Falconer, who says the city doesn't need revival - it needs revolution. She'll also be joined by Antony Philips, chair of the City Centre Residents' Group.

Inland Revenue says more businesses are getting behind on GST payments, and its urging business owners to seek help early if they're struggling. In the eight months to March, total outstanding debt to the IRD increased by one percent to $4.441 billion, not including student loans or child support. Most of the debt is outstanding GST payments. The government passed special legislation allowing Inland Revenue to write off some debts for businesses affected by Covid, mainly late payment penalties and use-of-money interest and so far more than $242 million has been written off. Kathryn speaks with Richard Philp, IR's spokesperson on outstanding tax debt.

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is rushing to plug the gaps in his Cabinet, after his Finance and Health Ministers said they no longer held confidence in him or his ability to adhere to the standards expected by the public. Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid quit within minutes of each other, just after Boris Johnson apologised for the appointment of MP Chris Pincher to a government role, despite being aware of allegations of sexual misconduct against him. The pair's decision has also prompted a flurry of resignations from more junior positions in the Tory party. Kathryn is joined from Westminster by UK correspondent Harriet Line.

Andrew looks at the newly-released draft legislation for Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media and why the commercial sector has greeted it with some unease. Stuff and The Spinoff have a new partnership as The Spinoff asks for more contributions, while NZME cracks 100-thousand paid digital subs and a new contract with Google. Andrew Holden is a journalist for more than 30 years including five as Editor of The Press (in Christchurch) and four as Editor-in-Chief of The Age in Melbourne.

80 former prison inmates have now passed through RAW - a residential programme helping women find self-worth on the outside. RAW (which stands for Reclaim Other Women) was founded in 2014 by fashion designer Annah Stretton and her sister Rebecca Skilton, a mental health nurse.

Hot on the heels of the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, Gyles talks to Kathryn about the Government expressing determination to get one done with India, how feasible is that? Also, changes to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act changes come into effect on Thursday.

Harry Ricketts reviews The Tip Shop by James Brown, published by Te Herenga Waka Press.

Frequencies are all around us; everything on this earth vibrates, and even you, right now, are resonating at a frequency between about 5 and 10 hertz. And if all things resonate, then surely they must also be making a sound... so what would that sound be? It's a question that musician, composer and TV presenter, Richard Mainwaring, has been pondering. In his new book Everybody Hertz: The Amazing World of Frequency, from Bad Vibes to Good Vibrations, Richard Mainwaring uncovers those mysterious sounds, and investigates how vibrations affect pretty much everything we do.

In the latest gun violence in the US, six people have been shot dead and more than two dozen have been hospitalised following a shooting at a 4th of July parade in a wealthy suburb of Chicago. Kelsey also talks to Kathryn about President Biden's trip to Europe for the NATO summit where he discussed increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin after NATO cleared the way for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. Kelsey Snell is a congressional correspondent for NPR, based in Washington DC.