Nine To Noon

With Three former political editor Tova O'Brien joining Mediaworks' rebranded breakfast radio, Andrew looks at why the move ended up before the Employment Relations Authority. A restraint of trade clause means Tova O'Brien must wait to start her new radio job. Was Three's parent company right to block her move? And a new study on Public broadcasting suggests those countries which provide greater funding for public media have healthier democracies. 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

It's easy to burn out amidst the collective stress of a pandemic, says Rebekah Ballagh. The Nelson-based counsellor and writer posts daily mental health tips on her hugely popular Instagram account journey to wellness and has just published an illustrated book about grief - Words of Comfort.

Pattrick talks to Kathryn about the IRD figures that show that a lot of business owners declared dividends last year, and paid tax in advance on those dividends, in order to avoid having to pay the new 39% top personal tax rate if those dividends were declared in the future. All legal, logical and an interesting insight into how business owners think. Also, aluminium prices are booming and there are signs of a worldwide shortage as energy costs, which are rising in the current global inflationary environment. What does this mean for Rio Tinto at the Bluff smelter?

Kiran Dass reviews three favourite novels from 2021: Some Answers Without Questions by Lavinia Greenlaw, published by Faber; Intimacies by Katie Kitamura published by Jonathan Cape and My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley published by Granta.

A performance of air, featuring aerialists, live music and dance artists, Belle is featuring in the upcoming Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. The performance is above and all around you. Belle takes its name from the French word for dragonfly llibellule which is a symbol of transformation in some cultures. One of the key creatives working with an all-female cast, dancer, choreographer and previous World of Wearable Art director Malia Johnston speaks with Kathryn.

When US President Joe Biden took office a year ago promising to focus on the domestic crisis of that moment - the COVID-19 pandemic that was killing tens of thousands of Americans each week, confining millions to their homes and hobbling the world's largest economy. Ron says implicit in that promise was the unavoidable corollary: American involvement in other parts of the world would have to take a back seat to the domestic crisis at hand. That is, until the reckoning in Afghanistan intruded, and before the Russians massed armoured divisions on their border with Ukraine.

The OECD says rising debt due to government Covid stimulus and the soaring housing market are risks for the economy. The Paris based intergovernmental economic organisation has issued its three yearly report card on New Zealand's economy. It finds that economic recovery has been rapid and strong and the economy is showing signs of overheating.The report says the government needs to commit to explicit long-term debt-to-GDP targets, and change some policies such as pension elibility. Kathryn discusses the report with independent economist Cameron Bagrie.

The Russia - Ukraine crisis deepens by the day. 100,000 Russian troops, tanks and artillery have massed on Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, prompting fears of an invasion - despite repeated Russian denials of any plan to attack. Meanwhile the UK's government has come into lockstep with US and other allies to freeze assets and ban travel in the event of a Russian incursion into Ukraine. Russia alleges that U.S. leaders have broken promises they made in the early 1990s to not expand NATO's membership eastward. The U.S. and NATO leaders say no such pledges were made and refuse to discuss limitations on NATO's future expansion. So what, if any, prospects exist for a solution to this impasse? Kathryn speaks with Sir Adam Thomson, Director of the European Leadership Network. He's a former UK Permanent Representative to NATO; British High Commissioner to Pakistan, and Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

Auckland Light Rail from the City Centre to the the airport has been announced, Bill examines the route and whether it is a good option or not. Bill McKay is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland.

Registered nutritionist Claire Turnbull has tips for keeping your fruit and vegetables fresh for longer; what to keep in the fridge, how to store them, and what to do when you do find vegetables looking limp. It'll prolong the shelf life of your produce, especially during the hot summer months, and save you money. It's estimated the average New Zealand household throws away 86kg of edible food each year, worth $644.