Nine To Noon

The US prison system amounts to a modern-day form of slavery based on lies about the underclass it is exploiting, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist says.

Europe remains on edge about the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, after a round of talks between US and Russian officials failed to find a breakthrough to reduce tensions. Meanwhile, the head of the German navy has resigned after a backlash over comments he made about the Ukraine crisis. And Europe moves towards easing of Covid restrictions, with Ireland the latest country to do so.

How can kicking off your shoes and going barefoot improve your health? Advocate for the barefoot lifestyle, founder of The Barefoot Movement and qualified podiatrist Paul Thompson says it's possible to reduce pain and discomfort by strengthening the body to support itself without shoes. Paul tells Kathryn he thinks orthotics are over-prescribed and that going barefoot more often activates muscles and nerves made redundant by shoes - making him feel younger.

Hospital doctors could continue working even after testing positive for Covid-19 in the worst case scenarios of an Omicron outbreak here. Emergency departments are preparing for chronic worker shortages when staff contract Omicron and are forced to isolate, similar to what has been experienced in Europe and Australia. Kathryn speaks with Dr John Bonning from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, who says while large hospitals will have a better chance at absorbing the mass staff shortages, smaller regional hospitals will be under significant pressure. He's warning that in this disaster scenario, a small hospital with only one or two doctors may be forced to either temporarily close or if Covid-positive staff feel well, they may continue to work through their illness with precautions in place. Employers in all industries are being warned by epidemiologists to prepare for "the big sick". Overseas, illness as a result of Omicron has significantly disrupted supply chains, leaving shelves empty in supermarkets and shops. Brett O'Riley from the Employers and Manufacturers Association wants says rapid antigen tests are the way to keep New Zealand open for business and avoid 'the big sick' sweeping the workforce.

Nota Bene sing 'The Blessed Son of God' and 'Ding Dong Merrily on High' - Te Radar, Irene Pink, Kennedy Warne, Beau and Sam Ackerman bid farewell to 2021.

It's something that will appeal to most of us as we wind down after a long year - taking the time to just zone out. Koreans have made it an art form. In Korea, it's called "hitting mung", which refers to reaching a state of blankness. There's "forest mung" - spacing out while looking at trees, "fire mung" - watching logs burn, and "water mung" - meditating by bodies of water. It's become increasingly popular as Koreans seek refuge from busy lives and the stresses of the pandemic. Mung cafes have also cropped up around the country, where guests sit quietly - no phones, no children, no talking. Michelle Ye Hee Lee is a reporter at the Washington Post covering Japan and Korea and has been looking into the trend.

Morgan MacAllister-Robb has been a truck driver for over 30 years - and lately he's had some cute company along for the ride. Since last March, Morgan has transported around 200 dogs - and the odd cat - to their new homes on his Christchurch-to-Palmerston North driving route.

Te Radar, Irene Pink, Kennedy Warne and Sam Ackerman bid farewell to 2021. And, we're joined by Wellington chamber choir Nota Bene for some Christmas songs.

Neale Jones, Brigitte Morten, Pattrick Smellie Siouxsie Wiles and Andrew Holden look back on a tumultuous year.

Cotswolds couple Sally and Neville Hollingworth are part-time paleontologists who have struck archaeological gold twice. Four years ago they exposed the site of five ice-age mammoths, in a 200,000 year-old mammoth graveyard. After lock-down this year they unearthed a 167 million year old haul of fossil echinoderms, some of which are brand new to scientists, and which have been hailed by London's Natural History Museum as "of global significance". Sally and Neville join Kathryn to talk about the skill (and if there's any luck involved) of being a successful amateur fossil hunter.