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, a National Party member and currently volunteering for the party's deputy leader, Nicola Willis.

Whanganui social services are bracing for the planned pullback of police from mental health callouts, the mayoral race is heating up, St George's is on the chopping block, and Whanganui has "once in a lifetime" softball talent.

Sonja de Friez reviews Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves by Sophie Gilbert published by Hachette

Martin Stiles is the man credited with fixing the heart rhythms of some of our great Olympians.

Trump-aligned candidate leads Romania's presidential race, German spy agency classifies far-right AfD party as extremist, Vatican installs chimney for conclave smoke signals, and a spate of cryptocurrency-linked kidnappings in France.

A law to enforce the use of plain language in official documents and on government websites is being scrapped over criticism it is achieving nothing more than extra costs and red tape, but proponents argue that's not true and the Act needs to stay.

Local councils and insurers are increasingly deciding which properties are at climate risk, in a legislative void.

Our comedians Irene Pink and Donna Brookbanks with a few of the funny stories from the last week, including the British boy who's won his second consecutive gull screeching championship.

Sam Ackerman brings us the latest sports from New Zealand and the rest of the world.

Tom discusses the latest events in Te Whanganui-a-Tara including local government update and the missing Wellington Water report.