National says if it becomes the Government, it will regulate all schools to ban cellphones all day in classrooms and in the playground. Leader Christopher Luxon says this will lift achievement by eliminating distraction, and enabling students to concentrate on learning. The Principals' Federation has dismissed the policy, calling it unnecessary and unworkable. A number of schools around the country have already implemented policies restricting cellphones. Susie speaks with Matt White is the Principal of Wairarapa College and Ann Brokenshire, Principal of Christchurch's Hillmorton High School, about how it is working in their schools.

A petition calling for Government buildings to be fitted out exclusively with wool carpets is finally set to be presented to Parliament. It follows a decision to fit more than 600 rural schools with US-made synthetic carpet which has drawn the ire of many farmers, including Canterbury farmer Angela Blair, who started a petition. A similar petition led by Amy Blaikie had already reached 15,000 signatures back in 2020, but due to an admin error, it was never presented to Parliament. Angela Blair will now present her petition before the house is suspended for the election, saying the Government claims it wants to back the wool industry but its actions don't back that up.

A new report examining how medicines are funded in New Zealand suggests it's too cost-focused and should instead be approached as an investment in Kiwis' welfare. The ShawView report - commissioned by Johnson&Johnson - says New Zealand is falling behind similar high-income OECD countries in providing access to new treatments. It suggests immediately funding the 109 medicines sitting on Pharmac's Options for Investment List, the creation of a government plan to increase the annual medicines budget to get it closer to the OECD average, developing new financing mechanisms, setting up a dedicated fund to finance innovative new medicines and creating a national medicine policy. Brendan Shaw is behind the report - he's worked in a number of roles across government, NGOs and pharmaceutical associations - including Medicines Australia and with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations.

Sports chat with Sam Ackerman

Our four-legged best friends are the subject of a new photography book; Dogs with Stories. The work of Mardo El-Noor, the book showcases one hundred adorable dogs and their owners, elaborately staged in their homes in a series of "hyperrealistic" photographs. By day, Mardo El-Noor makes a living as a director-designer of ads, music videos & other content, but in his spare time, he's worked on this book with Dobby, Pepsi, Alfred, Louie the Meatball and many more fluffy friends.

Business commentator Rebecca Stevenson joins Susie to look at the billion US dollars made by the smash-hit movie Barbie over the past three weeks. We look at what the 'Barbie' bump done for the US economy, and the profits of her owner Mattel. Meanwhile the world's biggest Youtuber, Jimmy Donaldson, or MrBeast, is suing the company behind his online fast-food chain MrBeast Burger for making "inedible" food that has disappointed his vocal fans. And could the Commerce Commission urge regulation to bring down surcharges for retail payments? Rebecca Stevenson is a senior writer at interest.co.nz

Matthew talks to Susie about the recent government announcement of the steps it'll take to the ministerial inquiry into land use. More than 50 people greeted Minister Peeni Henare at a Gisborne last week - but some got up and left, due to a feeling there's a lack of urgency. Ombudsman Peter Boshier visited the region last week too, calling for more "empowerment of iwi" post-cyclone. And Matthew has spoken to cyclone-survivor Tahu Owen-Ruru, who's in her 80s, about how she's rebuilding her life in the aftermath. Matthew Rosenberg, a local democracy reporter based out of the Gisborne Herald's newsroom.

Laura Caygill reviews Penance by Eliza Clark published by Allen and Unwin

A small fishing village in Portugal is home to the biggest waves in the world. Nazaré is known as the Mecca of big-wave surfing, attracting the world's most fearless surfers, all in pursuit of the chance to surf the mythical 100-foot wave. Journalist Matt Majendie spent a whole surf season hanging out in Nazaré, getting to know the surfing community and following their quest to surf the biggest wave in history - and live to tell the tale. He witnessed wipe-outs, rescues, tragedies, and death-defying escapes, which he has now told in his first book; Nazaré: Life & Death with the Big-Wave Surfers. Matt Majendie is currently sports correspondent with the Evening Standard, and the host of the podcasts Sporting Misadventures and Bloodsport.

US correspondent Ron Elving joins Susie to talk about the wait for Donald Trump's next indictment, expected from Fulton County Georgia over claims he tried to overturn the 2020 election result by asking officials to "find" votes for him. And Ohio voters are about to be asked whether they want the minimum threshold required to pass constitutional amendments raised - which some see as a proxy vote on the state's abortion laws. Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News.