Steady rain has continued to fall on Auckland overnight, with another 50 to 60mm settling on an already soggy city. That's well short of the unprecedented 249mm of rain that paralysed Auckland on Friday night, leaving four people dead, homes inundated or teetering on the brink of collapsed cliffs and hundreds of cars left abandoned on flooded Auckland streets. As the crisis quickly unfolded, emergency services fielded thousands of calls for help from all corners of the city. But the weekend has brought much criticism of the response of those at the top - particularly Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown. Joining Kathryn to talk about what Auckland's immediate and long-term needs will be, and how central government can help is Civil Defence Minister Kieran McAnulty and Transport Minister Michael Wood.

Te Radar and Elisabeth with humour to round off the week ,including the story of the library book which was more than 50 years overdue.

Sam looks into some unexpected comebacks, code-wide uprisings and turning points for pivotal figures in the sporting landscape this week. This includes the amazing story of rower, cyclist, Hamish Bond. Arguably he's one of the country's most competitive athletes and he's now turning out for Team NZ to defend the America's Cup in 2024.

Local Democracy Reporter David Hill talks to Kathryn about North Canterbury's building boom slowing down, dark sky and astronomy initiatives in the area and some interesting local developments in education.

Tilly Lloyd of Unity Books Wellington reviews her favourite books from last year: Guest at the Feast: Essays by Colm Toibin, published by Picador; Exiles: Three Island Journeys by William Atkins, published by Faber, and Edge of the Plain - How Borders Make & Break Our World by James Crawford, published by Canongate

The philanthropic organisation, Woven Earth, offers practical support to families surviving domestic violence, including gifting furniture, household items and toys. Aucklander Kerryn Thrupp founded Woven Earth three years ago and since then 400 families have been helped to set up home and start again. She says the idea for the organisation came to her when she was staying at a Womens Refuge in Australia with her two young children after fleeing abuse.

Koroi canvasses a range of Pacific issues, with the aftermath of the Fiji election, a big year ahead for the lucrative Pacific tuna industry, why Cook Islands tourism is in a bit of a slump and the Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Henry Puna interested in a second term.

New research reveals the role everyday items such milk cartons and painkillers play in declining sperm health. Infertility is a global health problem. It's estimated one in six couples have difficulties conceiving, with male fertility problems accounting for almost half of all cases. Sperm counts are reported to be falling by around 1.1% per year, with an overall decline of 51.6% in 45 years. And, the rate of decline has doubled since 2000. Kathryn is joined by leading British expert in the field Professor Andreas Kortenkamp to explain the possible causes for semen quality decline, and the latest research into exposure to chemicals. Until now, studies into male infertility and chemical exposures have focused on phthalates. Latest research reveals bisphenols, polychlorinated dioxins and paracetamol affect infertility more.

New research conducted for the Ministry of Health estimates around 300 thousand New Zealanders may have Long Covid, and reccomends the establishment of dedicated long Covid clinics around the country. The survey of nearly 1000 people was conducted for the Ministry by Victoria University epidemologist Dr Mona Jeffreys and Senior Maori Researcher Dr Lynn Russell. It found 22 per cent of participants had symptoms of long covid, and that Maori, Pasifika and people with disabilities in particular experienced barriers to primary healthcare. Their report also calls for long Covid to be recognised as a disability and for employers to provide sick leave that enables people to stay at home while they are unwell. Kathryn speaks with co-lead investigator and epidemiologist Dr Mona Jeffreys.

Film and TV reviewer James Croot joins Kathryn to talk about The Whale starring Brendan Fraser, which is about to hit cinemas. He'll also talk about the successful jump The Last of Us appears to have made from video game to TV series and new documentary The Territory.