Sunday Morning

Ohio Statehouse News Bureau Chief Karen Kasler joins us once again. She takes a look at USA vs Trump following the indictment handed down against the former president while at the same time under heavy scrutiny by media Trump and Biden are pretty well neck-and-neck in polling for the next US presidential election. And in Karen's home state, Ohioans voted down a proposal that would have made it harder to pass future proposed constitutional amendments in the state, including one in November about abortion rights.

Reporters' report on crime coverage urges new thinking - and highlights electoral 'crime crackdown' pattern; RNZ's Richard Sutherland calling it quits after 30 years; free sports streaming options on the up.

Ever dreamed of living on your own private island? Loon Island on Pavilion Lake - a four-hour drive from Vancouver - is currently on the market for less than half the average price for a home in the neighbouring BC city. According to realtor Kevin Scharfenberg, the lake is famous for its brilliant emerald glow in the summer, and that's not the only natural attraction. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency are currently researching a mysterious karst formation that resembles ocean coral. The island listing boasts 175 metres of waterfront panoramic views, two cabins, and a 2015 solar powered house - your own slice of paradise, for $NZ734,000.

The link between memory and smell has long been established - but what if you could harness odours to not only maintain cognitive ability as you age, but deter dementia? The result of a University of California Irvine study has indicated just that. For six months a fragrance wafted through the bedrooms of adults 60 years and older. The findings? A 226% increase in cognitive capacity.

The chances of finding a large eel in Loch Ness are around 1 in 50,000 for a 1-metre creature. Researchers at the University of Otago looked at the DNA of Loch Ness inhabitants, concluding that perhaps sightings of Nessie were actually large eels. But now, data scientist Flow Foxon says eels don't get that big. Professor Neil Gemmell is the AgResearch Chair in Reproduction and Genomics at the University of Otago. Neil joins the programme to discuss.

AI can do many things, but what can't in replicate? Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup in the UK. Tomas' new book is I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique.

An expedition of women from Arabia and Europe set out to find the North Pole as the ice caps melt. Award-winning filmmaker Holly Morris recorded the mission - it could be the last. She used the latest tech, with first-of-its-kind Virtual Reality/360 footage on Google Jump Halo, and Rylo 360 cameras. Holly is known for her documentary, Babushkas of Chernobyl, about women living in the shadow of the failed nuclear reactor in Ukraine. Holly joins the programme.

The most commonly used letter in the English language is E, followed by A, and R. The least-used letter is Z, followed by Q … But the letter that has made headlines around the world is 'X'. Tony Thorne's been writing, teaching, and broadcasting about linguistic and cultural change for three decades, he joins us to discuss the conflicted nature of the letter, 'X'.

The rise in cocaine use across New Zealand has brought cartels back into the public consciousness and headlines around the world. But are they responsible for the reported spike in drug use?

It was a semi-finals showdown last night, with netball's big four battling it out for a spot in the World Cup Final. The Silver Ferns faced off against the English Roses, while Jamaica's Sunshine Girls went toe-to-toe with the Australian Diamonds. RNZ reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe was court side and joins the programme from Cape Town.