The Front Page

There’s a new movement on social media in response to celebrities’ views – or lack thereof – on the war in Palestine.  

“Blockout 2024” started with an inconspicuous video of a TikTok influencer posed outside the glamorous Met Gala with the sound bite “let them eat cake”.

Now, an online movement to unfollow and block celebrities is gaining momentum – with the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner losing hundreds of thousands of followers.  

It's raised questions like: Will this effort have any effect? Why do we look at celebrities as our moral compass? And what about the celebrities who are escaping being ‘cancelled’ all together?

Today on The Front Page, University of Otago researcher, Dr Sabrina Moro is with us to dive into the latest social media firestorm.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National-led Government is continuing its crackdown on gangs.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell this week announced New Zealand will get its own National Gang Unit and district Gang Disruption Units.

The announcement follows a rise in gang violence, including the fatal shooting of a man on Auckland’s Ponsonby Rd by a Killer Beez gang member.

It comes off the back of anti-gang legislation that continues to make its way through Parliament – which will see non-consorting laws and gang patch bans introduced.

Today on The Front Page, Mark Mitchell joins to explain this Government’s push to make gang life as uncomfortable as possible.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the world becomes increasingly online, the lines between work life and home life are becoming increasingly blurred.

When you can check your emails on the same device you use to stream TV or talk to friends, avoiding that late night question from your boss is becoming harder to do.

Now many are calling for the ‘Right to Disconnect’ to be enshrined in law to save us from becoming perpetually available 24/7.

Today on The Front Page, Dr Amanda Reilly, Senior Lecturer in Law at Victoria University of Wellington, joins to explain how this law could help you achieve a better work life balance.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conversation around New Zealand's power supply is heating up again, just before winter.

Last week Kiwis were told to conserve electricity amidst a cold snap, over concerns there was not enough power to supply the country.

This is not the first time such a warning has been issued, and has prompted debate about where we get our energy from, and how we should be powering our national grid.

Today on The Front Page, Major Electricity Users Group Chair John Harbord joins us to explain what the issues with our power grid are – and how we can potentially fix them.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Council’s financial situation has been under the spotlight for months now.

With costs rising, the council has been trying to find some ways to save money without cutting back on services.

Those decisions have ranged from removing rubbish bins around the city, to a since U-turned proposal for a long-term lease for Port of Auckland.

And while the Government has offered hope on water prices, Mayor Wayne Brown and his councillors still have some tough choices to make.

Today on The Front Page, Herald senior writer Simon Wilson joins us to discuss the challenges coming for our Super City.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Head injuries and sports players have been a hot topic of debate in recent years.

While the risk of concussions and long-term injuries has been well known for decades, recent concerns have arisen about how those injuries can turn into long term issues like dementia, and that’s despite efforts to reform the game to limit those concerns.  

As global legal cases and suspected illnesses mount, multiple researchers here in New Zealand are part of a global effort to identify the causes and the risks.  

Today on The Front Page, we speak with two of them from the University of Auckland – Professor Maurice Curtis and Dr Helen Murray – about the latest research in this high concern area.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To tax sugar, or not to tax sugar – that's the debate that’s raged on for years.

More than 100 countries worldwide have taxed sugary drinks, but New Zealand hasn’t made the plunge yet.

As the number of countries making the move to tax sugar increases, so has the data into how well it's worked, or not.

So how do we delve through this information to make an informed decision on what would be best for New Zealand?

Today on The Front Page, Professor of Population Nutrition and Global Health at the University of Auckland, Boyd Swinburn, joins us to explore the ongoing debate.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, former Green Party co-leader James Shaw delivered his valedictory speech, marking the end of his decade in politics. 

But, rather than a smooth transition to a new era, just a few hours later, Green MP Julie-Anne Genter sparked outcry across the aisle after she stood over and shouted at Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey during a Parlimentary debate. 

It’s the fourth scandal to hit the Greens in under a year, prompting questions about the party's future as the Shaw era ends and a new one begins under his replacement co-leader, Chloe Swarbrick. 

Today on The Front Page, Newstalk ZB political editor Jason Walls joins us from Parliament to discuss what the future holds for the Green Party.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The rate of women killed by an intimate partner in Australia has increased by nearly 30% in the year 2022-23, compared to the previous year.

And the deaths of dozens of women across the country this year alone has prompted mass protests – with thousands taking to the streets rallying against gender-based violence.

But the issue isn't one that isn’t limited to our trans-Tasman neighbours. In New Zealand, between 2009 and 2020, 178 women and girls were killed in family violence-related killings.

Today on The Front Page, Chelsea talks first to Australian journalist Sherele Moody, who founded the Australian Femicide Watch and the Red Heart Campaign, and then Dr. Nicola Atwool - the chairperson of the Family Violence Death review here in New Zealand.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has put improving education as one of its top priorities.

Yesterday, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced plans to refocus education around ‘structured literacy’, with that teaching style winning the so-called ‘reading wars’ against ‘balanced literacy’.

It marks the end of a big week for the Minister, with the nationwide cellphone ban at schools coming into effect on Monday, the same day she announced the new top priorities for education in New Zealand.

Erica Stanford joins us on The Front Page to discuss her plans to fix education.

Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Sound Engineer: Paddy Fox
Producer: Ethan Sills

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.