In the US, multiple states are shifting immigrants around to different locations. 

Florida and Texas in particular, are redirecting immigrants sent their way to Washington D.C and Martha's Vineyard.

US correspondent Richard Arnold has more to explain here today.

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A very real indicator of just how badly the lack of staff is affecting the aged care sector.

Staff at aged care facilities are legally required to notify the Director General of Health when there is a situation that could put residents at risk.

It's called a section 31 form. In 2020 there were 260 submissions and in 2021 there were 851.

We are only in September and already this year there have been 2004 submissions - purely because of a lack of staff.

NZ Aged Care Association chief executive Simon Wallace joins me now.

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At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all.

The Monarchy: 9/10

"What we have seen this week could not have been done any more spectacularly. Or, in fact, done by anyone other than the British.

It's been fitting and amazing."

King Charles and the Pens: 2/10

"You can't hide from that sort of reaction and behaviour.

As much as we wish him well, Operation Spring Tide didn’t need either event."

The Public Holiday: 7/10

"I was surprised at just how big the pushback was.

But you know we will all like it on the day, and it is just a one off."

Covid Traffic Light System Being Scrapped: 7/10

"Because most of the fear, misery, control, and madness has, at last, been dumped."

The Stopping of Daily Covid Numbers: 8/10

"That's the best part of all.

The obsession with those numbers, that daily grind of power freaks, and guesswork was phenomenally unhealthy."

James Shaw: 7/10

"Pleased he got his job back.

Hopefully the idiots that tried it on won't be back."

Te Pukenga - The National Polytech: 2/10

"CEO gone, and now the CFO gone.

Just how many people does it take to walk before Chris Hipkins scratches his head long enough to work out it's not a good idea?"

Phillip Arps and the School Board Election: 7/10

"Because democracy won by him not winning.

He came last, proving people can actually work it out for themselves."

The All Blacks: 6/10

"Crisis over. Another win next week.

And all in all, it wasn’t the end of the world, was it?"

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The good news for me this week around the relinquishing of the Covid rules, was not so much the masks, lights, or mandates, but the case numbers.

We will no longer publish the case numbers daily. Like all the other changes we have been ruinously slow to move on with life.

But the numbers were possibly the most insidious of the factors at play without us perhaps even realising.

The Prime Minister's line by the way, that we are "taking back control” must never be seen as anything other than more of her polytech marketing puffery.

We didn’t take anything back because we never gave anything away.

We had our lives and freedoms forcibly removed from us by a government driven by a mix of fear, panic, lack of experience, and to be fair a little bit of genuine leadership.

They had to do something. But in totality what they did proved to be over the top, with a slew of damage that resulted and results in what we are still living through and paying for to this day and many, many days to come.

But think back on those numbers, the obsession around them, the one o'clock announcements, and the invention of the pulpit of truth. Remember those bizarre sessions with a media that got so hopelessly exposed for their lack of rigour, knowledge, and ability to follow a non-answer with a proper question that might lead to any sort of accountability.

Psychologists and psychiatrists must still be having a field day looking and studying the way we behaved. The guessing of the case numbers, the trends, what they meant, the absurd placement of importance on every utterance that came from a Jackson, Baker, or Wiles.

Did the number mean freedom? A light change? A rule dropped?

Media would build up to the release of the numbers . Every day, day in and day out, week in and week out, month in and month out we saw "today's numbers about to be released," "Ministry about to announce new update", "what are today's numbers?"

The psychological damage that must have done to us. The stress, the time wasted, and the energy burned. We detailed a virus like no other virus has been detailed.

Even now, that weekly update going forward is tragic. We are not listing cold or flu numbers, we aren't counting delayed operations, surgical waiting lists, access to doctors, or mental health help.

It is a fantastically interesting study into the power of fear and control. It was an experiment and we were all part of it whether we know it or not.

We cannot get it behind us fast enough, and move on.

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China is keeping Russia at arms length.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping  have met in Uzbekistan in their first face to face meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine.

In public comments Putin told Xi he ''understands'' his "questions and concerns" about the war.

Cecile Shea from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs told Mike Hosking Xi can't be seen supporting the invasion right now.

She says China has a "reputation problem" around the world and doesn't want to make that worse.

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The biggest ever art auction is happening this weekend. 

We're talking about the BNZ Art Collection, which features works from some of our best known artists including Rita Angus, Gordon Walters and Colin McCahon whose piece 'O let us weep' could fetch as much as $2 million.

The proceeds of the auction will go towards a philanthropic foundation designed to help organisations create better a better future for our communities - Webb's Auction House Director of Art Charles Ninow joined Mike Hosking.

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The Wallabies are seeking a "please explain" from World Rugby, after a late refereeing call more than likely denied them a 1-nil lead in the Bledisloe Cup series.

The hosts recovered to lead 37-34 after trailing 31-13, but first-five Bernard Foley was issued a short-arm penalty for time-wasting.

The All Blacks won the scrum then Jordie Barrett scored out wide for a 39-37 win.

Former All Black Steve Gordon joined Mike Hosking to discuss the referee’s late call and the match.

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Exactly how long big businesses are taking to pay their bills could soon become public.

Small Business Minister Stuart Nash wants to introduce legislation to create the disclosure regime by the end of the year and aims to have it up and running by 2024.

It would apply to any business that makes more than $33 million a year.

Canterbury Employers' Chamber chief executive Leeann Watson told Mike Hosking they support the idea, but says this issue isn't top of mind for businesses.

She says the bigger issues for small businesses are access to capital and labour market shortages.

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Grant Robertson is defending the Government's multi-million dollar spend-up on Three Waters consultants.

Newstalk ZB can reveal in the last financial year, $16 million has been paid to contractors working on the reforms.

National is questioning the bill, in particular the $15,000 spent on creating a job description for the yet-to-be named Chief Executive for the new Water Entity.

The Finance Minister told Mike HoskingThree Waters is a massive undertaking.

“We’re tlaking about something that’s going to be billions and billions of dollars of work over the next few years. It’s a specialty area, we need to we get the right people in to make sure we do it right.”

The Department of Internal Affairs admits the total spend on consultants is higher than usual, but says Three Waters reforms is large and complex, and experts with the right skills were needed.

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It is moderately encouraging we have two mutterings from the Government this week so far on the potential for a Covid inquiry.

Grant Robertson told us Monday on this show it was closer, and the Prime Minister is taking advice on what it should look like.

The reluctance to this point is fairly obvious. It's going to be ugly, and they know it.

Government's call inquiries for a couple of reasons. One, to get the subject off the front page. Two, to get a result they need or want. They do that by appointing the right people, so they can fairly confidently tell what's going to happen.

When you get the report, if you don’t like it, you review it, and release recommendations on a Friday after everyone is at the pub. If it tells you what you want, you stand at the pulpit of truth with a trumpet and enact everything.

The irony here is no one has called more inquiries and launched more working groups than this lot. Given that, just what advice is it they are seeking? Is there anyone left that isn't already involved in one?

I note also the Australians are well underway with their review into the Reserve Bank.

That's another little look this Government isn't really interested in. Once again because they know full well it's going to be ugly. But, as the Australians well understand and clearly, we don’t want to, these are large and live issues that continue to affect each and every one of us each and every day, and they will do for years.

There are gargantuan questions around the performance of both the Reserve Bank and the Government in Covid.

Lives have been up ended, learning has been interrupted, the surgery back log is a mile long, and economies have been dented severely. If that isn't worth looking into, what is?

The Australian Reserve Bank Governor, Phillip Lowe, has already said he won't quit, and indeed offered a level of defence for his actions, or lack of them.

That’s his right. The same way I assume Adrian Orr, and indeed our government, surely have an argument for doing things the way they did.

But these past couple of years, these 900 plus days are something most of us have never seen before and we pray never will again.

Was there a better and different way? You will never know until you dig and put a blowtorch on those who took our lives in their hands and asked us to trust them.

If that isn't worth a Royal Commission, nothing is.

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