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The White Ferns had a fantastic run in the Twenty20 International series, and won with a 3 -1 lead against the West Indies.  Captain Sophie Devine's scoring performance was a highlight of the event, and Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave breaks it down for us here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Waikato mayors and business leaders are requesting that the Transport Minister and the boss of Waka Kotahi Transport Agency New Zealand take a look at a particularly dangerous stretch of road. This road is located near Cambridge, and has been described by many as a 'death trap'. This reputation is justified, as the road has been responsible for 29 deaths since 2000, including one that took place y...

Today on The Huddle: Jack Tame, host of ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Nick Mills, Newstalk ZB host are here to talk about the following- Does school streaming do more harm than good? PPTA wants to abolish it, but Auckland Grammar's Headmaster is all for it. This Ombudsman report should be a huge turning point for Oranga Tamariki's practices, shouldn't it? Big study out today finding rugby...

Over in the UK, Prime Minister Liz Truss has a lot of buildup surrounding her speech at the Conservative Party conference.  This speech will close out the event, but the UK Conservative Party has been fractured by Liz Truss's presence and tax plans. UK correspondent, Gavin Grey, has more to further explain here. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The National Party has been very quick to push for tax cuts as a result of better-than-expected Government book today. We're sitting at a $9.7 billion dollar deficit, double last year's budget but much lower than the budget forecast. Brad Olsen, Infometrics Principal Economist, is with us to explain and offer insight. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has increased the OCR by another 50 basis points. This puts the OCR at a 3.5 percent official cash rate.  Katlyn Parker, Milford Asset Management analyst is here to explain what the rate hike means for New Zealand, and how we stack up against Australia and other nations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coca-Cola is confirmed to be sponsoring the Cop27 climate change summit. This choice has caused some backlash, as Coca-Cola as a company has a reputation for being a contributor to mass pollution. Kath Dewar, the founder of GoodSense marketing is here to weigh in on this decision, and while she agrees it's not as destructive as it seems, it's a clear example of greenwashing and negatively impacts...

Why is that we all seem to accept as a fact that streaming is bad for all kids?  The PPTA has today chipped in on this endless campaign for schools to quit streaming. Because - this is often the argument - by putting kids in the bottom class we tell them they’re stupid and the damage their self-image for the rest of their lives. But this is life, isn’t it?  We put kids in different grades for spor...

Crown accounts show we've got a $9.7 billion dollar deficit over the past financial year. It was projected to be $19 billion in May's budget. But it is still double than what it was last year. Simon Arcus, the CEO of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, is here to put this in context. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More groups are issuing calls for streaming in schools to be abandoned.  The Post Primary Teachers' Association has recently claimed that there is no evidence that putting students of similar abilities together improves their academic performance. Tim O'Connor, Headmaster of Auckland Grammar, is here to speak in defence of academic streaming. "Streaming actually can help the less able, probably th...

Jami-Lee Ross, former National MP, has been found not guilty of election donation fraud. The trial ran for seven weeks before Justice Ian Gault delivered his verdict.  Jami-Lee Ross was charged alongside three Chinese businessmen, who were facing similar charges. Barry Soper, political editor, is here to break the verdict down. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new study indicates that there is a link between playing rugby professionally and contracting neuro-degenerative diseases later in life. The study compared former Scottish national rugby union players with the general public and confirmed that the chance of contracting a neuro-degenerative condition was 15 times higher. Professor in Human Performance at AUT, Patria Hume is here to explain the im...

Oranga Tamariki is being slammed over the death of five year old Malachi Subecz. An investigation conducted by the Chief Ombudsman of New Zealand has found that Oranga Tamariki failed to do the bare minimum to protect Malachi Subecz from abuse from his caregiver in the lead up to his death.  Oranga Tamariki CEO, Chappie Te Kani, is here now to offer an explanation. "I'm still awaiting the work of...

A new study has just been released confirming that professional rugby players are at a higher risk of contracting head-based conditions, including dementia and motor neuron disease. D'Arcy Waldegrave, host of Sportstalk, is here to discuss the study and the concerning implications involved. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank says it considered a 75 basis point hike today - but settled on 50. It's the fifth increase of 50 basis points in a row, with the OCR now sitting at 3.5 Independent Economist Tony Alexander  is with us now to explain. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States are planning on issuing new sanctions on Iran later in the week. These stem from the issue of the recent mass protests coming out of the nation, and resulting Government crackdown. The Biden administration has expressed concerns about the Iranian government's reaction to these peaceful protests, and will issue sanctions surrounding imports and exports. U.S correspondent, Dan Mitc...

Victoria University of Wellington has recently required that all second year law students attend in person lectures. The law faculty says that in class discussions are a strong tradition valued by the university. This mandate has been dismissed by the students as 'regressive' and 'narrow minded'. Jessica Ye, Vice President of Victoria University Students Association, is with us today to provide in...

It looks like Auckland’s going to be commuter hell for the next few years. Yesterday, Kiwirail and Auckland transport announced they need to do huge maintenance work to the rail network. They’re shutting down big chunks of the train network on all three lines for the next three years. The Eastern line, for example, is going to be down for nearly a year next year. There is no one to blame here, fro...

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has walked back on her former tax plan, and will no longer be offering up tax cuts to the nation's one percent.  UK correspondent Enda Brady has described this as a historic U-turn, and acknowledged that Liz Truss was backed into a corner. As the UK is undergoing a historic cost of living crisis, economically favouring the richest group was poorly received.  LISTEN ABOV...

Consistent rain has been making life harder for farmers in the Hawkes Bay region. Reported rainfall over the last month has reached four times the historical average, and data has indicated that this has been a consistent problem since June. Jamie Mackay, host of The Country, explains that the weather has been hard on livestock and the farmers work output, and has been tightening feed supplies on...

BusinessDesk has been conducting a five part series on New Zealand's climate change policy. Part one gave us the news that New Zealand faces spending around $30 billion dollars over the next eight years buying carbon credits, to meet our Paris agreement. The series has been written by Adrian Macey, New Zealand’s first climate change ambassador, and a professor of climate change, Dave Frame. Busine...

The Reserve Bank of Australia has increased its OCR by less than expected. It's gone up 25 basis points and financial markets were expecting an increase of 50. Of course, our own Reserve Bank will announce its new rates tomorrow. Paul Bloxham, HSBC Chief Economist is with us ahead of this week's reveal. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Banks have recently been making it harder for home-buyers to get a mortgage.  Two of the biggest banks in the country, ASB and ANZ have lifted their test mortgage rates. ASB has raised theirs to 8.13 percent and ANZ is currently at 7.95 percent.  NZIER Principal Economist, Christina Leung, is here with us to explain why this is the case.  "With the rising interest rate environment, banks have to i...

There is a horrific video going around of a teenage girl getting viciously attacked by two other girls outside a school in Counties Manakau. Police say they're aware of the footage, and are urging people not to share it. Back in July a 14 year old girl at Pukekohe High was attacked by a group of girls for half an hour after school. That student's mother is now talking after seeing these new videos...

Today on The Huddle- Georgina Stylianou, Director of Government Relations firm BRG and Ali Jones of Red PR and Community Board member are here to discuss: Is now really the best time to start huge upgrades (ie, disruption) on Auckland train lines? When there's a bus driver shortage and A.T is trying to push people out of cars via no parking etc. Do too many New Zealanders have a degree? 45% of 25-...