The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Those with pacemakers may want to think twice about upgrading to a new smartphone! While many people get excited about upgrading smartphones and watches to those that have wireless charging abilities, Apple have just released a list of devices that might mess with your pacemaker! Two seperate studies show the iPhone 12 preventing a Medtronic and Abbot implantable cardioverter devices from working...

English indie-pop band London Grammar are back with their third album, Californian Soil.  It became their second consecutive number-one album in the UK when it debuted earlier this year, a sign of the band's growing popularity. And off the back of the album's release, London Grammar have announced they are heading to New Zealand next year. Lead singer and songwriter Hannah Reid joined Francesca Ru...

Two very different movies are on offer this week. Director Edgar Wright is back with documentary The Sparks Brothers - on “your favourite band’s favourite band”. And Netflix has released Fear Street: Part One - 1994, the first in an ambitious horror trilogy releasing weekly. Flicks editor Steve Newall joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss the movies. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Chocolate cakes in a salted caramel sauce (serves 6-8) Chocolate cake ½ vegetable oil 250ml cream 1 cup boiling water 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 eggs, beaten 2 cups sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tsp baking soda 2/3 cup cocoa 1¾ cups plain flour ½ cup natural almonds ½ cup walnut pieces ½ cup dried blueberries or similar 300ml mascarpone Preheat oven to 180*C. Lightly spray a 6-hole muffin tray. Place oil in a l...

New Zealand is getting its first-ever E-bike Festival. The festival is called Cyclorama is going to be in Arrowtown this November. Festival organiser Dave Gibson told Francesca Rudkin that the bikes are extremely popular, to the point that it is becoming hard to buy them. He says e-bikes make it easier for many people to cycle together or to scale hills that are harder to manage on their own.  He...

The Government has unveiled proposals to move the ownership and management of water infrastructure from local councils and into the hands of four water services agencies, split regionally. Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta released the long-signalled "Three Waters" decisions this week. saying the move on drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure would save ratepayers money. It...

Auckland councillors have mixed views on the issue of replacing some of the city's kauri villas and bungalows with six-storey apartments to help address the city's housing crisis. But after an all-day planning meeting, a majority of councillors voted to proceed with a Government directive to increase intensification deep inside many traditional suburbs and along public transport routes. Mayor Phil...

Wellington’s Covid scare has dominated headlines this week, from ‘Deadly virus could be anywhere in New Zealand after Sydney man's weekend in Wellington’ to ‘Government too complacent and bubble settings need to change’. I think all the experts in those stories have been right; their concerns, their assessments, spot on. Clearly, the pause in the Trans-Tasman bubble for three days is an indication...

The transtasman quarantine free travel bubble has been paused for three days as of 10.30pm last night. This is the first time the bubble to all Australian states has been paused. Quarantine Free Travel from all Australian states and territories will be paused from Saturday 10.30pm (NZT) until 11.59pm (NZT) on Tuesday June 29. Minister for Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins announced the bubble pause...

It may seem too early to think about Christmas travel, but in the time of Covid-19, early is becoming the norm. RNZ reports that room bookings at MIQ and other border hotels for December are likely to be available next month. It comes as spaces are booked up until November, with officials saying the capacity has been reduced by 900 rooms.  Travel blogger Megan Singleton joined Francesca Rudkin to...

In this cold winter weather, there’s not much better than the comfort of a home-cooked meal.  But if you are lacking inspiration, maybe struggling with the grind of mid-week cooking, one Kiwi duo have some award-winning inspiration. Julie and Ilaria Biuso’s new cookbook, Shared Kitchen: Real Food From Scratch, has been awarded Best in the World for the Best cookbook associated with a blog at the G...

Mrs England by Stacey Halls This is set during Edwardian times when a young woman who has recently graduated as a nurse accepts a position with a wealthy mill owner’s family in Yorkshire, but when she gets there all is not as it seems – there is clearly something very wrong with Mrs England, and living in that house becomes a risky business. Labour Saving by Michael Cullen His life’s work wrapped...

Inflammation is part of the body’s natural healing system to help fight injury and infection. On one hand, it helps your body defend itself from infection and injury. On the other hand, chronic inflammation can lead to weight gain and disease.  Naturopath and wellbeing expert Erin O'Hara joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss the different types of inflammation and natural ways to reduce it. LISTEN AB...

Stuffed apple crumble 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp corn-starch 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp cinnamon, ground 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup flour 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup icing sugar 1/2 cup butter Vanilla ice-cream Preheat the oven to 180 degrees on bake and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Cut the tops of the apple and core the apples using a corer or knife, discarding the c...

When you ask people what sound they think an elephant makes, they probably imagine a big, roaring trumpet sound.  Elephants are famously loud and low-pitched – sometimes so low-pitched that humans can’t even hear them – and that makes sense for a gigantic animal that can weigh up to seven tons. Larger animals make lower frequency sounds thanks to a general rule that states "the larger the vocal fo...

If you haven't headed back to the movies since lockdown ended, you are missing out! F9 - the ninth instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise - is smashing pandemic box office records as more countries around the world reopen, and people become better suited to heading back into these enclosed environments. There are dozens of movies streaming into cinemas after so many were held back due to the...

Having a baby should be one of the best days of your life but for an increasing number of women, they are emerging physically and emotionally traumatised. It was the first-hand experience of this that led film-maker, Zoe Naylor, on a four-year journey exploring the maternity system in Australasia. The result is a documentary, Birth Time, which is now in New Zealand for Q&A screenings. Naylor and h...

The most advanced study of its kind is underway in New Zealand to look at the impact of vaping. The study is being led by Auckland University Senior Researcher and bioengineer Dr Kelly Burrowes. She told Francesca Rudkin a number of studies have been done, but vaping hasn't been around long enough to monitor the long-term effects. "It's really important that we understand what the health effects a...

Cabinet ministers are spending their Sunday deciding whether Wellington's Covid-19 restrictions should ease tonight. The region's been in Alert Level Two since Wednesday but community swabs and wastewater testing has turned up no trace of the virus. Newstalk ZB political reporter Aaron Dahmen told Francesca Rudkin ministers are virtually discussing it this morning, and we'll hear the decision at 1...

The Free Britney movement was thrust back into the spotlight this week, as the popstar herself took to the stand for the first time. Britney Spears addressed open court in a bid to end the conservatorship she’s been under since 2008. She condemned her father and others who control the conservatorship, which she said has compelled her to use birth control and take other medications against her will...

It's shaping up to be a battle of Bledisloe Cup proportions as Australian head hunters begin luring Kiwi talent across the Tasman with pay offers that make it impossible for local employers to compete. Once news that a trans-Tasman bubble was imminent, approaches started to ramp up. Now that the bubble is open, the Aussies have landed and the tug-of-war for talent is getting serious, recruitment a...

So, it’s been a weird week. Last Saturday someone stole our garden wheelie bin from the curbside. It can’t have been an easy heist. It was a very full bin, a very heavy bin, and a bin filled with sharp prickly bougainvillaea cuttings. It will have been a bummer to empty – so perhaps there’s a touch of karma there. As far as theft goes - other than my intrigue as to exactly how the crime played out...

Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian A hilarious and moving story set amongst an Indian immigrant community in Atlanta, where the weight of parental expectations sits heavily on their children. Neil Narayan really only has eyes for Anita, the girl next door, but in trying to conform he partakes of “lemonade” made through alchemy by Anita and her mother, which is said to imbue the drinker with the talen...

It has been a tough year for the hospitality industry, with multiple lockdowns hitting businesses hard, while border closures are making it tough to find work. But there's a chance for the sector to celebrate with the Hospitality Awards. Travel blogger Megan Singleton joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss how it works.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Paul Wood has rapidly become one of New Zealand's key motivational writers and speakers. He has previously spoken about his journey from prisoner at the age of 18 to doctor of psychology in his bestselling book ‘How to Escape from Prison’. Now, he's followed that up with a new book, Mental Fitness: Build Your Mind for Strength and Resilience Every Day.  Wood joined Francesca Rudkin to discuss w...