The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin Odette Tucker is a young cop in a small West Texas town which she tried to leave, but couldn’t stay away from. The people there are obsessed with the disappearance of a cheerleader and her father ten years ago – something which Odette was close to at the time. When the chief suspect – Wyatt, her ex boyfriend, and the cheerleader’s brother – finds...

Over the last few years, plant-based diets have become a popular dietary choice for people looking to improve their health or help the environment. Ongoing research shows that benefits of it, with some local institutions getting on board. The Heart Foundation's released new recommendations on how much red meat and chicken we should be eating as part of a heart healthy diet. Research shows eating l...

For fans of LEGO Masters Australia, you will know Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught as the star expert judge of the show alongside host Hamish Blake. McNaught is a certified LEGO Professional, the only one in the southern hemisphere and one of only 14 in the world. That means he builds LEGO for a living, a career he's detailed in his new book Brickman’s Family Challenge Book. Brickman is currently filming...

This holiday season will see a showdown between new consoles from two of the biggest names in gaming: Sony and Microsoft. The companies have now given plenty of detail on their new consoles, Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series X is arriving on November 10 and costs $799. It's also launching a cheaper version, the Xbox Series S for $549. The PlayStation 5 comes out o...

While most of us don’t think about our earwax very much it’s actually a great source of information about our health. New research has tested an ear wax collecting device that enables accurate testing of cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone and can help to diagnose psychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression. Testing earwax could remove the need for blood tests which can be stressf...

Chanting "This isn't over! and "Stop the steal," supporters of President Donald Trump protested at state capitals across the country, refusing to accept defeat and echoing Trump's unsubstantiated allegations that the Democrats won the election by fraud. From Atlanta and Tallahassee to Bismarck, Boise and Phoenix, crowds ranging in size from a few dozen to a few thousand decried the news of Joe Bid...

Dr Michael Mosley is a trained doctor, science journalist, television presenter, bestselling author of many many health and wellbeing books, gut specialist and the brains behind the popular 5:2 intermittent fasting diet. So he knows a thing or two about the human body, how it works and how to make it work better. That'll be the subject of the show he is bringing to New Zealand next year - Your Bod...

National's recently defeated, but still high-profile, health spokesman Shane Reti is the favourite among his colleagues to take over from Gerry Brownlee as the party's deputy leader next week. Brownlee – who lost his long-held Ilam electorate seat in the election – said today he would not be seeking reappointment as the deputy leader when Caucus meets on Tuesday. Instead, he said he would be focus...

Joe Biden could be a very good friend to New Zealand. The US election has been called for Biden after he won Nevada and Pennsylvania. While his first task will be to get Covid under control in the United States while bringing America back together, Biden will also need to repair relations with global powers.  Former US ambassador to New Zealand and Joe Biden's policy advisor Mark Gilbert told Fran...

President-elect Joe Biden's victory over President Donald Trump sparked celebrations in cities across the country, including many of the places that swept Biden into the White House. From New York to Miami in the East and Denver and Austin out West, Biden supporters flooded into the streets after CNN and other news organizations projected Biden as the winner Saturday morning, honking horns, cheeri...

A win win is how the Green Party's touting its cooperation agreement with Labour - which has now been inked on the dotted line. Greens members last night agreed to the deal - with around 85 percent voting in favour. Speaking at the signing on the Beehive's 9th floor today - co-leader Marama Davidson told reporters the party understands the opportunity. She says for the first time in MMP history -...

The Greens have signed on the dotted line to accept a post-election deal with the Labour Government - but that doesn't mean they will 'green-wash' the Labour Government.  Green Party members agreed last night to what's being labelled the "cooperation agreement". Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says it represents the continuation of the Labour-Greens relationship and provides stability. She says she...