09:05 What will more rain do to EQC liabilities?

New research has found climate change and the expected increase in extreme weather events will mean higher damages - and an additional liability for EQC. 8000 claims lodged to the EQC between 2000 and 2017 have formed the basis of a model which finds damages could increase between  7 - 8 per cent in the next 20 years, and between 9 - 25 per cent in 2080 - 2100. Professor Ilhan Noy, chair in the economics of disasters at Victoria University Wellington is one of the authors and joins Kathryn along with CEO of the Insurance Council, Tim Grafton.

Tornado Incoming From Sea Hurricane In Ocean Huge Waves On Houses On Coast Tropical Natural Disaster Concept Flat Vector Illustration

Photo: 123RF

09:20 World economies battle Covid-19 threat

US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference after a Federal Open Market Committee meeting in Washington, DC on July 31, 2019.

Fed chair Jerome Powell Photo: AFP

Pressure's mounting on the New Zealand government to give tax cuts and for the reserve bank to cut interest rates  because of the economic risks posed by the new coronavirus. As the numbers and spread of Covid-19 grows, it is having an impact on world economies, and many are starting to take emergency action. The US Central bank, has slashed its interest rates by half a percentage point, in the first unscheduled, emergency rate cut since 2008 and the biggest by the Federal Reserve since the global financial crisis more than a decade ago. It follows interest rate cuts in both Australia and Malaysia. Meanwhile finance ministers from the G7 group of nations have pledged to use "all appropriate policy tools" to tackle the economic impact. RNZ's Gyles Beckford has the latest.

09:20 Donating your body to science

After an overwhelming response to Professor Maurice Curtis' last appearance on the programme, he joins Kathryn again to talk about all the difficult questions about leaving your body to science: how it works, what benefits there are to medicine and why people do it.

Maurice is a professor of neuroscience, deputy director of the Neurological Foundation human brain bank and head of the body bequest programme at the University of Auckland.

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Photo: 123RF

09:45 Deportation row, sick economy

Australia correspondent Karen Middleton joins Kathryn to talk about how Australian ministers are still grumbling about Jacinda Ardern's blast at Scott Morrison over Kiwi deportees, Australia's Reserve Bank slashes the official cash rate to its lowest-ever level over Covid-19 fears as Australians' panic buying strips items off the shelves. 

Illustration picture taken during a visit to the Belga News Agency offices at Australian Associated Press (AAP) in Sydney, Australia.

Photo: AFP

10:05  How to make good friends and keep them. Shasta Nelson: Frientimacy

https://www.shastanelson.com/frientimacy

https://www.shastanelson.com/frientimacy Photo: © G.Ibsen

Positivity, consistency and vulnerability are key to having more fulfilling friendships, according to founder and CEO of American friend matching agency Girlfriend Circles.com Shasta Nelson, whose book Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness has ideas on how to really connect with our friends.  Sashta's previous book was Friendships Don't Just Happen! The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of Girl Friends. And her third book, The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of the Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time will be published later this year.

10:35 Book review - Apeirogon by Colum McCann

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Photo: Bloomsbury UK

Carole Beu of the Women's Bookshop reviews Apeirogon: A Novel by Colum McCann, published by Bloomsbury.

An extraordinary novel that features two real men, one Palestinian and one Israeli, who both lost daughters in violent circumstances. Now firm friends, they travel together talking to large audiences about the Israeli-Palestinian situation.

10:45 The Reading

Part 3 of 'Here and Where' - David Hill's series about New Zealanders traveling overseas read by Peter Hayden.

11:05 The lure of a (good) live album

Music commentator Graeme Downes has been thinking about the number of live recordings he owns, and what makes a good live album. He shares some tunes from Tom Waits' Big Time and Glitter and Doom live albums.

11:30 Local hero: 46 years fighting fires - Rodney Triplow

Rodney Triplow with son Brendon

Rodney Triplow with son Brendon Photo: 2013

Rodney Triplow has been on the front line fighting fires for forty-six years. He joined the Havelock North Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1973, working his way up the ranks to Chief Fire Officer. On average his brigade gets two-hundred and twenty-five calls a year, day or night. It's quite a commitment, which runs in the family. Rodney's son Brendon Triplow has joined him on the brigade. This service to his neighbourhood has earned Rodney a fist-full of medals and awards, including, as he tells Kathryn Ryan, a Kiwibank Local Hero award after being shortlisted for the recent New Zealander of the Year Awards.
 

11:45 Is defamation law in need of reform?

Legal commentator Ursula Cheer looks at the recent defamation case Sir Bob Jones took against filmmaker Renae Maihi, which he eventually dropped. The government is considering a review of defamation law, and Ursula will talk to Kathryn about aspects of the law the review should focus on.

Ursula Cheer is a media law specialist based at the University of Canterbury.

Bob Jones claims petition defamed him, but has not read it

Bob Jones claims petition defamed him, but has not read it Photo: RNZ / YouTube

 

Music played in this show

Artist:  Yumi Zuma
Track:  Bruise
Time played: 11.45