Nine To Noon for Thursday 19 November 2020

 

 

09:05 Is the wool clip increasingly unviable?

There are grave concerns among sheep farmers as demand for wool drops, prices are low and there aren't enough experienced shearers available. Federated Farmers and the Shearing Contractors' Association are seeking an urgent decision from the Government to allow some overseas shearers dispensation to enter the country to take care of summer flocks. Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair and Wairarapa farmer, William Beetham says it is fast becoming an animal welfare issue. There's also frustration over the lack of return for wool. Tom O'Sullivan is a third generation sheep farmer and he's the Chair of the Campaign for Wool NZ Trust. He says it is a crisis situation.

09:20 COVID-19 vaccine: the top runners and riders

The latest developments in the multiple candidates for a COVID-19 vaccine, with the University of Otago's Professor David Murdoch, a clinical microbiologist who's consulted for the WHO and the Health's Ministry Covid-19 Technical Advisory Group. He's also been formally supporting the Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine development effort. This follows promising results from two different vaccines ( one from Pfizer, the other Moderna) in as many weeks, which were both found to be highly effective in late stage trials.

09:45 Downing Street turmoil, Carrie Symonds' role questioned

UK correspondent Hugo Gye looks at the sacking of Dominic Cummings after an uprising from Conservative MPs and aides upset with his increasing influence. The PM's finance Carrie Symonds is seen as a key figure in helping to force Cummings out, and she's increasingly seen as a political force in her own right. England is half-way through a lockdown designed to bring Covid cases down - is it working? And as Meghan's court case against the Mail on Sunday continues, the new season of The Crown is reminding Britain of an earlier royal outsider: Diana.

10:05 Laura Bates on toxic misogyny and men who hate women

Author Laura Bates has investigated the corners of the internet where toxic masculinity and misogyny is flourishing, where men believe women are the enemy and the solution should be violent. Posing as a 24-year -old white man who'd never had a girlfriend, she researched online forums devoted to various men's groups: the Men's Rights Activists, Men Going Their Own Way and Incels - Involuntary Celibates.  Laura's work on this subject really began in 2012 when she founded the Everyday Sexism project, where women could detail their experiences. It unleashed a torrent of abuse - rape and death threats - which redoubles every time she appears in the media or at speaking events. She's just published a new book called Men Who Hate Women, which looks at how "trolling" is anything but benign, there are substantial numbers of men in these groups and the hate feeding them can have real world consequences.

10:35 Book review - The Sentinel by Lee Child and Andrew Child

Sally Wenley reviews The Sentinel by Lee Child and Andrew Child, published by Penguin Random House.

10:45 The Reading

Hobson's Choices, part four. Written by David Hill, read by Alex Greig.

11:05 Big cyber hit for businesses, Apple's Macs more like iPhones, music direct to your head

Technology commentator Bill Bennett joins Kathryn to talk about new research which has found more than half of businesses have bene successfully targeted by ransomware in the past year. Apple has launched new computers using similar processor chip technology to those in its iPhones. And a new device can put music in your head - no headphones needed.

11:25 Children, language and imitation

Speech and language therapist Christian Wright talks about the cornerstone of language development: imitation.
 

11:45 Black Hands Queen's Gambit, Palm Springs

Film and TV reviewer Chris Schulz joins Kathryn to talk about TVNZ's Black Hands miniseries about the murder of the Bain family and Queen's Gambit, a new Netflix miniseries based on the life of orphan chess prodigy Beth Harmon. He'll also look at Groundhog Day-inspired romantic comedy Palm Springs.

Music played in this show

Artist:   Six 60
Song: Rivers
Broadcast time: 11:08