Sunday Morning for Sunday 20 September 2020

7:13 Are DIY coronavirus tests on the cards for New Zealand?

The United States announced that a $750 million deal to acquire 150 million rapid Covid-19 tests is a "game changer" for the country's response to the coronavirus. The antigen tests are said to generate results in about 15 minutes, without requiring any lab equipment. The Ministry of Health's chief science advisor Ian Town joins the show to discuss if New Zealand is looking at the possibility of rapid tests.

7:23 Truck crashes leave Auckland Harbour Bridge hobbled 

Auckland Harbour Bridge suffered serious damage on Friday when wind gusts of over 120km/h caused two trucks to crash. NZTA has warned motorists that there will be "significant reduction in the capacity of the bridge for several days and potentially up to several weeks". NZTA Senior Journey Manager Neil Walker is with us for an update. 

7:31 Hollywood correspondent: Emmys now a 'battle of the streamers'  

Pete Hammond is the Deadline Awards Columnist and Chief Film Critic, where he covers the Oscar and Emmy Seasons. He is widely considered to be one of the pre-eminent awards season commentators for film and television. He joins the show to preview what will be the strangest Emmy Awards show of all time. 

7:40 Calling Home: Mark Coles on the Sunshine Coast

These days cricket coach Mark Coles calls the Sunshine Coast home, but this time last year he was on the other side of the world coaching the Pakistan women's team and living under armed guard. He joins the show to discuss the eye-opening experience of training players who made their own balls from melted plastic bags, who went on to beat the New Zealand side for the first time in history.

8:16 How to make your memories more powerful  

Much to our chagrin, the memories we often remember most are the ones that are highly charged -- which means the brain often stores scary or traumatic experiences over happy ones. However, it's also possible, and important, to encode happy memories in your brain with similar intensity. Dr. Natalie Dattilo is a psychologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. 

8:39 The Weekend Panel with Jane Clifton and Richard Harman 

Our weekend panellists Jane Clifton and Richard Harman offer their thoughts on the past week's news from Aotearoa and abroad. Among the topics today, they'll discuss lowering the price of smokes, National's much-anticipated tax and economic policy, Labour's plan to double sick leave allowances, and why people in Wellington are wearing masks when the closest community case is 600km away. 

9:06 Mediawatch

Mediawatch looks at criticism of a service screening homegrown grassroots sport - and why one sportscaster is threatening to disrupt it.  Also: the Bledisloe Cup becomes a political football; the broadcasting watchdog warns about misleading Covid-19 claims - and political pundits pine for 'Crusher' Collins to liven up a low energy election campaign.  

9:37 Sir John Kirwan's top stress-busting tips 

Former All Black Sir John Kirwan is one of the faces of mental health awareness in this country, so it's fitting that we catch up with him on the eve of Mental Health Awareness Week. Plus, he also has a new reality series coming up called The Bach That JK Built. JK joins the show to discuss his daily mental health plan and why the most important thing with mental health is understanding how your mind works.  

10:10 Petition pushing to redress ovarian cancer imbalance 

Cure Our Ovarian Cancer founder Jane Ludemann was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer in 2017, and was told she would likely live another five to 15 years. She's spearheading a petition to Parliament asking for the development of ovarian cancer education campaigns for the public and health professionals, and is hopeful that, with enough research, a cure can be found in her lifetime. 

10:26 Song by virtual K-Pop group tops Billboard chart

A virtual K-Pop group has taken the number one spot on the Billboard charts this week, as the gaming industry flexes its influence over global culture. Bubblegum tune 'The Baddest' was released last month by K/DA, an augmented reality girl group consisting of four themed versions of League of Legends characters. But as music critic Graham Reid points out, it's not the first time the zeitgeist has been swept away by music from made-up characters.

10:39 Roslyn Petelin: In defence of grammar pedantry

Roslyn Petelin is an associate professor at The University of Queensland and a staunch defender of proper grammar and style, saying that she's a "happy snob" and doesn't mind copping a bit of flak for being a language pedant. Roslyn joins the show to discuss mispronunciations, malapropisms, and some of her pet language peeves.

11:05 US correspondent on Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death  

The news of the death of American Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has caused another firestorm in US politics. President Donald Trump has said he wants a new US Supreme Court judge to be sworn in "without delay". US correspondent Karen Kasler joins us to look at the life of the woman who championed the rights of women and minorities. 

11:20 The 'donation dollar' that's designed to be given away 

One side of the new Australian $1 coin has an image of Queen Elizabeth II. Nothing strange there. However, on the back it's stamped with a message that reads: 'Donation Dollar: Give to help others.' The coin, the first of its kind in the world, has been minted in the hope that it will raise $300 million for charity each year. Ross MacDiarmid is the CEO of the Australian Royal Mint and is with us to discuss the initiative. 

11:30 The Musical Chair: Morgana O'Reilly 

In what could be a New Zealand TV first, Kiwi actress Morgana O'Reilly is currently starring in three shows (The Sounds, Mean Mums and INSiDE) on three different channels. The Neighbours favourite is in the Musical Chair this morning to share a couple of her favourite tracks and discuss the making of INSiDE, which was created in Alert Level 4 over Zoom and filmed entirely on the property she and director Peter Salmon call home. INSiDE will air as a feature length special on September 24 (this Thursday night) at 8.30pm on Prime.