RNZ's top podcasts: Drugs, religion, politics and veggies

7:37 pm on 16 June 2017

A woman raising her eight grandchildren, the Pope's chair, smoothies and crime and immigration, all this in RNZ's latest podcasts.

combination picture of Pope, smoothie and Jo Whiu

Photo: AFP / 123RF / RNZ

"Hardest thing I found was allowing her to hit the gutter"

Jo Whiu is bandaging the knee of her nine-year-old grand-daughter when we first meet her in the podcast Flying Solo. She's a grandmother bringing up seven of her daughter Lisa's eight children, because Lisa was addicted to P. But with the help of Oranga Tamariki and the Salvation Army, as well as Lisa who has now kicked the habit, Jo is working hard to bring up her mokopuna.

A holy throne

Pope John Paul II got a comfy ride when he came to New Zealand in 1986. In fact, he had a papal throne built especially for his massive Mass at Lancaster Park in Christchurch. The seat hasn't been seen for years, but Eyewitness producer Justin Gregory helped find the cream velvet-covered chair in a storage container and tells the story of how it came to be.

Healthy or Hoax - Episode 3: What's in your smoothie?

Talking about smooth rides, Healthy or Hoax this week look into smoothies … and those greens powders that are so popular at the moment. This hit podcast digs into whether the health claims live up to the hype and finds a surprising ingredient in those green powders.

NZ-Asian MPs talk crime and immigration

And just under 100 days out from the election, Labour MP Raymond Huo makes the remarkable claim every Asian family he's ever met has been burgled. He reckons Asian families may be targeted because they are thought to be wealthier than the average Kiwi and more likely to carry cash. In a special Voices interview conducted by RNZ Political Editor Jane Patterson, Huo and New Zealand First MP Mahesh Bindra say crime will be a key issue for migrant voters this year.

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