The Detail

An HIV diagnosis used to be a death sentence, but that hasn't been the case in years - so why hasn't the stigma changed with the science?More than four decades after the first New Zealander was diagnosed with HIV, medical advances have completely changed the face of the once-fatal virus, but one man living with it says he doesn't "think that the HIV stigma has changed radically"Guests:Rodrigo Olin German - Head of Services and Outreach, Burnett FoundationLiz Gibbs - Chief Executive, Burnett FoundationLearn More:Liz Gibbs talks about the ongoing HIV outbreak in Fiji - listen to our podcast episode on that hereLearn more about HIV in Aotearoa hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

It doesn't have to be extravagant, expensive or loaded with tinsel and tat - bring your smile to host the perfect seasonal party If you're fed up with Northern Hemisphere listicles on how to prepare for a cold Christmas, here's a taste of what it takes to host a summer celebrationGuests:Trudi Nelson - Food writer and broadcasterColin Mathura-Jeffree - Model, TV personality, and professional guestFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

We've failed to reach our smokefree obligations, but has New Zealand done well enough to relax our efforts?New Zealand was once a world leader in getting people to give up cigarettes, but we seem to have pulled up the brakesGuests:Chris Bullen - University of Auckland public health professorAnaru Waa - University of Otago professorJasmine Graham - Hāpai te Hauora general managerLearn More:Read more about the history of nicotine drinks hereFind the New Zealand health survey hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The West Coast has long been mining country, but a proposed expansion of coal mining operations - and the backlash - leaves the region's economy and ecology uncertainA proposal to expand mining operations on the Denniston Plateau pits the economy against ecology, leaving the Government facing a high-stakes decisionGuests:Fox Meyer - Newsroom political reporterLearn More:Read more about the Plateau proposal and protests here, here, here, here and hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

As the cost of insurance rises, Consumer NZ sees worrying signs that more people are dropping their house insuranceFrom house insurance to health insurance, mortgage to pet to funeral, the list of what can be insured seems to be growing. Insurance experts list the ones you can cancel.Guests:Rebecca Styles - Consumer NZ head of investigationsBianca Russell - North Shore office managerChris Walsh - MoneyHub founderLearn More:Insurance Council of New Zealand's survey reveals Kiwis are concerned about natural hazards driving up consumer costsFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Unions who won an employment case for four Uber drivers in three different courts could find the ruling short-lived, with the introduction of new legislationAn expert in employment law says new legislation will override a Supreme Court ruling, but that bill is full of holes - and will itself end up being tested in the courtsGuests:Simon Schofield - University of Auckland professional teaching fellowLearn More:Workers First Union media release on the Supreme Court decision, with a timelineSupreme court finding on Uber caseFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Psychological tricks and traps using deceptive website design techniques are starting to overwhelm online shopping.What's being termed 'dark patterns' are becoming increasingly prevalent on shopping websites as online businesses scramble for your dollarsGuests:Chris Shulz - Consumer NZ senior investigative journalistAlex Sims - University of Auckland commercial law professorLearn More:Read Consumer NZ's Invisible Influence report hereHere's the report Alex mentioned that found websites using dark patterns had double, sometimes quadruple participation rate compared to websites that didn'tRead more about the Hello Fresh case hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Two big political memoirs have hit the bookshops this year - but which high profile politicians are missing from the shelvesFrom memoirs to biographies; autobiographies - both authorised and unauthorised - to the mid-career manifesto, the documented lives of politicians come in many formsGuests:Tim Murphy - Newsroom co-editorJim McAloon - Victoria University professor of political historyLearn More:Listen to previous podcasts from Tim Murphy with The Detail here and hereListen to a previous podcast from Jim McAloon with The Detail hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A surprise reversal on high beef tariffs has been a welcome relief for farmers, but with Trump in the White House, celebrations are muted U.S President Donald Trump no longer has beef with some Kiwi exports, but others are still stuck paying a high price - and an economist warns it's anyone's guess how long the relief will lastGuests:Brad Olsen - New Zealand economistKate Acland - Beef and Lamb New Zealand chair and New Zealand Meat Board chairLearn More:Read more about the tariff removal and what it means for New Zealand here, here and hereFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Kākāpō numbers are recovering at such a rate that we are running out of pest-free islands to put them on 2026 could be the year that the kākāpō breeding programme takes such a big leap forward that conservationists can finally take a step backGuests:Alison Ballance - Kākāpō FilesLearn More:Read DoC's blog on the 2026 mast season Learn about Auckland Zoo's kākāpō programmeFind The Detail on Newsroom or RNZ Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details