Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Government has officially recognised feral cats as pests and added them to the Predator Free 2050 list. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka described them as 'stone cold killers' and says they need to be dealt with to protect New Zealand's native species.  Predator Free NZ Trust chief executive Jessi Morgan says they've been campaigning on this move for a long time and it's 'exciting' to see it in motion. "I think New Zealanders are ready for this and they've actually been calling out for it. So I don't think it's going to cause any issue at all."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Minister's not ruling out banning other digital distractions in schools. An Education Review Office report shows three-quarters of secondary school teachers believe student behaviour's improved since cellphones were outlawed in class. It's also recommending considering also excluding smart watches and social media. Education Minister Erica Stanford says she's open to the ideas. "We're certainly going to take ERO's recommendations into account and I'll get the Ministry to give me some advice, but I certainly think we probably do need to go further. But that'll obviously be a decision I need to take to Cabinet."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's growing speculation Chris Luxon is at risk of being rolled ahead of the election, with Chris Bishop being touted as a potential replacement.  An opinion piece by Audrey Young was released today, and it claimed that Labour was going extra hard on Bishop over the cycleway project because he was likely to take over the party by 2026. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says National's taking a hit in the polls and there's discussions about Luxon's leadership abilities taking place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve got a possibly controversial opinion about standing up at concerts. Last night, I went to see Metallica. Incredible show - way better than I gave them credit for yesterday. But here’s what happened. We were in the stands, seated tickets. A few rows ahead, there was this guy who, the second Metallica hit the stage, jumped to his feet. Everyone else stayed seated, but not him. Hands in the air, devil horns flying, head-banging, air guitar, singing every lyric. He was having the best night of his life - and honestly, watching him made the rest of us enjoy it more. Not everyone agreed. People behind him started throwing cans. They hit him in the back; he ignored it. Then a couple of women clambered over seats, smacked him on the back, told him to sit down. He ignored that too. Eventually, a guy from way back stormed down, leaned across rows, got into a shouting match, even tried to physically drag him into his seat. After a few minutes, the head-banger gave in and sat down. But he couldn’t help himself. Every time a new song started, he popped back up - horns up, air guitar blazing -before remembering he was “supposed” to sit. This went on until he finally squeezed into the stairwell so he could thrash without blocking anyone’s view. You could tell it wasn’t the same; cramped space, less freedom. Here’s my take: If you’re at a concert, you should be able to stand up and have the best time of your life - even if you bought a seated ticket. If someone in front of you stands, sorry, you’re going to have to stand too. It’s not okay to demand someone sit for the whole show. It’s music, not a movie. And it’s Metallica, not the Symphony Orchestra. I’m with the metal-head from last night. He paid good money to enjoy himself. If that means horns up, air guitar, and head-banging - let him do it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian teenagers have been warned their accounts of Facebook, Instagram and Threads will be shut down ahead of the country's incoming social media ban. Meta has confirmed it has started notifying users between 13 and 15 years old by text, email and in-app messages that their accounts would be deactivated come December.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds says Meta has encouraged young users to download their content now, before the data gets removed. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pride from Silver Ferns interim coach Yvette McCausland-Durie after completing their 2025 season on a high. New Zealand's overcome adversity to down England 55-49 in Manchester and claim the series 2-1. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave recapped the action. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A long-term US study shows water fluoridation at recommended levels doesn't reduce cognitive ability. The 40-year study found children who drank such water did slightly better in school tests. By 60, that edge was insignificant, but fluoride didn't contribute to cognitive decline. Dentist Justin Wall says this puts this particular argument to bed - but theories about fluoride are bound to continue. "People would probably blame fluoride for mullet haircuts and not getting the Lotto numbers right if they could. But at the end of the day, fluoride is very highly researched." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK Government has confirmed it aims to ban people from reselling tickets from live events to make a profit. Restricting ticket scalpers was one of the Labour Government's election pledges, and it comes after  Sam Fender, Dua Lipa and Coldplay urged Sir Keir Starmer to take action. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says more details of this plan will be revealed soon. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is delaying hiking the levy most home owners pay via their private insurers to fund the Natural Hazards Commission until 2027. The $552 levy was supposed to go up by between $207 and $311, but reports claim ministers are still considering their options, with Finance Minister Nicola Willis saying she didn't want to make a 'hurried decision'. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Reserve Bank is set to reveal their latest OCR update next week, but experts aren't feeling too hopeful about the economy. GDP is down and the labour market remains weak, and many are feeling less optimistic. Milford Asset Management's Brendan Larsen explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.