Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Costco's interest in New Zealand could be a good sign for our grocery sector.  The big-box US retail chain's bought a large plot in the new Drury Town Centre for its second Auckland store.  A Westgate branch opened three years ago.  Grocery Action Group chair Sue Chetwin says Costco clearly sees profit potential in New Zealand.  "It would be really good if a third or a fourth operator thought like that, but was willing to have a few more supermarkets so more people could benefit." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former police negotiator has suggested systemic failures led to a scandal revealed yesterday, around former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. An IPCA report's revealed past serious allegations about McSkimming weren't immediately investigated by senior staff. The woman who made them was charged with harassment, despite the lack of scrutiny of her claims.  Former negotiator Lance Burdett says not having experienced staff could have played a part in the failures. "There's only two options, isn't there? Well, there's three - ignorance, incompetence or something nefarious. I don't know." A new police Inspector-General is being created. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Auckland councillor says a long road's ahead before the city's close to congestion charging. A new bill has passed in Parliament that'll let councils charge drivers on specific roads at peak travel periods - beginning with the City of Sails. A report commissioned by the mayor estimates stalled traffic costs the city $2.6 billion dollars each year. Howick Ward councillor Maurice Williamson says a long process of consultation, and setting up a board will now begin. "I'll make the wild prediction now - you will not see an operational congestion charging regime for a minimum of at least three years from now."  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Police Minister says like many Kiwis, he's disappointed - by a scathing IPCA report highlighting past failures in senior Police management of complaints about one of their own. The police watchdog report has detailed how staff, including then-Commissioner Andrew Coster, didn't investigate allegations when they were made against Deputy Commissioner Jevon McSkimming. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacked the discussions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Senate has passed through legislation to reopen the US Government, indicating the long-running shutdown is closer to wrapping up. The 41-day shutdown could last a few more days, with more members of the House set to vote on the legislation. US correspondent Jonathan Kearsley says there's still more issues to come - as flights in the US are impacted by delays and disruptions. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan expects an enhanced England to front up at Twickenham this weekend. The All Blacks met the World Number 4 three times last year, with the ABs winning twice at home in July before winning by a solitary point at Twickenham in November. Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explained further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's outrage in Papamoa over the news that their asphalt roads will be replaced with chip seal resurfacing. Tauranga City Council has confirmed the roads were only scheduled for resealing if they were showing early signs of surface deterioration. The Council's Head of Transport, Mike Seabourne, says resurfacing the roads with asphalt would have been too expensive. "One of the elements for us is - the asphalt is used in certain circumstances, like on intersections or with heavy vehicles, it's really good for that. But for residential roads, we can use chip seal in a much more cost effective way." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The BBC's chairman has denied claims the BBC is trying to bury accusations of bias, as Donald Trump threatens to sue the company. A leaked BBC memo suggests the Panorama programme edited Trump’s speech to imply he encouraged the Capitol Hill riots of January 2021. UK correspondent Enda Brady says it's likely the BBC will need to issue another apology - as the original didn't go far enough.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial intelligence is growing and changing and reshaping industries, but there's growing concerns about the harm it could bring. Trust is a valuable asset in the digital space, and many businesses are concerned about how the online experience could change - and how it could impact their output. Former White House CIO and Fortalice Solutions CEO Theresa Payton says it's going to get harder for people to distinguish the difference between AI and real content - and the race is on to establish proper safeguards. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today marks the 107th anniversary of Armistice Day, which marked the end of World War I on November 11 in 1918. Kiwis all over the country gathered to pay tribute and pass down stories from the event. The Country's Jamie Mackay also has one, and he shared it today. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.