Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

For a lot of couples, the bedroom used to be the one place where the outside world went away. Now it's often lit by the glow of a screen. Smartphones have slipped into the most private part of our lives, turning quiet moments into scroll time and intimacy into interruption. Relationship therapist Baya Voce argues that the phone has become an uninvited third presence in many partnerships. And it's not usually dramatic blowups that cause the damage in a relationship, it's the constant little withdrawals of attention from one more email, one more notification, one more Instagram check.Voce writes about this modern relationship shift in her essay for AfterBabel, Your Marriage Has a Third: What Phone-Based Adulthood Is Doing to Love and Sex.

Our weekly segment where we get the audiences' help on a problem. This is your chance to weigh in, give your two cents with reckless abandon! This week a bill that's caused a fall out between cousins. One of them crashed the other's car, only to find it's uninsured - who should foot the bill? Should it be shared?! We love getting your thoughts on 2101.

Afternoons podcast critic Elliot Childs shares what he's been listening to: Fela Kuti, Fear No Man - An eight episode documentary about Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer and political activist Fela Kuti. The Idiot - Produced by Serial productions (who made Serial and S town)

Afternoons' book critic Catherine Robertson is here to share what she's been reading: Hood's Landing by Laura Vincent (Aporo Press) The Island Retreat by Cathy Kelly (Harper Collins) Seed by Elisabeth Easther (Penguin)

It's time for Mayoral minutes, where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing, how they're working to solve them and what makes their community special. Today we're heading to Ashburton, from where Mayor Liz McMillan joins Jesse.

How loyal are you and why? New Zealanders are signing up for more and more loyalty cards. In the first of a two-parter, 'Loyal or Lazy?', Katy Gosset asks: are they really saving us money?

We've talked a lot about fuel on the show recently, including alternative options like hydrogen, and today we're going to look at ammonia and urea. It's primarily used here as a fertiliser, to increase crop yields and boost pasture growth for sheep and dairy, however there's also demand for it as a green fuel. The bulk of our ammonia and urea supplies come from the Middle East, but one Kiwi company is hoping to change that. Liquium is a new company spun out of Wellington University that is aiming to boost domestic production efficiency and unlock new ammonia export markets. Chief Executive Paul Geraghty joins Jesse.

The United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association Women's basketball final has just been held, and for the first time a New Zealander was part of the winning team. Hamilton's Charlisse Leger-Walker is in the UCLA Bruins and they beat the South Carolina Gamecocks in the championship game 79-51 on Monday our time. Charlisse played a pivotal role in the final, playing 26 minutes and landing two three pointers Charlisse's mum Leanne Walker, a former Tall Fern herself, was at the game with all the family, she chats to Jesse.

We kick off today in Hawke's Bay, where the Government has just committed to a loan of $18 million towards a proposed dam. A dam on the Makaroro River has been on the cards for years, various attempts to get it off the ground have been hit with controversy. This investment will mean the viability of the dam can be tested - to find out how they'll do that Jesse is joined by Tukituki water security project chairman Mike Petersen.

Could this be the secret to finding happiness?

The war in Iran is causing global market uncertainty, personal finance whizz Mary Holm joins Jesse to discuss what that might mean for you.

It's time to talk relationships so Jesse is joined by Professor Kirsty Ross from Massey University's School of Psychology Do let us know if there are any topics you would like Kirsty and Jesse to cover at afternoons@rnz.co.nz Today they'll discuss how to cope when there is so much bad news.

This morning Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a cabinet reshuffle, which sees MPs Chris Penk and Penny Simmons get promoted, while MP Chris Bishop loses leader of the House and National Party campaign Chair role, but become Attorney-General. Former National Party Staffer and co-host of the 'Gone By Lunchtime' podcast Ben Thomas discusses the changes with Jesse.

Earlier this week we talk to broadcaster Joanna Paul-Robie on her cancer struggles, and how challenging it is being stuck in the middle: alive with terminal cancer that cannot be cured. That conversation inspired listener Andrew Dunn to get in touch with us to share his story in response.

Dr Sonja Lyubomirsky is a world renowned expert in happiness and after more than three decades of research, she says she sees a connection between happiness and not just being loved, but feeling loved. That's not just romantically, but with friends and family too. Dr Lyubomirsky says we can help create the love we are hoping for with simple things like curiosity and listening. She's co-written a new book called How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most.

Dish Magazine Editor and CEO Sarah Tuck joins Jesse to share a recipe hack her team discovered on TikTok.

Today we're heading off to Palau. Palau is an island nation that's part of the Micronesia subregion. Lonely Planet destination editor Jessica Lockhart joins us to share her travel tales.

Our weekly catch up with Our Changing World's Claire Concannon and this week she's looking into marine plastic pollution. But first she can share an update on the Kakapo breeding season.

We've been having lots of conversations about energy recently, and one area many of you have told us we should be talking about is geothermal. Geothermal Energy provides around 18% of our total electricity supply currently, but should we be looking to tap into this source more and boost that figure? Here to discuss, is Associate Professor John O'Sullivan from Auckland University's 'Geothermal Institute'.'

Awkwardly it seems many parts of the world have yet to catch up on their goodness, but that's about to change, well in South Korea at least. Kristine Kim has relocated from New Zealand to Seoul and that's where she's set up the Auckland Pie Garage.