Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

The move to recognise Palestine as a state is growing traction, with Australia joining France, Canada and others in backing the idea at the United Nations General Assembly next month. Our Government's confirmed its weighing its position on recognition and will decide in the next month. Prime Minster Chris Luxon has described the situation in Gaza as an "absolute human catastrophe". Dr. Maria Armoudian, who is an associate professor in politics and international relations at Auckland University, joins Jesse to discuss.

Follow the money in the gaming industry, and you'll discover incentives that shape the games and the ways they keep kids hooked. Young players are logging into gaming platforms and landing in Nazi camps, school shooting reenactments, strip clubs, or acting out a teacher-student romance. It's all part of a business model built to keep kids playing and spending. NYU researcher Bennett Sippel explored them firsthand. He's the co-author of a piece on the substack After Babel that helps parents understand how new monetization models are changing the online gaming world.The piece is called "It's Not Just a Game Anymore."

Today we are talking all things Dinosaur. Did they really have feathers? Could they talk to each other? Did a T-rex and a velociraptor ever meet? To answer those, and whatever else you can throw at him, Jesse is joined by Te Papa's Dinosaur expert Felix Marx.

As regular listeners will know, we like a cold call here on Afternoons, a chance to add a little suspense to the day .. will they answer .. will they be allowed to chat? But also, to chat the people who help turn our towns and cities into communities. Today Jesse chances his luck at Ngati Porou FM.

Let's talk about what's on the box and Philippa Rennie is here with her recommendations. Philippa was the Executive Producer of TV show Escaping Utopia and producer on Fresh Eggs, as well as Heaven and Hell: The Centrepoint Story. 

Australian country music phenomenon Brad Cox is with Jesse today, and he brought his guitar. 

The Blokes' Book Club existed in Hamilton for a few years now, so what's the appeal?

Jesse Mulligan is joined by The Panel host Wallace Chapman and producer Tessa Guest to preview this evening's marlarky.

It's just after three thirty which means it's time to talk critter of the week, the segment where we focus on an endangered creature. Today the spotlight is on the Western Tiger Moth. As the name suggests, the moth has black and orange markings, well the males do, the females look completely different. Forest and Bird's Chief Executive Nicola Toki Here explains what makes both the male and female so special.

The biggest change in fifty years to how our roading network is funded was announced this week. Petrol tax is out and instead drivers will pay based on how much they travel. This change affects more than 3 million of us, so we had questions. The AA's Policy Director Martin Glynn helps explain what this announcement means.

There's no denying it is hard to be in hospitality right now; the news is filled with long standing establishments closing their doors as people struggle to find the money to dine out. Heart of the city is keen to get people back into restaurants, August is Restaurant Month and this year's theme is don't try this at home. To tell us more and share a recipe is chef Gareth Stewart from InterContinental's Advieh restaurant.

Dominic Corry joins Jesse with his latest picks. Courtesy of the New Zealand International Film Festival, The Weed Eaters; Toitu: Visual Sovereignty and Eddington. Weapons - opening in cinemas today.

If you've got a story to tell - we're talking haunting, serendipity, the odd UFO - then please get in touch. It's 2101 on the text or afternoons@rnz.co.nz Today Dave from Whangarei shares his creepy tale.

For all those Masterchef Australia fans out there, we have a treat for you. We've got this season's Kiwi contestant Ben MacDonald in the Auckland studio Now just a warning, if you haven't seen last night's episode and you're worried about spoilers please don't click on the link to listen! Ben has been competing in this year's MasterChef Australia: Back to Win season, eleven years after first appearing on the show in 2014 where he placed sixth.

Just over two weeks ago, the He Piropiro Waiu Human Milk Bank opened in Northland. It is the first for the region and will provide valuable donated breast milk for sick babies particularly those born prematurely. Previously these babies would mainly have received infant formula but when their mother's milk isn't available, experts say donated breast milk is the next best thing. Sue Bree is the director of midwifery for Northland.

Yesterday on the show we were joined by recruitment adviser Ingrid Osbourne. She shared tips for making yourself stand out from the crowd in a tough job market. But lots of you got in touch with a sure way to get hired - be a mechanic. One of those people - Ruben Smith - is a mechanic of 32 years.

Awareness of the impacts of concussion has grown significantly in recent years but advocates say many sufferers still struggle to get the right support from ACC following a diagnosis. Brain injury support group Headway has been campaigning for years for changes to the way ACC manages people with Traumatic Brain Injuries CEO Stacey Mowbray joins Jesse.

New Zealand has one of the highest number of lawyers per capita in the world. But it certainly wasn't always the case. Today our resident professor, Dr Grant Morris explores how and why we have so many lawyers.

When projects in Wellington get mooted, there are often artists impressions of the project showing Wellington on a brilliantly sunny day, with well-dressed joggers going past, sober teenagers discussing world issues and no homeless anywhere. The reality is different and council's artists impressions - with roofed bus stops and fences that aren't actually what will go there are being called into question. Dave Armstrong talks to Jesse about this and other issues he says need solving.

The enduring image of Grant Elliott hitting a six to send New Zealand into their first ever One Day Cricket World Cup Final in 2015 - brought many New Zealanders to tears. Also making headlines in the aftermath of that historic victory - the sportsmanship he displayed in extending a hand to the South African bowler he had just dispatched - Dale Steyn - as he lay devastated on the ground. Nicknamed the Hairy Javelin, Grant began his cricketing career in his native South Africa. But a move to New Zealand would set up him up for an international career that saw him compete in all formats of the game. He chats to Jesse.