Kate Evans visits a passionate team as they carpet a remote volcanic island in Tonga with poisoned bait, hoping to eradicate rats. What does it take to complete this kind of project, what are the chances of success, and what will it mean for the island’s ecosystems if they manage to remove the rats once and for all?  

Melanie Hempe confronted the issue of screen addiction with her own sons. She started Screen Strong to help parents give their kids smartphone free childhoods. She speaks to Jesse.

This Sam Parish has a vege-loaded extraordinary dish, but it's still simple and easy to put together for a midweek meal. This week's version uses chicken mince but Sam says pork works just as well.

Today Ximena talks to Jesse about Sherlock and Co a weekly drama series that brings Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tales to life in a modern London setting. She also gives her take on the podcast Helen Lewis Has Left The Chat.

Childhood friends Lucy Bradlow & Bronwen Bock this week announced they are running - as one candidate - for MP of the Melbourne electoral division Higgins. Jesse speaks to Lucy and Bronwen.

'Scattergun: After the Death of Ruaumoko' is Ana Scotney's solo show, currently mid-run. It's won awards and rave reviews on both sides of the Tasman. Ana speaks to Jesse.

In a surprise move this morning Prime Minister Christoper Luxon has stripped two ministers of their portfolios. Political commentator and former National Party press secretary Ben Thomas speaks to Jesse.

Being less bad is not good enough. It's not going to get us closer to putting the brakes on climate change. Håkan Nordqvist is the former Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Ikea who believes companies need to do more than tick environmentally friendly boxes. He says sustainability, not just responsibility, needs to drive innovation that's good for the planet and the bottom line. Nordqvist is a guest speaker at the Future State technology summit in Auckland.

Brad Foster reports on general concerns over safety among many Sydneysiders following the two knife attacks in the past week, and the divided opinion on a comedian asking a mother and daughter to leave his show in over the weekend. He also provides an update on Molly the Magpie, the mushroom murders, and Australia's plans for Anzac Day this Thursday.

Today Claire talks to Jesse about The Unsettled by Richard Shaw, Otherhood, a forthcoming anthology and Ash by Louise Wallace.

Today owner and managing director of Vertech IT Services Dan Watson talks to Jesse about quishing scams targeting millennials and the case of a man recently who lost 30 years of family tree research while trying to download data from his xtra mail account.

Like many Invercargill woman Brit MacDonald tried her hand at sour dough making during COVID lockdowns. What sets her apart is that has turned into her owning her own bakery as well as receiving a scholarship to travel to the US and Europe to immerse herself in international sour dough cutlures. She talks to Jesse about how her hobby's turned into a such a huge success.

In 2021 Dr Ally Gibson launched a research project which required participants to submit short stories in response to a prompt about dating.To find out more about how AI ruined her research Dr Ally Gibson speaks to Jesse.

The annual Bangers to Bluff rally concluded this week raising around $100k for the Multiple Sclerosis society. One of this years drivers Rosemary Hedge talks to Jesse about the 2024 event.

Growing up Robin Reames saw first hand at the dinner table, why conspiracy theories flourish and how misinformation spreads. Now a professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Reames believes the antidote is straightforward.

Tick tock - today's expert is all about time. Blair Shallard is an horologist and owner of Time Central in Rotorua. He's our expert today talking about all things time pieces.

Traditionally the strawberry growing season winds up around now. The locally grown varieties disappear. That is except for "counter seasonal" grower 26 Seasons.  Chief executive Grant Leach speaks to Jesse.

Today Linda talks to Jesse about The Lost Boys of Dilworth and gives her views on Mr Bates and the Post Office.

The NZ comedy fest season is fast approaching meaning a host of funny people are set to hit our stages here in Aotearoa. Among the talent this year is He Huang - she grew up in China but now calls Australia home.

Last week the Global Agritourism Network and AgritourismNZ ran a webinar which included people from 50 countries. One of the presenters was Amber Tyrrell, who owns and operates Valley Views Glamping in Canterbury.

A new community-wide initiative has launched in Lower Hutt today called 'Mouri Tupu - Planting for the Future'. The goal is to plant one tree for every person in the city, that's 114,000. Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry speaks to Jesse.

You might have come across the creamy white spiral shells of this week's critter on the beach. The enigmatic ram's horn squid, Spirula spirula is a squid-like cephalopod mollusc.

Lynda Hallinan talks Gardening

Today Martin Bosley shares a fantastic recipe that combines the smooth full texture of a mousse with the creamy chocolate flavours. Martin tells us how to make his chocolate and ginger pudding.