Karen Hao: journalist and author on her new book exploring the impact of AI

No-one knows what the future of AI has in store for us, and one journalist has raised concerns about the impact of the technology. When investigative journalist Karen Hao started looking into Sam Altman’s OpenAI, she had hopes for the technology, but extensive research and unparalleled access to t…

Luuka Jones-Yaxley: Kiwi Olympian on doubling for Charlize Theron in Netflix's Apex

Olympic paddler Luuka Jones-Yaxley's lined up an unexpected project after her success in Paris.  Shortly after retiring from the high-performance canoe Slalom at the Paris Olympics, Luuka received a call and an offer to appear as Charlize Theron’s stunt double in the Netflix film Apex.  She says …

Whitcoulls Recommends: Yesteryear and London Falling

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. Natalie Heller Mills drifts into marriage with a real loser, and in a last desperate attempt to help him make something of himself, gets her father in law to fund them onto a remote ranch in Idaho where she raises a brood of kids, embraces a traditional way of life,…

Megan Singleton: BloggerAtLarge.com writer on her most recent trip to New York

Travel expert Megan Singleton's been in New York seeing the sights, and making some unexpected discoveries.  After she learned the Abyssinian Baptist Church was booked out, she checked out the spring blossoms in Central Park, explored the Met and visited Little Island - which is built on wine glas…

The Sunday Panel: What could ACT's immigration policy do for NZ's economy?

This week on The Sunday Panel, broadcaster and journalist Wilhelmina O’Keefe and Resident Economist at Opes Partners, Ed McKnight, joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! ACT has recently revealed their new immigration policy - what do we think? Is this going to…

Erin O'Hara: naturopath and wellness expert explains how additives are affecting your gut microbiome

Additives are added to processed food to keep it fresher for longer but these might unexpectedly affect the health of the microbes in our guts. A diverse microbiome is key for our overall wellbeing, as it influences everything from our mood to our metabolism and our brain health, and processed foo…

Full Show Podcast: 03 May 2026

On the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin Full Show Podcast for Sunday 3 May 2026, Francesca speaks to investigative reporter and influential AI expert Karen Howe, who initially supported the development of AI, but now sees a darker side to the newest tech trend. Luuka Jones-Yaxley has gone fro…

Francesca Rudkin: We need more civility in this election season

Last week I started my editorial with: ‘Well, it was a rather chaotic, eventful week in politics wasn’t it’, and went on to speak about how I thought it was a mistake that the Prime Minister has decided to decline appearing in a weekly spot on TVNZ’s Breakfast.   But it appears that ‘chaotic’ and …

Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist on the new research on what makes the safest seat on the plane

When you board a plane, you probably think about whether or not you want a window or aisle seat that is either close to the bathroom, or far away.  But new research published in the journal AIP Advances concludes that when it comes to safety, who is sitting around you matters more than where you si…

Mike van de Elzen: Fired duck livers with port and cream

 Fired duck livers with port and cream  Cook time: 25 minutes  Prep time: 30 minutes  Serves: 6 250 gm duck livers   1/2 cup red wine   1/4 cup port   3/4 cup cream   6 field mushrooms   1/2 onion, peeled and sliced thin   2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 2 tbsp sunflower oil   Salt a…