Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

Carli McConkey didn't join a cult, she was recruited into one at a time when she was searching for direction in her life. She spent 13 years working for nothing, even enduring medical sterilization while part of a doomsday cult called Universal Knowledge in Australia. She's now an advocate for people drawn in to these groups, despite attempts to silence her by the former leader of the group. In this age of misinformation and conspiracy theories, Carli McConkey helps us understand how people get taken in by what may seem like outrageous ideas.

This week's midweek meal inspiration from chef, author and busy mum Sam Parish is bound to be a regular go to dinner for many households. She's got a great tasty and budget friendly recipe for eggplant and chicken parmigana.

Today Ximena talks to Jesse about The Gas Man, an investigative series from Tortoise Media. She's also been listening to Intrigue: To Catch a Scorpian.

For Heading Off today we're heading to the east coast of the South Island to Waitaki. It's one of the destinations around that is attracting more tourists each year. We speak to journalist Lisa Scott about why Waitaki!

BabyX is an interactive AI model of an 18 month old. It was originally launched in 2013, by then Auckland University researcher Mark Sagar. Over the last 10 years it's been developed and improved, to the point it's now suitable for academic research into early childhood development It allows researchers to do work that would be impossible or unethical on real human participants. University of Auckland psychologist Florian Bednarski is taking advantage of those possibilities to conduct groundbreaking research.

The New Zealand Rose of Trelee competition took place in Invercargill this weekend The annual contest has been running here since 1966 and sees women of Irish heritage compete for a slot in the International Rose Of Trelee contest which takes place in Ireland later this year. The winner of that becomes a global ambassador for the country - it's a big prize which comes with a 25,000 euro travel budget This years New Zealand winner - 21 year old Keely O'Grady. She speaks to Jesse.

Aucklands oldest department store Smith and Caughey's is set to close in 2025. The retail store on Queen Street has been a fixture for 144 years Jesse speaks with CEO of Auckland's Heart of the City; Viv Beck.

The budget will of course be delivered from Wellington, but this year our rural community will be keeping a close eye on it as well. Farmers Weeky journalist and former share milker Richard Rennie joins us to run us through what he's looking out for.

Bob Calkin considers himself a lucky man. Too young for both world wars and entering the workforce in the '50s and '60s, New Zealand gave working-class men like him tremendous opportunities.

Brad Foster reports on the search for a mum and newborn baby in Sydney after evidence of a birth on the banks of a river in Sydney's south west were found by a man walking in the area late on Monday. He also reports on a nationwide initiative by a radio personality and filmmaker to increase the age of social media use by teenagers from 13 to 16 to reduce what they describe as "an anxious generation". He also talks film and footy.

Today Claire talks to Jesse about two very different memoirs, First Things by Harry Ricketts and Splinters by Leslie Jamison. She also talks about Jane Arthur's children's novel Brown Bird.

Today Tim talks to Jesse about how AI will change jobs and careers.

Baby food pouches could be providing our little ones with very little nutritional value, according to new research.  Ioanna Katiforis is PhD candidate in the Department of Human Nutrition at University of Otago, was involved.

We often have multiple layers of names and nicknames for different groups and situations. But increasingly many Chinese given those as a child are choosing - when they grow up - to revert back to their Chinese names.

Around 76 dog incidents happen each day in New Zealand requiring medical attention, according to ACC data. The Dog Safe Workplace helps reduce the number of incidents and protects workers.

Work isn't working. We are so busy staying busy, with constant emails and new message apps, we end up exhausted says professor Cal Newport. 

Electricity - how do we generate it, how does it get from a hydro-station to our kettles, and where is the technology involved heading? 

This week on Made in NZ we meet Shona Garven who's dedicated her business to making and restoring rocking horses. The Rocking Horse Place is based in Turakina just south of Whanganui. Shona explains her passion and business to Jesse.

Today Linda talks to Jesse about The Tattooist of Auschwitz on Neon and Clarkson's Farm on Prime Video.

This coming weekend the New Zealand Association of Scrabble Players (NZASP) is hosting the 44th National Scrabble Championship in Wellington.