Danyl McLauchlan on National’s latest poor polling results

The poor poll may reflect the government’s failure to hit most of its economic targets.

Chris Slane’s political cartoon of the week

Chris Slane's take on the week in politics.

Greg Dixon’s Another Kind of Politics: National MPs happy to let “awesome” Luxon keep up the great job

Greg Dixon runs a satirical eye over local and international politics.

NZ Election Study data suggests voters, over time, are behaving more like reef fish

Even with a volatile voting history, uncommitted Kiwi's vote in sync according to mood.

David Harvey: The debate over gender identity and legal obligation

Respect is essential, but legal compulsion is another question.

Russell Brown: Why a $100,000+ grant to Auckland music venues raises complex questions

Smaller venues are getting over $100,000 from Spark Arena’s Community Events Fund.

Simon Wilson meets the Brit economist baffled by NZ’s lack of a wealth tax

Inequality activist Gary Stevenson lands on Auckland’s North Shore.

A grassroots approach is the solution to saving our native plant species

Weeds are overwhelming our native species. Can we stop the invasion before it's too late?

Former detective makes tough choice after uncovering financial abuse of sister

Out of sight: How the risk to the elderly and vulnerable can come from family.

Listener weekly quiz: March 18

Test your general knowledge with the Listener’s weekly quiz.

Out of sight: How safe are NZ elders in care?

Physical abuse of a dementia patient captured on video prompts family to speak out.

Model developed to track uptake of te reo Māori

Academic develops model to track whether te reo is gaining or losing support.

Motor neuron disease therapies could receive major boost thanks to NZ research

NZ neuroscientist aims to revolutionise MND therapies by switching off “bossy” molecules.

How to breathe: An extract from Brook Elliston’s The Breath Reset Plan

Breath training shifts patterns through lived experience rather than analysis alone.

How improving breathing habits can help everything from ADHD to gut health

Learn how to be your own “breath detective” so you start to notice small things.

Many of us admit to delusional thinking: Could the rise of AI further fuel false beliefs?

Just under 1% of users interact with ChatGPT in ways consistent with mania or psychosis.

The Good Life: Lost letter mysteries

Could a reunion be on the cards thanks to mail received at Lush Places?

From coffee to commuting, AI can calculate how fast each habit is killing you

Greg Bruce runs the numbers: 'To say I was shocked by its analysis is an understatement.'

UK nutritionist Erica Rodriguez celebrates her love of wholefood cooking

Enjoy three vegetarian recipes from her debut cookbook Nourished Kitchen.

Weekend wine guide: Marlborough’s Astrolabe lives up to its name

Taste the spirit of adventure with Astrolabe's highly individual wines.

Grande dame of song steps back from heading NZ’s national choir

More than anyone, Karen Grylls has led the way in forging an NZ choral music identity.

Triumph of spirit: The dance masterpiece Gloria returns

For the first time since Douglas Wright's death, Gloria is being staged in Aotearoa.

Is the ballet lost or won?: Our reviewers’ verdicts on Macbeth, the RNZB’s epic new production

How did the ambitious new production fare with our coven of critics?

Opera director Daisy Evans on why she gave Bartók’s Judith dementia

A modern spin on Bartók’s famous opera may well generate a few tears.

Russell Brown: Why a $100,000+ grant to Auckland music venues raises complex questions

Smaller venues are getting over $100,000 from Spark Arena’s Community Events Fund.

The King and I: Shayne Carter reviews the new Elvis concert film

Guest reviewer Shayne Carter contemplates Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley in-concert movie.

Fly my pretty: Shaun Blackwell’s latest is ready for lift-off

New albums by Hemi Hemingway, Bill Callahan and Bonnie "Prince" Billy reviewed.

Listener’s Songs of the week: Te reo anthem on Project Hail Mary soundtrack, Bruce Springsteen sings the Pogues, new ones by Tali, Amy Shark, Dave Grohl’s kid, and more

New and intriguing tracks picked by Listener music writers.

Book of the day: How Progress Ends by Carl Benedikt Frey

A thoroughly researched, deeply fascinating history of the rise and fall of nations.

Book of the day: The Secrets of the Lost Vineyard by Erin Palmisano

Light-bodied, flavoursome novel with just enough zest to keep you drinking it in.

Austen’s plain Jane: Kiwi screenwriter on giving Pride & Prejudice’s wallflower Mary her own show

New series The Other Bennet Sister has an episode by We Were Dangerous scribe Maddie Dai.

Top 10 bestselling NZ books: March 14

Local fiction makes big impact on this week's top 10.

Cop-turned-novelist writes handbook on police procedures out of frustration over common crime-writer mistakes

How to write a crime novel that rings true - and the most common mistakes writers make.

Milk, Madness and Mayhem: The Ruahine Triple Axe Murders

Was it an act of temporary, alcohol-induced madness? Or plain bloody murder?

The Listener 2025 collection: Our most popular crime writing

From contemporary court cases to historic murders, 2025's best read crime stories.

Steve Braunias on the sentencing of the mother responsible for the ‘suitcase murders’

Mercy for Hakyung Lee was bartered for at sentencing.

Democracy needs armed forces, but young Germans will take a lot more convincing

With increased Russian aggression and US untrustworthiness, Germany needs more soldiers.

Apocalypse how: A field guide to the end of the world as the doomsday clock ticks forward

When’s the apocalypse coming, and what are the six likeliest ways it's going to kill us?

The political divide over the future of Bondi’s bridge

The bridge at the centre of the Bondi massacre is the latest subject of debate.

Was Renee Good’s death the result of senseless violence or an outcome of domestic terrorism?

Why your “moral language” will determine how you answer this question.

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See the world anew when science, art and nature converge in Te Papa’s Breathe | Mauri Ora

Te Papa’s new experience is at the cutting edge of technology and immersive art practice.

This Titirangi home was transformed into a functional family home

A mid-century Auckland home is reconfigured to make it more functional for a young family