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Trump's health and the secret history of presidential cover-ups
Analysis - Speculation over Donald Trump's health is going viral online. While his doctors say he's in good health, history is riddled with tales of presidential illness kept secret.
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NZ's shift to more private healthcare will likely raise costs and reduce quality
1 Sep 2025Analysis: Studies show public healthcare is more likely to lead to better health outcomes, and diverting public funds to private healthcare erodes the quality…
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No excuse for mushroom murderer's inhumane prison conditions
27 Aug 2025Opinion: A principle of modern democracies where the rule of law prevails is that people are sent to prison as punishment - not for punishment, writes Thalia…
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Next steps for RNZ in ever-changing media landscape
27 Aug 2025Radio listening remains an essential part of RNZ, even as it adapts to ever-changing audience needs, chief executive Paul Thompson writes.
Comment & Analysis headlines with summaries.
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NCEA reform: Who takes an academic or vocational path?
27 Aug 2025If introduced, the reform would effectively see New Zealand return to a "tracking" system where students are grouped into two pathways.
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Why an attempt to lower electricity prices could end up doing the opposite
Analysis: The Electricity Authority's plan to lower prices rests on a naïve understanding of how New Zealand's electricity market works.
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Treasury has a great cost-benefit calculator for big-spending projects - we just need to use it better
Analysis: What is the true value of a policy project? For governments tasked with improving citizens' lives while spending taxpayers' money responsibly, this is no mere academic question. It lies at…
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Lies, damn lies and parliamentary debate
24 Aug 2025Analysis - Mendacity is the bane of good debate. In Parliament both lies and claims of lies used to be naughty, but the floodgates may have opened on the latter.
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What’s a ‘black moon’? Here’s why it’s worth looking up at the sky this week
22 Aug 2025While you've probably heard of a "blue moon" before, this might be the first time you've encountered its ominous-sounding counterpart.
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Kiwi kids see marketing for unhealthy products 76 times a day
21 Aug 2025Media headlines, industry figures and research confirm what many parents suspect: marketing to children has not only grown in scale but also in sophistication.
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Why Putin is not ready to meet with Zelensky, and may never be
Analysis: The Russian President has no reason to acquiesce at this point. Having made zero concessions, he has seen payoffs including the summit in Alaska.
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We've been sending animals to space for decades - yet there's still no rules to protect them
Analysis: As space exploration expands, the absence of legal protections for animals becomes increasingly problematic.
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Who'll win the Rugby World Cup? We ran 10,000 simulations
20 Aug 2025Analysis: So where does that leave the defending champions, the Black Ferns?
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Donbas: The object of Putin's desire and the crux Ukraine war
As negotiations over a potential deal to end the war intensify, much of the discussion has centred around a part of the country's east.
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Road-user charges can pay for more than just road maintenance - NZ could lead the way
Analysis: If all of NZ's vehicles paid road-user charges, this would be the chance to do more than raise revenue for road building and maintenance.
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In Ukraine, a dark cloud lifts - until Trump's next move
19 Aug 2025Analysis: When the US President greeted Volodymyr Zelensky with a broad smile, the dark cloud of dread suddenly vanished.
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Why has trust in news fallen? The answer is more complicated than we thought
15 Aug 2025Trust in news media is not exclusively linked to trust in authorities because news isn't just another institution - it's the democratic expression of the public interest in things.
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UN plastics pollution deal a flop, some blame USA
16 Aug 2025Analysis - Fiji's delegate says failing to set production limits is like "mopping the floor without turning off the tap," while China wants to address the full life-cycle of plastics.
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What Putin really wants from Trump - and it's not peace
15 Aug 2025Analysis: Alaska is unlikely to have been on many people's bingo cards for a summit between the US and Russia.
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Iran's rulers face existential choice after US-Israeli strikes
Analysis: The clerical elite stands at a crossroads: defy pressure to halt its nuclear activity, or concede and risk a fracture.
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Trump says Putin has fooled a long list of US presidents. Is he one of them?
Analysis: Now the Russian leader gets a prize - a summit that catapults him back onto the world stage.
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For Trump, Putin summit presents the ultimate test of dealmaking
13 Aug 2025Analysis: Among the constants in Donald Trump's turbulent career have been a flair for drama and a belief in his dealmaking powers.
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AI is peeling back the layers of 'low-value' work - NZ may be well-placed to adapt
13 Aug 2025As generative AI advances at breakneck speed, it is upending assumptions about which jobs are "safe" from automation.
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New fossils affirm NZ as a cradle of their evolution
13 Aug 2025Remarkable new fossil discoveries are driving a significant reassessment of our understanding of the early evolution of penguins.
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What can we learn from the PM's answers on Palestine and Gaza during Question Time?
National avoided taking a stand on Palestine in Parliament's urgent debate. What can we learn from the PM's answers on Palestine and Gaza during Question Time?
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Vape brands bypass marketing regulations to target young people
Globally, one of the main drivers in increasing numbers of young people vaping is the promotion of vapes on social media.
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Greens look to be tail wagging the dog - should Labour worry?
11 Aug 2025Analysis: If Labour's manifesto remains light on detail for too long, the Greens could end up setting the agenda and the terms of debate by default.
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How Warriors lost grip on top four with third straight defeat
10 Aug 2025Analysis: Coach Andrew Webster's bold switcheroo backfired badly against the Bulldogs.
