Comedians Te Radar and Donna Brookbanks with the brawl that erupted in a Philadelphia eatery over a steak.

RNZ: Nine To Noon

The week that was with Te Radar and Donna Brookbanks

The Winter Olympics officially get underway tonight, with controversy over the IOC selecting China as host being criticised as being tacit endorsement of the country's human rights abuses. Will we see any political demonstrations from athletes? And on the action front, NZ goes into the Games in the rare position of being medal favourites in certain events, with 2018 heroes Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Nico Porteous chasing history once more. NZ has never won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics - will this be the Games?

Sports commentator Dana Johannsen

The glacial melancholy of Floating Points with Pharoah Sanders, Elvis Costello's rocking 32nd album, offbeat instrumentals from David Long, and a demo set from PJ Harvey.

Music reviewer Jeremy Taylor

Holly Walker reviews three of her favourite reads from 2021: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather Clark published by Jonathan Cape; See What You Made Me Do: Power, Control, and Domestic Abuse by Jess Hill published by Black Inc and Skinny Dip: Poetry edited by Susan Paris and Kate De Goldi published by MUP.

Book Review - Holly Walker's top 3 for 2021

The best way to address addiction is a holistic and nuanced approach that involves gentle intervention, says addiction specialist Dr Carl Erik Fisher. In his new part-memoir, part-history The Urge, Fisher draws on his own recovery from alcoholism.

The addiction psychiatrist who overcame his own alcoholism

Ed talks to Kathryn about the somewhat muted start to the year of the tiger in China with Xi Jinping continuing with his zero-Covid policy as the rest of the world tries to get life somewhat back to normal. And the crisis in Ukraine looms large on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, including a summit later today between Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi.

Asia correspondent Ed White

ICU specialist Professor Paul Young says it's time to rethink the well-established use of saline intravenous fluids for critically ill patients in hospital. He says extensive research shows an alternative therapy, called balanced crystalloids, saves more lives than saline. Saline has been widely used in medicine for the last 200 years, but has not undergone the rigorous testing applied to new drugs. ICU and emergency doctors have long debated the relative benefits of saline versus balanced crystalloids; a salt-based solution with an electrolyte composition that mimics plasma. Professor Young says the results of new research by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand is the final piece of the puzzle, and when combined with data from other clinical trials, shows that for acutely unwell patients, using balanced crystalloids rather than saline, saves lives. The results of the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, is expected change clinical practice in intensive care settings worldwide. Kathryn speaks with Professor Paul Young, who is the deputy director at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand and the leader of the study.

A more effective alternative to saline IV fluid in ICU?

There are urgent calls to prevent our increasingly scarce and prized growing land going forever, under concrete and asphalt. Just 15% of New Zealand's land is highly productive premium food production land. Most of it is on the fringes of our cities. Over the past 20 years, 54% of premium food production land has been lost to urban sprawl, with a almost third of all new developments being built on land potentially available for agriculture during this period. Our horticulture sector is awaiting the imminent National Policy Statement to provide more certainty to fruit and vegetable growers who are being increasingly hemmed in and crowded out. Kathryn is joined by Horticulture NZ Environment Manager Michelle Sands and Richard Gaddum, who heads lobby group Save Our Plains.

SOS: Save our soils for fruit and veg

Film and TV reviewer James Croot joins Kathryn to talk about Belfast, written and directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and a new series screening on Disney, Pam and Tommy.

Film & TV: Belfast, Eyes of Tammy Faye, Pam and Tommy

RNZ Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch discusses the Prime Minister's announcement that the country's borders will begin to reopen for vaccinated people from 27 February, without the requirement to go into MIQ. She has just announced a staged reopening of the borders starting with New Zealanders in Australia, then extending to kiwis elsewhere, critical workers, foreign students, business travellers and tourists.

NZ borders to reopen, starting 27 Feb

Kathryn talks with parenting coach and education consultant Joseph Driessen about children and boundaries. What are appropriate boundaries and how can parents coach their children to buy into them?

The challenges and benefits of setting boundaries for children

Jacinda Ardern announces that the reopening of the borders will begin with Australia at the end of this month, and outlines a five stage plan to reconnect New Zealand with the world.

Prime Minister announces reopening of NZ borders

Ralph McAllister reviews three of his favourite reads from 2021: Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris published by Hachette NZ, Tenderness by Alison MacLeod published by Bloomsbury and The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman published by Penguin.

Book Review - Three of the best of 2021: Ralph McAllister

Dr Sarb Johal is a psychologist of 30 years, author and speaker. His latest book is called Finding Calm: Managing Fear and Anxiety in an Uncertain World. Sarb says particularly in the midst of the pandemic, riding the ups and downs of life can be challenging and many people struggle to find any inner calm, with our minds often working to make things worse. But he says calm isn't something that magically happens and we can all learn to find it.

How to find calm in the maelstrom of life

UK correspondent Harriet Line joins Kathryn to talk about Boris Johnson's sticky week - with the release of the Sue Gray report into parties at No. 10 and more of his Tory colleagues joining in no confidence moves against him. Meanwhile the Prime Minister has participated in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the escalating crisis in Ukraine.

More Tory MPs seek to oust Johnson, UK holds talks with Russia

From nine to noon every weekday, Kathryn Ryan talks to the people driving the news - in New Zealand and around the world. Delve beneath the headlines to find out the real story, listen to Nine to Noon's expert commentators and reviewers and catch up with the latest lifestyle trends on this award-winning programme.

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