In today’s episode – government proposes a ban on protesting outside homes; strong public support for the four Labour COVIDteers appearing at the COVID inquiry; Washington Post ‘fact-checker’ admits they were wrong on lab leak theory – what else were they wrong on; Forum speaker & Australian Kirralie Smith convicted of ‘violence’ for calling out dudes in women’s sports; Chloe Swarbrick finally argues that the unborn child should have human rights – hallelujah; 7k Christians killed in Nigeria just this year – when will the Greens be marching for that; over 200 faith groups & NGOs urge UN to stop enabling Hamas; Finnish doctor argues for science in teen gender dysphoria case; Pornhub traffic impacted by age verification laws in UK; & the problem with sperm donating…
Show summary auto-generated by Descript app:
- **Proposed Ban on Home Protests in New Zealand:** The government proposes a ban on protests outside personal homes to balance the right to expression with the right to privacy, which Bob supports as a good decision.
- **Refusal of Key Political Figures to Appear Before a Committee:** Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson, and Ayesha Verrall, termed the ‘Four Coverers,’ refuse to appear before a committee. Public opinion is divided, but polls suggest a majority believe they should appear publicly. An interview with Chris Hipkins on the topic is criticiSed.
- **Washington Post’s Retraction on COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory:** Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post admits he was wrong to label the COVID-19 lab leak theory as ‘doubtful,’ a significant change in narrative from 2020 when social media would ban users for supporting this theory.
- **Transgender Athlete Controversy:** A transgender athlete wants to compete in female handball at the Olympics but fears anti-trans sentiment. Additionally, Kirralie Smith, an advocate against transgender participation in female sports, faces legal challenges yet continues her activism, emphasising biology over gender identity.
- **Chloe Swarbrick’s Pro-Life Statement:** Remarkably, Chloe Swarbrick inadvertently makes a pro-life statement in Parliament about unconditional human rights, which Bob sees as an accidental alignment with pro-life values, inviting her to join the next March for Life.
- **Trump-Putin Meeting Analysis:** Bob criticises media conclusions on the success or failure of a Trump-Putin meeting, pointing out the lack of insider knowledge and the media’s tendency to jump to conclusions without concrete evidence.
- **Violence Against Christians in Nigeria:** Reports of over 7,000 Christians killed and 7,800 abducted in Nigeria by extremists are highlighted, criticizing the lack of media coverage in mainstream outlets.
- **Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and UN Relief Agency:** Over 200 organizations call for an investigation into the UN Relief Agency in Gaza, alleging some workers were involved in terrorist attacks against Israel.
- **Finnish Doctor on Transgender Treatments:** A Finnish doctor critiques the medical treatment for transgender youth, noting that many did not thrive as expected from previous literature and stressing the importance of speaking up against such treatments.
- **UK Age Verification Law Impact:** Implementation of an age verification law in the UK leads to a significant drop in traffic to pornographic websites, though some users attempt to bypass these restrictions using VPNs.
- **Personal Story on Donor Conception:** A New Zealand Herald reporter, donor-conceived, shares her journey to find her biological father, emphasizing the emotional and identity complexities of donor conception.
