Rnz: Afternoons With Jesse Mulligan

We're back sharing more of your spooky, unexplainable or coincidental stories. If you have a tale to tell, email us at afternoons@rnz.co.nz.

That loud snoring keeping you up at night could be more than a noisy annoyance - it could be bad for your heart. Australian researchers have identified snoring as a possible early warning sign of dangerously high blood pressure.

Representing your country at the Olympics is the pinnacle of an athlete's career. It's the same in the mascot world Come July, Kapiti Coast teacher, Kate Thompson will be donning the mascot outfit for the New Zealand Olympics team .

Today is the shortest day of the year for Aotearoa New Zealand. For many cultures and faiths it's a important time of year. For those who follow the Wiccan traditions it's a time to reflect and gather with friends and family.

How many perks should our MPs get? What is fair and what is unfair? This topic has been in the news and has a long and controversial history. Today Dr Grant Morris explores the history of politicians' perks in New Zealand.

Today playwright, author and Wellington resident Dave Armstrong looks at some of the issues facing our capital and what he thinks should be done.

A World Champion, Commonwealth Games gold medalist, six-time premiership winner, and now a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit - Adine Wilson is undoubtedly one of our most decorated netballers. She joined the Silver Ferns in 1999 at the age of 20 and racked up 79 test caps with the team, including two years as captain. She helped the team to victory at the 2003 World Netball Championships and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. At the local level, she played for the Southern Sting during their legendary run of five premiership wins. She remains a stalwart of our netball scene to this day and is a regular game commentator for Sky.

Revitalise Our Places Oamaru programme aims to turn vacant into vibrant in the town centre. Placemaking Lead for the project, Cyndi Christensen, speaks to Mark.

Picking yourself up from addiction can take many paths. For one group in Christchurch that path to recovery is best done at a steady jog.. Anna Christophorou is a registered social worker and the founder of Speedfreaks.

They're man's best friend, but also play a vital role on farms up and down the country. More than 200 dogs from Pamu farms around the country are the first to provide their DNA to Massey University for the first phase of new research.

Māori and Pacific peoples are three to six times more likely to develop stomach cancer than New Zealanders with European ancestry. Claire Concannon visits a research team taking aim at this disparity.  

Wouldn't you love to know what other people are thinking? Jeff Wetzler says that's easier than you might expect. All you have to do is ask, but too often we either don't know how to ask the right questions in the right way.

Our Bookmarks guest this week is multitalented adventurer Hank Bilous.

This week's mid week meal inspiration with Sam Parish's Easy Eats is a taste sensation. As always, it's budget friendly, easy to make and bound to keep all your diners happy at meal time.

2.12 Podcast Critic: Jemima Huston Today's podcast reviewer Jemima talks to Mark about Carrie Jade Does Not Exist and In the Pits, a homegrown podcast about the history of the music venue the Wine Cellar.

Heading Off this week is maybe less about getting out THERE ... but more about heading INWARDS, in a introspective kind of way. Dark Dance is a regular dance part. The organiser Darcy Peacock speaks to Mark.

Building industry group, BCITO has launched a new initiative to get more women into the trades. Kevin Paul Painters and Decorators in Nelson has a number of women apprentices. Mark speaks to co-owner Maria Williams.

Wallabies, the Australian pest, could cause millions of dollars of damage to farmland and a new indication there's one near Cambridge is cause for concern. Waikato senior biosecurity officer Dave Byers speaks to Mark.

A 246-million-year-old fossil discovered in Canterbury has upended long-standing theories about how early sea-going reptiles dispersed around the globe.  Dr Hamish Campbell speaks to Mark.

Toby Young isn't afraid to lose friends and alienate people. He's one of Britain's most controversial journalists, associate editor of The Spectator and founder of the Free Speech Union. He says more than 20 times a week, his organization hears from people under fire for saying something perfectly lawful but which someone has found offensive. He'll be on tour in New Zealand commenting about the state of free speech around the world as well as the shelved hate speech law reforms here.