In this episode of Solid Ground, Simon celebrates the release of Family First’s exclusive interview with Israel and Maria Folau. He notes it is the first time they have spoken publicly about their experiences and that the video has already been viewed nearly 50,000 times in just 24 hours! He also celebrates New Zealand’s oldest citizen, Aileen Kars, reaching 112 years of age.

Simon reflects on the recent shooting of Charlie Kirk, examining media bias and the contrast in reporting styles between different incidents of violence. He also discusses the worrying societal trajectory of increasing violence, urging a moral and thoughtful response. Simon criticises New Zealand media’s coverage of the recent pro-Hamas rallies, including the NZ Herald reactivating it’s dormant X account to explicitly promote the rally.