Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Shares of Twitter slid more than 11% in the first day of trading after billionaire Elon Musk said that he was abandoning his $44 billion bid for the company and the social media platform vowed to challenge Musk in court to uphold the agreement. Twitter is now preparing to sue Musk in Delaware where the company is incorporated. While the outcome is uncertain, both sides are preparing for a long cou...

The health system crisis is the cost of living crisis all over again isn't it? Doesn't this have a familiar ring to it? A government in denial of something existing, which is laid bare for all to see, in broad daylight, in every part of our community, and yet politicians heads are firmly in the sand. Nothing to see here. Governments are always reluctant to use the word crisis, but our health syste...

So if the rumours are true, I personally don’t think they are, today we go into a red light. I first heard this rumour last Friday. A worried retailer told my husband he’d heard from ‘someone very reliable’ (isn’t it always?) that Monday was going to see an announcement of a red light. I was immediately suspicious. It reminded me of all those times over the past couple of years when rumours ran ri...

Businesses are being pushed to the brink as staff sickness upsets workplace rosters. Flu season is in full swing, combining with a spike in Covid-19 case numbers and hospitalisations. Global modelling suggests up to 45 percent of new Covid cases could be re-infections, thanks to the virulent BA5 Omicron strain. Employers and Manufacturers' Association Chief Executive Brett O'Riley  told Kate Hawke...

Legal action against rodeos. Advocacy group SAFE is taking the Government to the High Court in Wellington today saying rodeos violate the Animal Welfare Act, and that there's been not enough action to stop them. Group chief Executive Debra Ashton told Kate Hawkesby there's a lot of support behind their case. She says there's been growing concern in the public arena since they and other groups took...

Potential successors to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson rushed to differentiate themselves from an increasingly crowded field on Sunday as the governing Conservative Party was expected to set a tight timetable for the election. Candidates released slick campaign videos on social media and appeared on Sunday morning political talk shows to make their cases to the public. Several promised tax c...

All rounder Michael Bracewell has saved the Black Caps from their first defeat to Ireland with some remarkable late hitting, denying the hosts a famous win in Dublin. In one of the great match-saving innings for New Zealand, Bracewell pretty much singlehandedly won the game for the Black Caps with 127 not out including all of the required 20 off the final over to pull off a one-wicket victory. Ire...

Performance reviews for a lot of businesses this week and 87 percent of workers expect to discuss money. 42 percent of companies say salary reviews are the most anticipated method to combat staff leaving. Sandy Gibbs is head of People and Culture at Tribe Recruitment, who joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was the mayor who basked in the glory of hosting the 2012 London Olympics and the man who led the Conservatives to a thumping election victory on the back of his promise to "get Brexit done". But Boris Johnson's time as prime minister was marred by his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and a steady stream of ethics allegations, from alcohol-fuelled government parties that broke lockdown rule...

Police officers in the Far North say they're ready to walk off the job. According to the New Zealand Herald, there are only seven officers covering the mid and far north regions. Police Association President Chris Cahill told Tim Dower the police feel the communities are missing out. He says when there are only one or two staff working the whole of Kaitaia on a night shift, being backed up by Keri...

Boris Johnson. Charismatic, almost a cartoon figure, bit of a clown, instantly recognisable and right out of the likeable toff mould. But that's really about as far as comparisons between him and Conservative leaders past really goes. They've fallen on their swords with a degree of grace, even occasionally a little humility. What's different about Boris is even at the end he's blaming everyone els...

A Kiwi skin cancer expert who consults some of Los Angeles' biggest names has created the world's first vegan non-injectable wrinkle reduction serum. Dr Sharad Paul has been featured in Time magazine as one of the world's celebrity scientists and is even filming a documentary on Netflix. But this world-first serum is said to be a game changer in the multi-billion dollar dermal filler market. LISTE...

Air pollution is a major contributor to premature deaths caused by respiratory illnesses and heart illnesses. The 2016 Health and Air Pollution study has found it contributed to more than three-thousand deaths in a year. It also played a part in 13,000 cases of childhood asthma, and 13,000 hospitalisations. Lead author Dr Gerda Kushcel told Kate Hawkesby it's the worst case scenario. She says ther...

A supermarket watchdog looks set to stir up competition in the sector. Consultation is underway on a draft code between major grocery retailers and their suppliers - the Government will also appoint a Grocery Commissioner later this year. An earlier Commerce Commission report found a supermarket duopoly was driving up prices at the till. Vegetables New Zealand Chair John Murphy told Kate Hawkesby...

Didn’t you always know that this Government, in clamping down on something, would involve a working group, a watchdog, a commissioner or a report? Turns out they’ve gone with a mix of all four. ‘Grocery Commissioner’ is the official title of the watchdog being set up. Supermarkets must be quaking in their boots. Not. It will take a while to establish – first they need to set up legislation round i...

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is battling to remain in office, shrugging off calls for his resignation after a slew of officials resigned from his government. Sky News reports a total of 38 MPs have quit. A delegation of senior politicians, including the new Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh Secretary Simon Hart and Policing Minister Kit Malthouse and Chief Whip C...

Inland Revenue is on the chase for unpaid taxes from construction and property investment firms. Deloitte has seen an increase in action and companies coming to them for help. Craig Elliffe is a tax expert at Auckland university and joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A shock to an old classic. Toyota's announced the most popular car model in the world - the Corolla will only be sold in hybrid-electric versions by the end of the year. Toyota New Zealand chief executive Neeraj Lala told Kate Hawkesby it joins some of their other models that have become fully hybrid. He says their plan has always been to move towards a fully electrified line-up, so this is a step...

It's not all doom and gloom when it comes to our wellbeing. Stats NZ's 2021 Wellbeing data shows just over 28 percent of people report poor mental wellbeing, up just under six percent from 2018. But Wellbeing Principal Analyst Claire Bretherton told Kate Hawkesby there's some positive stuff in the numbers too. She says most New Zealanders are satisfied with their lives, something that hasn't chang...

Well for all those heading away next week for school holidays, could be great timing. It looks like we may end up in red light again at some point, if case numbers are anything to go by. The PM says she’s not looking at it yet, but is she looking at anything apart from the cameras on the international stage at the moment?  Bit tricky given she’s out of the country and perhaps a tad more out of tou...

There have been more calls for the Government to be honest about their departments. Michael Wood yesterday called out the hospitality sector about their working conditions, while they're struggling for workers. And the ongoing cry for help from the health sector, with Andrew Little maintaining that they're on top of it. Add to that their police response, and action on the cost of living crisis. Th...

The Clean Car Discount scheme is having to alter wrong or missing emissions or safety-rating data as it goes along. Car dealers say some customers expecting a rebate are getting hit with a fee instead, because an incomplete database is being updated even as the vehicle is sitting on the lot. The Imported Motor Vehicle Industry Association's David Vinsen told Kate Hawkesby the Government was warned...

Oral specialists say the dental system is failing children, and urgent change is needed. Research shows dental decay is the most prevalent non-communicable childhood disease in New Zealand. Māori, Pasifika, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and those without access to community water fluoridation are most affected. Otago University researcher Dorothy Boyd told Kate Hawkesby now's the best...

I can see why we have resource consent issues in this country and it’s virtually impossible to get anything done. We’re experiencing it first hand at the moment with the Auckland Council. We put in a building consent to build a pool, a very straight forward pool, not building hydro slides and dive boards and turreted pool houses with fancy gates. Just a pool and the obligatory pool fence. We had a...

Sir John Kirwan is hitting the road in the name of kids' mental health. The All Black legend and mental health advocate is driving from Auckland to Invercargill, to raise funds and awareness for his initiative Mitey. It's an approach to teaching mental health in primary and intermediate schools - helping children understand how to look after their own emotional wellbeing. Sir John Kirwan told Kate...