Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

President Donald Trump has said over the weekend that the United States is in the final stages of negotiations to extend a ceasefire in the US war against Iran and open the Strait of Hormuz. Trump appears willing to let negotiations proceed while still threatening to hit Iran’s civilian infrastructure and energy plants if talks fail. Washington bureau chief for The Guardian David Smith told Ryan B...

Even if you're not into football, it's hard not to be excited about a local franchise winning the A-League final. You have to be a real Grinch not to get a smile on your face. Congratulations to all the players, Steve Corica, Nick Becker and the well-heeled who backed them. These guys have momentum. They've created a winning buzz. There are two things that leapt to mind as the AFC party bus snaked...

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday 25 May. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland FC are heading for their first A-League grand final at a sold-out stadium.  It’s both the first time a grand final has been played in New Zealand, and the first time a Kiwi team has made it this far in the competition.   Auckland FC Fan Group’s Tim Adams told Ryan Bridge that the game is going to be insane.  “The ability to comprehend being in a final and being in a home fi...

There are concerns elderly people will be left behind in a housing support overhaul.  This year's Budget includes hiking the amount social housing tenants have to pay, from 25% of their income to 30%.  It means low-income earners in private rentals receive an average increase of nearly $15 a week.  Social Housing Aotearoa Chief Executive Paul Gilberd told Ryan Bridge thousands of pe...

Pharmac's looking to expand free flu vaccines to the group with the highest rates of influenza.  The agency's looking at providing jabs to an extra 260 thousand children, between six months and five-years-old, from next year.   Otago University Public Health Professor Michael Baker told Ryan Bridge a small number in this age range die from influenza every year.   He says given they...

Nicola Willis' Lotto comment yesterday was clumsy, but in the end, much ado about nothing. The politics of this housing thing are pretty simple. You've got 80,000 social housing tenants who probably weren't going to vote National, who now definitely won't vote National.  You've got 110,000 better-off voters who might soften to you. You've got a frothy media and opposition who will use this as...

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 22 May. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate policies for farmers may be revealing a competitive gap.   New research by Beef + Lamb suggests there should be a focus on incentives for farmers who achieve climate change outcomes.   Chair Kate Acland told Ryan Bridge we need to keep an eye on what the rest of the world's doing.   She says most of the world doesn't have agricultural-specific targets, but a lot of countries...

The AI and robot takeover isn't coming, it's here. Well, sort of.  A bunch of data's come out on this over the past few days.  Seek says job ads mentioning AI have doubled in the past year, up 4.1% from March to April.  Nicola Willis reckons AI tools will help shave 9000 odd jobs off the public service in the next four years.  Meta has this morning started firing 10% of its wor...

More encouraging signs in the job market despite global uncertainty and fuel concerns.  Fresh Seek employment data shows job ads rose 0.8% in April, up 13% year-on-year.  The Employers and Manufacturers' Association's Alan McDonald told Ryan Bridge after last year's tariffs, momentum had been building before the Middle East conflict escalated.  He says the export sector is still goi...

Satisfaction the vast majority of the country's Corrections workers are good eggs, despite the arrest of 14 Auckland staff.   A dozen have been charged with accepting bribes, while several are also charged with conspiring to supply a Class A drug —namely methamphetamine— to prisoners.  They worked at the Mt Eden and Auckland South facilities.   Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Rya...

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 21 May. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retailers are feeling the pinch, with card spending plunging across the board.  Stats NZ data reveals retail electronic card purchases dropped 1.3% last month.  Kiwis are spending more overall compared to last year, but on cheaper food and are cutting back on buying items like clothing.  Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young told Ryan Bridge margins are being squeezed and cash flows is tight....

The Labour Party is criticising the Government’s proposed public service overhaul, saying its “arbitrary” target will hurt Kiwi families.  Willis announced yesterday the Government would reduce the number of departments, increase artificial intelligence use, and cut public servants by nearly 9000 over the next three to five years.  Labour’s spokesperson for public services Camilla Belich...

New Zealand is benefiting from other countries' visa crackdowns as international students look elsewhere. More than 92 thousand students were enrolled last year, up 11% on the year prior, but still well down on pre-Covid numbers. Waikato University Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley told Ryan Bridge it's not just politics in the United States that are leading people here. He says visa policies in Canada...

We got the inevitable Grinch headlines from the media yesterday, powered by union panic.  The public service knew this was coming. Or should have. Judith Collins, Nicola Willis, and Sir Brian Roche have been talking about this since they all got into office.  So it's not shocking.  It's also not a done deal, yet.  All that's really happened, in the final leg of this Government'...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2026, the Government’s cutting jobs in the public sector, Labour Spokesperson for Public Services Camilla Belich shares her thoughts.  International student numbers are bouncing back, up 14 percent on last year, University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor Neil Quigley shares his thoughts.  Card spend data in April was down 1.3% for the mo...

Farmers across Southland have been granted an 18-month extension to submit freshwater plans.   The Government's pushed the deadline from the end of the month to November next year.    The plans are a key tool for managing risks to freshwater and quality in catchments.  Associate Minister for Agriculture Andrew Hoggard told Ryan Bridge it's important all farmers in the region su...

A lack of Government data is making it impossible to know the extent of specialist referral rejections.  A new Association of Salaried Medical Specialists report —which looks at seven districts between 2023 and 2025— shows one in five GP referrals are being declined.   College of GPs President Luke Bradford told Ryan Bridge they have no idea how many people with lower graded conditions a...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Tuesday 19th of May 2026, Government’s pouring $131 million of the Budget into education, Dr Michael Johnston, NZ Initiative Research Fellow and Chair of the Education Ministerial Advisory Group, shares his thoughts.  Southland farmers have been given an extension to submit their freshwater plans, Associate Minister for the environment A...

Calls for the Government to keep up the momentum, as educational reform doesn't follow political timelines.  Education Minister Erica Stanford has announced a new $131 million package, which includes spending on workbooks, more maths intervention teachers, and additional testing.  New Zealand Initiative Research Fellow Michael Johnson told Ryan Bridge the reforms are positive, but long-t...

In February last year I wrote a piece for the Herald about government department and ministerial overload.  It was partly informed by observation and partly by New Zealand Initiative paper on the subject. Luxon's Government has 81 portfolios, significantly more than similar-sized countries and far more than most larger ones. Ireland, Norway, Singapore, and Finland all have fewer than 20.&nbsp...

The United Kingdom isn't facing as many financial troubles as predicted, after the latest data shows their GDP holding steady.  The past few months in the UK have been dominated by challenges to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's leadership, and many believed the issues in Parliament would damage the country's financial stability.  Business Correspondent Vicky Price told Ryan Bridge that,...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday 18th of May 2026, National's campaigning on scrapping good character assessments at sentencing for all sexual offenders, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith tells Ryan what a difference this will make. Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce has the latest on UK GDP, UK Labour leadership uncertainty affecting bond markets and the latest inflati...