Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Over in the UK, Labour's leader was using private donations to pay for his wife's wardrobe. She had personal shoppers, clothes and alterations for campaign events and after the campaign as well. Keir Starmer's wife, Victoria, was dressed to the nines, apparently. It wasn't declared as a donation, but has now been declared as a donation. David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has been wheeled out to e...

Eight people have died while trying to cross the English Channel from France to England in a rubber vessel. It's the second deadly incident involving a migrant boat in the Channel in as many weeks. UK correspondent Gavin Grey rescue services identified 60 people on the vessel.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri has won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The race ended behind a safety car after a collision between Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Red Bull's Sergio Perez as they fought for third. ZB sports reporter Andrew Alderson recaps the race. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's hopes worrying new figures can help the health sector improve the outcomes of respiratory disease. A report has found more people suffer from respiratory diseases than previously known, going from one in seven to one in five Kiwis each year. Asthma and Respiratory Foundation Medical Director Bob Hancox says while it shows New Zealand's not doing well, the new research is important. He says...

A union's labelling the Education Minister's changes for reliever teachers a knee-jerk reaction to the current shortage. Erica Stanford's changing who can gain a Limited Authority to Teach - allowing about 200 teachers who no longer hold registration to work as relief teachers. It means both experts who aren’t qualified teachers and previously registered teachers, can come into classrooms as relie...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 16th of September. The PPTA aren't happy with short term changes the Education Minister has made to the sector. President Chris Abercrombie speaks to Ryan. The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation say more Kiwis are being diagnosed with respiratory diseases, so what's causing the rise? The foundation's Medical Director Professor B...

The use of coal and gas to generate energy has increased sharply due to falling hydro lake levels.   Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment data from April to June shows that coal produced 883 gigawatt hours of electricity.   That's a more than a 500% increase on the same time last year, and it’s the first time since 2021 that coal produced more electricity than wind.   Low hydro lake le...

Space milestones are only going to keep on coming, with the first ever commercial space walk mission.   Billionaire Jared Isaacman and engineer Sarah Gillis have become the first civilians to walk in space.   The Space X mission also put the total number of people currently in space to 19, tying the record set in 2021.   Auckland University's Spacecraft Missions Director Chris Jackson told Ryan Br...

Kamala Harris was wearing audio earrings during the debate this week.   Did you hear about this? Yeah, she was cheating.   They looked like pearl earrings, but they also look like audio earrings. You can buy them, and you can have your staff feed you information in real time during a debate, they can coach you live.   Yeah, it's real, I read it on the internet.   That's the problem, isn't it? On s...

The nurses union says there's not enough health staff to meet health targets.   The Health Minister's laid out his plans for delivering health targets set in March.     Dr Shane Reti's discussed increasing public hospital beds and operating theatres and using private hospital capacity more.   He's confident the Budget and resources are already in place to deliver them.   Nurses Organisation Presid...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 13th of September, the government's revealed how they will reach its health targets, but health workers are raising concerns. Kerri Nuku from the Nurses Organisation joins the show to discuss.   Extra coal and gas was needed over winter to generate electricity with low lake levels in the South Island, should we be concerned about t...

Today marks the anniversary of the September 11 th tragedy in the United States.   23 years ago, nearly 3000 people died at a number of sites across the US, and memorials and moments of silence are held on the anniversary every year.   US Correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge that a number of political figures were in attendance at this morning’s memorial at the World Trade Centre in New Yor...

A heated exchange between the two US presidential hopefuls - with many saying Kamala Harris got under Donald Trump's skin   The pair faced off over inflation, abortion and foreign policy in a high stakes debate in Pennsylvania.   US Pollster Henry Olsen told Ryan Bridge that debates in the past have had a minor effect on the polls, but this race is so close that even a minor effect could transform...

People seem to think Kamala Harris made a fool of Trump in the debate, but real fool was us, New Zealand.   Within 24 hours of the debate we got news of 230 jobs lost due in part to an energy crunch caused by moral grandstanding on climate change.   That's 230 jobs, but up to 1000 people including families. That's half the population of Raetihi and Ohakune.   Shane Jones calls it the hollowing out...

Another blow for regional New Zealand and the manufacturing industry is being seen as potentially devastating.   Methanex is proposing cutting staff and moving from two plants to one.   Earlier this week Winstone pulp confirmed plans to shut, putting more than 200 jobs on the chopping block after soaring energy prices.   Energy Resources Aotearoa's John Carnegie told Ryan Bridge the system is goin...

The global shortages of orange juice is good news for our local growers.   The world's largest grower Brazil has been hit by drought and disease, bringing juicing orange yields down by at least a third.   That, combined with lower yields on the East Coast due to Cyclone Gabrielle damage, has left New Zealand with a shortage of orange juice.   Orange grower and Citrus NZ board member Matthew Carter...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 12th of September, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have faced off in their first debate, less than two months out from the election. Famous pollster Henry Olsen joins Ryan from the U.S. to discuss it.   Methanex is proposing to scale down operations to just one plant - what does it mean for the energy sector? John Carnegie from En...

The Major Electricity Users' Group says consumers are grossly over-paying for power.   Electricity prices have risen over the years, both businesses and average citizens struggling to afford their power bills.   Chair John Harbord told Ryan Bridge the companies are producing the same amount of electricity, while making record profits.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

There’s a belief a social media ban could benefit young people.   Australia's holding an age-verification trial in coming months, but it's unknown what the cut off age will be, or how it will be enforced.   Christopher Luxon has also expressed interest in the idea.   Parenting expert Nathan Wallis told Ryan Bridge there's a correlation between social media and youth mental health issues.   He says...

The US presidential debate looks to be a chance to get to know the candidates.   Vice President Kamala Harris is facing off against Donald Trump for the first time at 1pm our time in Pennsylvania.   No notes are allowed, and microphones will cut off when each candidate's not speaking.   Former US Ambassador to New Zealand under Barack Obama, Mark Gilbert told Ryan Bridge many polls show people sti...

A wild, bizarre, and highly entertaining media scrum took pace in Wellington yesterday, culminating with an MP saying he didn't mind swimming in other people's sewage. Yes, human waste.   A chaotic caucus run with Labour's Ōhāriu MP Greg O'Connor.   He was asked why Wellington's dying - with cafes closing down, etcetera:   "There's not enough to do along that waterfront, there's been stopping thin...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 11th of September, the Electricity, gas, waste, and water services industry saw a 36% rise in sales in Q2 compared to the same time last year. It comes on the same day that Winstone Pulp International announced their closure due to soaring energy costs. What does it mean for our big electricity users? John Harbord from the Major E...

A global manhunt is underway for a man who allegedly poured boiling hot coffee on a nine-month-old baby in Brisbane.   Police say the 33-year-old has fled the country since the August 27th incident in a Stones Corner park.   Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Ryan Bridge detectives believe the man escaped less than a day before he was identified.   She says the man was aware of police metho...

There’s a drive for change in the construction industry on the back of a spike in suspected suicide rates.   In 2023, 80 construction workers died from suspected suicides - a jump from previous years.   MATES in Construction Research Manager Lauren Donnan says mental health across the board is improving, but high workloads, job instability, and a lack of support remain key stressors.   She says 15...

International technology stocks are being credited with the New Zealand Super Fund reporting another record-high investment return: up 15% in the year to June.   Super expert Jonathan Eriksen told Ryan Bridge the results make up for a poor return when markets fell in 2022.   He says they've always gone into a wide range of assets but they're playing it extremely well.   LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystud...