Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Two astronauts are likely to remain stuck in space into July.   Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams were supposed to return on the Boeing Starliner about two weeks ago after an eight day stint in space.   US Correspondent Katherine Firkin told Mike Hosking that there have been several issues including malfunctioning thrusters and helium leaks.   She says we're being told they have plenty of supplies...

There’s uncertainty over whether Corrections has capacity, with more prisoners on the way.   The Government's sentencing law reforms will mean longer sentences and up to 1700 more inmates every year.   Corrections Association's Floyd du Plessis says the prisons are currently full, and while there are more beds in theory, they aren't adequately staffed for them yet.   He told Mike Hosking that more...

A Gisborne Civil Defence manager says they're now dealing with the clean up from this week's severe weather.   States of emergency in the Wairoa District and Hastings Heretaunga Ward remain in place.   Roads were closed and people evacuated after heavy rain lashed the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions yesterday.   Wairoa District Council says 400 properties have been impacted, more than 100 signifi...

New Zealand First has invoked the Agree-to-Disagree Coalition clause.   Winston Peters says his Party doesn't support the Government continuing the Covid Commission of Inquiry in its current form.   The clause is nestled within New Zealand First's Governance agreement with National, allowing Peters and his MPs to speak publicly about a Cabinet decision.   He's used it voice opposition to the Gover...

A gambling scandal is causing a rocky run up to next week's UK election.   Six police officers, including a member of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's protection team, are in hot water after allegedly placing bets on the election date.   UK correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that it's an extraordinary saga, with two Conservative MPs now suspended after also facing accusations.   But he says be...

There’s hopes a spike in global shipping prices won't stay around for long.   Conflict in the Red Sea has caused shipping costs to jump three times higher than the rates seen at end of last year.   But, ASB Senior economist Mark Smith told Mike Hosking, the impact on inflation will depend on how long prices remain high.   He says the prices have spiked quickly, but it's still early days.   LISTEN...

The latest in the Julian Assange saga is being coined a dark day in American history and press freedom.   The Wikileaks founder is set to plead guilty to violating US espionage law and will be sentenced to 62 months of time already served before going free.   Freedom of the Press' Director of Advocacy Seth Stern told Mike Hosking that it's a case that the former Trump administration should never h...

Australia is taking a firm stance on vaping.   The sale of vapes will be restricted to pharmacies from next week, as the Greens agree to pass a proposed ban.   However, the Government has agreed to water down restrictions that would have required adults to obtain a prescription.   Australia Correspondent Donna Demaio told Mike Hosking that this has sparked anger, as pharmacists say that they shoul...

Scott Robertson’s All Blacks squad has been announced, with Scott Barrett taking the captaincy.   He’s taking over the duties from Sam Cane, with Ardie Savea and Jordie Barrett sharing the vice-captaincy.   Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson told Mike Hosking that he doubts there’ll be any drastic changes right off the bat.   He said that if they’re going to change their playstyle, they’ll do it incre...

The Cancer Society says yesterday was a momentous day but there's still a bit of uncertainty around Pharmac's funding boost.   The Government's committed $604 million, taken in advance from next year's Budget.   It will cover the funding for 54 new medicines, including 26 cancer treatments.   Cancer Society chief executive Rachael Hart told Mike Hosking that it's been an incredibly stressful time...

Auckland will soon have Police on the beat 24/7.   Community Beat Teams will be based in major centres, with 63 officers in Auckland, 17 in Wellington and 10 in Christchurch.   It's the Police and Government's newest plan to crackdown on crime rates.   Police Minister Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking “We want to make sure that we have a safe city – not one that’s plagued with sleepers drug dealers...

King Charles will likely skip New Zealand during his upcoming tour to the South Pacific.   According to The Mirror , he and Queen Camilla are set to visit Australia and Samoa - but have dropped New Zealand.   The visit was never officially announced - just rumoured to be on the agenda.   UK Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking “His Majesty is said to be like a caged tiger - desperate to do m...

I think we got enough out of Nicola Willis on the programme Friday to know that today, cabinet’s gonna sign off this money for Pharmac to solve the cancer problem.   The big outworking of this is - I hope they've learned their lesson.   This government has a couple of problems. The biggest one is the mess they inherited. We are going to spend at least the next year deep in it.   Two years of econo...

The Blues dominated the Chiefs on Saturday night to take the 2024 Super Rugby title at Eden Park - beating the visitors 41-10.   Caleb Clarke scored a hattrick as Akira Ioane and AJ Lam got a try each.   It's the first time they've won the competition in more than two decades.   Newstalk ZB Sports Anchor, Andrew Alderson, told Mike Hosking “I thought it was going to be closer – but the Blues were...

The Government’s expected to announce a $600 million boost in funding for Pharmac today.   If approved, it would bump the medicine budget up 40 percent - and cover the 13 cancer drugs the Government initially promised, and more.   Patient Voice Aotearoa Chair, Malcolm Mulholland, told Mike Hosking “From our perspective – this was always going to be the option that the government would land on.”  ...

Labour’s lead in the UK election is holding steady as the Tories deal with a scandal.   The party has admitted that their campaign head, Tony Lee, placed bets on the timing of the vote, allegedly just days before Sunak went public.   The BBC revealed that Tory candidate Laura Sanders, wife of Lee, is also being investigated by Britain’s Gambling Commission.   UK Correspondent Vincent McAviney told...

New Zealand's officially out of a technical recession but may not be out of the woods.   Stats NZ figures show GDP rose 0.2% in the three months to March and the same amount for the year.   However, per capita GDP decreased by 0.3%.   Infometrics Chief Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking that the numbers are not looking promising for Q2.   He said that some of the important pieces of the busine...

Tomorrow’s Super Rugby Final is set to be an intense match.   The Blues face off against the Chiefs at a sold-out Eden Park, kicking off just after 7pm.   ZB’s Rugby Commentator Elliott Smith told Mike Hosking that the Chiefs have come out of nowhere in the last couple weeks.   The Blues were expected to face the Hurricanes in the finals, the Chiefs entering the playoffs sitting fourth on the tabl...

A Northland business leader says the large power outage will significantly impact business.   Widespread power outages began yesterday morning when a transmission tower toppled at Glorit, northwest of Auckland.   NorthPower says supply has since been restored to the majority of Northland.   Top Energy is showing 61 customers in Bay of Islands still without but warns there's potential for further o...

Freight operators are thrilled they can deliver goods to Northland a lot faster from next week.   State Highway 1 over the Brynderwyns will reopen to two-way traffic from 11.59pm next Wednesday, just in time for Matariki weekend.   The Transport Agency says additional space has been created so crews can work on repairs without lengthy closures.   James Smith, General Manager of Policy and Advocacy...

We'll know later today whether New Zealand was in a technical recession last financial quarter. Gross Domestic Product figures for the three months to March are released later this morning. ASB is forecasting a 0.1% rise. Senior economist Kim Mundy told Mike Hosking that they're not expecting another recession, but neither are they expecting strong growth. She says they think the second quarter wi...

There's a renewed call for Boeing to be prosecuted after being grilled in the US Senate over its recent safety issues.   US Justice officials have until July 7th to decide if it lays criminal charges.   Family members of the 346 victims of two separate crashes involving Boeing planes five years ago were also at the hearing.   US Correspondent Katherine Firkin told Mike Hosking that they're calling...

Dolphin advocates are celebrating SailGP's decision to move next year's event from Christchurch.   SailGP announced the 2025 edition wouldn't return to Lyttelton Harbour, which has hosted for the last two years.   In this year's event, the first day of racing was controversially cancelled due to a Hector's Dolphin spotting.   Maui and Hector's Dolphin Defenders spokesperson Christine Rose told Mik...

Dozens of migrants have been rescued from a sinking ship in the Mediterranean.   German aid group RESQSHIP said it picked up 51 people from a sinking wooden boat, including two unconscious people, and found ten bodies trapped in the lower deck.   A second ship sank nearby, and 64 people total are still missing from the vessels.   Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Mike Hosking that the Mediterra...

Maintenance on ageing Interislander ferries is seen as a short-term solution by the Maritime Union.   Estimated annual maintenance costs to keep KiwiRail’s three ageing Interislander ferries running could almost double to $65 million by next year, and keeping the ferries afloat will be an “ongoing battle”.   A previous assessment of the fleet’s condition raised concerns about steel corrosion, meta...