Holiday Breakfast

An investigation is underway into Joe Biden's handling of classified documents. US Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed Special Counsel Robert Hur to investigate the President. The announcement came after Biden confirmed a second batch of files, believed to include US intelligence memos from Biden's time as Vice President, were found in the garage of his Delaware home. Garland says Hur w...

ZB is hitting the West Coast of the South Island on our Summer Breakfast road trip this morning. We're in the Buller district, sampling both natural beauty and historic heritage - but what else does the Coast have on offer? Buller District Mayor Jamie Cleine joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sleep deprivation and synthetic scrubs are just some of the challenges Izzy Lomax-Sawyers encountered in her first year as a junior doctor. She's released a memoir called Vital Signs , filled with heartbreaking and sometimes hilarious stories of the year at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital. Izzy Lomax-Sawyers joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hopes Kiwi artificial intelligence could be a step towards fewer deaths from New Zealand's most common cancer. A.I. melanoma screening technology, developed by Molemap NZ and Melbourne’s Monash University, is being rolled out in some clinics. It detects whether a spot on the skin is suspicious and should be treated. Molemap Chief Medical Officer Dr Franz Strydom says this technology could lead to...

New robot technology may be the answer to catching exotic diseases in animals. A new machine will improve the testing and accuracy for diseases such as foot and mouth disease or M bovis. It can test up to seven thousand samples per day for antibodies,  and prevent the need for manual testers to catch and ring fence a potential outbreak. MPI Animal Laboratory Manager Joseph O'Keefe told Tim Dower i...

The Gisborne District remains in a state of emergency following ex-tropical cyclone Hale. Scores of roads remain closed, including State Highway 25 between Tolaga Bay and Ruatoria and State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier. Hundreds of homes have been without power for another night. Local Federated Farmers Acting President Charlie Reynolds told Tim Dower the storm is another setback for farmer...

The Gisborne District may need Government help to recover from ex-tropical cyclone Hale. A state of emergency remains in effect with many roads still blocked by flooding, including State Highway 25 between Tolaga Bay and Ruatoria, and State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier. Cabinet Minister Kiri Allan has done an initial flyover with officials to survey the damage Gisborne Deputy Mayor Josh Wha...

Britain's postal service said it was hit Wednesday by a "cyber incident" that is temporarily preventing it from sending letters or parcels to other countries. Royal Mail reported on its website that international export services were "experiencing severe service disruption" without providing further details. "We are temporarily unable to dispatch items to overseas destinations," the service said,...

Our stop on the road trip this morning is the outstanding seaside town of Kaikoura. It's been a tough few years for the Canterbury gem with the 2016 earthquake and then, just as normality was returning, the pandemic put a stop to their recovery. But with a 'normal' summer on the horizon - what is the area hoping for? Kaikoura's Mayor Craig Mackle joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com...

Mental health advocate Jazz Thornton had an extraordinary 2022. Jazz was this year's winner of Dancing with the Stars, raising money for Youthline. She released a new book, called Letters to You . And her social media following is exploding; she now has nearly two million TiktTok followers. Jazz Thornton joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breweries are being forced to get creative and spend big money to survive a crippling nationwide shortage of liquid carbon dioxide. Since the end of refining at Marsden Point last year, the Kapuni carbon dioxide plant has been supplying the gas. However, it's shut indefinitely for maintenance. Co-Founder of small Wellington brewery Garage Project, Jos Ruffell told Tim Dower beer production relies...

Ex-cyclone or not, Shelley McDougall is pressing on as she walks the length of the country to raise both awareness and money for mental health. Her trek began at Cape Reinga ten weeks ago and she's now in the South Island, with another eight weeks or so to go before she reaches Bluff. Shelley McDougall joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A pedestrian crossing in Wellington has come with a $2.4million price tag. Around $500,000 of that has gone on consultants for the crossing on Cobham Drive. It's part of the Let's Get Wellington Moving initiative. Chief Executive of Business Central and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Simon Arcus joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A race is on to save a historic boating club behind New Zealand's first bid to contest the America's Cup. Overnight storm surges have chewed away the land under the Mercury Bay Boating Club headquarters in Whitianga. Thames Coromandel District Council officials yesterday rejected pleas to put blocks on the coastline to protect the building. But Mayor Len Salt told Tim Dower the council is doing wh...

Football Australia has fined Melbourne Victory a record $550,000 ($564,000) for bringing the game into disrepute following the riotous scenes when fans stormed the pitch during the derby with Melbourne City last December. The financial sanctions are made up of $450,000 ($488,000) in fines and damages and $100,000 ($108,000) in lost revenue due to the sporting sanctions imposed. Victory fans invade...

We're staying at the top of the South Island for the next stop on our summer road trip. This morning we're in the Tasman region and Tasman Mayor Tim King joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cruise ships are being turned away from New Zealand waters, for not being clean enough on the outside. Ships with algae and barnacles on the hull are being told to clean their bottoms or stay out of pristine parts of the country. But the knock-on effect is hitting some land-based operators hard. Owner of Horizon Tours Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener...

2022 was a bumper year for Kiwi golfers. Of course we had Lydia Ko, who climbed back to the World No.1 ranking in women's golf. Add to that a mega year for Ryan Fox, taking second in the European Tour Championship standings and now invited to the Masters. And the unsung hero was Steve Alker, who took out the Charles Schwab Cup and was top ranked on the PGA Champions Tour. So how does he reflect on...

A game-changer innovation for people living with diabetes. A new wearable sensor quietly watches glucose levels and shares an alert with your phone if they get too high, or too low. The sensor can be worn for up to two weeks at a time. Chief Executive at Diabetes New Zealand Heather Verry joined Tim Dower to discuss. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heavy rain warnings are in full effect across much of the upper North Island ahead of ex-tropical cyclone Hale. In the Gisborne District, emergency services formed a human chain to rescue three people from a four wheel drive ute that became stranded in a river in Ruatoria last night. Civil Defence Manager Ben Green told Tim Dower driving conditions remain treacherous. “There are hot spots already,...

Prince Harry is not a popular man, according to a new opinion poll out of the UK. He's levelled all sorts of claims in two tell-all television interviews promoting his memoir 'Spare' which hits shelves today. They include suggestions the Royal family treated him as an outsider and a "Kate versus Meghan" situation. UK correspondent Rod Liddle told Tim Dower an opinion poll suggests the number of pe...

Next stop on Newstalk ZB's Summer with the Mayor road trip is the Marlborough region which boasts stunning coastlines, outstanding outdoor activities, and wineries that are the envy of the world. So what is summer like in the region? And what should visitors expect? Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor joined Tim Dower. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charities are worried about their ability to help struggling families as the cost of living slashes donations. Last year KidsCan fed 49 thousand children a day, a rise of more than 10 thousand. But at the same time, the number of donors is the lowest it has been in the past 17 years. KidsCan founder Julie Chapman wants more businesses and sponsors to help out as people are expected to fall between...

Not the news many want to hear: a perfect storm is brewing for an infestation of insects. Holidaymakers have faced a disrupted summer as a sub-tropical storm slams the North Island. But now high temperatures and humidity has become the perfect breeding ground for an influx of bugs including flies and mosquitoes. Pest Management Association vice president Dr Paul Craddock says they'll be breeding l...

Confronting new photos have been released of the New Zealanders who survived last week's deadly helicopter crash on the Gold Coast. The four Aucklanders were on board the helicopter that managed to land on a sandbank after the mid-air collision. Australian Correspondent Murray Olds told Tim Dower that the images include blood-soaked jandals and an injured woman still on board the aircraft. He says...