Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying business records. Trump surrendered to authorities Tuesday at a Manhattan courthouse ahead of his arraignment on criminal charges stemming from a hush money payment to a porn actor during his 2016 campaign. A stone-faced Trump entered the courtroom this morning without saying anything. Trump, who was impeached twice by the US House but was never convicted in the US Senate, has become the first former president to face criminal charges. Republican strategist Matt Terrill joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss what comes next for the GOP. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another hike is expected for the Official Cash Rate this afternoon. Most economists think the Reserve Bank will be slightly more conservative, with a 25 basis point rise. But that will still take the OCR to 5 percent, which will be the highest it's been since December 2008. ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Healthcare workers are raising alarm bells over low vaccination rates from a disease that puts babies at risk. Three babies, under the age of one, have died from whooping cough since February. Te Whatu Ora is encouraging pregnant women in their second trimester to be vaccinated, to pass protection on to their baby. General Practice New Zealand chair Dr. Bryan Betty told Kate Hawkesby the pandemic is to blame for low levels of immunisation, as it strained the health system. He says immunisation rates dropped dramatically over Covid and we really need to get back on track. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So Stuart Nash is off and I don’t blame him. Who’d hang around at this point? It must have been a tough call to make given he seemed to love politics, love people, love his portfolios and enjoy representing his home town of Napier.  But it was unsustainable that he stay on after the start to the year he’s had, and no doubt greener pastures are awaiting him. And by greener I mean maybe a job in his beloved forestry sector.  Still, it’s never nice to leave on a downer, it’s always preferable to leave on your own terms and he didn’t get to do that. Leaving under a cloud is a tough way to go out. He said in his post about quitting politics that, he’d had “the privilege of serving in the Ardern Cabinet during the darkest of days, managing crisis after crisis after crisis, while driving forward an ambitious and progressive agenda of continuous economic and social improvement and transformation.”  Just to unpack that a little bit, did they manage crisis after crisis? Or lunge from crisis to crisis to crisis? There’s

Fonterra's revised forecast for the 2022/23 shows a worrying outlook for the dairy industry. The milk giant has revised down its farmgate price to between $8.00 and $8.60 per kg of milk solids. It's a sharp drop from the record payout of $9.30 last season. Head of Insight at NZX Limited and dairy sector expert Julia Jones joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kate Hawkesby wrote an editorial on cyclists on Monday that has ruffled a few feathers. Hawkesby had been told about cyclists using the footpath instead of the ratepayer funded "gold-plated" cycleways. It was said that it was particularly bad on Auckland's Tamaki Drive. So the idea was floated over fining cyclists who insist on using the footpath. Patrick Morgan from Cycling Action Network joined Early Edition to discuss Kate Hawkesby's editorial. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Luxon says Stuart Nash had to go. The Napier MP has announced he's leaving politics at this year's election after being booted from Cabinet last week. National's leader says Nash breached trust time and time again. But Luxon told Kate Hawkesby he could've left earlier, and not caused a by-election, since a new candidate's campaign kicks off months before the voting starts. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I have a very smart girlfriend who is an extremely active citizen in her local community, and her city in general actually. She is a go-getter who stays informed, keeps up with local and national politics, and donates a lot of her time and energy to helping the community. She was an early adopter to the e-scooter, uses the city’s cycle ways, and is all for saving the planet and getting cars off the road. But, and here’s the big but, she raised a very valid point the other day regarding said cycleways. Guess who is not using them? The cyclists. She and her husband were walking along Auckland’s Tamaki Drive waterfront, the very same Tamaki Drive that had years of disruption as extremely expensive extremely wide cycleways were installed. And what she witnessed, was cyclist after cyclist after cyclist riding on the footpath, not the cycleways. Within a five minute timeframe she noted no fewer than 10 cyclists barrelling past them on the footpath. Worse yet, they got abused for being in the cyclists’ way. She and

Covid is being partially blamed for an increase in people being granted bail despite police opposition. The numbers jumped from just over 2000 in 2018 to slightly over 5000 last year. Police Association President Chris Cahill says some of those will be on electronic bail and will be closely monitored. He told Kate Hawkesby that the pandemic's seen more serious offenders being kept in prison while they await trial. Cahill says the increased bail may show a judge's reluctance to hold more criminals in remand. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An increase to the living wage could look to help improve the labour market. From September first, it will jump to $26 an hour, $3.30 above minimum wage. It's an almost 10-percent rise since last year. Infometrics Chief Economist Brad Olsen told Kate Hawkesby that we could see businesses re-evaluate the offers they put on the table. He says paying the living wage could be a way of securing an employee from another business that isn't offering it. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russia’s security service arrested an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal on espionage charges, the first time a US correspondent has been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The newspaper denied the allegations and demanded his release. Evan Gershkovich was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg while allegedly trying to obtain classified information, the Federal Security Service, known by the acronym FSB, said Thursday. Daniil Berman, the lawyer of arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, speaks to journalists near the Lefortovsky court, in Moscow. Photo / Alexander Zemlianichenko, AP The service, which is the top domestic security agency and main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, alleged that Gershkovich “was acting on instructions from the American side to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex that constitutes a state secret”. The Journal “vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks

I am very late to the party on exercise. I've never been a fan of it. Even though the stats are strong, that it's irrefutably the best thing you can do for both your physical and mental health, I just never got my 'thing'.  Yoga I did for years because it was enjoyable and stretchy.. ie.. you're not really breaking a sweat. Pilates I love, but again, my commitment over the years has come and gone. But I've never been a gym bunny or an exercise junkie like many of you up at this hour of the morning are.  I'm always in awe of the people who text me saying they're out running or walking or on their way to the gym at this hour. That's impressive. I tend to identify more with the listener who’s still in bed and just got a bit of radio on in the background while they think about what to make for breakfast. Food is always my first thought in the morning, not exercise. Anyway, the World Health Organisation says adults should be doing two and a half hours a week of moderate intensity aerobic activity, as well as muscl

Kiwis are being challenged to do '100 kms in 30 days' to raise money for breast cancer charities across the country. The fundraiser was so successful in the Bay of Plenty last year and it's being brought back and going nationwide during May. People can complete the 100 kilometres any way they want; on foot, wheels or in the water. Helen Alice is the campaign organiser and joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queenstown renters are so desperate for housing they're asking real estate agents to rent out empty houses on the market. Tall Poppy Real Estate Queenstown owner Keeley Anderson says she's getting daily calls from people searching. It comes after a protest of around 100 people earlier this week over the resort town's rental crisis. Keeley Anderson joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A construction expert believes the second Auckland Harbour crossing will become a political football. The Government has brought forward construction for a second Waitematā Harbour crossing to 2029. Its offered five options that all include walking, cycling and road options plus light rail connections to the city centre. AUT Construction Management Professor John Tookey told Kate Hawkesby between a bridge and tunnel a bridge is a bit easier. A choice will be made on which option in June. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I hit a nerve clearly yesterday when I talked about the top-down malaise in this country at the moment from our politicians, to our police force, to the public polling. And there seems a general sense of 'blah' among us right now.  A large number of you texted in agreeing.  One said it was a post pandemic thing – that we were all just so grateful to be alive that we just meander around now saying ‘it is what it is’ to each other and putting up with below par service and standards everywhere, arguably because we’ve lost all ambition and are just happy to settle for the lowest bar. Others said once mediocrity is accepted and allowed to bloom, it’s all we get. Others said it’s been a slippery slope ever since people stopped taking responsibility for anything. Others pointed out all talent has left the building.  Every sector is crying out for talent and saying what they have the least of is highly skilled workers – a recent EMA survey showed 90 percent of employers reported struggling to find workers and it’s th

New Zealand King Salmon's profits are going swimmingly after posting their first full-year profit in three years. The company has taken a number of measures to scale back operation costs, including a change to their farming model. Acting CEO Graeme Tregidga joined Kate Hawkesby. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gun laws are back in the spotlight in the US, following the latest school shooting. Audrey Hale killed six people at her former Christian elementary school in Nashville. US correspondent Katherine Firkin told Kate Hawkesby the incident has sparked debate on Tennessee's approach to firearms, one of the most relaxed in the country. She says requirements for background checks have been totally removed and there are no laws allowing weapon seizures from violent suspects. Firkin says the shooter legally purchased seven different guns from five different stores over the last few years. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's thought the Prime Minister's trying to draw a line under the Stuart Nash saga. Chris Hipkins has ordered a review of all the Napier MP's  communications. It follows revelations Nash discussed a confidential Cabinet decision with two former donors in 2020. He is cooperating with the review, and intends to stay on as Napier's MP. Former Labour staffer, Kaine Thompson told Kate Hawkesby you would hope and expect the review won't find anything else. "Stuart Nash hasn't ever come across to me as particularly someone who is nefarious or malicious, but he's made a couple of mistakes here." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Demonstrations across France have turned ugly as the country reaches its 10th day of civil unrest. The backlash is in response to a controversial pension law pushed through parliament without a vote last week, lifting the retirement age from 62 to 64. Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Kate Hawkesby protests started peacefully, but things have turned, with cars and rubbish being set alight, and 23 reported arrests. He says Paris protest numbers are in dispute, with police claiming 93,000, while unions believe half-a-million protesters attended. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.