Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Farmers still feel there are tough times ahead. The latest Farm Confidence report from Federated Farmers shows confidence has fallen over this year, with debt, interest rates, and banks the greatest concern. More than half of farmers are expecting conditions to deteriorate in the year ahead. Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford told Ryan Bridge they’re questioning why their interest rates and margins are significantly higher than others. He said that they’ve asked for a banking inquiry as the banks and the Reserve Bank are just pointing the finger at each other. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s concerns a crackdown on gangs could go too far. Proposed Firearm Prohibition Order laws would expand bans on holding a firearms licence to people committing lower-level offences, and allow warrantless police searches of suspects. The Justice Select Committee is asking for it to be scaled back, concerned it gives police too much power. Labour's Justice Spokesperson Ginny Andersen told Ryan Bridge the proposal is still too broad. She says it's designed to look tough, but it's not clear what problem it's actually fixing. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I love watching the Olympics. I'm still watching, I'm still excited, but there are just a few little niggly things that are putting a slight dampener on it for me. The river Seine is dirty again. That's the second day with no practice. You've got to do a triathlon, you want to practice swimming in the river that you're going to compete in, but you can't because it's dirty. It's filled with E Coli and it rained in the weekend, still affecting the water quality. So, that's the second day in a row with no practice. And you won't know whether you're going to swim in the Seine until four hours before the race is due to start. Could this have been avoided? Could you have picked another river to swim in? I would have thought. The opening ceremony, that's another thing. I mean, obviously Celine Dion was amazing, but there was the weird meandering lead up to Celine. The athletes themselves are actually complaining a lot about the beds being uncomfortable, the rooms being too hot, the food is bad, and they say this is affecting their chance of a world of breaking world records. That's not great. The other thing is that we've got no medals, and I'm not complaining because obviously I'm not there racing myself, I'm not jumping in the pool and swimming, so I'm not going to complain about that, but it is nice to win a medal, isn't it? Then there's the Canadian football team who've cheated. They now want the points that have been deducted, put back on. Should you still be able to remain in the Olympics when you've essentially cheated? Imagine if the Canadian women's football team actually got the gold medal even though they've sent drones up in the air. Does that seem fair? I don't know. So there's just a few problems that seem to be quite avoidable. A few rules that seem to be a little bit unfair. However, in saying all of that, I'm still watching and listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 30th of July, changes could be on the way for the Firearms Prohibition Order following recommendations from the Justice Select Committee. Committee Member and Labour MP Ginny Anderson talks to Ryan. Federated Farmers say farmer confidence remains at a historic low. Wayne Langford runs Ryan though their latest survey. Live in Paris - We're still waiting for the first NZ medal. Kiwi Olympic sailor Tom Saunders chats about his first Olympic games. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it just me or does it feel like democracy is somewhat under threat or at risk? Just reading the international news headlines day in day out, it feels precarious. Trump, over the weekend if you missed it, is suggesting that he will fix the next election. And I know he's probably joking, but you never really tell with Donald Trump. "You won't have to do it anymore, four more years, you know what? It'll be fixed, it'll be fine. You won't have to vote anymore. My beautiful Christians, I love you Christians." So there's Trump and then you've got a barely functioning Joe Biden in the White House. Are these the shining beacons of democracy we can hold up as our poster kids. I don't think so. And then there's, if you look apart from the Olympics in France, the election result there has left them basically in limbo. I mean, who is actually running the government you know, the Olympics is kind of the spectacle. That's a sideshow, but really who's running the place and there's such an extreme spectrum from that vote that they had. You've had Hungary's Viktor Orban at the weekend talking about nationalism. You know, he's Putin's mate. He says there's a shift in global power underway, in a few decades or centuries he reckons Asia will be the centre of the world, the future big powers, China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, the West has pushed Russia towards this block of countries. The International Institute for Democracy and electoral assistance says half of the world's countries are suffering democratic decline. They say things like flawed elections and curtailed rights of freedom and assembly and speech are reducing the power of democracy across the world and this is six consecutive years of declines, they say so I don't really know what the conclusion of all that is other than I suppose, just keep watching the Olympics and forget about it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oranga Tamariki’s bootcamp pilot programme for serious youth offenders starts today. The 12-month military style programme will see one-to-one mentoring with a focus on routine, physical activity and education. Labour’s children’s spokesperson Willow Jean Prime tells Ryan Bridge the programme is experimental and is taking place despite evidence that bootcamp models do not work. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

France’s high speed rail network is expected to be back to normal tomorrow after a co-ordinated attack on the infrastructure occurred before the Olympics Opening Ceremony. It’s estimated 800,000 have been affected. And, the UK Government is softening taxpayers up for widespread tax rises. Ministers are set to reveal a treasury audit of public spending pressures inherited by the new government. Europe correspondent Gavin Grey tells Ryan Bridge there are claims of a “black hole” worth tens of billions of pounds. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sailors Isaac McHardie and Will McKenzie are first after the opening day of the men's 49er competition off the Marseille coast. The pair triumphed immediately, before posting a third and an eighth. Meanwhile, in efforts to snag New Zealand’s first Olympic swimming medal since 1996, Lewis Clareburt faces tough competition in France’s Leon Marchand. And, rain continues to disrupt water quality at training in the River Seine. ZB Sports Andrew Alderson gives Ryan Bridge the latest. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Party held its annual General Meeting over the weekend – but focus remained on the Darleen Tana saga. Party leadership has written to Tana, formally requesting her resignation and response within 21 days. Delegates will hold a vote on September 1 on whether to invoke the waka jumping legislation and kick her out of parliament. Political commentator Brigitte Morten tells Ryan Bridge the saga is drawn out because Green party members are not fully behind party leadership. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 29th of July. The Government's serious young offender bootcamp trial starts today - Ryan speaks to Labour about their thoughts on the pilot programme. Darleen Tana has been asked again by her former party to resign from parliament. What are the next steps for the party? It's all on in Paris - Kiwi athletes could win their first medals this morning. Andrew Alderson takes us through the latest from the Olympics. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Excitement is building in Paris as the Olympic Opening Ceremony draws near. In less than 24 hours, nearly 100 boats will be floating down the River Seine for the outdoor ceremony. 195 Kiwi athletes are in France for the Games, competing across 22 sports. Erin Routliffe is competing in the tennis doubles alongside Lulu Sun, and told Ryan Bridge that they’re excited to play together. She said that they’re trying to figure out their identity as a team, but they’re both good players so they’ll be pretty adaptable when playing together. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Regulation Minister says people in Early Childhood tell them they're sick of the amount of red tape and regulation. Labour, Te Pati Māori, and the Greens have united against the Regulation Ministry's regulatory review. They claim the Government's making dangerous changes. The NZEI union is also calling for it to stop. David Seymour told Ryan Bridge it's the first time the opposition has united around something this term. He says they say they want to stop dangerous changes but a single change hasn't yet been announced, they're still just listening to people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s being suggested that New Zealand's freshwater quality targets are unworkable. A Beef + Lamb-commissioned independent review shows more than a third of our rivers won't meet national sediments standards. That's even if agriculture is removed and catchments are returned to their natural state. Chair Kate Acland told Ryan Bridge they're asking for a pause to work on something more practical. She says it's not trying to delay regulation —and acknowledges farming's impact on freshwater quality— but need an enduring framework to manage it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drone gate. It's all anyone is talking about at the Olympics. We've just lost to the Canadians by the way, 2 - 1 in the women's football. Imagine being that assistant coach and the analyst who were caught, who were busted. You know, you go to the Olympics, it's one of your proudest moments. Your family is behind you, your kids are cheering you on. Then imagine the shame of flying home before the games have even begun. I could think of nothing worse. You're coming home basically a spy, you've broken the rules. Imagine that plane ride and imagine facing your family and facing your country when you go home, the shame of it. And why? Apparently they're way better than us anyway. They're the reigning champs and they've just beaten us 2-1 over in Paris. The head coach Beverly Priestman is staying on, she sat out the match this morning. But I don't know, if you dope, you get disqualified, don't you? Isn't spying, isn't cheating the same? And you can't tell me the coach didn't know. If the assistant coach is involved, surely the head coach would know. And if the head coach knows, surely the players would know. Did they see the footage? You can't unsee the footage, can you? I know I might be biased because I'm a Kiwi, but I say send them all home. Send the entire Canadian team home packing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 26th of July, the Olympics opening ceremony is just about here - Ryan speaks to kiwi tennis star Erin Routliffe. Beef and Lamb are up in arms about our water sediment targets - what's the solution? Opposition parties have united against the early childhood sector review - Ryan speaks to Associate Education Minister David Seymour. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi Esports athletes will be heading to Saudi Arabia next year to compete in the first-ever Olympic Esports games. The International Olympic Committee voted unanimously for Saudi Arabia to host the Games in 2025 reflecting the growth in popularity of competitive gaming. The decision comes as Riyadh hosts the Esports World Cup – a two-month event drawing 2,500 gamers competing for NZ$100 million in prize money. New Zealand Esports President Conor English joined Ryan Bridge. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 25th of July, the abuse in care Royal Commission report is out - what action will the government take on the 138 recommendations? A call for an end to raised crossings in Wellington - Transporting New Zealand speaks to Ryan. The Kiwi E-Sports team are heading to Saudi Arabia next year for the first Olympic competition. They're currently competing in the World championships. U.S. President Joe Biden will make a public address today, the first since announcing he won't seek re-election. Ryan speaks to our correspondent in the states Mitch McCann. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shock horror and online hate this week for that American who came here, the reality TV show contestant, who came here and murdered one of our native birds and then ate it. It was a Weka that he killed and ate. I have a confession for you: I too have killed and eaten a Weka. Yes. But it was buff wicker on the Chatham Islands, and you're allowed to. It's the only place you can do it in New Zealand. And it's delicious, I have to confess. It tasted like a cross between chicken and pork quite greasy, but really delicious. I went there to film for a TV show. You sit in the ute in the evening drinking whiskey with the local guys. The dogs go out, get them, bring them to the window of the ute. They snap the neck, throw them on the back of the tray. They said that sometimes they could get hundreds in a night and, they're a pest over there so they would run rampant and take over the island. So there we are over there eating Weka, having a great time. And Roger Beattie is a conservationist and an entrepreneur who was there with us, and he reckons we should farm Weka on the mainland. He says no farmed species has ever died out. Currently, it's illegal to sell Weka, DOC is dead against it. But Roger says we farm plenty of other species in New Zealand shellfish, trees, so, why not birds? It's an interesting take. He's a bit of a radical. DOC says that predator-free sanctuaries are the way to go and they're working. I mean, they are working - you look at Wellington, for example, that is working. I kind of think all options should be on the table. 82 percent of bird species are currently threatened with extinction or at risk of becoming threatened. So, can we really be that picky or fussy if we're serious about saving them? It's at least worth a wee look, I would have thought. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is preparing its response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care report after its release yesterday. It found about 200,000 were abused from the 655,000 in care between 1950 and 2019. There are 138 recommendations which include looking at allowing compensation claims through court, and an apology from the Government and religious organisations. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls joined Ryan Bridge. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to the US Congress in Washington DC, amid waning support for Israel in its war in Gaza. Netanyahu was invited to speak by US House Speaker Mike Johnson, where he will also meet with President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump. But US correspondent Mitch McCann says at least 30 Democratic lawmakers didn't attend, and about 5000 people protested his visit in Washington. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transport organisations are raising concerns about proposed raised crossings on Wellington's Thorndon Quay. Wellington City Council is planning five raised signalised crossings along a 1.7 kilometre stretch of the central city road. Freight lobby group Transporting New Zealand has joined forces with Fire and Emergency, the AA, New Zealand Heavy Haulage, and the Bus and Coach Association in calling on the council to rethink those plans. The group's chief executive Dom Kalasih told Ryan Bridge the raised crossings will cause major issues for trucks and other heavy vehicles. “Dare I say it, we’re just carrying freight. Think about all the people and buses and ambulances – people could be on their way to hospital.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Wednesday the 24th of July. The abuse in state care Royal Commission report is out today, Ryan speaks with a survivor. The Commerce Commission says Kiwis are paying to much is card payment surcharges - what does Retail NZ want to see change? Northland's four lane highway is set to be fast tracked by the Government. Northchamber speaks to Ryan about their concerns with current infrastructure. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Islamic preacher in the UK has been found guilty of directing and supporting terror group al-Muhajiroun. The group has been linked to different acts of terror in the UK, including attacks on Westminster and London Bridges in 2017, which killed five and eight people respectively, and an attack at London's Fishmongers' Hall in 2019. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says preacher Anjem Choudary now faces life in prison for his support of the group. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Excitement in Northland, as the Transport Minister gives the green light to a prioritised regional expressway. Simeon Brown's agreed to accelerate delivery — letting NZTA move at pace on the route between Auckland and Whangarei. Locals have been growing irritated following repetitive road closures on the Brynderwyns. Northland Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Darryn Fisher told Ryan Bridge the projected opening date is unknown. “I think there’s still some work to go on there as far as consents and obtaining land and business cases go, but as a community, we’re here to make sure we accelerate that as quickly as we can.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The press conference yesterday for Health New Zealand - Boy, Oh boy, what a doozy. So they've appointed Lester Levy as the commissioner, the CEO Margie Apa was there alongside him. She's been in the job two years, that's how long the organisation's been set up for. They're overspending $130 million a month. We know that — that can be nothing more than mismanagement if you take Levy's word for it. He says they don't need more money. They basically just don't know how to spend efficiently within the organisation as it stands. So, that's mismanagement short and simple start to finish. And the whole thing for me was a farce. They said we need to push into the regions, that's where the decision making is made. What? Isn't that what we said we didn't need? We needed more centralisation, we needed a national service and now we're going out to the regions again. Why did we spend all this money to set this organisation up? It's so frustrating to listen to. They also said we're never going to achieve the proper transition from the DHBs to this new organisation in two years. Are you serious? Imagine a private business changing its operating model and two years in saying, oh, the change hasn't worked but it's still early days, it just wouldn't happen. And then there was this levy who sits on a whole bunch of boards and knows what he's talking about, casually said that their spending controls and checks and balances are not up to scratch. "Internal and management controls are much weaker than I would have expected. So we have spending problems all over the show". What an absolute cluster. I hate to be negative, I really do, I know it's early in the morning. Just a simple we request from me, let's make sure that when we appoint boards and executives that they actually know what they're doing, they can read a spreadsheet. Good luck Lester, I think you'll need it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The head of Retail NZ has stopped short of saying consumers are being ripped off by fees for PayWave and online card payments. The Commerce Commission's consulting on fee capping regulation that could save Kiwis $250 million a year. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young told Ryan Bridge fees passed to consumers are not always as accurately reflected as they could be, but that's not necessarily the intent. “Part of that from the conversations we’ve had with people is through lack of knowledge through a really complicated system, so we want the system to be a lot more simple and straightforward so that everyone can follow it.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The final report into the inquiry in abuse in care and faith-based institutions will be tabled in Parliament later today. A Royal Commission of Inquiry has been conducting hearings for almost six years - about people's experiences in the system from 1950 to 1999. The Prime Minister is due to make a formal public apology in November. Abuse in care survivor Karl Tauri told Ryan Bridge the most important part is an acknowledgement of the crimes committed. “A lot of that has not actually just been acknowledged and perpetrators haven’t been named or brought to account to the public eye really.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An election analyst says Kamala Harris' nomination is probably a done deal. The process will be formally open for challengers, and none of the delegates at the Democratic National Convention are required to vote for her. Election analyst Henry Olsen told Ryan Bridge it's likely any possible contenders would be feeling it's not worth taking on Kamala Harris. He says some could privately think she isn't the strongest candidate and personally want the job, but have decided it’s better to choose discretion. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maritime experts are still cautious after a report into KiwiRail. Interislander ferries have been deemed safe and well maintained, and will stick around for years to come. Aratere ran aground last month when the autopilot was mistakenly turned on according to a leaked document. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says workers are still anxious because of historical technical problems. He says there's real safety concerns for the staff manning the deteriorating ships. Findlay told Ryan Bridge that with the given history, they need to have a very, very clear, well thought out rescue plan. He says he’d rather be prepared than the old story of the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some health workers say they want the priority to be the workforce rather than the budget. The Health New Zealand board has been sacked and replaced with a commissioner - Lester Levy. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the agency is overspending by $130 million a month. Resident Doctors' Association National Secretary Deborah Powell told Ryan Bridge it is underfunded. She says the money they get is always in catch-up mode, and they need to get into an investment phase. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the Herald this morning, the boss of traffic management firm Traffix laid into the Transport Minister, saying he and Wayne Brown don't understand how the industry works. He says they don't charge per road cone for work, but rather per worker and truck. He says the public's abusing his staff on site because of misinformation being spread. The problem here is an independent report, which we spoke about yesterday, from EY. It was pretty damning, finding said rules incentivise contractors to cause maximum disruption to maximise profits. NZTA looked at 800 maintenance work sites on highway network and found 145 of them were not needed. Doesn't that make your blood boil? And Auckland council alone spends $145m a year on road cones and temporary traffic management. There was a contractor around the corner from my place who had to dig a small hole on side of road, I couldn't believe they had to actually close the road. Small, quiet suburban street, down to one lane with stop go signs. Madness. I'd never say anything to workers, because it's not their fault, but clearly after the EY report and the message from NZTA, something needs to be fixed, and fast. Wayne Brown wants the power to set fees and charge penalties if work drags on or wasn't needed in the first place. I say give it to him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 23rd of July, Joe Biden is no longer seeking re-election and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the top job. U.S. election analyst Henry Olsen joins Ryan from the States to provide his thoughts. Health NZ's board has been scrapped by the Government, replaced by a commissioner for the next year. Ryan speaks to the Residents Doctors Association. A lifeline for the Interislander? A new report has found the 3 ships can run up until 2029, longer than expected. But the Maritime Union aren't happy with the results. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Monday the 22nd of July, the fallout continues from the global CrowdStrike IT outage. Ryan speaks to a tech expert on the continued fallout. Tauranga has elected it's first council after four years of commissioners. The local Business Chamber talks to Ryan about what they want to see. Andrew Alderson wraps the weekend's sport stories - including a major player moving from the Hurricanes to Moana Pasifika. Plus, Ryan breaks the news of Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 Presidential race. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An IT expert believes there'll be a flurry of lawsuits on the back of Friday's global IT outage. Microsoft estimated 8.5 million computers were disabled with a blue screen of death, and experts predict it'll be weeks before all systems fully recover. It is believed the outage was triggered by an update from global cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. IT expert Danu Abeysuirya told Ryan Bridge CrowdStrike failed in its responsibilities. He says the company's in for a world of hurt via lawsuits. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

German police have reportedly foiled a planned terror attack just hours before last week's UEFA Euro 2024 final in Berlin. Three suspects were reportedly detained during a series of raids of addresses in nearby Potsdam, after they were taking pictures of a fanzone and a church. UK correspondent Gavin Grey says the suspects were known ISIS supporters. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oscar Piastri has become the fifth Australian to win a Formula 1 race, after his victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix. But the triumph didn't come without controversy, with McLaren teammate Lando Norris forced to give the victory to his teammate. Newstalk ZB sports reader Andrew Alderson joined Ryan Bridge to discuss further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamish Kerr - you might recall the name. He's a high jumper, winning gold at the Commonwealth Games, but so far no Olympic medal. He's apparently looking very good for Paris - the opening ceremony kicks off this Saturday morning. I'm getting quite excited about it. So Kerr is peaking at just the right time - he's just taken out the men’s high jump title at the London Diamond League Athletics meet. He cleared 2.3m - incredible stuff. He also won in Monaco earlier this month, where he cleared 2.33m and equalled his personal best in an outdoor event. The men’s high jump begins on August 8th for us. The opening ceremony is this Saturday morning 5:30am our time, with its peak at 7:30am for their sunset. Anyway, I just love this. Our biggest ever athletics team heading to Paris. There's nothing like sitting down on the couch, for hours on end, with some bikkies and a cup of tea watching these incredibly disciplined, unbelievably skilled and fit athletes perform for the world. It's almost like because what you're watching is athletic and captivating you don't feel lazy for essentially watching hours of television. There's something incredibly emotional about the Games too, there's always tears and joy and exhaustion. It's humans dedicating themselves to something for years, for their life, and knowing all of that comes down to just a few seconds in a race or game or event. It's perseverance and dedication on full display and I just love it. To Hamish Kerr, the record 17 athletics athletes, and the entire team of 195 Kiwis wearing the fern in Paris - good luck. We'll all be watching. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concern in Tauranga about the city election's low voter turnout. Olympic rower Mahe Drysdale has an almost 6000 vote lead in the mayoral race, with just the specials left to count. Voter turnout's shaping up to be one of the city's lowest in a decade, with around 30 percent of residents casting their vote. Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley told Ryan Bridge the process is struggling to engage people. “Raises questions around is this really the full democracy that our so-called community has wanted.” LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

European leaders met in Britain for the 4th meeting of the European political community. The meeting hopes to unite Europe in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, beyond just the nations in the EU and NATO. UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Ryan Bridge that newly elected UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, used this is as a chance to reset the country's relationship with the EU. He says this will be helpful in addressing the issues of illegal migration across the continent. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The number of people on a benefit has reached a new record and could keep rising, despite an uptick in sanctions. June quarter data shows 11.9% of working-age people are receiving a benefit - the highest since December 2020. It's an annual increase of 8.3%. Council of Trade Unions economist Craig Rennie told Ryan Bridge the number of people on Jobseeker will keep rising. He said unemployment is always a bad thing, as the more people working means there are more households with money in their pockets, and poverty starts to fall. Rennie said that unemployment is never a thing you should be aiming for, it’s always something you should be avoiding. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Biden's under increasing pressure to stand aside as the Democratic presidential candidate as Donald Trump prepares to formally accept the Republican nomination. Sources have told the Associated Press that both Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have privately called for Biden to step aside. It comes as the US President continues to isolate with Covid. Meanwhile, Marco Rubio's former Chief of Staff Matt Terrill told Ryan Bridge Trump will address the Republican National Convention this afternoon, calling for unity six days after he survived an assassination attempt. He says a big theme for tonight's speech will be about unity not only for the Republican Party, but for the whole country. That speech is expected to start about 2pm. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns tax cuts on heated tobacco will make the product much easier for young people to access. Customs quietly cut 50% from the excise tax at the start of the month. Customs Minister Casey Costello says it's a trial, aiming to give smokers a cheaper alternative. Health Coalition Aotearoa spokesperson Chris Bullen told Ryan Bridge it comes with a risk. He says once the price drops, a new product becomes a lot more accessible for young people with disposable incomes. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 19th of July, it's the last day of the Republican National Convention - we cross live to the US and speak to Marco Rubio's former Chief of Staff. The Government has quietly cut the excise tax on heated tobacco products by 50%, Ryan gets the thoughts of Health Coalition Aotearoa’s Chris Bullen. Benefit numbers for the June quarter are in and the number of people on it is on the rise. Craig Rennie from the Council of Trade Unions speaks to Ryan. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rate cuts could arrive early as next month, banks are predicting. Inflation fell to a 3-year low yesterday, reaching 3.3% in the June Quarter. Although that falls outside of the Reserve Bank’s target band of 1-3%, banks have reacted positively to the move. ANZ have cut their three year home loans rates to 6.35% and the two year rates to 6.49%. ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith told Ryan Bridge they’re predicting two rate cuts before Christmas: a 25 bps cut in October, and another in November. He said that factors such as pricing pressures, external inflation, and pressures in the housing market are beginning to ease, which the Reserve Bank can use as a positive sign that inflation will remain low once rates are cut. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland Airport is being urged to be responsible with its charging of airlines. A Commerce Commission draft investigation has found the airport's planned expansion is justified, and some price increases are necessary to fund the investment. However, it found the organisation's targeted returns from airlines is around $200 million over what's reasonable. It found that travellers would most likely bear much of that cost. Board of Airline Representatives Executive Director Cath O’Brien told Ryan Bridge that this is the second period in a row where Auckland Airport has been found to be targeting excess profits. She said that they’re targeting a return of 8.73% on aeronautical caps, against the Commission midpoint of 6.98%. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A US poll finds the attempted assassination of Donald Trump has had little impact on voting intention. A Reuters poll by Ipsos shows of around 1200 voters, 43% are in favour of the Republicans and 41% intend to support the Democrats. Of all voters, 80% agreed the country was spiralling out of control. US correspondent Mitch McCann told Ryan Bridge prominent Democrat Adam Schiff has written a letter asking Joe Biden to step down. He says while the assassination attempt may have taken the spotlight off Biden, the issue of Democrats wanting him to step down isn't going anywhere. On the other side of the divide, Republican vice president hopeful JD Vance is set to deliver his first speech to party faithful. The Republican National Convention continues in Wisconsin after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump over the weekend. McCann told Bridge the theme of the convention tonight is Make America Strong Again, with a focus on foreign policy and border security. He says it follows last night's theme —Make America Safe Again— with a heavy emphasis on migrant crime. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The confirmation Tiwai Point is going to reduce its electricity usage next month isn't proving to be great news for everyone. The aluminium smelter's usage agreements means Meridian Energy can request it scale back production to meet electricity demands. But Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie told Ryan Bridge production shouldn't have to be reduced, and it's a sign the gas market needs to be revitalised. He says the country isn't in great shape, adding with declining gas reserves comes the threat of black outs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you seen the story floating around about the U.S. Secret Service? After the assassination attempt on Trump, the internet's been going nuts. Not just because, how did this happen? What a monumental cock-up. Who's responsible? But also because a number of the agents trying to protect the president were women. According to Time magazine, based on video of the shooting, one of these agents looked frazzled and couldn't get her gun back into its holster. Another apparently frantically shouted "what are we doing? where are we going?" after the shots were fired. Meghan McCain, daughter of former presidential nominee John McCain posted on X: "This is why the notion of men and women being the same is just absurd. You need to be taller than the candidate to protect them with your body. Why do they have these short women guarding trump? (Trump and biden are both over 6 ft) this is embarrassing and dangerous." Some are blaming diversity, equity and inclusion targets which aim to have 30% of the Secret Service agents women. I remember similar angst from some male firefighters a few years back, they didn't trust smaller women to be able to pull them out of a burning building should the need arise. Others say these arguments are sexist and women can do anything etc. Both these arguments have merit. It's a fact that men are generally taller and bigger than women. But that doesn't mean all men are. I can think of many women taller and bigger than me who could frankly beat the crap out of me. If I needed a bodyguard, or saving from a burning building, their sex wouldn't bother me. But if the person is smaller and not as strong, whether it's a Secret Service agent of a firefighter, shouldn't there be minimum standards that apply to ensure safety? I think Meghan McCain has a point. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Thursday 18th of July, inflation data is out, and it's much better than expected - banks are now predicting rates cuts as early as August. Ryan speaks to ASB Senior Economist Mark Smith. Tiwai aluminium smelter has been asked to reduce their electricity output to help with hydro levels - do we need to find renewable alternatives? The Commerce Commission says Auckland Airport is charging too much, Ryan speaks to the Airline Representatives group. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dozens of Indian farmers have been freed from “slave-like” working conditions in Northern Italy. The 33 workers were lured to the country with the promise of jobs and a better future. Allegedly, they were forced to work more than ten hours a day, seven days a week, their tiny wage used to pay off debts to the alleged gangmasters. Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge that when the men were arrested, they had over three quarters of a million AUD on them. He said that the 33 workers are now being looked after by social services and migrant support. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.