Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

The Warriors put on a nail biting performance over the weekend, coming back from what was looking like a loss. 

 A 69th minute Luke Metcalf field goal proved decisive, as the Auckland team hung on for a 15-14 victory over the St George-Illawarra Dragons.

It takes the Warriors to a 7-2 record for the season – cementing their top-four position. 

Sports reporter Andrew Alderson talks to Ryan Bridge ab...

UK Public funding for the Royal Household has tripled since 2012, with the rise largely driven by repairs and building work at Buckingham Palace. 

The Sovereign Grant was introduced in 2012 at £31m per year. That has now risen to £132m, data from the House of Commons Library shows, and once inflation has been taken into account, that represents about a threefold increase.

Royal aids say the funding will come down again. 

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On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Monday the 12th of May 2025, The Government's promising to clamp down on boy racers, Police Association President Chris Cahill tells Ryan Bridge whether or not the legislation will work. 

Erica Stanford will lead work on reducing social media harm for under-16s, social media parenting expert from B416, Malindi Maclean shares her thoughts. 

Andrew Alderson has the lat...

Tougher penalties hope to put the brakes on boy racers and fleeing drivers.

The Government's establishing a presumptive sentence of vehicle destruction for street racers, those who flee police, and intimidating convoys. 

Police will also get greater powers to manage illegal vehicle gatherings by closing roads or public areas. 

Police Association President Chris Cahill says told Ryan Bridge something needs to be done becau...

The youth are out of control. 

We'll crush the cars.

We'll crush the smartphones. 

Which all sounds nice this will... like most laws designed to make us feel like we're getting a handle on social problems, will all come down to enforcement.

For all the time Judith Collins spent at the scrap metal yards for photo ops, was not quite the Crusher those photos ops made her out to be. 

In the five years after they passed t...

Donald Trump's struck his first trade deal since last month's tariff announcement – an agreement with the UK. 

The US will slash tariffs on British steel and aluminium, and most British cars. 

But UK exporters will still face the same 10% base tariff also faced by New Zealand exporters. 

On the flipside, the UK has agreed to remove the tariff on ethanol for US goods, and agreed to reciprocal markets for certain produ...

Record income for NZ Rugby was not enough to save them from their third yearly deficit in a row. 

Yesterday, NZR Chair David Kirk revealed a $19.5 million loss, despite the body bringing in a record $285 million. 

Former CEO David Moffett told Ryan Bridge it’s symptomatic of rugby around the world. 

He says professional rugby is living in quicksand – no matter where you look, it’s in real trouble. 

LISTEN ABOVE&...

It's expected the government could find more savings by selling state owned assets. 

The Government's scraped the bottom of the barrel to find more money for the upcoming Budget. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's promising an extra $400 million for maintaining and upgrading assets, on top of the already projected $3.6 billion. 

New Zealand Initiative Executive Director Oliver Hartwich told Ryan Bridge they could go...

The first ever American Pope's spoken in front of a crowd of tens-of-thousands of faithful at the Vatican. 

69-year-old Robert Prevost will be known as Pope Leo the 14th. 

It comes after white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel shortly after 6pm local time, following the fourth Conclave vote.

Catholic journalist Mark O'Conner is at the Vatican and told Ryan Bridge while the new Pope was born in Chicago, he has experien...

It was the last day of school in Parliament yesterday. 

It happens after MPs sit through urgency, they get restless, excitable, a bit crazy. 

They were shouting, interrupting, it was a bit chaotic - even Gerry Brownlee finished question time saying this has not been our finest hour. 

Opposition MPs, particularly women, were up in arms and incensed over the Pay Equity bill for the second day in a row.

The question for...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Friday 9th of May 2025, A new Pope has been elected, Catholic Journalist Mark O'Connor shares the latest live from the Vatican. 

The prime minister's announced an extra almost half billion dollars in capital spending in upcoming budget, New Zealand Initiative Executive Director Oliver Hartwich shares his thoughts. 

Record income for New Zealand Rugby was not enough t...

The unemployment rate has come out better than anticipated. 

It remained unchanged at 5.1% in the three months ending March.  

The number of people in full-time work fell by 45 thousand, while the number in part time work grew by 25 thousand. 

Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon told Ryan Bridge that people are likely using reduced hours as an alternative to layoffs. 

He says it’s likely one factor as to why...

Experts fighting organised crime say New Zealand must pick up its act to keep pace with trans-national criminals.  

They've released their second report, criticising New Zealand's response to modern crime and money laundering.  

It wants cash to be made a less attractive option for criminals and to ban crypto currency ATMs.  

Drug Detection Agency Chief Executive Glenn Dobson told Ryan Bridge the criminals work quick...

Transpower is looking to make a key investment into the Cook Strait electricity cable. 

It's consulting on a $1.4 billion upgrade to the 610 kilometre link connecting the North and South Island.

The existing cables are likely to reach their end of life in the late 2030s. 

Major Electricity Users' Group Chairman John Harbord told Ryan Bridge the link's important when hydro-lakes in the South are low in water.

He says the N...

So, after all the handwringing, the complaints, the stomping of feet, the Commerce Commission's shooting down talk of an investigation into domestic airfares.

Greg Foran and Co. will see this as vindication - validation that, despite the headlines and Consumer NZ's claim the market is quote broken, the reality is their costs have gone up and, surprise surprise, it's expensive to run routes with high fixed costs to small places with...

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast 2025 Thursday 8th of May, Glenn Dobson Drug Detection Agency CEO shares insight on a new Ministerial Advisory Report on organised crime. 

Much to the surprise of economists The unemployment rate remained flat at 5.1% for the first three months of this year, Westpac Senior economist Michael Gordon shares his thoughts. 

Transpower says they need to replace the electric...

Social media for under 16s is being compared to the harm caused by cigarette smoking. 

Clear evidence shows that social media can be linked to depression and anxiety. 

This has led to National introducing a member's bill to ban social media for those under 16 years of age, to protect kids. 

Parenting expert Nathan Wallace told Ryan Bridge implementing a ban for under 16s sends the message that, like cigarettes and al...

Mixed opinions on when unemployment will reach its peak. 

Stats NZ data out this morning is predicted to show rates increased to around 5.2% during the March quarter. 

ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner expects this will likely be as high as it will go. 

While ASB senior economist Mark Smith told Ryan Bridge it could be a bit higher later in the year. 

He says they've seen firms hold back on hiring as disruption...

The doors of Rome's Sistine Chapel officially lock tomorrow morning as the conclave selects a new pope. 

135 cardinals from around the world will vote on a successor to Pope Francis, who was laid to rest almost two weeks ago. 

There's no timescale for how long it'll take, but the last two papal elections lasted for two days. 

Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey told Ryan Bridge it's set to be most secretive election of a...