Podcasts about Mike Hosking

This podcast description was blatantly written by AI... Welcome to the Clint, Meg, & Dan podcast! In this episode, the team recounts their nerve-wracking but memorable debut performance as their band MC/DC at Olivia's 40th birthday bash, complete with sound mishaps and kid critiques. Mike Hosking joins in for a satirical news wrap-up, bringing his unique flair to the latest headlines. Plus, Meg digs into a hilariously out-of-touch '90s relationship guide, and the team discusses how much you should really have in your emergency fund. Finally, don't miss Pedro Pascal's hilariously candid moment caught on camera. Tune in for all the laughs and chaos! 00:00 Introduction and Banter00:49 Band Talk and Boob Signing02:27 Band Performance Recap06:41 Justin Bieber's On-Stage Struggles11:12 Get To Know Ya: Julie the Truck Driver15:45 Boris Johnson's 9th kid...18:39 Biggest Families Discussion24:55 $10,000 E-Z Game28:12 What does your name say about you?36:36 Mike Hosking Joins the Show39:55 Emergency Fund Discussion47:46 MC/DC's First Gig59:24 Building an Affair-Proof Marriage01:04:22 Pedro Pascal's Cinema Encounter

The asterisk is there for a reason lol

I just want to be clear, I don't want to start a disagreement between shows here on Newstalk ZB, but I did listen to Mike Hosking this morning talking some smack, and listening to it, I felt, no, I'm gonna have to say something about this just to restore a bit of balance to this debate. In defence of instant coffee, the stuff is great. I love it. I drink it nearly every day, little flat white in the morning, little old school instant in the afternoon. I am, I would like to point out, squarely in the demographic that should be snobby about coffee, right? It should be like fresh beans from Rwanda every day. I grew up on the cafe culture, live in Ponsonby, have some of the best cafes in the country around the corner, but I still write by instinct. Now I don't want to be super unfair on Mike, because obviously he's a legend, but he does some girl math when he wants to. Instant coffee is not more expensive than your ground beans. I mean, if you look at it on the face of what you're paying at the supermarket, yep, sure, your classic Makona at $12 for 100 g does appear to be more expensive than your Havana 5 Star coffee beans at $10.50 for 200 g, cause obviously getting 200 g of the beans as opposed, as opposed to 100 g of the instant. So, you know, you're paying for twice as many beans for roughly the same price. But you and I know that's not how it works. You and I know that you're getting more cups of coffee out of that little Macona jar, cause you're only using one teaspoon at a time. You're using the beans, you're gonna have to fill up that whole double shot filter basket, and so you're gonna whip through that 200 g a whole lot faster. But the thing about it is, obviously, you know, I live in Ponsonby, OK? It's not just about price. I can afford to go and buy myself a nice little flat white. It's about the fact that it tastes good. Instant coffee tastes good in its own special watery mud way. Do you know what I mean? It's got its place in life. I don't think we need to discount it. It's kind of like you can enjoy yourself a craft beer, but then you can also want a dirty old Corona from time to time. Or you can make a virtue out of eating your Vogels and getting all that fiber going through your gut. But then sometimes you just want a nice white slice with your snag. You know what I mean? Sometimes you just want to get down in the gutter with that little instant coffee. Not everyone wants to drink an espresso at 3 in the afternoon and be pinging at 11 at night. Still, that's the place of the instant coffee. You have that at 3, it's got a little light little buzz until 7.Sleep like a baby after that. And finally, just the final point on this is. It turns out more of us actually drink the instant than the espresso. This may shock you, because we're the land of the flat white, but we are also the land that invented the instant coffee in Southland. And the last survey I saw said 44% of us drink the instant, and only 34% of us drink the espresso. And as Mike likes to say, numbers don't lie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, what a to-do. The image of Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters slumped in the House, head in his hands, summed it up really. Brooke van Velden dropped the C-bomb in the house, quoting a Stuff article whose author used the word in criticising the government's decision to amend the pay equity legislation. The coalition's female MPs are angry that Labour MPs, particularly the female MPs, have not condemned the journalist's use of the word, which was used as a derogatory in the article. Judith Collins, head of the Privileges Committee, was on with Mike Hosking this morning, ostensibly to talk about the suspension of three Te Pati Māori MPs for their haka in the House, but during the chat she deplored the decline of standards in the House. “There's a lack of civility now and it's not acceptable, and I feel that the comments of the print journalist in the Sunday Star Times this last Sunday was one of the lowest points I think I've seen in 23 years. That and what happened on the 14th of November in Parliament. It's just the sort of behaviour towards each other that is despicable. So I'd say to Brooke, you know I wouldn't use the word myself, but I did feel that she at least stood up for herself and for all the rest of us, and I am waiting for someone of the left persuasion in our Parliament, one MP, just one, to come out and say it's not okay to attack people just because you don't agree with what they do.” I think she'll be waiting a while. Karen Chhour has been consistently attacked by Labour MPs and Te Pati Māori MPs, really for just for being a Māori woman who has the temerity to be an ACT Party MP. And to be fair, when Jacinda Ardern and her preschool daughter were receiving violent threats —violent sexual threats, some of them very real and credible threats— there wasn't a universal condemnation of the abuse from National and ACT. Certainly Judith Collins, when she was the opposition leader, said she did not want to see Jacinda Ardern threatened when she visited Auckland in 2021 after the three-month lockdown. She said I don't want to see anything happen to the Prime Minister or have her threatened in any way. I think it's not good for our democracy and also it is not right for people to do that to each other, which is true, and good on her for saying that. But at the same time, it's hardly a universal, strident condemnation of the threats that the Prime Minister of the time was getting. We were discussing this before the show, one of our colleagues said politicians need to be better otherwise people will just give up. They'll look at the carry on, they'll read the stories and think I'm not going to vote. I argued that there are House of Representatives – they are us, to borrow a phrase. Abuse of MPs on every level increased in 2022, 98% of them reported receiving some kind of harassment. Women were considerably more likely to face abuse on most counts than male politicians. Abuse increased across 11 of the 12 different mediums, with social media overtaking emails, faxes and letters as the most prominent. That came from us. That's men and women, normally erstwhile, law-abiding, God-fearing people who suddenly became more strident. It was a result of societal factors, of lockdowns, of decisions made that had an enormous impact on people's lives and livelihoods and families. And there will be people who will never forget what happened. It can't be undone. But that all resulted in extremes, in the use of language and the vehemence of our opinions and our tribalism. I had a public Facebook page for years. I think in the in the seven or eight years I had it before Covid, I blocked two people. Once Covid started, I just got rid of it because it's why would you be a sitting duck? When I first heard about the death threats against Jacinda Ardern, I thought, well, who hasn't had them? You know that is not normal. That's not a normal response. The days of Socratic discourse are long gone. So does that mean we have to give up, my colleague asked, that we have no expectations of our MPs? No. But I think before we ask anything of our MPs, we look at ourselves. I was thinking about that this morning. Can I call out the Principles Federation representative and say before you start looking at the government, how about you call out the poor parents who send their kids to school unable to hold a pen and not toilet trained? Whose fault is that? That is the parents. Can I say that? Absolutely I can. Should I mimic her voice while I'm saying that? No, I shouldn't. Talkback's a robust forum. It's a bit like Parliament, people get heat up. We're allowed to have opinions. We should have differing opinions, but before I'm going to ask anything of our MPs, before I ask anything of my fellow journalists, I'll have a look in the mirror and check myself out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Between Two beers we talk to Toni Street.Toni is one of New Zealand's best and most popular broadcasters.She's been a host on breakfast TV and been a sports reporter for TVNZ, she co-hosted Seven Sharp alongside Mike Hosking for four years, before she made the switch to radio - where she now hosts the Coast Breakfast host alongside Sam Wallace and Jason Reeves.In this episode we talk about playing for NZ A in cricket - and if she could have gone pro, how she got her break on Breakfast TV, singing to Ronan Keating, anchoring the America's Cup coverage in 2013, the reality of working with Mike Hosking, why she walked away, the art of the interview and so much more.Toni's life is also a story of devastating loss and recovery. Toni has tragically lost three siblings and we talk about her heartbreak and resilience.This is one of our favourite episodes. Toni just brings the best, most contagious energy, is a world class storyteller and has the warmest personality.This episode is brought to you by TAB, download the new app today and get your bet on!Between Two Beers is now part of the Acast Creator Network, listen wherever you get your podcasts from, or watch the video on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. Tory Whanau: 9/10 She scored it herself and why wouldn't you, shouldn't you, when you are as brilliant as her? God, she deserves a holiday. Donald Trump: 7/10 For the sheer madness, calamity and unbelievable amount of bullshit he has spouted in 100 days. You will never see the likes again, unless of course he runs for a third and fourth term. Auckland FC: 8/10 You can't argue with that execution of success. Have a dream, get a team and win the competition. That's brilliant! Canada: 7/10 Election of the year so far and will almost certainly beat tomorrow's in Australia, unless Dutton does a Morrison. And I'm not running odds on that. Toyota: 7/10 The All Blacks deal is a nice fit. How good will Tamaiti Williams look in a Yaris? James Meager: 3/10 For saying random stuff like he's looking into helping Air New Zealand into the regions and getting fares down. He's also looking to get butter under $4 a block. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Declining stats for Auckland's Eden Park, as the number of major events coming to this country reduce. Revenue fell from $44.3 million in 2023 to $29.7 million in 2024 and major event attendance fell from 881 thousand to 540 thousand. Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner told Mike Hosking one of the factors to blame is the lack of seed funding. He says there's been limited funds available from Auckland Unlimited and the central government, and they've missed out on a number of events over the last 12 months. Sautner says Eden Park went through a 125 year journey to get concerts, and now we're in a situation where artists are bypassing New Zealand. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Seymour's calling for fat to be cut from multiple areas of government. The Act Party leader wants a limit on the number of ministers – with no ministers outside of Cabinet, and no associate ministers other than in Finance. He wants 30 total government agencies, down from 41. Executive Director of business think tank New Zealand Initiative, Oliver Hartwich told Mike Hosking the current model doesn't make sense. He says there's a Minister of Housing but also a Minister of Building and Construction, as if they have nothing to do with each other. Hartwich also says the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is a prime example of a bloated cabinet. He says there are 16 ministers in charge of MBIE, and Ireland has 15 in its entire cabinet. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Drug Foundation says the country barely invests anything into helping and supporting people with meth-addiction. Discharges from public hospitals suggest meth-use has increased four-fold over the past decade. Wastewater testing last year showed a doubling in meth use. Drug Foundation Chief Executive Sarah Helm told Mike Hosking a lot more could be done, especially with knowledge from new research. She says about half of people using illicit substances have ADHD, which could help prevent drug-use if treated. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Health Minister is standing by the current pay offer to senior doctors. Thousands of planned procedures have been delayed following yesterday's strike action, while Health New Zealand is applying to the Employment Relations Authority for urgent facilitation. Union members have told Newstalk ZB their pay rates aren't keeping up with the private sector or with Australia. But Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking the pay offer is "credible" given Health New Zealand only has so much money to go around. He says the health budget has to cover hospital services, GPs, aged care, and a range of other things, and there's pressure across the board. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An unshakable insistence from Indian Panthers boss Parveen Batish that their indefinite ban from the National Basketball League won't be permanent. The first year team were handed an immediate ban mid-season following serious allegations of payment issues and player unrest. The Panthers can return to the NBL if they meet various conditions set by the league's commission. When asked if has been asked if their catalogue of off court issues have been sorted, Batish told Mike Hosking they're 100% sorted. He says when they come back they're going to be much stronger, as the positivity around what they can do and deliver is enormous. Newstalk ZB understands the other 11 NBL teams were unanimous in revoking the Panthers league license. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Heath and Finn Caddie join ACC Head G Lane to discuss who would win a Run It Straight contest between Mike Hosking & Jason Hoyte (00:00)... Then the fellas chat about Ryan Reynolds & Wrexham FC coming to NZ and what the local media reaction will be (08:00)... Then, discuss The Sexy Camel joining Baz as an Assistant Coach/Drinking Buddy (11:30).Plus, G Lane reveals his love of the Savannah Bananas Baseball League (18:20) and whether their fan-first approach would work for Super Rugby (29:40) Finally, they get to your feedback in 'Yours Please' (30:20)...Brought to you by Export Ultra!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

House prices are set to rise as businesses report less confidence With two further cuts expected to the OCR, ANZ is now expecting a 4.5% lift as opposed to 6%. Business confidence has also taken a tumble, with just 49% expecting improvements in the year ahead – down 9 points. ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner told Mike Hosking the data was taken amid tariffs hitting the markets, impacting business confidence, investment, and employment. She says there may be a hint of a knee-jerk reaction that may not last, but only time will tell. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another big win for New Zealand Rugby in the wake of the messy end to a major sponsorship agreement. Vehicle manufacturer Toyota has reportedly signed a multi-million dollar agreement to put its name on the All Blacks training kit – partly replacing INEOS. The agreement is also believed to include the provision of vehicles for players and management who don't have existing contracts with previous vehicle partner, Ford. Former NZ Rugby CEO David Moffett told Mike Hosking it's good news. He says it's very similar to the Ford deal that they had back in 1995. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elite sports are not a cheap field to enter. 19-year-old Liam Sceats is on a journey to make it as a professional motorsport driver, aiming to achieve his dream of competing in IndyCar. He's currently competition in Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports – and it'll cost him $1.2 million USD to compete in all 12 rounds. Sceats currently has a three event deal, but will need to secure more funding to take it all the way to the end. However, obtaining funding is not as easy as simply doing well in the races. He told Mike Hosking that support certainly comes easier if you're a winner, but for him it largely comes from hustling and doing the groundwork. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another Government curriculum refresh is aiming to give school kids more grasp of money management. The Education Minister's making financial literacy a compulsory topic for Years 1 to 10. The Government's teaming up with financial organisations, banks, and charities for lessons on investment and taxes. Banqer CEO Simon Brown told Mike Hosking that on an international level, we don't stack up too badly, but there's a wide variety in the level of financial education given by schools. He says that some schools do a great job delivering to all students, but in others financial education is completely lacking, and as a result, student preparedness is left up to chance. Brown believes a lot of people appreciate the importance and value of financial education, so to see this plan come to fruition is an exciting step. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ruapehu District could be in for an economic boom with new skifield ownership. The Department of Conservation's approved a 10 year concession for Whakapapa Holdings to operate the Whakapapa side of Mount Ruapehu. An agreement for the Turoa side was struck last year, following a lengthy bidding war, with numerous Government bailouts. Mayor Weston Kirton told Mike Hosking it's a critical milestone in securing the future of skiing in Mount Ruapehu. He says it gives confidence to the wider tourism sector, and provides a huge amount of income to the community and region – to the tune of around $100 million. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KiwiRail admits it may be helping out its competition by reducing its Interislander fleet to two. Aratere will be retired when demolition begins on its decaying dock in Picton late this year or early next, to add infrastructure for new ships. Two new ferries are due in 2029. KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy told Mike Hosking some passengers may opt now to travel with Bluebridge. He says capacity is spread between the companies when one faces an issue. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over 4000 medical procedures are on hold today while 5000 senior doctors strike for better working conditions. This comes after eight months of failed negotiations with Health New Zealand. The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists says it's not going to fill workforce gaps without major improvements to pay and conditions. Health NZ Chief Clinical Officer Doctor Richard Sullivan told Mike Hosking waitlist times for procedures will now stretch out further. He says the more than 4000 procedures which have been delayed will impact on getting people earlier access to care. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There will be further cuts to Government agency spending, to be diverted into priority areas. Finance Minister Nicola Willis confirmed a $1.3 billion operating allowance – plummeting from the $2.4 billion estimate. Willis says they've reviewed funding line-by-line. National's Mark Mitchell told Mike Hosking they have to cut spending as the reality is the country went from $58 billion of debt in 2017 to $175 billion in 2024. He says we went from paying $3.6 billion in interest a year to $8.9 billion, and we cannot afford that. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Garden City's reaping the benefits of this year's Electric Avenue festival. The event produced $10.5 million in visitor spend after 75 thousand people attended in February. It's believed to be the largest since the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Loren Aberhart, ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Destination and Attraction, told Mike Hosking they're looking at options for growth, as the festival had the city bursting at the seams. They're undertaking accommodation research, she says, and planning ahead for the opening of the One NZ Stadium to ensure the city has the capacity to cope with events. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A question mark over how Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, will perform. The Liberal Party won the country's election yesterday, beating the Conservative party, and locking down a fourth term. The win means Carney will keep hold of the top job he took over from Justin Trudeau six weeks ago. Globe and Mail Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife told Mike Hosking he has no experience in retail policy, but headed the banks of Canada and England. He says given these credentials, he should do okay, but there's been no real opportunity to see him perform as Prime Minister. There's also doubts Carney will be able to secure a majority government, as he's currently sitting at 169 seats of the 172 needed. Fife doesn't think he'll get up to this number, but may reach 170. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A former Finance Minister says cutbacks to public spending need to be seen in context. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed a drastic cut to the operating allowance in next month's Budget, from $2.4 billion to $1.3 billion. There will be no new funding for most Government departments, with the focus being on priority areas and paying off debt. Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking there's still scope to reduce spending. He says Government spending has doubled in the past eight years while inflation has only gone up about 30% in the same time. Joyce is also saying there's growing public appetite for more public sector restraint. The Government's ruling out giving most departments any additional funding in the next Budget, but Joyce says reaching that target will depend a lot on the international economy. However, he told Hosking there are still lots of changes that can be made to bring down government spending. Joyce says making those changes requires a bit of work and requires ministers having a good political radar and knowing what can't be cut. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Children's Minister says good progress is being made on reports coming into Oranga Tamariki. The Ministry for Children estimates it's seen a 45% increase in reports of concern in the year to April. Karen Chhour says the number of children in unsafe households is alarming but it's positive seeing more people reporting them. She told Mike Hosking the urgency of each report can vary, with several potentially applying to the same child. Chhour says not all reports need Oranga Tamariki intervention, with lower urgency cases better dealt with by community resources. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Justice Minister says reinstating a total ban on prisoner voting is not likely to change the outcome of elections. The proposal would reverse changes introduced in 2020 allowing prisoners serving sentences of less than three years to vote. People detained on remand or serving sentences of home detention will still be able to vote. Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking the number of votes coming out of prisons is not enough to sway a result. He says it's about sending a signal to people who breach the rights and responsibilities of living in society. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mighty Matua, the Prince of the Provinces, illuminates and entertains on subjects as diverse as Mike Hosking, co-governance, the tightest Budget in a decade, why the Government's not taxing Bishop Brian, and why are we spending so much of our precious little money in Northland?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charities have been spared from tax changes in this year's Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has been proposing revisions to tax rules that could see charities taxed on their business activities. But she says there are still complex issues that need to be worked through before any rules are updated. Tax expert Geof Nightingale told Mike Hosking it's likely too hard. He says there's been several goes at this over the last 20 years, with not enough tax revenue being the main problem. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been 100 days since Donald Trump was sworn in as US President. His campaign was filled with promises of dramatic change, and he's certainly followed through, with a record-breaking number of orders filed in the first three months. The most dramatic of which is his sweeping global tariffs. Quest Means Business host Richard Quest told Mike Hosking it goes against the orthodoxy of economics that has always been taught – that tariffs can be a benefit if targeted and used for a specific purpose. He says using widespread tariffs to reshape global trading structures has not been done before, but it's something Trump has always wanted to do. Quest believes with the tariff headwinds pushing against the global economy, major economies are facing recessions, and the slowdown in economic growth will feel pretty awful for people as the year continues. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief changes to certifications and inspections for builders is a step in the right direction. Legislation introduced by the end of this year will see approved building firms, drain layers, and plumbers allowed to sign off their own work on smaller residential dwellings. Certified Builders Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming told Mike Hosking the Government's missed an opportunity to introduce a quality mark for builders. He says that would give homeowners the confidence a builder has the credentials to do the job well. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is a growing appetite for New Zealand's rarest and most unusual fruit. Persimmons have had a 20% rise in exports in the last year, and demand has never been higher. Persimmon Industry Council Manager Ian Turk told Mike Hosking it's thanks to recent sunny weather in Gisborne, where the vast majority of the fruit is grown. He says after a rough five years for the industry —with impacts from the likes of Cyclone Gabrielle— growers are looking forward to a good season ahead. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Deputy Leader of New Zealand First says his party will step in to stop management of the Waitakere Ranges morphing into co-governance. Auckland Council's proposing a board made up of Iwi, the Department of Conservation, and the council. Act Leader David Seymour has also criticised the plan as moving towards co-governance. Shane Jones told Mike Hosking they're not going to stand for it. He says they won't tolerate any slither of the West Auckland heritage land being under that type of arrangement. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tory Whanau's shock U-turn not to run for the Wellington mayoralty again marks three consecutive one-term mayors for the capital. Whanau has this morning revealed she's dropping out of the race, saying she wants to give Andrew Little a clearer run to victory. It means Whanau, along with the two previous mayors Andy Foster and Justin Lester, only served one term in the job. Former Mayor Dame Kerry Prendergast told Mike Hosking that's bad for the city, which needs stability. Tory Whanau will stand for the city's Māori ward. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auckland FC went into yesterday's game against Perth Glory knowing they had won the Premier's plate. The win comes for finishing top of the round. The team went on to beat Perth Glory 1-0. Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker talks to Mike Hosking about the achievement. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following Pope Francis' death last week, the process begins in electing a new head of the Catholic Church. The conclave will begin early next month. Vatican Correspondent Edward Pentin talks to Mike Hosking about what we can expect. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's changing New Zealand's approach to EV infrastructure. Grants will now turn into interest-free loans -$69-million worth for the private sector to build chargers throughout the country. The target is 10 thousand in the next five years. ChargeNet Board Member Stephen England-Hall talks to Mike Hosking about the scheme. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The stance may be softening in the trade war between China and the United States. Last week US President Trump said the initial 145 percent tariffs wouldn't actually be that high. China appears to now be mulling their imposed tariffs. Greg Smiths of Devon Funs Management talks to Mike Hosking about the developments, the trade war's impact on the US economy and the good news for US tech stocks. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the Pope's funeral to discuss next steps in Russia-Ukraine peace effort. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that this week Trump will decide whether to continue the process. It comes as Trump said in a post to truth social last week, "Vladimir, STOP!" after Russia carried out the deadliest attack in months on Ukraine. US Correspondent Richard Arnold talks to Mike Hosking about the meeting and what the polls are saying after Trump's first 100 days in office. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hawkes Bay has seen three shootings in 48 hours as gang conflicts heat up. A gang conflict warrant has been invoked 26 times since Thursday, leading to eight arrests. Police Minister Mark Mitchell talks to Mike Hosking about the conflict. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Capping off another short week, Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson joined Mike Hosking to Wrap the Week that was. They discussed the number of people taking leave for the period, the best brand of Easter eggs, and the fact that chatbots have queues. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of people are descending on Rome ahead of Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday. It's already a busy time for the city, with Easter and other local public holidays falling this week. Newstalk ZB's Jo McKenna told Mike Hosking she's spoken to people who have waited in line for four hours to catch a glimpse of the Pope. She says the Vatican is considering keeping the doors open past midnight tonight because of the demand. Security checks will also be stepped up ahead of the funeral, with the Vatican working out the arrangements tonight. McKenna says they will include firefighters who specialise in terrorism and chemical warfare. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Regulation Minister David Seymour's accusing unions of 'fearmongering' about the review into early childhood education. Cabinet's agreed to adopt 15 recommendations from a Ministry of Regulation review that found a number of settings were outdated. Seymour says the unions made their mind up before the Government released its decision. He told Mike Hosking there are just too many regulators, with multiple Ministries and local councils trying to enforce rules without any clarity. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rising hopes of easing tensions in the trade war between the US and China. Donald Trump's signalling a potential U-turn, saying the 145% tariffs on Chinese goods are "very high" and will "come down substantially". But the two countries are yet to hold any formal trade talks. Economist Doug Holtz-Eakin —a former adviser to John McCain— told Mike Hosking if Trump keeps waiting for Xi Jinping's call, he'll be waiting a long time. He says China has no reason to come to the table, and intermediaries will need to get involved to get both sides talking. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The heath sector's welcoming more money in the pockets of new graduates. The Government's expanded the existing scheme giving graduates bond payments to stay in the country. Payments are up to $50 thousand over a period of three to five years. Nurses' Society National Director David Willis told Mike Hosking it's needed. Willis says it's designed to get workforce into hard-to-reach areas. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Telco companies and digital platforms need to step up to protect people from scams. That's the message from the New Zealand Banking Association as they roll out a new suite of their own protective measures. Chief Executive Roger Beaumont told Mike Hosking scammers prey on the vulnerable and cost New Zealanders billions every year. He says while it's not the Bank's problem, they're putting in safeguards to reduce the risk of it happening. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government says it's reinstating confidence in the Emissions Trading Scheme. It comes as the Climate Commission's calls for carbon credits to stay the same price, to maintain stability. Climate Change Minister Simon Watts told Mike Hosking while some carbon credit auctions haven't taken off, things are improving on other years. He says the previous Government was getting too involved and causing volatility, but he's turning things around. He says the Commission's told the Government its changes are working well, and it can keep its hand off the tiller. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A groundbreaking new partnership for New Zealand Cricket, in an effort to keep the country's top players from joining other global T20 franchises. New Zealand Cricket have joined forces with the financial backers of a new franchise in North America's Major League Cricket - a competition that has a value of at least $200 million. The move could help keep leading players and coaches in the Black Caps set-up, instead of becoming global T20 freelancers. CEO Scott Weenink told Mike Hosking they're taking a two-pronged approach. He says this presents an opportunity to diversify their revenue streams into the most lucrative global sporting market, while also creating opportunities for their high performance staff and players. The new team —which is yet to be formally named or have their location confirmed— will debut in the 2027 season. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of each week, Mike Hosking takes you through the big-ticket items and lets you know what he makes of it all. Meteorological paranoia: 2/10 Between the MetService and the media, you would have thought Noah and his large ship were going to be needed, and yet... Teachers: 6/10 God bless them, but it's hardly a surprise when you see a drop in numbers, is it? Would you be a teacher? Easter rules: 3/10 I'm not sure what's worse, the shambles they've become, or the annual tedious debate about changing them… even though we never change them. Hegseth: 4/10 Looks increasingly like a doofus, and I'm not sure he wasn't a doofus to start with. Canada: 7/10 Best election going right now – early voting at records, massive swing in the polls… could be one to remember. Exports: 8/10 Good news story of the week. In March, this country hit it out of the park – that's what we need more of. LISTEN ABOVE FOR MIKE HOSKING'S FULL WEEK IN REVIEW See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says there's a chance the new Northland Expressway project will have a budget blowout. The road will go from Warkworth, east of State Highway one, and over the Brynderwyn Hills to the east of the current route, then through Whangarei. It's expected to take around 15 years to complete and is one of New Zealand's most expensive infrastructure projects. Transport Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking they're doing a lot of preparation work now to make sure there aren't any slip-ups. He says they're working on detailed designs, consenting work, and getting the funding model right, but slippages in cost can't be ruled out. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Differing opinions on New Zealand First's Members' bill regarding the definition of 'woman'. MP Jenny Marcroft is proposing legally defining a woman as being an adult human biological female. Rainbow Auckland co-chair Sibyl Mandow says it's a political move to be divisive, stir up hate, and generate a narrative to distract from more pressing issues. Mandow says the bill is trying to denounce the existence of trans people – who have no agenda and just want to exist. But Speak Up for Women spokesperson Suzanne Levy told Mike Hosking polling on this issue indicates people don't want trans people to be treated poorly. But she says at the same time, people don't think sex can be changed. Levy says laws need to be definable, as sex has never had any other meaning than biological sex. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Politics Wednesday, Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to delve into some of the biggest topics of the short week so far. They discussed New Zealand First's new Member's Bill calling to legally define gender, conscience votes, and Kieran McAnulty's Easter bill. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.