Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

The Senate's top Democrat is backing a bill that would strike down a longstanding federal prohibition on marijuana, embracing a proposal that has slim chance of becoming law yet demonstrates growing public support  for decriminalizing the drug.Proposals to legalize marijuana are nothing new. But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is a sponsor of the effort unveiled Wednesday, underscoring how a once-fringe idea is increasingly mainstream. The measure would erode a central pillar of the decades-long war on drugs, which has disproportionately affected communities of colour in the United States."I will use my clout as majority leader to make this a priority in the Senate," said Schumer, of New York, who is the first Senate leader to support such an effort. "It's not just an idea whose time has come, it's long overdue."The bill would treat marijuana much like alcohol or tobacco, allowing it to be taxed and regulated. States could still outlaw its use. And those under the age of 21 couldn't purchase it. It would

Declaring Venice's waterways a "national monument," Italy is banning mammoth cruise liners from sailing into the lagoon city, which risked being declared an imperiled world heritage site by the United Nations later this month.Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said the ban was urgently adopted at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday and will take effect Aug. 1. It applies to the lagoon basin near St. Mark's Square and the Giudecca Canal, which is a major marine artery in Venice.Franceschini said the government decided to act fast "to avoid the concrete risk" that the U.N. culture agency UNESCO would add Venice to its list of "world heritage in danger" after it begins meeting later this week in Beijing.The Cabinet decree also "establishes an unbreakable principle, by declaring the urban waterways of St. Mark's Basin, St. Mark's Canal and the Giudecca Canal a national monument,'' the minister added.Before the coronavirus pandemic severely curtailed international travel, cruise ships discharging thousands of day-trippers

For those who have entered into the housing market in the past seven years, the prospect of a rising interest rate will be new.ASN and Kiwibank have moved already, hiking fixed mortgage rates.ASB expects the Official Cash Rate will rise half a percent next month, and it's not the only big bank thinking that way.For your average property prospector, the question remains as to whether these projections are right.Nick Goodall is Corelogic's Head of Research and he told Tim Dower he is waiting to see how the situation plays out.“They see some of the pressures on inflation as being still a bit one-off and temporary, and if that’s the case then they still may wait until November until they make any lift on that one.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mass vaccination event in South Auckland needs to address the failure so far to vaccinate vulnerable groups including Māori, Pasifika, and those in south Auckland, health experts say.Five months into the vaccine rollout and nearly 1.4 million doses having been administered, the rate of Māori fully vaccinated is more than 40 per cent behind Pākehā per capita.Pasifika are also about 20 per cent behind, despite both groups being identified as about twice as at-risk from Covid-19 and expert advice they be prioritised.Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said these reasons, and proximity to the border, were behind the country's first mass vaccination event, delivering 15,000 doses over three days, being held in Manukau, South Auckland.The event would target Manukau Institute of Technology students, staff and families and take place at the Vodafone Events Centre over the weekend of Friday, July 30, to Sunday, August 1.Other population centres with density could expect to see similar events to "top up" vaccina

Would it surprise you to find out that the requirement for pre-departure COVID tests is only being checked on a random basis?It surprised me.As I'm sure you know, under the travel bubble, anyone coming from Australia is meant to have negative test in the 72 hours before flying.Now, you might have thought this was being checked before people get on the plane, but as we've reported earlier this week, more than 50 people have been caught without one.How so?Well, it turns out that Customs is dealing with this by what it calls "random validation."In other words, not everyone is being checked.And given that we've caught more than 50, and we're only doing random checks, would it be fair to say a lot more have probably sneaked through by the skin of their teeth?I'd say it's highly likely.You can't tell me that it's too much work to check everyone.For a start, the airlines have always been responsible for checking people have the proper travel documents, and it's in their interest to get it right, because they're stuc

The Ministry of Education's being urged to stump up enough funding to help children with autism and other learning needs.An Auckland mother's been told she can't keep paying 10-thousand dollars a year for a teacher aide for her eight-year-old son.It followed her email to Education Minister Chris Hipkins, arguing there's not enough support for all learners at existing state schools, and suggesting the ministry pay for the help.Principals' Federation president, Perry Rush, told Tim Dower there isn't enough funding to go round.“If we support inclusive practice, and I think we do, it’s important that every young person’s needs are met, government need to step in and address the funding shortfall.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is being told it has a great opportunity to take advantage of cryptocurrency.Parliament's Finance and Expenditure select committee has launched an inquiry into the risks and benefits of cryptocurrency.Environmental impact and criminal use will be probed.Cryptocurrency advocate Matthew Griffin told Tim Dower the inquiry is essential.“They really do have to have a deep understanding of this technology because it’s something that they also do, but it’s currently being done in the public without much oversight.”LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to figures, as a nation, we're feeling a lot better about our finances than we did 12 months ago.Investment house Kiwi Wealth says more than a quarter of us feel wealthier.70 percent are confident about the economy, and the number struggling to make ends meet has halved, to 4 percent of the population.Kiwi Wealth acting CEO Rhiannon McKinnon told Tim Dower there are a few reasons for the figures.“I think good savings behaviour is really, really encouraging to see though and you're seeing a bit more asset diversification with Kiwi as well, so all really good positive trends."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s approach to tackling the Delta Covid-19 variant has come under fire, with multiple experts warning the current strategy is putting the nation at risk of fresh outbreaks.The current strategy of letting states and territories deal with outbreaks in their own ways has attracted criticism, with infectious disease experts saying not having a national approach is putting the country at risk.Professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of South Australia, Adrian Esterman, described the current strategy as “absolutely stupid”, telling the Sydney Morning Herald a set of common rules on border closures, quarantine and lockdowns were needed.Head of Monash University’s epidemiological modelling unit, Professor James Trauer, said the country was in “desperate need” of a national approach, saying the outbreak in NSW was highlighting the “enormous the holes” in the current strategy.It comes after NSW recorded 112 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, bringing the total number of infections in the outbre

Listen up, this is important, a stern message from the Prime Minister.This is directed at people travelling here from Australia, who think it's OK to ignore the requirement about a pre-departure test.Jacinda Ardern is not amused.If we catch you in future she says you run the risk, mark that, run the risk of two weeks in managed isolation.And you know what, we might even make you pay for it.You've been warned.I'll bet that sends a deep shudder of fear through anyone contemplating bucking the system.You'll have heard by now that about 50 people have been caught doing this, and Chris Hipkins is working on ways to strengthen the system.How someone even gets on a plane without the right paperwork is beyond me.I hope any Australians who get caught are put on the first plane back, deported, they obviously don't meet the good character test.But hang on a moment; didn't we get a stern warning from the Prime Minister only a few months ago when the travel bubble opened?Weren't we were warned it was fly at your own risk?

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced current Covid restrictions will end on the 19th of July.The move is hugely political, with it having already been delayed, and half of people still wanting to keep current restrictions in place.UK correspondent Vincent McAviney told Tim Dower this isn't the big release that many people were hoping for."Whilst there are legal obligations lifting for things like mask wearing, there is still the hope and expectation that people should wear them especially in confined spaces."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting vaccine doses into the arms of 1800-odd unvaccinated border workers is a top priority and should be done as quickly as possible, a leading public health expert says.But port bosses say the 11-week lead-in time for workers to get a single jab is necessary to limit workplace disruption, and even then exceptions may be needed to keep operations afloat if key workers - such as maritime pilots - still refuse to get vaccinated.Yesterday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a change to the Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order so it would apply to more border workers.As of July 9, there are still 1766 border workers who are yet to have a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine - the majority of them port workers.As of July 9, there were 1766 active border workers who were unvaccinated. (Photo / Supplied)The expanded order will apply from Thursday, but the extra non-government border workers it captures - which make up most of the 1766 unvaccinated workers - won't need to get their first jab until Septembe

One small trip for Sir Richard Branson, one giant leap for space tourism.The 70-year-old billionaire has successfully reached the edge of space, on board his Virgin Galactic space plane.The aircraft has been in development for 17 years.US space expert Wendy Whitman Cobb told Tim Dower the achievement will ease people's concerns about safety."They really have a strong incentive to ensure safety, to make sure what they're doing is 100 percent safe, especially when you have somebody like Richard Branson or Jeff Bezos going up."Whitman Cobb says for the ordinary person, the possibility of space tourism is now in reach.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some of the script for the film about the Christchurch mosque shootings has been leaked out.Newshub says it's seen the draft document, it runs to 120-odd pages...and there's a graphic reconstruction of the attack itself.We have shown the version of the script obtained by Newshub to some of the victims, who describe it as worse than the terrorist's livestream of the 2019 atrocity.Now this is being circulated around the film industry, looking for a potential buyer.Working title 'They Are Us'...it's being pitched as not so much the story of the attack, but the response to the attack.But Newshub says the draft shows the attack taking place over 17 pages, and that would come out at around 17 minutes of film.More than a dozen of the murders are depicted in graphic detail.One woman who lost both her husband and her son says the movie sounds worse than the livestream.And she thinks it would encourage others to commit similar atrocities.I dunno about that.I can't for a minute imagine why anyone would want to see it...

National says the Government needs to consider the long-term impacts of Covid-19.Documents released under the Official Information Act show officials have been looking into long-term MIQ facilities since July last year.But they say a shortage of health workers would make it difficult to staff them.National Covid-19 Spokesman Chris Bishop told Tim Dower a way needs to be found to establish purpose-built facilities, as the pandemic isn't going to be over anytime soon."I think we will need MIQ in some shape or form for the foreseeable future for some years to come."LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Football fans reportedly breached the Wembley gates hours before the start of the Euro 2020 final between hosts England and Italy.The Telegraph is reporting that a number of fans broke past stewards at Wembley as the thirst for entry reaches desperation for those who don't have tickets to the game.Daily Mail reporter Mike Keegan on the scene described it as "carnage". Can only describe scenes outside Wembley as carnage and not in a good way. First line of security clearly breached. Dozens hanging around outside turnstiles offering operators cash to let them in and trying to barge in behind punters with tickets. Police nowhere to be seen.— Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) July 11, 2021 Febrile atmosphere at Wembley. This is near the main entrance to Club Wembley a few minutes ago where it looked like a group of fans broke through the security cordon. Stewards currently chasing people around. Not sure they’ll get all the way to the wine and canapés pic.twitter.com/YTIx8eQLz2— Sam Wallace (@SamWallaceTel) Jul

Richard Branson became the first person to ride into space aboard a rocket he helped fund. The supersonic space plane developed by his company, Virgin Galactic, roared into the sky over New Mexico early Sunday, carrying Branson and three fellow crewmembers.Branson -— along with Virgin Galactic employees Beth Moses, Colin Bennett, and Sirisha Bandla and pilots Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci — boarded the SpaceShipTwo, a winged plane with a single rocket motor that the company has spent nearly two decades developing, before the crack of dawn. Attached beneath its massive, twin-fuselaged mothership, dubbed WhiteKnightTwo, the vehicle took to the skies at 8:30 am MT and climbed to about 50,000 feet in the air.Just after 9:15 in the morning, the SpaceShipTwo detached from its mothership and dropped momentarily before its engine screamed to life and the vehicle swooped upward. On board, the passengers experienced up to three Gs of force from the burst of extreme acceleration and watched the blue sky fade into the

Air New Zealand is preparing for its busiest July school holiday period ever.That's very welcome news to tourism operators and hotel owners, who are now dealing with the news that the Queensland and New South Wales bubble pause is indefinite.Paul Anderson, from NZ Ski in Queenstown, who operate Coronet Peak and the Remarkables, and Paul Button, from Rotorua Canopy Tours joined Kate Hawkesby to discuss the news.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’ve received the best news ever this week, another sleep study. I love sleep studies because no one gets less sleep than shift workers.We sleep at weird hours; we wake at weird hours, those of us who are up early for other reasons like kids sport, or gym classes or being woken by babies.I mean, we all want to know the deal on sleep don’t we?So according to a new study by an international psychiatry journal, scientists now say getting to bed earlier, and getting up earlier, can dramatically reduce your risk of depression.  The study investigated the relationship between sleep timing and mood and found that ‘even one hour earlier sleep timing is associated with significantly lower risk of depression,’ according to one report.So, no more late nights.To delve into this they needed to look at which came first; ‘whether staying up late led to depressive symptoms or whether depressive symptoms led to staying up late.’  According to this report, they “found ‘firm’ evidence it's the time that people go to bed that in

There are no doubt a few hangovers across England on Thursday after a night of wild celebrations in the wake of the national football team's victory over Denmark in the European Championship semifinals.There will likely be many, many more on Monday morning if England manages to beat Italy in the final, its first in a major tournament since winning the 1966 World Cup.The worry is that beyond the headaches and the grouchiness, the outpouring of joy will worsen rising coronavirus infection rates, particularly among younger men, many of whom have yet to receive a vaccine against COVID-19.“Whilst association does not necessarily mean causation it is difficult to escape the conclusion that celebrations around the Euros have been an important factor in driving up the epidemic in the U.K.,” said Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia.It's clearly difficult to rein in the enthusiasm associated with England's march to Sunday's final.There's a lot of pent-up frustration out there that has