Checkpoint Podcast Options

4:23 PM.One of wood chopping's rising stars is so young he need his parents sign off to fire up one of his tools of choice, a chainsaw. Hokitika's 16 year old Jack Matthews is the youngest axeman to qualify… Read more Audio

4:14 PM.United States correspondent Todd Zwillich speaks to Lisa Owen about Donald Trump remaining on the ballot for tomorrow's primary after a Supreme Court ruling and a preview of Super Tuesday. Read more Audio

4:06 PM.A shortage of rescue and firefighting services at Ōhakea air force base has threatened the viability of a commercial giant's services to New Zealand. RNZ has obtained a letter Emirates sent to then… Read more Audio

5:35 PM.Motorists should brace for higher costs to fund roads and public transport, as the Government announces a big hike on their annual license fees. The Government has unveiled its 20 billion dollar draft… Read more Audio

5:27 PM.Nothing more than a marketing campaign, wasteful spending verging on criminal and it should go. That's how Act leader David Seymour has variously described the free lunches in schools programme, that… Read more Audio

5:23 PM.The Black Ferns Sevens have won two trophies in two weeks and are closing in on the championship leaders in the World Series. New Zealand beat Australia in the final of the Los Angeles leg to get one… Read more Audio

5:16 PM.An Auckland gas station owner said he has been robbed nearly once a week since the start of the year, as the Motor Trade Association warns we're heading for a "USA-style crime hell". The latest… Read more Audio

5:07 PM."Every week there's a different excuse." Former Prime Minister Helen Clark has hit out at the state of Auckland Airport, saying its processes need some major attention, as people wait for hours in… Read more Audio

4:48 PM.The long tailed pekapeka, believed to be Aotearoa's oldest, was recorded this summer as part of a Department of Conservation monitoring programme in Fiordland. Known as T7787, she is at least 26 years… Read more Audio

4:43 PM.A nationwide first for Palmerston North, from today, the city's bus fleet is 100% electric. More than 40 new buses have taken to the streets as part of a huge investment in public transport in the… Read more Audio

4:37 PM.A Wellington sharing store has been saved, thanks to an outpouring of community support. Free For All gives away donated goods, appliances and clothing in exchange for a five dollar entry fee to cover… Read more Audio

4:33 PM.New Zealand track and field athletes capped off the country's best ever finish at the World Athletics Indoor Championships with an unlikely gold medal in the 1500 metres today. Hawke's Bay's George… Read more Audio

4:22 PM.The government has announced plans to increase petrol excise tax by 12 cents per litre in 2027 to help pay for new roads. The previous Labour government proposed the same hike coming into force, but… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.There are concerns the government could cut the lunch in schools programme, where schools are getting free tax payer funded meals for their students. Ka Ora, Ka Aka was launched in 2019 and feeds… Read more Audio

5:41 PM.Kumara's back in abundance after many crops were devastated by Cylone Gabrielle. About 97% of Aotearoa's kumara is grown in Northland, due to warm climate and good soil, but much if it was left… Read more Audio

5:29 PM.With one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world and melanoma the most common cancer in New Zealand, there's no doubt, Kiwis know it's vital to slip slop slap and wrap. But to meet the… Read more Audio

5:26 PM.The Black Caps have had a horror start to their batting innings against Australia on day two of the first cricket Test in Wellington. Losing their first 3 wickets in just 6 balls has put the hosts on… Read more Audio

5:19 PM.TVNZ has announced a 16.8 million dollar loss for the six months ended December. It comes in the wake of Wednesday's revelations that Newshub's newsroom may be gone by the middle of the year. So could… Read more Audio

5:16 PM.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is digging in over his choice to collect a 52-thousand-dollar allowance to live in his own mortgage-free apartment in Wellington. 

He says he's entitled to the… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.Victims of the Whaakari White island eruption and their families have been awarded more than ten million dollars in reparations. Five companies that took tourists to the volcanic island before the… Read more Audio