Checkpoint Podcast Options

4:56 PM.A Wellington circus school is showing that clowning around is no joke as it aims bring circus to schools, public spaces and put on free shows for people. The Circus Hub, which has just celebrated its… Read more Audio

4:49 PM.A nitrate emergency has been declared in Canterbury, after regional councillors voted in favour of a declaration by a narrow majority of two votes. It comes after ECan's recent annual groundwater… Read more Audio

4:45 PM.Health Minister Simeon Brown says he doesn't rate his accomplishments by applause - which is just as well, because he didn't get any today at the Nurses Organisation annual conference in Wellington… Read more Audio

4:32 PM.A series of text messages are set to be used as evidence against Kiwis and Rabbitohs hooker Brandon Smith. Smith has been charged with supplying a dangerous drug as well as providing insider… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.There are calls for private operators to come down harder on drivers using mobility carparks illegally. The government has increased infringement fees for illegally parking in council monitored… Read more Audio

4:16 PM.Asia correspondent, Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about protesting in Asia's youngest country over a government plan to buy new cars for MPs, as well as Singapore seizing thosuands of vapes at its… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.The top New Zealand musician and producer Tiki Taane is one of a growing number of New Zealand artists taking their music off the online platform, Spotify. The former Salmonella Dub frontman and now… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about warnings from Australia's first ever National Climate Risk Assessment that shows heatwave deaths could soar by more than 400% if global… Read more Audio

5:37 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:34 PM.Two French players are appealing bans that would rule them out of the rest of the Rugby World Cup, and one of them is for biting another player. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

5:29 PM.Te Pāti Māori's leader Rāwiri Waititi has finally responded to questions about Tākuta Ferris's controversial race comments, but with a catch, he would only answer question in te reo. It comes after… Read more Audio

5:25 PM.This weekend, the foreign minister will leave for New York to take part in the United Nations General Assembly, where it's expected he'll reveal New Zealand's position on whether to recognise a… Read more Audio

5:17 PM.The government has suspended adoptions from certain countries after it was revealed people with histories of violence or sexual abuse were able to adopt children from overseas. Association Justice… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.A Haematologist believes specialists are being left with no choice but to recommend some cancer patients move to Australia to get life prolonging drugs that are not funded in New Zealand. He said… Read more Audio

4:54 PM.As the spring season takes hold, for many of us it can mean unsettled and temperamental weather. But in Christchurch, it's brought a pink and white wave of cherry blossoms which are on show across… Read more Audio

4:48 PM.Blood cancer patients are being forced to move to Australia to access life prolonging drugs that are not funded in Aotearoa. Daratumumab, or dara, can help prolong the lives of people with the blood… Read more Audio

4:43 PM.A Porirua community group says members are saving money for the first time and breaking free from devastating cycles of debt by creating their own pool of savings and interest-free loans. It's a model… Read more Audio

4:30 PM.A year after Olympic heartbreak, Geordie Beamish is a world champion. Today the 28-year-old won the 3000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Ranked 44th in the world, the best… Read more Audio

4:23 PM.After more than 140 years of making traditionally-crafted leather footware, the McKinlay family is looking for someone else to step into their hard-wearing shoes. The Dunedin-based business produces… Read more Audio

4:12 PM.US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the fallout from the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk continues. The 31-year-old was fatally shot last week while speaking… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.The government has signalled it plans to use new powers under the Resource Management Act to change event rules at Auckland's Eden Park if it can. At the moment the stadium can host a maximum of 12… Read more Audio

5:47 PM.United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about preperations being underway for US President Donald Trump's unprecedented second state visit to the UK, as well as Prime Minister… Read more Audio

5:44 PM.It's one small step for SpaceX, one giant leap for New Zealand's fledgling space industry. A rocket bearing a first-ever experiment built in Lower Hutt has lifted off from Cape Canaveral. The mission… Read more Audio

5:30 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:25 PM.Prior to the election, Christopher Luxon made a commitment to fund a list of hard tumour cancer medications. At the same time National repeatedly promised that blood cancer sufferers would not be… Read more Audio