Checkpoint Podcast Options

4:34 PM.An iconic New Zealand music school, which trained many award-winning kiwi artists, has been given a second life after being canned due to financial difficulties two years ago. Former staff from MAINZ… Read more Audio

4:30 PM.18 year old Braxton Sorenson McGee is aiming to wear the Silver Fern in three different codes. But it was the rookie fullback's defining play in the Super Rugby Aupiki final on Saturday that has got… Read more Audio

4:24 PM.A new social supermarket has opened its doors to Hastings families struggling to cover the cost of groceries. People referred by social agencies are allocated a certain number of points to spend at… Read more Audio

4:14 PM.Donald Trump met El Salvador's president in the White House on Tuesday. The main issue on the agenda was a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador and locked up in a notorious prison… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.Digital technology recommendations on the Ministry of Education website say children two to six years old should have minimal screen time, with a sessions a maximum of 15 minutes at a time. It's… Read more Audio

5:46 PM.Europe correspondent Alice Wilkins spoke to Lisa Owen about how 34 people have been killed in a Russian missile attack in north eastern Ukraine, one of the men who planned the Manchester Arena bombing… Read more Audio

5:38 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:33 PM.It was nearly a Masters meltdown for golfer Rory McIlroy at Augusta today. The Northern Irishman was on the cusp of victory, but a bogey on the 18th hole sent it to a play-off with England's Justin… Read more Audio

5:26 PM.The government is investing 13.5 million dollars in Tourism New Zealand, to coax international visitors to Aotearoa; focusing on Australia, Germany, China, the United States, South Korea and India… Read more Audio

5:19 PM.A principal said axing a 100 million-dollar scheme that provides extra pay for thousands of teachers is an awful, backward step. But another said most school leaders in Auckland will back the move. A… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.A South African family has been declined residency because their son's considered a burden on New Zealand's health and special education system. Joshua Meets, whose family has lived in New Zealand for… Read more Audio

4:46 PM.The government has put out a framework on relationships and sexuality education for consultation, after removing guidelines in June over New Zealand First's concerns about what it calls gender and… Read more Audio

4:42 PM.A Wanaka woman said she was made to feel like a burden when she was trying to get help in a time of crisis. She's told her story following a report that shows there are huge barriers for people in the… Read more Audio

4:28 PM.RNZ's Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen about the clash between the Blues and Moana Pasifika at Eden Park on Saturday and the Blues Women becoming the 2025 Super Rugby Aupiki champions, after playing in a… Read more Audio

4:24 PM.The 50 cents an hour price increase comes into effect for much of the city. Auckland Transport said the rise is in response to operational costs and high parking demand. Victor Waters has more. Audio

4:18 PM.Middle East correspondent Jacob Brown spoke to Lisa Owen about how US and Iran are now talking in their long-running stoush over Iran's nuclear programme and Syria establishing diplomatic relations… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.A call for young drivers to have 60 hours of practice behind the wheel before they get a restricted licence will be a big hurdle for some unless the government funds it. This is according to a Wairoa… Read more Audio

5:56 PM.In a twist the Bard himself would've be proud of, a Javanese shadow theatre is a star turn at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Taranaki. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin went to a… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.United Kingdom correspondent Alice Wilkins spoke to Lisa Owen about the UK's Deputy Prime Minister issusing some stern words to the Union representing the striking Birmingham rubbish workers, a police… Read more Audio

5:36 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:31 PM.Three-time America's Cup winning helmsman Peter Burling will not sail in the next America's Cup in 2027. Burling has split from Team New Zealand in an outcome that neither Burling or team CEO Grant… Read more Audio

5:28 PM.A former Auckland funeral director has been sentenced to two years and three months in jail for interfering with human remains and obtaining money by deception. Audio

5:17 PM.This afternoon we heard from the minister of health Simeon Brown, who says he understands his predecessor Dr Shane Reti met with the doctors in Tairawhiti last year and developed a recruitment plan… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.Doctors warning of crisis at Gisborne hospital say it's demoralising to reach out for help only to be told there is no crisis. A group of more than 30 Tairawhiti doctors wrote to the government last… Read more Audio

4:46 PM.The government is shopping for business elsewhere as New Zealand exporters face three months in tariff limbo land. President Trump yesterday backed down suspending what he calls reciprocal tariffs for… Read more Audio