First Up Podcast Options

5:05 AM.Back to the United States now where prosecutors have concluded their case in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who's accused of sex trafficking alongside convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Our US… Read more Audio

5:52 AM.Businesses in the small West Coast town of Reefton are being devastated by staff shortages due to employees refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Around 79 per cent of people in the area have had one… Read more Audio

5:48 AM.Animal charity HUHA is sticking to its guns.. defying police requests to return 24 dogs stolen from a Taumarunui breeder. The dogs, most in very poor health, were dropped off to animal charity… Read more Audio

5:42 AM.An ICU doctor at Auckland Hospital says all Covid-19 patients who've been admitted to the ICU have NOT been vaccinated. As of yesterday there were 70 Covid-19 patients in hospital with 5 in the… Read more Audio

5:42 AM.Two weeks to go until Christmas, can you believe it and the shops are full of new summer fruits and veges and here to tell us what to buy in these last week - we go to our Minister of Fruit and Veges… Read more Audio

5:13 AM.Let's cross the Tasman now where a Queensland couple has taken desperate measures, chartering a plane to get their beloved rescue dog from Christchurch to the Gold Coast. Tash Corbin and her partner… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.We begin this morning in the US, where our correspondent Bevan Hurley has been in court reporting on the Ghislaine Maxwell trial. Audio

5:49 AM.It's a countdown to the 15th of December when Auckland's border will lift in time for the Christmas and Summer holidays. Yesterday the Government rejected criticism over Auckland's ongoing isolation… Read more Audio

5:44 AM.Central Otago Fruit growers say they are confident they will have enough workers to pick this summer season despite border closures. Usually New Zealand relies heavily on Pacific island RSE workers… Read more Audio

5:36 AM.Every year Stoats kill large numbers of native wildlife. But how and WHY were they brought to New Zealand? Professor Carolyn King is the author of a research paper into the arrival on effect of the… Read more Audio

5:26 AM.It's that time where we cast our eyes around the country and have a chat to our Local Democracy Reporters, joining Nathan Rarere is Felix Desmarais in Rotorua. Audio

5:18 AM.This Christmas the SPCA wants pet owners to remember some simple tricks to keep your fur babies safe over the holidays. Our reporter Ella Stewart spoke with SPCA scientific officer Dr Alison Vaughan… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.We begin this morning in Europe, where Germany has sworn in its 5th Chancellor since 1974.. Joining Nathan Rarere from the world's coldest place, is our correspondent based in Sweden, Anita… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.The mental health risks that elite athletes face has been brought back into focus after a Black Ferns player described having a breakdown after a series of derogatory comments about her were allegedly… Read more Audio

5:35 AM.There's only a few weeks until Christmas, and if you are considering what to serve on the big day - don't count fish out as a Christmas dish.. Nathan Rarere was joined from Foodstuffs is Seafood… Read more Audio

5:29 AM.To space we go or wherever Space James is, Nathan Rarere was joined now by our good friend James Parr from the Open Space Agency. Audio

5:05 AM.Let's begin this morning in the UK where the Omicron variant of Covid-19 continues to make waves - Nathan Rarere was joined by our correspondent in London, Henry Riley. Audio

5:52 AM.A Newmarket retailer says she'll be closing her doors on Saturdays from now on after anti-vaccine mandate protestors caused havoc over the weekend. Hundreds of protestors gathered in Auckland's Domain… Read more Audio

5:43 AM.The National Party's new leader has shuffled his caucus cards to reveal an Opposition front bench that he hopes will see him moving to the 9th floor of the Beehive after the next election. Mr Luxon's… Read more Audio

5:34 AM.As we head into the festive season and summer holidays, you may be having some tricky conversations with your friends and whanau around following public health measures. Our reporter Ella Stewart… Read more Audio

5:25 AM.This week on TradeMe a spectacular one bedroom apartment which is up for grabs in Wellington's Mt Vic, AND the personalised plate U BUTEY is being auctioned to raise money for the Wellington Free… Read more Audio

5:16 AM.More small businesses have come forward with concerns police are taking too long to arrive when they call for help. Some operators in the Auckland suburb of Hillsborough are among the latest to be… Read more Audio

5:11 AM.To Japan now where people are getting more than a little angry about having to fork out 1-point-8 billion dollars to house the US military on the island nation. Our correspondent in Tokyo Chris… Read more Audio

5:06 AM.We begin this morning as we do most Wednesdays - except it's Tuesday, by crossing the Tasman to speak with our correspondent Pam Corkery.. Audio