The Mike Hosking Breakfast

The US President is facing questions over health coverage cuts in his tax and spending bill, which just passed the Senate  The casting vote of Vice-President JD Vance was needed, but it still needs House approval before it can be signed by Donald Trump by July 4th.  The Congressional Budget Office says 11.8 million people could lose health coverage if it becomes law.  US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that Trump originally said they wouldn’t touch Medicaid, which has turned out to be a lie.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Kiwi start up has been going gangbusters across the ditch.  Medsalv remanufactures single-use medical products, cleaning and disinfecting them so they can be safely reused.  After eight years in business, their products have been approved by Pharmac for use in New Zealand.  CEO Oliver Hunt told Mike Hosking it's been done in America for a while, but they’re really bringing it to the rest of the world, Australia and New Zealand in particular, now.   The range of products they can remanufacture is pretty substantial, he says, and they can clean products up to 14 times at a significantly lower cost than the original products.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime is at the forefront this Politics Wednesday, with multiple new measures and harsher punishments being announced.  Mark Mitchell and Ginny Andersen joined Mike Hosking to discuss the new developments, along with the other major stories of the week thus far.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Wednesday 2nd of July, we've got the retail crime crackdown promised at the start of the week. Will it work, or does it look better on paper?  Jaffas have been 86'd, along with the likes of snifters, tangy fruits, and smarties. Could someone else come onboard and save our iconic sweet?  Ginny Andersen and Mark Mitchell debate whether youth MPs are being repressed, the various crime announcements, and whether Mike should be a patron for a police college wing on Politics Wednesday.  Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consents keep dropping but the energy in the building sector may be beginning to turn.  Stats NZ figures show new home consents fell 3.8% in the year to May and plunged 8.6% for multi-unit dwellings.  Stats NZ says it's levelling off, but NZIER's latest Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion shows only 3% of building firms expect conditions to improve, down from 6% three months ago.  But Combined Building Supplies Co-Op CEO Carl Taylor told Mike Hosking that building consent data is only a small part of the industry, and as a whole, it’s starting to feel better across the board.  He says that some stats are normally three or four months behind, and instead they track what their members are spending across their merchants, which has seen a 10% increase on the previous month.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A slew of justice announcements this week.   The Government's rolling out harsher punishments for theft and new fines for shoplifting – including a proposed infringement fee of up to $1000, based on item value.  Maximum penalties for shoplifting less than $2000 will be one year behind bars, and seven if worth more than that.  They also made coward punching a specific offence, which could carry a life sentence if fatal.  Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking all of their measures are to send the clear message that if you commit a crime, there will be consequences.  He says their primary goal is to reduce the number of victims of crime, which they’re making good progress on.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The end of an era for one of our most iconic sweets.  Levin confectioner RJ's has discontinued production of Jaffas, due to poor sales.  The orange-coated balls of chocolate were previously produced by Cadbury in Dunedin and have been on our shelves for almost a century.  Mike Hutcheson, former Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi, told Mike Hosking that a competitor would pick up Jaffas in a heartbeat.  He says it’s not just a sweet, it’s a symbol, and it’s possible to turn it around and make Jaffas a brand that means something.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The company overseeing the new infrastructure and ferries for Cook Strait is confident it can deliver by 2029.  Winston Peters has announced agreements to build and modernise ports in Wellington and Picton for the arrival of new Interislander ferries.  Ferry Holdings Chair Chris Mackenzie says there will be robust discussions between KiwiRail, Ferry Holdings, and ports on delivering the project.  He's feeling positive, despite New Zealand's track record with infrastructure.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The shakeup to shoplifting laws continues to be seen as a good first step among retailers, but the boss of Briscoes and Rebel Sport believes the devil will be in the detail.   Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith's unveiled the latest crackdown proposals, including speeding ticket-like infringements, and up to seven years prison time for theft more than $2000.      Briscoe Group Managing Director Rod Duke told Mike Hosking it's a terrific start and guesses there will be enforcement guidance to come.   He's hoping there will be consequences embedded in the legislation but given it could be a year in the making, they will have to wait to see what happens.  Duke also believes they’ll need to be strengthened down the line - the latest proposals may only deter some, as he says there are very experienced thieves around.  He says losing the money is catastrophic, but the bigger issue is the fact staff are abused, injured, and threatened in these situations.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Records have been set in Spain and Portugal as extreme heat continues to roast Europe.   Temperatures at or above 38C are expected through the week, rolling eastward to encompass France, Italy, and eventually portions of Eastern Europe.   A record number of heat alerts are in place across France, with 16 regions on red alert, and 68 others on orange alert.  Europe Correspondent Catherine Field told Mike Hosking while heatwaves aren’t uncommon in summer, there’s never been temperatures this high, this early.  She says Monday was the hottest June day in France ever, and it’s only going to get worse by Tuesday lunchtime.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.