Checkpoint

A rising number of people are considering ditching insurance, taking a gamble to cope with rising prices. New figures from Centrix show almost half a million people are behind on debt repayments, with nearly 22,000 in mortgage arrears. Company liquidations have risen 27% year-on-year. Stats NZ figures show as at March last year house insurance was up almost 25 %, contents insurance up about 28% and car insurance up almost 23% compared to the previous year. Checkpoint spoke to a number of people weighing up the cost of insurance.

A fledgling Hawkes Bay business is ten of thousands of dollars out of pocket after six burglaries in just two months. Pedalista is a mobile coffee and bike repair service that operates from a commercial space in the Marewa shopping centre in Napier. Burglars hit three times in May and three times in June. Two thefts happened within 24 hours while staff were on the premises. Despite the fact the owner had invested in security, including CCTV. Owner Harry Van der Zanden spoke to Lisa Owen.

Nearly half of Kiwi adults say they're skipping going to the dentist because they can't afford it. Research has shown that's costing the country billions of dollars a year in lost productivity and quality of life with constant pain, serious infections and hospital admissions. Today Auckland City Mission opened the doors of its new onsite dental clinic to deliver lifechanging dental care for those that need it most, free of charge. Louise Ternouth reports.

Te Pāti Māori MP Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp has been laid to rest today on the grounds of a small church at Opaea Marae among the rolling hills of Taihape, in the central North Island. The Tāmaki Makaurau MP died suddenly last week after battling kidney disease. Māori News Journalist Pokere Paewai reports.

All Black Ardie Savea is backing his under-fire Super Rugby Pacific side. Savea captained Moana Pasifika to their most successful season on record this year, but the franchise's funding model is now under scrutiny. Moana Pasifika became part of the Pasifika Medical Association Group a year ago and Te Puni Kokiri has launched an independent review into allegations of use of public funding by the group for the professional rugby side. The Pasifika Medical Association is rejecting claims that public funds have been used in an inappropriate manner. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's a question that may have grated on you for sometime, does too much cheese give you weird dreams? According to new research, yes it does, but not just any dreams, nightmares. An online survey of more than a thousand students at Canada's MacEwan University found a strong association between bad dreams and lactose intolerance, potentially because gas or stomach pain during the night affects people's dreams. Director at Montreal's Dream & Nightmare Lab at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine Dr Tore Nielsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the suspect accused of starting a bushfire and fatally two firefighters in the state of Idaho, who has now been named.

A photo of a pound of butter being sold for more than $18 has proved a lightening rod for shoppers concerns about food prices. The Consumer NZ post about the mainland semi soft butter in a tub has got more than 3,500 comments in the past 24 hours, with many people asking if that the price was accurate. Consumer NZ is about to launch a campaign looking at pricing and promotional practices of supermarkets - as well as penalties for breaches under the Fair Trading Act. Consumer NZ chief executive, Jon Duffy spoke to Lisa Owen.

UK correspondent Grace Thomas spoke to Lisa Owen about controversial comments made by one of the acts on the Glastonbury stage, as well as the changes Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to make to the UK's benefit system today.

News from the business sector, including a market report.