Today's Morning Rush is brought to you by Lauren Priestley
Good morning and welcome to today's edition of Morning Rush. Everything you need to know, including the latest, breaking news, sport, entertainment, traffic, travel and weather information. Share your news tips and photos at #MorningRushNZ or morningrush@nzme.co.nz
App users tap here to experience the full blog.
9.01am: That's us for this morning. Thanks for joining me on Morning Rush. We'll be back tomorrow with the live blog from 6am. Have a good Thursday - and make the most of the weather before the rain hits!
8.58am: There's a couple of chuckles in today's Sideswipe to leave you with - including this spoon found embedded in a pine tree which one reader has put on a plinth.
(Check out the image below).
8.55am: Before we wrap up for the day, here's the big stories we will be covering:
It's D Day for Solid Energy - we'll have the latest as the announcement breaks.
The All Blacks are getting sick of being asked about the haka, as the World Cup lead up continues. We'll have updates on how the men in black are doing.
The weather's looking pretty wet for many at the weekend - we'll let you know what to expect.
And the latest in breaking news - all at nzherald.co.nz
8.51am: The Warriors are speaking out against rumours suggesting coach Andrew McFadden's job is under threat - denying the club has targeted Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney as his replacement.
8.47am: Former All Black Ian Uttley and his wide Christine were killed in a head-on collision with a logging tuck on the Naperi-Taupo Highway on Tuesday.
The pair died at the scene of the crash at the bottom of the Titiokura Hill.
8.44am: Traffic is still slow around Auckland this morning - keep calm!
#AKLTraffic still heavy on Nth Wstn, 40 mins to City from Westgate, down to 30 from Manukau on Sthn and 25 from Greville on Nthn ^TP
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) September 16, 2015
8.41am: Do you get muscle aches the day after you exercise? Do you know why? Here's the science behind the pain.
8.38am: A member of a family fighting to remain in New Zealand as "climate-change refugees" is in police custody. Here's the latest.
8.35am: The tussle over the Red Peak flag is the subject of today's cartoon by Rod Emmerson:
The Matador - my cartoon in today's @nzherald #RedPeak #NZLabour pic.twitter.com/Rk9Lmrd5Fq
— Rod Emmerson (@rodemmerson) September 16, 2015
8.31am: A crash on the Churton Park off-ramp in Wellington is partially blocking traffic, NZTA says. Be patient out there drivers.
8.27am: Is convenience food making your pets fat? Read more from a vet about why you should consider feeding your pet more raw meat and bones.
8.24am: A multimillion-dollar Work and Income scheme to get beneficiaries with mental health conditions and sole parents back to work appears to have flopped. Here's the exclusive.
8.20am: Here's the full story on the arrest of Ahmed Mohamed - the 14-year-old boy who brought a homemade clock to school but it was mistaken for a bomb.
Assumptions and fear don't keep us safe—they hold us back. Ahmed, stay curious and keep building. https://t.co/ywrlHUw3g1
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 16, 2015
8.17am: State Highway 39 near Whatawhata has reopened following the crash this morning.
Update: SH39 near Whatawhata is now OPEN in both direstions following an earlier #crash. Thanks for your patience. #DriveSafe ^TP
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Waikato/BoP (@WakaKotahiWaiBP) September 16, 2015
8.14am: Aucklanders should expect cloudy periods and some sun before showers move in this afternoon - and it is set to be wet until next week with rain on the radar through to Monday. Maybe a weekend to tuck up indoors?
8.11am: A US comedian and actor has admitted lying about working in New York's World Trade Centre when terrorists attacked on September 11, 2001.
Steve Rannazzisi had previously told the New York Times a detailed story about working for Merrill Lynch on the fatal day, and escaping after the tower next to him was struck - but he has since apologised for the lies.
I don't know why I said this. This was inexcusable. I am truly, truly sorry.
8.08am: Looks like the weather's relatively clear in Johnsonville but traffic around the capital is slowly building:
8:00am ETAs: Melling-CBD 30min; Tawa-CBD 35min; Cobham Drive-CBD 17min #JohnsonvilleOffRamp ^MC pic.twitter.com/vj3a0dSMkZ
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 16, 2015
8.05am: An Auckland firefighter who has been to thousands of call-outs has found out in the worst way possible what it's like to be on the other end of the emergency.
Henderson volunteer fireman John Boswell's Sunnyvale home and all his family's possessions were largely destroyed on Tuesday in a fire investigators believe was accidental.
8.01am: Goats! In trees!
Here's something to brighten up your Thursday morning. More than 15 million people have viewed Michael Chinnici's footage of "hanging with tree goats" in southwestern Morocco - check it out:
Video from Michael Chinnici's Facebook page:
7.57am: This week's announcement of the proposed $261 million investment by a Chinese company in Silver Fern Farms has been heralded as a game-changer. What are your thoughts? Read today's editorial for more.
7.53am: The All Blacks may be the favourites but that doesn't mean England can't win the World Cup, All Black legend Jonah Lomu says. The famous winger also showed the Brits how the haka was done - and we've got the pics.
7.48am: A rain band is set to bring heavy falls for the West Coast of the South Island today - with thunderstorms and spillover to the rest of the island possible too. Storms are also possible in Taranaki tonight.
7.45am: Is online shaming the new public flogging? What are your thoughts?
7.42am: Chris Brown fan? The R&B bad-boy is heading for NZ shores, performing in Auckland on Dec 18.
7.38am: Court records show Caitlyn Jenner - born as Bruce Jenner - has filed paperwork to make her name and gender transition official.
The Olympic gold medalist filed a name and gender change petition on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
7.35am: Riot police are using tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons to beat back hundreds of people massed at the Hungarian border with Serbia.
Several people have fainted in the chaos. Here's the latest.
7.32am: Here's the latest drive times in Wellington - traffic is building up a bit, but not out of the ordinary.
7:30am ETAs: Melling-CBD 29min; Tawa-CBD 28min; Cobham Drive-CBD 10min #TerraceTunnel ^MC pic.twitter.com/FFFfoV2FPx
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 16, 2015
7.28am: It has been nine months since 48-year-old Leeann Scott went missing and police say it is "very unlikely" she is alive. Here's our big read - and it's a chilling story.
7.24am: The White House lockdown has been caused by an "unattended package" in nearby Lafayette Park, ABC News reports.
7.21am: A photo of a young Florida boy and a sheriff deputy has gone viral after the youngster offered to pay for the officer's breakfast.
Here's the post, thanks to the Broward Sheriff's Office Facebook page:
7.17am: Pretty warm morning out there - New Plymouth has the country's high of 13.1C while Hastings is the coldest at just under 4C.
7.13am: "Please don't ask us any more questions about the haka" - that's the call from the All Blacks being bombarded by international media about the tradition, in light of the 'Hakarena' parody. Here's the story.
7.11am: A crash on SH39 just north of Whatawhata, near Hamilton, is causing delays. Emergency services are at the scene. Drivers should avoid the area if possible, NZTA says.
7.08am: An Auckland Transport worker has landed in hot water after being busted doing 121km/h on the Northern Motorway - and 126km/h on the way back. Here's the story.
7.04am: Traffic building up in the windy city:
7:00am ETAs: Melling-CBD 21min; Tawa-CBD 20min; Cobham Drive-CBD 9min #PetoneOnRamp ^MC pic.twitter.com/4FSvmvx7Pe
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 16, 2015
7.02am: BREAKING: It is understood the White House is in lockdown, TV3 has reported. The reason is not clear. We will have more soon.
7.00am: Citybound Auckland traffic is starting to build up. Current drive times: 35mins from Oteha, 35mins from Westgate, 45mins from Papakura.
6.57am: More tragic news from the fatal South Auckland tank explosion - the 24-year-old who died was meant to be home sick but was helping out his mother's partner work on the gas tanks instead.
He was meant to be at home and now he is dead - he should never have been there.
6.53am: Fan of Soundgarden? Frontman Chris Cornell has announced he will be extending his solo tour to include three dates in Auckland in November.
6.51am: Almost 30,000 rugby fans - including ex-All Black Piri Weepu and TV3's Hilary Barry - have had a go at picking the winning teams at the Rugby World Cup in the hope of pocketing $1 million.
The "One Punt in a Million" competition, run by the TAB, allows people to guess the winning team and the margin of all 48 matches.
6.48am: Here's the latest on the search for missing boaties in the South Island. The missing pair are both from Owaka and were on a fishing trip in their silver 5.2-metre pontoon-style Kiwicraft. Their vehicle and trailer remain at the launch site.
6.45am: The Wellington breakdown on the Ngauranga off-ramp is now clear.
6.42am: It's a big day for Solid Energy, with the coal company's shareholders deciding whether to accept the board's proposal of a gradual sell-down.
The Buller District Mayor said a sell-off would be "manageable", Newstalk ZB reported.
6.38am: A beautiful sunrise in Auckland - check it out!
#AKLTraffic running well into the city for early starters. Watch out for sunstrike & enjoy your trip in. ^TP pic.twitter.com/MvGdaB19X4
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) September 16, 2015
6.36am: Looks like a wet old day in Wellington - but drivers aren't suffering too much yet. Here's the latest drive times:
6:30am ETAs: Melling-CBD 17min; Tawa-CBD 16min; Cobham Drive-CBD 9min #CoastRoad ^MC pic.twitter.com/QvQshd9rwE
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 16, 2015
6.29am: A breakdown is causing issues for Wellington commuters:
A #Breakdown is currently blocking the Southbound left hand lane on the Ngauranga offramp on #SH1. Please #DriveSafe ^MC
— Waka Kotahi Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) September 16, 2015
6.26am: Here's the latest from our RWC coverage - Sonny Bill Williams has found his happy place. And there's a pic to prove it.
6.21am: A 14-year-old boy was arrested in Texas when his homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb at school, BBC reports. And President Obama has come out in support of the teen, Ahmed Mohamed.
Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It's what makes America great.
— President Obama (@POTUS44) September 16, 2015
6.18am: A bill for more paid parental leave has passed its first reading in Parliament.
6.15am: One of the world's leading copyright experts, Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig, has reviewed the Kim Dotcom case and says there is no ground for extradition. Here's the latest.
6.12am: Make the most of the warmth today! Cold southerlies are expected to push their way onto the South Island on Friday and into the North Island on Saturday.
Warm in the East again on Thursday, but a change to cooler southwesterlies is on the way. http://t.co/ZduOIglUe9 ^RK pic.twitter.com/GQEV0L10RI
— MetService (@MetService) September 16, 2015
6.08am: It is understood fog is hampering police efforts to search for a missing boat off the Caitlins coast in the South Island. A 79-year-old man and a woman in her 60s are missing. We'll have more for you here.
6.04am: A strong read to kick things off this morning - A vindictive predator from Denmark who allegedly blackmailed an Auckland teen has been charged.
Here's the exclusive.
6.01am: Morning all! And happy Thursday. Lauren here, bringing you all the latest news as well as catching you up on what you missed overnight. Send in your tips!
Tere Livingston died in 2023 after receiving two head knocks while playing league.