Politicians, far-right agitators, and billionaire Elon Musk have been accused of sparking the riots - weaponising a brutal stabbing attack, to ramp up anti-migrant rhetoric and whip protestors into a frenzy.

Today, British journalist and host of The News Agents, Emily Maitlis on the far-right forces at play in the UK, and why the Belfast riots should serve as a warning to Australia, and the world.

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Guest: Journalist Emily Maitlis

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Trump says he wants a peace deal, but in the past 24 hours, the war has escalated again. Iran and the US have traded strikes, and one of the most important oil routes in the world remains severely restricted. The ceasefire is still supposed to exist, as is the promise of an imminent peace deal. But the closer Trump says he is to ending the war, the harder it is to tell who's actually in control of it.

Today, editor-at-large of The National Interest, Steve Clemons, on Trump's war with Iran, the fragile push for a deal, and why Benjamin Netanyahu may still be the person most capable of blowing it all up. 

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Guest: Editor-at-large of The National Interest, Steve Clemons

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One of the most prominent was “Ditch the Witch” – a slogan on a placard then-opposition leader Tony Abbott was photographed standing in front of at an anti-carbon tax rally.

Now, the ugly slogan is back. This time, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is the target.

“Ditch the Witch 2.0” has put a spotlight on the treatment of women in politics.

Today, Victorian MP Georgie Purcell on her own experience of sexist abuse, the threat it poses to democracy, and why she’s putting political differences aside to stand up for her rival.

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Guest: Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell

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A few days ago, The Age revealed the group’s former leader, Thomas Sewell, has been living in a $2.5 million estate in Melbourne’s suburbs. 

So what are Sewell’s plans for the compound, and who are the wealthy backers making it possible?

Today, crime reporter at The Age Sherryn Groch on the neo-Nazis’ next move.

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Guest: Crime reporter at The Age, Sherryn Groch

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Now, she and her two thousand plus alters are speaking out in a new SBS documentary We Are Jeni.

Today you’ll hear from Dr Jeni Haynes, as well as from some of her alters in a rare glimpse into multiple personality disorder, and how it saved Jeni from her abusive father, who triggered the disorder in the first place.

And a warning, while this story doesn’t go into graphic detail - it does reference child abuse.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

And We Are Jeni is available to stream now on SBS On Demand 

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Guest: Dr Jeni Haynes

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And the energy they need to fuel them is just as huge: more than the total output of an entire coal plant.

The solution? So-called “shadow grids” built in partnership between the data centres and big gas, where gas-fired power plants are placed directly on site, powering the centres and generating huge emissions in the process.

Today, Ketan Joshi, climate expert and co-author of a new Greenpeace report, on the relationship between fossil fuel companies and data centres, and Australia’s vulnerability in the AI race.

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Guest: Climate expert Ketan Joshi

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There were Australian flags, AFP-style logos, and desks staged to look official – all part of a six-storey compound used by scammers impersonating police forces from around the world.

It was a reminder that the scam messages Australians receive are often connected to a far more sophisticated and exploitative criminal industry.

New figures show Australians reported more than $2 billion in scam losses last year, and a recent UN report has detailed how people are trafficked into scam centres, held against their will, and forced to target strangers online.

In early 2024, Ben and his wife were kidnapped and trapped inside one of these Cambodian scam factories. This is the story of how they escaped – and why so many others can’t.

This episode was originally published in March 2025.

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Guest: Ben Yeo, ambassador for the Australian International Counter Slavery Alliance (AICSA)

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The former prime minister has been elected unopposed as federal Liberal Party president – a role that sounds administrative, but carries real political weight at a moment of deep trouble for the Coalition.

The Liberals are watching voters drift to One Nation, while Abbott argues the answer is to take the fight directly to Labor. But his return sharpens a deeper question inside the party about whether the Liberals can rebuild by reviving the politics of the Abbott era, or whether that only deepens the crisis they’re trying to escape. 

Today, press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno, on Tony Abbott’s comeback, the future of the Liberal Party and how the government is trying to turn the opposition’s crisis into a test of its own authority. 

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Guest: Press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno

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For decades, he’s been known as a survivor of the gangland wars, a man whose influence has stretched from the city’s underworld into the heart of the construction industry.

This week, police raided his home. Gatto and his wife were arrested, then released without charge. He says it was all over a driving infringement. Police say they’re investigating alleged financial offences. 

But the raid has landed in the middle of a much larger fight over corruption, intimidation and alleged underworld influence inside Victoria’s building sector. 

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie, on Mick Gatto, corruption in the construction industry, and the reckoning now facing the state’s Big Build.

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Guest: Investigative reporter for The Age and SMH, Nick McKenzie

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We’ve known for a long time that Australia has a problem with violence against women. Little seems to work to change the statistics. For some advocates - a Royal Commission is the only chance at making a difference. 

A petition calling for that - now sits at more than 110-thousand signatures. 

Today, writer and advocate Jess Hill on whether it will ever happen, and what it could achieve, if it did. 

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Guest: Writer and advocate, Jess Hill

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But her power and her popularity have never been greater than they are today. A recent poll has one Nation as the most popular party in the country, surpassing Labor in primary support. 

So just how possible is an Australia governed by One Nation? 

Today, host of The Conversation’s The Making of One Nation podcast, Ashlynne McGhee, on the party’s popularity and what it will try to do with it. 

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

And you can check out The Making of One Nation podcast here 

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Guest: Making One Nation podcast host, Ashlynne McGhee

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The report, by a body linked to the World Health Organisation, has been released as the world grapples with Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks, as well as one of Australia's worst diphtheria outbreaks on record.

The report found that, despite advances in vaccines and diagnostics, climate change, armed conflict and misinformation are undermining global preparedness.

Today, Professor Sharon Lewin from the Doherty Institute, on the risk of a large-scale disease outbreak and what we should be doing to prepare for it. 

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Guest: Doherty Institute Director, Professor Sharon Lewin

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So, is it all a sign that our civilisation is reaching its limits – and that our economic and political systems are nearing collapse?

That’s the question Australian author Sarah Wilson has been interrogating for the last three years for her new book, ‘I Eat The Stars’.

Today, writer Sarah Wilson on what happens when the systems that hold us together begin to fray all at once – and what the future looks like after civilisational collapse. 

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Guest: Author Sarah Wilson

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This week, his family was told the officers involved will not face charges. The coronial investigation is still underway, with another directions hearing expected next month.

Kumanjayi White’s grandfather – Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves – had already spent years calling for accountability after the death of another young Warlpiri man, Kumanjayi Walker, who was shot and killed by NT police officer Zachary Rolfe in 2019.

For Jampijinpa Hargraves, the deaths of Kumanjayi Walker and Kumanjayi White are part of the same crisis: Aboriginal people living under a system that does not make them safe.

Today, Jampijinpa Hargraves, on life under the watch of police, the pressure of systems that were never made to protect his people – and what real safety would look like.

This episode originally aired in May, 2025.

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Guest: Warlpiri elder Jampijinpa ‘Ned’ Hargraves.

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At the same time, Pauline Hanson is floating her own negative gearing model - as One Nation surges in the polls.

And while Labor and the Coalition wrestle with how to fend off Hanson’s rise - the Teals are mulling a plan of their own - a teal party combining the power of Independents like David Pocock, Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender. But are they really better together? 

Today, political editor at news.com.au Sam Maiden on Albo’s budget resolve, Pauline’s proposal, and teal party power.

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Guest: Political editor at news.com.au Sam Maiden

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Brereton’s time leading the body charged with investigating serious corruption in the Commonwealth public sector has ended in a crisis of confidence – over Robodebt, his ongoing Defence links, and whether the watchdog properly managed conflicts of interest.

Brereton says he has become a distraction from the commission’s work. But his resignation raises the question: do the NACC’s problems end with him?

Today, independent journalist Nick Feik, on how Australia’s anti-corruption watchdog ended up in crisis – and whether it can recover.

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Guest: Independent journalist Nick Feik

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Days earlier, Donald Trump had said an agreement to end the war was close. Now Iran is threatening to retaliate, amid fears the conflict could escalate again.

And while Trump insists peace talks are still “proceeding nicely”, he has raised the stakes for negotiators – trying to turn a narrow deal over Iran, Hormuz and sanctions into something much bigger: an expansion of the Abraham Accords, normalising relations between Israel and more countries in the region.

Today, Middle East correspondent for The Economist, Gregg Carlstrom, on the fragile ceasefire, Trump’s bigger gamble, and who will blink first in the standoff between America and Iran.

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Guest: Middle East correspondent for The Economist, Gregg Carlstrom

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But that’s the situation currently facing dozens of defendants in the Northern Territory – many of them disadvantaged or with English as their second or third language, some just children – all being forced to go it alone in a legal system most adults would struggle to navigate.

Lawyer Clancy Dane says a shortage of legal aid, exacerbated by the state government’s tough-on-crime agenda, is leaving vulnerable people without the right to a fair trial. Now, he’s fighting to change that. 

Today, Territory Criminal Lawyers principal Clancy Dane, on what he says is the worst legal aid crisis the country has ever seen.

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Guest: Territory Criminal Lawyers principal, Clancy Dane

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They had been part of the Global Sumud Flotilla – more than 400 activists from 56 countries trying to reach Gaza by sea, carrying food and medicine.

Four days after they set sail from Turkiye, Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in international waters and took the passengers to Israel.

Then Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, released footage of detainees bound on the ground, as he stood over them and taunted them.

Israel says the operation was lawful and that no one was harmed. But the Australians who have now returned say they were beaten, humiliated, denied food and water, and held for almost 80 hours.

Today, in part one of a two-part episode, filmmaker and flotilla participant Juliet Lamont on what she says happened from the moment Israeli forces reached her boat.

7am has contacted the Israeli embassy for comment.

And a warning, this episode contains reference to sexual assault.

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Guest: Flotilla activist, Juliet Lamont

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They’re reviewing footage, collecting medical evidence, and taking witness statements alleging beatings, humiliation, denial of food and water, and detention in harsh conditions. 

The legal team says the evidence points to serious abuse of Australian citizens – and amounts to crimes.

So now the Australians are home, the question is what happens next: whether Australia will do more than condemn, and whether Israel will face any consequence.

Today, human rights lawyer Bernadette Zaydan, who represents the 11 Australians on the Global Sumud Flotilla, on what accountability looks like.

This is part two of a two part episode. If you haven’t already, go back and listen to our conversation with flotilla participant, Juliet Lamont.

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Guest: Lawyer representing the Australian flotilla activists, Bernadette Zaydan

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The PM is adamant a royal commission isn’t the answer, dismissing the idea in an interview that’s gone viral. But his sudden disdain for royal commissions is out of step with what thousands of Australians want to see in response to the scourge of domestic violence. 

After another devastating week, thousands of people from all walks of life have backed calls for a royal commission into the killing of women and children at the hands of an intimate partner or someone they know.

Today, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek, on the pressure for a national reckoning, the limits of government response, and the growing concern about how violence is shaping the lives of young people. 

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Guest: Social Services Minister, Tanya Plibersek

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It is the biggest native title compensation payout in Australian history.

But for Yindjibarndi leaders, the judgment is complicated. The payout is historic, but it is far below the $1.8 billion they were seeking.

The case goes back more than two decades – to Fortescue’s Solomon Hub mines in the Pilbara, which were built on Yindjibarndi land without the agreement of the traditional owners.

And the payout includes only about $100,000 for economic loss, despite Fortescue making billions from the mines.

Journalist Ben Abbatangelo tells the story of Michael Woodley – the Yindjibarndi lawman who took on Andrew Forrest – and asks: what is the true cost of mining someone else’s Country?

This episode was originally published in May 2024.

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Guest: Ben Abbatangelo

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But that doesn’t mean voters are happy. People might not be shifting their votes over this budget, but many still feel there’s nothing in it for them right now. 

For the Coalition, that should be an opening. Instead, it's One Nation turning that frustration into real momentum.

Today, Director of Strategy and Analytics at RedBridge Group, Kos Samaras, on Labor’s budget woes, the Coalition’s failure to capitalise, and the populist right’s growing hold on Australian politics. 

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Guest: RedBridge Group Director, Kos Samaras

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More than 30 clubs, pubs and restaurants have now been targeted in drive-by shootings, break-ins and firebombings. And while dozens of arrests have now been made, the people behind the attacks remain a mystery.

One theory? That an international crime syndicate led by a man called “the Ghost” is ordering the hits from a bunker in Iraq. 

Today, senior reporter at the Herald Sun, Seb Costello, on the escalating attacks threatening the lives and livelihoods of Melbourne venue owners.

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Guest: Senior reporter at the Herald Sun, Seb Costello

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A week ago, the government said it wanted to do something about that and announced changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax. 

But the budget hasn’t gone down well – for some, it doesn’t go far enough to make a real difference to the housing market. For others, particularly in business, changes to capital gains go too far. 

Today, Treasurer Jim Chalmers defends his budget. 

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Guest: Treasurer Jim Chalmers

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Now, Australian musician Adam Hyde has become the latest high-profile victim of Trump’s tough border rules – after he was denied re-entry to the States in the middle of his North American tour.

The explanation? National security concerns. That’s it – nothing more.

And it’s not an isolated incident. In Trump’s America, Australian artists are increasingly finding themselves blocked from entry, threatening their careers and livelihoods in a market that’s crucial for their success.

Today, co-founder of Lamestream, Osman Faruqi, on border control, censorship and why the Australian government should be pushing back

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Guest: Co-founder of Lamestream, Osman Faruqi

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It's the creation of controversial Australian entrepreneur Aron D’Souza, and it's bankrolled by Peter Thiel and one of Donald Trump’s sons. 

The competition has enticed athletes with huge cash prizes – and is, in turn, selling the performance-enhancing drugs those athletes will experiment with. 

Today, Chief Sports Writer at The Sydney Morning Herald Tom Decent – on the spectacle, and the seediness of the Enhanced Games.

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Guest: Chief sports writers at the SMH, Tom Decent

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But the controversy over Israel didn’t go away. Israeli singer Noam Bettan finished second, after getting a huge huge public vote – despite protests outside the contest, boycotts from five countries, and warnings over the Israeli broadcaster KAN running a campaign telling people to vote ten times.

Eurovision insists it’s a non-political contest... but over the past three years, Israel’s place in it  has exposed how political that stage can be – and how useful it can be for a government trying to shape how the world sees it.

Today, author of Eurovision!: A History of Modern Europe Through the World’s Greatest Song Contest, Chris West, on the boycott, the vote, and how Israel turned the world’s biggest song contest into a soft-power campaign.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

And Eurovision audio is courtesy of SBS.

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Guest: Author of Eurovision!: A History of Modern Europe Through the World's Greatest Song Contest, Chris West.

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The government is putting more money into the agencies, workforce and infrastructure needed for nuclear-powered submarines.

But the deal still relies on the US agreeing to sell them to Australia, and on a Trump administration that has already reviewed AUKUS through an “America First” lens.

And as the program grows, the public still knows very little about what Australia is trading away to keep it alive.

Today, former Director of War Studies for the Australian Army, Dr Albert Palazzo, on the secrecy around AUKUS – and the US military expansion on Australian soil.

This episode was originally published in December 2025.

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Guest: Former Director of War Studies for the Australian Army and adjunct professor at UNSW, Dr Albert Palazzo

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The government wanted the budget framed as a fairness agenda built around changes to negative gearing, capital gains tax and trusts, and a pitch to younger Australians locked out of housing. Instead, the immediate political fight became whether voters could trust the prime minister.

But the noise around broken-promises obscures deeper conversations about what the housing tax changes will actually deliver, the omission of a gas export levy, and the tens of billions of dollars being cut from the NDIS.

Meanwhile, Angus Taylor’s budget reply showed where the Coalition wants the argument to go next: migration, welfare and net zero – as One Nation surges in the polls.

Today, Cheek Media CEO and host of Big Small Talk, Hannah Ferguson, on the ambition, compromises and contradictions in Labor’s budget – and what young voters are being asked to accept.

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Guest: Cheek Media CEO and host of the Big Small Talk podcast, Hannah Ferguson.

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It took the Albanese government 1,049 days to formally respond to the landmark inquiry that called for urgent action to reduce gambling harm, including a phased ban on gambling advertising.

When the government did finally release its response this week, it was hidden on budget day and stopped well short of that central recommendation, prompting anger from advocates and crossbenchers who say the government has failed to meet the scale of the problem.

Today, Senator David Pocock on the government’s handling of the Murphy Review, the power of the gambling lobby and why he says the response shows a failure of political leadership.

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Guest: Independent senator David Pocock

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The star of Australian film The Deb, singer Charlotte McInnes, is suing Australian actor and director Rebel Wilson for defamation. 

Over two weeks of hearings, the court was told about smear campaigns, hacked Snapchats, and the central claim: that Rebel Wilson lied about her star actress.

Rebel is accused of being a fantastical liar who orchestrated a ‘complete revision of history’. She maintains she’s telling the truth – and that she’s a whistleblower who supports women.  

A judge is deciding which version of events is true – with a decision expected any day. 

Today, senior reporter at The Daily Telegraph, Nathanael Cooper, on the trial, the movie, and the consequences for everyone involved.

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Guest: Senior Reporter at The Daily Telegraph, Nathanael Cooper

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This budget the Albanese government decided to try and do something about it: limiting negative gearing and replacing the capital gains tax. 

So what difference will that make and how long will it take for anything to change? 

One person who can help answer those questions is Stephen Koukoulas.

He’s been an economist for decades, including as Senior Economic Advisor to then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

He’s seen first hand how these tax policies have shaped the housing market and how reversing them has seemed impossible. 

Today, economist Stephen Koukoulas on the future of housing in Australia. 

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Guest: Economist, Stephen Koukoulas

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Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ fifth budget restricts negative gearing – though not for anyone who was already doing it – while also promising to increase housing supply and deliver a $250 tax cut for workers. 

Chalmers wants the budget to be seen as ambitious – but is it? 

Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton, on what the Treasurer is promising - and whether it delivers. 

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Guest: Press gallery journalist, Karen Middleton

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Now, both cases have wrapped and the judge is reviewing the evidence. 

With inflation and grocery prices soaring, the timing couldn’t be more crucial.

Today, Chief Economist at the Australia Institute, Greg Jericho on the case against the supermarket giants, and its implications for Australian shoppers.

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Guest: Chief Economist at the Australia Institute, Greg Jericho

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Her candidate for Farrer, David Farley, did even better than expected: he was elected on 57 per cent of the vote. 

It changes things not just for Pauline Hanson and One Nation, but for the country. 

Today, contributing editor for The New Daily, Amy Remeikis, on the power of populism right now, and what One Nation wants next.

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Guest: Contributing editor for the New Daily, Amy Remeikis

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Jewish community groups say reported antisemitic incidents in Australia have surged since October 7.

But the commission is not only hearing about what’s happened. It’s also being asked to answer a difficult question: what counts as antisemitism  – and where is the line between political speech, criticism of Israel, and hatred directed at Jews?

Today, historian of modern Jewish life and culture David Slucki, who leads Monash University’s research into antisemitism, on how antisemitism should be understood, measured and responded to.

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Guest: Director of the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, David Slucki

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At the time, legal and human rights experts warned the laws would put more children in custody and disproportionately affect First Nations people.

Now, the Allan government is doubling down. In this week’s state budget, it said bail refusals were at record highs – and promised more money for corrections, faster youth crime hearings and a rewrite of sentencing laws.

But the deeper question hasn’t changed: should bail be a right or a tool for crime prevention?

Today, we’re returning to Daniel James’ conversation with legal academic Professor Marilyn McMahon on how media pressure and politics are reshaping bail – and what that means for justice.

This episode was originally published in March, 2025.

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Guest: Professor in Deakin Law School, Dr Marilyn McMahon

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Today, a new member will be elected, and while the race is tight – One Nation’s David Farley is ahead in the polls.

He’ll be picking up Coalition preferences, but faces a strong challenge from independent Michelle Milthorpe.

So will One Nation win its first federal lower house seat? And if so, what will that signal for the future of conservative politics?

Today, ABC Election analyst Casey Briggs on the fight for Farrer. 

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Guest: ABC Election Analyst, Casey Briggs

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The women, who originally left the country to be part of the Islamic State caliphate, have spent the years since its collapse in Syrian refugee camps. 

Many of their children, who are Australian citizens too, have never been here before. 

But they aren’t the first to come back – since 2019, women and children like them have been returning. 

What they’re returning to has become more and more hostile, with politicians maintaining they aren’t welcome, and police threatening arrest.  

Today, Professor Michele Grossman, expert on violent extremism from Deakin University, on our responsibility to these citizens and the danger of politicising their position. 

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And special credit for the audio of Australian children inside al-Roj refugee camp goes to William Christou and the Guardian.

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Guest: Expert on violent extremism from Deakin University, Professor Michele Grossman

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Australian activist Zack Schofield was on one of the 50 boats. He says the first sign something was coming was the sound of drones overhead; then radio warnings, military vessels, and soldiers boarding the ship.

What happened next is now the subject of serious allegations and competing accounts. 

Today, Zack Schofield on the interception at sea, what he says happened in Israeli custody, and why the flotilla may still try to reach Gaza. 

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Guest: Australian activist, Zach Schofield

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For Australians already stretched by the cost of living, it means another hit to mortgage repayments, rents and household budgets. 

And while the decision was widely expected, the reason behind it is more complicated. Some economists are calling it the “Hormuz hike”, a response to global oil prices, the war in Iran and fears inflation could skyrocket.

Today, economist and co-CEO of the Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss, on why the Reserve Bank is making Australians pay more to contain inflation, and the risk that it goes too far. 

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Guest: Economist and Co-CEO of the Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss

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Soon after, community members found the man accused of killing her. They called police and now a 47-year-old man has been charged with murder, and other charges we can’t mention for legal reasons.  

For the past week, as her family and community have mourned, Alice Springs/Mparntwe has once again been placed under the intensity of the national gaze; its grief, anger and calls for justice broadcast across the country.

Today, the Chief Executive of SNAICC, the national peak body advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, Catherine Liddle, on Kumanjayi Little Baby, the grief in Mparntwe, and the questions that need to be asked without turning her death into another political fight. 

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Guest: SNAICC CEO, Catherine Liddle

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What followed became one of the most closely watched employment cases in the country, raising questions about political pressure, media independence and whose voices are allowed to be heard. 

Now, after winning her case, Lattouf has written a book about her fight, and the women who’ve taken on powerful institutions and won. She’s also become part of a new independent media movement, as audiences look beyond legacy institutions for voices they feel they can trust. 

Today, Antoinette Lattouf, on the cost of challenging the system, and what comes after winning. 

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

And you can check out Antoinette’s book ‘Women Who Win’ here 

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Guest: Journalist and co-founder of Ette Media, Antoinette Lattouf

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He wanted states and territories to agree to new gun laws by March and legislate them by July. But that first deadline has passed – and the national response is fracturing.

Queensland and the Northern Territory are refusing the buyback, Tasmania is rejecting a cap on the number of firearms a person can own, and a national register is not expected to be running until 2028.

The Royal Commission into Antisemitism has also weighed in, saying Australia should waste no time in implementing the buyback.

So today, 30 years after Port Arthur, we’re returning to our January episode – where Nicole Johnston speaks with Ebony Bennett from the Australia Institute on why Australia has more guns than ever, and why reform is still so difficult.

This episode was originally published in January, 2026.

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Guest: Deputy director at The Australia Institute, Ebony Bennett 

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It comes at a volatile moment in national politics, after the issue was seized on by the opposition in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, and as the issue of the conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon continue to expose deep division across the country.

Meanwhile, One Nation is trying to turn its momentum in the polls into something more lasting, backed by a private plane from Gina Rinehart and millions in donations from her allies. 

Today, ABC Radio Melbourne’s Raf Epstein, on the royal commission, the politics of One Nation, and whether the divisions running through the country are likely to deepen. 

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Guest: ABC Radio Melbourne, Raf Epstein

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Australia’s terrorism threat level is already listed as probable, and the war in Iran is adding new pressure to an already fragile security environment that risks fuelling grievances, inflaming extremism, and increasing the risk facing Jewish communities in the wake of the Bondi terror attack. 

But the interim report leaves some of the hardest questions for later, including whether warnings before the attack were properly acted on and whether security agencies were on the same page when it came to identifying the threat. 

Today, counter-terrorism expert Greg Barton on what the report reveals, and why the threat facing Australia may be growing faster than the systems built to stop it. 

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Guest: Counter-terrorism expert at Deakin University, Professor Greg Barton

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Today, Holly Dagres, an Iranian-American analyst from the Washington Institute on Iran’s viral meme war and what it tells us about the regime. 

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Guest: Senior fellow at the Washington Institute, Holly Dagres

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Now, the Tucker-Trump bromance is officially over.

Conservative media powerhouse Tucker Carlson has offered an apology to voters for backing the president, as their relationship turned sour.

Today, Jason Zengerle, staff writer for the New Yorker, on the end of Tucker and Trump – and what it means for the MAGA movement.

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Guest: Staff writer for the New Yorker, Jason Zengerle

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Now, after his passing, that openness continues – with James’ decision to share the fact that he ended his life through voluntary assisted dying, or VAD.

Today, Go Gentle Australia founder Andrew Denton on James’ decision, and why some Australians still have trouble accessing VAD, despite it being legal in all but one Australian territory.

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Guest: Go Gentle Australia founder, Andrew Denton

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For a moment, the White House Correspondents dinner continued, the president and his guests unaware until the secret service pulled him from the stage, forming a human shield.

This marks the third alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump in two years. As political violence targeting both sides of the aisle grows to unprecedented levels.

Today, SMH columnist and former assistant managing editor of NPR in Washington, Bill Wyman on America’s surge in political violence and Trump’s role as both target and provocateur.

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Guest: SMH columnist Bill Wyman

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American prosecutors claim the former US Marine pilot helped train Chinese military pilots in South Africa more than a decade ago, in breach of US arms trafficking laws. Duggan denies that, and says he believed he was involved in lawful civilian flight training.

He’s now facing extradition to the United States.

But before the arrest, the charges, and before the extradition fight, Duggan was living as an Australian citizen, running a flight business in Tasmania, and building a life with his wife Saffrine and their children.

Today, Dan Duggan’s wife, Saffrine Duggan on her husband’s fight for freedom from jail, and journalist and member of the Free Dan Duggan Campaign, Michael Sainsbury, on how an Australian pilot became the target of US prosecution.

This is part one of a two-part episode.

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Guest: Saffrine Duggan and journalist and member of the Free Dan Duggan campaign Michael Sainsbury.

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Former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus approved the Australian citizen’s extradition to the United States and the Federal Court has rejected the latest attempt to stop it.

Duggan’s supporters say this is no longer just a legal case – they believe it’s also shaped by geopolitics and the growing rivalry between the United States and China, and by Australia’s willingness to go along with Washington.

Today, journalist Michael Sainsbury, and Saffrine Duggan, on why the Australian government signed off on Duggan’s extradition, what he could face in the United States, and why his supporters say he has become caught in something much bigger than one man.

This is part two of a two-part episode.

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Guest: Saffrine Duggan and journalist and member of the Free Dan Duggan campaign Michael Sainsbury.

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The treaty is the culmination of almost a decade of work that established the First Peoples’ Assembly – which led the negotiations – and delivers on ‘Voice, Treaty and Truth’, making Victoria the first state in the country to do so.

Now, that treaty is in its next phase. This week, we'll have the election results of who will sit on the next First Peoples’ Assembly – and tomorrow, the process of setting up the delegation that will actually decide what the treaty will look like begins.

Today, the co-chairs of the First Peoples’ Assembly, Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg, on what they hope Victoria’s treaty will deliver – and how its success will be measured.

This is part one of a two-part episode that first aired in September 2025.

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Guest: Co-Chairs of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg.

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The legislation enshrines a democratically elected body for First Peoples, called Gellung Warl, that will be consulted on laws and policies affecting Indigenous communities.

Now there are calls for other states and territories to use the Victorian example as a model to establish their own treaties.

But there’s also pushback – with critics calling it costly and divisive in claims that echo The Voice debate – and with state and territory leaders across the country abandoning previous promises and commitments.

Today, writer and 7am co-host Daniel James on whether Victoria’s treaty marks a turning point or an anomaly.

This is part two of a two-part episode that first aired in September 2025.

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Guest: Writer and 7am co-host, Daniel James.

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And in the first electoral test for the reshaped right, there may be signs that One Nation’s surge in the polls has reached its limit. 

Today, contributing editor at The New Daily, Amy Remeikis, on what this week reveals about Labor, the right and the pressure on both.

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Guest: Contributing editor at The New Daily, Amy Remeikis

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Health Minister Mark Butler says the changes, which will see eligibility tightened, participants reassessed and 160,000 people booted from the NDIS are about making the scheme sustainable and pulling it back to the people it was originally designed to support.

But for people with a disability, families and carers, the language has done little to calm anxiety – because this is just not a crackdown on fraud and dodgy providers. It's a change to who gets support, how that support is judged and what happens to people who no longer meet the new test.

Today, Australian Autism Alliance co-chair Jenny Karavolos on the government's NDIS overhaul and why it's causing so much apprehension across the community. 

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Guest: Australian Autism Alliance Co-Chair Jenny Karavolos

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But that’s exactly what happened at this week’s senate inquiry into taxing Australia’s gas companies for their windfall war profits. 

Konrad Benjamin, a former high school teacher, gave evidence at the hearing – and he didn’t hold back

The self proclaimed “citizen’s lobbyist” is making headlines around the country.

Today in a special bonus episode, founder of Punter’s Politics Konrad Benjamin on why he thinks gas companies are ripping off Australia – and the government is letting them get away with it.

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Guest: Punter’s Politics founder Konrad Benjamin

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The highly decorated soldier categorically denied the allegations against him, saying he will never give up the fight. Roberts-Smith insists he’s proud of his service in Afghanistan, and of the men and women who served alongside him.

Men like Glenn Kolomeitz – a defence force lawyer deployed with Ben Roberts-Smith’s squadron in Afghanistan – whose take on the charges, the investigation and the impending trial may not be what you’d expect.

Today, war veteran and defence lawyer Glenn Kolo meitz, on how the defence community feels about Ben Roberts-Smith, and what comes next.

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Guest: Veteran and lawyer Glenn Kolomeitz

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Its hero? A Russian Primary school teacher, Pasha Talankin.

After Russia invaded Ukraine Mr Talankin found himself trapped in the job of teaching propaganda to students.

He filmed it all until he was forced to flee the country.

And what he captured offers a rare glimpse into Putin’s Russia, and the classroom propaganda program indoctrinating Russian kids.

Today, Andrei Soldatov a Russian investigative journalist, who also fled - and is living in exile in London on how the Kremlin is indoctrinating kids, Putin’s plan to re-write history .. and Russians – are they buying it?

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Guest: Russian journalist Andrei Soldatov

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A new wave of young, amateur gangsters is changing the scene – with brazen daylight attacks, hit jobs on rivals’ family members, and cases of alleged mistaken identity.

Of course, it’s all about money, notoriety and settling scores.

Today, Mark Morri, crime editor at the Daily Telegraph, on the evolving world of gangland violence – where contract killing can now be ordered off an encrypted app.

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Guest: Daily Telegraph crime editor Mark Morri

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Oil depots have burned for days. Strikes have hit petrochemical facilities and the area around the Bushehr nuclear power plant. In Tehran, toxic black smoke has blanketed the city, with residents reporting black acid rain falling from the sky.

After thousands of missile and drone strikes, Iran and parts of the Gulf are facing not only a humanitarian and economic crisis, but an environmental one too.

Analysts estimate that, in the first 30 days of the war, almost 9 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions were released into the atmosphere.

Today, Dr Patrick Bigger, the interim executive director of the Climate and Community Institute, on the long-term environmental cost of this war – and why some are calling these strikes ‘ecocide’.

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Guest: Research director of the Climate and Community Project, Dr Patrick Bigger.

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Last year, ANU vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell resigned after pressure over a massive restructure and the hidden role consultants played in shaping it.

Now two inquiries are now looking at whether the changes, meant to save $250 million, were ever justified. A separate investigation is looking into bullying allegations against former chancellor Julie Bishop. And Bell herself has been suspended from her ongoing role as a distinguished professor, accused of serious misconduct.

It comes as powerful firms are reshaping higher education. A recent Four Corners investigation found Australian unis are spending roughly $1.8 billion a year on consultants and contractors.

Today, we’re bringing you an episode from 2025, where senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton examines how consultants came to shape Australian unis, and what that’s meant for higher education.

This episode first aired in July 2025.

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Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton

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It’s placed new pressure on Treasurer Jim Chalmers ahead of the budget, as the government deals with a fuel supply scare that pulled the prime minister back to the country in the middle of an overseas mission to secure supplies for the nation. 

As Labor tries to steady nerves, the opposition is pushing a hard line on migration, with Angus Taylor reaching for politics that feel both familiar and deliberately divisive – so much so that it prompted a former prime minister to release a scathing statement. 

Today, press gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno on the economic anxiety hanging over the government, the opposition's incendiary pitch on migration, and how both sides are trying to define the moment.

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Guest: Press Gallery veteran Paul Bongiorno

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But the government’s plan to reign in online gambling advertising has drawn sharp criticism. With campaigners and crossbenchers arguing it falls well short of what was recommended. 

And in that gap, a bigger fight has opened up about how deeply betting has worked its way into Australian media and Australian’s lives. 

Today, Crikey media reporter, Daany Saeed, on the government’s plan to reduce gambling ads, and why its long-awaited response is already under fire. 

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Guest: Crikey media reporter Daanyal Saeed

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Now the world of child and family influencers has become a billion-dollar business where kids equal content and absolutely nothing is off limits.

Today, Fortesa Latifi, author of the new book “Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online” offers a rare look inside the belly of the beast from some of the kids who have come out the other side.

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Guest: Author and journalist, Fortesa Latifi

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Opposition leader Angus Taylor has laid out the beginnings of the Liberal Party’s hard line migration policy in a provocative speech in Canberra.

Some of his proposals had echoes of Donald Trump, others of John Howard – as he made a play for One Nation’s growing pool of lapsed Liberal voters. 

So what does it all mean? And will his bold move on migration pay off at the polls?

Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton on the Liberal Party’s controversial new migration policy.

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Guest: Press gallery journalist, Karen Middleton

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The law passed through the country’s parliament despite opposition from Israeli and international human rights groups, as well as the governments of the UK, Germany, France and Italy.

Israel’s national doctors’ union has refused to carry out lethal injections, meaning those sentenced under the law would face death by hanging.

The government says the law will deter future Palestinian attacks. Some right-wing Israeli politicians wore noose-shaped pins in parliament as it was debated.

Today, Israeli journalist Amira Hass, who lives in the West Bank and writes for Haaretz, on capital punishment, settler violence and the expansion of settlements in Palestine.

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Guest: Haaretz correspondent for the Occupied Territories, Amira Hass

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The former Essendon and Geelong ruckman says years of head knocks left him with epilepsy, memory problems, and a life he barely recognised.

Now, as a growing class action takes on the AFL over concussion, Barnes is speaking about the damage he says the game caused – and the accountability he still wants.

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Guest: Former AFL ruckman, John Barnes

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That raid and the events of that day were central to the defamation action brought by Ben Roberts-Smith. The court eventually found it was substantially true that he had committed war crimes – including kicking Ali Jan, an Afghan villager, off a cliff and ordering his execution.

Ben Roberts-Smith maintains his innocence, and the allegations have never been proven to a criminal standard.

But now, that’s about to be tested.

This week, Roberts-Smith was arrested and charged with five counts of war crime murder. One of those charges relates to the Darwan raid, making the killing of Ali Jan central to the criminal case ahead.

Ali Jan’s family are still waiting for justice and want to testify. But the agency leading Australia’s war crimes investigations is still refusing to take witness statements directly from Afghanistan.

Today, freelance journalist Michelle Dimasi, who travelled to Afghanistan to meet Ali Jan’s family,  on what justice might still look like for them.

This episode first aired in November 2023.

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Guest:  Freelance journalist covering Afghanistan and the Middle East, Michelle Dimasi

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Now, Anthony Albanese is in Singapore trying to secure supply, as the opposition presses the government over how prepared the country really is.

Today, Tony Wood, Energy and Climate Change Senior Fellow at the Grattan Institute, on the state of the Strait, the ongoing risks for Australia, and the politics taking shape around another global shock.

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Guest: Energy and Climate Change Senior Fellow at the Grattan Institute, Tony Wood

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For journalist Chris Masters, the road to that moment began almost two decades ago, when he travelled to Afghanistan to report on the war up close. Over time, he began hearing whispers that some elite soldiers had crossed a line.

Those whispers turned into a years-long investigation, alongside Nick McKenzie, into allegations that would later be tested in one of the biggest defamation trials in Australian history.

Today, veteran investigative journalist Chris Masters on how that story began, why soldiers finally started talking, and what Ben Roberts-Smith’s arrest means for how Australia reckons with the truth about its war in Afghanistan.

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Guest: Investigative reporter and author of Flawed Hero: Truth, lies and war crimes, Chris Masters

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But in that same year, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts was taken from her family at just 10 years old.

Now, as a lawyer and advocate, she says Australia is still taking First Nations children from their families – and that the number in out-of-home care is today higher than the estimated number removed during the Stolen Generations.

Today, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts on her own removal, the pipeline from child protection to prison, and what it would take to keep First Nations children with their families and communities.

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Guest: Human rights lawyer and former ACT Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts

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Trump is threatening that if Iran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the US will strike the country’s bridges and power plants in what he’s calling "Energy Plants Day and Bridges Day” – stating 'a whole civilisation will die tonight' if Tehran ignores his ultimatum.

But indiscriminately targeting infrastructure that civilians rely on to survive could amount to war crimes.

Today, Rachel VanLandingham – a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and former military lawyer – on whether the US can lawfully target civilian infrastructure, and what it would mean for international law if it did.

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Guest: National security law expert and former active duty judge advocate in the US Air Force, Rachel VanLandingham

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Kids are getting around the ban, and eSafety says it has seen no drop in cyberbullying or abuse reports involving children on those platforms.

So is this just a messy start, with the government right to ask for more patience? Or is it proving that you can’t fix platforms built to hook young people simply by trying to lock them out?

Today, associate editor for Crikey, Cam Wilson, on why the ban isn’t working – and whether Australia is focusing on the wrong solutions.

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Guest: Associate editor of Crikey, Cam Wilson

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Project Valhalla would drill an initial 20 fracking wells across an area twice the size of Victoria in the Kimberley. And after the WA EPA recommended it for approval, the proposal is now one step closer to going ahead.

The Kimberley is also the largest and most intact tropical savanna in the world – a place of living songlines, deep cultural significance and extraordinary biodiversity, where campaigners say no local species has ever been recorded as extinct. And communities are divided. More than a record 8000 appeals have been lodged with the state government in an effort to stop the project.

Today, journalist Katherine Wilson on the fight over fracking in the Kimberly – and how Project Valhalla made it this far.

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Guest: Journalist Katherine Wilson

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Trump played the villain perfectly.

For decades now, Trump has been shaped by a love affair with professional wrestling. It taught him how to control and manipulate a crowd, how to speak, and how to respond to criticism.

It also shaped his cabinet, with Trump appointing Linda McMahon, Vince’s ex-wife, to the position of secretary of education.

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Joseph Earp on how Donald Trump brought the art of pro-wrestling to politics.

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Guest: Journalist and author, Joseph Earp.

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But events have a way of dragging budgets back into the present. And right now, the present looks expensive.

People are still under pressure. The economy’s been hit by another oil shock. And the Treasurer is trying to make the case for restraint without looking like he’s asking Australians to wear even more pain.

So will Jim Chalmer's upcoming budget be one of reform - or crisis management?

Today, senior economics correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Shane Wright, on what kind of budget this moment demands. 

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Guest: Senior economics correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Shane Wright.

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The New York Times has reported that an AI detection program indicated that ‘Shy Girl’ was 71 percent AI generated.

The news has shocked the publishing industry, with the novel discontinued in the UK and pulled from publication in America.

So what are the implications for writers, for readers and for the publishing industry as AI seeps into new and frightening corners of our creative industries?

Today, beloved Aussie author Kathy Lette on how AI slop is threatening the future of young writers, and how to protect our art from the onslaught of bots.

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Guest: Author Kathy Lette

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For decades, the United States has tried to isolate the country, but now the language is getting stronger, and a tightening of the oil blockade has brought the island to its knees.

President Trump has said taking the country would be an "honour", and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, says Cuba cannot fix its economy without changing its government.

In Havana, officials are now preparing for the possibility of a U.S. attack.

Today, Havana-based journalist Ruaridh Nicoll, on what people inside Cuba are living through – and fearing might come next.

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Guest: Havana-based journalist Ruaridh Nicoll.

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He was. Hoffman went on to fly five Space Shuttle missions, logging more than 1,200 hours in space. And today, he’ll be watching as NASA sends astronauts back around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

While Artemis II won't land on the moon – it's the next step in a plan to return humans to the lunar surface, and eventually establish a more permanent presence there.

And with China wanting to put astronauts on the moon before 2030, we're in the midst of a new space race.

Today, former NASA astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman, on why humanity is racing to the moon once again.

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Guest: Former NASA Astronaut and professor of Aerospace Engineering at MIT, Dr Jeffrey Hoffman.

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Washington is sending thousands more troops into the Middle East – with President Trump saying he wants Iran’s oil and may seize the country’s Kharg island, adding he could take it “easily”.

Meanwhile, the diplomacy is confused, with Trump claiming negotiations are underway and Tehran stating there are no direct talks, while dismissing a potential U.S. proposal as one-sided and unfair.

Today, executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Trita Parsi, on whether the U.S. is edging towards a ground war with Iran – and what it would actually take to get to a deal, if a deal is still possible at all.

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Guest: Iranian-born analyst and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Trita Parsi.

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In his new documentary on the Manosphere, he turns that gaze on a world of male grievance, online swagger and old misogyny dressed up in the language of self-help.

In Australia, researchers and educators say that boys, women and girls are bearing the consequences of actions and attitudes turning up far beyond the screen – into classrooms, into harassment and intimidation, and in the growing sense among girls that school is becoming less and less safe.

Today, misogyny researcher at Monash University, Dr. Stephanie Westcott, on why Louis Theroux's documentary misses the real story, and what happens when we treat misogyny as fascinating instead of dangerous.

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Guest: Dr Stephanie Wescott, misogyny researcher at Monash University

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The deal is now in force. The first climate refugees have begun arriving in Australia, and this year, Tuvalu will help host key Pacific climate talks ahead of COP.

But the questions at the heart of this agreement have not gone away.

As rising seas threaten the future of one of our smallest neighbours, is Australia offering a genuine lifeline – or using the climate crisis to deepen its own influence in the Pacific?

Today, Mike Seccombe, on the agreement between Australia and Tuvalu – and whether Australia is helping them, or themselves.

This episode first aired in November 2023.

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Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Mike Seccombe

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Pauline Hanson’s party showed just how much room there is for anger on the right in a traditionally progressive state. But the rise in One Nation’s popularity isn’t just contained to SA. Nationally and in states like Victoria discontent is growing and the far right is capitalising. And with the war in Iran exacerbating the cost-of-living crisis, that frustration may only deepen. 

Today, Waleed Aly, on what the South Australian result says about the mood of the electorate, and where that mood could go next.

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Guest: Waleed Aly, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald columnist

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But the hearing also made something else clear: Hegseth wasn’t just being chosen to run the Pentagon in the ordinary sense. He was being chosen to wage a cultural and ideological battle inside it – to bring what he called “warrior culture” back to an institution he and Trump believed had gone “woke”.

Today, former chief national correspondent for Voice of America, Steve Herman, on the face of America’s new militarism and the role of Christian nationalism in the Trump administration.

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Guest: Former chief national correspondent for Voice of America, Steve Herman

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The war against Iran has caused panic buying in Australia and around the world.

Meanwhile, our government has been criticised for not having greater reserves of petrol, diesel and jet fuel.

And for not imposing higher taxes on giant gas companies, which are now raking in 

a fortune thanks to the war.

Today, Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen on how prepared Australia is for the worst energy crisis in more than 50 years – and the war: should we even be backing it?

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Guest: Energy Minister Chris Bowen

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Now the federal government wants to treat these organised crime syndicates like ‘drug lords’ by going after them with wire tapping and seizing their assets.

And the tobacconists are in trouble too, with calls to ban tobacco stores and only sell cigarettes in supermarkets.

Today, Criminologist Dr James Martin, from Deakin University on how to reign in the multi billion dollar black market that’s created a gangsters paradise

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Guest: Criminologist Dr James Martin, Deakin University

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For more than decade he’s been warning that Australia is too reliant on imported fuel, too light on reserves, and too exposed if a global crisis – just like this one – disrupts supply.

Now, as more than hundred servos around the country run dry and a Trump ultimatum looms, threatening to make the fuel crisis worse, Australia is paying the price for our lack of preparedness.

Today, Chair of the Institute of Economic Research Australia, John Blackburn on how Australia botched our emergency fuel plan, what we should do next, and why the Iran war is shaping up to be a covid-level crisis.

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Guest: John Blackburn, Chair of the Institute of Economic Research Australia

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“Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed. Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM.”

Not long after that, Donald Trump backtracked and set the record straight. 

“He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.”

But in those few short hours before clarification, misinformation had already taken hold.

Social media posts accusing Australia of inaction on the soccer team, and falsely claiming Albanese lied to Trump about granting the women asylum gained millions of views on X.

Meanwhile, news commentary which wrongly portrayed Trump as triggering Albanese’s decision hit the mainstream media.

It’s just one recent example of the wave of misinformation making it increasingly difficult for all of us to work out what is and isn't factual in this ‘post truth’ world.

Today ABC journalist and host of new doco ‘The Matter of Facts’ Hamish Macdonald on the misinformation and disinformation taking over our online world.

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Guest: Hamish Macdonald, ABC journalist

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Marine ecologist Dr Scott Bennett was part of the team that first surveyed the bloom – coming face to face with the algae’s devastating impact.

Twelve months on, the bloom is still there, the damage has spread, and many of the warnings scientists made in those early days have proved well founded – particularly the damage to marine life.

Today, we’re bringing you an episode from 2025 with marine ecologist Dr Scott Bennett, on what caused the bloom, what he saw beneath the surface, and what it means for the fate of the ocean.

This episode first aired in August 2025.

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Guest: Marine ecologist Dr Scott Bennett

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Peter Malinauskas is expected to win comfortably. The real movement is happening elsewhere; in the noise around One Nation, the protest vote in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis gathering around the once marginal party, and the possibility that a state election could end up telling us something bigger about where Australian politics is heading. 

Today, Editor of InDaily SA, Belinda Willis, on the state election that may be a whitewash for Labor, but a warning for everyone else. 

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Guest: InDaily SA Editor Belinda Willis

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Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Shia group, Hezbollah dragged the country into the war, attacking Israel after a joint US-Israeli airstrike killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel then hit back, bombing Beirut and amassing tens of thousands of troops on the border.

Meanwhile, more than a million Lebanese people are now displaced, forced to flee their homes as the attacks continue and Israel demands evacuations.

Today, Michael Young, editor of Carnegie’s Middle East Center blog on whether Lebanon could see a ground invasion and what Israel’s plan is to reshape the region.

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Guest: Michael Young, editor of Carnegie’s Middle East Center blog

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But this time, it’s not a natural disaster or a foreign war that’s threatening to tip farmers over the edge, but a decision from the Victorian government.

The state has passed new compulsory acquisition laws which make it easier for energy companies to acquire farmers’ land and build transmission lines and renewable energy projects on it.

Today, Victorian Farmers Federation President, Brett Hosking, on why the government’s push to roll out renewables and transition lines in rural Australia has left farmers feeling devastated and disrespected.

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Guest: Brett Hosking, Victorian Farmers Federation President

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It was a line-ball decision from the Reserve Bank – with five members voting for a quarter of a percent jump and four against – putting our official cash rate at 4.1 per cent.

RBA Governor Michelle Bullock says high inflation left them with no choice, but others have slammed the call.

Today, Chief Economist at The Australia Institute, Greg Jericho, on why he thinks the RBA has got it horribly wrong.

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Guest: Greg Jericho, Chief Economist at The Australia Institute

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And people are worried that if the battle between the US-Israel and Iran continues for another month – Australia may have to begin rationing fuel.

Already, drivers are panic buying, stockpiling and some country petrol stations are running dry.

Global oil supplies are under threat as Iran attacks tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Today, Tim Buckley, the Director of Climate Energy Finance, and the question: as the oil shock hits home, how high could the price at the pump really go?

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Guest: Tim Buckley, Director of Climate Energy Finance

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For years, Kyle and Jackie O have been treated as untouchable – a breakfast radio juggernaut that could pull huge audiences, generate endless headlines, and weather scandal after scandal.

So much so that the Australian Radio Network handed the pair a $200 million deal – one of the biggest contracts Australian media has ever seen – betting Sydney's most popular breakfast show could go national.

But that bet turned shaky: The show struggled to win over Melbourne, controversies kept piling up, and the regulator repeatedly found it in breach of broadcasting standards.

Now, after an on-air rupture that has blown apart the partnership at the centre of it all, the future of that enormous deal is in doubt.

Today, Kyle and Jackie O’s former boss and host of the Game Changers Radio podcast, Craig Bruce, on what happens when the most expensive bet in the Radio business falls apart.

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And you can check out Craig Bruce’s podcast Game Changers Radio here 

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Guest: Craig Bruce, host of Game Changers Radio

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This week, the conversation about misogyny and the “manosphere” has resurfaced. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has accused Married At First Sight of platforming coercive control and misogyny, Netflix has released Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere, and fresh research suggests roughly 40% of teenage boys surveyed agreed that women lie about domestic and sexual violence.

Tate’s influence is warping classroom conversation, driving female peers to the fringe of discussion and even causing some teachers to quit.

So why are misogynistic influencers reaching so many young men?

Today, we’re bringing you an episode from 2024 – in which Ange McCormack speaks to author and journalist Anna Krien about the misogynist radicalisation happening in our schools.

This episode was first published in March 2024.

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Guest: Journalist and author, Anna Krien

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Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton, on what Canavan’s rise means for the Coalition, why Richardson’s resignation matters to Anthony Albanese, and what the Robodebt findings tell us about whether the system is capable of holding anyone to account. 

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Guest: Karen Middleton, press gallery journalist

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For decades he has argued that American military force can solve the problem of hostile regimes in the Middle East. He backed the Invasion of Iraq, championed some of the most disastrous American interventions of the modern era, and despite that, he is still arguing more force, more intervention and more regime change will bring stability to the Middle East.

Now, as the US escalates again, Bolton’s worldview is back at the centre of the debate. A worldview, that when it comes to Iran, our government shares. 

Today, former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, on the strikes on Iran, and on why a man who backed the invasion of Iraq still sees bombing as the answer. 

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Guest: Ambassador John Bolton, Former Trump National Security Advisor

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But who’s really running the country now? We look into the heavily armed elite forces pulling the strings – the Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC.

Today, Iranian journalist and author Arash Azizi on what direction Iran’s elite armed forces could take the country.

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Guest: Iranian journalist and author, Arash Azizi

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Later, five members of the Iranian squad broke away from their minders. By Tuesday, the federal government had confirmed they had been granted humanitarian visas.

The move followed days of concern about what the players might face if they returned to Iran, after several were denounced on Iranian state television for refusing to sing the national anthem at the start of the tournament.

The government says the same option remains open to the rest of the team, but for now they look set to return to a war zone.

Today, former Socceroo and human rights advocate Craig Foster on what this moment says about football’s failure to protect women players when they needed them most.

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Guest: Former Socceroos captain and human rights advocate, Craig Foster

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Now she says we’ve been gradually conditioned to tolerate corruption and the loss of transparency in parliament.

Over recent years, there has been a marked increase in the number of lobbyists with access to Parliament House. Literally thousands move through the building, meeting politicians and staffers; often leaving little public trace of who they’ve spoken to and why. 

Today, Independent MP, Monique Ryan on the thousands of lobbyists roaming the halls of Parliament House and the system she says allows them to influence, behind closed doors, the decisions that affect us all.

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Guest: Dr Monique Ryan, Independent MP

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Anthropic ultimately lost its contract with the US military after refusing to let its Claude program be used for mass surveillance of American citizens, or for fully automated weapons capable of killing with no human oversight.

But now that its rival, OpenAI, has stepped into the ring and cut its own deal with the government, what does that mean for how AI is used in our current wars – and the wars of the future?

Today, David Wroe from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on tech titans, robodogs and whether AI should be used to kill.

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Guest: David Wroe, Australian Strategic Policy Institute

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At least three families have now received compensation for the bungle, which was caused by human error.

But these mistakes – at one of the oldest and most reputable clinics in the country – have had devastating consequences that reach far beyond the affected families, damaging the confidence of anyone relying on fertility treatment in Australia.

In this episode, which first aired in June 2025, Ruby Jones speaks with writer and public health campaigner Hannah Bambra on why the IVF industry is so vulnerable to human error.

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Guest: Hannah Bambra, writer and public health campaigner

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says it’s about defending global security. But critics say that argument sounds familiar. More than two decades ago, another Australian prime minister used almost identical arguments to justify joining America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Back then, Albanese himself warned those decisions would redefine Australia as a willing backer of US militarism no matter whether it is in the national interest. 

Today, political editor at Crikey, Bernard Keane, on why he believes the Prime Minister has undergone a remarkable transformation, and what it means for Australia as the conflict grows.

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Guest: Bernard Keane, political editor at Crikey

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Democrats and a few Republicans tried to use the War Powers Resolution to force Trump to get approval from Congress to keep fighting – but it didn’t pass.

Now the war is dragging in more countries, fuelling a global crisis and dividing nations.

Today Jasmine El-Gamal, former Pentagon adviser and founder of Averos Strategies, on Trump’s war – is it ego, blind ambition or part of a plan to reshape the world? 

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Guest: Jasmine El-Gamal, founder and CEO of Averos Strategies

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For John Howard, then in opposition, it provided  an opportunity. He framed the moment not as correction, but as a threat. A story was spun to suburban and regional Australia: your backyard, your lease, your livelihood were suddenly, all under threat.

For John Howard, the real battle was over the nation’s conscience. He dismissed what he called the “black armband” view of history and described the violence and dispossession of the past as mere “blemishes” on an otherwise proud national story. He refused to apologise to the Stolen Generations, rejecting the idea that the nation owed a moral debt. In its place, he chose pride over reckoning — and ideology over truth.

Author and political commentator Amy Remeikis has spent months tracing the threads of Howard’s legacy,  not just the policies, but the narratives that made them possible.

This is the Howard Effect, a three part series from 7am marking 30 years since John Howard's ascent to power. Episode Three - Who Belongs

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Guest:  Author of Where It All Went Wrong: The case against John Howard, Amy Remeikis

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The memory of Labor's reforms while in government were suddenly distant, and the constant reminder of the devastating recession of the 90s were kept fresh in the mind of voters by Howard and his treasurer Peter Costello.

Economic Management became the major selling point for Howard in every election from there on in.

This is The Howard Effect, a three-part series marking 30 years since John Howard’s emphatic election victory. Today, author Amy Remeikis on the economic revolution that defined his government — the tax reforms, the housing settings, and the policy choices that helped create the Australia we are all still living in. 

This is episode 2 - In the Shadows of the Australian Dream. 

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Guest: Author of Where It All Went Wrong: The case against John Howard, Amy Remeikis

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John Howard’s victory marked the beginning of a prime ministership that would run for eleven years – redefining the Liberal Party, reshaping the economy, hardening the culture wars and changing the way power is exercised in Canberra.

In this three-part series, Amy Remeikis – contributing editor at The New Daily takes us back to Howard’s years in power.

Amy has just released a new book on Howard, Where It All Went Wrong: The case against John Howard. In this series she traces his improbable rise to the prime ministership, the way he consolidated power, and how he reshaped the nation in his own image.

This is Part 1 of a three-part series.

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Guest: Author of Where It All Went Wrong: The case against John Howard, Amy Remeikis

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Iranian authorities say civilians have been targeted, including in a strike on a girls’ primary school in Minab – killing more than a hundred children. Israel says it’s targeting the regime’s military and nuclear infrastructure. And across the region, Iran has already fired missiles and drones at Israel and at Arab states hosting American forces.

Then came the most consequential announcement of all: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is dead.

Khamenei was the centre of Iran’s power for decades – and his death leaves the country’s leadership in flux, at the exact moment the conflict is spreading.

Today, Dr Bader Mousa Al-Saif – a Gulf politics expert, assistant professor of history at Kuwait University and non-resident fellow at The Arab Gulf States institute – on the goal of regime change in Iran and whether Gulf states will pick a side.

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Guest: Gulf politics expert and assistant professor of history at Kuwait University, Dr Bader Mousa Al-Saif

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The Coalition’s new leadership is arguing Australia needs lower numbers, tougher rules, and a clearer cap on how many people we bring in each year.

It’s a familiar conversation. In the lead up to the 2024 election, Peter Dutton tried to put a hard number on it – promising to cut migration by 100,000 a year, saying it would help free up housing for Australians.

But critics say a large cut would hit the workforce Australia relies on, including the people needed to build more homes.

Abul Rizvi was a senior official in the Department of Immigration from the early 90s to 2007, when he left as deputy secretary.

He says the argument we keep having – election after election – skips the bigger question: Australia’s need for a long-term population plan, and what we want it to achieve.

Today, Abul Rizvi on the politics of population growth.

This episode was first published in April, 2025.

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Guest: Former deputy secretary of the department of immigration, Abul Rizvi.

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The Senate is examining the capital gains tax discount – the Howard-era change that slashed tax on asset profits and helped turn housing into a national obsession.

It’s long been considered untouchable, especially after Labor’s bruising 2019 election defeat. But with house prices entrenched, inequality rising and the budget under strain, pressure is building on the government to do something.

Today, economist and Executive Director of the Australia Institute Richard Denniss, on why the concession exists, the vested interests resisting change, and whether the politics around it are finally shifting.

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Guest: Executive Director of the Australia Institute, Richard Denniss

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But for the people who do, the personal cost can be devastating: retaliation at work, legal threats, even prosecution. And that fear keeps others silent, leaving wrongdoing to fester.

The Albanese government came to office in 2022 promising a stronger integrity agenda, including “immediate improvements” to whistleblower laws and broader reform to follow. But years on, what’s actually changed for whistleblowers, and why do so many still feel unprotected?

Today, lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre’s Whistleblower Project, Kieran Pender, on creating Australia’s first specialist legal service for whistleblowers, and what’s wrong with our laws.

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Guest: Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre’s Whistleblower Project, Kieran Pender

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In the chamber there was plenty of love, but on the streets of America the President’s popularity has been falling.

Today, US journalist Steve Clemons, editor at large of The National Interest- on the speech and the spectacle – how did Trump’s state of the union go down, and what does it all mean for the midterms.

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Guest: Steve Clemons, Editor at Large of The National Interest

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Now, as Russia knocks out Ukraine’s power grid, and people freeze at temperatures of below minus 20 – is it time for President Zelensky to cut a deal?

Today, Kateryna Argyrou Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations on travelling through a war torn country and whether it is time for Ukraine to cut a deal.

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Guest: Kateryna Argyrou, Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations

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Now, as the world reels from Andrew’s arrest, and the royals scramble to protect themselves from one of the biggest crises the palace has ever faced – a warning from a royal biographer: that Charles could go down too.

Today, royal historian Andrew Lownie, who literally wrote the book on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on what’s next for the former prince – and whether the King could be forced to abdicate the throne.

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Guest: Andrew Lownie, historian and royal biographer

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They pitch it as a clean, green alternative to regular data centres. But as Earth’s orbit becomes increasingly crowded, what will Elon’s mega constellation do to our night sky? And could a crash between satellites set off a catastrophic chain reaction?

Today, Associate Professor of Astronomy Sam Lawler on the potential for disaster, the need for new space laws, and the time a huge piece of space junk landed in her home town!

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Guest: Associate Professor of Astronomy, Samantha Lawler

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The case, brought by the consumer watchdog, came on the back of hundreds of angry posts on X, TikTok and Reddit from shoppers archiving the supermarkets giants’ prices – and accusing them of gaming their “Down Down” and “Prices Dropped” promotions.

The ACCC alleges some of those promotions were misleading –  with the “discount” price the same as, or higher than, what had been charged just weeks earlier.

Today, economist and journalist Peter Martin on the “illusory” discounts – and how a Cadbury Caramello Koala helped fuel the outrage.

This episode was first published in October, 2024.

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Guest: Economist Peter Martin.

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It’s language that was once politically toxic. Now it’s cutting through with a whole generation of voters who feel they’ve been dudded by the promise of prosperity through hard work alone. 

Today, Director of Strategy and Analytics at RedBridge Group, Kos Samaras, on the voters once known as Howard’s battlers, why more of them are turning to One Nation, and the forces reshaping Australia’s political centre and the social fabric of its democracy. 

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Guest: Kos Samaras, Director of Strategy and Analytics at RedBridge Group

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Her appointment comes at a time when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are being imprisoned at one of the highest rates in the world, incarceration rates are rising instead of falling, Indigenous people make-up nearly a third of all deaths in custody, and most Closing the Gap targets for children are not on track; with some going backwards.

So the task to break the cycle that leads to these appalling stats is a huge one.

Today, National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter on the task ahead and giving voice to children who have too often been spoken about, but rarely listened to.

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Guest: National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children, Sue-Anne Hunter.

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But the PM insists the group, who are all Australian citizens, aren’t welcome here.

Thwarted at the last minute, as they tried to make their way back home this week. The group is now in limbo once more. 

Today, Greens Senator David Shoebridge and Syria expert Josh Landis on the threat of radicalisation, the hope of rehabilitation, and what happens next for these Australians as chaos takes hold in Syria.

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Guest: Greens Senator David Shoebridge & Syria expert Dr. Joshua Landis

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It was the beginning of the end for the prince.

Now, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has again hit the headlines, this time for allegedly sharing secret trade documents with Jeffrey Epstein.

And as the fallout from the Epstein files threatens to take down everyone from ambassadors to prime ministers - Emily Maitlis again has a front row seat as the saga unfolds.

Today, Emily Maitlis from The News Agents podcast on Andrew, the Epstein files, and how Trump is reshaping Europe.

Emily Maitlis appears at the MCEC presented by The Wheeler Centre on 5 March and at the All About Women festival in Sydney on 8 March.

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Guest: Emily Maitlis, journalist & host of The News Agents

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Now, a report has laid out all those stories in one place. And even Nick says he was stunned by the scale of it.

The report's author, barrister Geoffery Watson, not only tore the CFMEU to shreds - but also claimed the Victorian government knew about the problems, and failed to act.

But that section of Watson's report, that questioned the Victorian Labor government, was deleted before the report was published.

Today, Nine newspapers investigative reporter Nick McKenzie, on the incredible scale of the corruption at the CFMEU, and the serious questions the government has to answer.

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Guest: Nick McKenzie, Nine newspapers investigative reporter

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The government sells it as a ‘triple win’: workers earn Australian wages, Australian employers fill jobs they say they can’t fill locally, and money flows back to families and economies across the region.

But Morgan Harrington has been investigating the cases where workers say they were exploited and mistreated – including being overcharged by their employer for housing that’s overcrowded and even dangerous.

And because a worker’s visa is tied to one employer, leaving can mean losing your legal status – but thousands have chosen to, now living in Australia with the risk of deportation.

Today, Postdoctoral Research Manager at the Australia Institute, Dr Morgan Harrington, on why the PALM scheme is ripe for exploitation – and why some say it’s a modern slavery risk.

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Guest: Postdoctoral Research Manager at the Australia Institute, Dr Morgan Harrington

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The event began peacefully – but videos later emerged, showing protesters being pepper-sprayed, beaten, and arrested by police.

Police say some demonstrators wanted to march to NSW Parliament despite a restriction making it unlawful – and that when orders to disperse were ignored, they had to move the crowd on.

Twenty-seven protesters were arrested.

There have been a number of incidents in recent years where police have been accused of using excessive force against protesters. It comes as officers increasingly use weapons like pepper spray and rubber bullets.

Today, journalist and author Ariel Bogle on the use of these so-called “non-lethal” weapons, and how they’re changing protests in Australia.

This episode was first published in October 2025.

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Guest: Journalist and author Ariel Bogle

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Taylor, a former energy minister and standard-bearer for the party’s right, has promised discipline, economic clarity and a return to what he calls “core Liberal values”, where culture wars aren’t a distraction; they’re the strategy. 

For some, it’s a reset. For others, it’s a signal that internal battles are far from over. 

Today, Political Editor at news.com.au Samantha Maiden, on how the spill unfolded, who backed Taylor and why, and whether this puts the Coalition in a stronger position than it was at the start of the week.

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Guest: Samantha Maiden, political editor news.com.au

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Liberal MP Angus Taylor is set to challenge Sussan Ley for the leadership in a party room showdown at 9am. Their colleagues are now scrambling to pick sides as the face off looms.

So, who will emerge triumphant? And how will the chaos play with voters?

Today, contributing editor at The New Daily, Amy Remeikis on Taylor’s chances, the gender question, and whether a leadership change can save the Liberal party.

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Guest: Amy Remeikis, Contributing Editor at The New Daily

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But two weeks out from Mardi Gras – there are claims a rebel group has hijacked the event from inside the community.

We hear from the two groups at war over the future of the parade.

Today, Peter Murphy from Protect Mardi Gras, and Charlie Murphy from Pride in Protest on the battle threatening to tear Mardi Gras apart.

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Guest: Peter Murphy, Protect Mardi Gras and Charlie Murphy, Pride in Protest

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A symbol of the city’s fight for democracy and a free press – he has been silenced, handcuffed, and now sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Hong Kong court.

Seen as a traitor by Beijing, Lai has been jailed on charges of sedition and collusion with foreign forces – which he says are politically motivated.

Today, Sebastien Lai on fighting for his father’s freedom and what this case says about China’s ongoing crackdown in Hong Kong.

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Guest: Sebastien Lai, son of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai

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