Please Explain: Recent Episodes

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald

From the newsrooms of The Age and SMH, Please Explain gives you a daily insight into the stories that drive the nation.

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Kyle Sandilands commanded massive audiences on commercial radio before his now infamous sacking. And on Monday, his new subscriber-only live show was launched.

It was the old Sandilands but even more uncensored, and with a political bent, featuring guests such as NSW Premier Chris Minns and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

So why do we care, and what does this new era of media – free of the rules of commercial radio – signify? And why would politicians appear on his show anyway?

Today's guests are culture reporter Kayla Olaya and senior columnist Jacqueline Maley.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

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In a win that has sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party, an unabashedly left-wing epidemiologist has been chosen as the Democrat nominee to fight for a senate seat in Michigan in November.

Some see it as a desperate move at a time when the Republican Party is moving full steam ahead to prosecute opponents such as Dr Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden's former COVID tsar, who was browbeaten just over a week ago in a heated Senate hearing.

Today, North America correspondent Michael Koziol discusses why Democrats are gambling their ability to regain power in November on an insurgent who has argued for the US to cut military aid to Israel. And why Republicans are grilling Fauci on his decisions during the COVID pandemic.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, rate, review and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

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This week on Inside Politics, we take a look at some of the major policy challenges facing the Albanese government – from migration numbers, to gambling-advertising reform and the news media bargaining code between Australian media and big tech companies.

Joining host Jacqueline Maley are chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, please rate, review & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

Background reading:

Coalition will force Albanese to cede ground on gambling reforms
Needs work: Burke’s plans for migration overhaul delayed due to cabinet questions
‘Publicity-seeking extremists’: V’landys weighs in as gambling inquiry gets personal

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There’s a battle brewing over which country will lead the world in Artificial Intelligence, and the US has bet the house, economically, that it will be the winner.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on what previous infrastructure booms – such as the craze for building railways in the 1840s or the dotcom boom of the 1990s – tell us about where all this will lead, and which countries might be hit hardest in an AI bust.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, please rate, review & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or whichever platform you find your pods.

Some background reading for you:

It’s the new battleground for China v the US. But Beijing has one big advantage

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Is Alan Jones guilty of multiple counts of indecent assault? Or are the allegations against him - by six men - the result of treachery, desperation and opportunism, as Jones’ barrister has argued?

Today crime reporter Clare Sibthorpe on the allegations aired in court, so far, in the trial of Alan Jones, which began this week.

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It’s the latest health buzzword, proposed as a magic cure for everything from dementia to low libido. But is it safe, or even advisable, to take supplementary testosterone?

Today, we talk to Madeleine Heffernan on what the experts want us to know, and what this latest cultural obsession says about us right now.

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Virginia Giuffre was fearless in taking down some of the world's most powerful people. As Jeffrey Epstein's most prominent victim, she helped expose his crimes and hold his friends to account, including the man formerly known as Prince Andrew.

But despite her heroic battle in the most notorious sex trafficking case of the 21st century, few knew about one of her toughest fights. It was one she fought privately, at home in Australia.

Today, Good Weekend magazine senior writer, Melissa Fyfe, and WA Today reporter, Carla Hildebrandt, on their four-part investigative podcast, Virginia.

And just a warning, this episode contains mentions of suicide, domestic violence and other content that may be distressing to listeners. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.

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It’s been another roller coaster this week for mortgage holders. Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock issued a stern warning about inflation, before the clouds parted a little when there was a welcome dip in the numbers.

We check in with the state of the economy with senior economics correspondent Shane Wright, before crossing to state political editor Chip Le Grand after quite a momentous week in Victoria.

This week, Jacinta Allan was ousted as premier, with Ben Carroll taking the reins ahead of what is shaping up to be a genuine three-way contest in the November election between the Labor government, the Coalition and One Nation.

Today’s episode is hosted, as usual, by Jacqueline Maley.

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They are wars on different fronts, but both are showcasing what international and political editor Peter Hartcher says are the deep misjudgements of leaders.

Reporting this week revealed US armaments are running low as war continues in the Middle East. And the ramifications of the “unbelievable” nuclear deal that US President Donald Trump signed with Saudi Arabia are beginning to surface.

Meanwhile, in the Russia-Ukraine war, Hartcher says the decisions being made by Vladimir Putin aren’t much better, with the Russian president poised to begin a widespread and desperate recruitment drive for more soldiers.

Today, Peter Hartcher on what he calls the inglorious, disgraceful and counterproductive decisions of Trump and Putin.

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The Victorian government made headlines, for all the wrong reasons, in 2023, when it pulled out of hosting the Commonwealth Games on the grounds that it was too expensive.

Now, the Games are on in Glasgow, with many locals barely registering that it’s even taking place in their city, according to our reporter on the ground.

Today, senior sports writer Michael Gleeson on whether the competition, which started in 1930 as a means of uniting the colonies and honouring the monarchy, is on its last legs.

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Victorian politics is in turmoil. On Tuesday morning, Jacinta Allan stood down as the state's49th premier after more than 25 years in parliament.

In a bonus episode of The Morning Edition, state political reporter Kieran Rooney discusses what brought Allan down, who has replaced her and what it means for the state election in just four months’ time.

Background reading:

'Slow, then fast, the downfall of a premier under siege'
The one thing Jacinta Allan left out of her farewell speech is Carroll’s first priority

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There are not that many company CEOs who the general public knows by name. But Alan Joyce is one of them.

In part, it's because of how customers and employees were treated by Qantas, the company he led, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, senior reporter Chris Zappone discusses why Alan Joyce is now telling his side of the story.

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The Labor party is facing fresh scrutiny over where it gets its money.

Five days ago, it was the result of revelations that the party collected more than $4 million in gambling donations in five years – a chunk of that while it dithered on gambling reform.

And now, another donation has raised eyebrows.

Today investigative reporter Lucy Macken on the billionaire’s son who allegedly offered to donate money to the Labor Party at an exclusive dinner aattended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – and why it has raised questions.

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It has been quite the week in federal politics, and our attention has been sucked by two One Nation clangers.

First, Barnaby Joyce yelled at his dog on national television, then Pauline Hanson made some incredibly controversial remarks about domestic violence.

Meanwhile, our guests for today, chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos, are tuning in under the fluorescent lights of the Labor Party National Conference in Adelaide.

Today’s episode is hosted, as usual, by Jacqueline Maley.

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Why, six years on, is Donald Trump peddling the falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen? And how many Americans now believe it?

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher discusses what the timing of Trump’s renewed fixation may tells us about his ulterior motives.

Background reading

Trump’s three-pronged threat to American democracy

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Christopher Nolan’s $250 million film The Odyssey was always going to inspire – and enrage – fans. That’s what you get when you take on one of the oldest surviving stories in history and refashion the hero at its centre.

The New York Review of Books editor-at-large Daniel Mendelsohn is today's guest. The classics scholar discusses what Nolan is trying to tell us with his version and why it's provoked people such as Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr.

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If you’ve ever felt that you are being rushed through a healthcare appointment, you’re not alone.

Now a number of optometrists have told our mastheads that they are being pressured to rush appointments, and even skip providing clinical tests, in order to sell, sell, sell.

Today, health reporter Rachel Rasker on the optometry chains allegedly prioritising money over patient health.

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There are nearly one and a half million registered medical devices on the market in Australia.

Now, you would think that life-saving treatments such as pacemakers, defibrillators and pain pumps would be subject to the same sorts of clinical trials as prescription drugs. Right?

Today, investigative reporter Liam Mannix on which devices have attracted the most complaints, and the medical device under investigation by a coroner after a tragic case in a regional town in Victoria.

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We switch to sunnier climes this week, to a posh hotel in Sicily. It’s where the TV series White Lotus was filmed, and it’s also where our colleagues at The Australian Financial Review spotted One Nation leader Pauline Hanson poolside with billionaire Gina Rinehart.

So what’s Hanson doing in Europe?

In today’s episode, host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal talk about who Hanson met overseas and how that plays for voters back home in Australia.

Also, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave a landmark speech this week about the government’s approach to AI.

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The madness of Donald Trump surfaced again in the past day or so, according to many seasoned onlookers.

First, the president of the United States announced that he would impose a shipping toll on the Strait of Hormuz, something that would jack up petrol prices and spike inflation. Then he backed down, before he then threatened to take out Iranian bridges and power plants – a move that could be considered a war crime.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher reports from Washington DC on what might be the American president’s most consequential flip-flop to date.

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For nearly a century, the FIFA World Cup has carried fans throughout the world to great heights of unity and joy. This year's tournament, which is coming to a close, revealed some of the best of America. Scottish fans were welcomed by the city of Boston, and supposedly drank the city dry, while Japanese fans in Dallas marvelled in the delights of Texas barbecue.

Then there was the game itself and its stars, such as Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham.

But a maelstrom of complications threatened the sense of inclusion this year, particularly due to host country United States being at war with Iran.

Deputy editor Nick Ralston today discusses the joy and tension he witnessed at matches in the United States and Canada - as well as that viral Aussie chant about Donald Trump.

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A growing majority of Australians want housing prices to fall, in some cases by more than 20 per cent, according to new polling exclusive to our mastheads.
Could it be that our decades-long obsession with growing house prices is finally coming to a halt?
Today senior economics correspondent Shane Wright talks about why conventional wisdom about what voters want from housing seems to be wrong.

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Melbourne property developers, entrepreneurs and small business owners are promising huge sums to Pauline Hanson’s partybefore November's state election.

They say it’s in return for advocacy on key policy areas.It is advocacy these donors think will be stronger coming from One Nation, rather than the party they once supported – the Coalition.
But the identities of these donors are, so far, shrouded in secrecy.

Senior reporter Sarah Danckert says one reason is because they’re feeling some shame about their promise to One Nation.

In today’s episode, Danckert explains why Hanson is attracting more donations from business circles beyond her most wealthiest backer, mining magnate Gina Rinehart.

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This week, we’re talking about a visit from Narendra Modi to Australia and why Anthony Albanese wants to bask in the Indian prime minister’s limelight, despite questions around Modi’s human rights record.

And in an environment where One Nation and the Coalition want to go hard on migration, Albanese’s friendship with Modi looks like it stands in stark contrast.

But that’s not what piqued everyone’s interest in Canberra this week. We’re still talking about Albanese’s perplexing podcast interview in which he said he’d "shag" popstar Kylie Minogue and joked about melons and the Japanese PM.

And, we cover the new data that shows how bad Australia’s inflation is compared to other nations.
This week’s episode is hosted by Jacqueline Maley and features chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

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China launched a rare ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine into the Pacific on Monday.
It wasn’t just putting nearby countries, like Australia, on notice.

It was making a statement that has changed the world, says international and political editor Peter Hartcher.

He joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss why this missile launch differs greatly from the one China launched two years ago, and why we have yet to hear a response from US President Donald Trump.

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Allegations of cheating and sporting corruption have followed the revelation that Donald Trump intervened in the FIFA World Cup to overturn the suspension of an American player. But the ramifications of this unprecedented event might far outlast the tournament.

Today, Sydney Morning Herald deputy editor Nick Ralston and North America correspondent Michael Koziol on the politics of Trump's intervention before the United States' knockout loss to Belgium.

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Over the weekend, a particularly deadly strain of bird flu was confirmed in NSW for the first time.

This takes the total of confirmed cases nationwide to six.

Today, science reporter Angus Dalton on how much of a risk we’re dealing with.

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The death of 17-year-old Thai girl, Thanchanok Donhomla, has shocked Australia, and sparked fear among sex workers in Pattaya. Thanchanok's body was found in a suitcase and dumped in long grass by a railway.

The man accused of murdering her is 45-year-old Australian, Simon Peter Carman. He is being held in the Pattaya Remand Prison.

Today, guest host Benjamin Preiss talks to Southeast Asia correspondent Zach Hope who says, in the world’s sex capital, a rampant industry funded by anonymous male tourists has come into sharp focus.

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The government's capital gains tax and negative gearing changes are now legislated, and this week there has been some early data on how these changes are hitting the property market.

Plus, Labor's compromise on gambling advertising reforms and Angus Taylor's leadership of the Liberal Party.

Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos join Jacqueline Maley to discuss.

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In December last year, Australia was confronted with its worst-ever incident of antisemitic violence when gunmen killed 15 people on Bondi Beach at a Hanukkah gathering. That came after the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne and an arson attack on the Lewis' Continental Kitchen in Sydney.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, or ASIO, has now warned that hatred of Jews is one factor virtually all violent extremist cohorts have in common. How did we reach a point where so many Jews now say they feel unsafe in Australia?

Today’s discussion, guest-hosted by Benjamin Preiss, is with international and political editor Peter Hartcher.

Background reading

It’s the unique hate that inflames all others, and Australia is failing to quell it

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The Victorian government has staked its reputation, to a large extent, on an ambitious infrastructure program – termed the Big Build by state Labor, the program includes major road and rail projects totalling billions of dollars.

Victoria Police however, say there is no doubt gangland-linked corruption has infiltrated the Big Build.

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie joins Benjamin Preiss on the revelations of wrongdoing within Victoria's Big Build.

Background reading

‘Organised, strategic and out of our remit’: Police issue reality check on Big Build corruption

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Karl Stefanovic was the face of Australian morning television for 25 years. Lauded for wearing the same suit for a year to highlight sexism, laughed at for showing up drunk on air following the Logies.

Now he’s agreed to part ways with Nine, the owner of our mastheads, after he featured far-right, anti-Islam British activist Tommy Robinson on his podcast.

Today, columnist and senior journalist Jacqueline Maley on whether the Stefanovic saga is the new rite of passage for the middle-aged man, or, if it signifies a fundamental shift in mainstream media.

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For decades, neuroscientists have offered opposing theories for how our brains process the risks and rewards of daily life. Some thought our brains dedicate the most energy into managing everyday realities. Others have thought our brains fire up when we’re thrown something unexpected.

Now we have an answer. And it might make you re-think how you live.

Today, science reporter Angus Dalton on findings by researchers from the University of Sydney, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, that might help explain how our brains are functioning, in this age of information overload.

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This week independent MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender announced they would form a new political party, Community Strong Australia.

Steggall was successful as the first teal candidate, winning the prize seat of Warringah on Sydney’s north shore from former prime minister Tony Abbott in 2019.

Spender took Sydney’s blue-ribbon electorate of Wentworth from Liberal David Sharma in 2022.
But the leaderless Community Strong is a high-risk strategy, as all other teal MPs have declined to join.

Today, Steggall is a special guest on Inside Politics with Jacqueline Maley to talk about, amid the fracturing of the Coalition and the rise of One Nation, why now is the right time for Community Strong Australia.

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More Australians feel unsafe in the world than ever before, according to new research from the Lowy Institute.

And it is this environment of fear – fear of a bad economy, of terrorism, of immigration – that makes for an environment ripe for a political party like One Nation to prosper.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on how Australia is experiencing a moment he has never witnessed before, and where the solutions lie.

Background reading

This is the Australia that Pauline Hanson has been waiting for – a frightened country

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After months of criticism, and two significant scandals, Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as British prime minister.

So, why is the country on the cusp of having is seventh prime minister in only 10 years?

Today, Europe correspondent David Crowe on Starmer’s drastic fall, and on Andy Burnham, the unconventional politician who’s expected to take his place.

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With heritage-listed sandstone turrets and iron gates, the Redeemer Baptist School promises Sydney parents the private school dream: a prestigious, disciplined education for a fraction of the cost.

But its academic awards, state-of-the-art facilities and charitable works conceal a darker reality.

Today education reporter Emily Kowal talks to The Morning Edition host Samantha Selinger-Morris on allegations from former students who say the school ordered them to share bedrooms with teachers, and subjected them to authoritarian control. Or, as the school’s student diary put it, “Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.”

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For decades now, if someone died, there were two choices: burial, or cremation.

But soon, Australians may get a third choice for how they choose to farewell their loved ones, thanks to a growing trend overseas.

Today, senior writer Bevan Shields on human composting: a method of burial that may give you the ick, but that is giving many others profound peace of mind.

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The hottest ticket in Australian politics this week was Pauline Hanson's first address to the National Press Club, which happened on Wednesday.

The Press Club, set up in the early 1960s, has become a rite of passage for any aspiring political leader. But Hanson has been an outsider, and the Press Club represents the type of institution she rejects, so until now the One Nation leader has never made an appearance there.

Her speech, as Inside Politics host Jacqueline Maley and chief political commentator James Massola discuss, was extraordinary for her position on Australian culture, late-term abortions, Muslim migration and her attack on female journalists.

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A big first-game upset over Turkey sets the scene perfectly for a grudge match in Australia’s crucial game against the World Cup hosts at 5am on Saturday morning (AEST).

Behind the scenes, a fiery cocktail of history, spiteful friendlies, and straight-up disrespect from American soccer pundits has turned this Group D clash into a highly personal grudge match.

In this bonus episode, host Samantha Selinger-Morris talks to sports reporter Vince Rugari, who will be on the ground in Seattle, to break down the trash talk, the tactical madness of Tony Popovic, and why this insanely talented, multicultural Australian squad might just have the youth and stoicism to silence a hostile American crowd.

Background reading: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/yank-hypocrisy-why-mike-grella-s-socceroos-slander-rings-so-hollow-20260615-p606xk.html

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What have Iran and the United States actually agreed to in the memorandum of understanding that the two countries announced over the weekend?

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher breaks it down for us, to work out if it’s a peace deal, a ceasefire, or something else entirely.

Background reading

Trumped-up peace deal at the mercy of another nation, and it’s not Iran
Everything you need to know about the US-Iran peace deal

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This weekend thousands of teenagers will sit the entry exam for one of four select-entry government schools for high-achieving students in Victoria.

It’s a nerve-recking experience and the stakes are high. Many students will miss out on a place.
In NSW, competition is also fierce for a spot at select-entry schools. Students in both states spend countless hours preparing for the exams.

Today, Age education reporter Jackson Graham and Sydney Morning Herald education editor Christopher Harris explain how select-entry schooling became such a big deal and such big business.

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They are one of the big four accounting firms. Government agencies and major corporations trust them to audit their books and ensure everything is above board.

So what happens when one of these auditors is accused of a catastrophic failure of integrity?

KPMG will face this question and many others when it fronts a Senate inquiry this week. The explosive claims emerged after a whistleblower brought allegations the firm misused confidential client data to potentially win business with other companies.

Today, senior business reporter Colin Kruger explains why this scandal extends well beyond the big end of town and might affect anyone with an investment or super fund.

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Last week there were a couple of shocking crimes in Sydney. In one, a father and his 15-year-old daughter were forced to flee when a gunman approached them at school pick-up time. In another, assailants in a car filmed themselves as they sprayed bullets from a high-powered firearm into a funeral home.

Today, crime reporter Perry Duffin discusses the gang war in Sydney, and how the underworld is still accessing military-style guns after Port Arthur, and in the wake of the Bondi massacre.

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With the budget backlash era moving on to something like begrudged resignation, or budget fatigue, we’re expecting Treasurer Jim Chalmers to soon make a few announcements around the tax changes.

While this bubbles along, the only story in politics continues to be One Nation.

Inside Politics host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal debate whether the media and the near-daily reporting on polls are driving more support or exaggerating Pauline Hanson’s true popularity in Australia.

Outside of this, the hard-right party purportedly raised $1.5 million in a single day via a crowd-funding campaign called Fire the Liar. And the Coalition is squabbling over whether to preference One Nation in the next federal election, which is still two years away.

In the meantime, Labor by way of Foreign Minister Penny Wong says in the face of chaos, the government wants to go back to basics and focus on health, education and all the policies it says the other parties are lacking in.

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea this week has put the world on notice that Kim Jong-Un's nuclear program, and ambitions, are stronger than ever. But has Donald Trump taken note?

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on how North Korea has gone from global pariah to earning the respect of some of the world’s great capitals.

Background reading

The Chinese president has arrived in North Korea. The world is watching
Xi Jinping is feted in Pyongyang as Kim Jong-un swivels to Moscow

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Earlier this week, it looked as though tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran had jeopardised a two-month ceasefire. The new hostilities threatened to once again place the Middle East on the precipice of a full-blown regional war.

And then Donald Trump stepped into the fray.

Today Middle East and security analyst Rodger Shanahan discusses what led to these strikes, and what they mean for the fragile negotiations between Iran and the United States.

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When one of Australia’s most infamous Victorian gangland figures was arrested last week over an alleged traffic infringement, it raised some eyebrows.

So given Mick Gatto’s centrality in the building industry, was this the Victorian police pulling at straws in some last ditch attempt to crack down on suspected corruption?

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie on whether this arrest was, as Gatto asserts, “a load of crap”. Or if it’s illustrative of a new dedication by police to clean up an industry that’s been rife with alleged corruption for decades.

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The fertility rate in Australia is at a record low, and there is judgment all around.

Today, senior journalist Matt Wade and reporter Bronte Gossling on what our exclusive polling tells us about the global population plunge we’re all inching towards; what challenges it will throw at us; and why the demise of the third child may not be a great thing.

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This week polls showed, for the first time, One Nation ahead of the major parties and Pauline Hanson as preferred prime minister in second place ahead of Angus Taylor.

Today we're talking about her strategy, her chances in the lower house and any parallels with the United States. Is it time to take Hanson seriously?

And the week would not be over if we didn't mention submarines - but second-hand ones this time. Was this always the intention as the government is saying? We'll unpick it.

Today's episode is hosted by Jacqueline Maley, with guests chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott.

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The debate on the rise of Pauline Hanson is shifting rapidly.

This week, for the first time, polls are showing One Nation's primary vote has risen above the Labor Party's.

A conversation that focused on One Nation and the Coalition swapping preferences has now shifted to more profound questions about the long-term configuration of the right flank of Australian politics.

Hanson is yet to face the full force of scrutiny on her policies, her position on race relations and whether her party really is a credible governing outfit.

Pauline Hanson joined chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal for this bonus episode of Inside Politics, recorded in Parliament House on Wednesday.

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We know that Donald Trump has long chased after Vladimir Putin’s approval. Remember the time Trump tweeted: “Do you think Putin will be going to the Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow – if so, will he become my new best friend”? That was 13 years ago.

But now the American president is Putin’s match. Just not in the way he’d like.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcheron the humiliation of Trump and Putin by far smaller nations – and where their distinctly “dumb” power might lead us all.

Background reading

While Xi gets smart, Trump and Putin are showing the world what dumb power can do

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This weekend, there was supposed to be a special game played between the Sydney Swans and St Kilda. It was the teams' annual Pride match, in which the players would wear rainbow jerseys and celebrate diversity, the aim being to boost inclusivity for LGBTQ fans.

But for the first time in a decade, because of a far-reaching scandal involving Saints player Lance Collard, the Pride match was scrapped. Sydney opted to play the game against a different side, at a different time.

Today special correspondent Stephen Brook discusses the role that homophobic slurs play in footy and why the code’s attempts at cracking down on hate may be backfiring.
And just a heads-up, this episode contains offensive language.

Background reading

The question that exposed a massive flaw in the AFL’s fight against homophobia.
Not much pride in the AFL’s LGBTQI+ efforts.

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Tony Abbott is one of our most divisive former prime ministers. Lauded in conservative political circles, and mocked outside of them.

And now, after he was knifed by his own party as a first-term prime minister, and then lost his political seat, Abbott is back.

Today chief political commentator James Massola discusses Abbott's selection as the new president of the Liberal Party and the risk, and reward, he poses to Opposition leader Angus Taylor.

Background listening:

Tony Abbott's interview on Inside Politics – On running for Senate, AUKUS and cultural ‘self-loathing’.

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Roughly 5,000 new electric vehicles are due to land this week from China. This is just the first part of a shipment expected from the Chinese car manufacturing behemoth, BYD. The company is due to ship another 25,000 EVs here this year.

Australians are embracing electric vehicles more than ever before, thanks to skyrocketing fuel prices. But it also comes with unanswered questions and potential complications.

Today, North Asia correspondent Lisa Visentin discusses China's dizzying technological advances in EVs, and whether Australians buying these cars risk being spied on.

Background reading

‘Made in China’ EVs are taking over the streets, but just how safe is your data?

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We are officially in week two of budget backlash, and both sides seem pretty dug in.

Today we’re talking about the disagreements about the capital gains tax - the most controversial part of the budget - and if, as some critics said, it will kill business aspirations.

The other news that sparked our interest was the tantalising prospect of the Teal independents forming a party to consolidate their power in the face of a rising One Nation.

Today’s episode is hosted by Jacqueline Maley, with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.

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Gen Z in India are rebelling. Millions of young Indians have signed up to a movement that’s pushing against the unfair advantages that their elders have and they don’t. And though the political movement they've joined is satirical, the Cockroach Janta Party has the Indian government worried.

Today international and political editor Peter Hartcher discusses how serious a threat this movement is to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the other recent youth-led movements that have toppled governments.

Background reading

Peter Hartcher: 'Young people are revolting. India’s ‘cockroach’ campaign is just the latest example.'

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State of Origin is rugby league’s night of nights, with Queensland and New South Wales battling it out for supremacy.

But as the teams take to the field tonight, there’s a battle of a different kind taking place in the NRL as power swaps between the biggest names in sports administration - Peter V’Landys and Andrew Abdo.

Today, national head of sport Neil Breen on the politics of the NRL, and whether too much power may land in the hands of one man.

For more:

'Peter V’landys says the NRL needs ‘Superman and Jesus’ as CEO. That person will be Peter V’landys.'

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Drugs and music festivals have gone hand-in-hand for decades. In recent years – especially since a string of overdoses – authorities have employed various strategies to try to curb drug use and avoid tragedies from occurring at festivals around the country.

Depending on where festivals are held, music lovers have been subjected to various degrees of intervention – from having to run the gauntlet of sniffer dogs to intrusive strip searches. That is now changing.

Today, culture reporter Kayla Olaya discusses the 3000 people who sued NSW Police last year over the legality of strip searches, plus we look at recent changes to the policing of drug use at large, live music events.

Background reading

Days of ‘going through a gauntlet of police lined with drug dogs’ are over, says a top cop.

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As a police officer who investigated sex crimes, Graeme Simpfendorfer was accustomed to helping victims on what might be the worst day of their life. He found meaning in tracking down the criminals who’d hurt them.

But then came the day when he realised that he, too, was an alleged victim.

The former detective sergeant – who appeared on the reality television show Hunted – talks about what happened when he decided to report his alleged abuse to police. And what it was like to experience the justice system from the other side.

Today’s episode is hosted by Samantha Selinger-Morris.

And a warning, this episode contains descriptions of alleged sexual abuse. Anyone needing support can contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 and Lifeline 13 11 14.

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We’re officially in our budget backlash era, with claims of death taxes, of aspirations killed, and the outraged cries of crypto bros across the nation. Not to mention, of course, the genuine anxiety from regular small business owners and shareholders who are unsure of how all of these changes will affect them.

Our guest this week is former Labor opposition leader Bill Shorten, who is now the vice chancellor of the University of Canberra. Shorten knows a thing or two about such backlash, having taken changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax to not one, but two elections — 2016 and 2019.

Hosting today’s conversation is Jacqueline Maley, alongside chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has landed in China to meet Xi Jinping, days after the Chinese leader hosted US President Donald Trump.

Will Putin gush over Xi, as Trump was accused of doing?

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher discusses the historic concessions Trump has made to China, and what Putin is hoping to achieve from his meeting.

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It’s like clockwork. Every March, countless parents, children and teachers across Australia grip their foreheads, wondering about how their NAPLAN scores measure up.

But now, a new study of our country’s national standardised scholastic test has revealed an unsettling trend.

Today, education reporter Nicole Precel on the educational segregation that is thriving in Australia– and what it will take to fix it.

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With the Liberal Party in a political death spiral, it was perhaps inevitable that when Opposition Leader Angus Taylor gave his budget reply speech last week, he’d swing for the fences.

But could his much-awaited immigration policy help fix Australia's housing crisis?

Today, chief political commentator James Massola on what Angus Taylor means when he says his policy proposal “puts Australians first”.

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Melbourne’s nightlife industry has been beset by violent crimes for much of this year.
Under the cover of night, well-known venues - including an iconic French restaurant - have been targeted.

What makes this series of connected crimes interesting is the motive remains a mystery.
Some club owners have received an ominous message before an attack, but with no demand attached.

Also notable is the sheer number of teenagers, some as young as 13 years old, recruited over an encrypted messaging app to carry out the crimes.

Our episode today, with crime journalists Chris Vedelago and Carla Jaegar, is guest-hosted by Benjamin Preiss.

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The federal budget was pitched as a big moment for a progressive government that wants to equalise wealth and home ownership.

And one of the main attacks from the opposition is that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has had to break a promise in order to get there.

So will the broken promise line resonate if the changes are broadly supported by the public?

Also today, Inside Politics host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal talk about Coalition leader Angus Taylor’s plan to centre immigration in his budget reply speech, including that non-citizens should be blocked from welfare payments.

We also check in on One Nation’s Farrer by-election win and how significant a threat the party now poses to Labor.

Background reading:

Budget fallout: Next tax war will be over rival income tax cuts
Confused by the federal budget? We answer your questions

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When US President Donald Trump meets with China's President Xi Jinping this week, it will be a geopolitical heavyweight match-up with enormous stakes, according to Joe Biden’s former deputy secretary of state, Kurt Campbell.

On the table is everything from global trade to security.

And, at a time when Trump is arguably at his weakest, and Xi at his most paranoid.

Today international and political editor Peter Hartcher on whether Trump may inadvertently lead the United States into unilateral concessions and unintentional appeasement, and what this might mean for the rest of us.

Background reading:

Peter Hartcher - The empire of pain and paranoia that awaits Trump inside Xi’s China
Michael Koziol - The ‘big danger’ for Australia as Trump meets Xi

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The federal government has delivered one of the most anticipated budgets in recent history, with the focus on shifting wealth from Boomers and opening more of the housing market to younger wage earners.

In order to get there, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have enacted an overhaul of negative gearing, capital gains tax and trusts.

Today, we bring you an early episode of The Morning Edition from Parliament House in Canberra, with senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.

Peter Hartcher – ‘This budget will be attacked as a nightmare. That’s exactly what the PM wants.’
Paul Sakkal – ‘Albanese gambles on support from younger Australians as he dramatically shifts wealth.’

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We’re only hours away from the federal treasurer handing down the government’s much-anticipated budget. All eyes have been on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s anticipated - and controversial - changes to taxes that benefit the wealthier members of our society.

But there’s an entirely different factor that is likely to sway the government’s thinking.

Today, political columnist Sean Kelly on what One Nation’s historic win on Saturday could mean for the changes to our society that the government implements, or not.

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Travis Reyes, a 21-year-old US marine, remembers feeling smug as he sat with his feet dangling out the door of a military aircraft, soaring high above a gulf in the Northern Territory.

Yes, dozens of military personnel had died in these hybrid aeroplane/helicopters over the years. But the take-off from Darwin had been smooth.

Today, senior reporter Grant McArthur on the 23 marines who crashed in the bush, shocking the globe. And the world-first medical experiments by quick-thinking Australian doctors aimed at helping Travis Reyes survive against all odds.

Background reading

Grant McArthur's full story: 'A fiery air crash, a face-eating fungus and minutes from death in the Top End: How The Alfred’s doctors saved this US marine.'

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The electorate of Farrer is holding a by-election this weekend and we’re expecting the contest will be a good one.

The NSW seat, which hugs the border with Victoria, belonged to former opposition leader Sussan Ley for 25 years. Now, it’s a microcosm of the pressures the Coalition is under from independent candidates and One Nation.

And as Inside Politics host Jacqueline Maley puts it, Labor has grabbed the popcorn and is sitting this one out.

Also this week, RBA boss Michele Bullock made some unusually pointed remarks about inflation and government spending when she raised the cash rate again. Plus, we’ve been reporting on tax relief that’s expected to be announced in next week’s budget.

Joining Maley today is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

Background reading:

'‘F’ the lot of youse: Inside the deep political bitterness of the Farrer byelection.'
‘That’s assault’: One Nation volunteer grabs Liberal senator’s phone in clash outside polling booth

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US President Donald Trump never fails to miss an opportunity to punish his allies. This week, it was Germany after Trump announced he’d be pulling 5000 troops from the country after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the US had been humiliated by Iran.

But away from the front-page news, Germany and Japan – another former enemy of the US – have been on the rise.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on the stunning turnabout from the two countries that have threatened world peace the most in the past – and how all this will affect us.

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For millions of people, David Attenborough was the man who introduced us to the wonders of the natural world.

But, with Attenborough turning 100 years old on Friday, some are rethinking his legacy, and realising that his biggest achievement might have been missed entirely.

Today environment editor Nick O’Malley and former BBC arts director Jonty Claypole talk about how the world’s most famous naturalist changed our culture.

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Kylie Moore-Gilbert was imprisoned in Iran for more than years, accused of being a spy.

Five years after her release, the research fellow in security studies at Macquarie University is calling on the Australian government to change its strategy towards hostages.

Today, Moore-Gilbert speaks about how the era of "quiet diplomacy" is – in some hostage cases –over.

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On the evening of Anzac Day, a man is alleged to have set in motion a series of events that sparked a national outcry, broke hearts, and ignited rage in Alice Springs.

Today's episode comes after the news that 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis was charged on Sunday with the murder of a five-year-old girl in a tiny Alice Springs community.

We cross to the Northern Territory to journalist Hannah Murphy, from WA Today, on the case of Kumanjayi Little Baby.

Background reading:

Jefferson Lewis charged with murder over death of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
A week on, Alice Springs is a town forever changed.

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Inflation figures were out this week, and it wasn’t good news. Next week’s interest rates figures from the Reserve Bank aren't looking crash hot either. So how do these results impact Jim Chalmers’ impending budget and what are the chances the treasurer will press ahead with changes to taxes and housing?

We also chat about the government’s new favourite buzzwords from ‘intergenerational equity’ to ‘resilience’ and what they really mean.

And finally, we discuss whether Angus Taylor’s argument that Welcome to Country greetings were overused was a dog whistle from the opposition leader, or reflects a broad sentiment in the community.

Joining host Jacqueline Maley this week are chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.

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When the National Disability Insurance Scheme was created in 2013, it was proof that a rich society could find the money to help people living with a disability. This was social democracy at work.

Twelve years on, it has turned into a $62 billion behemoth, on track to cost more than the age pension.

The Albanese government last week admitted the scheme was at risk of collapse. It announced a root-and-branch overhaul to remove 300,000 Australians from the scheme in the space of a few years.

The man leading the contentious reform agenda is Health Minister Mark Butler.

The 55-year-old South Australian has emerged as one of Labor’s most energetic ministers, taking on big tasks in aged care, tobacco control and disability support.

He’s also been asked if he might be the next Labor leader after Anthony Albanese.

He joins this bonus episode of Inside Politics with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

Background reading

Natassia Chrysanthos and Paul Sakkal – New NDIS eligibility tool will be ‘relatively blind’ to diagnoses.
Natassia Chrysanthos – ‘Am I disabled enough?’ The question autistic participants are asking after NDIS overhaul.

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Regular listeners will know Peter Hartcher – he’s our international and political editor and a weekly voice on The Morning Edition, helping us dissect and process the extraordinary times that we’re living in.

Every week we get a lot of comments from our listeners, so we put a call out for the burning questions you’ve wanted to ask Hartcher. Today we've collated a selection of them for this special episode.

Background reading

Peter Hartcher's latest column – Trump says he’s won the war. No one has told the Iranians.

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It's shaping up to be a story of profound betrayal – if the allegations are proven in court.

On the one hand is one of Australia's most influential and richest philanthropists, a woman who doesn't use email or indeed a computer.

On the other is her personal secretary, whom she entrusted with access to her intimate personal and financial details.

Today, chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont on the case of Judith Neilson, Annalouise Spence and the alleged $1.6 million sequin-studded fraud.

Background reading

Kate McClymont's story – 'Profound betrayal’: The billionaire and her secretary’s $1.5m sequin-studded fraud.
And ‘Overwhelming case’: Billionaire’s ex-secretary refused bail over alleged $1.6m fraud.

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Within hours of the shooting, right outside where US President Donald Trump was dining at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, the American president was venting his anger.

Not, notably, about the gunman firing shots in the lobby of the hotel. But at a journalist who read out what the suspected shooter allegedly thinks about Trump.

Today Bruce Wolpe, a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre, on why this shooting differs - in such a crucial and dangerous way - from the two attempts on Trump's life during the 2024 election campaign, and the reckoning that is now spreading throughout Washington as a result.

Further reading:

Inside the pandemonium at the Washington Hilton
‘Friendly Federal Assassin’: Alleged shooter’s manifesto says he was targeting Trump officials

And just a note, after recording this episode, Cole Tomas Allen, was charged - on Tuesday, Australian time - with an attempted assassination of Donald Trump. According to a note Allan reportedly sent family members minutes before the attack, he believed that it was his duty to target Trump administration officials. Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, has said that additional charges would be brought against him.

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Prohibition-era gangs, mafia dons, the notorious Melbourne’s gangland wars and the rise of flashy outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Crime in Australia has had a few iterations, and has mirrored crime occurring in the rest of the world.

But now we’re in a new era.

Today investigative reporter Marta Pascual Juanola on how organised crime has changed and the uniquely Australian trend that has emerged.

Read Marta's story on organised crime here.

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Today, we are talking about one of the federal budget’s trickiest customers - the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Labor was once like a proud parent of the NDIS, but now even the minister in charge, Mark Butler, is describing the scheme as a honeypot for organised crime.

Also this week, an inquiry about taxing offshore gas exports went kind of viral due to a David Pocock question about beer and an appearance from a podcaster called Punters Politics.

Joining host Jacqueline Maley is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos.

Background reading

Natassia Chrysanthos’ latest story on the NDIS
All of The Age and Sydney Morning Herald’s political news and analysis.

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Since the Cold War ended more than 35 years ago, many of us have likely not given much thought to Bloc warfare. Those nuclear threats that the Western and Eastern Blocs hurled at each other? A thing of the past.

But lately, the beginnings of a return to Bloc warfare have revealed themselves.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on the group of countries that are assisting each other to fight wars. And why few have heard of their grouping.

Next Thursday, we'll be airing a special episode with Peter, in which he will be answering your questions. So if you have any questions about the state of our world that you've been dying to ask Peter, or a topic you'd love him to discuss, emails us at podcasts@nine.com.au and we may feature it on air next week.

Background reading

Peter Hartcher's article: Trump’s madcap folly emboldening this ‘axis of upheaval’
Peter Hartcher's columns and stories.

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Treasurer Jim Chalmers is slated to make a big change to the tax system, with the centrepiece of the May budget a change totaxing capital gains on property.

Will the likely tweaks reduce skyrocketing house prices, or address intergenerational inequality?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright talks about who this change will cost, who it will benefit, and by how much.

Background reading:

Shane Wright's story, 'CGT like it's 1999.'
The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's up-to-date political coverage.

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There’s been something of a revolt in women’s basketball in the United States, and two Australians – Alanna Smith and Ezi Magbegor – are among the biggest winners.

Today, sports reporter Frances Howe on the multimillion-dollar deals netted by these Australian stars, as a result of a very simple demand, and what it means for women in sport.

Background reading

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald's series on Australia's richest athletes.
Frances Howes' story on the WNBA.

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Just picture it: under the cover of night, police detectives raid a clandestine drug lab in Melbourne belonging to an organised crime gang. But instead of picking through just the usual: beakers, wads of cash and perhaps the unmistakable acetone odour of ICE, they stumble on something else.

Boxes upon boxes – upon BOXES – of Lego.

Today, senior reporter Chris Vedelago on why your kids’ favourite toy has become the underworld’s new favourite currency, and why it’s so good for laundering dirty money.

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A fire at a Geelong oil refinery - one of two refineries left in Australia - has heightened anxiety around fuel supply.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen joins the Inside Politics podcast today to address the impact of this fire and the scramble for petrol and diesel imports as the nation grapples with one of the most severe oil shocks in history.

The pugilistic minister, a lighting rod in the debate about Australia's renewable energy transition, joins chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and energy correspondent Mike Foley to discuss the rocky path to a green economy, and Australia's position to deal with the war and subsequent energy crisis.

You can read Sakkal and Foley's story on our websites here, and all our federal political coverage here.

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Seven weeks into the US-Israel war with Iran, the narrative that Donald Trump was pushed into the war by Benjamin Netanyahu, and that the US president is an agent of Israel, still permeates the internet.
How much truth is there to these claims?
Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher talks about who really is driving the war, and why it matters.

Read Hartcher's column here.

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As our journalist James Massola put it, his niece Mattea is like most three-year-olds: boisterous and bursting with energy.
Mattea is also not like most three-year-olds: from the moment she was born, her parents have had to grapple with a complex set of problems that make life very different.
I’m Samantha Selinger-Morris, and you’re listening to The Morning Edition, from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.
Today, chief political commentator James Massola on Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme and what next month’s expected cuts to the scheme really mean.

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For years, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have been tanking in popularity polls. Meghan is now the second-most disliked royal, beaten only by the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

So why is this faux-royal tour occurring down under when the British monarchy is arguably on the nose?

Today, senior writer Bevan Shields comments on recent bullying accusations against Prince Harry, what they're doing here this week - and how much they're charging us for the pleasure.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been slammed – over the course of years – for failing to crack down on the more than 1 million gambling ads broadcast every year on Australia's free-to-air TV and radio, not to mention the rest of our gambling industry, which has driven some families to financial ruin.

Then, finally, just over a week ago, came the prime minister’s announcement of a gambling overhaul.

Today, business reporter Kishor Napier-Raman on just how much so-called “filthy money” our government is taking away from stakeholders, and if there’s any chance these reforms might break the link between children and sports wagering.

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The new leader of the Nationals, Matt Canavan, is a former Marxist from the suburbs who was once a Productivity Commission economist and then, a firebrand right-wing senator.

Canavan joins Inside Politics today with chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal at a time when the Nationals are battling for survival against an ascendant One Nation.

The pair discuss Australia's over-reliance on the US, Canavan's dislike of identity politics, his surprising love of electric vehicles and, to cap it off, religion.

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US President Donald Trump has backed down, at the eleventh hour, from his horrifying threat to - as Trump put it himself - unleash destruction on Iran’s entire civilisation.

Both sides have now said they have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, which includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on how to make sense of the events of the last 24 hours. And whether in two weeks, the world is likely to be, yet again, on the brink of carnage.

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The Australian Federal Police today arrested war hero Ben Roberts-Smith over the war-crimes murders of five unarmed Afghan civilians and prisoners during the Afghan War.
The arrest comes after a quiet, five-year-long investigation into Roberts-Smith, which reportedly involved tapped phones, listening devices, and raids by secretive Office of the Special Investigator detectives.
Today, investigative reporters Nick McKenzie and Michael Bachelard reveal how this arrest unfolded, and what happens next.

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There was a significant judgment in a Victorian court last week, one that is causing a great deal of controversy in the medical community.

The case centres on what happened when a woman presented to a regional hospital to give birth.
The woman, Larissa Gawthrop, was in labour – but the hospital refused to admit her until she’d undergone a vaginal examination. For the hospital, this test is routine, but Gawthrop had been really clear in her birth plan – she’d only consent to an examination if there was an urgent medical reason.

What happened next, according to the court decision, was tantamount to assault, and the judge awarded Gawthrop $275,000 in damages.

Today, senior writer Wendy Tuohy discusses the landmark case and its implications for the medical community.

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Many of us probably have a hunch that vaping is bad for our health.

Questions about just how bad have been around for years.

So why, then, has there been a backlash by health researchers against a new study, that has now declared that the evidence is in, and e-cigarettes are likely to cause oral and lung cancer?

Today, science reporter Angus Dalton on the main warnings contained in this Australian study.

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This week we debate the merits of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s national address before getting stuck into what’s happening with the budget. With the world in a bit of a shambles, we found it interesting that the PM hasn’t totally killed off the idea of reforms in the budget to things such as capital gains tax and negative gearing.

But, as our guest and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright says, this is the most difficult budget to piece together since the response to the global financial crisis in 2008.

Finally, host Jacqueline Maley and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal talk about a fascinating interview Andrew Hastie gave recently.

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US President Donald Trump says he’s nearly done with the war in Iran, declaring: "We will be leaving very soon." His secretary of state also said on Wednesday that he can "see the finish line".

This would be significant, but only if the Americans were in control of the war.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher argues the United States has leached power in this war, while the Iranian regime is in its element.

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Investigative reporter Nick McKenzie logged on to a Zoom call to meet the man who said he was Aaron Pierson.

McKenzie was also hiding his real identity, posing as a recruiter for an Australian tech company. The whole thing was a set-up, a trap for someone McKenzie suspected to be a spy for North Korea.

Today, McKenzie talks about the new way spies are targeting Australian businesses, and what happened in that Zoom call.

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In a sudden conclusion to one of Australia’s most intensive manhunts, self-described sovereign citizen Dezi Freeman was shot dead by police on Monday morning.

For more than 200 days, Freeman evaded police after killing two police officers at a rural property in Porepunkah, in Victoria’s High Country, on August 26 last year.

In a bonus episode today, crime reporter Melissa Cunningham on how the deadly saga of Dezi Freeman came to an end.

For all the latest on this story, visit theage.com.au or smh.com.au.

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It is one of the most unspeakable crimes a parent can be accused of – shaking their vulnerable baby so badly, that they sustain brain damage, or in the worst cases, die.

Diagnosing Murder is a new investigative podcast by senior writer Michael Bachelard, and producer Ruby Schwartz, that questions whether we can trust the science behind shaken baby syndrome.

Today, Bachelard explains why the diagnosis is in question and whether innocent people are being locked up for a crime they never committed.

And just a warning, some listeners may find the contents of this episode distressing.

Diagnosing Murder is out now. Listen on Apple, Spotify and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

This episode mentions the case of a Texas man who was due to be executed this week. Since we recorded this interview, the man - Robert Roberson - has been granted a reprieve.

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The member for Goldstein, Tim Wilson, is a guest on the podcast this week during a very interesting time for the Liberal Party. Last week, home affairsspokesman Andrew Hastie quit the front bench, followed by infighting and internal leaking.

Wilson talks about his relationship with Hastie and the former frontbencher's 'fraught' decision to step back, and where the party's soul-searching could possibly lead.

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Japan is preparing for its first ever female prime minister. Sanae Takaichi, the 64-year-old hardline right-wing conservative, likens herself to Margaret Thatcher, and was a drummer in a metal band in her youth.

Today, political and international editor Peter Hartcher on whether Takaichi's ascension marks progress for Japan, and what her leadership could mean for China, Donald Trump’s impact in the Indo-Pacific, and Australia.

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If you’re lucky enough to be on a plane these days, flying somewhere, it’s so easy to feel ungrateful. Does anyone need to watch the film Red 2, again? And why do we get so sweaty?

But sitting way up high in the air for a long time, you can experience actual peace of mind. To concentrate, work, relax. Or - here’s a surprising benefit - just be … bored.

Today, senior reporter Chris Zappone, on the joys of his recent 17-hour long-flight from Singapore to New York City. And the new technology that might bring this to a halt.

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Can we trust food labels? As in, is the chicken in the supermarket fridge really free-range like it says it is? Are the "local" prawns from a fishmonger at the market really Australian?

Today, science reporter Angus Dalton talks about new technology developed by Australian scientists that can uncover where food truly comes from, and the results may well lead you to question what you’re buying on your weekly shop.

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Almost seven years ago to the day, on the NRL grand final weekend, a bizarre set of events unfolded.
An injured woman knocked on the door of a stranger, saying she was escaping from two men, and that she needed help.
The 19-year-old air force cadet who answered the door let the woman in and called emergency services before the men forced their way into the home.
The slightly built teenager armed himself with a knife, and the end result? The two men were killed.
It seems like a case of self-defence, but a new podcast called 'Alva Beach: Death at the Door' - from 60 Minutes reporter Adam Hegarty - says there are still holes in the story that need to be answered.
And just a warning, listeners may find the contents of this episode distressing.

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For decades, families in Australia and overseas, have been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable – child abuse. Diagnosing Murder is an investigative podcast about parents who've had their children taken away, sat in the dock and even done time in prison. All for something they insist they didn't do – shake their baby. Can we trust the science behind shaken baby syndrome? Or are innocent people being locked up for a crime they never committed?

Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/diagnosing-murder/id1843555473
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3LqYqSCZHW4vtA0yhiaJKB?si=f8c56f4b638b4a24
Listen on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrLulycax358g-04ndbBaBg3ED4Dnyv0S&si=CVXIqoUI6AJ6DD5x

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The prime minister has just returned from 10 days of high-wire diplomacy, initially at the United Nations in New York before swinging through London and stopping by Abu Dhabi on his way home.

He’s claimed some credit for helping push along a potential peace plan for Gaza, spruiked Australia’s social media ban on the global stage, and drummed up interest in Australia’s green transition and critical minerals reserve.

Foreign affairs correspondent Matthew Knott was on the PM’s plane and, with Jacqueline Maley away this week, he joins chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

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On the weekend, Denmark reported unidentified drones had appeared above its major military bases. It was the country’s third drone alarm in a week and one of five European nations in a month to experience incursions - from either drones suspected of Russian origin or from the Russian Air Force itself.

So why is Russia violating Europe’s skies, seemingly with impunity?

Political and international editor Peter Hartcher says it’s all part of a "hybrid war", and one that Australia is no stranger to. And, Hartcher argues, the West has been blind to these attacks.

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We all know how annoying it can be to cancel a subscription, whether to a streaming service or gym membership, but when do ‘'subscription traps’', as they’re known, legally cross a line?

Consumer advocates, businesses and legislators are puzzling over the question as the government formulates new laws on unfair trading practices.

Today, national consumer affairs reporter Elias Visontay on what a ban on subscription traps may actually look like.

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Researchers say they have, for the first time, dramatically slowed the progression of a cruel and devastating neuron condition called Huntington’s disease.

For sufferers, this potentially means getting years of their life back or the lessening of symptoms of a condition that robs them of physical movement and kills their brain cells.

Today, Professor Julie Stout from Monash University’s Turner Institute of Brain and Mental Health, on why this clinical trial, which involved a small number of patients in London, has the medical world so excited.

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There was a time when people who believed that the government can control the weather, or that Wi-Fi causes cancer might have been social pariahs.

Now, they sit in the higher echelons of power in the United States.

So, why are conspiracy theories flourishing now?

Today, British journalists Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey, authors of Conspiracy Theory: The Story of An Idea, on the history and psychological pull of conspiracy theories. And the destruction they can cause, when they move from the fringe to the mainstream.

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Today we are bringing you a special international episode of the pod. The prime minister has spent the week in New York addressing the United Nations, recognising Palestinian statehood and chasing Donald Trump around Manhattan trying to get a meeting.

We talk about all these capers with host Jacqueline Maley and our chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, who are joined by foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott from New York.

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How to make sense of the last two weeks?
Because it isn’t just that Russia has stepped up its global aggression by invading the airspace of various European countries with drones, fighter jets and a surveillance plane.

It’s also the tirade US President Donald Trump let rip yesterday to 150 world leaders at the United Nations – a blistering one, even for him. And his silence after King Charles rolled out the red carpet for him in the UK.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher helps us connect the dots, which he says amount to “the early days of a transformation of the planet”.

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For many people who watched the coverage of Charlie Kirk’s memorial, it was the sounds that struck them the most.

The triumphant 60,000 conservatives who erupted with yelps and claps after messages of forgiveness… and hate.

Today, North America correspondent Michael Koziol, who attended the memorial, on what Donald Trump and members of his administration said in the Arizona arena, and what it might mean for their agenda, going forward. And what life on the ground in the US, after Kirk’s assassination and this highly charged memorial, feels like, right now.

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Optus is in the firing line once again over an outage that left customers unable to call Triple Zero for 13 hours.

In that time, four people died – including an eight-week-old baby.

Authorities later said they don’t believe the baby’s death is linked to the outage.

Today, technology editor David Swan on whether the telcos can be trusted to run Triple Zero.

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Once upon a time, the dangers of eating too much fast food were at the front of our minds thanks to documentaries like Super Size Me. But that was more than 20 years ago.

Since then, the topic may have fallen off the front pages, but fast food chains have been on the march, opening up across Australia.

Today, regional editor Benjamin Preiss and senior health reporter Henrietta Cook on the growing movement to halt the growth of the "golden arches" in regional areas.

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The government announced its 2035 emissions reduction target this week, committing Australia to climate action despite a retreat from the United States. Meanwhile, the Coalition looked a lot like it was about to take up arms in the climate wars - again.

Chief political commentator James Massola joins host Jacqueline Maley.

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A flurry of numbers relating to climate change have been tossed around all week.

But what do they mean?

Today, environment and climate reporter Bianca Hall and climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley on what impact the government’s climate emissions target for 2035 will have on all of us.

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Three years ago, mainstream newspapers in the West had a bit of fun ridiculing so-called nepo-babies, and the unfair advantage enjoyed by the children of the rich and the powerful, like Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple, or Lenny Kravitz’s daughter, Zoe.

But in Nepal, nepobabies are no joking matter.

They have just, in part, sparked the most widespread social unrest that the nation has seen in recent years. Last week, this left the prime minister toppled, and the wife of one former prime minister in critical condition.

Today, Griffith University International Relations Professor Renee Jeffery, on the Gen Z-led violence that has erupted in Katmandu, and what triggered tens of thousands of protesters to take to the streets.

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Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s charisma has led to her meteoric rise, and also, to her recent relegation to the back bench.

Lambasted for her position on various issues including the Stolen Generation, the Black Lives Matter movement, and more recently, immigration, the Indigenous senator is celebrated by some of the most powerful conservatives in the country, and has become the most followed Coalition MP on social media.

Today, investigative reporter Patrick Begley and federal political reporter Natassia Chrysanthos track plain-speaking Price’s journey from children’s entertainer to political celebrity.

You can read their story here: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/she-s-making-big-trouble-why-jacinta-price-is-losing-favour-in-her-family-s-hometown-20250912-p5muia.html

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US President Donald Trump is a fascist, running an authoritarian regime.

We hear this allegation a lot, now. But is he? Really?

Fascism expert Jason Stanley says he moved with his family to Canada so that he could leave behind, and protest against, the political climate in the United States.

Today, Stanley, a University of Toronto philosophy professor, and author of Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future, argues that American exceptionalism has blinded many Americans from thinking fascism could ever take root in their country. And he discusses if fascism could flourish here in Australia.

Jason Stanley appears in Curious at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday 28 September and in Melbourne on Thursday 2 October, presented by The Wheeler Centre.

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Controversial Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was sacked from the Coalition frontbench this week. Price left Opposition Leader Sussan Ley with little choice, after she refused to apologise for comments she made about the Indian community, and then refused to publicly affirm her faith in Ley’s leadership.

Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos discuss the inside story of the sacking with host Jacqueline Maley, and they also check in on the climate debate, before a key climate policy measure to be decided next week.

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When we think of countries trying to show the world their power and influence, we might think of muscular shows of force, like China’s army parading its newest nuclear weapons, missiles and lasers in a military parade in Beijing, last week.

But then there was our government scrambling to out-deliver China with a tit-for-tat over, of all things, cars, for a tiny but crucial Pacific nation.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on why the region Australia long thought was least important is now the region that matters the most.

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More than a year ago, the CFMEU – one of Australia’s most powerful unions – was placed into administration, after an investigation by our mastheads, and 60 Minutes, revealed that it was infiltrated by bikie gang members and criminals who were guilty of corruption and cronyism. But now, some of the very union officials who have been tasked by the government to stamp out the corruption have themselves been threatened - via arson attacks, vandalism and threats.

As one union leader puts it: “I was gobsmacked. I feel like I'm in an episode of the Sopranos. It’s bizarre".

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie on the ongoing allegations of corruption, and the bravery of one man who is steadfast in his goal of purging the union of it, even as he admits he now does so while looking over his shoulder.

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So now we know: Erin Patterson will be 82 before she gets the chance to get out of jail; if she gets out at all.

This will make her one of Victoria’s longest-serving female inmates.

But the revelations from Patterson’s sentencing hearing, in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday morning, leaned less to the historic, and more to the primal.

Today, crime and justice reporter Erin Pearson, on the people impacted by Patterson’s premeditated and pitiless cruelty, and what the judge made of them. And the unexpected moments of mercy and forgiveness that Patterson was, nevertheless, offered by one of them.

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Year 9 debaters in South Australia were given a topic for the third round of their debating competition a few months ago. The topic was whether the ''tradwife'' movement, a lifestyle in which women embrace traditional gender archetypes, was good for women.

While it was deemed offensive by some, senior writer Jacqueline Maley today outlines why such a debate is worthwhile, and whether the movement is a "frilly version of fascism" or a way to reclaim motherhood.

For more, read Maley's article, 'Year 9s were asked if women should stay in the kitchen. People were outraged. I wasn’t'.

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Political debate was dominated this week by the topic of immigration after anti-immigration rallies in major cities last weekend.

Politicians from both major parties tried to strike a balance between listening to people’s legitimate concerns while condemning the extremist fringe of the anti-immigration movement.

Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal and federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos join host Jacqueline Maley.

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Almost immediately after Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny was murdered by the Kremlin last year, in an arctic penal colony, Russian president Vladimir Putin turned his eyes to Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya.

She knows that nowhere is safe for her; not even flying to Australia, as she did this week. She was once a victim of poisoning. And a Russian court has issued an arrest warrant for her, on charges of extremism.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher joins me to discuss how Yulia Navalnaya is combatting Vladimir Putin and fighting for a “normal” Russia, even as Putin is being welcomed into open arms by an increasing number of democratic leaders.

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The whispering forests and deep valleys of Victoria’s high country have long provided refuge for those on the run.

Think of Ned Kelly and his gang, who roamed the north east Victorian ranges, before finally being captured by police in a shootout at the Glenrowan Inn.

And, conspiracy theorist Dezi Freeman, who has been on the run for the last week in this area, after allegedly killing two policemen and injuring a third.

Today, associate editor and special writer Tony Wright, who spent the last few days in this area, on how this region has helped some of Australia’s most mythic outlaws.

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Violent clashes, police with pepper spray and chants of “Heil Australia”. These were the scenes we saw over the weekend, as thousands of Australians marched in anti-immigration rallies, which have been endorsed by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. Why did this violence erupt now? And what does it mean that two prominent politicians attended the rallies?

Today, senior writer Michael Bachelard and Maria O’Sullivan, Associate Professor at Deakin Law School, on whether our laws are up to the challenge of protecting all Australians from vilification.

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Venture to a pro-Palestinian rally at one of Australia’s capital cities, and you’ll invariably hear calls to “end the genocide” in Gaza.

And in the international court of justice, South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide as well. It’s a claim Israel strenuously denies.

So what is a genocide?

And what evidence is needed to prove that one is happening?

Today, we bring you a special episode with Geoffrey Robertson, KC, a former United Nations war crimes judge and now a human rights barrister and author, who tells us why this case will become the definitive decision on genocide.

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This week Canberra turned into a John le Carre novel, with the stunning revelation from the head of ASIO Mike Burgess, that the state of Iran directed at least two attacks on Australia’s Jewish community, on Australian soil. As a consequence, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expelled the Iranian Ambassador from the country.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss these dramatic developments, is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and national security correspondent Matthew Knott.

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As we record this episode, the Victorian High Country is the scene of an intense hunt for a man accused of shooting and killing two police officers, and injuring a third.

The man Victoria Police say they are searching for is Desmond Christopher Filby, aka Dezi Freeman, a radicalised conspiracy theorist, and self-described “sovereign citizen”, who espoused hatred for police.

But what is a sovereign citizen, and how widespread is the movement in Australia?

We bring you this episode earlier than usual, with associate professor Dr Joshua Roose, who was an expert witness in a similar, notorious shooting in Queensland, on whether the sovereign citizen movement has been underestimated

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Many will remember a spate of frightening attacks against Jewish communities in both Sydney and Melbourne last year, including firebombings, vandalism and a van full of explosives.

We now know, according to the country’s top spy agency ASIO, that the Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks.

The government has responded swiftly, expelling the Iranian ambassador to Australia and closing its embassy in Tehran.

We bring you this episode early today, with Middle East and security analyst Rodger Shanahan, on what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called ‘extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression’ on our soil.

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If you’re in your 20s or 30s, or have someone in your life who’s in that age bracket, you know that the struggle to buy a home is real.

So, what to make of the federal government's announcement that it will launch its newly expanded scheme to help first home buyers purchase a property earlier than expected?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright, on whether this will help fix our housing crisis.

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AI chat bots are fast becoming a part of everyday life with more than half of all Australians using them regularly, although just over a third of those users say they trust them.

Today, explainer reporter Jackson Graham explores how artificial intelligence learns, how often hallucinations - or wrong information - occurs and whether AI can be trusted.

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This week was an exciting one in Canberra, especially if you’re the kind of person who digs the philosophy of tax and transfer. We are talking, of course, about the economic roundtable, hosted by Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

Meanwhile Health Minister Mark Butler began the necessary but painful process of reining in the enormous growth of the NDIS.

Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright join Jacqueline Maley to discuss.

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Since Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine three and a half years ago, both sides have suffered catastrophic losses. More than one million Russian soldiers killed or injured. And on the Ukrainian side? Nearly 400,000.

Both sides seem to agree on nothing except for one thing: whoever has the support of American president Donald Trump has the best chance at stopping this war on their terms.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on whose side Trump is on now, after two crucial meetings held - separately - with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, over the last week.

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It was billed as a “vibrant gathering of readers, writers, and creative thinkers” who would spark “ideas, conversation, and inspiration”.

So what happened last weekend to turn the Bendigo Writers Festival from an idyllic ideas-fest into an event that exemplified “an authoritarian abuse of power”, as the festival’s founder put it?

Today, senior culture writer Kerrie O’Brien on the slow-moving car crash of a cultural event that left dozens of writers stunned, and appalled.

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It may have once boasted one of the most heartwarming advertisement ever to grace our TV screens reminding us that Qantas meant coming home, but in the last few years, the airline has weathered multiple scandals, and allegations of ripping customers off.

And then came Monday morning, when the national airline was slapped with a whopping $90 million dollar fine for unfairly sacking staff.

We bring you this episode on Monday night, a little early, with aviation reporter Chris Zappone.

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For more than a decade of dazzling media coverage, Dr Munjed Al Muderis was lauded as a miracle worker to some of the most vulnerable people in our community, helping people to walk again, against all odds, after losing their limbs in accidents and warzones.

This all came crashing down, after a months-long investigation by reporter Charlotte Grieve, who exposed allegations of treatment gone horribly wrong with patients left disfigured, depressed and in excruciating pain, with horrific medical complications.

Today, investigative reporter Charlotte Grieve, on a recent - and landmark - court case that backfired on the surgeon, and why, even after the damning Federal Court judgment, Dr Al Muderis is still practicing.

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This week the Albanese government announced it would recognise Palestine as a state, a huge foreign policy shift that was greeted with approval by many and criticism by others.

Plus, the Reserve Bank assumes a fall in productivity right before the government's productivity summit, and is there tension between the PM and Treasurer?

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

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Two former Israeli prime ministers and now, the chief of staff of the Israeli defence force, have objected to Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial Gaza takeover plan, in the face of growing objections from the west, including Australia, to the starvation and death of Palestinians.

But, as international editor Peter Hartcher pointedly argues, Netanyahu doesn’t care. Nor does he care about the Israeli hostages still in Gaza. If he did, he would not prolong the war.

So, what will it take?

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It was a scene straight out of the Donald Trump playbook: a rambling press conference where he spoke about oceanfront property in Ukraine, his upcoming meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Russia – though he’s actually meeting him in Alaska. And then, as if on cue, his claim that, Washington DC has been “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals”.

Today, North America correspondent Michael Koziol, on Trump’s historic move to take over the police force in the nation’s capital, and send in the national guard. Michael explains what this all means, whether it’s legal, and his view from the streets of Washington DC.

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Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has announced that Australia will recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations, next month.

After being told, over the weekend, of Australia’s imminent announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Australia - and the other countries that have recently flagged their intention to soon recognise Palestinian statehood - as being “shameful”.

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott, on what impact this announcement could have on the lives of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. And whether it might further embolden Benjamin Netanyahu, to move even further away from agreeing to a cease fire in Gaza.

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If you've bought a house lately - or tried to - then you'd know the price advertised for properties in the big cities are, more often than not, way below what they sell for.

But we've never really had a handle on how widespread underquoting is. Until now.

In a new investigation that analysed tens of thousands of property sales in Sydney and Melbourne, our mastheads have uncovered an extraodinary level of misinformation and deception faced by property buyers.

In today's episode, reporters Aisha Dow and Lucy Macken take us through the results of this investigation and how dodgy price estimates are an open secret in Australia's property market.

To read all the stories in the 'Bidding Blind' series, go to: https://www.theage.com.au/national/bidding-blind-melbourne-20250724-p5mhkc.html

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This week on the pod we are going to delve into what we are calling Canberra’s Coachella - AKA the Productivity Summit, which is happening the week after next.

What is the point of it? And what is productivity anyway?

Here to discuss, we have Chief Political Correspondent, Paul Sakkal as usual, and special guest star and productivity king, Senior Economics Correspondent Shane Wright.

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If you heard the news that Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday and responded with a shrug, you probably weren’t alone. How do or die are monthly jobs statistics? And wasn’t this just another instance of Trump attacking someone whose findings he didn’t like?

Not according to experts from across the political aisle, who have raised the alarm that this move represents a different threat, altogether. Even for Donald Trump.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on what history tells us happens once a country’s leader starts controlling facts.

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We all know that divorce settlements often get ugly.

We hear stories about the couples who chainsaw couches in half, such is their disagreement over who is entitled to get what. So, who knew that, behind our backs, divorce settlements have been getting even messier?

Today, legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn on the new methods that couples are using to hide their assets.

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Picture this. A man has been convicted of rape. And as he sits in his prison cell, awaiting a sentence, he continues to be paid his taxpayer funded salary of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. He hasn’t been fired.

It might sound implausible. But this case is playing out right now, with a NSW member of parliament.

Today, state political editor Alexandra Smith on the case of Gareth Ward. And why behaviour that would get you fired from any job in the private sector, doesn’t automatically rule you out of making the law.

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If you feel like you’re working like crazy, but getting nowhere fast, you’re far from alone. It turns out that Australians work manymore hours, per week, than our counterparts in Germany and Japan.

But a new study has shown the benefits of a four-daywork week.

Today, economics writer Millie Muroi, on why the government keeps going on about productivity. And whether a shorter work week, which has already been adopted in other countries, could be heading our way.

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French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian and UK prime ministers Mark Carney and Keir Starmer have all called for Palestine to be recognised, one way or another.

But Anthony Albanese remains cautious. So what is the Australian Prime Minister waiting for?

This week on Inside Politics, European correspondent David Crowe, national security correspondent Matthew Knott and chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal explain.

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For the last 54 years, countless writers have lived by the words of the late author Graham Greene who wrote that writers should have a “splinter of ice in the heart”. He meant that we need to maintain a critical distance from the events we cover, in order to remain objective.

But have journalists become part of the world’s problems, with our focus on catastrophes?

Today, international and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on the argument that some journalists have been “bad friends” to all of you, and the clarion call for a new type of writing, to meet this moment of calamity that we find ourselves in.

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The release of images of starving children lying listlessly in their mothers’ arms, in the Gaza strip, has pushed a growing number of global leaders to accuse Israel of breaking international law.

So, is this the tipping point that will end the war?

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott on the plight of Gazans, now. And whether Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will bow to Donald Trump, who has just said he wants to make sure that Gazan civilians are given “every ounce of food”.

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Mark Smyth was one of Australia’s very top cancer scientists. Or, as one former colleague puts it, “the god of immunology."

But Smyth was a god who fell to earth and doubt now surrounds his work after a public unravelling.

Today, The Age and Sydney Morning Herald's national science reporter Liam Mannix on Smyth’s so-called “lab of secrets”, and his faked data, which now underpins a cancer drug being given to patients.

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Obesity affects about a third of Australian adults, while another third are classified as overweight. But the weight loss drug Ozempic has proven to be a game changer in tackling this health epidemic across the country.

Drugs such as Ozempic have evolved from managing diabetes to managing waist lines as Hollywood celebrities and doctors have hailed it as a phenomenon, with Ozempic users dropping kilos without crash diets or joining the latest run club. A

But what's the catch?

Today, Explainer reporter, Jackson Graham breaks down the wonder drug and the side effects you need to know while balancing the risks with the benefits.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faces tricky terrain with the government lifting a ban on US beef imports to Australia this week, leaving him open to suggestions he has capitulated to pressure from Donald Trump.

We also witnessed a democratic festival in the form of the opening of the new parliament, with former foes Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack putting differences aside to attack the government's 2035 emissions reduction target.

Soon, the PM will have to decide on the interm emissions target. Some big companies want him to go hard, while others urge a slower approach to the green energy transition.

Now that the US has pulled out of the Paris Agreement altogether, what will Albanese do?

Today, Chief Political Correspondent Paul Sakkal joins host Jacqueline Maley.

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A showdown looms between two of the world's most powerful men, Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch, with the American president suing the media mogul for a whopping $10 billion.

Front and centre of the case is Trump's connection to the late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, an issue that has become so divisive lately that it threatens to tear the MAGA movement apart and destabilise the president's leadership.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hatcher discusses what one of Trump's most loyal supporters, Steve Bannon, told him about the biggest controversy to hit Trump's second stint in the White House.

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You may be like half of all Australians who now take a multivitamin, to improve their health.

But are they safe?

Melbourne dad Dominic Noonan-O’Keefe had no reason to think the multivitamin he took recently, to boost his energy, would be anything but. And then, one day, he sat at his desk and felt like his brain was exploding.

Today, health reporter Angus Thomson on the hundreds of Australians who’ve joined a class action investigation against wellness giant Blackmores. And the Australians who are unintentionally poisoning themselves with over-the-counter supplements.

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More Australians are turning towards using in-vitro fertilisations to have babies, every year.

Often it's done through regulated IVF clinic, but sometimes parents - desperate for a child - search for a sperm donor on social media.

But as this extraordinary case shows, there can be many more risks associated with - as one lawyer put it - the ‘wild west’ - of online sperm donation.

Today, senior reporter Henrietta Cook on the case of a Melbourne man who fathered 27 children, and the fall-out after the women he donated to found each other.

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East Jerusalem is one of the most contested pieces of land in the Middle East. International law says it is an occupied Palestinian Territory. Israel claims it is an essential part of the Jewish state. But for the Palestinians and Jewish people who live in East Jerusalem, side by side, it’s often a daily struggle to feel safe. If not physically, then psychologically.

And since the war in Gaza began nearly two years ago, an increasing number of Palestinians have been evicted from their homes there.

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent, Matthew Knott, on the battle for statehood that is being fought in this area, house by house. And the Australian-Israeli man who’s at the centre of it all.

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Well, here we are, a new term of parliament begins next week. There’ll be fresh faces and, hopefully, fresh ideas.
So will the government use its massive majority to press ahead with major reforms in housing, or tax, and how will opposition leader Sussan Ley and her team rebuild their battered party?
Before we get to that, the news this week has been dominated by Anthony Albanese’s trip to China, which has been full of stage-managed warmth.
But with our very own Paul Sakkal away travelling with the PM, and our host Jacqueline Maley on a book tour, we have acting political editor Nick Bonyhady in the chair with special guests: Nine’s political editor Charles Croucher and CBD columnist Kishor Napier-Raman.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been in China this week, a picture of warmth as he shook hands with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

But there’s a lot happening behind these carefully stage-managed moments.

As one commentator put it: “The tightrope along which [Australia’s] been walking between the U.S. and China - just got pulled tighter at both ends.”

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on how Anthony Albanese is balancing his desire to ink more trade deals with Xi Jinping, while facing pressure from the United States, to fight against China.

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One time high court justice Dyson Heydon and famed neurosurgeon Charlie Teo once held the futures of countless people in their hands.

But then came their downfall.

As one lawyer put of Dyson Heydon, after a high court inquiry in 2020 found that he had sexually harassed six young female associates, “At the same time he was dispensing justice in the highest court in Australia’s legal system, he was [engaged in] sexual harassment.”

And Charlie Teo? Two years after being found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct - for, among other charges, taking financial advantage of a vulnerable patient - he was reduced to performing surgery overseas.

So what, then, to make of their so-called reputation rehabilitation tours?

Today, CBD columnist Kishor Napier-Raman, on the continued celebration of these men, in some of the most privileged circles in Australia.

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Some have hailed it as a dangerous document that could restrict our freedom of speech. Others have celebrated it, saying it will lead to protections that are overdue for a community that has long been battered by prejudice.

We are, of course, talking about the report that Jillian Segal, the special envoy to combat antisemitism, handed to prime minister Anthony Albanese last week.

But what changes, if any, will our government implement from amongst Segal’s recommendations? And does she have any power, herself?

Today, deputy federal editor Nick Bonyhady, and federal politics reporter Olivia Ireland, join me to discuss all of this. And what we should make of the sizeable donation that Segal’s husband has made to a right wing lobby group.

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We know that air flight is - for the most part - extraordinarily safe. On any given day, about 100,000 flights take off and land, safely, across the globe.

The air tragedies that do make the front page news, like Malaysia Airlines’ MH17 flight, which was shot down by a Russian-made missile in 2014, are exceedingly rare.

But unbeknownst to most of us, many pilots experience difficulties with their GPS signals. And, these difficulties are reportedly increasing.

Today, senior reporter Chris Zappone, on this persistent, but relatively under-reported problem that pilots face so regularly. And how much of a threat it is to our safety.

You can find Chris' story on The Age and Sydney Morning Herald websites here: https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/how-a-confusing-cockpit-snippet-invited-doubt-over-the-air-india-crash-investigation-20250713-p5mejl.html

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What do the great war time Prime Minister John Curtin, and current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have in common?

Well, a little bit, according to Albanese.

On the weekend the PM delivered the John Curtin Oration and set tongues wagging with hints about his newly independent stance when it comes to our relationship with the United States.

But how will this land with the Trump administration, which is currently reviewing the AUKUS pact? Is it possible they will make Australia pay more for submarines under the pact? Or pressure us into participating in a possible conflict with China over Taiwan?

Plus, the confusing matter of yet more US tariffs on Australian goods, perhaps…and what is going on with the Reserve Bank - are they misleading the public, or are they just confused themselves?

Joining Jacqueline Maley is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.

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For many of us, Cambodia has long been synonymous with tragedy, and the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, which killed between 1.5 and 3 million Cambodians.

But, underneath our noses, Cambodia has more recently been roiling from tension with its neighbours. And when a military standoff recently led to the death of a Cambodian soldier, it set off an unexpected chain of political fallout.

Today, southeast Asia correspondent Zach Hope, on what happened to Suon Roun on a contested mountain top. And why it just may bring down the Thai prime minister.

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Many will remember a powerful 2013 video of the then Australian army chief David Morrison ripping into soldiers who denigrated women, saying there was no place for them in the military.

But today, after another set of allegations of rape in the ADF have been revealed, we wonder if anything has really changed.

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie - who broke the story for our mastheads and 60 minutes.

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It’s the case that has had people from all over the world talking. And today, after a 10-week trial, the jury returned a verdict.

Erin Patterson has been found guilty of triple murder, killing her in-laws, Gail and Don Patterson, and also Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson. Patterson was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson.

Ian Wilkinson was the only survivor of the now infamous lunch of beef wellington, which a jury has now decided Patterson deliberately laced with death cap mushrooms.

One of the reporters who covered the trial for The Age, Erin Pearson, was there for the verdict and reports from outside court in this episode of The Morning Edition.

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Ever since American president Donald Trump declared a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, on June 24, we’ve been bombarded by hot takes from leaders on all sides. Trump says the entire world is safer, and the United States has triumphed over Iran.

Iran’s supreme leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei, says Iran delivered the United States a "severe slap".

But what do Israeli civilians, who are caught in the middle of it all, make of it?

Today, foreign affairs national security correspondent Matthew Knott, reports from the middle east, on what Israelis are thinking now about the fate of the hostages, a looming ceasefire with Gaza, and whether a Nobel Peace Prize could be the key to peace in the middle east.

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The creation of a National Anti-Corruption Commission was a key Labor promise before it won Government in 2022. The Commission was duly created and this week it released the findings of its first ever investigation.

But was it a little anti-climactic? Can we hope for bigger and better corruption-busting in the future?

Plus, interest rate cuts and the confusing matter of the Trump tariffs, and their effect on the Australian economy.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is federal politics reporter Olivia Ireland and senior economic correspondent Shane Wright.

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It is every parent’s worst nightmare. That their vulnerable child might have been abused at daycare; the very place where they’re meant to be looked after.

This comes after new broke on Tuesday morning that a Melbourne childcare worker, Joshua Dale Brown, had been charged with 70 counts of sexual abuse against eight children, some as young as five months old.

Today, senior reporter Chris Vedelago, on what we know about this case. And early childcare sector advocate Lisa Bryant, on the changes she’s fighting for, and what parents need to know to keep their children safe.

This podcast contains content that listeners may find distressing.

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It was the killing that led to protests not just across Australia, but in New Zealand and the United States, too. Because the brutal beating of 15 year old Cassius Turvey while he was walking home from school, didn’t just end the life of a boy who was on a steady path to buck one of Australia's most damning trends: that a young Indigenous man is more likely to go to prison, than to university. The killing also reopened one of this country’s foundational wounds.

Today, WA Today reporter Rebecca Peppiatt, on the sentencing of the killers, last week. And what she understands about the community that birthed these killers, where she herself lives, that she thinks we should know, too.

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There was a time, not so long ago, when so-called quiet luxury, or stealth wealth, was in vogue. You remember; this is what Gwyneth Paltrow wore during her ski slopes trial; understated cashmere cardigans and suits cut just so that you had to be in the know, to know that these had come from The Row and Celine and cost a bomb.

But the $50 million wedding, last week, between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez has marked a new age. That’s right, we’re now in 'The Age of Vulgarity.'

Today, senior columnist Jacqueline Maley, on why this celebrity wedding is different from all the rest. And how we’re all going to pay the price.

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Many of us most likely spent the weekend catching up with friends, at our local pub or favourite restaurant. It’s unlikely we turned our attention to those preparing our meals, hidden in the kitchen, chefs who may be on their 14th hour, burnt out and very far from home.

Some of those chefs, former staff at lavish Merivale venues across Sydney, are now sharing their story, and the at times darker reality of their work.

Today, Good Food reporter Bianca Hrovat and investigative reporter Eryk Bagshaw.

And just a note, lawyers for Merivale have denied the allegations raised in this episode. You’ll find their response at the end.

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She is a former shearer, a pilot and a mother of three children. She has a dark past as a punk in Canberra. She has been one of the only women in the room in successive Liberal cabinets. She was the deputy to former opposition leader Peter Dutton, and following the last election, she took his job.

She is, of course, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley.

Today, chief political commentator James Massola and host Jacqueline Maley speak to Ley about the Coalition’s woman problem, how she plans on stopping a split within the Coalition over energy policy, and most importantly, we ask who she really is, as a person

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Donald Trump has accused Israel and Iran of already breaking a ceasefire, in a tirade against both sides as the US President left for a NATO summit in the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, multiple American media outlets are reporting Sunday’s bunker blitz did not destroy Iran’s three key nuclear sites.

So what’s next? And also, how did we get here in the first place?

Today, national environment editor and former US correspondent, Nick O’Malley on the series of events which left Iran dangerously exposed.

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After eight weeks, the jury in Australia’s most high-profile trial in decades, is set to deliberate, and return a verdict.

By now, most will be familiar with the tale - Victorian woman Erin Patterson is accused of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, by serving them poisonous mushrooms in a beef Wellington lunch. Heather’s husband, Ian, also ate the lunch but survived after weeks in hospital.

Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three charges of murder and one of attempted murder. Soon, we will know whether Patterson faces a life behind bars, or walks free.

Today, crime reporter Marta Pascual Juanola, who’s been following this case since the very beginning, on the trial of Erin Patterson.

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It’s the kind of war he’s promised for years to avoid. Then just last week, Donald Trump said he’d take the fortnight to consider his options. But on Sunday, under the cover of darkness, the US president announced American forces had struck Iran.

The secret and brutal assault on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, using so-called "bunker buster" bombs, brought the United States directly into the conflict between Israel and Iran.

While Trump has certainly claimed the total obliteration of Iran’s nuclear capability, the full extent of the damage remains unclear – so too how the Islamic Republic may retaliate, including a potential move to choke the world’s oil supplies.

Today, North America correspondent Michael Koziol on the fast-escalating developments in the Middle East.

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Donating blood is an important community service – one that’s desperately needed for patients, in life-threatening conditions. But up until now, those identifying as gay, bisexual or transgender had effectively been banned from donating. A lift on that ban will now significantly expand Australia’s donor pool at a time when blood - specifically plasma - is most needed by patients. But for many in the LGBTQ+ community, the changes are long overdue, and the ban has been a major source of stigma. Today, health reporter Kate Aubusson and Matthew Mottola, on why the ban has been lifted, and why it took so long.

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This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled to the G7 summit with high hopes of scoring a sidelines-meeting with US President Donald Trump. The PM wanted to discuss the AUKUS pact, and the tariffs that the US government has put on Australian aluminium and iron ore among other things.

But events overtook, and Trump left the summit to deal with the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Albanese did not get his meeting. He didn’t even get a phone call cancelling the meeting.

So what does this mean for our relationship with our supposed closest ally? Will Albanese be able to stalk Trump at the upcoming NATO summit instead? And was it really the loss of face some critics said it was?

Plus, attempts to reform the Liberal party, both at the NSW and the federal level.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss, is federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos and climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley.

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Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile fire in the Middle East’s latest battleground - and the world awaits a decision from Donald Trump.

The US president has long sworn off getting involved in wars like these, indeed, he’s touted himself as the peacemaker.

But now he faces a critical decision, and a key test for his presidency. Meanwhile, Trump told leaders at the G7 summit that he’d been open involving Russian president Vladimir Putin as a mediator.

Today, political and international editor Peter Hartcher on what Putin’s growing influence over Trump means for foreign policy.

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'Train by day, podcast by night' is the catchphrase of the ‘Joe Rogan Experience’ podcast which has 50 million-odd downloads a month worldwide with a huge male listenership including in Australia.

The American host's message,while compelling, can be rambling, unpolished, and often delve into conspiracy theories.

Today, Chief Reporter, Jordan Baker on Joe Rogan’s influence on Australian men and whether it’s something to be concerned about.

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Some of Victoria’s top restaurants and most celebrated chefs have come under fire recently, as allegations about bullying and harassment mount from former employees. Similar such allegations have seen heads roll at hospitality giants like Swillhouse in Sydney.

And now, allegations about a popular Melbourne restaurateur, from those who have worked with him closely, an alleged incident of indecent exposure and aggressive behaviour.

Today, investigative reporter Charlotte Grieve on how the spotlight in the hospitality industry has turned on those in positions of power, and why employees at high-profile venues across the country are speaking up now.

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When news broke, 11 days ago, that one of Australia’s oldest and largest fertility services implanted the wrong embryo in a woman in Melbourne, it, naturally, made headlines around the country.

But for those of us following the story, that was just the beginning. Because this mistake occurred only two months after another woman, in Queensland, gave birth to another couple’s baby, after an embryo mix up at Monash IVF.

Today, senior reporter Grant McArthur on why this industry, which offers the promise of desperately wanted children, is leaving people to feel heartbroken.

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This week the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave a big speech at the National Press Club in Canberra, and used it to dangle the prospect of economic reform.During its first term, the Albanese government was criticised for not being bold enough in its agenda. So is the PM signalling he will use his huge majority to institute major reform? What would a daring economic reform agenda look like? And are Australians ready for it?

Plus, Jacqueline Maley, Paul Sakkal and Shane Wright discuss the hardening of the government’s stance on Israel, after it imposed sanctions on two Israeli ministers.

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It’s hard to keep up with what’s happening in Los Angeles. And why. On Saturday, federal agents were jumping out of an unmarked van near a Home Depot parking lot and began grabbing people.

Then we heard that Donald Trump had called in the National Guard. And then the Marines.

And then, yesterday afternoon, Californian governor Gavin Newsom delivered a rebuke to Donald Trump in a nationwide address, saying: “What we’re witnessing is not law enforcement - it’s authoritarianism.”

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on why we are witnessing the opening scenes of a new phase in American history.

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New York Times bestselling Author Michael Lewis is, as one interviewer recently put it, “a kind of guru of our age”. This is because, in books like Moneyball, The Big Short and Going Infinite, not to mention his own podcast, he has chronicled some of the big social and economic seachanges of our time - from the global financial crisis, to the cryptocurrency market, and how online gambling companies have managed to wage something of a “war against young men”.

Sometimes, he even seems to anticipate the sea changes. Last year, he all but predicted Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE manifesto, when he decided to investigate what American civil servants actually do. And the catastrophic risks that might come from decimating the federal government.

Today, Michael Lewis, on all of this, and what he thinks comes next for the American government. Plus, whether he thinks our own prime minister is “gutless” for delaying a ban on TV gambling advertising.Michael Lewis’ new book is Who Is Government: The Untold Story of Public Service is out now.

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Australia has marked the King’s Birthday long weekend and with it comes honours for 830 people.

But there’s one that stands out: former prime minister Scott Morrison’s appointment as a companion of the order of Australia has proved divisive.

So why did Morrison get the honour? Does he deserve it? And who are some of the other awardees on the list?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Nick Bonyhady on the people Australia chooses to recognise.

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Male humpback whales sing to each other, and when they do - over the course of a season - a favourite “hit song” emerges. Each whale passes it along, until all the humpback males in the Southern Ocean sing it.

But humpback whales aren’t just amazing creatures, capable of tenderness, and rivalries. They’ve also managed one of Australia’s great comebacks - they numbered less than 100 on the east coast in the 1960s, and now there’s about 40,000 of them.

Today, environment and climate reporter Caitlin Fitzsimmons on why they’re thriving, while other whales are critically endangered. And whether new information about threats to whales might inform the government’s environmental policies.

Credit:
David Attenborough/Netflix 'Our Planet'

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The dramatic shakeout from the general election continued this week, this time from the left wing of Australian politics, with WA Greens senator Dorinda Cox defecting to Labor.
It was a coup for a triumphant Prime Minister.
But will the PM live to regret his new recruit? What does Senator Cox’s defection mean for the much-depleted Greens party? And how does it fit with the PM’s recent approval of the extension of a giant fossil fuel project off the West Australian coast?
Chief Political Correspondent Paul Sakkal, and Chief Political Commentator James Massola join host Jacqueline Maley.

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Most of us have, for so long, lived under the shadow of American exports, that we’d be hard-pressed to choose which was the most intrusive. Hollywood rom-coms? Halloween? J.Lo?

That list might have been relevant a couple of weeks ago. But now America’s biggest export is Donald Trump’s MAGA mindset, according to international and political editor, Peter Hartcher.

Today, he joins 'The Morning Edition' to discuss Trump’s hidden announcement, last week about a new level of American interference, globally, not seen since the end of the Cold War. And how it will impact how America changes other countries for years to come.

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When news broke, over the weekend, that Ukraine launched a devastating and unprecedented attack on Russian air force bases, it shocked analysts around the world.

The damage was huge. And it made a mockery of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s expectation, more than three years ago, that he would capture the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, within days.

Today, Associate Professor Matthew Sussex, a fellow at the Australia National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, on what impact this attack will have on Russia’s ability to win this war. And what both countries gained, in Monday’s peace talks.

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Since October 7, incidents of antisemitism have surged across the globe, with people attacked and synagogues and homes vandalised.

It’s with this backdrop that the latest attack has occurred, this time at a pro-Israel event in the United States.

Today, world editor Catherine Naylor on the attack in Boulder, Colorado that turned a weekly vigil into what one witness said looked like a “war zone”.

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How are we to make sense of the swirling chaos around us? The multiple wars, accusations of wrongdoing, and human carnage? And how can we possibly have civilised conversations about it all?

British barrister and author Philippe Sands, is uniquely placed to guide us through this moment. It’s not just that he’s an expert on crimes against humanity, who has won cases against former Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet. But he understands the personal toil of it all; he’s written about the Nazi SS officer who might have been responsible for the death of one of his family members.

Today, Philippe Sands, who recently visited Australia for the Sydney Writers Festival, on helping to defend Palestine at the International Court of Justice. And the breakups he’s experienced with friends, over their comments about Israel.

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Well, they fight, they break up, they kiss, they make up.

Never before have the lyrics of a Katy Perry song been more relevant to federal politics.

After last week’s shock split, this week the Coalition got back together again. But at what cost? What compromises have been made on both sides? And will the Nats and the Libs be able to work constructively together after all the drama?

Meanwhile, Labor is moving ahead with plans to hike taxes on super accounts of more than $3 million, and Anthony Albanese hardens his rhetoric on Israel and its killing of civilians in Gaza.

Here to discuss all this with host Jacqueline Maley is new chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott.

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American debt is growing, fast. As we record this, the United States federal government has borrowed about 36.2 TRILLION American dollars in order to cover its expenses. But, by the time you hear this - that is, less than 24 hours since recording - it will have shot past this.

OK, I can hear you asking: So what? Why should we care? What does it matter to us if Donald Trump has a bill passed that will add another three trillion dollars to that debt, as he’s hoping?

Because these figures point to an empire in decline, according to international and political editor Peter Hartcher.

Today, he joins me to discuss what it would take to pull the American empire back from the brink. And what it all means for the rest of us if the United States ceased to be a great power.

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A few years ago, Australia earned the unenviable title of allergy capital of the world.

This could well have been true, with a World Allergy Organisation review finding Australia had the highest rate of food allergies for children under five.

But since then, something happened to turn allergy advice on its head, and parents have been introducing allergens to children at a far younger age than they used to.

So, where are we at now?

Explainer reporter Jackson Graham is here with us today to discuss whether the new strategy has worked.

To read Jackson's piece in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, follow this link to our websites.

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Women in Afghanistan have had their freedoms crushed by the Taliban, which has enacted rules that chip away at their basic human rights.

They’ve long been banned from studying, working, going to a salon or a gym.

But over the last few months, the regime has cracked down even further, by implementing a raft of new “vice and virtue” laws.

Women are now forbidden from speaking or even praying in public. They’re also not allowed to show their bare faces in public, or to be heard singing or reading aloud. Even from inside their own homes.

Today, Australian National University scholar Susan Hutchinson, and human rights lawyer Azadah Raz Mohammad, on what these new laws have made life like for women in Afghanistan. And the global push by countries, including Australia, to hold the Taliban to account.

Read/watch/listen

'If we can't speak, why live?' - BBC meets women after new Taliban law.
Malala: what’s happening to Afghan girls and women is ‘gender apartheid’, MSNBC.

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In recent Facebook ad scams, con artists tricked a Queensland retiree into selling her house, swindled a GP who believed he was investing in a fixed-term deposit scheme and stole about $700,000 from a new father.

A months-long investigation by our papers has heard from devastated victims, cyber-fraud investigators and scamming syndicate insiders, including scammers themselves.

Today, investigative reporter Aisha Dow on how networks of sophisticated criminal groups deploy social media ad campaigns to fish for new victims, fleecing Australians and other victims worldwide.

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As much as we can know anything these days, we can probably say the next election is going to be very close.

But what about the Greens, often called the third party of Australian politics? How are they faring with the Australian public? Have they successfully rebranded from being the party of the environment to being a broader based movement?

National Affairs Editor James Massola and Federal Political Correspondent Paul Sakkal joins Jacqueline Maley for Inside Politics.

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Have we completely misunderstood why Donald Trump won the American election?

An avalanche of political commentary has convinced us that Trump clinched the presidency because of a simple message.

He was just better than Kamala Harris at managing the economy.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on what the broadest American exit poll tells us really drove Americans to choose Trump.

And how this might play into the upcoming Australian federal election.

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Three years after a landmark review of the workplace culture in Parliament House found that it was “revolting and humiliating”, a new report suggests that the building where our laws are made might still be an unsafe environment.

A new watchdog at Parliament House, has revealed more than 300 complaints - made over a nine month period - including sexual assault, stalking and intimidation.

Today, workplace relations and federal breaking news reporter Olivia Ireland, on this new report. And what Brittany Higgins, the former parliamentary staffer whose allegations of rape led to this report, has to say about it.

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It’s been nearly one thousand days since Russia launched the attack on Ukraine, which shocked the world, and marked the biggest land invasion in Europe since World War II.

Over the weekend, two new developments have dramatically altered the nature of this conflict.

Ukraine attacked Moscow, and other Russian regions, in its biggest drone attack yet.

And 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops have amassed ahead of an expected assault.

Today, Deputy Foreign Editor Lia Timson, on the significance of North Korea joining this fight. And what impact this might have on American support for Ukraine.

Read/listen/watch:

50,000 Russian and North Korean troops mass ahead of attack, US intel, Julia E. Barnes, Eric Schmidtt and Michael Schwirtz, New York Times.

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We’ve all heard a lot about how Donald Trump won the presidential election, which voters he managed to draw in, and where.

But what about the big picture, and the long game? What does Trump’s victory say about how safe America’s democracy is? And what, in turn, this might mean for the safety of the rest of us around the globe?

International and political editor Peter Hartcher has been covering politics for more than 40 years, and reported from Washington for four years of those, covering George W Bush’s presidency.

Today, Hartcher discusses what Washington insiders, including a renowned political scientist and the journalist who broke the Watergate scandal, have told him about all of this, and more.

Read/listen/watch:

'If George Washington was the father of America’s democracy, Donald Trump is its undertaker', Peter Hartcher, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
'Don't give up on American democracy' after Trump's re-election, says Bob Woodward, ABC's 7.30 with Sarah Ferguson.

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Donald Trump has been elected as the 47th American president.

His decisive victory will have major impacts on global affairs and on the Australian economy. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton were quick to congratulate Trump, and both leaders will be assessing their relationship with the President elect over coming weeks.

So what does a Trump presidency mean for Australia?

Joining Jacqueline Maley to unpack is chief political correspondent David Crowe and Nine’s national affairs editor Andrew Probyn.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

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Donald Trump’s supporters don’t always get the facts right, when they big-note him. But the day after the election, they were right on the money. As vice-president elect JD Vance put it, we really did just witness one of the greatest political comebacks in the history of the United States. But what’s behind the stunning reversals that underpinned his win?

Today, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin, on why women flocked to Trump, when they were expected to lead Kamala Harris to victory, over the issue of abortion rights. And why Donald Trump now has a voting base so broad, that it’s even stunned many Republicans.

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Donald Trump has called it and it looks like he will take the American presidency for a second time. It would be a dramatic victory, one reminiscent of his stunning 2016 win over Hillary Clinton. And Trump, impeached twice by the US House of Representatives, would make history as the first convicted felon to serve as president.

So what went wrong for Kamala Harris, and what went so right for Donald Trump?

Today, digital foreign editor Chris Zappone, on how the election played out and the cultural realities behind the result.

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It’s finally election day, after what can only be described as a surreal presidential campaign, with moments that might have caused even Salvador Dali to do a double take. But, there are signs that we haven’t seen the last of it.

The main question on everyone’s mind is: to what extent will history repeat itself? The attempts by Donald Trump and his allies to disrupt the election process, still underway as this episode goes to air, contain echoes of the former president’s attempts to overthrow the 2020 election.

Today, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin on how the courts are responding to these latest election challenges. And what some Republicans have told her they plan to do, if Trump loses.

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After weeks of media scrutiny that has painted Anthony Albanese as tone-deaf and out of touch with Australians struggling with financial distress, the Prime Minister launched a compelling pitch over the weekend.

Should Labor win the next election, Albanese would slash student debts in a $16 billion dollar proposal.

Young Australians are in desperate need of help. Student poverty - and hunger - has become so dire, that Western Sydney University has had to establish a food pantry.

Today, Western Sydney University vice chancellor Professor George Williams, and federal political correspondent, Paul Sakkal, on whether the prime minister’s proposed reform would fix what many say is a broken student loan system. And if Labor is using student debt relief to buy the youth vote.

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Inflation figures came out last week, and the annual figure tumbled from 3.8 per cent to 2.8 per cent - the lowest since the March quarter of 2021.

And it's welcome news for at least some of your grocery shop with bread prices, which were climbing at 14 per cent in Sydney and Melbourne a year ago, are now climbing at only 1.2 per cent.

And cheese is getting cheaper too.

So is the cost-of-living crisis over? And what can Australians expect from the Reserve Bank meeting on Tuesday?

Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright, and economics writer Millie Muroi, talk us through what the new inflation figures mean for you.

For more

Read...Shane Wright's 'There’s your inflation rate – then there’s the Reserve Bank’s rate', The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

Watch...'Inflation falls, but don't expect cuts to follow', ABC's The Business.

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The Prime Minister is facing uncomfortable questions about his relationship with former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, and the flight upgrades he received when he was Transport Minister, and also when he was in Opposition. How much damage has this done to the Prime Minister? Did he handle the whole controversy well?

Plus - the verdict is in, on how well Australia responded to the Covid pandemic. We also touch on this week’s much-anticipated inflation data, and discuss how it affects the government’s election timing. Chief political correspondent David Crowe and chief economics correspondent Shane Wright join Jacqueline Maley to discuss.

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Should we be surprised that the last week before the American presidential election is breaking historical records? Probably not. This is, after all, the race that has brought us assassination attempts (two). And an 11th hour candidate change.

Still, never before in modern presidential election campaigns, has the race been this tight so close to election day, say some commentators. And, forget policies. Who wins could come down to the weather on election day, or - as one former aide to Barack Obama put it - “the vibes”.

Today, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin on what the vibes were like in battleground states, during her recent trips there. And whether a legion of so-called shy Kamala voters could help her nab the White House.

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Until now, Level 6 has kept its secrets. The exclusive club in Australia’s most powerful hospitality empire has long entertained celebrities, scions living off their parents’ fortune. And the empire’s own top executives.

But an exclusive investigation by our mastheads reveals claims of exploitation of female staff. As one former manager said of Level 6, it was “one step away from being a brothel”. The company denies these allegations.

Today, investigative reporter Eryk Bagshaw, on the staff across Merivale’s venues, who describe a toxic culture of harassment, fear, and pressure to take drugs. And their fears of retribution which have kept them from speaking out.

And a warning, today’s episode contains mentions of sexual harassment. Support is available at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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Is the way you do your washing the latest marker of class? Because a growing number of Australians who live in apartments are in conflict over where they air their laundry. Literally.

Many people who want to dry their clothing outside, say, on their balcony, just want to help the environment. But to some of their neighbours? They’re destroying their building’s “curb appeal.” And bringing down their property value.

Today, environment and climate reporter Caitlin Fitzsimmons on how, in a country as preoccupied with property prices as ours is, where you do your laundry can come with an allegation of racism. Or lead you to court.

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For more than a year, journalists from outside of Gaza have been blocked from reporting inside the occupied territory. But with the conflict expanding to Lebanon, that has changed, and Australian journalists have been on the ground to tell powerful accounts of this ongoing and brutal war.

Foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott, and photojournalist Kate Geraghty, initially travelled to Israel to report on the anniversary of Hamas’ horrific October 7 attack. And then, their trip changed when the war expanded.

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Politics is full of surprises but few people expected abortion policy to be back on the agenda in 2024. The fierce abortion debate in the United States has been turbocharged by the upcoming presidential election.

Now the fight over reproductive rights has made its way to Australia.

Abortion has been a surprise issue in the Queensland election campaign. It was also the subject of an attempted legislative rollback in South Australia last week. Now it is being put on the federal agenda by high-profile Opposition front-bencher Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is federal political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and federal politics reporter Natassia Crysanthos.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced a diplomatic test over the last week. And according to some, he failed.

He had to choose between a long-standing invitation to the inauguration of the new president of Indonesia, while on the same weekend, King Charles and Queen Camilla were visiting Australia.

So who did he choose? And who is more relevant?

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on the implications of choosing to spend time with one head of state over another. And why Albanese’s choice reignites a half-century long debate about Australia’s very identity.

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It’s not something we probably think about too often - just how much scientific studies impact our lives, in all sorts of ways. That they underpin the medicine that our doctors prescribe to us. And what our psychologists tell us about how we can best parent our children, or discuss conflict with our partners.

But how often is that science trustworthy? According to one researcher, not as often as you'd think.

Today, national science reporter Liam Mannix, on a new finding that says one in seven scientific studies are fake. And the bizarre experiment that led to this revelation.

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It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that a space like LinkedIn, a professional social media site, is being used by powerful men to try to attract women.

In this case, it’s allegations against not just any powerful man, but one of Australia’s richest.

Billionaire Richard White is the chief executive of Australia’s biggest listed technology company WiseTech Global, and he has also been described by one woman as “The LinkedIn Lecher”.

White, on the other hand, says he is unaware of any women who have been made to feel uncomfortable about his comments on LinkedIn.

Today, investigative reporter Kate McClymont on the allegations against the rich-lister and why reporting on it matters.

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Maybe, just maybe, there’s a very good reason the polar opposites on the political spectrum, the left and the right, can’t see eye to eye. Scientists say there is some evidence that says left-wing and right-wing brains are actually wired differently.

And here’s a twist, British actor Colin Firth, perhaps best known for his role as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, was the reason behind the research. Today, science reporter Angus Dalton, on whether this evidence, in a time of intense political rifts, can give us hope that these differences are not as drastic as feared.

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It’s probably our greatest national obsession. Property: buying it, selling it, how much it costs and how hard it is to afford.

This week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made headlines when it was reported he had bought a $4.3 million ocean-front beach house at Copacabana on the NSW Central Coast.

Albanese said the purchase was made in contemplation of his changing personal circumstances. He is set to marry his partner Jodie Haydon, who grew up in the area and whose family still lives there.

But the optics were unbelievably bad. Australia is in the midst of a cost of living crisis, and the related housing affordability crisis is one of the main, if not the main, issues for the next election.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to unpack all this is chief political correspondent David Crowe and national affairs editor James Massola.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

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When a 49-year-old man was arrested in California on Monday, after trying to enter a Donald Trump rally with a car equipped with fake licence plates, a couple of illegal guns, and a load of ammunition, it made history.

At least according to the local sheriff, who said his staff had foiled a record-making third assassination attempt on Trump. Police believe the suspect was part of a movement that considers the American government illegitimate.

Today, international and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on why the suspect would want to target the very candidate who most wants to dismantle much of the government.

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There may be a whopping 160 million Americans who will vote in the upcoming presidential election. In just three weeks. But it’s only thousands of people, in a handful of swing states, who will likely determine who wins the top spot in the White House.

North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin has been travelling to some of these areas and speaking to voters on the ground. Today, she reveals what they’ve told her about how near-assassinations, and a natural disaster, among other issues, might sway who they choose. And if they’re ready for a female president.

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One year ago, 16 million Australians voted and made their voices heard. The vast majority of us did not want to alter our constitution, in order to enshrine an indigenous voice to parliament.

So, what now for the Indigenous children who returned to school afterwards, to what they felt was a harsher country, as one ‘yes’ campaign advocate put it? And what do the leading ‘No’ advocates have planned instead, to improve the lives of indigenous Australians?

Today, chief political commentator David Crowe and federal political correspondent Paul Sakkal on the psychological and emotional impact of the last year on Indigenous leaders and communities. And what sort of damage Anthony Albanese might still yet suffer, as a result of this crushing defeat.

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On Friday, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will arrive in Australia for their first visit since Charles became the reigning monarch. Charles, it’s safe to say, has one of the more scandalous personal histories in a long line of monarchs. Who can forget so-called “Tampon-gate”, back in 1989?

Certainly not journalist Tony Wright. A reporter for five decades, he has a unique insight into the relationship between Australians and the royal family, having witnessed Charles and Diana-mania, first-hand, when he lived near the Woomargama station outside Albury, where the pair stayed during their iconic visit to Australia in 1983.

Today, Wright joins me to discuss whether the monarchy has any relevance to our lives now. And just how much - or how little - Australians realise that Charles is actually King of Australia.

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A year on from the stunning October 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli towns, our parliament - on the other side of the world - is again convulsing over the widening war.

As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese jets off to the influential ASEAN summit in Laos, he is trying to lower the temperature on a polarising domestic debate about antisemitism and Australia’s level of support for Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

One of the most prominent Australian backers of the Palestinian cause, Labor defector Fatima Payman, has started a new party just days after Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton split on the question of how to commemorate the October 7 attack.

Today, political editor and international editor Peter Hartcher and political reporter Natassia Chrysanthos join Paul Sakkal on the fallout from the October 7 motion.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

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China has experienced a mass exodus before. People fled the country, for instance, after the collapse of Chinese nationalist Chiang Kai-shek’s regime in 1949.

But lately, the country is seeing something new. Millionaires, in particular, are running away in record numbers. And taking jaw-dropping amounts of wealth with them.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on how Chinese president Xi Jinping - the most repressive leader the country has had in decades - might respond to a trend that’s being seen by some as a humiliating blow to the country.

Audio credit:

'Quiet quitting' was happening in China before the rest of the world caught on, CNBC International.

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Humans, we know, are full of contradictions. Even so, the disconnect between what we’re shown in the media, about how Australians feel about the war in the Middle East, and what people themselves say, is surprising.

Record numbers of Australians, for instance, turned out around the country over the weekend, to protest the war. And the Greens, it would seem, have galvanised support for their party over their full-throated support for Palestinian rights. But exclusive results from our latest survey suggest a far more complicated picture.

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe, on what Australians are really feeling about this conflict. And how it might sway the next Federal election.

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There are the classic autocracies that we know well - like China and Russia - but what would it take to morph a democracy like the United States into an authoritarian country?

It’s a question that’s not so far-fetched for the States, a month out from its presidential election, and it’s one that Pulitzter prize winning journalist David E. Sanger has been grappling with.

So with a second Donald Trump presidency looming large, what are the chances that Trump could turn the United States into an autocracy, or something close to it?

Today, Sanger, the national security correspondent for The New York Times, on what he has learned about autocrats in his more than 40 years of reporting.

Further reading:

David E. Sanger's 'New Cold Wars'.

Audio credit:

President Clinton's China visit, AAP
Donald Trump: 'We need a military operation' to stop border cartels, News Nation

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It’s been a year since Hamas attacked Israel, in a vicious and sometimes sadistic assault. The murder of innocent civilians sparked a severe and sustained counter strike by Israel on the Gaza Strip, which is struggling with mass deaths and famine.

We don’t know how, or when, this war, which recently spread to Lebanon, will end. Israel is now locked in a battle against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group in Lebanon's south, while Iran itself has twice launched missile attacks on Israel.

But what has this conflict done to the long-term prospect of peace in the Middle East? Is it as catastrophic a set-back as the 1995 assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin?

Foreign affairs and national security correspondent, Matthew Knott, travelled to Israel and the West Bank, in October last year. And he’s just returned to the region.

Today, he joins me to discuss how this war has impacted some of the most bitterly divided groups in the world.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wanted to talk about the budget surplus and the crack-down on the big supermarkets over their alleged ill-treatment of customers this week, but that was derailed by the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

While the government struggled to find the right form of words to respond to the crisis between Israel and its neighbours, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton labelled the Prime Minister weak, and said he needed to stand more firmly with Israel.

The result was an ugly week where both men vied to position themselves to voters as the best leader to handle a crisis, showing off their very different styles.

Deputy federal politics editor Nick Bonyhady and federal political correspondent Paul Sakkal join Jacqueline Maley to discuss.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

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It’s been the question on everyone’s minds, since Iran launched a direct attack on Israel on Wednesday, shooting dozens of ballistic missiles into the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate. And Iran has warned that any retaliation will result in a “more crushing and ruinous” response.

Today, international and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on how this attack differs from Iran's first attack on Israel, earlier this year. And if Benjamin Netanyahu might see this moment, as one former Israeli prime minister said this week, as “the biggest opportunity in the past 50 years” to change the face of the region.

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The suicide of a 12-year-old Sydney school girl last month sent shockwaves across the country. It became the tragic flashpoint for a national discussion about bullying in our schools, and the complex set of issues facing students, parents, teachers and administrators.

Bullying in schools isn’t a new problem, but according to experts it remains a major one. And in Australia, it’s been notoriously difficult – and oftentimes, costly – to tackle.

Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker on the culture of bullying in our schools, and what needs to change.

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A new conflict has opened up on the troubled border between Lebanon and Israel.

It started with pagers and walkie talkies exploding in the very hands of their owners, and then it moved to airstrikes - the deadliest in decades - before the latest news that Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed.

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott on the likelihood of an all-out war between Israel and Lebanon.

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Last week, we were confronted with our latest economic report card. On the upside, the Reserve Bank announced that our annual inflation rate has sunk to its lowest level in three years.

But then an Australian economic think tank released its so-called “Misery Index”, and said that Australians are living through the most protracted period of economic misery since 2011.

Today, economics correspondent Shane Wright, on whether we’re headed for economic relief… or a recession. And if Australia is behind other countries, when it comes to bringing down inflation.

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Federal politics got interesting this week when our very own James Massola and David Crowe reported that the Labor government has asked the Treasury to model cuts to negative gearing tax concessions, a policy that has previously caused Labor plenty of electoral pain.

The Prime Minister and his frontbench are being very coy about any proposed changes to the tax treatment of investment properties.

Are changes to negative gearing an option the government is really considering? How would they argue the case to cut the concessions this time, given they have tried and failed to do so before? And would changes to negative gearing make any difference to house prices anyway?

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss are chief political correspondent David Crowe and national affairs editor James Massola.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.

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Many of us can’t keep our eyes off of what’s happening in the Middle East, with a disturbing escalation of violence in Lebanon.

But, according to International and Political editor, Peter Hartcher, the conflict that has a greater likelihood of threatening our safety here, is the one that is growing by the month, between China and many countries, including Australia.

Today, Hartcher discusses the disturbing new video released by the People's Republic of China. And the former Australian prime ministers who have rung the alarm bell when it comes to this threat.

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It is a multi-billion dollar industry in Australia. And it’s been touted as a key way for us to eventually reach net zero carbon emissions.But our carbon credit schemes are also riddled with predatory behaviour, according to a year-long look into the market by our journalist, Charlotte Grieve.

Particularly harmed, she says, are remote Indigenous communities. Their burning practices, which date back 60,000 years, are the golden standard within the carbon credit industry. The pay they receive for this practice has the power to transform these communities, where jobs are scarce.

Today, investigative journalist Charlotte Grieve, on how this ancient knowledge, and the practitioners who are hoping to pass it down to younger generations, are being exploited.

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For years, one of Australia’s best known crime reporters, John Silvester, kept a secret.
He knew there had been a significant development in a notorious and long unsolved cold case: The Easey Street murders.
But he didn’t write anything about it, until a few days ago, when he broke the story that there had been an arrest.
It was big news, most of all for the family of Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett, school friends from the country who flatted together in Collingwood before their lives were violently and cruelly taken.
Today, John Silvester takes us behind the scenes of the police investigation, the arrest and why he kept quiet on the case for so long.

For more:

Easey Street suspect unmasked as link to victims emerges, John Silvester et al, The Age.
John Silvester's new book, 'Dark City', is out now.

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As investigative reporter Patrick Begley puts it, it’s an apology that those Peter Dutton offended can’t remember, which he won’t repeat and doesn’t like to discuss. And some wonder whether he ever made it at all. It all centres on something the opposition leader said a while ago: “The reality is that Malcolm Fraser did make mistakes, in bringing some people in in the 1970s.”

Today, investigative reporter Patrick Begley on the mystery of the Peter Dutton apology.

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The Albanese government came to power promising to ease the housing crisis by increasing supply. But has its housing agenda stalled?

This week, the Greens hardened their opposition to two key elements of the government’s housing policy.

The Prime Minister has urged the Greens to “get on with it” and wave the plans through. So will Labor be able to secure its agenda? And if not, who will pay the political price?

Plus we have a look at the war of words between the business lobby and the government. Is this just the usual tension we often see between a Labor government and corporate interests? Or is it something more significant?

Joining Jaqueline Maley to discuss, is federal political correspondent Paul Sakkal and chief economic correspondent Shane Wright.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis.* Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.***

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What obligation does the Australian government have to help retrieve its citizens from debilitating circumstances, overseas?

This question will be at the heart of a High Court case on Monday, which will help decide the fate of 12 Australian women, and their 22 children, who’ve been languishing in refugee camps in Northern Syria for five years.

To those who have opposed bringing them home, the women are a threat - the family members of slain or defeated Islamic State fighters who may believe in dangerous ideologies.

But to those who say they should be repatriated, they are victims of war.

Today, associate editor and special writer Deborah Snow on what distinguishes these women from those before them, who were successfully brought home to Australia.

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Over the next week, while you and I are sleeping, members of the Murdoch family will be duking it out in an American courtroom over control of one of the most powerful media empires on the planet.

It’s the latest escalation in a civil war that has been building within the family for years.

Today, media writer Calum Jaspan, on why Rupert Murdoch has pitted one of his children, Lachlan, against three of his other kids. And how the outcome of this case will impact all of us.

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Nine weeks after Republican candidate Donald J Trump was almost killed at a rally in Pennsylvania, the FBI is investigating another attempt on his life.

Trump was on his golf course in Florida on Sunday afternoon when Secret Service officers spotted a man with an AK-47 hiding in the bushes a few hundred metres away.

In the aftermath, Vice President Kamala Harris said: “Violence has no place in America”. Her running mate, Tim Walz, declared: “It’s not who we are as a nation”.

But, isn’t it?

Today, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin on how, when shocking forms of violence are so commonplace, another attempted assassination almost feels normal. And why that't not OK.

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It's arguably the most shameful stain on Australia's military. In 2020, an inquiry concluded that there was credible information implicating 25 special forces personnel in alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

Four years on, the finding is still reverberating.

Last week, Defence Minister Richard Marles announced he would strip medals from a number of senior officers who served in Afghanistan. The move has drawn the ire of some veteran groups who argue no action should be taken until any charges are proven against soldiers.

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott on what the announcement means, and why one of the country's most famous special forces soldiers, Ben Robert Smith, still has his Victoria Cross medal.

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Snapchat is officially on notice. As are Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

This week the Prime Minister and his communications minister Michelle Rowland announced they will introduce a ban on young people using social media. But they were short on detail, including exactly what age the government would require teens to be before they could access social media.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton promised the minerals industry that a Coalition government would be the “best friend” of miners.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss, is chief political correspondent David Crowe and shadow communications minister David Coleman.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis.* Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.***

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It was one of the most highly anticipated debates in modern politics: a verbal showdown between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Because for millions of Americans, the stakes couldn’t be higher. For many, a Trump win will stoke fears of a more autocratic United States.

And for countless others, a Harris win would mean a move against conservative beliefs.

Today, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin on how the candidates, who were neck and neck before the debate, might fare now. And the viral moments we can't stop talking about.

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Deep in the snowy mountains is a tiny town called Nimmitabel. It’s almost smack bang in the middle of Sydney and Melbourne,it’s got a school, a pub, a couple of churches – enough for a few hundred people.

It’s the sort of place you move to start a fresh chapter of life, to feel part of a community, where literally everyone knows your name and drops round a casserole or a jar of freshly made jam.

And Nimmitable is all of those things, but it’s also something else: a place where a man by the name of Andrew Thaler, a serial political candidate and serial pest, is bullying and threatening women.

Today, Jordan Baker on the tiny town with the big problem, the man at the centre of it, and the women who’ve had enough.

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In terms of bizarre court cases, investigative journalist Kate McClymont has covered a few.

But this most recent one, which ended in the conviction of colourful construction boss George Alex, was right up there.

There was a soapie star turned doctor, who gave evidence that jail was a “terrible idea” for George Alex.

Then there was an arrest warrant issued when Alex failed to appear at court in person, but rather, logged on from his hospital bed.

And then, maybe most bizarre of all, were some strange events within the jury itself, with allegations of drug dealing and failed pay-offs investigated by police.

Today, Kate McClymont on the case had it all.

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Australia's major union for construction workers, the CFMEU, has long been known as hardline in the way it went about its business.

But a couple of months ago, investigative journalist Nick McKenzie's stories revealed damaging accusations that the union, which regularly overseas government funded work sites had been infiltrated by organized crime.

Even before the story broke on 60 minutes and in our mastheads, it triggered the resignation of the Victorian construction union boss John Setka.

But Setka will not go without a fight, and last week, he appeared at prize government worksites to rail against the move to place the Union under administration.

Today, Nick McKenzie on what the surprise appearance of the former Union boss means and what it will take to clean up the CFMEU.

Further reading:

Nick McKenzie and The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald's 'Building Bad' series.

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This week’s National Accounts figures showed that GDP growth was the weakest annual figure since the 1990s recession, not counting the pandemic.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the soft growth reflected the “impacts of global economic uncertainty, higher interest rates and persistent but moderating inflation”. But Chalmers also seemed to blame the Reserve Bank, saying the RBA is “smashing” the economy with interest rates.

Meanwhile, The Age and SMH exclusively reported this week that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vented his frustration to his cabinet colleagues over the mishandling of the possible new census questions about gender and sexuality.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss, is chief political correspondent David Crowe, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright, and national affairs editor James Massola.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis.* Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.***

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Mass protests erupted in Israel over the weekend - in one of the biggest displays of wartime dissent in Israel’s history - after the bodies of six Israeli hostages were found in a tunnel in Gaza.

The Israeli Defense Forces said the hostages had been murdered by Hamas, only a short while before Israeli troops were able to reach the captives.

Today, former army officer, and current Middle East analyst, Dr Rodger Shanahan, on whether these deaths, and protests might compel Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate a ceasefire.

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What is going on with the crazy weather right now?

In some parts of the country, the temperature is icy, while in others the heat is breaking records. Then there’s the wind; so fierce, it’s killed one woman, hospitalised another, and left tens of thousands of people without power.

Today, environment reporter Caitlin Fitzsimmons, on what’s driving these conditions. And whether we’ll soon see relief, or, instead, bad bushfires, and a scorching summer.

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Cartoonist Cathy Wilcox once said that cartooning is an art form crying out for attention.

The domain of attention seekers who, when they were young, were the kind of kids to foist their drawings in their parents' faces, for approval.

Maybe so, but during Wilcox’s many years of drawing cartoons for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, she’s also been our conscience. She’s made us do double takes about some of the most vexed, and perplexing issues of our time. Like discrimination, and violence against women.

Today, Cathy Wilcox, on how she's used cartooning to help navigate the last couple of fraught years. And which cartoon led people to call her a “bully”.

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The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was plunged into turmoil last month after it cancelled the performance of a highly acclaimed pianist, who had made comments on stage about the war in Gaza on stage.

Artists within the orchestra protested. The director resigned. And Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett has been enlisted to conduct a review of what happened.

Today, the journalist who broke the story - senior culture writer Kerrie O'Brien - takes us behind the news and delves into the age old question of whether art and politics should ever be separate.

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The Albanese government has told the university sector it has to slash foreign students by 53,000 places by next year. The universities say this will financially devastate them, but the government has pledged to halve net migration by next year, and something has to give.

Plus, this week, members of the militant CFMEU hit the streets in major capitals to protest the Government’s decision to place the controversial union into administration.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is chief political correspondent David Crowe and Australian National University professor Andrew Norton.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis.* Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.***

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He’s the fifth member of the Kennedy clan to run for the American presidency. But, notably, the only one to have dumped a bear in Central Park, as a prank. Even so, Robert F Kennedy Jr was, for months, a thorn in the side of Joe Biden and Donald Trump and, more recently, Kamala Harris. All feared that he could siphon votes from them. And ruin their bid for the White House.

Today, international and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on what power RFK Jr has to sway the election, now that he’s suspended his presidential bid, and thrown his weight behind Donald Trump. And just how much damage he’s doing to the Kennedy family legacy.

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A new American study has found microplastics in brain tissue, at levels up to 30 times higher than in other tissues in the body. This comes after years of disparate research, which has found microplastics in other parts of the human body, like the heart and the placenta.

Today, science reporter Angus Dalton on whether this is, as one toxicologist has put it, a “global emergency”. And whether microplastics might have been acting, for decades, as the “dark matter” driving all sorts of health issues, like dementia and plunging male fertility.

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When two American astronauts took off from earth on June 5, it was meant to be a triumph. Not just for the astronauts, who would spend a coveted eight days on the International Space Station, but also for Boeing, the company that created the spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the station for research.

Almost three months later, the astronauts are still stuck in space, and unlikely to come back down to Earth until next year.

Today, digital foreign editor, Chris Zappone, on what caused the mistake, and what effect the incident is having on the new space race.

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The allegations are hard to stomach. The women tell stories of rape, harassment and being encouraged to use drugs. The men were offered a special prize if they were the first to have sex with a customer.

Today, investigative reporter Eryk Bagshaw and Good Food reporter Bianca Hrovat on the dark side to the alleged debauchery at high profile venues like Restaurant Hubert and the Baxter Inn. And whether these latest allegations about a number of venues, all owned by one group, Swillhouse, might spark a wider reckoning in the business.

There is no suggestion that Swillhouse CEO Anton Forte assaulted or harassed employees.

And a warning, some of the content in today’s episode might distress some listeners.

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In this special episode of Inside Politics, Treasurer Jim Chalmers sits down with Jacqueline Maley, chief political correspondent David Crowe and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright to talk about tax, housing and the cost of living crisis.

The Treasurer acknowledges how high mortgages are impacting ordinary Australians, and talks about what the Government is focusing on in the upcoming mid year budget. Plus he shares some words of wisdom he lives by every day.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis.* Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.***

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Finally, finally, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have unveiled some economic proposals. This, after the presidential nominees have spent weeks obsessing over non-issues like crowd sizes at rallies... and the campaign itself.

Right out of the gate, Trump has attacked Kamala Harris as going, “full communist”. But what does Donald Trump have in mind?

Today, reporting from the National Democratic Convention in Chicago, International and Political editor, Peter Hartcher, on the benefits, and dangers, of the nominees’ proposals. And the simmering tensions below the surface of the Democratic party's celebrations.

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It’s been called one of the worst mishaps in NSW Liberal Party history. Because, last week, 140 Liberal politicians learned that they will miss out on the chance to fight for their party in upcoming council elections. All because of an administrative error.

It’s a debacle that could tarnish the reputation of the party as a whole. And even marr Peter Dutton’s bid to become Prime Minister, at the next federal election, which is due within months.

Today, state political editor Alexandra Smith, and national affairs editor, James Massola, on what local councillors actually do. And what impact this might have on our right to fair and democratic elections.

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This year, the United Nations’ annual climate change talk has all the makings of a dysfunctional family dinner.

Azerbaijan, the small petrostate which is run by authoritarian rule, only landed the gig to host the talk after an unusual prisoner swap. And intervention by Russia. Meanwhile, participating countries like Ukraine and Russia, are at war with each other.

Today, national environment and climate editor, Nick O’Malley, who visited Azerbaijan to witness the country's preparations for the talk, on how countries navigate competing agendas in order to help us all survive climate change. And the moral loophole Australia has been clinging to, that it might soon be pressured to give up.

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Last week, the leader of Australia’s opposition party Peter Dutton called for a ban on visas for all Palestinians from war-torn Gaza, saying the potential security threat was too great.

It set off furious debate, and was condemned as divisive and heartless by some, while others said such a ban should apply, but only to Hamas supporters.

While this argument continues, we go to Gaza, where life has become almost one big queue for survival as families spend their days lining up for daily rations of water and food. All while trying to stay well and safe amid the spread of disease and continued bombardment.

Today, an aid worker with Oxfam, Bushra Khalidi, speaks to us from the West Bank about her family’s life in Gaza. How common support for Hamas is there, and what she thinks of the debate about visas for Palestinians in Australia.

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After a six-week break over winter, the Parliament was a fiery place this week.

Labor framed the next election as one between the “mainstream vs the maddies”, and the opposition is homing in on its framing of the prime minister as dishonest.

But, as has been the case so many times in the past year, the parliament again convulsed over the war in Gaza. Opposition leader Peter Dutton started a sharp immigration row when he called for Palestinians to be blocked from Australia because they may sympathise with Hamas. The vehemently pro-Israel leader sought to portray Labor as weak on the Gaza issue by questioning their approach on the refugee intake.

But how will this play out in electorate, and how has the government responded?

Joining Paul Sakkal are chief political correspondent David Crowe and home affairs and immigration reporter Natassia Chrysanthos.

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When former White House deputy national security advisor, Matt Pottinger, issued a warning to global leaders the other day, he didn’t mince his words.

Those who still entertain the idea of a ‘stable’ relationship with Chinese president Xi Jinping are “smoking dope”. To do so, he says, means they haven't really been listening to Xi Jinping, about his aims for world domination.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on the dangerous message that China sent out, the other week. And which global leaders, according to Matt Pottinger, need to rethink their relationship with China.

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They are arguably one of the most brutally persecuted group in the world. The Rohingya people, a Muslim minority in Myanmar, have been abused, discriminated against, and murdered for decades.

And, just over a week ago, the group experienced what is thought to be its worst massacre in years. Hundreds of people, including many women and children, were killed in a drone attack while trying to flee their village. South-East Asia correspondent Zach Hope, who is on the ground in Thailand, has spoken to witnesses of the attack, whose loved ones have been murdered.

Today, Zach Hope on Myanmar’s so-called “forgotten war”. And whether an emboldened alliance of rebel armies might help spell the end of the country’s brutal military junta.

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This is the trial that a Supreme Court judge never wanted to hear.

Over many months, Justice Marcus Solomon warned of the “human cost” of a prolonged and highly public trial if former defence minister Linda Reynolds made good on her threat to take her former staffer, Brittany Higgins, to court for defamation.

And so it has come to pass. Reynolds, who has mortgaged her home of 40 years to pay for her legal costs, says she has been nationally vilified.

Higgins, who is now pregnant, has yet to take the stand, but has reportedly sold her home in France - where she moved to start a new life - to defend herself.

Today, WA Today reporter Jesinta Burton, on the toll that suing one of Australia’s most public rape victims - as found by the civil courts - might have on both women. And to what end.

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Four people currently face jail time of up to 15 years, after being criminally charged in Sydney last month with conspiracy to manipulate the stock market over a messaging app. So far, so usual. Potential scammers are always lurking among us. We know this.

But here’s the kicker. Only hours after that group’s charges were made public, a completely separate cohort created their own WhatsApp group to try and rope other unsuspecting Australians into engaging in the same crime. It’s an indication of just how common these scams are now. And how brazen the people behind them are.

Today, senior reporter Sarah Danckert on how to spot these scams. And how they damage the rest of our own bank accounts, even if we’ve never been targeted ourselves.

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This week the boss of the Australian spy agency, ASIO, lifted the terror threat level from possible to probable. The last increase in the threat level was in 2014, and it was in response to Islamic extremism.

This time, the risk to society is different - it is the risk of young men, especially, being radicalised online by a grab-bag of conspiracy theories and far-right grievances, and carrying out a lone wolf attack.

So what are the social conditions that have led to this evolving threat to our safety? And what can our security agencies do to make us safer?

Plus, we take a look at the decision by the Reserve Bank to leave rates on hold and the effect this will have on the fortunes of the Albanese government.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis.* Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.***

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It is the largest living structure on earth. And has been around for 600,000 years. But new research out today, shows that the Great Barrier Reef is experiencing the highest ocean heat in 400 years. And this comes after five mass coral bleaching events.

So why has the UNESCO World Heritage committee decided against putting Australia’s most famous environmental landscape on the 'in danger' list? For the third year in a row?

Today, climate and energy correspondent, Mike Foley, on the politics that are putting the Great Barrier Reef close to a point of no return.

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It has become the story of the Paris Olympics. How many people have been harmed, in the case of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif? And how badly?

Over the last week, the 25 year old boxer’s body, mind and spirit have been dissected and condemned by powerful voices, far beyond the sporting arena. Donald Trump, JK Rowling and Italian prime minister Giorgio Meloni have, variously, said that Khelif is a man who enjoyed the “distress” of watching her Italian rival crumple to the ground of the boxing ring after only 45 seconds. That Khelif has no business competing in the Olympics against women.

But Imane Khelif is not a man. She is a woman, who has always identified as female.

Today, reporting from the Paris Games, chief reporter Jordan Baker on the sporting and geopolitical conflicts that have led to one female athlete falling into the global spotlight. And what it says about those of us watching on.

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For more than a week, riots have spread across the United Kingdom, targeting Muslims, and immigrants. And in their wake, the attackers have set buildings and vehicles on fire and left communities in a state of fear.

But how did a stabbing rampage, in a seaside English town, spark what have become the worst riots in the UK in more than a decade?

Today, world editor Nick Ralston, on the real-time violence and terror that have resulted from a devastating misinformation campaign. And how the far right has been exploiting a horrific crime in order to advance its agenda.

Audio credit:

The Southport stabbings: A week that shook a nation, ITV News
Southport stabbings: ‘Lies and propaganda’ on social media led to violence, Times Radio

Further reading:

The obscure Russian-linked ‘news’ website that is fuelling violence on Britain’s streets, Lauren Sheriff, The Telegraph.

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Australia is officially in a baby drought.

We’ve experienced our biggest drop in annual births since 1975. Back then, it was due to soaring inflation, low growth and the proliferation of the birth control pill.

So what’s happening now? And what does it mean for us, considering - as one French philosopher put it - demography is destiny?

Today, senior reporter Josh Gordon, on which city is having the least babies. And what happened to our most recent baby boom, only a few years ago.

Archive audio credit:
- ABC's Australian Story Cost of living 1970 with Caroline Jones
- Making ends meet, Thames TV

To read more: - 'Melbourne in the grip of baby drought as rent becomes 'great contraceptive'', Josh Gordon, The Age

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Australians are buying way less stuff. Households are draining their savings.

Yet at the same time, we’ve been hearing months of warnings that the Reserve Bank might again hike mortgage rates.

That all changed on Wednesday when a key data set was released. It showed the prices of goods and services were still rising higher than we would like, but not quite as quickly as some feared.

Today, senior economic correspondent Shane Wright joins Paul Sakkal to unpack what the latest data tell us about our economy, and whether mortgage holders might see some relief.

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Commentators have been in a frenzy over JD Vance’s comments about “childless cat ladies” who live “miserable lives” and therefore have less worth, not just as people, but as voters. But to some senior figures in the Republican movement, they’re missing the far greater threat that JD Vance poses.

Today, international and political editor, Peter Hartcher, about how Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick is helping to turn the one-time conservative Republican party into a counter-revolutionary movement. And, specifically, one that views Democrats not just as a political threat. But a physical one, too.

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The cost of energy generation went up over winter.

That doesn’t mean power bills are about to spike however - retail prices are set once a year by a regulator, which means that households aren’t about to see a change in the cost of their electricity any time soon.

But the increased cost of generating power could have big impacts on the economy, politics and households.

Also, two long-serving Labor ministers are retiring from politics, ahead of the next federal election. Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney, and Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Conner will leave parliament at the election, and the Prime Minister will use their retirements to reshuffle his cabinet this weekend.

Today, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley and national affairs editor James Massola on what government’s are doing to fix our energy market and what a reshuffle means for Labor.

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Kamala Harris has yet to officially secure her party’s nomination to vie for the American presidency. But her campaign is well and truly underway.

Visiting her new campaign headquarters the other day, Harris invoked her early career as a prosecutor, and said that she knows how to fight Donald Trump, because she'd so often seen his "type" in the courtroom. By which she meant: predators, fraudsters, and cheaters.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on whether Harris' plan to sell herself as a huge step forward, socially, might work with voters across the political spectrum. And if the character trait that foiled her presidential campaign in 2020, might now be one of her greatest assets.

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For more than 45 years, John Silvester has been reporting on Australia’s criminal underworld.

Some notable figures, like Mick Gatto, a key player in the gangland wars that were immortalised in the popular TV series, Underbelly, are now implicated in an investigation that has rocked the highest offices in the country. That of alleged corruption in the CFMEU, one of the most powerful unions in the country.

Why have so many of our politicians allegedly turned a blind eye to underworld figures running a cartel-like operation in the union?

Today, John Silvester gives us an inside look into the psychology of the underworld figures who have managed to charm and intimidate the rich and the powerful.

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Joe Biden has finally stepped down after weeks of pressure, to contest the U.S presidential election. And he has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to run in his place.

But who is she? And what does she stand for?

Today, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin, on Kamala Harris’ strengths, and weaknesses, as a presidential candidate. And what history tells us might happen next, after a sitting president pulls out of a re-election campaign.

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The Paris Olympics begin this Friday, and France is contending with what security experts have described as the most volatile geopolitical environment in decades.

Among the worries keeping the French government up at night are the looming threats of nuclear conflict with Russia, potential sabotage by foreign agents, the war in the Middle East, widespread protests and terrorism plots.

Meanwhile, blocking cyber attacks on the Games has almost become an Olympic sport in itself.

Today, crime reporter Marta Pascual Juanola on what security measures are in place, to keep civilians and athletes alike, safe. And whether tension at the games could spill over into a wider European conflict.

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Unions and Labor are intertwined. The oldest Labor Party in the world traces its roots to the shearers strike of the 1890s.

At that time, powerless workers decided to band together to create a political party and take on big business.

The aims of unions underpins a lot of what Labor does when it holds power. Many of its MPs worked for unions. But what happens when one misbehaves? Misbehaves badly.

There have long been suggestions and reports of bully-boy tactics in the rough world that is the building industry. But reports in The Age and SMH revealed so much more than the odd bad apple.

Labor is already sagging in the polls. A new union scandal now threatens to derail the government’s winter agenda and opens it up to the long-standing charge of being too close to trade unions.

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and political reporter Angus Thompson join Paul Sakkal to discuss the CFMEU scandal and what it means for the government.

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Who is JD Vance? And why has Donald Trump chosen him as his preferred vice president?

Vance is, famously, a former 'Never-Trumper'. The junior senator from Ohio was once so violently opposed to Trump, that he likened him to Hitler.

Today, political and international editor, Peter Hartcher, reporting from Washington DC, on the wider message Trump is sending to the world, with his choice of running mate. And why the United States has a long history of presidential assassinations and assassination attempts (hint: it’s not just about the guns).

Audio credits:

Rachel Maddow on MSNBC

Further reading:

Assassination in the USA: Why does America take aim at its leaders?
Trump anoints his heir in a bid to extend his influence for decades to come

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It is one of the most powerful unions in the country. And has long barracked for rights that are at the core of the Australian Labor Party: decent pay and working conditions.But now, an investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes has revealed that underworld figures and bikies have infiltrated the union, and major building projects in Victoria and NSW.

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie on the sudden resignation of controversial CFMEU boss John Setka, in the wake of these allegations. And whether it’s possible to rid the union of corruption, and a culture of standover tactics and bullying.

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On Sunday morning, Australian time, we woke to the news that Donald Trump was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania.

We saw the images of him with blood streaming down his face, and shortly after, his fist raised in a seeming show of triumph.

It’s the first time an American president, or presidential candidate, has been shot at in 43 years.

That was then-American president Ronald Reagan. He nearly died. Afterwards, commentators speculated that his grace under fire helped him solidify the support and affection of the American people.

Today, in a special episode, North American correspondent Farrah Tomazin, on what happened in Pennsylvania. And how this might impact the presidential election.

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They’re worn by the hundreds of lobbyists who are granted access to the building and the politicians who work inside it.It’s a lucrative business - lobbyists charge handsomely to help big firms get access to large federal deals.

And with billions of dollars of government contracts up for grabs - including $22.7 billion for Labor’s made in Australia plan - a new class of Labor-allied lobbyists has emerged.

This has heightened concerns about the power of top lobbyists and renewed calls for more transparency about the access they get to the country’s decision makers.

Today, Chief political correspondent David Crowe talks to Paul Sakkal to discuss this lobbyland and the rise of Labor insiders becoming guns for hire, as well as the emergence of a new group called The Muslim Vote that is also trying to influence politics.

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Should Donald Trump win the presidential election in November, what might he do? Will he halve the US defence budget, thereby threatening allies, like Australia, that rely on the United States for protection? Or perhaps, as Trump once asked his most senior defence staff, he should “bomb the hell out of Iran?”

This last anecdote is one that Chris Miller, the one-time defence secretary during the Trump administration, relayed to international and political editor Peter Hartcher, in an interview earlier this week.

Today, Peter Hartcher, currently on the ground in Washington DC, on what insights Chris Miller gave him about how Donald Trump might go about trying to achieve his goals, during a second term as president.

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When four people were found dead last week in one home in outer Melbourne, there was one common link. The same synthetic opioid was detected in all four bodies. Since then, government authorities, and various experts have sounded the alarm. A new synthetic drug is on our streets. It’s contaminating other recreational drugs. And it’s hundreds of times stronger than heroin. Today, general practitioner and addictive medicine specialist, Dr Paul MacCartney, on the growing risk of an opioid crisis in Australia.

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More Australians than ever are now holding down more than one job. It’s just one example that illustrates the perfect economic storm that surrounds us. A toxic mix of growing mortgage repayments and rents, plus broad inflation.

So, what’s the way out for those in financial distress?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on when we might next see an interest rate cut, or rise. And what it means that the Reserve Bank governor has gone a particularly long time, without giving a speech.

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Last week, the United States Supreme Court ruled that former presidents are entitled to immunity from prosecution for “official actions” they undertook while occupying the highest office.

The impact of this historic decision could shred crucial parts of the court cases against Donald Trump, as he vies for presidential election in November.

Will the court decision mean he is now above the law, or, is there a good reason to protect both former and sitting presidents from prosecution?

And with conservative judges behind this ruling, did ideology play a part?

Today, North American correspondent Farrah Tomazin explains what was behind the decision, and the impact it could have on Trump’s upcoming trials, and even, more broadly, on American democracy.

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After a tumultuous couple of weeks in Canberra, senator Fatima Payman has quit the Labor party. On Thursday, Payman emotionally announced her decision to leave the party that helped her gain a senate seat in the 2022 election, saying she had exhausted every option to raise her concerns about the government’s position on Palestinian recognition. Today, political correspondents Paul Sakkal and Angus Thompson talk to Jacqueline Maley about the split between Payman and the Labor party and its ramifications.

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Nell Geraets is a journalist for The Age and she’d seen all the news about financial scams. That Australians were reporting more scams than ever, and that they were becoming more elaborate, more sophisticated. She was convinced it would never happen to her, or someone she knows. Then her parents were scammed. Today, Nell Geraets on the HSBC investment scam that trapped her parents, the shame they felt by falling victim, and how they overcame it.

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Fake reviews, bogus conversations with unsuspecting users and exposed private messages - are just some of the goings on at dating app Down, according to a whistleblower. And Down is one of scores of dating apps scrutinised as part of an investigation by The Age that found increasing concerns from consumers and experts about the industry’s conduct. Today, investigative reporter Clay Lucas on dating apps’ last-ditch attempt at survival, as a growing number of users walk away from the apps.

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Australians should see more money in their bank accounts at tax time, with the start of what’s called stage 3 tax cuts taking effect from this week.

But this benefit is looking like it could be wiped out, and quickly, with new research showing that middle income earners will be paying more tax as early as 2025.

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright explains how much money you could see back in your pocket immediately. And why Australians could be paying more tax in just a couple of years.

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There’s no one quite like Donald Trump. He heralds himself as the saviour of the economy, while experts seriously wonder if he'll drive the country into financial crises. He questions climate science even as his supporters faint at his rallies from the pre-summer record heat.

So what would another term of Donald Trump in the White House mean for Australia, the global economy and the environment if he wins the presidency?

Today, in our second episode of a special Monday series, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright talks through the impact of Donald Trump's plans for the economy.

And later, national environment and climate editor Nick O’Malley on how Trump’s antipathy towards combatting climate change might impact not just Americans’ quality of life, but ours, too

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"My name is Julian Paul Assange."

These were the first words spoken by the Wikileaks founder and high-profile long-time former prisoner as he finally faced court to answer charges this week. Assange accepted a deal to plead guilty of violating US espionage law and appeared on Wednesday in a court in the obscure US Pacific island territory of Saipan.

He was sentenced to time already served and boarded a flight home to Canberra, Australia. He arrived home on Wednesday evening to a cold Canberra evening, a triumphant fist raised.

So how big a political coup is Assange’s release? Who has been working on it and for how long? Why has Albanese made it a project of his government?

And, the temporary defection of Labor Senator Fatima Payman to the Greens.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is chief political correspondent David Crowe, national security correspondent Matthew Knott, and live from Saipan, North Asia correspondent Lisa Visentin.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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What will it take for Benjamin Netanyahu to lose his grip on power? He holds the record in Israel for most time served as prime minister: three stints, over 16 years.

But now, he is deeply unpopular; held responsible, by many Israelis, for not only the deadly October 7 attack, by Hamas. But also for turning his country, in the years before then, into a profoundly unsafe place to live.

Today, international and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on whether Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that the most intense stage of fighting in the south of Gaza is nearly at an end, could finally spell the end of his political career.

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When the news broke yesterday morning that Julian Assange had been set free from a London prison, the buzz spread immediately through parliament house in Canberra.

After spending more than a decade in prison or hiding, what exactly, had Assange agreed to plead guilty to? And will he finally come home to Australia?

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent, Matthew Knott, on how the case that changed politics and journalism, forever, finally came to an end. And what the ripple effect might be, on both domestic and American politics.

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When Victorian education minister Ben Carroll announced, earlier this month, that his government had mandated a change in the way teachers instruct children to read, he admitted that he was potentially “stepping on a hand grenade”.

He was entering the long-running “reading wars”, which have pitted teachers, principals, and parents against each other.

Today, education editor Robyn Grace, on why one union has ordered its teachers to disobey the government’s mandate.

And whether the new method will help remedy the inadequate reading proficiency of too many Australian children.

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There's no one quite like Donald Trump.

He has torn up long-standing treaties, threatened to abandon allies, indulged his rivals and shook America's stability as the centerpiece of Western democracy.

So what would another term of Donald Trump in the White House mean for Australia and the global world order?

In a special Monday series, our journalists examine his impact on trade, security, climate change and the economy, as well as who Australia's most influential lobbyists will be.

Today, international editor Peter Hartcher and foreign affairs national security correspondent Matthew Knott on how the long standing relationship between the United States and Australia might be thrown off kilter by a Trump presidency, and how our power brokers should handle Trump's mercurial temperament.

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This week Opposition leader Peter Dutton unveiled the Coalition’s plans for its nuclear energy policy. In doing so, he drew the battle lines for the next election, with the Albanese government firmly backing in its own plan to lower emissions using renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar.

Plus, this week Australia hosted a visit from the Chinese Premier Li Qiang. So did the visit improve relations with our largest trading partner, or set them back?

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe, national climate and environment editor Nick O’Malley and national affairs correspondent Matthew Knott, join Jacqueline Maley.

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The Chinese Communist Party has long used unconventional means to improve strained relationships. In the 1970s, this meant sending ping pong players to the United States, to encourage the country to lift its embargo against China. (It worked.)

So it was that China pledged, over the weekend, that it would loan one of our zoos two so-called therapy pandas. That’s right, pandas.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on how this diplomatic strategy went down in Canberra. And the skirmish in Parliament House that highlighted the perennial tensions between Australia and its largest trading partner. Which might take a lot more than therapy pandas to fix.

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There’s less than five months to go until the American presidential election. And the race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is neck and neck, with one recent poll putting Trump ahead by less than one point.

Both are geriatric candidates. And they face the same challenge. How will they attract the youth vote?

Today, world editor Nick Ralston, on which young celebrities are most likely to sway voters. (A hint: it’s no longer Taylor Swift.) And whether former Neighbours star Holly Valance might influence a political shift to the far right.

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A music teacher was fired from her Christian school in Sydney this year - all because a parent discovered she was in a same-sex relationship.

The firing was all perfectly legal, under a law that the Australian government promised - but has so far, failed - to scrap.

The law change aims to protect LGBTQ teachers and students, but also promises to walk a tricky tightrope to allow religious schools the right to hire teachers who accord with their faith.

The issue has dogged successive governments for years with politicians trying, and failing to implement the bill.

Today, federal health reporter Natassia Chrysanthos on why it’s still legal for gay Australians to lose their jobs, because of their sexuality.

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The climate change wars heated up, last week, after opposition leader Peter Dutton announced that, if elected to government, he would dump the current emissions reduction target for 2030.

Activists, and even a member of Dutton’s own party, recoiled. This move, they said, may breach our commitment to the Paris Agreement - the treaty committed to fighting global warming.

Today, national climate and environment editor Nick O’Malley on what the Paris Agreement is all about. And why political infighting might damage not just our economy and our environment, but our ability to defend ourselves, too.

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This week, opposition leader Peter Dutton indicated he would not commit to a climate change target for 2030 until after the election. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hit back, saying the Coalition policy would mean energy shortfalls and higher bills. This development sets up the next election as a battle between the major parties on global warming.

Also, there has been discontent among Liberal party members - particularly senator Hollie Hughes, who was recently kicked off a winnable spot on the senate ticket.

Today, national affairs editor James Massola and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss what these climate battle lines mean.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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As supermarkets across the nation have begun rationing eggs, some consumers are showing signs of panic.

Nagi Maehashi, the founder of the popular food blog, RecipeTin Eats, put it this way, earlier this week: “We cannot afford to waste a single egg any more.”

Today, science reporter Angus Dalton, on whether we’re headed for an egg shortage and skyrocketing prices, like in the United States. And what you need to know, now, about eating chicken and eggs.

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The United Nations is in the news almost daily now. Particularly about the war in Gaza. But what exactly does the organisation do?

Because, increasingly, the world has questions about its capabilities and its relevance. Are the directions of the world’s peacekeeper even binding? And why can’t it stop the fighting in Gaza and Ukraine?

Today, explainer reporter Angus Holland on what the United Nations is able to achieve in wartime.

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Our country has just received this year's first economics report card and the news is not good. The last time the Australian economy was this slow - outside of the pandemic - was the very early 1990s, when then treasurer Paul Keating famously announced that Australia had entered a recession.

Are we now teetering on the edge of another one? Many news reports suggest as much. And just last week, treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged that many Australians are suffering through "uncertain times”.

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on what’s causing our economy to grind to a near halt. And whether this might soon lead to another interest rate hike.

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Last month, Tuvalu and Australia confirmed a landmark climate and security pact, which would allow 280 Tuvaluans to migrate to Australia every year.

The Falepili Union marks the first time Australia has offered resettlement rights due to the threat posed by climate change.

But the new migration pathway will leave many Tuvaluans facing difficult questions: stay or go? How does the diaspora preserve their culture and language in the face of a disappearing homeland? And what happens to a country without land?

Today, social affairs editor Jewel Topsfield and regional editor Ben Preiss read their feature titled ‘Tuvalu is being swallowed by the ocean. Its people face a difficult choice.’

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Amid the national debate about immigration levels, it was reported this week that yoga instructors, martial artists and dog handlers have been put above some construction trades on the nation’s draft priority skills list for migrants.

This is despite a desperate need for tradies to build more homes to address the nation’s housing crisis.

Plus, a look at another important skills shortage - in our armed forces.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss all this is chief political correspondent David Crowe and national affairs editor Matthew Knott.

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When far-right populist-turned TV presenter Nigel Farage made the bombshell announcement, on Monday, that he’d be vying for a seat in the British parliament in the upcoming election, the media had a field day.

Hadn’t Farage, one of the architects of Brexit, announced, just weeks before, that he wouldn’t be running? And this, after a total seven previous tilts at a seat in the House of Commons over the last 30 years. All unsuccessful.

And this was before Farage was splattered with a milkshake, thrown by a protester, on his first day of campaigning.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on why Nigel Farage, though on the fringe of politics, still poses a threat to British society. And the rise of the far-right across the globe.

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It’s the ultimate unthinkable. A father of three drives his children off the road and into a dam. The car sinks. And the father is the only person to get out alive. All three children drown.

That father, Victorian man Robert Farquharson, has been in prison for the murder of his children, for much of the past 19 years.

But could he have been wrongly convicted?

On the eve of a lawyer launching a new appeal, a group of scientists, doctors and lawyers are arguing that key parts of the evidence that convicted Robert Farquharson don’t stack up.

Today, investigative reporter Michael Bachelard on following the rope of evidence that convicted the father of three, and the new information that may unravel his prosecution altogether.

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It’s finally happened. In a court decision that breaks with 247 years of American history, Donald Trump has become the first former president of the United States to be criminally convicted.

Because, earlier today, a jury of 12 New Yorkers found that Trump was guilty of falsifying business records. What do business records have to do with this infamous hush money trial, involving an adult film star? And can a felon still run for the American presidency? Let alone serve from jail, if Trump - who is currently ahead in many states - were to win in November?

Today, in a special episode of The Morning Edition, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin, on how this conviction may reshape the 2024 presidential race.

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The Albanese government faced relentless pressure this week as it scrambled to replace a ministerial direction linked to tribunal decisions that has allowed serious criminals to stay in Australia.

The Prime Minister has also been forced to defend embattled Immigration Minister Andrew Giles in parliament - as public servants revealed some criminals including murderers and sex offenders were not required to wear ankle monitors under immigration detention laws.

The Coalition has stepped up its calls for Giles to go, detailing cases where the Administrative Appeals Tribunal allowed non-citizens to stay in Australia, despite their history of often violent offending.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss these developments is chief political correspondent David Crowe and migration reporter Angus Thompson.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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When, last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a snap national election for early July, the derision came thick and fast. First, it was because he made his announcement, in front of 10 Downing Street, while being pelted with rain. Without an umbrella.

But then came his first election promise.Should the Tories be elected, all 18 year olds will go through compulsory national service, in a bid to create a “renewed sense of pride” in Britain.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on Rishi Sunak, and whether this proposal has any chance of rejuvenating his party, which, as one commentator recently put it, is “facing an extinction-level event”.

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Opposition leader Peter Dutton has immigration numbers squarely in his sights. Lower the number of immigrants in this country, he has said, and we will see an improvement with all sorts of social challenges. This won’t just help fix our dire housing crisis. But it will also help people get in to see a GP, and finally gain a spot for their child at kindergarten.

His policy was the cornerstone of his budget reply speech, two weeks ago. But since then, his speech - and the coalition - have come under fire. For promoting a populist idea that will fail to address these struggles. And, even worse, possibly fueling racist sentiment.

Today, columnist Jacqueline Maley on the Coalition’s cornerstone policy, which it plans to take to the next election.

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We are used to hearing bad news when it comes to the environment.

And it's for good reason. The world’s temperature is rising at an alarming rate, our air is full of pollutants, species are becoming endangered and then, extinct.

But, we are here to deliver some good news, on the Australian initiatives that are making a difference.

Today, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley on the three good news stories about our environment.

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Over the last few months, a new wave of avian flu has been raging across the world.

In the United States, the strain has been found in cows, and it has also reached far-flung Antarctica, infecting penguins, seals and polar bears.

So far, transmission to humans has been extremely rare, and Australia remains the only continent in the world to keep the virus out.

But last week, health authorities confirmed a Victorian child had been critically ill with another strain of the virus, becoming Australia’s first-ever case of human bird flu.

Today, science reporter Angus Dalton on the alarming new cases of bird flu in Australia. And what the risks are to us.

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This week we look at two stories about our public servants. The first story is about the faceless kind of public servant who toil in government departments, and the second story is about the political public servants at the heart of the Albanese government, as we discuss the different public and private roles of ministers.

Joining Jacqueline Maley is national affairs editor James Massola and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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For years, it has been the biggest question in geopolitics. Who will win the struggle for world domination? China? Or the United States? American president Joe Biden has dubbed it the “fight to win the 21st century”.

But behind the grandiose rhetoric, there is one tiny country stuck in the middle of these two superpowers. Taiwan, the independent country that China claims as its own.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on how Taiwan’s new president - a former political ‘hot-head’ inaugurated earlier this week - might manage his country’s struggle for sovereignty. And his citizens’ growing fear of invasion.

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It’s not everyday that an Australian artwork gets thrust into the global spotlight, let alone becomes a punchline on a hugely popular American late night talk show.

But all that changed last week, after news broke that Australia’s richest woman demanded that her portrait be taken down from the walls of The National Gallery of Australia, in Canberra.

Today, investigative reporter Eryk Bagshaw, who helped break this story on why it’s gone viral, and how Gina Rinehart’s lengths to remove the portrait speak to the heart of Vincent Namatjira’s artwork, a satire about wealth and influence.

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Iran state media confirmed on Monday that president Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on a foggy mountain side in a hard-to-reach corner of north-west Iran.

Was his death an accident, or not? And might it escalate the ever-growing tensions between Iran, and Israel, its sworn enemy, which some have speculated is behind the accident?

Today, digital foreign editor Chris Zappone on the hard-line cleric who oversaw a morality crackdown in Iran that led to nationwide protests. And what impact his death could have on stability, or instability, in the wider region.

For more, see the BBC's 'Mahsa Amini: How one woman's death sparked Iran protests'.

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Defence force whistleblower David McBride was jailed last week for more than five years for leaking documents to the ABC.
His information formed the basis of what became known as the Afghan Files, which aired allegations war crimes were committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.
McBride has been lauded as a poster boy in the fight for greater protection for whistleblowers in Australia, but, like many of our whistleblowers, it’s not so simple.
So, who is David McBride? Heroic whistleblower, or, something else?
Today, Good Weekend senior writer Jane Cadzow on the dichotomy of the whistleblower.

Cadzow’s profile of David McBride: https://www.smh.com.au/national/david-mcbride-on-whistleblowing-his-famous-dad-and-a-possible-jail-sentence-20240129-p5f0vq.html?collection=p5f0ve&gb=1
ABC’s The Afghan Files: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-11/killings-of-unarmed-afghans-by-australian-special-forces/8466642

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The government handed down its third federal budget this week, and it was the usual blizzard of figures.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers gave us hand-outs, grand plans for the future and some heroic predictions on inflation figures.

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and national affairs editor James Massola join Jacqueline Maley to unpack the budget as a political document - will it help the government win the next election, and will the voting public believe all the promises made about the future of the economy?

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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As global outcry continues for the war in Gaza to end, after more than seven months, Hamas and Israel have reached an impasse. Recent ceasefire talks failed. And both sides are struggling.

Much of Hamas’ fighting forces have been killed. And Israel’s main ally, the United States, just made the remarkable step of beginning to limit its supply of arms to the country. So, where to from here?

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on how this war can end, when both sides now know that it’s unwinnable.

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It was always going to be a particularly tricky federal budget. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, the Albanese government had been tasked with providing relief to Australians, but without causing inflation to rise. Which would have the dreaded impact of leading to yet another interest rate rise.

So, did treasurer Jim Chalmers nail his brief? And what are the government’s priorities? Is it women, those suffering amid the housing shortage, and students with debt, as it had previously promised, among others? And who’s been left in the cold?

Tonight in a special episode recorded in the lock-up in parliament house, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on the main winners and losers of this year’s budget. And if this budget is really an early election pitch for the Albanese government.

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In the case of Elon Musk versus Australia’s E-Safety Commissioner, the billionaire owner of social media platform X had a win in court on Monday.

A temporary order that forced the site to remove videos of the stabbing of a bishop in Sydney last month, was lifted ahead of a trial showdown between the tech giant and the Australian regulator.

The court case has reopened debate about how much control a government can exert over these tech companies, but also, whether age restrictions should be placed on social media use.

Today, federal political correspondent Paul Sakkal takes us inside this court case, and how governments across the world are using tech to implement age controls.

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About two weeks ago, a council in Sydney’s west voted to ban books about same-sex families.

A former mayor and current councillor led the charge, brandishing a book he said his constituents complained about. Though he hadn’t read the book himself, he claimed residents wanted their kids kept safe from “sexualisation."

The motion prompted immediate outrage, including from the NSW Arts Minister, who said when civilisations turn to burning books, or banning books, it was a very bad sign.

Today, state political editor Alexandra Smith on what wider implications this local decision could have for all Australians.

To read Smith's full opinion piece click here.

Other audio used in this episode include from:

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
MSNBC

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The Federal government will hand down its third budget on Tuesday, May 14. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has promised the budget will be about cost of living relief and also reform. The Treasurer says people should also expect ambitious investment from the government on housing supply.

Today, in a special episode, chief political correspondent David Crowe and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright speak to the Treasurer in Canberra, covering migration, housing pressures, the future made in Australia and the Treasurer’s focus ahead of next week’s budget.

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For months now, anger over Israel’s military operation in Gaza has spilled over into mass unrest at universities across the United States.

This culminated in disturbing scenes last week, when police in riot gear stormed the campus at Columbia University, setting off flashbang grenades and eventually arresting nearly 120 people, many of them hauled away, their hands handcuffed with zip ties.

This won’t be the last of it, says North American correspondent Farrah Tomazin, who has spoken to protesters from both sides at campuses across the US.

Today, Tomazin discusses whether these protests ever lead to cultural change, in a country that has a long history of them, some of them deadly. And whether they might help determine the outcome of the American presidential election in November.

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For years now, Donald Trump has been shooting off inflammatory messages on social media, and shouting invective about his foes, from lecterns. But as for his actual plans for how he would lead the United States, should he be elected president on November 5?

They’ve long been thin on the ground. Or they were, until the other week, when Trump offered a surprising interview in which he revealed, perhaps for the first time, a detailed vision of what he wants to achieve in a second presidency. And just how far he would be planning to go, to attain his goals.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on what Donald Trump’s desire for revenge might look like for Americans on the ground. And why he's more threatened by his own people, than America's traditional enemies.

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They were two brothers from Perth on a trip of a lifetime in Mexico.

Callum Robinson, who was playing college lacrosse in the U.S and his brother Jake, a young doctor at the start of his career in Australia, were avid surfers chasing waves on a trip in the north-west coast of Mexico.

Last week they went missing, before Mexican police found four bodies down a well on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities have now confirmed that two of those bodies are those of Jake and Callum.

How did this happen in a popular Mexican holiday destination?

Today, Channel Nine’s U.S correspondent Alison Piotrowski speaks to us from Baja California about what it’s like on the ground, and the possible motive behind the suspected murders.

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When you think about spies infiltrating Australia and which countries they’re coming from, you’re probably going to think of China, or Russia.

But we’ve just learned, for the first time, that India’s intelligence agency - known as the RAW - deployed secret agents to try and steal sensitive information from one its most important global partners, Australia.

It comes as reports emerged from the United States that a hired hit team with links to the RAW was in the final phase of carrying out an assasination plot against an Indian activist.

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott on what’s behind this global “nest of spies” and why this spy operation in Australia was kept secret until now.

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This week in politics was dominated by the tragedy of gendered violence, and what measures the Albanese government will adopt to tackle it. Hit by a wave of national anger over a spate of murders of women by men, the PM convened an emergency National Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. So what did he announce, and how much can the federal government do on this issue of domestic violence?

We also examine how a released immigration detainee was able to allegedly attack and severely beat a 77-year-old woman in Perth. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said the public’s safety was the government’s priority. But now she is facing calls to resign, along with Immigration Minister Andrew Giles.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is national political correspondent David Crowe, and federal reporters Natassia Chrysanthos and Angus Thomson. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Nearly 200 years ago, the industrial revolution radically upended how people experienced the world - where they lived, what work they did, and the sort of stress they endured. And now? We’re on the precipice of the next industrial revolution.

The advent of quantum computers will likely be able to help countries win wars and solve some of our trickiest social problems, according to experts.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on just how soon the technology that Albert Einstein once called “spooky” could change our lives. And what its inherent dangers might be.

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When you think about live streaming, you might picture mainstream social media sites, but its popularity has skyrocketed on other platforms.

With a focus on gaming, Twitch emerged as a live streaming giant over the past decade. Now, there’s a new player making noise – and some of it’s troubling.

Edward Craven, the founder of Stake.com and the youngest billionaire in Australia has gone on to co-create the streaming platform Kick.

Today, investigative reporter Patrick Begley on a platform described as a “playground for degenerates”, and the risks it poses to vulnerable people.

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So far this year, 27 Australian women have been murdered. Nine of the alleged perpetrators were under the age of 30.

Erica Hay, Molly Ticehurst, Emma Bates and Hannah McGuire were all allegedly murdered over the past few weeks. And in the horrific stabbing spree at Bondi Junction, five of the six victims were women.

Politicians at the state and federal level are now facing pressure to take action and deliver real solutions to what’s been described as a national crisis.

Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker on Australia’s shame and the entrenched culture of misogyny and gendered violence that continues to shape young men.

If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

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The cost of well, almost everything, has skyrocketed. From petrol prices, to rent and mortgages, to insurance premiums and to the supermarket shop with cereal, bread and eggs all costing more.

And now, a new report says Australians have suffered the biggest increase in the average tax rates in the developed world, with New Zealand a close second.

So why did we end up with the biggest tax increase? And what have been some of the worst price increases we’ve seen over the last few years?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on these pressures, and what the government could do about it.

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A video of a violent attack on a Sydney bishop has sparked an international fight over free speech, censorship, and the potential threats such videos could pose when spread on social media.

US billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform X was ordered by Australia's E Safety Commissioner Julie Inman grant to take down some copies of the clip, amid fees it could be used to radicalise more people.

Musk has been fighting the takedown drawing criticism from politicians across the spectrum, including from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The Coalition wants young children blocked from social media to protect them from harmful content, while the country's top policing and spy agencies have vowed to protect children from extremist poison, and called on platforms to do better.

Today political correspondent Paul Sakkal and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Rachel Clun on this week's Inside Politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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After more than a decade of weakening strategic resolve under the Obama and Trump administrations, the United States is showing signs of re-emerging as an indispensable power to the world.

The United States helped to curtail broader conflict in the Middle East by rallying a coordinated response to Iran’s attack on Israel, and passed a 95 billion dollar aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

This willingness to again embrace its role as the gamekeeper and gardener of the international order comes after years of miscalculations that served only to embolden the world’s autocrats and their ambitions.

Today, international editor Peter Hartcher on three key positions taken by the United States and what this may mean for its allies and the world order.

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Earlier this week, the woman at the centre of the mushroom deaths case that captured the attention of the country, attended court for the second time.

Erin Patterson was arrested and charged in November last year with three counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder in the small-town Victorian case tracked around the world.

Legal teams are now focusing their efforts on the timing and location for a committal hearing, which could be impacted by a request from Patterson’s legal team to have the case tested in front of her peers in a local court.

Patterson has already spent five months in custody, and may spend many more waiting for a hearing that could be pushed out to 2025.

Today, crime and justice reporter Erin Pearson on everything we know so far, and what we can expect next.

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After seven months of war in the Middle East, the world again held its breath when news emerged that Israel had struck inside Iran.

This followed an unprecedented attack by Iran on April 14, when it launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israeli military targets.

What appeared on Friday to be a major response from Israel, and a signal of potentially a significant escalation in the region, then gave way to conflicting reports and confusion.

So what actually occurred, and what might happen from here?

Today, digital foreign editor Chris Zappone on the history of tension between Iran and Israel, a proxy war, and what both sides seek to gain from conflict.

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Last week, Donald Trump became the first current or former US president to face a criminal trial, charged with falsifying business records in an attempt to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Allegations he has denied.

The first hurdle of the trial was jury selection, but finally, a 12-person panel was sworn in.

But it took laborious vetting by the legal teams to get there. Prospective jurors took themselves out of selection because they professed they couldn’t be impartial, while a rigorous survey of candidates included questions such as: Have you ever read the ‘Art of the Deal’ or attended a Proud Boys rally?

Today, US correspondent Farrah Tomazin on the highlights from week one, and what to expect from the next six to eight weeks.

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The past week has seen two shocking stabbing attacks by lone actors in Sydney - one in the city’s east, and one in its west.

Both incidents have horrified the community, but the attack against a Bishop at an Assyrian Christian church on Monday evening has prompted a particularly strong political response.

These two destabilising events represent a test of Australia’s social cohesion, and a test of our political leaders’ capacity to nurture tolerance within the community at a time of great international tensions.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is political correspondent Paul Sakkal, national security correspondent Matthew Knott, and chief political correspondent David Crowe.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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It was scarcely more than 48 hours after the tragic attack in Bondi Junction when across town in Sydney, another confronting incident was unfolding.

During a service that was livestreamed at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in the suburb of Wakeley, a teenager allegedly attacked Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel.

The attack, which has now been declared an act of terror, sparked chaotic and violent scenes outside the church, where hundreds of people rioted and clashed with a heavy police presence.

Today, investigative reporter Patrick Begley on what we know about the attack and the trauma and fear felt across Sydney.

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When Iran launched a direct missile and drone attack on Israel, over the weekend, it was the realisation of one of Israel’s worst fears. This was a historic first. And has always loomed as an existential threat.

For decades, Israeli leaders have feared a direct attack from its sworn enemy, which has been experimenting with its nuclear capabilities for around 70 years.

And now, much of the world is holding its breath, as it waits to see how Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu - a man not known for his military restraint - will respond.

Today, political and international editor Peter Hartcher on whether this latest escalation could see the war in Gaza evolve into a much wider sphere of devastation.

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After five years, one aborted criminal trial and millions of dollars in legal fees, Justice Michael Lee handed down his judgment in the defamation case that Bruce Lehrmann brought against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson.

Justice Lee found that Bruce Lehrmann had raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, and dismissed Lehrmann’s defamation claim.

The judgment, which was delayed at the 11th hour, was delivered in great, and at times colourful, detail.

The decision does not amount to a finding of criminal guilt. Lehrmann’s criminal trial was aborted in October 2022 due to juror misconduct and the charges were later dropped altogether owing to concerns about Higgins’ mental health.

Today, legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn on the extraordinary findings from an at-times squalid and politically and socially charged case, and what it means for everyone involved.

And, a warning for listeners, this episode contains repeated descriptions of sexual assault.

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When news broke last week that one of the most powerful people at Seven Network allegedly tried to cover up an internal fraud investigation, the network suffered reputational fallout.

It’s just the latest scandal that has exposed the misogynistic, bullying and get-a-story-at-any-cost culture that has seemingly been thriving in pockets of the media company. Because, later today, a judgment is expected to be handed down in the multi-million dollar Bruce Lehrmann defamation case, which has also embroiled Seven in scandal.

But to see the issue as a problem suffered by one media organisation is to miss the point, according to investigative journalist Nick McKenzie, who broke this latest story.

Today, McKenzie, talks about what happens when journalists - the very people who are tasked with holding the powerful to account - allegedly engage in unethical behaviour.

And just a heads-up, this episode mentions sexual assault, self-harm and suicide.

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Australians across the country were shocked on Saturday, when a man brandishing a long knife stalked through a shopping centre in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.

What resulted was horrific. At the time of recording, six people have been killed, including two mothers. A dozen other victims have been taken to hospital with stab wounds. The attacker was shot dead by police.

Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker on a mass murder that took place in a location that many people - especially mothers of small children - often use as a refuge, from boredom, and the heat. And the shock and sadness that the whole country is feeling.

And just a reminder, this episode contains confronting descriptions of violence.

If you find anything in this episode distressing, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

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Six months after the deadly conflict between Israel and Hamas began, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has signalled a shift in Australia’s position on the question of Palestinian statehood.

Wong said that recognising Palestinian statehood, without waiting for years of peace talks with Israel, could improve the chances for peace and build momentum towards a two-state agreement.

The Federal Government’s position has been met with fierce backlash from pro-Israel groups and the Opposition, who say that would reward Hamas for its October 7 terror attacks.

Plus the Government's plan to strengthen merger laws and help more businesses make products in Australia as it gears up for its May 14 budget.

Today, foreign affairs correspondent Matthew Knott, chief political correspondent David Crowe and economics correspondent Shane Wright join Jacqueline Maley to discuss.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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For more than 75 years, Japan has had, at the centre of its constitution, a very particular promise.

The country renounces war as a sovereign right. Forever. This means the country is forbidden from maintaining an army, navy or air force - and from using force as a means of settling international disputes.

This so-called “peace constitution” was an instrumental part of Japan rising from the ashes of World War II, and the destruction that it both suffered, and meted out.

But now, Japan is dramatically beefing up its military.

Today, International and political editor Peter Hartcher on why Japan is arguably breaching its own constitution. And what it might mean for the global order.

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For at least a year, we’ve been hearing allegations that our biggest supermarkets have been rorting us - paying the farmers who provide them with produce too little. And charging consumers way too much. As the stores themselves rake in tens of billions dollars each year, amid an ongoing cost of living crisis.

The end result has been enraged consumers. And fiery political outbursts that have spilled over in senate inquiries in which politicians have grilled supermarket CEOs.

And now, a new review by the government has recommended that supermarkets be fined, potentially billions of dollars, if they breach a renewed code of conduct that has been proposed.

Today, national affairs editor James Massola on the political fight that’s led to this review. And whether it might finally result in lower prices at the checkout.

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For decades, these chemicals were miracle ingredients for 3M, a company that has made billions from the products that used them such as Scotchguard and Teflon pans.

Nicknamed “forever chemicals”, they repel everything from grease, to water and stains - and are found in everyday items like frying pans, household cleaning products, and even school uniforms.

Now 3M is at risk of bankruptcy, with allegations that the company deliberately deceived the public from being aware of the serious risks posed by forever chemicals, with a growing body of science linking these chemicals to adverse health outcomes, including cancer.

Today, investigative reporter Carrie Fellner on the factory that contaminated the whole world - including many Australian communities.

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When Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election against Hilary Clinton it wasn’t just his grabbing the top spot in the White House that shocked Americans.

So, too, did allegations by intelligence agencies that Russian President Vladimir Putin directly ordered a campaign to interfere with the election.

This would play out on social media via troll factories, with fake profiles befriending real people to spread Kremlin propaganda.

And now, only seven months out from the next American election with Donald Trump ramping-up his campaign against Joe Biden, interference like this is happening again.

Today, digital foreign editor Chris Zappone on the new tactics being used by Russian operatives, to disrupt democracy.

Zappone's podcast, Dark Shining Moment, can be found here.

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This week, national affairs editor James Massola and political correspondent Paul Sakkal join Jacqueline Maley to look at how the Albanese government is going ahead of the next election, likely to take place next year, after an interesting few months of political ups and downs.

They also to examine the ups and downs of political behaviour, after leaked documents revealed potential punishments for MPs and senators who are found to breach parliamentary standards.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Later today, we were meant to be hearing Justice Michael Lee’s judgment, in the multi-million dollar defamation case that Bruce Lehrmann has brought against Network 10.

But then, in a surprise turn of events on Tuesday evening, lawyers for Network 10 made an eleventh-hour bid for Justice Lee to re-open its defence, and admit new evidence.

This is just the latest twist in a case that has its origins more than five years ago, when former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins alleges that Lehrmann raped her in an office in parliament house. Bruce Lehrmann has always strenuously denied the allegations.

Today, legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn on the explosive new evidence, and why it might be key to Justice Lee’s decision.

And just a heads-up, this episode contains references to allegations of sexual assault.

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One-time Sydney real estate agent Sarah Dougan always dreamed of making a life for herself in the United States. At one time, her goal was to make it as an actress in New York City.

That never happened. Instead, she’s become a successful CEO in the US, and the owner of a multi-million dollar mansion.

There’s just one problem. Australian authorities have been combing through her Australian business records since 2011. And the results have been damning.

Not only did she leave Australia, in 2012, owing half a million dollars. But from the next year on, she was a wanted fugitive, with a warrant out for her arrest.

Today, crime reporter Perry Duffin on what constitutes fairness in our legal system, and whether Sarah Dougan is obliged to return to Australia to face court. Or whether - as she argues - it would mean sacrificing her right to equality, and lead to her losing everything she has in the United States.

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When Independent MP Andrew Wilkie made claims of secret illicit drug testing within the AFL, the sporting community went into damage control.

At the centre of his parliamentary speech was a whistleblower - a former doctor for Melbourne Football Club who alleged that players in some instances underwent off-the-book drug testing ahead of a game.

If they tested positive, he claimed, the player might fake illness or injury in order to avoid match-day testing conducted by the independent sporting integrity body.

So what’s behind these allegations? And why does it matter what players do in their own time?

Today, chief reporter Chip Le Grand on the latest AFL drugs scandal.

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More than two years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we have become accustomed to seeing vision on the news of drone attacks and bombed out buildings.

But what of the psychological, emotional and physical toll on the country’s children?

Do they sleep safe at night? Do they go to school? Do they play?

Their experience has been lost in the fog of war, say teachers on the ground, who are struggling to give these children, and their mothers, a sense of normalcy.

Today, Europe correspondent Rob Harris, who has just travelled to Ukraine, on how this war is affecting the country’s most vulnerable people. And what the impact on them might be for years to come.

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In the final days of Parliament before a long break, the federal government tried to rush through drastic new deportation laws that would give it the power to threaten people with jail if they are not deemed refugees and refuse to leave the country.

Labor says the laws close a loophole that prevents the country from deporting people who have exhausted all legal avenues to stay in Australia and are refusing to leave.

But the move was met with strong opposition, and in a bruising loss for the government, all opposition and crossbench senators teamed up to send the laws to a committee for further scrutiny in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the federal government is also hoping to get its long-awaited fuel efficiency standards through the parliament soon, after making changes to get more car manufacturers on board.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is chief political correspondent David Crowe, federal migration reporter Angus Thompson, and climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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For decades, a downturn in the Chinese economy has meant a boon for investors in the West. But then came an unwelcome announcement, earlier this month, from the Chinese government. Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on why this announcement isn’t just bad for our economy, but is a reminder of China’s dramatically revamped - and dangerous - geopolitical goals.

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It’s a church that preaches a hatred of people outside of its own flock. Women are treated as second-class citizens. And homosexuality is not tolerated.

So why does the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church have such extraordinary access to political power brokers? And does it actually perform the acts of charity that it says it does? For which it receives multi-millions of dollars in government funding and tax exemptions?

Until last week, many remained questions without answers. That is, until the Australian Tax Office performed an astonishing raid on businesses owned by the church.

Today, investigative reporter Michael Bachelard on the Plymouth Brethren Church, which has long flown under the radar, but is now being exposed to the light.

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Once one of our most popular prime ministers, before experiencing stunning and repeated political rejection, Kevin Rudd has been out of the spotlight for years. But that was before Donald Trump let rip with a string of invectives against Rudd, in an interview last week.

It was a conversation that unleashed a barrage of think pieces. Why did Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appoint Rudd as the ambassador to the United States in the first place? And how can he possibly advance our interests in the White House now?

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott on Kevin Rudd, the one-time power player who was cast-out to the political wilderness and is now back in the spotlight.

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In the struggle for power and influence in the Pacific, there is one man Australian security agencies have their eye on.

He’s allegedly a member of a powerful organised crime network spanning the Pacific. And, according to secret intelligence documents out of Canberra, he’s a potential threat to our national interest.

Why? Because he’s also a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party. And his alleged activities are taking place amid China’s growing influence in the Pacific.

All this comes at a time when a security agreement between Beijing and the Pacific Island nation of Fiji, once put on ice, now seems to be back on the table.

Today, investigative journalist Nick McKenzie on his story with The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes on Zhao Fugang, and why his influence in Fiji matters to Australia.

Watch full story on Nine's 60 Minutes here.

And just a note, there is no suggestion by our mastheads that Zhao Fugang is a convicted criminal or is guilty of the allegations, only that he is of such serious concern to Australia’s security agencies he has designated as a high priority target.

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It is an issue that has come up for the last couple of governments, and one that none of them have yet been able to resolve.

Religious discrimination laws have been a contentious topic in our politics for the better part of a decade now, with the rights of gay and gender-diverse students and teachers set against the rights of religious schools to teach and hire according to the values of their faith.

During the election campaign, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would settle this conflict if Labor won government. But this week the PM effectively abandoned the issue, as Scott Morrison did before him.

Also, the visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister and Donald Trump’s rather hurtful comments about our Ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss, is chief political correspondent David Crowe and political reporter Natassia Chrysanthos.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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The world’s biggest information and communications companies dominate our lives, in many ways. Google, Apple, Microsoft, among many others - we use their products to write up work reports, store our photos, and send messages to our loved ones. Sometimes hourly.

And yet, these same companies, according to recent research, are arguably enabling paedophiles to commit the most heinous of crimes against children. On a scale never before seen in human history.

These companies are also producing the technology needed to crack down on these crimes, so why aren’t they using it?

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on the shocking social crisis that’s been hiding in the shadows. And the two government commissioners who are fighting to protect the most vulnerable people in our society.

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Many know it as the platform of choice for people who love to share videos of themselves dancing, or, say, combing the fur of their toy poodles. But, to hear politicians and late night talk show hosts discuss TikTok, lately, you’d think the app was a one-way ticket to political and social chaos.

It all kicked off, last week, when the American House of Representatives passed a bill that - should it become law - would require the Chinese company that owns TikTok to sell it to an American interest. Otherwise, the app would face being banned in the United States.

Today, Bruce Wolpe, a former American congressional staffer, and now a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre, on what lit the fuse on this geopolitical explosion. And whether Australia is likely to follow suit, with its own TikTok ban

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It was just 45 minutes. But what happened in that short space of time has set-off a frenzy of news stories, an aborted criminal trial, and a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

In that time, a young Liberal Party staffer says she was raped by her colleague. He says he is innocent.

A court decision on whose truth, is the truth, is expected to be handed down soon.

But amid the layer upon layer of conjecture, is a trail of evidence.

Today, legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn what happened between Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins. The full interactive piece on the 45 minutes at the centre of the defamation trial can be read here.

And just a heads-up for our listeners, this episode contains references to allegations of sexual assault.

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A new poll suggests that Australians no longer fear nuclear power the way they once did.

Is this actually the case, and if so, how come?

And are more young people open to nuclear power as a clean energy solution because they didn’t live through disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima?

Today, environment reporter Caitlin Fitzsimmons on why we’re talking nuclear and just how realistic it is that nuclear power will be a part of our transition to a cleaner, greener Australia.

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Wealthy Australians should pay more for aged care, and use their superannuation to do so. That’s one of 23 findings from a government-appointed taskforce that has examined how the country covers its rapidly growing aged care costs.

Meanwhile, the Albanese government is also mulling an overhaul of a different kind. It’s planning to restrict the amount that can be donated to political parties and candidates, in a bid to limit big-money donations and restrict the influence of billionaires.

The changes would be the biggest shake-up to Australian election rules in a generation.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is chief political correspondent David Crowe, federal health reporter Natassia Chrysanthos and political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

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Now that Donald Trump has secured his position as the Republican candidate for the American presidency, leaders around the globe have begun to worry. Can they Trump-proof their countries? In Australia, concerned government officials are turning to one man for advice.

Mike Green is an expert on American policy in Asia, who worked in the George W Bush administration. So, what challenges could Trump pose for us? And how could we best combat them?

Today, international and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on what Mike Green says we should, and shouldn’t, be worried about. And what the silver lining of a Donald Trump presidency might be.

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It is the oldest fraternal organisation in the world; and began with a group of builders who first gathered in the Middle Ages in Europe to build cathedrals and, later, some of the world’s great architectural structures.

But at the heart of the Freemasons, is secrecy, too. It’s against the rules to speak, publicly, about what happens in this order, which has chapters around the world.

Today, investigative journalist Charlotte Grieve, about the 31 current and former freemasons who spoke to her to expose what they say is a crisis of bullying, nepotism and financial mismanagement, within the Victorian Freemasons chapter. And why some allege that the organisation’s focus has shifted from charity, to property development.

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In the early hours of Sunday, February 4, Samantha Murphy left her home in Ballarat for her usual morning run. It’s what so many of us do, every day.

But when Samantha failed to show up later, as planned, for brunch, her family raised the alarm.

Police soon appealed to the public for help with finding the mother of three, and began searching hundreds of hectares near where Samantha regularly ran.

Volunteers later joined in the effort, gathering from around the country to comb the dense bushland near Samantha’s home.

Today, law and justice editor Chris Vedelago on the woman who vanished without a trace. And the man who’s been charged with her murder.

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She is probably the most famous female athlete in Australia. A beloved - and extremely bankable - role model, who helped unite Australia last year, when she led the Matildas into the World Cup semi-finals.

So when news surfaced, last week, that Matilda’s captain Sam Kerr had been charged with using a racist slur in England, the fallout was swift. There were questions about her future in the sport and her leadership of the Australian team.

But people also questioned the likelihood of Kerr, who is not only of Indian heritage, but is also gay, harassing someone. Let alone a white police officer.

Today, Europe Correspondent, Rob Harris, on how this story broke, and University of Sydney professor of social work and policy studies, Jioji Ravulo, on whether it’s possible to racially abuse someone for being white.

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Last weekend the people of Dunkley, in south-east Melbourne, voted in a byelection, and delivered a respectable victory to the Labor candidate Jody Beylea.

Before the vote, Liberal Senator Jane Hume said that “what we’re hearing from voters on the ground is there is this white-hot anger, there is this fury”.

But that turned out to be a massive overreach. There was only an average swing against Labor.

Today on Inside Politics, chief political correspondent David Crowe and political correspondent Paul Sakkal join Jacqueline Maley to discuss what the Dunkley by-election tells us about the fate of the Opposition.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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For years now, global leaders have become somewhat accustomed to Russian president Vladimir Putin threatening nuclear attack on his enemies. He’s only pickedup on those threats, since launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, just over two years ago.

To many, these were simply sabre rattling; a show of strength. And a bluff.

But then came the leak, about a week ago, of Russian military documents that give new insights into Putin’s nuclear strategies.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on just how low Putin’s threshold might be, for launching nuclear weapons. And what global leaders may be thinking now.

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You know it; I know it, and the politicians sure know it. We’re still in the grip of a cost of living crisis.

But while our two main political parties take pot-shots at each other, and try to score points over who’s doing a better job at providing relief, one main part of the discussion has been lost.

What are we spending our money on now? And why?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on the biggest shift in our spending habits that he’s seen, in his nearly 40 years long career. And what it says about us.

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The alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in a terrace house in the inner city of Sydney, on February 19, stunned the nation.

The case began after police found a bag with bloodied contents on February 21, in a skip near a police station in the south Sydney suburb of Cronulla. This led to a manhunt, across Sydney and beyond, after which time Beau Lamarre-Condon, an active police officer, handed himself in at a police station. Exactly a week ago today, Lamarre-Condon led police to the bodies of the slain couple.

But many crucial questions have remained unanswered. Until now.

Today, crime reporter Perry Duffin on the leaked police document, and conversations with former friends and colleagues of Jesse Baird, that tell us the inside story behind this tragic case.

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Tomorrow marks one of the most important dates on the American political calendar. It’s Super Tuesday, when 15 states hold mini-elections to help determine who will win their party’s presidential nomination, and then go on to vie for the top spot in the White House, in November.

So, which states are voting? And how might they tap into the personal and political vulnerabilities of the three main challengers: Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Nikki Haley?

Today, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin on the rage, disillusionment and hope she’s been seeing as she travels from state to state. And who might come out a winner tomorrow.

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David McBride is awaiting sentencing for the leak of classified military documents from his time as an army lawyer in Afghanistan.

In a candid conversation with senior Good Weekend writer Jane Cadzow, he speaks about what led him to do it, the personal fallout and his complex relationship with his father William, who blew the whistle on problems with thalidomide in the 1960s before his own fall from grace.

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Well, it seems that spies walk among us.

This week ASIO boss Mike Burgess made an extraordinary revelation.

He said his agency uncovered a sophisticated foreign interference operation, which involved a former Australian politician betraying Australia, and trying to involve a relative of a Prime Minister in the web.

So just how bad is the threat?

And why won’t they tell us who this former politician is?

Plus, we already knew the average working woman is paid less than the average man. But this week, for the first time, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency revealed the median pay gaps at nearly 5000 of the country’s largest companies.

Businesses from major banks to women’s activewear brands have large pay gaps favouring men, while elite private schools have pay gaps favouring women.

So what, if anything, can be done about it?

Today, economics reporter Rachel Clun and chief political correspondent David Crowe discuss the week in politics.

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She’s been ridiculed, and threatened. And though she continues to spend millions on her campaign, she has yet to win a single primary in the race to become the Republican presidential nominee. To top it off, there’s virtually no chance she can beat Donald Trump; her only other Republican opponent.

So why does Nikki Haley stubbornly continue to fight in this race?

Today, International and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on what Nikki Haley can still achieve, even when she’s destined to lose this nomination. And what Donald Trump still stands to lose, while she stays in the race.

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For months now, officials in Israel and Gaza have been trying to negotiate another ceasefire. And now, according to experts, the enemies are within days of reaching one. But what might a ceasefire look like?

Hamas has demanded a complete cessation of hostilities and an end, long-term, to the war. While Israel has insisted that nothing will stop an imminent ground invasion into the south of Gaza. Meanwhile, more and more Gazans risk starvation, while the world looks on in horror.

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent, Matthew Knott, on what might lead Israel and Hamas to move beyond their current impasse. And the possible impact, on negotiations, of irritations that are growing, behind the scenes, between Benjamin Netanyahu and Joe Biden.

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A young couple in the prime of their lives missing from their Sydney flat, presumed dead, and a serving NSW police officer stands accused of their murders.

A little over a week ago, flight attendant Luke Davies and AFL umpire Jesse Baird went missing. Their Paddington flat became a crime scene, and bloodied clothes were found in a rubbish bin just metres from a police station.

Then the manhunt began for senior constable Beau Lamarre-Condon, Baird’s ex-boyfriend, who was later charged with two counts of murder after he finally handed himself in.

Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker on the new details that have emerged in this shocking case as investigators continue their grim search for the bodies. And the broader issues at play, including the domestic violence allegedly committed by police.

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When Brad Banducci, the long-time CEO of Woolworths, gave an interview last week that made headlines, for all the wrong reasons, the fallout was swift. The company’s share price fell. The prime minister piled on, scrutinising the supermarket for a potential “abuse of power”.

The issue of price gouging and lack of supermarket competition has been in the spotlight for months now. But, to what end?

Today, business columnist Elizabeth Knight on whether we’re likely to see any reform from six upcoming government inquiries into this matter.

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Last week, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce made headlines after he was filmed lying on a Canberra footpath, intoxicated, swearing into his phone. The video went viral - and questions began swirling about the culture of drinking in parliament. But that wasn’t the end of the saga.

This week, Nationals deputy leader Perin Davey has come under scrutiny for slurring her words at a recent parliamentary hearing. She admitted to having a couple of drinks beforehand, but has blamed her style of speech on a medical condition.

Regardless, the question remains - how big a problem is alcohol in parliament? Should booze bans be considered?

And if most of us can’t drink on the job - why can our politicians?

Plus, we talk about the political storm surrounding the asylum seekers who recently arrived on our shores - and whether turning back the boats still wins votes.

Today, federal political correspondent Paul Sakkal and chief political correspondent David Crowe discuss the week in politics.

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When Alexei Navalny died last week in a remote Arctic penal colony, many felt that it signified the death of hope for a future, democratic Russia.

Because for nearly two decades, Navalny fought for fair elections, human rights, and freedom of speech; eventually rising to become Vladimir Putin’s most feared opponent.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, who has vowed to take over her late husband's work. And whether she will be able to unite the fractious democratic movement within Russia.

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Can Taylor Swift really be everything, to everybody?Way before the pop star took Melbourne by storm with three sparkle and tear-filled concerts, earlier this week, she captured the hearts of everyone from toddlers, to our prime minister, Anthony Albanese.

Reserve Bank governor Michelle Bullock recently cited the scrambling for Swift tickets as a lesson in fiscal responsibility. And educators and leaders now use Swift to teach us everything from urban planning to legal principles.

But, on the eve of Swift’s Sydney shows, which begin Friday, we have to ask: is there something about Taylor that’s led to her all-encompassing cultural relevance? Today, culture and lifestyle reporter Nell Geraets tells me about this. Or whether there’s a perfect storm, of sorts, at work here.

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It’s been almost 14 years since Julian Assange started leaking the largest tranche of American military and government secrets to the world.

For most of that time, the Wikileaks founder has been fighting extradition to the United States, where he faces a possible sentence of 175 years in jail, for crimes under the espionage act.

But that struggle has reached a critical juncture. Because the High Court in London will decide, in a hearing being held today and tomorrow, whether Assange will be sent to the United States to face trial.

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe, on the “diplomatic cliff” that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is having to navigate, in order to bring an Australian citizen home.

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Has North Korea declared war on South Korea? This is the question many have been left wondering, ever since North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un declared last month that South Korea is its “principal enemy”.

Kim may be an erratic and paranoid leader, who has pushed much of his country to starvation with his isolationist policies.

But this change was historic, marking the abandonment of a policy, held for more than 50 years, that the countries were aiming for peaceful reunification.

Today, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw and explainer reporter Jackson Graham on what has prompted this stark change of events. And whether a Donald Trump presidency could prompt Kim to escalate things even further.

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How would you feel if details of your private chats, including your name, were released publicly, making you a target for attacks?

That is precisely what happened to a group of Jewish creatives whose Whatsapp chats were leaked last week.

In response the Albanese government has vowed to legislate against the practice of “doxxing” as it is called.

But is it even possible to make laws against this?

Plus, we talk about the PM’s engagement to his partner Jodie Haydon, Barnaby Joyce’s little lie down on a Canberra street, and the final episode of Nemesis.

Today, we are joined by Dr Simon Copland from Australia National University, and as always, our chief political correspondent David Crowe, to discuss the week in politics.

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By the time you listen to this, Indonesia likely has a new president after the country held its much anticipated election on Wednesday.

And who takes over Indonesia - the world’s third-largest democracy - after 10 years of relative democratic harmony under the hugely popular president Joko Widodo, gives Australians cause to pause.

Today, International and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on whether the new leader might return Indonesia to the bad old days, when it was run by a fierce dictator. And what this could mean for Australia if they did.

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When photographs and a video of politician Barnaby Joyce lying on a footpath late at night, seemingly incapacitated, went viral last week, it triggered a series of political explosions.

Almost immediately, politicians started lobbing accusations. That the shadow minister for Veterans’ Affairs was undermining his party. And embarrassing the nation; even bringing the culture of parliament into disrepute.

Today, national affairs editors James Massola on the political manoeuvring currently going on behind the scenes in Canberra, which could determine whether this incident spells the end of Barnaby Joyce’s long career. And the history of questionable behaviour, by our politicians.

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When we think of where our tax dollars go, we aren't likely to imagine they’re being sent to companies that have been linked to suspected arms and drug smuggling, corruption or bribery.

But this is what a new inquiry has found. Specifically, that multi-million dollar government contracts, for the offshore processing of asylum seekers, have been granted to companies that have been suspected of links to serious crimes.

How could this happen? In the very government department - Home Affairs - that was created only seven years ago to unify our intelligence agencies, so they could function better?

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie on the systemic failures that led to this situation. And what it will take - after two similar inquiries in the last year alone - to make sure it never happens again.

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When Australian citizen Yang Hengjun was given a suspended death sentence, last week, by a Beijing court, the Australian government recoiled, as though slapped.

The details of the espionage that Yang has been accused of committing remain secret. But the ripple effect that this harrowing conviction is having on the relationship between Australia and China, is beginning to emerge.

Today, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw on the tightrope that the Albanese government now has to walk, in order to fight China’s efforts at coercion, while struggling to free one of its own citizens.

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This coming Monday, we will officially be relaunching our daily news podcast. It’s going to be called The Morning Edition, hosted by the dynamic Samantha Selinger-Morris. The podcast will drop in your feed at 5am each day. And we have two regular episodes: Peter Hartcher every Thursday, dissecting the biggest issues at home and abroad, while on Friday Jacqueline Maley and David Crowe take you behind the biggest stories in Canberra. Until then, have a listen to this short trailer, which gives you a sense of what The Morning Edition is all about.

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After weeks of lamenting the Prime Minister’s broken promise, the Coalition has decided it will vote for Labor’s changes to the Stage Three tax cuts.

The Coalition says it will match Labor on tax and more.

Will this tax-war turn into a proper go at tax reform?

Plus, we talk about Nemesis, the three-part ABC documentary on the leadership ructions of the former Coalition government.

Did we learn anything new from the documentary? And how did the major players come emerge from the revelations made in it?

Spoiler alert: not very well.

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The Biden administration is, many Australians believe, a leader that is supportive of Australia. We share similar values. Not to mention deep defensive and security co-operation, and extensive trade and investment.

But, over the last few months, the American political system has become so dysfunctional that it’s in danger of acting against its own interests. Which could, in turn, threaten us, too.

Today, our international and political editor Peter Hartcher on why the usual chaos in American congress that we have often witnessed from afar, might come to impact us for a long time to come.

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Ross Gittins, the longest continuously serving columnist in The Sydney Morning Herald’s 193-year history, is celebrating his 50th anniversary of writing for our mastheads, today.

Over the last 50 years, he’s covered 50 federal budgets, 19 federal elections, 11 prime ministers, and 16 treasurers.

He’s seen promises made and broken - and the economic reality of Australians change immeasurably.

Ross was, after all, around to write about the time when the price of eggs, bread and petrol were all set by the state government.

Today, he joins me to discuss how life has improved - and worsened - over the last 50 years, as a result of our economic policies.

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The Albanese government has finally released its plans to curb motor vehicle pollution. This is crucial for the government, as Labor won the 2022 election on a promise of climate policy reforms.

But the proposal also puts a spotlight on just how behind Australia is in reducing carbon emissions. We are reportedly the last developed country, other than Russia, to impose pollution caps on motor vehicles.

So, why are we so behind? And what will it take for the Labor government to successfully legislate its policy?

Today, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley on what this new plan will mean for drivers. And how much opposition Labor is facing on a policy that is arguably central to its hold on power.

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It was the late 1970s, and members of the NSW police force were tapping phones, illegally, in the hopes of cracking down on organised crime. The sorts of people they had in their sights were well-known underworld figures, like Abe Saffron, known as “Mr Sin”, and drug boss Robert Trimbole.

But what they stumbled upon instead, shocked them.

Conversations between a high court justice and his well-placed friends that would implicate the judge, Lionel Murphy, for years, in corruption allegations.

Today, Lindsay Murdoch, one of the two journalists who broke this story for The Age, on the secret tapes that unleashed one of the most controversial political sagas of the 1980s.

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When the Albanese government announced its controversial changes to the stage 3 tax cuts last week, the Opposition denounced the Prime Minister for breaking a promise. But legislation will be introduced next week to implement the changes, and the Opposition will have to decide whether or not it will support them or not.

The tricky part is that Labor’s tax changes will deliver a larger tax cut to more voters, which is a hard proposition to argue against.

Plus, federal political staffers and their importance to the messaging of the government.

Joining Jacqueline Maley on Inside Politics is chief political correspondent David Crowe and federal political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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It was exactly three years ago today that Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup d’etat, toppling the democratic government. Since then, the junta has killed and imprisoned its opponents, and attacked innocent civilians - all in the name of consolidating power.

It’s a devastating state of affairs that has led Myanmar to become an international business pariah. Many Western democracies have placed sanctions on the country, barring companies from investing there.

But Australia’s efforts at imposing sanctions against Myanmar’s military have paled in comparison.

Today, business reporter Sumeyya Ilanbey on why Australian companies, while not breaching Australian sanctions, have been accused of propping up Myanmar’s brutal military dictatorship.

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When a militia, believed to be backed by Iran - killed three American soldiers, in Jordan, over the weekend, it marked a dangerous new development in the war in the Middle East.

It was the first time, in the more than three months since Hamas launched its attack on Israel, that any American troops had died from hostile fire in the conflict.

So, could this tip the United States into a full-blown war with Iran?

It’s a situation that American president Joe Biden has been actively avoiding since October 7.

Today, political and international editor Peter Hartcher on the factors that could push Biden to take this step. And the global mayhem that could result, if he does.

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It’s been nearly six weeks since journalist Antoinette Lattouf was sacked from the ABC.

How did a short contract, that was only ever meant to last for five days, turn into a full-blown cultural reckoning?

Because it’s not just the national broadcaster that has been plunged into turmoil.

Today, media reporter Calum Jaspan on how this scandal saga has exposed questions about free speech and workers’ rights. And whether journalists have any business performing the role of activists.

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The United States is in the grip of a migration crisis unlike it’s ever seen before. The seemingly never-ending flow of migrants into New York, Chicago and Denver has - according to those cities’ mayors - pushed their areas to breaking point.

The migrants themselves, bussed in from the border with Mexico, often end up in foreign cities without any assistance; injured, unwell and ill-prepared for freezing winter temperatures.

And for president Joe Biden, these historic migration levels during an election year are a political nightmare.

Today, digital foreign editor Chris Zappone on what impact this crisis could have on Biden’s election bid. And why it’s hampering his attempts to give aid to Ukraine.

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When it comes to the stage 3 tax cuts, voters will judge for themselves.

We learned this week that the Albanese government will break its oft-repeated promise not to change the stage 3 cuts - which gives tax back to high income earners.

Instead, it will redirect some of those cuts to middle-income earners - those earning up to $150,000. The overall impact on the federal budget will be broadly the same, according to Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

So will voters let Labor off a broken promise if it means more money in their pocket? Or will they take the money but still mark Albanese down for going back on his word?

Plus, who is Kim Williams, the new ABC Chair announced this week by the Prime Minister?

And, we look briefly back on the controversial legacy of the former prime minister Scott Morrison, who announced his retirement from politics this week.

Joining Jacqueline Maley on Inside Politics is chief political correspondent David Crowe, and newly appointed national affairs editor Andrew Probyn.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Yesterday, Donald Trump won the Republican primary election in New Hampshire. He beat his only remaining rival, Nikki Haley, and with this victory, Trump declared that he is now his party’s presidential nominee.

This status won’t actually be made official until the Republican National Convention in July. But one thing is for sure, Trump is now one giant step closer to returning to the White House.

Today, Bruce Wolpe, senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre, on whether Nikki Haley could still be a threat to Trump. And whether the multiple charges Trump faces will stop his presidential bid.

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When Roger Rogerson died over the weekend, many people celebrated the end of an era. Gone are the days, they said, when the NSW police force was so corrupt, it offered priority parking at police headquarters to the select gangsters with whom it was in cahoots.

Because Rogerson, once a celebrated police detective, was arguably the most corrupt of them all. He gave the green light to criminals to commit crimes, in return for wads of cash. By palling around with notorious hit men, and in one case, murdering a drug dealer who stood in his way, Rogerson has become as intrinsic a part of Australian crime folklore as Ned Kelly and Mark ‘Chopper’ Read.

Today, chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont on why it took decades to jail Rogerson. And whether our police system will ever likely breed another cop as corrupt as him.

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For years now, we’ve been hearing about the so-called Stage 3 Tax Cuts. And not just hearing about them, but being warned about them. They’re going to increase the gap between the rich and the poor. Even take us back, economically speaking, to the 1950s.

At other times, we’re told they’regreat. After all, they’ll help workers earning as little as $45,000 a year to keep more of their pay packet.

So, which is it?

Today, economics correspondent Rachel Clun takes us through what this all means, and how it will hit us, once we open our wallets.

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When Pope Francis remarked in a speech earlier this month that surrogate motherhood was a “despicable practice” that should be universally banned, for some, it signalled a backwards step for the Catholic Church.

Only weeks earlier, the global religious leader had allowed same-sex couples to finally receive the blessings of a priest.

But before we write off the pope’s most recent comments, we have to ask ourselves: does he have a point?

Today, surrogate and surrogacy lawyer Sarah Jefford on the ethical minefields, and joys, of surrogacy.

And former religion editor and centre for public christianity’s Barney Zwartz on what we should know of the pope’s statement.

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The Albanese government has announced a review into the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says all options are on the table to force supermarkets to ease cost of living pressures on consumers. Even the option of significant government intervention.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Penny Wong copped criticism for her itinerary on her visit to Israel, representing Australia.

And the Chinese Ambassador gave an interesting press conference in Canberra which took an interesting turn…

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe, economics correspondent Rachel Clun and foreign affairs correspondent Matthew Knott join Jacqueline Maley on Inside Politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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If you’re getting the feeling that more and more Australians have fallen prey to cyber attackers recently, there’s a reason for that.

The number of hacks has recently grown by 300 per cent in the period of just 12 months.

And the devastation to Australians is multifold. Some have lost tens of thousands of dollars. Others have had deeply private information - including intimate health details, and court testimony they thought was given anonymously - exposed to the world.

Today, technology editor David Swan on who is committing these attacks, and why. And what Australians need to know, to avoid falling victim to one.

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Over the weekend, Taiwan elected a new president. This was a race that was watched incredibly closely by leaders in Washington and Canberra, for the ripple effect that it will have on so much of the world.

Because the president-elect, Lai Ching-te, is precisely the person China didn’t want to win. His campaign was centered on attacks against Beijing, and its plans to unify with the island.

So, will Taiwan’s new president bring his nation closer to “war and decline”, as China has claimed?

Today, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw, on why what happens on a small island half the size of Scotland has the power to affect not only the global economy, but the safety of millions.

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We are now more than 100 days into the war between Israel and Gaza. And as the suffering in Gaza continues to grow - with reports of famine and disease - so too, does the fear that the conflict has gained a new and worrying momentum.

Do the attacks by the United States and the United Kingdom last week on Houthi rebels in Yemen mean we've passed a point of no return with regards to where this conflict could spread?

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent, Matthew Knott, on how far this escalation could go. And Israel’s latest challenge - defending itself against allegations of genocide in The Hague.

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The federal government is reviewing the supermarket code of conduct over concerns about the gap between food prices charged by big supermarkets and those paid to farmers.

While a separate senate inquiry will examine alleged price gouging by Coles and Woolworths in coming months.

Supermarkets have denied accusations of profiteering and say they’re experiencing economy-wide inflationary pressures.

Today, business columnist Elizabeth Knight what an inquiry may be able to tell us.

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The Victorian government is stuck in limbo after its proposal for a wind turbine production terminal was rejected by federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek who argued the development would harm globally significant wetlands.

The dispute is the latest from a growing list of community and environmental group opposition to offshore wind farms along Australia’s east coast.

Today, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley, on how we reconcile both the development of a renewable energy grid, and the preservation of Australia’s critical wildlife and habitat.

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A plane door ripping open mid-flight, leaving a gaping hole thousands of metres above sea level is usually the stuff of nightmares or blockbuster Hollywood movies. But for those on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 last week, that became a reality.

The flight made an emergency return to Portland, where 171 passengers and six crew landed safely. But the incident caused air safety investigations all over the world to probe whether there may be issues with other Boeing aircraft in operation.

Today, aviation reporter Amelia McGuire on what caused the hole in the Alaska Airlines flight and whether Australians have anything to worry about.

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We’re days away from the first Republican primary, where in Iowa, Republican party members will nominate their chosen presidential candidate for 2024.

Polls place Donald Trump as the overwhelming front-runner to become the Republican presidential nominee, but Maine and Colorado have found Trump ineligible to run, with challenges pending across the country.

Today, North American correspondent Farrah Tomazin on the Supreme Court ruling on a civil war era provision that could bar Trump from running for presidential nominee.

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When Australia’s lead batsman and first Muslim player Usman Khawaja sought to express his politics on the field, his team and even the prime minister rallied behind him, but he was ultimately reprimanded for it.

Khawaja wore a black armband during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth in a personal gesture of mourning for children killed in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict. That was after being rejected for wearing shoes with the words ‘All lives are equal’ and ‘Freedom is a human right’ in the colours of the Palestinian flag.

Today, chief cricket writer Daniel Brettig on whether sport and politics can ever be separate.

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Demand for medicinal cannabis in Australia has sky-rocketed since its legalisation in 2016.

Same-day telehealth consultations are a quick google search away. Cannabis dispensaries are popping up in major cities across the country.

And while medical cannabis is helping people with conditions ranging from chronic pain and anxiety, to cancer and migraines, concerns are being raised about how the industry is operating.

Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker on whether doctors have their patients best interests at heart.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

Who robbed the British Museum? And how did they get away with it for so long? The news that the world’s largest, and arguably most prestigious, history museum was robbed made global headlines.

It’s no wonder. It’s home to, among other precious artefacts, the Rosetta Stone. As in, the stone that was originally discovered by Napoleon’s soldiers, and later taught the world, for the first time, how to read Egyptian hieroglyphs.

So, just what was stolen? And how? On this episode, Europe correspondent Rob Harris, on the curious tale of the British Museum’s disappearing collection.

This episode first aired on August 28, 2023.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

In November 2020, a damning report about Australia’s Defence Force was published. Known as the Brereton report - it found credible evidence that our Defence Force had committed war crimes.

This investigation shocked the nation, and led to a reckoning within our Defence Force - and the public’s perception of it.

And there was one woman - Samantha Crompvoets - whose research kicked off the whole thing. But in doing so, she has had to pay a hefty price.

On this episode, Samantha tells us about that story, and why telling the truth came at such a cost.

This episode contains mentions of suicide.

This episode first aired on July 6, 2023.

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Over the last couple of months, Sydney’s streets have been plagued by murder after murder.

They’re a byproduct of turf warfare, linked to the lucrative cocaine trade. We’ve seen this carnage before, in various parts of NSW. But we’re now in the midst of an unprecedented cocaine boom. And experts have warned that the violence it attracts is likely to grow rather than recede.

On this episode, chief reporter Jordan Baker on what’s behind these latest killings. And why Sydney, more than anywhere else in the world, loves cocaine.

This episode first aired on August 7, 2023.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

For nearly 50 years, women in the United States were protected, by federal law, from having to carry an unwanted pregnancy. They gained this right, in 1973, thanks to the historic Supreme Court judgement in the Roe v Wade case.

This held until nearly a year ago, when the current Supreme Court overturned that judgement. This weekend marks the one year anniversary of that groundbreaking decision.

So, what has life in the United States been like for women since then?

On this episode, North American correspondent Farrah Tomazin on how this decision has caused a seismic shift in American culture and its political landscape.

This episode first aired on June 22, 2023.

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Most Australians know the name Lindy Chamberlain. She’s famously the victim of what’s been called “the most notorious miscarriage of justice” in Australian legal history. She was wrongfully convicted of murdering her nine-week old daughter, Azaria, during a camping trip at Uluru, and sentenced to life in prison.

But how many people know about the murder conviction inquiry that’s going on right now that could, as one expert put it recently, make the Chamberlain case pale into insignificance?

On this episode, legal affairs reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, Michaela Whitbourn, on the inquiry that could change the way our legal system handles evidence in murder trials. And why the diaries of Newcastle mother Kathleen Folbigg, which were once used to help convict her of murder, might now be the very thing to set her free.

This episode first aired on March 30, 2023.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

In May 2023, Stan Grant announced that he would be leaving the ABC and standing down as the host of its Q+A program. His decision, and the torrent of abuse that prompted it, has led to a reckoning about how responsible the media is for the racism that pervades our culture.

On this episode, culture news editor Osman Faruqi joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss Stan Grant, the ABC and Australia's racism problem.

This episode first aired on May 24, 2023.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

A jury has found Malka Leifer guilty of rape and indecent assault, drawing a close to a trial that had been a decade in the making.

The former principal of the ultra-orthodox Jewish school had been accused of sexually abusing former students in Melbourne in the early to mid-2000s.

After a lengthy battle to extradite Leifer from Israel in 2021, her trial began this year.

She has maintained her innocence and pleaded not guilty to all charges, including rape.

On this episode, court reporter at The Age, David Estcourt on the trial of Malka Leifer.

This episode first aired on April 6, 2023.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

Australia's Home Affairs Department used vast sums of taxpayer money to fund suspect payments to powerful Pacific Island politicians, specifically to run offshore processing of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island.

A major investigation by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has found a secret money trail beginning in Home Affairs coffers and ending with payments to bank accounts controlled by powerful Pacific Island politicians.

The payments were made by companies engaged by the government to run the facilities: in Nauru, two companies called Broadspectrum and Canstruct, and on Manus Island, a company called Paladin and were for services to help run the facility.

The Pacific payments scandal forms a part of a much larger problem within the Home Affairs department. Because while focusing on housing boat arrivals offshore, Home Affairs has taken attention away from its core business of helping legitimate migrants arrive and expelling the rest.

We are not suggesting that any payments were in fact bribes, which is ultimately something that can only be proven by a court. But the deals raise integrity concerns that warrant significant scrutiny by the Department.

On this episode, investigative journalists Nick McKenzie and Michael Bachelard on how our Home Affairs Department is failing.

Read more on our Home Truths series here.

This episode first aired on July 25, 2023.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

They stand largely empty, hiding in plain sight, their little-used classrooms scattered through office buildings in cities across the country. In the exploding foreign education industry, they call them ‘ghost colleges’.

These colleges are supposed to be providing tens of thousands of international students with an education. But in reality, many of them are near deserted.

On this episode, investigative reporter Clay Lucas joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to talk about his months-long investigation into the rise of Australia’s ghost colleges, and what they tell us about our immigration system.

This episode first aired on August 22, 2023.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

It’s been 17 years since Julian Assange created Wikileaks, the online publisher of classified documents that has changed politics forever. For eleven of those years, Assange has either been in hiding, or in prison.

But why is Assangestill in prison? When American whistleblower, Chelsea Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years for leaking secret government files to Wikileaks, has already been set free?

On this episode, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott on the unusual group of Australian politicians who visited Washington, in a bid to finally free Assange. And whether his fate will ultimately be determined by whoever holds the American presidency.

This episode first aired on September 18, 2023.

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It has been a busy year in Australian politics.

We voted no to the Voice to Parliament. Three state premiers resigned. The government legislated industrial relations changes and housing affordability measures.

But the throughline of the year, and the main concern of ordinary voters, was the state of the economy, and the government’s handling of it.

We had the scourge of stubborn inflation and the RBA’s ratcheting up of interest rates. And we had a housing affordability problem that politicians have finally acknowledged is actually a crisis.

Today on Inside Politics, economics reporters Shane Wright and Rachel Clun join Jacqueline Maleyto talk about the economy, and what we might expect of it in 2024.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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We have been bystanders to the saga of the Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins case for nearly three years now.

If one thing has defined the devastating set of lawsuits, it’s been a lack of definitive answers about allegations that a rape occurred in the office of then-defence industry minister, Linda Reynolds. And whether the government at the time orchestrated a cover-up.

Lehrmann has always strenuously denied raping Higgins, insisting that the pair had no sexual contact at all.

Today, associate editor and special writer Deborah Snow on what this case has exposed about the political cultures and institutions that it has also put on trial.

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Back in April, the Democrats officially chose Joe Biden to run for the American presidency next year, because he could beat Donald Trump. But that was then.

Since then, Biden’s approval has begun to tank. And voters of all stripes have reportedly been clutching their foreheads in despair. These are the candidates? An 81-year-old, and a would-be criminal with a fondness for quoting Hitler?

Bruce Wolpe, who served on the Democratic staff in the US Congress during President Barack Obama’s first term, has been analysing American presidential elections for decades.

Today, Bruce, who’s also a senior fellow at The United States Studies Centre, joins me to discuss what history can tell us about who might win.

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When an Australian company called Phoslock first hit the market, its sell was hard to resist.

Phoslock had created an innovative clay product that had the power to get rid of pollution in waterways around the world.

But a new investigation reveals a host of worrying allegations against the company including suspected bribery, money paid to dump polluted water and an alleged cover-up of a wrongful death.

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie on the suspect behaviours that led to Phoslock’s alleged wrongdoings and how they remained a secret for so long.

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It’s a real-life Succession saga. And it’s taking place right on our doorstep. We’re talking, of course, about the civil lawsuit that Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, is embroiled in, with two other families. Not to mention two of her own children.

They are all battling over more than a billion dollars in royalties from iron ore mines that her father discovered back in the 1950s. Is the fight worth it? The cost for Rinehart, even if she wins, could still be high.

Because for years, the mining magnate has been fighting another, competing, battle: to keep her tricky and sometimes fractious relationships with her own family members out of the public eye.

Today, WA Today journalist Jesinta Burton on what this marathon court case has revealed about one of Australia’s most secretive families.

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At the United Nations headquarters in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, Australia voted in favour of a United Nations resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The UN vote coincided with a separate development in Australia’s position on Gaza.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to issue a statement supporting a pause in the fighting in Gaza and efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire.

Both these moves - the statement and the ceasefire motion - were a break from the position of our powerful allies, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and foreign affairs correspondent Matthew Knott join Jacqueline Maley on Inside Politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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For months, Melbourne’s underworld has been plagued by escalating violence. Bashings, a public execution, even the desecration of the grave of one crime boss’ sister.

Firebombings have also become increasingly common, whereby shops are set alight and gutted by flames. One of the main targets: tobacco stores. So many have been hit, that a new era of gangland warfare in Melbourne has gained its own moniker: the “tobacco wars”.

For more than eight years, my colleague, law and justice editor Chris Vedelago has been following one of the men who is understood to be at the centre of these wars. Because of suppression orders put in place by a court, his identity and actions could never be released. Until now.

Today, Chris Vedelago joins Sam to discuss the rise of Kazem Hamad - and the illegal tobacco trade fuelling Melbourne’s underworld violence.

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Australians haven’t been shy in expressing their rage at Qantas, and the fact that the company made billions in profits over the last year, while it continues to leave them stranded and frustrated.

But, here’s the thing. Qantas is far from the only big business behaving badly. The list has been growing for years now.

Today, economics editor Ross Gittins, on how big business got out of control - and why it should be serving, rather than enslaving us.

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We’ve been hearing, for a while now, about how China is making moves consistent with its intention to become a global power, to rival the United States. How it’s beefing up its military arsenal. And claiming sovereignty over more and more areas in the South China Sea, which other countries say belong to them.

But if this is the case, why did China’s president, Xi Jinping, ditch one of the most important yearly summits, with other global leaders over the weekend?

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on what Xi Jinping was up to instead. And whether his activities signal an increasing likelihood of a new cold war between the United States and China.

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We’re now less than five weeks away from the referendum on the Voice to parliament. But as a new and exclusive poll for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed yesterday, voters continue to walk away from supporting the proposed amendment to the constitution.

This comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiled the splashy ‘Yes’ video campaign, featuring the iconic John Farnham song You’re The Voice. And, after the prime minister has stated that we’re now in the period when the Yes campaign will be shoring up its support.

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe on just how many voters are swinging away from supporting the ‘Yes’ campaign. And why support for the prime minister continues to tank.

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It’s a controversial new industry being built right under our noses. By a cast of characters who sound like they’re straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. We’re talking about deep-sea mining.

It is the last frontier on earth yet to be mined for riches. Many argue that deep sea mining will benefit the environment. But others, like world-famous environmentalist David Attenborough, say that it’s unthinkable to embark on this practice until its environmental impact is better understood.

Today, journalist Sherryn Groch, on the privatisation of the world’s seabed that is happening behind closed doors.

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Osman, Thomas and Mel share what films, television, books and music they are most looking forward to over the next few months. From Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon to Olivia Rodrigo's Guts and Britney Spears memoir The Woman in Me, here's the pop culture you don't want to miss.

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It used to be one of Australia’s most beloved brands, synonymous with the national character, and what it means to come home…but now Qantas is the most complained-about company in Australia, and the Albanese government has been dragged into the controversy.

So why has Qantas lost the love of the Australian public? And how much collateral damage is being done to the Albanese government?

Plus, why pharmacists are heckling the government, and an update on the Voice referendum.

Today, reporter on deputy federal editor Stephanie Peatling and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

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What happens when a global economic power spits the dummy?

It has been a pertinent question ever since China decided to pull out of a number of upcoming and crucial global meetings. And in the process, enrage many of its neighbours.

It all began when China released a new map just over a week ago.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on what impact this new map will have on Australia, and the sort of havoc that geopolitical tantrums have unleashed in the past.

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Today, Qantas’ outgoing boss Alan Joyce will leave the airline after 15 years at the helm. His tenure has been nothing if not dramatic.

Three years ago, he steered the company away from ruin, only 11 weeks out from having to declare bankruptcy. Nine days ago, Joyce faced allegations of improper government influence and anti-competitive practices at an explosive senate hearing. And now, as he’s about to pocket an eye-watering bonus, Alan Joyce leaves countless enraged consumers in his wake.

So, how will Qantas redeem itself and restore its reputation as a trustworthy airline? Today, aviation reporter Amelia McGuire on the future of our nation’s carrier. And what it will take for its new CEO to repair the damage done by her predecessor.

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For decades, we’ve read about China’s one-child policy, and the often traumatic impact it has had on the country’s citizens. Of the forced sterilisations, and babies abandoned in orphanages.

But now, decades after that policy was first put into place, China is battling a different problem. Namely, a fertility collapse that has led to a drastic decline in the economy and innovation. And now the challenge to convince its citizens to have more babies.

Today, North Asia correspondent, Eryk Bagshaw, on the Chinese CEO who’s paying his employees to have a baby. And how a collapse in Chia’s fertility might impact the rest of us.

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Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese finally announced that the referendum on the Voice to parliament will be held on October 14. We are less than six weeks out until the referendum. And there seems to still be a lot we don’t know. About the way people - both Indigenous and non-Indigenous - feel the Voice will impact them.

This is what one of our journalists discovered during a recent trip to three towns in regional NSW. In 1965, these towns were pivotal stops on the so-called Freedom Ride, a tour that exposed the segregationist policies of the time.

Today, federal political reporter Lisa Visentin, on what she learned about Australia, while revisiting the Freedom Ride. And what people on both sides of the debate have told her.

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The biggest song in the world right now is Rich Men North of Richmond, a controversial country anthem. But is it's success really organic, or is it part of a right-wing plot to take over the charts?

Osman, Thomas and Mel discuss the song's popularity and its politics amid the massive surge country music is experiencing. Songs from Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs are dominating the charts, representing a significant shift away from pop and hip-hop.

So why is country so popular right now, and what does it mean about how we consume music?

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This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially revealed the date of the referendum on the Voice to Parliament - October 14.

Albanese gave a minimalist speech, focusing on what the Yes campaign says is the simplicity and the modesty of its request for Constitutional recognition of Indigenous people.

So how did the launch go? How was it received and what was the political fallout?

Plus, the pay rise our federal politicians just received - the largest in nearly a decade.

Today, national affairs editor James Massola and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis.Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.**

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Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is, arguably, one of Australia’s most criticised executives. That his airline announced a record $2.47 billion in profits, over the last financial year, when so many Australians are struggling with the cost of living, hasn’t helped his reputation.

But, it isn’t just his famously ruthless business acumen that is currently making headlines around the country. Instead, Alan Joyce is currently at the centre of a scandal which questions whether he has undue influence over Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Today, aviation reporter Amelia McGuire, on why the federal government is being grilled about a recent aviation decision, regarding Qatar Airways. And whether it is guilty of stifling market competition.

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We’re in the midst of a new space race. A week and a half ago, Russia and India were in a neck-and-neck race to reach the moon.Then Russia’s spacecraft crashed. Four days later, in a moment that has been celebrated worldwide, India’s craft, successfully landed on the moon. Or, as it’s now being called, “the hottest real estate in the solar system”.

But why are so many countries now racing towards the moon? After all, it’s been 54 years since NASA landed a man on the dusty lunar surface. And these latest missions by Russia and India were unmanned.

Today, international and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on the somewhat “juvenile” political rivalries that are playing out in space. And how the moon landings are helping to upend the geopolitical order.

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Over the weekend we finally received confirmation that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner boss, is dead.

It comes days after speculation ran rife about whether the warlord had indeed been in his private jet when it fell out of the sky in a stream of white smoke six days ago.

Head of the Wagner Group, the most notorious mercenary group in the world, Yevgeny Prigozhin rose from peddling hot dogs to supporting Vladimir Putin’s bloody bid for Russia’s expansion. That is, until he “made serious mistakes in his life”, as Putin put it.

Today, journalist Sherryn Groch on the “complicated fate” of those who dare to defy Vladimir Putin.

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Who robbed the British Museum? And how did they get away with it for so long? The news that the world’s largest, and arguably most prestigious, history museum was robbed made global headlines.

It’s no wonder. It’s home to, among other precious artefacts, the Rosetta Stone. As in, the stone that was originally discovered by Napoleon’s soldiers, and later taught the world, for the first time, how to read Egyptian hieroglyphs.

So, just what was stolen? And how? Today, Europe correspondent Rob Harris, on the curious tale of the British Museum’s disappearing collection.

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Welcome back to The O.C. b—ch! It's been twenty years since The O.C. hit screens and the time has come to revisit Newport, California.

On this episode of The Drop Osman, Mel and Thomas discuss the hit series, examining its cultural impact at the time, the importance of its legacy today and how the shows sound track influenced the musical taste of a generation.

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An ageing population, declining living standards, and a climate that is getting hellishly hot - these are just some the bleak takeaways from Australia’s latest Intergenerational Report.

According to the report, there will be forty million people in Australia by 2060 and the main spending pressures on the Budget will grow from one-third to one half of all Commonwealth government spending.

Today, senior economics reporter Shane Wright and chief political correspondent David Crowe on Australia’s possibly terrifying future.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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You might have forgotten it's still winter.

It was 24 degrees and sunny in Sydney earlier this week. In Melbourne, the forecast for tomorrow is 20 degrees.

We are living through some of the hottest times on record. In fact, this past July was the hottest month ever recorded.

But while this mid-winter warmth may come as a pleasant surprise, climate experts say it signals a troubling future for humans.

Today, National Environment and Climate Editor on Nick O’Malley on the dangers these high temperatures pose, and why it may be just the beginning.

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How can Australia avoid being dragged into a war with China? Is building up our own military the best way to manage what is, diplomatically speaking, a relationship with a “frenemy”? And not just any frenemy, but one armed with nuclear weapons?

This is Australia’s current tactic, cemented on Monday, when the Albanese government announced that it was going ahead with its plan to buy cruise missiles from the United States. Even though Beijing has previously claimed that our acquisition of these missiles would be “triggering a regional arms race”.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on what Kevin Rudd, now the Australian ambassador to the United States, has said about how we should navigate what he’s called “the decade of living dangerously”.

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They stand largely empty, hiding in plain sight, their little-used classrooms scattered through office buildings in cities across the country. In the exploding foreign education industry, they call them ‘ghost colleges’.

These colleges are supposed to be providing tens of thousands of international students with an education. But in reality, many of them are near deserted.

Today, investigative reporter Clay Lucas joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to talk about his months-long investigation into the rise of Australia’s ghost colleges, and what they tell us about our immigration system.

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What happens, on a visceral level, if you defy Vladimir Putin?

In his first Australian media interview from prison since being jailed last year, one of Russia’s most high profile dissidents has been able to give us the answer.

Ilya Yashin is a two-decades-long veteran of Russia’s anti-Putin opposition. A former leader of the People’s Freedom Party, he rose to prominence during mass protests against fraudulent elections, and Putin’s return to presidency. More recently he has spoken out against the Ukraine war.

Today, International and Political editor, Peter Hartcher, on the man who could arguably become Russia’s next prime minister. And what it’s costing him to try and bring about a change in the Russian regime.

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Today, Labor’s national conference officially begins. Held in Brisbane over two days, it’s Labor’s first face-to-face national conference in five years.

Around 2000 Labor politicians, party members and unionists, will meet to discuss some of the most important issues in our politics right now: The Voice, housing, AUKUS and the climate, to name a few.

Today, national affairs editor James Massola and chief political correspondent David Crowe on what decisions or flashpoints could come out of Labor's national conference.

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When JFK was assassinated in 1963, his ambition to be the first sitting American president to visit Australia died with him.

But for the last year, his daughter, Caroline Kennedy, has served as the American ambassador to Australia. She’s here during a particularly critical time for the alliance between the United States and Australia, which is arguably more important for our safety than at any time since World War II.

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott on the diplomatic tightrope Kennedy must walk to strengthen the connection between the US and Australia, and whether the American government might soon be in a position to set Julian Assange free.

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We are now firmly in the grip of Matildas mania. Close to 50,000 people were in the stands in Brisbane watching the team battle France on Saturday. More than 4.7 million people tuned in to watch the live TV broadcast of the match. And hundreds of thousands more streamed the match at pubs and clubs around the country.

So, how will the Matildas summon the energy, and focus, to do it all again tonight?

Today, sports reporter Marnie Vinall, on what tactics the women in green and gold might use, in order to make it to the World Cup final.

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She’s the TikTok sensation nobody saw coming. Monica Poli, a middle-age Venetian woman, has racked up millions of views on social media, for videos in which she screams at local thieves, in order to chase them away from tourists.

Videos taken in her local train station, or crowded square, shows how her screaming sends suspected pickpockets running, turning up their hoods to cover their faces. Her screeches have been turned into viral memes. Even a dance track.

But, lately, some unexpected facts about this homegrown vigilante have emerged.

Today, Digital Foreign Editor Chris Zappone on why Monica Poli has become a sensation. And if her popularity is tied to a growing, wave of anti-immigration populism that’s sweeping Europe.

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How powerful is the state that you live in? And does it matter? The answer might surprise you. Because wealth, population size and even a headline-grabbing premier aren’t what determine whether your state comes out on top.

Today, National Affairs Editor, James Massola, on how our most primal needs, and desires, are wrapped up in what we think about state power. And how our sense of competition is embedded into the fabric of our nation.

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Wes Anderson is back with his 11th feature film, the star-studded Asteroid City.

On this episode of The Drop, Osman, Thomas and Mel review the film, discuss how it compares to the rest of Anderson's filmography, and talk about the director's aesthetic and how it's influenced social media and the broader culture.

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After years and years - maybe even a lifetime of neglect by politicians - renters are finally getting noticed.

This week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese brought his focus to renters, when he promised to negotiate with National Cabinet next week to come up with a plan to strengthen renters’ rights across the country.

This comes after months of pressure from the Greens over rental rights, as the government tries to secure Greens’ support for its $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund.

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on the government's plan for renters' rights.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Last week, a family sat down for a lunch in a small town in Victoria’s south-east. But that lunch would soon turn into a tragedy.

Within a week, three of those people would be dead - and one would be in hospital in critical condition. All of them suffered symptoms consistent with the ingestion of death cap mushrooms.

Today, crime reporter Marta Pascual Juanola joins me to discuss the mushroom poisoning case gripping the nation.

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It’s the case that wrecks the lives of everyone it touches and spawns a seemingly never-ending cascade of legal action.

Such is the reputational damage and emotional devastation that has ensued since Brittany Higgins alleged that Bruce Lerhmann, her former Liberal staffer colleague raped her in Parliament house. Lehrmann has always strenuously denied the accusation.

Today, senior writer Jacqueline Maley, on how an inquiry into this trial, which was hoped would spearhead an overhaul of parliamentary culture, has gone so terribly wrong.

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Australia has the highest extinction rate of mammals in the world. But what does this erasure actually do to us? It’s more profound than many of us realise.

It’s not just that our country has lost 33 species of its unique mammals since colonisation in 1788. Their eradication has also changed the wider environment in which we live. Even changed what we, and our children, know to be true about the world.

Today, National Environment and Climate Editor Nick O’Malley on how one group of conservationists has built a veritable time machine to save native animals. And the once-derided tools it’s used to get the job done.

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Over the last couple of months, Sydney’s streets have been plagued by murder after murder.

They’re a byproduct of turf warfare, linked to the lucrative cocaine trade. We’ve seen this carnage before, in various parts of NSW. But we’re now in the midst of an unprecedented cocaine boom. And experts have warned that the violence it attracts is likely to grow rather than recede.

Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker on what’s behind these latest killings. And why Sydney, more than anywhere else in the world, loves cocaine.

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After one of the most controversial Logies in recent memory, Osman, Thomas and Mel discuss whether Australian TV's night-of-nights still matters, and what it tells us about the state of the industry.

They also unpack what Sonia Kruger winning the Gold Logie means, given her controversial comments about Muslim immigration.

Plus, a discussion about the second half of The Bear season two, which Thomas and Osman think could be better than Succession.

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On Tuesday, in the Federal District Court in Washington DC, special counsel Jack Smith filed an indictment against former US president Donald Trump, for his role in the violent aftermath of the 2020 US election.

Trump faces four criminal charges related to alleged conspiracies to overturn the results of the 2020 election and obstruct the process of certification of those results on January 6 2021, the day of the violent Capitol riot.

If convicted, Trump could potentially go to jail for decades.

Today, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin and international editor Peter Hartcher on the latest charges against Donald Trump.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Is it possible that the United States government has been hiding evidence of discovered UFOs? And even biological matter of non-human origin that it has also found? These were the jaw-dropping claims made, last week, by an American whistleblower and former intelligence officer.

David Grusch’s testimony was at the heart of a US congressional hearing, held last week, to discuss sightings and evidence of what is now being called Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.

Today, Dr James Murray, programs director at Astronomy Australia, on the hearing that has grabbed the world’s attention.

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It’s the movie that’s launched a thousand think pieces, and more than a few analytic hit jobs. Ever since Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster hit, Barbie, debuted in a pink fever dream of merchandise tie-ins andred carpet film premieres, people have hotly debated the film’s merits, and potential dangers.

Is Barbie, a “feminist film”, as Greta Gerwig has declared? A timely satire that skewers the problematic aspects of Barbie’s legacy and highlights our culture’s fraught gender relations? Or is it most definitely not a feminist film, as some Mattel executives have said? And, either way, does it matter?

Today, senior culture writer and life-long Barbie aficionado, Louise Rugendyke, on how she’s processed the film’s various messages, and why so many people have a deep emotional connection to this most divisive of dolls.

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We’re all feeling the pinch these days when we fill up our shopping baskets.

The check-out prices can make you do a double take. Maybe you’ve attributed this to inflation or getting sucked into buying name brands.

But did you know about the marketing practice that convinces us to spend even more than we’d planned? It’s a so-called “dark strategy” known as “drip pricing”. And it’s everywhere.

Today, explainer reporter Angus Holland on the psychological tools many companies now use to make us pay more.

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Shell-shocked, stitched up and bleeding. This is how health reporter Henrietta Cook describes the situation she was in, only 19 hours after giving birth to her first child, The problem? Rather than being tended to in hospital, she’d been discharged already. Instead, she was stuck in peak hour traffic, dazed and inching along a main road on her way home.

But she’s far from alone. Almost half of mothers in Australia are now discharged from hospital one day or less after having an uncomplicated vaginal birth, compared with about one in four women a decade ago.

This, despite recent research that found there was no evidence to support discharging new mums from hospital less than 24 hours after birth.

Today, health reporter Henrietta Cook on the havoc that this practice is wreaking on new Australian mothers.

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After five weeks of rest and relaxation - for some, at least - federal parliamentarians will return to Canberra on Monday for another sitting fortnight.

Besides the resumption of question time, expect heated debate on Labor’s next round of industrial relation reforms, which include plans to convert thousands of casuals into permanent employees.

Also looming large over parliament is the Reserve Bank’s next decision on interest rates, as the board meets on Tuesday to discuss whether to hold fast or continue lifting as the economy continues to gradually slow.

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright and political reporter Angus Thompson join Rachel Clun to discuss the week in politics.

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Who would have thought a film about the advent of the nuclear bomb would capture our imaginations in the way it has? Not to mention our fears.

Oppenheimer, the film starring Cillian Murphy, was released last week, almost 78 years to the day that the first atomic bomb was detonated over a dusty plain in New Mexico.

And since the film’s blockbuster release, it’s led to debate among experts around the globe. Just how imminent is the threat of nuclear attack?

The director of Oppenheimer says his film is important because it’s a “cautionary tale” about humanity’s capacity for self-destruction.

Today, international editor Peter Hartcher on just how worried we should be.

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Some people save for years just to have one. For others, it’s a reward for achieving a significant milestone. We’re talking about luxury handbags. The sort from designers like Gucci, Prada and Hermes, that, at the highest end, can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But now there’s a new trend. Superfakes. They’re counterfeit designer bags, but not like you remember. These aren’t cheap knock-offs from markets. They’re virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. Sold as the real thing. And for big money.

Today, national fashion editor Melissa Singer on the Sydney-based luxury retailer that has been accused of selling superfakes. And why, for some people, a so-called superfake is a valuable item to have.

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Australia's Home Affairs Department used vast sums of taxpayer money to fund suspect payments to powerful Pacific Island politicians, specifically to run offshore processing of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island.

A major investigation by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald has found a secret money trail beginning in Home Affairs coffers and ending with payments to bank accounts controlled by powerful Pacific Island politicians.

The payments were made by companies engaged by the government to run the facilities: in Nauru, two companies called Broadspectrum and Canstruct, and on Manus Island, a company called Paladin and were for services to help run the facility.

The Pacific payments scandal forms a part of a much larger problem within the Home Affairs department. Because while focusing on housing boat arrivals offshore, Home Affairs has taken attention away from its core business of helping legitimate migrants arrive and expelling the rest.

We are not suggesting that any payments were in fact bribes, which is ultimately something that can only be proven by a court. But the deals raise integrity concerns that warrant significant scrutiny by the Department.

Today, investigative journalists Nick McKenzie and Michael Bachelard on how our Home Affairs Department is failing.

Read more on our Home Truths series here.

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Remember dating? Or rather, dating before the cost of a rockmelon made you wince? Before handing over your rent made you feel like you were thrust into the middle of a horror movie?

It’s been somewhat lost within all the discussion around the cost of living crisis just what an impact it’s had on people trying to make a romantic connection. Maybe even meet their life partner.

Today, culture and lifestyle reporter Nell Geraets on what happens when financial struggles meet sexual tension. And when swiping right might mean wiping out all your money for the week.

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On today’s episode, we speak with former broadcaster Tracy Spicer about artificial intelligence, misogyny in the media and what it’s like living with long COVID. Her latest book, Man-Made, examines the rapidly developing world of technology, which she says is fraught with danger, posing a real risk to the gains made by the civil rights movement. And hosting this conversation about bias in machine learning, living with a disability and indigenous women as the world’s first coders - is senior culture writer at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Kerrie O’Brien.

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Education Minister Jason Clare has announced the beginning of an overhaul of higher education. He said the changes were critical for the future of the country.

An interim report on universities has made several short term recommendations, including letting students who fail half their subjects keep government subsidies, and opening new study hubs across the regions and outer suburbs.

Also this week, the official yes and no arguments for The Voice referendum were finally released, and we take a look at the latest polling on the Prime Minister's approval rating.

Today, federal political reporters James Massola and Natassia Chrysanthos join Rachel Clun to discuss the week in politics.

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Hollywood is on strike. Over the last week, we’ve seen some of the biggest stars in the business marching in picket lines in New York and Los Angeles, and speaking out.

So, what is behind this outpouring of anger and sense of betrayal being felt not just by thousands of Hollywood actors, but by even more of its writers?

Today, culture reporter Thomas Mitchell on what’s behind this historic Hollywood shutdown, and just how long it may last.

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The cost of living crisis has been crushing countless Australians, emotionally and financially, for more than a year now.

Nearly every day, we read stories about the social avalanche that’s been set off by this crisis. About how the staggeringly high cost of petrol, groceries and rent is leading many young Australians to take insecure employment, instead of further study, in order to support their families. About those now putting off having children or becoming homeless, thanks, in part, to a dozen interest rate rises over the last 14 months.

But now, we’ve got a new incoming governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia. And many are pinning their hopes that these stresses might soon ease once Michele Bullock leads our economy.

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on what a new governor might mean for our stress levels, and our ability to put food on our tables.

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Winning public funding for scientific research in Australia is usually a bare-knuckle business. A typical researcher will spend months every year just writing applications; peer-reviewers are brutal, and success rates for grants are often less than 10 per cent.

But since 2015, Australia has had another path. The $20 billion Medical Research Future Fund was offering hundreds of millions for scientific projects. It was heralded as a huge boost to the Australian science sector. Until now.

An investigation by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald can now reveal that this fund, created by the former Coalition government, handed out half a billion dollars worth of those grants with no competition. And some of that money was sent directly to charities who lobbied the government.

Today, national science reporter Liam Mannix on the multi-billion dollar research fund dogged by questions about transparency, governance and value for money.

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This week, we speak to writer Tim Winton about his campaign to save the remote, pristine ecosystems around Ningaloo, in north-west Western Australia.

The award-winning author has produced a documentary about the battle to protect this beautiful reef and the land that surrounds it from numerous threats including salt mines, oil and gas pipelines and a deep water port proposed for the middle of a humpback whale refuge.

Hosting the conversation is Good Weekend senior writer Tim Elliott.

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Therapy-speak. It’s an umbrella term for any kind of psychological phrasing - and it’s not a new concept, but it’s certainly becoming harder to ignore.

From gaslighting to love bombing, from “holding space” for some friends to protecting ourselves from “toxic” others, therapy-speak has changed the way we discuss our most intimate relationships.

And it’s in the spotlight again after pro-surfer Sarah Brady released alleged text messages from her former partner, actor and comedian Jonah Hill.

Today, lifestyle editor Gyan Yankovich on the use - and misuse - of therapy-speak, and how it’s changing our relationships.

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After nine weeks of hearings involving 115 witnesses, the robo-debt royal commission report was published last week.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Commissioner Catherine Holmes did not hold back in her assessment of the failings of former government ministers and senior public servants who implemented a scheme to claw back $1.7 billion from more than 500,000 welfare recipients.

The Prime Minister said this report exposed the human tragedy of the scheme, and the government would work through the more than 50 recommendations.

Today, federal political reporters Lisa Visentin and Angus Thompson on the robo-debt royal commission, and what happens next as the fallout from the controversial government program continues.

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The Government has promised to take on the housing crisis, but many are asking how they will deliver the new housing needed for our cities, and indeed where those new houses might be built.

The growing populations in Sydney and Melbourne mean increased attention is being paid to golf courses, as large, sparsely used pieces on land, often in prime locations.

While golf courses look ripe for housing development, green groups and local communities often advocate that golf courses become public parks, for recreation and to cool the cities.

At the same time, golfing groups are fighting hard to keep the greens, upgrade courses, and to continue playing the sport as they always have.

Today, Michael Koziol and Royce Miller on housing, parks and the golf wars raging in our cities.

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Last week, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram released a new app: Threads. It became the most rapidly downloaded app ever, amassing a whopping 30 million downloads in just 16 hours.

Threads is a text-based social media conversation app similar to Twitter. In fact, some are calling Threads the “Twitter killer” because the similarities between the platforms are so uncanny.

So what’s behind Threads’ enormous popularity? Can it last? And will it spell the end of Twitter?

Today, culture editor Osman Faruqi on Threads, Twitter, and our never-ending desire for distraction.

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For years now, fertility rates in Australia have been dropping.

Access to cheap contraception, along with better education and career prospects meant women started having babies a little later in life - and fewer of them.

But now there are new reasons. Experts believe the most recent decline in the fertility rate is also a bellwether of unique contemporary challenges facing young workers.

Today, senior economics writer Matt Wade on whether young people are being forced to choose between having homes and having children.

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It's Barbie's world and Osman, Thomas and Mel are just living in it.

On today's episode of The Drop, a conversation about Thomas' interview with Tom Cruise and a deep dive into the marketing hype around Margot Robbie's upcoming Barbie film, which has taken over the culture.

Plus, a recap of the season finale of The Idol.

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On today’s episode, we speak to actor Rachel Ward, the subject of our recent cover story Promised Land. The Thorn Birds star is married to Bryan Brown, lives on a property in the Nambucca Valley on the mid-north coast of NSW. And in the past three years, Ward has been on a transformative journey, away from traditional farming techniques, to a fully-fledged regenerative practice. And hosting this discussion, about regenerative farming’s role in reducing climate change and Ward’s upcoming documentary about her life on the land, is freelance writer Candida Baker.

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Earlier this year, the federal government declared war on vaping.

Health Minister Mark Butler announced a blanket ban on disposable vapes, vowing to rid Australia of the e-cigarettes that have ignited a health crisis among teens.

It’s the biggest smoking reforms this country has seen in more than a decade, but there are now concerns that Australia’s world-first blanket ban on vaping without a prescription could actually make the problem worse.

This week, our papers published private correspondence from some members of a government advisory body, who expressed concerns the government’s blanket ban would fuel the black market and end up criminalising more people unnecessarily.

Today, federal health reporter Natassia Chrysanthos and Good Weekend senior writer Tim Elliott on Australia’s vaping problem - and whether the Albanese government’s harsh crackdown is a mistake.

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In November 2020, a damning report about Australia’s Defence Force was published. Known as the Brereton report - it found credible evidence that our Defence Force had committed war crimes.

This investigation shocked the nation, and led to a reckoning within our Defence Force - and the public’s perception of it.

And there was one woman - Samantha Crompvoets - whose research kicked off the whole thing. But in doing so, she has had to pay a hefty price.

Today - Samantha tells us about that story, and why telling the truth came at such a cost.

This episode contains mentions of suicide.

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The Ashes, the most venerated contest in Test cricket, has descended into farce and controversy after a moment on the field led to questions about the game's spirit and the intervention of two prime ministers.

If you're a casual observer of the sport, you'd be forgiven for wondering how the legal stumping of a batsman led to the abuse of players and a borderline diplomatic incident.

So how has a dismissal on the final day of the second Test, upheld by the umpires and the rules of the game, driven an even deeper divide between players, coaches, fans, and yes, even prime ministers?

Today on Please Explain, chief reporter at The Age, Chip Le Grand, on sportsmanship and cricket culture at The Ashes.

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This week, the National Anti Corruption Commission (NACC) opened its doors. It is an independent agency that investigates and reports on serious corruption in the public sector.

The timing is fortuitous, just as state-based integrity watchdog ICAC released its explosive findings about former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian. While the PwC tax leaks scandal, and former Coalition minister Stuart Robert have been referred to the new national watchdog.

Today, federal political correspondent Lisa Visentin on whether the NACC will have enough teeth to stamp out corruption in Australian politics.

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Taylor Swift is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed artists of her generation, winning over the hearts and minds of fans around the world with relatable and catchy lyrics about love, feminism and nasty break-ups.

Now the 12-time Grammy-award winner is set to visit our shores for the first time in more than five years. And Swifitie mania is well and truly upon us, with millions of Australians trying last week to secure a ticket at her shows in Sydney and Melbourne.

The incredible demand to see Taylor Swift has led to a political debate in Canberra over where she’s playing, and sparked a national debate about the economic impact of her tour.

So what exactly does Australia’s obsession with Swift say about us? Today, culture editor Osman Faruqi on how a Taylor Swift concert can help us understand the state of our nation.

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On today's episode, we speak to broadcaster Myf Warhurst about her eclectic career in radio and TV, including the music knowledge that made her both a Eurovision commentator and a Spicks and Specs favorite, as well as her current stage role playing the narrator in a new production of the Rocky Horror Show. Not to mention a recurring gig on the animated global hit Bluey.

Hosting the conversation - from being a foster parent and her documentary about menopause - is Good Weekend senior writer Melissa Fyfe.

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Our guest on Inside Politics this week is Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Jacqueline Maley and David Crowe talk to the Prime Minister about the nature of power, how it feels to wield it, the economy, the Voice, and Taylor Swift tickets. And he reveals that he didn’t meet a single Liberal voter until he went to university.

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Last week, Treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed that a decision on the next RBA governor will be made next month.

The current governor Philip Lowe’s seven year term is due to end in September. But there’s no guarantee his term will be extended - in fact some 52 per cent of Australians think Lowe should lose his job, according to a survey for our papers.

Traditionally, the position is handed to the deputy governor, but a scathing review into the RBA found the bank needs major changes, including a substantial cultural change.

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on the top-runners for the position and what an overhaul of the RBA’s culture might look like.

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It’s been called the greatest threat to democracy. Indeed, a force so powerful, it could spark the end of human civilization as we know it. We’re talking about Artificial Intelligence.

Many people are, understandably, frightened. How could they not be, when even some pioneers in the field have rung the alarm bells themselves? No less than Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, and Elon Musk recently called for a moratorium on the development of the most sophisticated artificial intelligence systems. This was only shortly after an AI-powered chatbot urged one journalist to leave his wife, in February this year.

But what exactly is AI, in reality? And is it all bad?

Today, Technology writer Tim Biggs on the upsides to Artificial Intelligence, and how it’s already deeply embedded in our everyday lives. And what we should be worried about.

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It’s been a chaotic 48 hours in Russia that put the world’s most notorious leader, Vladimir Putin, in the crosshairs. Putin is no stranger to the headlines, but this story was different.

The boss of the notorious Wagner Group, shocked the world by turning his band of ruthless mercenaries on the Kremlin and threatening to march on Moscow. It was a shocking display of belligerence from a man who’d long been an ally of Putin. Now the man who’s pulled Russia’s strings for decades faced, as he described, an act of “treason” from one of his own puppets.

The chaotic events unfolded quickly and posed serious questions about Putin’s grip on power, the future of the war in Ukraine, and how his former personal chef could turn Putin’s “secret army” against him. Today, Sherryn Groch on the man who challenged Putin, and Peter Hartcher on what it means for the Russian leader’s future.

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When it comes to understanding trauma, we’ve come a long way from the bad old days. That was back in the 1980s, when we thought war veterans who struggled with flashbacks were suffering from brain damage.

Now we know that trauma affects not only our memory, but our immune system. But have we gone too far? Trauma has become the word of our generation.

Justin Bieber has referenced it, in speaking about his first year of marriage. Characters who are haunted by their pasts are a hallmark of TV shows like Succession and Yellowjackets.

Today, explainer reporter Sherryn Groch on what counts as trauma, and what doesn’t. And how trauma became the word of the decade.

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On today’s episode, we speak with Nick McKenzie, an investigative journalist with The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald about his work with Chris Masters uncovering shocking alleged war crimes by former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith – and the defamation case that followed. McKenzie, the winner of 14 Walkley awards, joins us to talk about criminals, victims and public-interest journalism as well as his new book Crossing The Line: The Explosive Inside Story Behind The Headlines, out June 28.Hosting this conversation is The Age senior writer and former investigations editor Michael Bachelard.

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The government wanted its $20 billion Housing Australia Future Fund legislated this week, but the Greens had other plans - they joined forces with the Coalition to defer the vote on the bill until October.

The Greens say they won’t support the bill until the government makes concessions - they want a national rental freeze and more taxpayer money directed straight into housing, as opposed to putting it into an investment fund.

The government has intimated that the blocking of the bill is the first step in setting up a double dissolution election trigger.

So, how will the government handle the first major roadblock to its agenda? What exactly are the Greens fighting for, and who are they fighting for? And are we really headed for a double dissolution election?

Today, economics correspondent Rachel Clun and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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For nearly 50 years, women in the United States were protected, by federal law, from having to carry an unwanted pregnancy. They gained this right, in 1973, thanks to the historic Supreme Court judgement in the Roe v Wade case.

This held until nearly a year ago, when the current Supreme Court overturned that judgement. This weekend marks the one year anniversary of that groundbreaking decision.

So, what has life in the United States been like for women since then?

Today, North American correspondent Farrah Tomazin on how this decision has caused a seismic shift in American culture and its political landscape.

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It’s been a monumental week in parliament. Multiple allegations of sexual harassment have been made about a little-known Victorian senator, David Van. David Van has strenuously denied the allegations. But since they surfaced, a week ago, discussion about who knew about the alleged offences, and how they were managed, has dominated political debate.

It’s taken us all back to the political earthquake that was set off in 2021, when former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins alleged that a colleague had raped her in a Parliamentary office.

And now, it begs us to ask one vital question. Just how unsafe isparliament house, for women?

Today, national affairs editor James Massola and federal political reporter Lisa Visentin on how politicians and journalists treat the rumours they hear in the corridors of parliament.

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HECS debt. If you’re to believe the countless news reports about it over the last few months, millions of Australians are about to be crippled by it.

But what if all the panicked headlines have been misleading us? And, actually, everything will be fine?

Today, federal politics reporter Paul Sakkal, on why the current HECS system helps us, rather than hurts us. And what people worried about debt should fight for, instead.

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Last week, Donald Trump became the first former president to be charged with federal crimes. He was arraigned on 37 counts related to his handling of classified documents.

The top secret documents, which include information about nuclear programs and military vulnerabilities, were found spread throughout his Mar-a-Lago club and residence. Some documents were stashed in a ballroom, an office, and even in a bathroom.

While the former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges, this past week remains one of the most damning of his political career.

Today, US correspondent Farrah Tomazin on the second indictment of Donald Trump. And whether the Republican Presidential front runner could end up campaigning for his country’s top job from jail.

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On today’s episode, we speak to Lucinda Williams, the multiple Grammy-award winner based in Nashville, about everything from the power of protest songs to America as a divided nation, her outrage at censorship and the need for truth in art, as well as song-writing and the joy of collaborating with Bruce Springsteen. And hosting this conversation with Lucinda, about life after her recent stroke and writing her new memoir Don’t Tell Anybody The Secrets I Told You, is senior culture writer for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Kerrie O’Brien.

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She is the longest-serving woman in the House of Representatives - and has been, for many years, one of Labor’s most high profile politicians. Tanya Plibersek entered the federal parliament at just 28 years of age - and since then, has made a name for herself campaigning for social justice reform on issues like paid parental leave and violence against women. She’s held numerous portfolios, including Housing, the Status of Women, and Health.

Last year, when the Albanese government was voted into parliament, she was handed a new portfolio - arguably the most difficult portfolio. She was appointed Minister for the Environment and Water - just as UN experts were warning that climate change was the greatest threat the world had ever faced.

The new role has not come without controversy. Plibersek green-lit a new coal mine in Queensland, sparking criticisms from conservation groups, and just recently, she was taken to court over a decision she made about coal mine assessments.

She’s also just lived through an incredibly feral week in federal politics, a week which has many wondering if progress has been made at all on parliament’s so-called women problem.

Today, chief political reporter David Crowe and columnist Jacqueline Maley are joined by Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek.

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It was a criminal trial unlike any other in recent memory.

Former Liberal party staffer Brittany Higgins alleged that she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann inside Parliament House. Lehrmann strongly denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty after he was charged.

But since that trial was abandoned last year, due to juror misconduct, the matter has become even more intensely political.

Politicians have been lobbing accusations at each other, over who knew what about the allegation and when.

Today, political columnist Jacqueline Maley on what happens when a rape trial becomes entangled in the world of politics.

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Earlier this week, new polling results on the Voice came out. For the very first time, a majority of Australians federally say they’ll vote ‘no’ when the referendum comes in October.

This comes after months of polls showing that support for the ‘yes’ vote has held the majority. Just seven weeks ago, the ‘Yes’ campaign was ahead in every state and territory.

Today, chief political reporter David Crowe and veteran pollster, Jim Reed, who conducted this latest, exclusive, poll, on whether this win is a reflection of swiftly changing values. Or in-fighting on the campaign trail.

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The massacre of 28 Aboriginal people in 1838 was the first and only time in Australia when white people were arrested, charged and prosecuted for the mass killing of First Nations people.

Those people killed at Myall Creek Station in northern NSW were women, children and elderly men known as Wirrayaraay, a tribal clan of the Gamilaraay nation.

But while some publications held the perpetrators to account, our papers did not. 185 years on, The Sydney Morning Herald confronts the brutality of its own coverage of the Myall Creek massacre and two subsequent trials.

Today, editor of The Sydney Morning Herald Bevan Shields, columnist Peter FitzSimons and chief reporter Jordan Baker on attempting to right the wrongs of the past.

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For the first time since 1951, we’re enjoying a long weekend to celebrate a King’s Birthday, rather than a Queen’s Birthday.

We don’t yet know what sort of king Charles III will be. Or what impact he’ll have on the Commonwealth.

Today on Please Explain, we look back on an episode we originally aired on September 9 2022, the day after the Queen died. Special writer Tony Wright shares his experience meeting the Queen with Julia Naughton, head of Lifestyle, Culture and Travel and Europe correspondent Rob Harris, as they discuss a woman who was, until recently, the only monarch most of us have ever known.

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In latest episode of Good Weekend Talks, we talk to Australian journalist and podcaster, Mark Fennell about his new SBS documentary, The Kingdom,which explores the rise of Hillsong church, a powerhouse in the Pentecostal movement, not just in Australia, but worldwide.The conversation examines everything from the show biz side of the congregation music lights, razzle dazzle, to the business model that brings billions of dollars into the church coffers.Hosting this conversation, on everything from Fennell’s upbringing in the evangelical movement to the confrontation and catharsis of making a doco about it, is Good Weekend senior writer, Tim Elliott.

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The data is in. Australia’s economy is approaching stall speed.

Over the first few months of this year, the economy grew by just 0.2 per cent, the slowest rate of growth we’ve seen since the Covid lockdowns.

This depressing picture - courtesy of the national accounts figures out Wednesday - came right after the most recent Reserve Bank decision, to raise interest rates again, this time to 4.1 per cent.

It’s the 12th increase the Reserve Bank has announced in 13 months.

The worsening state of the economy is hurting households and ordinary Australians - with mortgages becoming harder to pay off, and cost of living pressures biting.

So just how bad a state is the economy in? Are we hurtling towards a recession? And who - or what exactly - is to blame?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Kathleen Folbigg spent 20 years in prison for the death of her four children.

For much of that time, she was pilloried as the worst female serial killer in Australian history. Then, on Monday, she was released from prison.

In a news conference, the NSW Attorney General announced that Folbigg, now 55, had been pardoned.

Today, legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn on what’s been called the largest injustice in Australian legal history, and what will happen now to the woman at the centre of it.

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They could wipe 20 years off average life expectancy. And possibly return modern medicine to a pre-antibiotic era. We’re talking about superbugs, those organisms that have evolved to become resistant to modern medicine. They can cripple us. Or kill us.

Right now, millions of people around the world are battling one. The United Nations estimates that by 2050, 10 million people will die every year from superbugs.

Today, senior reporter Henrietta Cook on the rise of superbugs, or what one expert calls “the biggest public health threats of our age”.

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A few years ago, Hillsong Church was a byword for glitzy and empowering faith.

The global megachurch, which started in Sydney with one small congregation, was the church to the stars. Everyone from Justin Bieber to Chris Pratt worshipped at the church known for its rock concert-like services and gleaming pastors who sported gold watches.

But in the last two years, the megachurch has been rocked by a series of explosive allegations. Tax evasion. A pastor fired for infidelity. And, worst of all, an alleged cover-up of the pedophilia committed by the church’s co-founder, Brian Houston.

Today, onetime megachurch member Cherie Gilmour on the growing number of so-called “megachurch refugees”, and the lasting emotional fallout.

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In 2018, our newspapers published a story titled ‘SAS soldier accused of killing innocent villager'. It was the first of many articles, which eventually identified Australia’s most decorated living soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, and accused him of multiple murders of unarmed civilians.

Roberts-Smith proceeded to sue our newspapers - in what’s become known as the defamation trial of the century. It went for more than 100 days, and examined more than 40 witnesses. And on Thursday, a judgement was finally delivered.

Federal Court Justice Anthony Besanko ruled overwhelmingly for our newspapers, finding Roberts-Smith was, on the balance of probabilities, a murderer, a war criminal, a bully, a liar, and a disgrace to his country and the Australian military.

Today, the journalists who broke these stories, Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters, join Tory Maguire to discuss what it took to win the biggest defamation case in Australia’s history - and what this victory means for journalism.

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Justice Anthony Besanko has found Nine's newspapers had proven that Ben Roberts-Smith was a war criminal who was involved in the unlawful killing and assault of unarmed Afghan prisoners.

And earlier this week, Mark McGowan announced that he would be stepping down as Western Australia’s premier. How much has McGowan’s way of doing politics impacted the Labor party - and Anthony Albanese?

Plus, there are now calls for former cabinet minister, Stuart Robert, to face the government’s new anti-corruption watchdog.

Today, WA Today's state political reporter Hamish Hastie, and chief political correspondent for The Age and SMH, David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

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The top tax expert at Price Waterhouse Coopers, one of the big four consulting firms, helped the Australian government create a pioneering tax law that would finally crack down on multinational companies that were avoiding paying tax here.

At the very same time, that expert shared that confidential information to help the firm’s clients avoid paying that very same tax.

This betrayal, which one senator has likened to a “major cancer”, was revealed in January this year. But since then, we’ve heard bombshell finding after bombshell finding.

Today, economics correspondent Rachel Clun, on what you need to know about this bad deal of the century. And whether the worst is yet to come.

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A week ago, Clare Nowland, a 95-year-old great grandmother, died after being allegedly tasered.

She weighed 43 kilograms, and suffered from dementia. The case has shone a spotlight on NSW Police, which is now battling to regain control.

Today, state political reporter Michael McGowan, on who should police the police. And why calls for greater oversight have a history of being ignored.

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For millennia, Wreck Bay, a tiny Indigenous village on the south coast of NSW, was paradise.

But in the last few decades, a remarkable number of residents have died or become sick. They’ve suffered from heart attacks, kidney disease and cancer after cancer.

Today, investigative reporter Carrie Fellner on the toxic chemicals that locals argue have poisoned Wreck Bay, and why the Australian government hasn’t banned these dangerous chemicals.

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Warning: This story contains graphic content.

We finally know what happened in the missing persons investigation that captured a nation. Melissa Caddick, the fraudster who stole $23 million from her closest family and friends, is dead.

So said the deputy state coroner, who handed down her report last week. But how did she come to this finding? Until now, all we knew was that Caddick’s right foot had washed up on the shores of a remote beach. This was shortly after she went missing, nearly two and a half years ago.

Today, investigative reporter Kate McClymont, on what we now know - and what we’ll never know - about what happened to Melissa Caddick.

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The week in parliament has been dominated by debate over the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. The legislation enabling the Voice referendum was introduced to the House of Representatives, and more than 80 MPs spoke during the debate on the bill’s second reading.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton kicked off the debate with a no-holds-barred attack on the proposal, saying it would “re-racialise” Australia, and would have an Orwellian effect, making some Australians more equal than others.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his speech to denounce the remarks made by Dutton. He accused the Leader of the Opposition of seeking to amplify misinformation about the Voice.

Today, federal political reporter Lisa Visentin and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the latest developments over the Voice to Parliament debate.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Ever since Scott Morrison was booted as prime minister, exactly a year ago this past weekend, the rumour mill has been in overdrive. When will he leave politics?

Calls for his resignation have been coming since Morrison was accused of undermining our democracy. That was last year, when we found out he had secretly appointed himself to five senior ministries when he was in power.

Today, national affairs editor James Massola joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss what happens when a former PM won’t exit stage left.

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Last week, Stan Grant announced that he would be leaving the ABC and standing down as the host of its Q+A program. His decision, and the torrent of abuse that prompted it, has led to a reckoning about how responsible the media is for the racism that pervades our culture.

Today, culture news editor Osman Faruqi joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss Stan Grant, the ABC and Australia's racism problem.

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Warning: This episode contains graphic content.

Australia will soon embark on a debate about whether the government should step in to restrict children’s access to online pornography.

For many advocates, it’s not a minute too soon. While the link between young people watching pornography and real-life harm has been disputed for years, numerous experts now say that this long-held truth is starting to come undone.

Among them is a president of a children’s court here who now sees sexual assault allegations that frequently feature choking. It is just one piece of evidence, she says, that suggests how violent porn is being enacted in the bedrooms of teenagers throughout Australia.

Today, chief reporter Jordan Baker on what a new report into this issue has found, and the pressure that many teens now feel to steer clear of so-called “vanilla sex”.

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He's known as the Mr Big of trafficking and for the last few years Binjun Xie has cultivated a lavish lifestyle in Sydney off the back of human misery.

Evidence suggests that the crime syndicate boss has been exploiting women in an illegal prostitution ring here, moving them around like cattle from one hotel to another.

But did it have to be this way? A report leaked last week reveals that Australian government authorities have failed to heed warnings about corrupt officials within our immigration and education systems, who have enabled such sex rings and human trafficking to flourish.

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie on just how easily crime bosses like Binjun Xie have been able to game our visa system, and the secret and scathing report that aims to hold them to account.

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On Sunday, the Albanese government will have been in power for one year.

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese became Prime Minister, he made big promises. He said “no one left behind and no one held back” under his government. And that he would “seek common purpose and promote unity” among Australians.

So what exactly has this government achieved so far? Has Albanese lived up to the optimistic promise of his election night victory speech? And what upcoming problems are likely to bring the government’s honeymoon period to an end?

Today, political commentator and author Niki Savva and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the Albanese government, one year in.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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It was meant to be a moment of great triumph for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

American president Joe Biden was due to visit our shores next week for a historic meeting, in what would have been the first Australian visit by an American president in a decade.

But yesterday, less than nine hours after Albanese confirmed Biden's visit, the American president cancelled.

National correspondent Matthew Knott tells Samantha Selinger-Morris why Biden pulled out, and what it means for the relationship between the two countries.

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Billionaire tech boss Elon Musk takes a version of it. Model Julia Fox has denied using it. We’re talking, of course, about the new weight-loss drug that has swept the globe. The weekly injection that helps people feel fuller on less food.

It is now, say local doctors, shockingly easy to get. But is Ozempic, and other drugs like it, medical magic? Are they the first medications to produce double-digit weight loss without crippling side effects?

Or are the drugs and the new online shops now selling them fostering a new generation of patients who will end up suffering unintended consequences?

Today, technology editor Nick Bonyhady joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss the potential - and the dangers - of the weight loss drugs that are sweeping Australia.

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Thanks to recent queries from an independent senator, we now know that nearly 1,800 people have been granted access to lobby our federal government. The kicker? We don’t know who they are.

Under a system that is now under great scrutiny, these people have unfettered access to the private corridors of Parliament House in Canberra. With their bright orange passes granted to them by politicians, they have the ability to wander into the offices of ministers, backbenchers and independents at any hour.

Today, chief political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, David Crowe, on why we are prevented from knowing who is influencing those in power, and just how serious a threat this might be to our democracy.

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The “cost of living crisis”. It’s a phrase we constantly hear at the moment. And it was the centrepiece of the budget the federal government handed down last week.

But what does that mean for families on the ground who were struggling to make rent and put food on the table for their children, even before the recent record-breaking spike in inflation?

Today, Sydney Editor Michael Koziol takes us inside one community cafe that exposes Australia’s devastating cost of living crisis.

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Before the budget was handed down earlier this week, Katy Gallagher - the Minister for Finance, Women and the Public Service - tweeted that Labor is, “backing Australian women with the most significant single-year investment in women’s equality in at least the last 40 years”.

Gallagher said that’s because equality for women isn’t an add-on or a nice to have. That it’s crucial for our prosperity.

But what exactly has Labor promised women? And were they really “winners” in this year’s budget?

And, while the government has put billions of dollars into bulk-billing - which many GPs claim they can no longer afford to do - there is no guarantee doctors will cooperate with the government’s plans.

Is there any way the government can police bulk billing? What are doctors saying about this budget measure?

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and economics correspondent Rachel Clun join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Many listeners may have seen recent articles - and there have been many - about how One Nation MP Mark Latham recently wrote a homophobic tweet, aimed at another politician. It could lead to Latham being charged with a criminal offence, or even sent to jail.

But how did it come to this, for a politician who was once close to becoming our Prime Minister?

Today, state political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, Alexandra Smith on the damage Mark Latham has wreaked on others during his political career, and just what it takes for a parliamentarian to lose their power.

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Last night, Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down the Labor government’s second federal budget.

While it forecast a $4 billion surplus – the first surplus in 15 years – it also laid bare the challenges the economy is facing, both here and globally.

Today, David Crowe and Shane Wright join host Tory Maguire to discuss what the budget will do to ease the economic pressures, who it will help, and what it can tell us about Labor's priorities.

breakingnews #news #budget2023 #auspol #australia #finance #budget

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A sudden outbreak of violence in Sudan, beginning last month, has killed hundreds of people, and trapped millions in their homes.

Bodies lie in the streets and the sounds of gunshots reverberate off concrete walls torn with bullet holes. Many fear starvation.

Amid this chaos are hundreds of Australians. More than 230 of them have already been evacuated, but an unknown number are still struggling to leave.

Today, senior writer with The Age, Bianca Hall, on the conflict in Sudan - and the Australians stranded there.

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Disposable vapes will be banned under a major crackdown by the federal government, with Health Minister Mark Butler calling it “the biggest loophole in Australia’s healthcare history”.

The emphasis will be on quote “the people selling” with tougher border controls, policing - and millions of dollars invested in nicotine cessation support programs.

But this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the government attempt to curb vaping. So will the new reforms be enough to stop a new generation of vapers in their tracks?

Today, federal health reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Natassia Chrysanthos on Australia’s vaping problem.

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Will the Albanese government make changes to JobSeeker after its own committee called it a “pressing concern” because of the “precarious financial situation” of those on the payment?

And, what did we learn about our Prime Minister after his hour-long exclusive interview with controversial TV host Piers Morgan in the UK?

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and columnist Sean Kelly join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley.Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.**

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The coronation of King Charles the third takes place in two days. Inevitably, the debate about whether Australia should become a republic is rearing its head. This is a conversation that’s been happening in Australia for more than 30 years. But could we finally be on the precipice of change?

Today, Craig Foster, former Socceroo and now co-chair of the Australian Republic Movement, on why Australians may finally be ready to sever ties with the monarchy.

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US President Joe Biden has announced that he will be running for a second term in office. Biden, now 80, is already the oldest American president in history. If he wins the presidential election next year, he will be 86 by the time he leaves the White House.

His political rivals, and even some of his supporters, are now asking the same questions. How old is too old to be president? At what age is a person still fit to be the individual with the nuclear codes?

Today, Peter Hartcher, political and international editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, on whether Joe Biden’s age could determine his political future, and how other world leaders have been embraced - or rejected - as they entered their ninth decade.

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For decades, NSW town Gunnedah had a booming koala population. So much so that it called itself “the koala capital of the world".

But now, the town’s koala population has been deemed “functionally extinct.”

National environment and climate editor Nick O’Malley joins Julia Carr-Catzel to explain how the healthiest koala colony collapsed into extinction.

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It’s been a huge couple of weeks for Fox News. The network’s lies about a fraudulent 2020 US election have cost it upwards of $1 billion Australian dollars, its severed ties with its most-popular and profitable news anchors and the media giant faces more lawsuits in the future.

But what will become of Fox after its historic defamation settlement? Will the news machine continue to give the audience what it wants in lieu of what it needs? Or have the events of the past few months paved the way for a broader shift in the company’s values?

Today, North America correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Farrah Tomazin on the future of Fox News.

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Earlier this week, the Albanese government released its Defence Strategic Review - the biggest and most significant review into Australia’s military structure in decades.

The review found that the risks Australia faces are “profound”. And that our military “is not fully fit for purpose”.

So on the one hand, the government is considering increasing military spending, but it also faces pressure ahead of the May budget to increase some welfare payments. This pressure comes from all sides, the social services, lobby, charities business and its own backbench.

Chief political correspondent David Crowe and political and international editor Peter Hartcher join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Children as young as 10 can be arrested, charged and jailed as criminals in Australia. But tomorrow, Australia’s attorneys-general will consider raising the age of criminal responsibility nationally.

Today, state political reporter for The Age Sumeyya Ilanbey on the question: how young is too young when it comes to criminal culpability?

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Last week, Basketball Australia revealed it had denied an athlete’s application to play for a semi-professional women’s basketball league. It made global headlines and is fuelling a debate about how our biology impacts our ability to run, jump and compete against one another.

This is because Lexi Rodgers is a transgender athlete. Her bid to play the sport she loves strikes at the very heart of some of the most pressing issues of our time: human rights, discrimination and a fear - and love - of challenging the status quo.

Today, sports reporter Carla Jaeger joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss the tight rope sports organisations are treading in their struggle to enable all athletes to have a fair go.

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The Australian economy is being broken by a dysfunctional housing system that is inflicting long-term financial and community pain on almost every part of the nation.

Decades of bad policies, greed, NIMBYism and population growth have enabled the economy to be consumed by the Great Australian Dream.

So has Australians’ love affair with housing so distorted the economy that it is at the heart of the problems plaguing our cities, our governments and our way of life?

Today, economics correspondents Shane Wright and Rachel Clun on how housing ate the Australian economy.

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A joint investigation between The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes into The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship reveals a disturbing picture of the religious group operating in Australia.

Former members have described an unhealthy level of control over the lives of its followers, subject to hardline indoctrination tactics instilling fear about the prospect of hell and the imminent second coming of Jesus.

Today, investigative reporter for The Age, Simone Fox Koobon the former members speaking out about the cult-like church.

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Yesterday, a long-awaited review into the Reserve Bank of Australia was unveiled.

The 51 recommended changes - including the creation of a new interest rate setting board - represent the biggest shake-up to the RBA in a generation.

So what exactly has the report recommended? And, if implemented, how might those recommendations change Australia’s economy going forward?

Today, senior economics correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Shane Wright on the review and what it might mean for Australians.

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Gun violence has become deeply embedded in the fabric of America. At the time of recording, there have been at least 160 mass shootings across the US so far this year.

So will the shootings ever stop? And why are guns such a divisive issue for Americans now more than ever?

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Matthew Knott on the guns, and people, killing people in the US.

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You might not know the name, Peter Bol. A few years ago, virtually nobody did.

But in 2021, the Olympic runner stunned the athletics world, and captured the hearts of millions, by becoming the fastest Australian 800m runner in history.

Now Bol is accused of being a drug cheat, and his career hangs in the balance.

Today, Andrew Webster, chief sports writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, joins Samantha Selinger-Morris to discuss how the scandal is affecting Peter Bol, and the drawn-out investigation that may, or may not, save his career.

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Kris Ridgway is a conman who used his position at a respected financial firm to push unauthorised, high risk investment products to his trusting clients. He made at least $1.6 million in commissions, but his investors haven’t seen a cent.

And now he's confessed.

Ridgway was part of a dubious investment scheme that's left Australian families millions of dollars out of pocket.

He tells investigative journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald, Adele Ferguson in a joint investigation with 60 Minutes that he's hit "rock bottom", that he's ashamed of his acts, and that he fears ending up in a prison cell.

Today, Adele reveals the surprise phone call that led to Ridgway's stunning confession, and the clients he bled dry.

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At the end of this month, the Liddell coal fired power station will be shut down. It’s a station that has dominated the Hunter Valley skyline for half a century.

Its fall will represent the end of an era in the Hunter region, but the power station’s closure also holds great national significance.

But how is Australia really tracking when it comes to a transition away from coal and towards renewable energy? And what will come of the communities left behind?

Today, environment reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, Laura Chung on the closure of one of Australia’s oldest coal-fired power stations - and the lessons we can learn from it.

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The rising threat of cyber attacks on Australians, a possible thawing of relations with China, and Dutton’s strategy to oppose an Indigenous Voice to parliament dealt another blow.

Foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott and federal political reporter Lisa Visentin join Stephanie Peatling this week on Inside Politics.

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This week, hundreds of women launched a class action in the Supreme Court of Victoria against multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company Bayer over its contraceptive device called Essure.

These women say they have been left with severe side effects after being fitted with the Essure device, touted as a gentler, permanent contraceptive option.

Their allegations echo a long history of healthcare scandals in which women’s pain has been dismissed and their safety compromised by medical devices and drugs that have caused irreparable damage.

Today, Health Editor for The Age, Aisha Dow on the device, the women and the lawsuit.

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It’s been 15 years since the Indian Premier League launched with a bang, reshaping cricket almost overnight. Like the World Series revolution of the 1970s, the IPL injected unprecedented millions into the game, attracting wealthy backers and younger audiences to cricket’s snackable new offering.

Now, the IPL’s world domination is set to reach a whole new level, with the potential for Australian players to earn millions more dollars in globe-trotting deals that could force yet another reckoning for the game.

Today, The Age's chief cricket writer Daniel Brettig explains the raid on Australia’s best players that could redefine international cricket.

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Last week, NSW Premier Chris Minns announced a state-wide ban of mobile phones in government high schools. He was coming through on a long-held election promise; one that seeks to remedy a decade of declining academic performance in schools.

At first glance, you might think that teachers and parents alike would welcome this ban. But it’s sowing division in both communities.

Today, education reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, Christopher Harris, on why NSW has lagged behind other states in bringing this ban, and what the research says about its ability to help, or hamper, children.

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Today we're sharing an episode of our sister podcast, Good Weekend Talks.

It's a conversation between Nagi Maehashi, the creator of cult cooking website RecipeTin Eats, and senior culture writer for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Kerrie O’Brien.

Maehashi talks about what inspired her to start cooking, as well as her obsessive testing process, and how her former career as an auditor helped make her business so strong.

You can find more episodes of Good Weekend Talks on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

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What’s behind the federal Liberal Party’s decision to oppose the Voice? Is it in line with what the electorate wants? And how will it affect the Liberal party brand after its recent blow in the Aston by-election?

Today, Chief Political Correspondent David Crowe and federal politics reporter for The Age Paul Sakkal - join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

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A jury has found Malka Leifer guilty of rape and indecent assault, drawing a close to a trial that had been a decade in the making.

The former principal of the ultra-orthodox Jewish school had been accused of sexually abusing former students in Melbourne in the early to mid-2000s.

After a lengthy battle to extradite Leifer from Israel in 2021, her trial began this year.

She has maintained her innocence and pleaded not guilty to all charges, including rape.

Today, court reporter at The Age, David Estcourt on the trial of Malka Leifer.

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For the first time in almost a year, The Reserve Bank of Australia held official interest rates steady yesterday.

Following its meeting on Tuesday, RBA governor Philip Lowe confirmed the official cash rate would remain at 3.6 per cent until at least May.

So why has the RBA made this decision now? Will it help ease the cost of living crisis? And is it a pause - or an end to the fight against inflation?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins economics correspondent Rachel Clun, to discuss the Reserve Bank of Australia’s latest moves.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has recently returned from a trade visit to China, the first Australian state leader to visit the country since international travel has opened.

While pledging that no new trade deals would arise, the visit wasn't without controversy.

Andrews' trip to revive Victoria’s trade ties with China excluded the media, a fact that raised questions about the nature and transparency of the visit.

Victorian political reporter Broede Carmody joins Chris Zappone to discuss the state, national and international dimensions of the trip to China.

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Victoria has vowed to ban the Nazi salute and strengthen its anti-vilification laws after neo-Nazis recently gatecrashed an anti-trans rally in Melbourne.

A group of about 30 people dressed in black from the neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network performed the salute on Victoria’s parliament steps before being led away by police.

But an expert has cast doubt on the effectiveness of banning Nazi symbols, questioning whether this will do enough to deter far-right extremism in the country and where efforts may be better placed.

Today, Lydia Khalil, senior research fellow at Deakin University and project director at the Lowy Institute on whether banning symbols may be a band-aid solution to a much bigger problem.

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Is John Wick one of modern cinema's best franchises? Or overrated, ultra-violent garbage? With the fourth instalment of the series in cinemas now, Osman Faruqi and Rob Moran debate the strength of the John Wick universe.

Warning: This episode contains spoilers for the John Wick franchise.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, filmmakers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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This week, the federal government and the Greens both declared victory after long negotiations about key climate policy.

The policy - called the safeguard mechanism - imposes a hard cap to stop the nation’s industrial pollution rising.

It also forces companies to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.

Crucially, however, the deal struck with the Greens doesn’t rule out new fossil fuel production - the thing climate scientists say is needed to stop runaway climate change.

So why did the Greens agree to the deal? And how exactly will this new mechanism help Australia reach its climate targets?

Today, national environment and climate editor Nick O’Malley and chief political correspondent David Crowe join Jacqueline Maley to discuss the week in politics.

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Most Australians know the name Lindy Chamberlain. She’s famously the victim of what’s been called “the most notorious miscarriage of justice” in Australian legal history. She was wrongfully convicted of murdering her nine-week old daughter, Azaria, during a camping trip at Uluru, and sentenced to life in prison.

But how many people know about the murder conviction inquiry that’s going on right now that could, as one expert put it recently, make the Chamberlain case pale into insignificance?

Today, legal affairs reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, Michaela Whitbourn, on the inquiry that could change the way our legal system handles evidence in murder trials. And why the diaries of Newcastle mother Kathleen Folbigg, which were once used to help convict her of murder, might now be the very thing to set her free.

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When the pandemic lockdowns ended, the number of students returning to school never fully recovered. With the number of kids refusing to go to school rising, the reasons behind the trend aren’t completely understood.

Called “school refusal”, the problem disrupts young people’s education, upends family life and often leaves parents feeling defeated.

So why are kids increasingly refusing to go to school? And if this trend continues what will it mean for the future of learning?

Today, education reporter for The Age, Nicole Precel on the troubling phenomenon of school refusal and its impact on learning.

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Succession is back for its fourth and final season.

Join Osman Faruqi, Meg Watson and Thomas Mitchell as they unpack the season premiere, discuss their favourite lines and analyse who came out on top.

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On Saturday, New South Wales voters ended 12 years of coalition rule by comprehensively backing Labor to form government. Outgoing premier Dominic Perrottet has resigned from the Liberal leadership. And Chris Minns will be the first Labor premier of New South Wales since Kristina Keneally.

But what does this change mean for New South Wales? What can we expect from the Minns government? And what did the results tell us about the changing political sentiment of the nation?

Today on Please Explain, The Sydney Morning Herald editor, Bevan Shields, is joined by State Political editor, Alexandra Smith to dissect the weekend's events.

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Part satire, part black comedy, part drama, Succession is one of the most critically acclaimed shows in the world. Ahead of the premiere of the fourth and final season of Succession, Thomas Mitchell, Meg Watson and Osman Faruqi unpack what makes the show so great, and refresh us on where the Roy family is at before the stunning show comes to a conclusion.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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Every Friday, Jacqueline Maley hosts an “Inside Politics” panel discussion, wrapping up the week. Today, she discusses the rising tide of far-right extremism, the NSW state election, and the Voice referendum question with David Crowe and Alex Smith.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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Yesterday, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw described his months-long investigation, which has revealed that 82 Australian children have been snatched by Japanese partners, never to see their Australian parents again.

Today, he joins host, Chris Zappone, to discuss the people trying to change the system that allows this to happen.

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Right now, there are hundreds of parents across the world whose children have been abducted. Not by a stranger - but by the other parent.

A months-long investigation by The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes has revealed that Japan is home to a system of parental abduction that has driven dozens of Australian parents to breaking point, created immense psychological distress for children, and torn families apart.

In part one of this two-part series, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw joins host, Chris Zappone, to discuss his investigation.

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Each year, Australians put 125 billion dollars through the pokies - and over half of that is in NSW alone. The state has more poker machines than any jurisdiction in the world outside Nevada.

This billion-dollar gambling industry will be in the spotlight when New South Wales goes to the polls this weekend.

So, how didNSW become the pokies capital of Australia? And will this election mark a turning point in the debate around poker machines?

Today, reporter Angus Thomson travels to the border of NSW and Victoria, where the legacy of decades of loose regulation of gambling machines is still being felt today.

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The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank - the second biggest in US history - has triggered fresh fears the entire financial sector may be under threat.

Depositors lined up to withdraw their money from SVB and other banks before they folded within days.

But should Australians be concerned about our own financial institutions?

Today, technology editor for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Nick Bonyhady joins Julia Carr-Catzel on the fragility of the financial sector.

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Artificial intelligence is already being used to make incredible memes, hilarious videos and fascinating art. But what are the downsides, and how will AI challenge the world of art, and society and politics more generally?

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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Every Friday, Jacqueline Maley will host an “Inside Politics” panel discussion, wrapping up the week. Today, she discusses the AUKUS fallout with Peter Hartcher and David Crowe.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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On US election night in 2020, American TV network Fox News declared Democrat Joe Biden had defeated sitting Republican president Donald Trump in the crucial swing state of Arizona.

The declaration infuriated the president and his allies, and set in motion a chain of events that are now haunting his one-time biggest supporter, Rupert Murdoch.

A $2.4 billion lawsuit by voting machine maker Dominion claims Murdoch’s Fox News repeatedly aired unsubstantiated election accusations that Dominion had rigged the vote against Trump.

Fox argues it was just doing its job.

Today, media and telecommunications reporter Zoe Samios tells Chris Zappone about the case that has brought renewed scrutiny to the Murdoch media empire.

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On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stood in front of the world's media, next to US President Joe Biden and the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

They were announcing details of the AUKUS agreement which will see Australia acquire and build eight nuclear-powered submarines over the next three decades at a cost north of 350 billion dollars.

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Matthew Knott on what we now know about the AUKUS deal.

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In Israel, a recently elected government led by Benjamin Netanyahu is proposing a law that is so controversial it is pushing the nation to a breaking point.

The proposed law would allow parliament to overturn decisions of the Supreme Court, effectively crippling its judicial oversight.

Seen as a naked power grab, Israelis have taken to the streets in protest. The government under Netanyahu has responded with tear gas, batons and riot police.

Israel, once seen as an island of democracy among Middle Eastern autocracies, is in a profound crisis.

Today, political and international editor Peter Hartcher on the grave situation in Israel.

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Historically, egg freezing has been expensive, invasive and often unsuccessful.

While new technology has improved the thawing process, leading to dramatically higher pregnancy rates from frozen eggs, there are still questions about whether the industry exploits or empowers women.

Today, social affairs writer for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Wendy Tuohy on the egg freezing industry - and whether the fertility treatment is worth the cost.

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Have you noticed a lack of prestige TV on your favourite streaming platforms lately? You're not alone. The good news is, some of the most critically acclaimed shows of the past few years are about to return, including Succession and Ted Lasso. Plus, a whole bunch of brand new series are set to drop in the next couple of months.

On today's episode: our guide to best upcoming TV shows.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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The legal case brought by prominent social campaigner Sally Rugg against her former employer MP Monique Ryan has captured the public’s attention.

Not only is it a story of a working relationship gone bad, but the legal fall out could have implications for employment law for all Australians.

At the heart of the case is how much overtime, if any, should an employee be expected to work.

Today, federal politics reporter Paul Sakkal and The Age’s chief reporter Chip Le Grand on the workplace drama that has riveted the public.

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Women wanting to terminate their pregnancies are still being turned away from public hospitals, despite abortions being decriminalised across Australia.

Private clinics are often booked up and if you can find an appointment, it’ll cost you upwards of $600 for a surgical abortion.

If you’re in regional and rural Australia you’ll likely have to drive hundreds of kilometres to get to the nearest abortion provider.

So why is it still so hard to get an abortion in Australia? And could a decision due any day by the Therapeutic Goods Administration change that?

Today, health editor Kate Aubusson, on the long road to free and equal access to abortion.

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Women’s sport has seen a momentous rise in recent years - and many women have had a hand in that change, from athletes to administrators, journalists to sports agents and sponsors.

Some have taken a stand on issues that transcend sport, some made the decisions that determine where the money goes or what sports we see on TV, and others worked in the background to keep the major codes rolling along.

On International Women's Day, sports reporter Georgina Robinson joins Marnie Vinall to talk about the women changing Australia’s sporting landscape - and the most influential of them all - international soccer star, Sam Kerr.

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Are we on a collision course for war with China? Does our military have the weapons it needs to fight a modern war? How useful will the much hyped AUKUS submarines be in a potential conflict?

For a day and a half in February this year, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald hosted a gathering of experts to examine Australia’s most urgent & dangerous national security threats.

Today, political editor and international editor at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald Peter Hartcher joins Matthew Knott to discuss their latest editorial project - Red Alert.

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Decades ago, scientists looked at psychedelic drugs as tools that could help improve people’s mental health.

Then came counterculture, Woodstock, hallucinogenic trips - and a backlash against the drugs.

But now hallucinogens are once again being examined for their unique ability to treat mental health issues that existing pharmaceutical drugs cannot. And Australia is at the forefront of this research.

The Age social affairs editor Jewel Topsfield joins Chris Zappone to discuss medicinal psychedelics.

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The Academy Awards are just two weeks away. Will Everything Everywhere All At Once clean up? Could Top Gun: Maverick sneak ahead? Will Cate Blanchett pick up her third Oscar?

Today on The Drop, a deep dive exploring the state of the race, who's likely to win and the potential upsets. Plus, an interview with Mandy Walker, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer behind Elvis.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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It’s been exactly one month since a train carrying hazardous material came off the tracks in Ohio in the United States.

Many residents in the affected town of East Palestine say they are still feeling the effects, from respiratory problems and rashes to headaches and unusual odours.

But East Palestine isn’t just another story of an American environmental disaster. It’s also a tale of corporate profits, regulation and communities that feel “forgotten”.

Today, North America correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald Farrah Tomazin - joins us to discuss Ohio’s toxic disaster.

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Before the pandemic, an estimated 1 million Australians had an eating disorder. But this week, we learned that the number of eating disorder patients has exploded over the last three years. Australian children as young as eight are being diagnosed with eating disorders.

It's a horrifying scenario for their families who would go to extraordinary lengths to get them the treatment they need. So what happens to these families when the healthcare system buckles under the pressure of overwhelming demand?

Today, Health Editor for The Age Aisha Dow on the unbearable burden of eating disorders in Australia, and a warning this episode deals with suicide and self harm.

If this episode brings up any concerns for you or a loved one, you can call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, Lifeline on 131114, The Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

You can also visit Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au, Kids Helpline at kidshelpline.com.au, The Butterfly Foundation at butterfly.org.au or Lifeline at lifeline.org.au.

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Yesterday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the tax on superannuation earnings over $3 million will double from 15 per cent to 30 per cent in two years' time.

Australians have about $3.3 trillion in superannuation, but that money is far from evenly divided. At the top end, some accounts have more than $100 million, while the vast bulk of people have less than $100,000.

So how generous are the tax concessions? And who has the most to gain or lose from the changes?

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Rachel Clun to discuss what the changes to super tax concessions mean for our retirement future.

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By some measures, TikTok is the most downloaded social media app in the world. Yet even as it wins millions of users, democratic governments worry about the company's ties to the government of the country of its origin: The People's Republic of China.

Governments bodies in Australia and in like minded democracies overseas have taken to banning the app over fear of who has access to the data.

Today, Co-CEO of Internet 2.0 Robert Potter joins us to discuss the war on TikTok - and whether it’s justified.

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Gender neutral Oompa-Loompa's and banning the word "fat" are just some of the changes that will be made to Roald Dahl's classic children's books.

The edits have sparked intense debate in the literary world, with Salman Rushdie condemning them as censorship while others have suggested that it's just about keeping up with the times.

So what is really behind these changes, and what will their impact be?

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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Charlie Teo is Australia’s most famous neurosurgeon, a man mobbed by adoring supporters, celebrity mates and former patients whose lives he saved on the operating table.

But this same doctor is at the centre of a five-day disciplinary hearing, facing multiple allegations of unsatisfactory professional conduct concerning two operations that had disastrous outcomes. Teo denies the allegations.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont joins host Kate Aubusson to discuss Charlie Teo's fight to save his career.

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Tomorrow marks one year since Vladimir Putin launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine. Even though it followed eight years of Moscow-fomented war in the nation’s east, and the annexation of Crimea, the brutality, severity and scale of the 2022 invasion has shocked the world.

Since then high-intensity fighting has claimed the lives of tens of thousands, Ukrainian civilians have been massacred, and Moscow continues to strike power plants, schools and non-military targets.

Today, Marta Barandiy, founder of Promote Ukraine, speaks to us from Germany.

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During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of Australia’s biggest city centres resembled ghost towns.

But now that restrictions and lockdowns have ended - our cities are not returning to how they used to be. Shops are still empty and office vacancy rates are approaching all-time highs as people continue to choose to work from home.

So what is the future of our city centres? And are they worth saving?

Today, city editor for The Age Cara Waters and Sydney Editor for the Sydney Morning Herald Michael Koziol, on why the death of the central business district does not have to mean the death of the city centre.

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The last two governors of the Reserve Bank of Australia have had their terms extended to complete a decade in one of the nation's most important economic jobs.

But the current governor, Philip Lowe, might not.

Last week, Lowe faced a grilling from politicians about rising interest rates and the state of the economy, fuelling growing doubts that his term will be renewed.

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Chris Zappone to discuss Lowe’s days of reckoning and the future of the Reserve Bank of Australia.

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It’s being called the ‘asbestos of the 21st century’ - exposure to silica dust particles from engineered stone has placed hundreds of thousands of construction workers at risk of the lung disease - silicosis.

A joint investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 minutes has uncovered how companies continually place profit before the health of their workers and how regulators fail to do their job.

Today, investigative journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald, Adele Ferguson on the disturbing legacy of one of the oldest occupational lung diseases in the world.

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Who is Fred Again? The 29-year-old UK musician sold out his surprise concerts in Australia in just a few seconds, demonstrating how massively popular he has become.

But where did he come from, and what explains his meteoric rise?

Rob Moran breaks down the Fred Again phenomenon, plus a survey of the pop music landscape in 2023 featuring Caroline Polacheck, Lana Del Rey and up and coming Australian acts.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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Elon Musk has been in the news again after demanding a change to Twitter to help boost his tweets engagements. He was apparently upset that his tweets about the Super Bowl got less engagement than US President Joe Biden’s. It's yet the latest caper in Musk's extremely disruptive tenure as CEO of Twitter.

But that’s just Musk the showman. The businessman is also rapidly making changes to the company to boost its profits and establish a more sustainable model.

Could Musk’s purchase of Twitter, seen by many as move to satisfy his vanity, actually be vindicated as a business decision? Could he crack the code of profitability at the platform?

Today technology editor Nick Bonyhady joins us to discuss the curious case of Elon Musk and his leadership of Twitter.

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Niamh Finneran Loader was 25 years old when she travelled to Bali for minor dental work late last year.

The Australian University student was found dead on December 2 in the bathroom of the Kuta-Bali Famous Hotel, leaving her grieving family and friends struggling to comprehend how she died.

The circumstances of her tragic death are still a mystery to law enforcement both in Australia and Indonesia. But her case has reignited questions about the allure of medical tourism for more than 15,000 Australians who head overseas every year for cheaper cosmetic procedures, heart surgery, and even stem cell therapy.

Today, South East Asia Correspondent Chris Barrett on the big business of medical tourism, and what Australians have to gain or lose.

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Hundreds of millions of plastic bags have been sent to landfill since the collapse of Australia’s largest soft-plastics recycling scheme.

Revelations uncovered by the Age and Sydney Morning Herald last year, found plastics dropped in REDcycle bins in supermarkets across the country - were stockpiled and not recycled for years on end.

Over 12,000 tonnes of soft plastics have since been found at 32 locations across Australia.

Today, law and justice editor for the Age, Chris Vedelago on how this scheme went so wrong, and what’s next for plastic recycling.

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As the nation grapples with a cost of living crisis and stagnant wages, many are asking how we got here. An increasing number of Australians live in a state of economic insecurity, as others have become incredibly wealthy. Inequality in our society is not new. In fact, it’s been on the rise steadily for decades.

Today, Investigative reporter for The Age and author of Hard Labour - Wage theft in the age of inequality, Ben Schneiders joins me to discuss the issue and how it affects our society today.

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The Super Bowl offers a dream opportunity for advertisers, with millions of people in the stands and glued to television screens for the year’s most-watched football game.

But the ads are only one side to the game’s spectacle. The halftime shows offer an unrivalled if fleeting global audience to performers for the one American football game that even non-sports fans watch.

In more recent years, the Super Bowl has also become a kind of defacto commentary on race in America - with issues like who performs in the half time show and indeed who most benefits from the sport becoming a national talking point.

Today, North American correspondent Farrah Tomazin on the cultural event that is the American Super Bowl.And later - chief sports writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, Andrew Webster speaks to Chris Paine about the game.

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Oscar-award winning director Steven Soderbergh is the mastermind behind Ocean's 11 and its sequels, Traffic and Erin Brockovich. His latest film is Magic Mike's Last Dance, starring Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek.

On this episode of The Drop, Soderbergh discusses why he returned to the world of male strippers, the upcoming Oscars and his thoughts on Top Gun: Maverick.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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On January 28, a giant Chinese surveillance balloon - the stuff of spy thrillers from another time - traversed the continental United States for a week before being shot down.

US-China relations subsequently took a hit, with top US diplomat Antony Blinken calling off a highly-anticipated trip to Beijing shortly after the incident.

But as the US Navy works to recover the balloon’s payload - what are the broader implications for the world’s biggest superpowers and the future of their diplomacy?

Today, explainer reporter for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Sherryn Groch on what China’s spy balloon was looking for and what happens next.

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The primary role of the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Agency, known as AHPRA, is to protect the public when doctors fall below the high standards expected of them.

Today on Please Explain, investigative journalist Charlotte Grieve on AHPRA’s chronic under-resourcing, bullying, systemic racism and loopholes that keep doctors' records clean after they've caused serious harm.

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On a diplomatic visit to London last week, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told her counterparts that Britain needed to be mindful of its colonial legacy if it wanted to be relevant in the Indo-Pacific.

Malaysian-born Wong invoked her own family to illustrate the imperial role Britain has played in history. The foreign minister’s comments raised eyebrows, but also underscored the changing view of Australia’s role in the region.

London-based journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Latika Bourke joins host Chris Zappone to discuss Wong’s speech

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Across Australia - renters are often competing with hundreds of others for a single unit. Some people are forced out of the market entirely - resorting to couch surfing and other makeshift arrangements just to get by.

In the last 12 months, the average rental price has gone up 10 per cent in capital cities - marking a record high in annual rent growth - while wages have only risen by three per cent in the same period.

Yet this crisis - affecting people of many backgrounds - is anything but new.Today, property reporter for the Age and Sydney Morning Herald Jim Malo on whether we’ve reached a breaking point.

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Senators and MPs from around the country are landing in Canberra today for the first parliamentary week of the year.

The government has a jam-packed agenda for the coming weeks. It plans to introduce legislation on everything from extending paid parental leave to establishing a referendum on an Indigenous voice and housing reforms.

But it's going to be a particularly big week for Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Tomorrow, the Reserve Bank is expected to lift interest rates again, as figures show Australians are struggling with the highest cost-of-living increases in more than 30 years.

Today, senior economics correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Shane Wright joins host Rachel Clun to discuss what will shape the parliamentary weeks and months ahead.

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Reality TV shows come and go but one franchise has outlasted pretty much all of the others: Survivor. The series is nearly a quarter of a century old and is undergoing a renaissance.

A new season of the Australian version of the franchise kicked off this week and it’s already being called the best ever.

Today on The Drop, culture reporter Meg Watson on how Survivor has outlasted other reality TV shows.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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It’s been two years since the Myanmar military launched a coup against the civilian government - an event that has cost thousands of people their lives.

Australian photojournalist Steve Tickner was just one of the journalists - local and foreign - fleeing the military as hundreds were being detained and protesters were being tortured.

Today, South-east Asia correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, Chris Barrett tells the story of Tickner’s daring escape from military dictatorship, and the situation today.

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Tales of the Fountain of Youth have been told for thousands of years across countless civilisations. The ability to turn back the ageing clock is the stuff of legend and one of humanity’s greatest desires.

Scientists across the world have been trying to reverse ageing for decades, and now Australian researcher David Sinclair has come closer than ever before.

But if we could stop the ageing process, would we really want to?

Today, Lifestyle Health Editor Sarah Berry on the latest frontier in the fight against old age.

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Over the summer, James Massola drove from Sydney to Perth across the Nullarbor, a trip of nearly 5000 kilometres.

It’s a bucket list trip for many Australians. But for James, it looked a little different - because he did it in an electric vehicle.

Accompanied by his dad and a mate, James set out to answer one simple question: was it possible to drive from the east coast of Australia to the west in an EV?

Today, national affairs editor James Massola on his electric-fuelled road trip, and the future of electric vehicles in Australia.

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This week, over four million Australian children will return to classrooms, marking the beginning of a new school year.

But parents are paying more than ever - with private school fees in Sydney and Melbourne increasing more than 50 per cent over the past decade.

The fees have far exceeded the rate of inflation and wage growth, forcing some parents remortgage homes, take on more debt and sacrifice family holidays to cover the costs.

Today, education editor for the Sydney Morning Herald, Lucy Carroll on why parents are paying more than ever before.

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Over the past few months, tens of thousands of tech workers have been fired from some of the biggest tech companies in the world - companies like Google, Meta and Amazon.

So why are these cuts happening now? And will the tech sector survive?

Today, technology editor from the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age, Nick Bonyhady on the big tech jobs bloodbath - and whether these cuts are coming for the rest of us.

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Australia's biggest music countdown is here, but does it still have the kind of cultural resonance it used to?

On this episode of The Drop, host Osman Faruqi and journalist Billie Eder dive into the data to look at what it takes to get a winning song, and what we can expect in this year's countdown.

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Earlier this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made an emergency visit to Alice Springs.

Local community leaders have been concerned for months about the soaring rates of crime and alcohol-fuelled violence after laws curbing the sale of booze expired in the middle of last year.

From Alice Springs, senior reporter Zach Hope tells Rachel Clun what is happening on the ground.

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Officially, it’s ‘Australia Day’. But celebrating the landing of the first fleet is increasingly becoming a faux pas, and crowd numbers at Invasion Day rallies are growing by the thousands.

Surveys show the majority of Australians still want to celebrate Australia Day, but more people, particularly younger generations, are choosing to ignore the public holiday altogether.

Today, City and Culture reporter for The Age, Sophie Aubrey, on the impending fate of Australia Day and whether this bitterly divided holiday will survive much longer.

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It’s something many of us use every day, but there is growing evidence that gas stoves may be harmful to our health.

An American consumer safety watchdog recently suggested gas stoves could be banned if they couldn’t be made safe, sparking fury among conservative and Republican commentators. One outspoken chef even taped himself to his gas stove in protest.

Now, that heated debate may be coming to Australia.

Today, national environment and climate editor for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Nick O’Malley speaks to reporter Angus Thomson on how an offhand comment from a government watchdog sparked a culture war - and why it’s heading our way soon.

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Half a century after humans first touched down on the moon, we are once again planning missions there. Cheaper rockets, more powerful computers, and economic competition with technology at its heart is spurring a growth in space flight.

Today, digital foreign editor Chris Zappone speaks to Professor Alan Duffy, an astronomer at Swinburne University and Director of Space Technology and Industry Institute, about the race to get back to the moon and possibly beyond.

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Late last week, Jacinda Ardern announced she would be stepping down as New Zealand's Prime Minister.

In her five years as Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern became a global icon known for her youth, progressive values, and emphasis on a politics of kindness.

So why is she resigning now? And what next for politics in New Zealand?

Today journalist and author of Jacinda Ardern: The story behind an extraordinary leader, Michelle Duff, joins Julia Carr-Catzel to discuss the end of the Ardern era.

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One of the biggest movies in the world right now is about a robotic doll who goes on a violent rampage.

The film is called M3GAN, and it’s part of a new wave of campy, self-aware horror movies that are becoming huge box office success stories.

On today's episode, we explore how horror appears to be in the middle of a renaissance right now, thanks to an emphasis on fun, slick marketing, and a healthy dose of social and political satire.

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Later this year, Australians are expected to vote in a referendum on the Voice to Parliament - a proposal that aims to enshrine an Indigenous voice in the constitution.

The Voice has become a hotly debated topic in politics. But what do Indigenous people think of the proposal?

Over the last few months, Birpai man and reporter for The Age and SMH, Jack Latimore has been trying to answer this question.

He has spoken to dozens of Indigenous people - from capital cities to remote communities - to hear their perspectives on the Voice to Parliament.

Today he joins audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel to discuss what he found - and what’s next for the Voice.

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NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s misguided decision to wear a Nazi uniform may have been cosplay, but he was playing with fire.

Recent events in the US, Germany and Brazil point to the way far-right movements are taking hold across major democracies, and Australia is not immune from this threat.

Today, political and international editor Peter Hartcher joins David King to discuss the collective amnesia behind the revival of fascism, and whether Australia is doing enough to stop its return.

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Coastal erosion is posing an increasing threat to beach towns across Australia.

Each week, there are more reports of cliffs collapsing and properties coming under threat from encroaching water.

But governments have been slow to respond to this crisis. Many people in these towns are now questioning how much longer their homes will be around - and what will happen if and when they’re swept into the sea.

Today, regional editor for The Age, Benjamin Preiss, joins Chris Zappone to discuss the coastal erosion crisis, and the future of our beloved beach towns.

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Andrew Tate has developed a reputation as one of the most popular figures online. In one month last year, the former kickboxer was googled more than Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian, and Covid-19.

But he is also known as one of the most controversial online personalities. He’s been kicked off nearly all social media platforms for his misogynistic views, and has been referred to as the “king of toxic masculinity”.

Now, Tate has been arrested on charges that include human trafficking - reigniting a fierce debate about his views, and the influence he has over young men.

Today social affairs editor for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald Jewel Topsfield joins digital foreign editor Chris Zappone to discuss why some young men idolise Andrew Tate, and the real-world consequences this reverence is having.

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Right now, tennis is losing many of its biggest names.

Last year, Roger Federer and Serena Williams retired, and Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are in the twilight of their careers.

But there’s no obvious answer to who will take their place, and in the meantime, younger generations are tuning out.

Today, columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald, Malcolm Knox, joins journalist Angus Thomson to discuss whether tennis has reached its breaking point - and if a new documentary series could help save it.

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The Test is a sports documentary series that takes viewers inside the inner sanctum of the Australian men's cricket team, revealing candid conversations and behind-the-scenes tension.

One of the show's breakout stars is batter Usman Khawaja.

On this episode of The Drop, Usman Khawaja talks about his involvement in the show and why Australian cricket needs to confront its race problem. Also on this episode: The two co-directors of The Test, Adrian Brown and Sheldon Wynne.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

Nick Kyrgios is one of the most talented tennis players on the planet, but also one of the most controversial.

Earlier this year, a heated on-court exchange with Greek opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon landed him in more hot water.

On this episode of Please Explain, culture editor Osman Faruqi sat down with host Bianca Hall to discuss why Kyrgios continues to divide opinion.

This episode first aired on July 4, 2022.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

Earlier this year, Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews secured a third term of majority government.

So who is the Victorian premier really, and how did he cultivate his cult-like status?

State political reporter and author of Daniel Andrews: The revealing biography of Australia’s most powerful premier Sumeyya Ilanbey chats about how Daniel Andrews became such a divisive political figure.

This episode was hosted by Rachel Eddie and first aired on November 21, 2022.

Plus, an update on the death of Cardinal George Pell.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

Earlier this year, Indigenous teen Cassius Turvey was attacked as he walked home from school with friends in the Perth suburb of Middle Swan. He died ten days later in hospital.

Cassius' death highlighted the violence experienced by the Aboriginal community, in this case, in broad daylight.

Megan Krakouer, project director of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, talks about the Turvey family's pain and why she helped organise vigils across the nation.

This episode was hosted by Chris Zappone and first aired on November 8, 2022.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

One of Australia’s most decorated soldiers, Ben Roberts-Smith, sued our newspapers over a series of articles alleging he had committed war crimes.

The defamation trial became one of the longest and most expensive the world has seen.

Nick McKenzie, the reporter who broke the Ben Roberts-Smith story, discusses the trial, the courtroom dramas and the moment a soldier, known as Person 7, outed himself as a whistleblower in court.

Roberts-Smith denies all allegations that were published by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.

This episode was hosted by Nathanael Cooper and first aired on March 17, 2022.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

Earlier this year, an inquest into the disappearance of Melissa Caddick began.

Caddick, the notorious Sydney fraudster, became known for her elaborate Ponzi scheme, where she ripped off more than $20 million from friends, family, and even her own parents.

Senior investigative reporter Kate McClymont discussed the case during a lunch break in the first week of the inquest.

This episode was hosted by Chris Paine and first aired on September 16, 2022.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

In the lead-up to the federal election in May, we turned the Please Explain spotlight on ourselves: the media.

How do journalists and editors decide what to cover and what to skip? How do we address bias? And are we looking for gotcha moments?

Then-editor of The Age Gay Alcorn and Sydney Morning Herald editor Bevan Shields discussed these thorny questions with host Nathanael Cooper.

This episode first aired on April 22, 2022.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

Earlier this year, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw wrote a series of stories titled 'Blood Gold', about a bitter feud between Chinese and Australian miners in northern Ghana.

Eryk gives listeners all the gory details about his year-long investigation into a Chinese company accused of stealing millions in gold and firing a "warning shot" that left dozens of locals dead.

This episode was hosted by Chris Paine and first aired on August 25, 2022.

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Today, we're bringing you an episode from our archive.

In late February, Russian president Vladimir Putin announced his country would begin a “special military operation” in sovereign Ukrainian territory.

Almost immediately, Russian troops began attacking various parts of the country, starting the most significant conflict in Europe since World War Two.

International editor Peter Hartcher gave listeners a rundown on how Russia and Ukraine reached boiling point.

This episode was hosted by Nathanael Cooper and first aired on February 25, 2022.

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Today, we’re bringing you an episode from our archive.

Are psychopaths more intelligent than other people, and are they more likely to harm those around them?

They were questions that fascinated reporter Sherryn Groch, who went straight to the experts to find out more about this much maligned condition.

She shared her findings with listeners in this episode hosted by Bianca Hall, which first aired on July 26, 2022.

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Over the next couple of weeks, we’re bringing you a series of episodes from our archive.

You’ll hear from Kate McClymont on millionaire fraudster Melissa Caddick, from Nick McKenzie on Ben Roberts-Smith’s alleged war crimes and from Peter Hartcher on the war in Ukraine.

Today, we have an episode on the secret origins of the world’s biggest crypto casino, a six-month investigation that took business reporter Sarah Danckert into the murky world of online gambling in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD.

This episode was hosted by senior economics writer Jess Irvine and first aired on March 23, 2022.

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The biggest movie event of the year is finally here. Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron’s long awaited follow up to the highest grossing film of all time, has divided critics but audiences are watching it in droves.

After 13 years was the wait worth it?

Why did Avatar have almost no cultural impact despite breaking box office records? And is the new film worth watching?

Culture reporter Meg Watson and Osman Faruqi discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of the new Avatar.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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From the end of COVID lockdowns to devastating floods to a federal election that swept Labor to power for the first time in nearly a decade.

From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the death of icons like Olivia Newton-John, Shane Warne and Queen Elizabeth II.

2022 has been an enormous year.

Today, writer for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald Tony Wright joins culture editor Osman Faruqi to discuss the year that was.

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The Iconic is one of Australia’s biggest online fashion and lifestyle retailers. For years, the company has portrayed itself as a champion of the Australian fashion industry and built a reputation as a progressive company focused on diversity and inclusivity.

But a recent investigation from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald has uncovered a very different story - a story of underpaid staff, deplorable working conditions, and alleged exploitation of brands the company purports to promote.

Today, national fashion editor Melissa Singer joins culture editor Osman Faruqi to discuss the ugly side of The Iconic and the human cost of online retail.

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With much fanfare Tesla and SpaceX executive Elon Musk invested in and took control of the social media platform Twitter, pledging to restore quote unquote free speech.

The ride has been anything but smooth. Musk has fired thousands of employees, alienated advertisers, and has still not succeeded in turning the much-loved platform to profit.

And now, just months after his purchase, he’s even promised to step down as CEO after polling the site’s users’ for their views.

Today, senior business columnist for The Age and SMH Stephen Bartholomeusz on Elon Musk’s latest moves and Twitter’s future.

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Last week, an ambush-style shooting in Queensland left six people dead, including the shooters and two police.

As more information has emerged about the assailants - Gareth, Nathaniel and Stacey Train - it’s become clear that they held conspiratorial views of police, power and the world.

Views like these are becoming more common and are a feature of the internet.

But is the government well prepared enough to respond to them? And is it taking the threat seriously enough?

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Matthew Knott on the Queensland shooting, and what it tells us about conspiracy theory as a motivation for violence.

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This festive season has been described as a “freedom Christmas”, as it’s the first time in four years family and friends will be able to gather without the looming threat of bushfires, and without pandemic lockdowns.

Despite the lack of restrictions, that holiday gathering is not going to look exactly like it did before.

That’s thanks to natural disasters and supply chain pressure affecting everything from the supply of cherries to champagne, and even Christmas trees.

Today, environment reporter Laura Chung and business reporter Jessica Yun join Rachel Clun to discuss how your holiday spread will look a little different this year.

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Some of the biggest movies of the year are about to hit our screens over the next few weeks, including a billion dollar Avatar sequel, a Steven Spielberg drama, and a film starring Cate Blanchett in what is being described as her best ever performance. Today on The Drop comedian and film buff Gen Fricker joins the show to breakdown what to keep out eye out for at the cinema.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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Earlier this year, a royal commission into the infamous robo-debt scheme was established.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison was social services minister when the robo-debt scheme was being planned, and treasurer when it was implemented. And this week, he appeared before the commission as a witness.

His performance has been described as a “trainwreck”. At one point, the commissioner asked him if he was “even listening".

Today, federal political reporter Angus Thompson on Scott Morrison’s appearance before the robo-debt royal commission - and what’s likely to happen next.

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There has always been something magical about artificial intelligence, and OpenAI’s latest trained bot ChatGPT seems to be no exception.

AI technology can now write code better than humans, create new artworks, diagnose disease, and turn a thought bubble into a fully-fledged film script.

So is AI finally coming of age?

Today, national science reporter for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Liam Mannix joins Kate Aubusson to discuss the new chatbot that some say could change the world.

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Three months ago, the death of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, sparked protests across Iran.

Since then, there has been a brutal crackdown.Despite that, the protests continue to gather pace as large segments of the Iranian public demand a change in government.

Today, Iranian-Australian academic and journalist Saba Vasefi on the greatest challenge to the Iranian government since the 1979 revolution.

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Last night, in a remote property in a rural area about 300 kilometres west of Brisbane, Queensland police shot dead three people.

It came after an ambush at the location left two police officers dead, as well as a member of the public.

The six deaths in the Western Downs region make the incident among the most fatal in the states' recent history.

Today, Sean Parnell, Editor of The Brisbane Times, joins Chris Zappone to explain what happened.

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Australians will soon have cheaper power bills, after a deal was struck between the federal and state governments at a national cabinet meeting to lower energy prices.

Since then, the deal has been met with resistance by energy companies and analysts who say it goes too far.

It’s also proven politically tricky, with the Greens and the Coalition both criticising the plan.

Today, chief political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, David Crowe joins Rachel Clun to discuss why Anthony Albanese’s plan to make energy cheaper could cost him dearly.

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One of TV’s best shows is about to wrap up its second season, and things are taking a dark and chaotic turn.

Plus, the best new shows on TV right now - including Colin from Accounts, Slow Horses and Fleischman is in Trouble.

The Drop is a weekly show tackling the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. Join host Osman Faruqi and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's team of culture writers and critics along with interviews with musicians, actors, film makers and everyone involved in the world of culture.

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Last year, Sydney’s housing affordability hit its worst level in a decade.

Right now, the median price of a house in Sydney is just shy of $1.5 million, and the typical apartment costs more than $800,000.

To try and combat this crisis, plans have been put in place to develop high-density, high-rise apartment blocks in the city’s West. But those plans have been riddled with problems, and have gotten many local residents offside.

Today, chief reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald, Jordan Baker tells the story of one community in the middle of this crisis - and the battle over Sydney’s future.

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Reducing the voting age to 16 will be one of the first issues put to parliament in the new year as the Greens push to give younger Australians a say in politics.

It’s the second time the party has attempted to get the voting age lowered.

So will it work this time? And should 16 year-olds have voting rights?

Today, economics correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Rachel Clun joins Kate Aubusson to discuss the fight to lower Australia's voting age.

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This year, the Reserve Bank of Australia has embarked on a mission to fight historic levels of inflation by raising interest rates.

Yesterday, those rates rose to a 10 year high of 3.1%.

But are the rate rises helping? And when will they stop?

Today, senior economics correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Shane Wright joins Chris Zappone to discuss the year in inflation, rate rises, and wages and what we can expect for 2023.

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The case of Melbourne man Neil Prakash dominated headlines nearly a decade ago as war raged in Syria.

Prakash allegedly joined and aided IS, the Islamic State, between 2014 and 2016.

Now, he has been extradited to Australia and charged with six terrorism related offences. He could face a life sentence.

Today, crime reporter at the age Marta Pascual Juanola on the extradition of the alleged terrorist Neil Prakash.

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This week, at a meeting of the national cabinet, the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is going to sit down with his state and territory counterparts to try to hammer out an agreement on how they might cut soaring energy prices.

It is an infernally difficult task, and any solution they might arrive at is going to have its downsides and its opponents.

But something has to be done.

Australia is currently facing its worst energy crisis in over 50 years - and costs for households and businesses only expected to rise even more over the next couple of years.

Today, business reporter for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald Nick Toscano discusses the Albanese government’s efforts to end Australia’s energy crisis.

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Today the retrial of former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann over the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins has been aborted and charges dropped.

According to the prosecutors, the trial could not proceed because of the unacceptable risk continuing it would pose to Brittany Higgins’ life.

Columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald Jacqueline Maley chats to audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel, about the end of the Lehrmann trial and what it tells us about our legal system’s capacity to help victims.

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A trial involving 30 Australasian companies has just hit the halfway mark, and increasingly, it’s employers who are keen to capitalise on what the four-day work week could do for their bottom lines.

But why now? What do we stand to gain? And what in all practicality would a four-day work week look like?

Today on Please Explain, The Age's social affairs editor Jewel Topsfield joins host Kate Aubusson to discuss the question: is the death of the five-day work week a radical pipe dream or simply inevitable?

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Right now, China is experiencing the most significant public protest of the Communist Party’s rule since the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989.

The unrest raises questions about the viability of China’s zero Covid policy, and puts the ruling Chinese Communist Party and its vaunted leader, Xi Jinping, under pressure.

Today on Please Explain, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw joins Chris Zappone to discuss the unfolding protests in China, and what they might mean for Xi Jinping’s rule.

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A cache of leaked emails. Relationships with vendors in Canberra. And a backbencher MP who arranged meetings between cabinet members and government contractors.

While senior federal Coalition MP Stuart Robert wasn't paid for these introductions or advice, the emails open a keyhole into the murky world of influence in Canberra.

Today, Chief Political Correspondent for The SMH and The Age David Crowe joins Chris Zappone to discuss his reporting.

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It was an extraordinary result in the Victorian election over the weekend with Premier Daniel Andrews winning an historic third term in Parliament.

Labor potentially increases its number of seats from the previous election, which has been described as a Danslide.

It went against the prediction of many pundits and surprised a lot of people, including both political parties.

Today on Please Explain, Victorian political reporter Paul Sakkal joins The Age's acting editor Michael Bachelard to discuss the fallout from the Victorian election.

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COVID infections are on the rise, as a fourth wave is underway across the country.

Immunity from both vaccines and prior infection have allowed the majority to live out a so-called COVID normal.

But the reality of long covid and the immunocompromised means we’re still seeing serious consequences and deaths.

Today, national science reporter Liam Mannix, on the new Omicron variants and how we can best protect ourselves and others this summer.

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Movie star Chris Hemsworth revealed that in the course of filming 'Limitless', he was confronted with his biggest fear. The 39 year-old has a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s Disease - a debilitating condition that affects an estimated 24 million people worldwide with no known cure.

Today, lifestyle digital producer Lauren Ironmonger speaks to health editor Kate Aubusson about this Apo-E-4 gene and the implications of genetically screening perfectly healthy people.

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For six years, Australia has been on one end of an increasingly frosty relationship with China, marked by export bans, angry words, and growing distrust.

Last week, a series of meetings on the sidelines of the G20 in Bali may have changed that. China's leader, Xi Jinping met directly with the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the first meeting between the country's leaders since 2016.

While there's no shortage of differences between the countries, the tone has changed, opening possibilities for a broader thaw.

Today, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw speaks to Chris Zappone from Taiwan.

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Cryptocurrency has grown from an idea first promoted in 2008 to a multi trillion dollar industry. But recently, an exchange seen as one of the keystones of this brave new world of investment, FTX, has collapsed. Its downfall has triggered steep losses for investors, as well as soul searching and renewed calls for regulation.

Today, money editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Dominic Powell on whether we are seeing the beginning of the end of crypto.

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This weekend, the polls will close in Victoria’s state election. While the race is tightening, Premier Daniel Andrews is the strong favourite.

Over the last couple of years Andrews has become one of the most recognisable figures in Australian politics - but also one of the most divisive.

So who is the Victorian premier really, and how did he cultivate his cult-like status?

Today, state political reporter and author of ‘Daniel Andrews: The revealing biography of Australia’s most powerful premier’ Sumeyya Ilanbey on Andrews path to prominence.

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With only one day left to negotiate, the pressure is on the world’s biggest emitters to reach a consensus on crucial negotiations at COP27, the UN climate conference.

National environment and climate editor Nick O’Malley speaks to audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel about how the process is going and Australia’s role at the conference.

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‘Narcissist’. It’s become a handy insult for anyone who is kind of full of themselves. Donald Trump is a narcissist, Elon Musk, even former prime minister Kevin Rudd was famously diagnosed as a ‘Grandiose Narcissist’ by a psychiatrist who had never even met him

But what is a true narcissist? How do we spot them? And what harm could they possibly cause?

Today on Please Explain, lifestyle writer Samantha Selinger-Morris joins Kate Aubusson to tell us about the real narcissists in our midst.

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Last week, the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson was liberated after nearly nine months of Russian occupation.

The withdrawal of Russian forces from the city was labelled by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “the beginning of the end of the war.”

But overnight, the narrative of this war appears to have shifted again.

Russia has fired roughly 100 missiles into Ukraine in the biggest such attack of the war.

Two people have been killed by missiles - which Russia denies firing - in neighbouring Poland, a NATO member.

Today on Please Explain, political correspondent Anthony Galloway joins Chris Zappone to discuss the latest developments in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

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A letter from 13 moderate members of the Coalition asked then-prime minister Scott Morrison to strengthen climate targets, ultimately to no avail.

On this episode of Please Explain, national affairs editor James Massola talks to economics correspondent Rachel Clun about the fall of the Morrison government in the 2022 election, and how climate policy - or lack thereof - played an important part in the story.

You can read James Massola and Peter Hartcher's piece here.

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After holding the country’s top job since 2018, Morrison - and the Liberal Party he led - lost this year’s federal election.

The defeat was so resounding that the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, once pipped to take over from Morrison, lost his own seat, as once-safe Liberal seats turned teal for independents elected by disaffected voters.

National affairs editor James Massola speaks to economics correspondent Rachel Clun about what went wrong for the Coalition as bushfires and COVID swept the nation.

You can read Peter Hartcher and James Massola's piece here.

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Hundreds of thousands of Twitter users have fled the platform since Elon Musk took over last week. They’re swapping tweets for toots, on Twitter alternative, Mastodon.

Mastodon is decentralised, meaning it's not run by one big corporation or CEO, but a bunch of servers operated by thousands of people.

Technology reporter Tim Biggs chats to audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel about decentralised social media and its pros and cons.

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In the lead up to the US midterm elections, a torrent of polls suggested voters would punish Joe Biden’s party in favour of Republicans, amid rising worries about inflation and the state of the economy.

But on Tuesday, the expected red wave failed to materialise.

While votes are still being counted and Republicans could still win Congress, the GOP will likely have the narrowest of a majority - if at all in the Senate.

Today on Please Explain, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin joins Chris Zappone to discuss the surprising US midterm results, and what they mean for Trump and the future of the Republican party.

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In Australia, it’s estimated that 250,000 people suffer from myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a condition characterised by overwhelming tiredness and physical exhaustion.

Despite its debilitating effects, research into ME/CFS has been serially underfunded, and it’s often been dismissed as psychosomatic.

But now, we are beset with a new disease that bears striking similarities: long COVID. And ME/CFS advocates say we are in danger of repeating the same mistakes.

Today, Science editor Liam Mannix joins Kate Aubusson to discuss long COVID, and how it could actually reframe the way we think about other chronic illnesses.

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WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are warned that the following episode contains references to deceased persons.

As he walked home from school, Cassius Turvey was attacked and later died. His death has led to an outpouring of grief around the country, with over 44 different vigils being held for the 15-year-old Indigenous boy.

Megan Krakouer, a good friend of Cassius's mother Mechelle, helped organise these vigils. Today on Please Explain, she speaks to Chris Zappone about race-based violence, Cassius, and the peaceful wishes of his family.

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Over the next 24 hours around 70 world leaders will arrive in Egypt for the COP27 climate talks.

Since last year’s meeting in Glasgow the world has been racked by crises - including historic floods across swathes of Asia and droughts and heatwaves across Europe, the United States and Africa where millions now face famine.

Today, research director at the Climate Council Dr Simon Bradshaw, joins national environment editor Nick O'Malley to discuss what climate negotiations might achieve in these circumstances, and how Australia’s new position on climate is being received by the world.

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Elon Musk’s first week as the owner of social media giant Twitter has been a tumultuous one.

He’s fired the board, scared off celebrities with a blue tick remodel - and now there are reports that he has plans to fire roughly half the company’s workers.

Today, technology reporter Nick Bonyhady speaks to audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel on the week that was and what we can expect from Twitter under Elon Musk.

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Yesterday morning, residents of the Sydney suburb of Mosman were woken by a booming alarm. This was no drill. Five lions had escaped from their enclosure at Taronga Zoo just down the road.

So how did these apex predators launch their daring escape winning the hearts of Sydneysiders who haven't been this entranced by a rebellious gang of animals since three baboons escaped from an inner city hospital complex in 2020?

Today on Please Explain, crime reporter Sally Rawsthorne joins Kate Aubusson to talk through how the day unfolded.

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The reserve bank has raised interest rates again this week, taking them to a nine-year high. The rise will further increase the cost of mortgages, and hit the most vulnerable borrowers the hardest: the younger households that have struggled to get into the housing market.

Culture news editor and columnist for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, Osman Faruqi joins digital foreign editor Chris Zappone to discuss how generational inequality has become exposed by the RBA’s latest moves.

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Violence, threats and intimidation have increasingly become a feature of America’s political life.

Last week, the husband of Nancy Pelosi, the US speaker of the House, was assaulted inside his home in San Francisco.

And just last year, thousands of rioters descended on the Capitol, storming through the hallways, in an attempt to reverse the outcome of the Presidential election.

Today on Please Explain, US Correspondent Farrah Tomazin joins Chris Zappone to discuss what’s happening in the US - and what it means when the world’s greatest superpower, and arguably Australia’s most important ally, is facing such disorder from within.

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Bijun Xie, aka 'The Hammer' is a Chinese organised crime figure deported from the UK for running sex trafficking rings.
Now he's in Australia, doing the same thing here.

In this episode of Please Explain, journalist Nick McKenzie discusses his extensive investigation into sex trafficking, organised crime and visa fraud in Australia.

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Yesterday, Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial was abruptly aborted due to juror misconduct.

Over the last few weeks many of us have been closely watching the trial of Lehrmann, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins.

Today, columnist Jacqueline Maley talks to audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel on what played out in court and what happens next.

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Horse racing organisers know they have a problem: and it’s not the alleged mistreatment of horses that’s got them making big changes to their Spring carnival events.

The elephant in the room - or more aptly, on the field - is the dwindling numbers of young people heading to the races.

Today on Please Explain, national fashion editor Melissa Singer joins Kate Aubusson to discuss Generation Z's relationship with the races.

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Last night, Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivered the Albanese government’s first budget and gave us our first real insight into how he plans to manage the Australian economy.

But the budget papers run into the thousands of pages and unless you’re a massive fiscal nerd, you’re probably unlikely to read them.

So, today on Please Explain, economics editor Ross Gittins and political and international editor Peter Hartcher join the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, Bevan Shields, to answer your questions.

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Labor has handed down its first budget, amid an uncertain economic outlook and as cost of living pressures bite at home.

This budget was about delivering on election promises, including increasing child care subsidies. It has also revealed soaring energy prices and rising interest rates will drag household spending down to near-recessionary levels by the end of next year.

Chief political correspondent David Crowe and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright join economics correspondent Rachel Clun, to dissect the government's spending, saving and what comes next.

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To some Dr Charlie Teo is a risk-taking, lifesaving neurosurgeon, willing to take on the medical establishment in order to offer operations most doctors would refuse.

Others believe he has given families false hope and performed expensive operations that were never going to have success.

In this week's Please Explain, The Sydney Morning Herald's Kate McClymont discusses what she discovered in her investigation into Dr Teo.

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The political chaos that has dogged UK politics since Brexit crept onto centre stage in 2015, reached another inflection point over the weekend.

In the past hours Boris Johnson announced he would not contest the leadership vacated by Liz Truss, who upon her resignation last week became Britain’s shortest serving Prime Minister.

Johnson had been so intent on running again for the top job that he cut short a holiday in the Bahamas.

Today on Please Explain, UK-based reporter for the Herald and the Age Latika Bourke joins Nick O'Malley to discuss who is in the running to become the UK's next Prime Minister.

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Right now, a jury is deliberating on a final verdict in one of the most high profile sexual assault cases in Australia’s history: the trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

Lehrmann has been accused of allegedly raping his former colleague, Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.

Columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald Jacqueline Maley, talks to audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel from the courtroom, about the case before the jury.

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Some of Australia's most high-profile athletes are taking a stand against cashed-up sponsors, leading to a new wave of political action in sport.

In netball, the Diamonds rallied around the rookie shooter Donnell Wallam when she raised concerns over Netball Australia's new $15 million deal with Hancock Prospecting, owned by Gina Rinehart.

Meanwhile Australia's men's cricket captain, Pat Cummins, confronted Cricket Australia bosses to object to a $40 million deal with the energy company Alinta.

And now, members and supporters of the Fremantle Dockers are calling on the AFL club to cut ties with the oil and gas giant Woodside.

Today on Please Explain,sports reporter Georgina Robinson joins Chris Paine to discuss this new wave of activism and what it could mean for the future of sport in Australia.

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Billing dead patients, giving radiation to children and billing for consultations that never happened: these are just a few example of the ways in which the Medicare system has been rorted by medical professionals.

On today's episode of Please Explain, investigative journalist Adele Ferguson joins Chris Zappone to discuss her story on Medicare misuse and how it affects Australians.

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Floods in Victoria have swamped or cut off almost 35,000 homes, resulting in deaths and people going missing.

Towns like Echuca, Mooroopna, Nagambie, Rochester and Shepparton have been inundated.

Sixty alerts have been issued and the state has seen some of the biggest evacuation efforts in its history.

Today on Please Explain, environment reporter at The Age Miki Perkins joins Chris Zappone to discuss the flood crisis that has no end in sight.

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In 2012 Xi Jinping, the privileged son of a top party official was elevated to become General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.

Some outside observers were unimpressed at a man known for his earnestness and ideological purity rather than vaulting ambition or command presence.

Since then Xi has made himself the most powerful man in the world’s most populous region, if not in the world.

This week he will secure a third term as secretary, at China’s National Party Congress, an event that would have been anointing his successor if Xi had not successfully scrapped term limits for his role.

Today on Please Explain, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw joins Nick O'Malley to discuss what the future of China, and the world, will look like under Xi's unfettered power.

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A mass data leak obtained by the Age and Sydney Morning Herald has revealed the vast scale of drug importation into Australia, and what the AFP is doing to stop it.

Investigative journalist Nigel Gladstone joins audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel to share the story behind the data leak, and what it might mean for the AFP’s investigations.

Plus, parts of Victoria have seen rainfall as high as 200mm over the past couple of days and thousands of people across Tasmania and NSW are under evacuation orders, as days of heavy rain have left rivers swollen and many communities at risk.

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The International Monetary Fund says four in 10 economies will suffer a recession over the next 12 months. The bleak prediction comes ahead of a major meeting between the IMF, central bankers and global finance ministers, including Australia's treasurer Jim Chalmers, who has just arrived in Washington for the gathering.

Chalmers says Australia won't be among the four tanking economies. But he'll raise concerns with the US Federal Reserve about the impact that blunt and brutal tightening of monetary policy would have on Australia.

The Treasurer also says he's prepared to make last minute changes to this month's budget to avoid inflicting financial pain on Australians.

Today on Please Explain,senior economics editor Shane Wright joins Kate Aubusson to discuss the state of world's economy as it teeters on the brink of recession.

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There's increasing evidence that Ukraine has seized momentum in the six month old war.

On October 8, a blast crippled the Kerch Strait Bridge, which links the occupied Crimean peninsula to Russia.

Now, Russia is responding by sending missiles into Ukrainian cities in what it calls revenge attacks.

Today on Please Explain, digital foreign editor Chris Zappone joins Nick O'Malley to discuss the latest attacks, and whether the Russian setbacks will see Vladimir Putin turn to nuclear weapons.

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Right now, dozens of Australian women and children are trapped in detention camps in northeast Syria.

They are the widows, sons and daughters of jailed and slain ISIS fighters, and in the camps they live in malnutrition, illness and violence are common.

While other nations have repatriated many of their own citizens in the same position, Australia has so far refused to do the same. But now - that could change.

Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Matthew Knott on the story of these women and children, and what the mission to bring them home could mean for the Albanese government.

Additional audio from: CNN, ABC Action News, Four Corners, Sky News Australia, Sunrise.

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AFL players at the centre of the Hawthorn racism scandal will now have the chance to be heard by Victoria’s first nations truth-telling commission.

It follows reluctance from families to speak before the AFL’s own investigation into racism and mistreatment of players at the club.

Indigenous affairs journalist and Birpai man at The Age, Jack Latimore joins audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel to discuss how a truth-telling commission may better serve affected players.

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Earlier this week Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced an updated Threatened Species Action Plan, promising to halt Australia’s extinction crisis.

But ecologists say endangered species will need a lot more in both dollars and a range of measures - to affect any real change.

Mike Foley, climate and energy correspondent for the Age and Sydney Morning Herald joins audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel to discuss.

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The man accused of raping former political staffer Brittany Higgins in the Parliamentary office of the former Minister of Defence Linda Reynolds was always going to be one of Australia’s most high-profile and politically-charged rape trials, after Higgins shared her allegations in the news media 18 months ago.

Her story triggered a public outpouring of support and demand for accountability, not just for her alleged rapist - another former staffer Bruce Lehrmann- but for the political system that failed her.

Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to having sexual intercourse with Higgins without consent and being reckless as to whether she was consenting.

Today on Please Explain, senior writer and columnist Jacqueline Maley joins Kate Aubusson to talk through the trial so far.

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Ukraine troops have made significant gains in recent days, leaving Russia without full control of any of the four regions it annexed only days ago.

Ukraine’s counter-offence escalated dramatically, bursting through Russian lines in the country’s south on Monday and advancing along the Dnipro River.

The breakthrough mirrors similar gains in the country’s east, even as Russia moved to up the stakes by annexing four provinces and raising the spectre of nuclear war.

And a warning, some of what we’ll discuss today will be distressing for some listeners and we recommend you don’t listen in earshot of children.

Today on Please Explain, Bianca Hall is joined by Nine Europe correspondent Carrie-Anne Greenbank, who is in Ukraine.

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More than two million Australians have had their IDs – including passport and Medicare numbers – exposed in the Optus hack.

The telco has endured sustained criticism from the federal government and customers.

On Monday Optus called in consultancy Deloitte to conduct a forensic assessment of how the hack happened. Optus has not committed to releasing the findings of that assessment.

But should the millions of Australians whose data was compromised have the right to know the details of how their data was leaked? And how can we be sure it won’t happen again?

Today on Please Explain, Bianca Hall is joined by technology editor Nick Bonyhady to discuss the latest in this massive breach of customer trust.

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Women, life, freedom - is the slogan painted across thousands of banners in Iran as locals confront a brutal crackdown by authorities.

But what started out as a fight against mandatory hijab laws - has evolved into a stand against the Iranian regime and what locals believe is an overdue reckoning.

Freelance journalist Zoe Osbourne speaks with audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel to discuss the protests and whether they can bring down the Iranian government.

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This week, Anthony Koletti took the stand for the very first time at the inquest into his wife Melissa Caddick’s suspected death.

There were hopes that Koletti’s evidence might tie-up some loose ends, but it has left us even more confused.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter, and host of the podcast Liar Liar, Kate McClymont speaks with audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel about his evidence.

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You know those little classifications that pop up that beginning of movies and TV shows, like ‘V’ for violence, ‘D’ for drug use, or ’N’ for nudity?

What if there was also a ‘C’ … for Lack of Consent?

Some of your favourite films and shows would earn a ‘C’ classification. Star Wars, Bridgerton, Friends, even Disney cartoons like Sleeping Beauty.

Right now in Australia, one not-for-profit organisation, Consent Labs, is fighting for exactly this. Because, they say, if lack of consent is the norm on our screens it becomes the norm in real life.

Today on Please Explain, Kate Aubusson is joined by Consent Labs co-founder Joyce Yu to discuss the depiction of consent, or lack of, in film and TV.

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NASA has successfully conducted its first planetary defence mission, sending a spacecraft smashing into an asteroid.

The mission aimed to change the speed and orbit of the 160-metre diameter asteroid, a technique scientists hope could one day be used for planetary defence.

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft, or DART, collided with Dimorphos, an asteroid roughly the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza on Tuesday.

Now the real science begins, as scientists test the effects that impact had.

Today on Please Explain, Bianca Hall is joined by national science reporter Liam Mannix, to discuss NASA's epic planetary defence mission.

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Attorney General Mark Dreyfus will introduce legislation to establish a national anti-corruption commission this week.

The commission will have broad powers to investigate allegations of serious corruption of or by a public official, including the ability to investigate third parties.

And it will be able to investigate pork barrelling, if the commission believes federal grants are being handed out in a way that raises concerns about corruption.

But does it go far enough?

Today on Please Explain, Bianca Hall is joined by chief political correspondent David Crowe to discuss what teeth the new corruption-busting body could have.

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Last week, millions of current and former Optus customers discovered their personal data may have been stolen in a massive cyberattack on the telecommunications giant.

Up to 9.8 million customers could be affected, making it one of the largest cyberattacks in Australian history.

The customer database accessed by the hackers includes names, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, and even identification documents like passport and driver's licence numbers.

In a post on a hacking forum on Saturday morning, someone claiming to be behind the attack demanded Optus pay them $1.5 million in cryptocurrency to avoid the data being sold on the dark web.

The hack has also prompted calls for the government to clamp down on how companies store and protect our data.

Today on Please Explain, technology editor Nick Bonyhady joins Angus Thomson to talk more about the fallout from the Optus hack.

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Russians are rapidly fleeing the country and over 1000 have been arrested in anti-war protests following President Vladimir Putin’s partial military mobilisation address to the nation.

Putin’s enlistment of 300,000 army reservists and nuclear weapon deployment threat has been met with heavy criticism from the international community, including Russia’s allies China and India.

But some experts are doubting the gravity of the threat, saying Putin’s statements come from a place of ‘panic’ and desperation in his latest attempt at control.

Foreign affairs and national security correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Matthew Knot joins audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel to explain.

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Just yesterday, celebrity surgeon Munjed Al Muderis had his medical insurance revoked, effectively preventing him practising on osseointegration patients. It’s a move described by those in the industry as ‘rare’ and ‘extreme.

A series of allegations made by Muderis’ patients - uncovered by the Age and Sydney Morning Herald - has revealed many feel risks were downplayed and complications ignored.

Today on Please Explain, investigative reporter for the Age and Sydney Morning Herald Charlotte Grieve joins audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel to discuss.

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Support for a republic has dropped to 46 per cent in the wake of Queen Elizabeth’s death, results that would doom a referendum to failure.

An exclusive Resolve poll conducted for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald shows support is lowest among women, with 59 per cent opposing any change to a republic.

Victoria is the only state with majority support, with just over 50 per cent supporting the change in that state. So why are we seemingly so opposed to cutting ties with the British monarchy?

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Bianca Hall to discuss what could be behind our reticence to form a republic.

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Millions of people have paid their respects as the late Queen Elizabeth II was farewelled in lavish scenes at Westminster Abbey overnight.

In an unprecedented gathering of world leaders, some 500 heads of state and dignitaries, representing 200 countries, attended her funeral.

It was a meticulously orchestrated event, largely planned by none other than the late Queen herself.

Today on Please Explain, senior writer Bianca Hall is joined by Europe correspondent Rob Harris, who was the only Australian journalist allowed into Windsor Castle and, later, by associate editor and special writer Tony Wright.

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For the first time in three years, the AFL grand final will be played at the MCG in front of a capacity crowd.

But it’ll be two teams from out of town who will play off for the ultimate glory. Geelong and Sydney are through to the grand final after one of the most thrilling finals series in recent years.

Neither team has won a premiership in 10 years but they’ve come painfully close. Geelong lost a grand final in 2020 and the Swans played off in losing grand finals in 2014 and 2016.

There is plenty in this game for the casual observer: retiring legends, players who have made incredible comebacks from injury, and two coaches who can cement their status as club legends with a win on Saturday.

Today on Please Explain, Walkley-award winning columnist and former chief football writer for the Age, Caroline Wilson joins Angus Thomson to preview the grand final.

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What happened to Melissa Caddick?

That’s the question central to an inquest into the disappearance and likely death of the notorious Sydney fraudster.

The unravelling mystery of Caddick's elaborate Ponzi scheme where she ripped off more than $20 million from friends, family, even her own parents. It’s gripped Australia for nearly two years since she disappeared from her Dover Heights home in Sydney’s glamorous east.

Today marks the end of the first week of the Caddick inquest where we’ve heard a lot about the days immediately following her disappearance, particularly the interactions between police and her hairdresser husband Anthony Koletti.

Today on Please Explain, senior investigative reporter and host of the hit podcast, Liar Liar, Kate McClymont joins Chris Paine to walk us through this endlessly fascinating story.

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The staggering success Ukraine had in fighting off Russia’s attack on the nation’s capital Kiev in January this year might have won the respect of observers and, more importantly, military donors from around the world, but it did not bring the nation peace.

Rather, it set the scene for slow and brutal advances by Russia across Ukraine’s eastern and southern flanks in the months since, often under the cover of artillery barrages more typical of the wars that scarred Europe last century.

Then, just over a week ago, Ukrainian forces unleashed attacks on battlegrounds to the south east and north east of the capital. In days they took back 6000 square kilometres of territory, cutting Russian supply lines and in some areas forcing invading troops back to their own border.

The counter-offensive has been lauded as a cunning and complicated feat of arms and prompted one US general to quip that Russia’s gone from having the second best army on Earth, to the second best in Ukraine.

But is it enough for forge a path to victory or to end the war?

Today on Please Explain, political correspondent Anthony Galloway joins Nick O’Malley to discuss the latest in the ongoing war.

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It's the age of streaming, and audiences have more content at their fingertips than ever before, so competition was tight at the 2022 Emmys.

One of the year's most acclaimed and interesting shows, White Lotus, scooped five awards. Meanwhile some beloved comedies were overlooked and there was the quiet return of a lockdown-era phenomenon.

Today on Please Explain, Culture reporter and TV obsessive Thomas Mitchell joins Chris Paine to talk about who won, who missed out, and what to look out for in the coming year.

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A 1200-year-old block of sandstone that represents a union between two once-warring states, and the hall where another King Charles once sealed his fate. History is a living entity in the UK.

It’s been another day of sombre ceremony there, with Queen Elizabeth making her final journey up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh - met by tens of thousands of mourners.

The Queen’s coffin is due to arrive in London on Tuesday, UK time.

But along the way, some fascinating quirks of history have been revealed.

Today on Please Explain, associate editor and special writer Tony Wright joins Bianca Hall to discuss what it's like witnessing this moment in history in the UK.

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The Queen’s death has had far-reaching political and social ramifications here in Australia and across the world - but it’s also put a spotlight on the tension between two of her grandchildren: Prince William and Prince Harry.

William and Harry have historically been two of the most popular royals, but in recent years they’ve refused to be publicly seen together, until now.

Today on Please Explain, lifestyle content director and the host of the limited series podcast The Windsors, Julia Naughton speaks to Osman Faruqi, unpacking the history of the tension between the two brothers, and whether their recent public display of collective mourning for the Queen suggests an end to the years long rift.

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King Charles III has been formally proclaimed monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth - some 2.5 billion people globally.

As Britain continues to mourn Queen Elizabeth, attention now turns to the new King. What sort of monarch will he be? And to what extent will the end of the second Elizabethan era herald calls for Commonwealth countries to move towards becoming republics?

Today on Please Explain, federal editor Michelle Griffin joins Bianca Hall to discuss this historic transition of power.

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It’s now more than 24 hours since Australia woke to the news Queen Elizabeth the II had died at her Scottish estate Balmoral and it’s becoming clear what impact the end of her extraordinary reign will have.

Our Federal Parliament has been cancelled for next week as we mark 14 days of observance, including a day of official mourning.

To discuss the ramifications, executive editor Tony Maguire is joined by Chief Political Correspondent David Crowe, then afterwards, to reflect on the late-monarch’s impact both as a world leader and a mother, senior reporter Michael Idato

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After a reign lasting 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on Thursday. She was 96.

The Queen was many things to many people. A monarch, a mother, a head of state, a wife, a global icon whose influence reached far beyond the Commonwealth.

If her reign was characterised by strength, stoicism, and duty, her death will be remembered as a deeply personal loss. She is succeeded by her eldest son Charles, who now becomes King Charles III, at a time of intense political and economic change in Britain.

Today on Please Explain, Julia Naughton is joined by Europe correspondent Rob Harris, who is on the ground in London following this story, as well as special writer Tony Wright who reflects on his time with Her Majesty having joined her on many royal tours over the years.

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For the past few days, the entertainment industry has been gripped by the increasingly chaotic drama surrounding the upcoming release of a film called Don’t Worry Darling.

Directed by Olivia Wilde and starring big name celebrities like Harry Styles and Florence Pugh, the film has been mired in controversy due to rumours of on-set feuds, allegations of bad behaviour and relationship scandals.

It all came to a head this week with the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Today on Please Explain, lifestyle editor Angus Livingstone joins Osman Faruqi to help unpack the drama surrounding the film.

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The Reserve Bank has lifted rates for the fifth consecutive month to a seven-year high of 2.35 per cent.

It’s the first time the RBA has lifted the cash rate five times in a row, and follows historically low interest rates of just 0.1 per cent in May.

The rise will add an extra $242 a month to mortgage repayments for people with an $800,000 mortgage.

But the RBA is warning there'll be more to come.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Bianca Hall to discuss the cost of living pressures coming our way.

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Former Liberal staffer Rachelle Miller has secured a $650,000 settlement with the Commonwealth, two years after going public about her affair with then-minister Alan Tudge.

The settlement addresses Miller’s claim of damage and loss suffered after working for two cabinet ministers - Tudge and Michaelia Cash.

The Commonwealth admitted no liability in the matter but the settlement will cover Miller’s loss of earnings, medical expenses, hurt, distress and legal costs.

Today on Please Explain, national affairs editor James Massola joins Bianca Hall to discuss the long-running saga.

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A damning new report into Australia’s freedom of information system has revealed a soaring number of rejections and delays of requests to release documents, with researchers warning the system has become “clogged and slow”.

Introduced in 1982, the Freedom of Information Act was designed to increase government transparency by allowing individuals to request copies of government documents and correspondence.

However, obstruction and delays in the system mean many requests are being returned outside of reasonable timelines, in some cases as long as three years.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Dominic Powell to discuss how the flaws in the FOI system are weakening government transparency.

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Disturbing new research released this week has highlighted how endemic the issue of sexual violence is across Australia. Despite what feels like an increased focus on the issue and additional resources being spent by all levels of government, rates of sexual violence aren’t on the decline, in fact they’re going up.

So is it a case of our policy approach missing the mark, or are we just not doing enough? It turns out the answer might lie in the way we’re teaching young people about sex and consent, especially in our schools.

Today on Please Explain, criminal lawyer and author Katrina Marson joins Osman Faruqi to discuss sexual violence in Australia and sex education in schools.

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After months of anticipation, today the government’s jobs and skills summit officially kicks off.

Over 140 union leaders, corporate CEOs and industry heads will gather in Canberra for two days of discussion and deliberation on the issues facing Australia’s work force.

Top of the list will be addressing Australia’s skill shortage, equal opportunity and pay for women, wage growth and changes to enterprise bargaining.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, one of the summit’s key architects, has already acknowledged the broad mix of different ideologies may lead to some tense moments, but the government is hopeful the gathering will achieve meaningful change.

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Nick Bonyhady joins Dominic Powellto discuss what workers can expect from the summit.

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With Angus Thompson: A talkfest or an ambitious vehicle to drive economic reform and wage growth? Perhaps both?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers will lead a jobs summit starting tomorrow bringing together political leaders, unions, business chiefs and community groups.

The summit’s taking place against a backdrop of rising inflation and interest rates, stagnant wage growth and a tight labour market.

High on the agenda are mooted changes to the better-off overall test, which could receive bipartisan support.

But the Greens are warning they won’t back any changes that leave young or low-paid workers worse off.

Today on Please Explain, federal industrial relations reporter Angus Thompson joins Bianca Hall to discuss how the summit could change the jobs market.

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One of Australia’s last major COVID protections could be wound back when national cabinet meets tomorrow.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has been pushing for a reduction in mandatory isolation periods for positive cases from seven days to five days.

He’s suggested the eventual goal could be abolishing mandatory isolation altogether.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews and others have said they will follow the health advice presented at national cabinet tomorrow.

Today on Please Explain, federal health reporter Dana Daniel joins Bianca Hall to discuss the possible changes.

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With James Massola: It’s been a whirlwind start to life as the Prime Minister for Anthony Albanese.

He's rubbed shoulders with Joe Biden in Tokyo, ridden bikes in Indonesia and inherited the cost of living crisis he and Labor campaigned so hard on.

Some might call his first 100 days a honeymoon; after all, exclusive polling for the Herald and the Age delivered a huge nine-point bump to Labor in the primary vote since polling day.

And Albanese himself enjoys a 55% approval rating as preferred PM.

But it’s not all been high-fives, Rabbitohs scarves and skolling beers at Gang of Youths concerts; Albanese has a to-do list you’d need to take a deep breath for.

Today on Please Explain, national affairs editor James Massola joins Chris Paine to discuss the cheers, beers and a budget in arrears as Anthony Albanese marks 100 days in office.

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The federal government is sparring for a fight with the tech giants ruling over the gig economy.

Workplace relations minister Tony Burke has accused platforms like Uber, Deliveroo, Menulog and Doordash of driving down the wages of up to one million workers, calling their labour contracts a "cancer" spreading through the Australian economy.

And now they’re spreading into aged and disability care.

So, the Labor government is preparing for a sweeping expansion of the industrial relations system. Today, Burke has held the first in a series of meetings with some of the major players in the gig economy in the hope of giving their workers the same rights as traditional employees.

Today on Please Explain, industrial relations reporter Nick Bonyhady joins Kate Aubusson to discuss the gig economy.

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Special Investigation: In the heat and dirt of northern Ghana, a Chinese company stands accused of stealing millions in gold from a neighbouring Australian mine in a brazen heist and firing a "warning shot" that left dozens of locals dead.

For centuries, miners have come from around the world to make their fortune by tapping into the rich veins of gold that run through this ancient terrain.

It’s an area of extremes: scorching heat, unbearable humidity and poverty for local Ghanaians… all in stark contrast to the vast riches that lie beneath.

Now, a year-long investigation by the Herald and the Age has uncovered a bitter and deadly dispute over claims of trespass, theft and death.

North Asia Correspondent Eryk Bagshaw joins Chris Paine to unpack this extraordinary tale.

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News Corp co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch has filed defamation proceedings against Crikey, alleging it accused him of being complicit with Donald Trump in the deadly 2021 Capitol riots.

Crikey had published an analysis piece by political editor Bernard Keane that labelled the Murdoch family "unindicted co-conspirators" of Trump following the riots.

The lawsuit could be the first test of new defamation laws in force across much of Australia that require plaintiffs to show a publication has, or is likely to cause, serious harm to their reputation.

Murdoch’s lawyers claim the Crikey article meets that test, because of the alleged “allegations of criminality” and so-called “sensational language used” in the analysis piece.

Crikey’s publishers have welcomed the lawsuit, saying the outlet will not be silenced.

Today on Please Explain, legal affairs and investigative reporter Michaela Whitbourn joins Bianca Hall to discuss this most unusual case.

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Today on Please Explain James Massola joins Bianca Hall to discuss the growing fallout from the secret ministries affair.

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On Saturday in a Moscow suburb not far from the Kremlin a car bomb exploded, killing a young political commentator, Daria Dugina.

Given the brutal war Russia is prosecuting in Ukraine and a long history of shadowy political violence in Russia, the killing has prompted a surge of claim, counterclaim, accusation and conspiracy theory.

It also has the potential to further fuel a war that is being championed in Russia not just by Putin and the Kremlin, but by a growing ultra-nationalist movement.

Today on Please Explain, Nick O'Malley is joined by digital foreign editor Chris Zappone, who has closely followed Russian politics and its growing fault lines with the west and the rest of the world.

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Cost of living… three words that are dominating discussions in lounge rooms, boardrooms and the halls of Parliament.

This week you could be forgiven for thinking the biggest issue facing Anthony Albanese’s government was untangling the secret ministries mess left by his predecessor, Scott Morrison.

But this week we also had new figures on wages and unemployment bringing back into sharp focus the key challenges for not just Albanese, but ordinary Australians.

Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins host Chris Paine on today's episode of Please Explain.

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Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie thankfully survived a horrific stabbing attack in New York last weekend, although with permanent damage to his sight and body, and surely his sense of security.

It is hard to imagine what life has been life for the Indian born British-American in the 34 years that have passed since his novel The Satanic Verses was banned in many Muslim countries and the Supreme Leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa ordering Rushdie’s execution.

In the days since the attack by a 24-year-old New York local, the Iranian government has denied any connection to the stabbing.

Today on Please Explain, Tory Maguire is joined by The Age columnist Julie Szego to discuss how Salman Rushdie has evolved from standing up to Islamic fundamentalism to resisting a brand new threat: cancel culture.

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Former prime minister Scott Morrison – who also secretly held the portfolios of health, finance, home affairs, treasury, industry, science, energy and resources during his time in office – defended his actions on Wednesday, staring down calls for him to leave Parliament.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed on Tuesday that Morrison had secretly taken on ministerial responsibilities for five departments.

Then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who was also deputy Liberal leader and spent months living at the Lodge with Morrison during the pandemic, only discovered the subterfuge this week.

Morrison had secretly taken on responsibilities for the treasury portfolio less than a week before the May 2021 budget.

Former Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, who also discovered the news this week, was among those who called for Morrison to resign.

But in a highly charged press conference, Morrison defended his actions, saying he acted with the interests of Australians front of mind at all times.

Today on Please Explain, columnist and senior reporter Jacqueline Maley joins Bianca Hall to discuss what could have motivated Morrison, the former "minister for everything".

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It is now three days since we learned that Scott Morrison had himself sworn as health minister in 2020 as the government geared up to tackle the covid pandemic.

Since then we have also learned that he had himself sworn in as resources minister too, and as finance minister.

Today, Anthony Albanese revealed that Mr Morrison might have been secretly sworn into five portfolios.

Today on Please Explain, Nick O'Malley is joined by national affairs editor James Massola to discuss Morrison's secret ministries.

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A rogue art gallery owner, missing paintings, a billionaire - it’s a story that feels like it belongs in the Thomas Crown Affair. But the case of Tristian Koenig isn’t a movie plot line, it’s very real.

Late last year, The Age published an investigation looking into allegations that Koenig had sold the work of artists that he represented without telling them and pocketed the money himself.

Now some of those artists and the collectors who bought their work are trying to get to the bottom of what went on, while Koenig himself seems to have gone missing.

Today on Please Explain, Osman Faruqi is joined by The Age chief reporter Chip Le Grand to discuss the power imbalance between artist and art gallery owner.

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After hosting 185 episodes of Please Explain and 20 years as a journalist, Nathanael Cooper bids farewell to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

In this special episode, Tory Maguire joins Nathanael to chat about his favourite episodes and looks at how Please Explain has unpacked the biggest stories over the last few years, from the war in Ukraine, to the federal election, and the pandemic.

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As the economy slips and slides through pandemics, wars, inflation, wage stagnation and other calamities, a certain word keeps popping up: productivity.

If you look it up in the dictionary, the definition is, “the state or quality of being productive,” which isn’t especially helpful to understanding what it means when you’re talking about the economy.

Does it mean working harder to get more stuff done? Does it mean cramming more work into your day so you are seen as being more productive so your boss gives you more money?

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Nathanael Cooper to get to the bottom of what productivity is, and what it’s important.

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She may be the reigning queen of pop but that hasn’t stopped Beyonce from becoming a target of activists over offensive language in her latest release Renaissance.

The chart-topping album includes the track Heated where Beyonce uses the ableist slur spaz. She has since changed the lyrics.

But it comes weeks after Lizzo was also slammed online for using the word in her track Grrls, leading her to change the lyrics.

The brouhaha has also started conversations around the fact that both artists who have been attacked for the language have been women of colour despite the fact men have used ableist language in their lyrics for decades.

But now rapper Eminem has also been called out.

Today on Please Explain, culture news editor, and host of our sister podcast The Drop, Osman Faruqi joins Nathanael Cooper to talk us through the controversy.

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Fans across the world are reeling at the news Dame Olivia Newton-John has died, aged 73.

Her legacy is enormous.

Across music, culture, fashion and medicine, Newton-John is being remembered as a style icon, a musical trailblazer, and a fearless advocate for cancer treatment and research.

And she is being remembered as a friend.

Today on a special episode of Please Explain, writer Neil McMahon and culture editor-at-large Michael Idato join Bianca Hall to talk about the woman they knew.

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As COVID-19 sweeps through the community, some people are avoiding it altogether, and some of us are unlucky enough to be getting it twice or more.

So do we build up immunities over time, or does contracting the virus more than once raise the risk of making us moresick?

The scientific jury, it seems, is still out.

A controversial study released in June suggests reinfections could increase people’s risk of bad outcomes.

Extracting healthcare data, it concluded US veterans who had been reinfected were three times more likely to be hospitalised and twice as likely to be dead.

But other experts have their doubts.

Today on Please Explain, national science reporter Liam Mannix joins Bianca Hall to discuss the latest evidence about COVD-19 reinfections.

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The jobs scandal engulfing the New South Wales state government that saw deputy premier Stuart Ayres resign from cabinet this week is not going anywhere fast.

The crisis began when former Nationals MP John Barilaro was appointed to a $500,000 a year New York trade role nearly seven weeks ago and continues today, amid further revelations this week about how involved Ayres was in the controversial appointment.

The belated dumping of Ayres, after he insisted for weeks that he played no role in the recruitment process, is just the start of problems the besieged coalition faces.

Premier Dominic Perrottet’s standing and authority has been weakened, and with further damaging revelations being made daily in the parliamentary enquiry into Barilaro’s appointment, questions are being asked about the future of his leadership.

NSW state political reporter Lucy Cormack joins host Nathanael Cooper on today's Please Explain to bring us up to speed on the evolving scandal.

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Parliament descended into momentary chaos yesterday when Nationals MP Pat Conaghan called a point of order objecting to the state of undress of the member for Griffith, Greens MP Mex Chandler-Mather - because he was not wearing a tie.

Speaker Milton Dick dismissed Conaghan’s concerns and allowed the young Greens MP to proceed with his question to the Prime Minister on public housing.

But the fracas has raised a question about what counts as proper work attire post pandemic, after we all worked in our pyjamas for two years.

Is the noose that has hung around the necks of men for centuries an antiquated relic of times yore? Will judges don jeans and public servants get about in Reebok pumps? and does this all mean that society is disintegrating even further than it already has?

Or is it that men and women’s formal fashion has evolved beyond what has passed down from Croatian mercenaries who wore traditional knotted neckerchiefs to hold the top of their jackets together?

Today on Please Explain, national fashion editor Damien Woolnough joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the history and the future of men’s formal fashion.

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He was dubbed the Member for Manila, after spending almost 300 days in the Philippines between April 2014 and June 2018.

Now, a letter detailing an assessment by Australian Federal Police into the activities of former Nationals MP George Christensen in the Philippines has been made public.

Christensen and the AFP fought for three years to keep the letter secret, with federal police arguing the letter's release could jeopardise national security.

Christensen has denied any wrongdoing, but the AFP warned the former government Christensen had engaged in “activities” that could put him in danger of being targeted for compromise by foreign interests.

The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and Nine News were finally granted access to the document on Tuesday, after the information commissioner found its disclosure was in the public interest.

Today on Please Explain, political correspondent Anthony Galloway joins Bianca Hall to discuss the long fight to tell this story.

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As COVID-19 case numbers fall around the country, epidemiologists are cautiously optimistic we might have passed the peak of the winter surge.

The national seven-day average number of cases is down 10 per cent compared to a week ago, with cases falling since July 24.

The fall in COVID cases follows a collapse in the number of influenza cases since May, suggesting the worst of winter’s wave of illnesses could be behind us.

But experts continue to warn against complacency, with new Burnet Institute modelling showing near universal mask wearing inside could decrease the number of COVID cases by up to 23 per cent, and the number of COVID deaths by 14 per cent.

Today on Please Explain, national science reporter Liam Mannix joins Bianca Hall to discuss the latest on COVID-19, and a new theory about where it came from.

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The passing of acclaimed singer songwriter Archie Roach on the weekend has prompted a national outpouring of grief and tributes.

Archie Roach, a Gunditjamarra and Bundjalung elder hailing from Mooroopna in Victoria’s north, was just 66.

His musical legacy is vast: from his debut studio album Charcoal Lane, which included the heartbreaking track “Took the Children Away”, to his career-spanning anthology My Songs, released in March this year.

As Australians reflect on the life of an extraordinary elder and songman, the country is being asked to support a new path forward that would bring Aboriginal Australians into the Constitution.

Roach passed away on Saturday, the same day Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke at the Garma cultural festival in Arnhem Land.

Albanese called on Australians to unite behind his proposed wording to enshrine an Aboriginal Voice to Parliament within the Constitution.

Today on Please Explain, Indigenous affairs journalist and Birpai man, Jack Latimore joins Bianca Hall to discuss Archie Roach’s legacy, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

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As the focus remains on the Covid-19 pandemic, another disease has scientists on high alert.

Monkeypox, a virus that has rarely been seen outside Africa, has been spreading rapidly in recent months leading the World Health Organisation to declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

On Thursday, Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly designated the outbreak here a communicable disease incident of national significance.

So far, 44 Australians have been diagnosed with the disease as part of an outbreak that now spans more than 20,000 people across 71 countries.

To tell us more, science reporter Liam Mannixjoins Nathanael Cooper on Please Explain.

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After 37 years, 63 weddings, 20 births, 68 deaths, nearly 9000 episodes and one very bizarre dog dream sequence, iconic Australian soap opera Neighbours comes to an end tonight.

It made stars of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Ritchie, Margot Robbie, Daniel MacPherson and Toadie Rebecchi’s mullet. And it launched the pop careers of Delta Goodrem, Natalie Imbruglia, and at for at least one magnificent single, Holly Valance.

But more importantly it turned the camera back on ourselves and made Australian suburban life fascinating in a way shows like EastEnders and Coronation Street had in the UK. It also did more for Australian tourism and immigration than Lara Bingle could ever have dreamed of.

And now the show and its stars take their final bows, as Neighbours enters the history books.

Today on Please Explain, senior culture writer Karl Quinn joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the final episode and what the show’s legacy will be.

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The Consumer Price Index has risen by 6.1% over the past 12 months, pushing inflation to its highest level in more than 20 years.

In news Treasurer Jim Chalmers described as unsurprising, but still confronting, CPI rose by 1.8 per cent in the June quarter.

The biggest increases were in the cost of transport, which rose by 13.1 in the 12 months to June, and housing, up 9 per cent in the year to June.

The figures show the pressures on household budgets are real: in the June quarter, the cost of vegetables rose by 7.3 per cent, while fuel costs were up by 4.2 per cent.

Now all eyes turn to the Reserve Bank, which is due to meet on Tuesday.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Bianca Hall to discuss the latest inflation figures and why inflation is likely to get worse before it gets better.

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Perhaps you’ve described your boss as being a "psychopath", or your cousin who picked on you as a kid as a "sociopath".

But what do these terms really mean? And how does it feel to learn you have psychopathic traits and are, in effect, a high-functioning psychopath?

Are psychopaths more intelligent than other people, and are they more likely to harm those around them?

And how do you tell if you know one - or are one?

Today on Please Explain, explainer reporter Sherryn Groch joins Bianca Hall to discuss this much maligned but little understood condition.

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The 47th Parliament opens on Tuesday, and MPs, senators, staffers, the media and lobbyists are already descending on Canberra for the Albanese government’s first sitting.

The new government has a big agenda.

It will take legislation to enshrine its 43 per cent emissions reduction target before Parliament; it is staring down a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Indonesia amid calls to shut the border; and ahead of legislation to disband the Australian Building and Construction Commission, the government will reduce its remit to a “bare legal minimum”.

Today on Please Explain, national affairs editor James Massola joins Bianca Hall to discuss the fortnight ahead in parliament.

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Australia might have the strongest jobs market in years, but young people will struggle with the side-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research.

The research, compiled by the e61 Institute with the Paul Ramsay Foundation, says young workers are less likely to transition to employment during the pandemic, partly due to the closures of sectors such as hospitality.

Despite the recovery in the jobs market over recent months, the number of young people out of work for more than two years hasn't changed. The pandemic also caused an increase in the number of students who have not completed their studies.

Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins host Nathanael Cooper for a special Please Explain, which includes news from culture news editor Osman Faruqi from the very wet grounds of the Splendour in the Grass festival.

Day one of the music festival in North Byron has been cancelled following heavy rain, following two years of total cancellations due to the health crisis.

People who began arriving at the site on Thursday faced delays of up to 12 hours to get into the campsite, and early acts on Friday were postponed before headliners for the first night including Gorillaz, The Avalanches, DMA’s and Kacey Musgraves, were notified the first day of the festival would not be going ahead.

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On Wednesday, more than 53,000 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 and daily case numbers are rising.

As case numbers rise, so do deaths and hospitalisations, and for some people recovering from COVID isn’t simple.

One in 20 people who contract the virus are suffering from what is called long COVID.

Based on Wednesday’s numbers, that means 2700 people who are diagnosed will have enduring COVID symptoms.

Today on Please Explain, health reporter Kate Aubusson joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss long COVID, the strains of the virus causing the current wave and what’s ahead in the pandemic.

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For the past week, we have been running a major investigation into war crimes being committed in Ukraine.

In March and then again in June, we sent reporter Anthony Galloway and photographer Kate Geraghty into the war zone to speak to the victims of the atrocities that have occurred since Russia invaded.

The series of stories they produced has been compelling and heart wrenching as we are introduced to people whose loved ones were abducted and killed by Russian soldiers and people who have been tortured.

This morning, The Herald and The Age exclusively revealed that Australia has been asked to help the European Union in recording the eye witness accounts of victims in the hope of one day bringing war criminals to justice.

Today on Please Explain, Kate Geraghty joins Nathanael Cooper to tell us more about the war crimes investigation she and Anthony conducted and to share some of what she saw.

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According to the official five-year scorecard on the state of the environment, Australia has suffered catastrophic losses of wildlife and habitat with scientists pleading with the government to ramp up protections to halt the escalating rate of extinction.

More than 80 per cent of Australia’s nearly 400 mammal species, from furry greater gliders that fly across treetops to egg-laying, poisonous platypus, are found nowhere else.

Already, 39 mammal species have disappeared since colonisation, representing 38 per cent of the world’s mammal population.

Since 2016, when the previous State of the Environment was released, 17 mammal species were either added to the endangered list or upgraded to the critically endangered list, as well as 17 birds and 19 frogs.

Today on Please Explain, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the threat to Australian wildlife.

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Climate and energy minister Chris Bowen says the government is open to negotiating with the crossbench over Labor’s emissionsreduction scheme.

Labor will introduce its legislation laying out a 43 per cent target to Parliament next week.

Chris Bowen says the target is a floor, not a ceiling, and the government is open to “sensible suggestions” from the crossbench.

It’s a softening of rhetoric, and follows Greens leader Adam Bandt saying his party would be open to supporting the bill if it didn’t limit the target to 43 per cent.

But Bandt also warned federal approval for any new coal and gas projects would undermine efforts to cut emissions by 43 per cent, on 2005 levels, by 2030.

Today on Please Explain, federal political reporter Lisa Visentin joins Bianca Hall to discuss the government's carbon reduction legislation.

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Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, around 15,000 suspected war crimes have been reported. The laws of war prohibit wilful killing, rape and other sexual violence, torture and inhuman treatment of captured combatants and civilians in custody.

Anyone who orders, or commits these acts is responsible for war crimes.

Prosecution for some of these acts have already happened, with two Russian soldiers jailed in Ukraine recently for shelling civilian areas. But the war crimes against Ukrainians continue.

Last month, foreign affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway and Wakley Award winning photographer Kate Geraghty travelled to Ukraine to cover the crimes being committed in that country.

Today in a special edition of Please Explain, Anthony reports on what he saw, and introduces us to some victims of war crimes he and Kate met in Ukraine.

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The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed the unemployment rate has tumbled by 0.4 percentage points in June to 3.5 per cent. It is at its lowest since August 1974, when it was 2.7 per cent.

While more people working and earning money is good in many regards, it does place additional pressure on an already complicated economy.

The low jobless rate increases the chance of employers pushing up wage rates to attract staff, which in turn adds to the inflationary pressures already evident across the economy.

And for borrowers, that could mean an even tighter squeeze on the hip pocket as the Reserve Bank continues to raise interest rates.

To unpack how more people working is impacting the economy and what these jobs figures actually mean, economics correspondent Rachel Clun joins Please Explain host Nathanael Cooper.

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US Vice President Kamala Harris announced this week the United States’ biggest Pacific push since World War 2 by returning Peace Corps to the region.

The move is designed to head off Beijing’s increasingly assertive Pacific agenda, after the Chinese government signed a security deal with Solomon Islands in April and pushed for a regional economic block in May.

In Washington on Tuesday, the Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles used his first post-election trip to the US to warn that both countries must lift their games in the Indo-Pacific to avoid a catastrophic failure of deterrence in the face off growing threats.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has now arrived in Fiji for the Pacific Island Forum Leaders meeting where he will attempt to negotiate with Solomon Islands, sell a climate package and convince Pacific leaders that Australia will remain a valuable security partner in the region.

Today on Please Explain, North Asia correspondent Eric Bagshaw, who is in Fiji covering the forum, joins Nathanael Cooper to unpack everything that’s happened.

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Australian authorities are increasingly concerned about the prospect of the devastating foot and mouth disease making its way into the country.

An outbreak of the disease in Indonesia has spread to the island of Bali, which is visited by more than 1 million Australian tourists a year.

There are warnings that even a single case could cause devastation for Australia's $27 billion livestock export trade, with the federal government estimating the total cost of a major outbreak at $80 billion.

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt is in Indonesia today, to offer Australia’s support to help contain the disease.

Today on Please Explain, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley joins Bianca Hall to discuss the biosecurity threat posed by foot and mouth disease.

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Australia lost the second Test to Sri Lanka in spectacular fashion overnight in Galle, falling short by an innings and 39 runs, but the Test cricket has been overshadowed by the domestic crisis gripping Sri Lanka.

Protestors stormed the presidential palace of Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the weekend, blaming him for an unprecedented economic meltdown that has throttled the lives of the nation’s 22 million people.

The president has promised to leave office on Wednesday, while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he’d go as soon as opposition parties agree on a unity government.

But protest leaders say they won’t leave official buildings until both men have actually resigned.

Today on Please Explain, chief cricket writer Daniel Brettig joins Bianca Hall to talk about the Test, and what it's been like watching history unfold in Sri Lanka over the past few days.

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Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon overnight, his 21st Grand Slam victory, against Australian Nick Kyrgios.

Kyrgios won the first of the four sets, played over a gruelling three hours. But as Djokovic advanced, Kyrgios lost his cool and, in the end, the match.

The Australian lost his temper at his own supporters, the chair umpire and, as has become tradition, the crowd.

After the match, Djokovic praised Kyrgios’ raw talent, calling him a phenomenal tennis player. But what’s next for this prodigious and erratic talent?

Today on Please Explain, sports journalist Jake Niall joins Bianca Hall to discuss Kyrgios, who he has called tennis' principle disruptor.

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Following a mass mutiny within his own government, British prime minister Boris Johnson has announced his resignation.

Less than three years after winning a sweeping majority at the general election, Johnson’s position as conservative party leader became untenable following the resignation of more than 50 ministers in the past few days.

Johnson has been engulfed in scandals of sleaze and allegations of lying for the past nine months, including the so-called partygate affair which led to Johnson himself being fined for attending his own surprise birthday party.

The tipping point this week was the latest scandal surrounding Tory MP Chris Pincher, who quit last week as deputy chief whip following accusations that he assaulted two men while drunk.

Today on Please Explain, Europe correspondent Rob Harris joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the latest developments from Downing Street.

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Almost forty per cent of the population of Nauru is currently infected with COVID-19, and with prices of food and water soaring, refugees still detained on the tiny Pacific Island nation say they are struggling to access food, water and medicines.

More than 100 refugees are trapped on the island after more than nine years of detention, and the surge in coronavirus cases combined with difficulties accessing essentials has prompted the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre to issue an urgent plea to the government to evacuate the refugees to Australia.

Prices for fresh food has skyrocketed and bottled water on the island, which doesn’t have a piped fresh water distribution system, is double the price in Australia in some places.

Today on Please Explain, senior writer Bianca Hall joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the dire situation on Nauru.

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A national surge in coronavirus cases driven by newer variants of the Omicron strain of COVID-19 is raising concerns about the impact on the health system over winter.

The BA4 and BA5 variants have seen case numbers similar to those seen during the original Omicron wave in summer and has prompted health officials to call for eligibility for a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine to be expanded and better access to anti-viral treatments.

So far, only those aged 65 and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 50 and over and those with conditions that increase the risk of severe illness are eligible for a fourth “winter” dose.

Today on Please Explain, health reporter Mary Ward joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss whether there’ll be a wider rollout of a fourth dose.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has landed in Australia today, after a lightning visit to the war-torn country.

There, Albanese met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and committed to sending $100 million in military aid to Ukraine.

The military spending is more than some of Ukraine’s European allies have pledged, and comes at the end of Albanese’s week-long trip to Europe to attend the NATO summit in Madrid.

But national security experts have questioned why Australia is yet to reopen its embassy in the capital, Kyiv, leaving us without a diplomatic presence on the ground.

Today on Please Explain, foreign affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway joins Bianca Hall to discuss the worsening situation in much of Ukraine

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Nick Kyrgios is one of the most talented tennis players on the planet, but also one of the most controversial.

Kyrgios defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets at Wimbledon on the weekend, in an edge-of-your seat match.

Both players were fined for their conduct: Tsitsipas was fined $14,600 for slamming a ball into the crowd, while Kyrgios was fined almost $6000 for uttering an obscenity.

As ever, the criticism of Kyrgios has been loud: Tsitsipas called the Australian a “bully” with a “very evil side to him”, while one columnist called for his passport to be revoked.

Today on Please Explain, culture editor and columnist Osman Faruqi joins Bianca Hall to discuss the reasons Kyrgios divides opinion.

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Victoria and NSW have lost almost 200,000 residents during the pandemic, which could lead to them receiving a lower share of the GST pool.

Western Australia, which gained 68,000 residents, could pocket hundreds of millions of dollars more than expected.

NSW and Victoria are already facing significant budget deficits. Both have taken aim at a deal devised by Scott Morrison, which sends billions of extra GST revenue to WA.

But the loss of residents could also cost the bigger states electorally, with up to three federal seats up in the air.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Bianca Hall to discuss the costs of fewer people.

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In recent weeks, life in the Ukranian capital Kyiv has been relatively normal.

Streets, cafes, restaurants and beer gardens have been packed as residents made the most of the northern summer. The heart of the city bustled with locals getting on with life as best they can.

But at the weekend, war returned to Kyiv and air raid sirens rang through the capital once more.

Believed to be retaliation for the EU granting Ukraine candidate status, Russian forces fired long-range missiles from the Caspian Sea hitting at least two residential buildings killing one and injuring six others.

Today on Please Explain, foreign affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway, who was in Kyiv as the attack took place, joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the war.

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In another explosive hearing into last year’s Capitol Hill riot in Washington, a former top aide in the Trump administration revealed details of what occurred in the Whitehouse in the lead up to events on January 6.

Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, said that the former president knew his supporters had weapons and body armour when he asked them to march to the Capitol building and asked authorities to remove metal detectors.

Hutchinson also testified that after the Rally where he addressed the crowd, he wrestled with his security guard after being informed they would be returning to the West Wing instead of heading to the Capitol where Biden’s victory was to be certified.

Today on Please Explain, national correspondent Matthew Knott joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss what was heard in the sixth public hearing by the January 6 committee.

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It’s the snapshot of who we are or, more accurately, who we were on a single night in August 2021.

The latest census shows a nation undergoing great change: we’re bigger, we’re younger, we’re an outward-looking nation of migrants, and we’re less religious than ever.

Fifty-one per cent of us were either born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas, while almost 40 per cent of us follow no religion.

How has COVID changed the way we live? And what challenges await policymakers trying to grapple with this data and what it means for the services our changing country will need in future?

Today on Please Explain, national data editor Craig Butt joins Bianca Hall to discuss Census 2021.

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Millions of American women have had their reproductive rights stripped by the US Supreme Court, in a widely anticipated judgement.

The ruling overturning Roe v. Wade also overturns almost 50 years of legal convention in the US, leaving the country with a patchwork of different state laws and court rulings.

The World Health Organisation has estimated 25 million unsafe abortions are performed every year worldwide. It says the proportion of unsafe abortions are significantly higher in countries with restrictive abortion laws.

There are fears that will now happen in America.

The US Supreme Court ruling has been met with shock and anger, and also elation, in the US and beyond.

Today on Please Explain, federal political editor Michelle Griffin joins Bianca Hall to discuss the judgement.

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This week, the annual Logie Awards found itself in the middle of a major controversy that has seen a significant trial in the ACT that was due to begin next week, delayed until October.

The ACT Supreme Court on Thursday set a new date of October 4 for the trial of former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann, who is accused of raping then colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty..

The delay came after Lehrmann’s defence team asked for a stay following Lisa Wilkinson’s speech at the Logies after she won the award for most outstanding news coverage or public affairs report.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum ruled on Tuesday the trial should be delayed because “the distinction between an untested allegation and the fact of truth has been lost”.

In this episode of Please Explain, Larina Alick, who is The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age's top lawyer, joins host Nathanael Cooper to talk through this complex area of law.

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Despite being around for decades cryptocurrencies have only really increased in popularity to the point that countries began accepting them as legal tender in the last few years.

From Bitcoin, to Ethereum, to Nano and Zcash, the race to invest in crypto has made some people very rich.

But now the crypto winter has arrived. In November last year one bitcoin was worth more than ninety one thousand dollars…. Earlier this week its value dropped to less than thirty thousand dollars.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss to big flaw of cryptocurrency and why it will never replace normal money.

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It’s one of the most despised taxes for new home buyers: stamp duty.

You’ve scrimped and saved to build your deposit for the bank, then the state government slugs you tens of thousands of dollars extra.

The NSW government has announced a plan to give first home buyers the ability to sidestep the hated tax - but there’s a catch.

In return for not paying stamp duty upfront, buyers must instead opt into paying an ongoing annual ‘land tax’ of $400 plus 0.3 per cent of the unimproved land value of their property.

So, which should first home buyers choose?

Today on Please Explain, senior economics writer Matt Wade joins Jess Irvine to discuss the new proposal, and whether this constitutes the bold ‘tax reform’ economists have been urging?

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There are growing calls for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to be brought home to Australia, despite Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refusing to publicly intervene in the case.

Assange has been held at London’s Belmarsh prison for more than three years, since he was dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has approved Assange’s extradition to the US to face espionage charges. Assange’s legal team is expected to appeal that decision.

Labor MPs have backed “quiet diplomacy” taking place behind the scenes as the best approach.

But the journalists’ union, Assange’s family, friends and legal team, Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, the Greens and former foreign affairs minister Bob Carr have called for more urgent action to return Assange to Australia.

Today on Please Explain, political reporter Katina Curtis joins Bianca Hall to discuss the push to bring Assange home.

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After a two-year hiatus, Australian television’s night of nights, the Logie Awards, returned in flashy fashion on the Gold Coast Sunday night.

Lego Masters host Hamish Blake was the night’s golden boy, winning the Gold Logie for most popular personality on Australian TV.

Critically acclaimed ABC dramas The Newsreader and Fires took out awards, and the industry paused to honour the late, great, Bert Newton.

It was a celebration of an industry that’s had a tough couple of years during Covid lockdowns, as well as the best of Australian television.

Today on Please Explain, culture editor at large Michael Idato joins Bianca Hall to discuss the changing face of Australian television, and why it's worth celebrating.

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A perfect storm of factors including the war in Ukraine, the sudden cold weather and years of government incompetence have met to create an energy crisis that has seen the national regulator take control of the electricity grid for the first time in history.

Without their intervention, the warnings of gas shortages and blackouts could have become a reality.

While the imminent risk of running out of power has been stymied by the intervention of the regulator, the problems are far from over.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss why despite Australia being a country rich in resources, we have somehow managed to find ourselves in the midst of a genuine energy crisis.

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This week, the number one song in Australia isn’t the latest rap from The Kid Lario, it’s not Lizzo’s TikTok hit About Damn Time and Post Malone’s collab with Doja Cat hasn't made it up there either.

In fact, it isn’t even Harry Style’s global hit As It Was, which was the number one song last week.

It’s a 37-year old track from art-rocker Kate Bush with Running Up That Hill knocking Styles from the top of the chart. In the US it has given Bush her first top 5 single and on Spotify the track now has more than 200 million streams, nearly double the next most popular song in her catalogue - Wuthering Heights.

So how, you may ask, has a track from nearly four decades ago, found its way back into such popularity that it can top the charts.

That’s thanks to its usage on the Netflix series Stranger Things, a science fiction series that has introduced the 80s, and Kate Bush, to a whole new generation.

Today on Please Explain, culture news editor Osman Faruqi joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss theongoing trend of classic bangers getting a second life after being used to underscore iconic moments in film and television.

Listen to the Heartstopper: Official Mixtape here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX5KARSfd7WcM?si=1d7fcd715e7741ad

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Australia’s industrial umpire has just announced its latest annual decision on the pay-packets of Australia’s lowest paid workers.

Wages for the roughly quarter of a million Australians who rely on the minimum wage will rise by 5.2 per cent.

That’s just slightly above the current inflation rate of 5.1 per cent.

A further 2.7 million workers who have their pay determined by modern awards will see their pay rise by a lesser 4.6 per cent.

Today on Please Explain, industrial relations reporter Angus Thompson joins Jess Irvine to discuss what this minimum wage rise will mean for the economy and what can the rest of us expect to see happen to our wages.

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Defence Minister Richard Marles is in Tokyo today, for high-level discussions on strengthening military ties between Australia and Japan.

Marles will meet with Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi to cement what Marles describes as a “relationship of affection”.

But the visit also comes amid an increasingly complex geopolitical situation.

Marles told The Age and The Herald Australia would continue to fly aircraft near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, despite a Chinese fighter jet releasing flares and small pieces of metal chaff near an Australian aircraft in the area in May.

Today on Please Explain, north Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw joins Bianca Hall to discuss Australia's growing ties with Japan and what it means for the region.

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Plenty of us have a metaphorical skeleton or two in our closets, but what happens when those skeletons are real?

It’s thought thousands of skeletons are in private hands in Australia, bought by medical students to aid their study of human anatomy.

It’s been illegal to buy or sell human remains in Victoria and NSW without a permit since the 80s, but it remains perfectly legal to own and give away human bones.

A new article in the Medical Journal of Australia argues bones owned for medical research should be put to rest, to show respect for the dead.

But disposing of human bones is another matter. There are legislative requirements in Australia that human remains be identified before cremation or burial.

Today on Please Explain, health reporter Timna Jacks joins Bianca Hall to discuss the dilemma facing people who have real skeletons in their closets.

And a warning, some listeners may find this content disturbing.

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Australians spend more than one billion dollars a year on body-altering cosmetic procedures. From Brazilian butt lifts to fat-zapping procedures, breast enhancements and facelifts, the cosmetic surgery industry is huge.

Now, a joint investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and 60 Minutes has uncovered how the industry leaves patients unprotected, puts profits before safety and the laws that allow doctors with minimal surgical training to call themselves cosmetic surgeons.

Adele Ferguson is the journalist who investigated Australia's cosmetic cowboys and she joins host Nathanael Cooper for today's episode of Please Explain.

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Global fast food giant KFC revealed to customers this week it would be using a curious blend of lettuce and cabbage on its burgers as the result of supply chain disruptions.

The fried chicken purveyor has struggled to get enough lettuce to meet the demands of its hungry customers after heavy flooding on the east coast wiped out much of this year’s lettuce crop, while intermittent rains have made it harder to replant fresh crops as well.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has even weighed in on the discussion, describing cabbage replacing lettuce on burgers as a crisis during a radio interview.

Today on Please Explain, tech editor Nick Bonyhady joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the astonishing price of the humble lettuce.

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The Reserve Bank has delivered a second consecutive monthly hit to mortgage holders, raising its official cash rate by a supersized half a percentage point, on top of last month’s quarter of a percentage point rise. Banks are passing it on in full to their variable rate customers.

For the average NSW mortgage of around $800,000, that's an extra $320 a month that needs to be found from the household budget. For the average Victorian mortgage of $650,000, it’s $260 extra a month.

And economists are warning of multiple rate hikes to come in the months ahead.

Today on Please Explain, economics correspondent Rachel Clun joins Jess Irivine to discuss the rate rise, and how the incoming Albanese government might respond to the cost of living squeeze in its upcoming October budget.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will fly home to Australia today, having been warmly welcomed by Indonesian president Joko Widodo during his first official visit to our northern neighbour.

Albanese was joined by foreign minister Penny Wong, trade minister Don Farrell, industry minister Ed Husic, and almost a dozen business and industry leaders.

In what Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott has described as a reset for this country, the Australian delegation was keen to stress the benefits greater cooperation with Indonesia can bring.

Today on Please Explain, Bianca Hall is joined by national affairs editor James Massola, who has been travelling with the PM in Indonesia.

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Jethro Lazenby, one of singer Nick Cave’s four sons, died last month at Coburg Motor Inn, a low-rent motel in Melbourne’s north. Police said his death was not suspicious.

Lazenby had been released on bail from Melbourne Remand Centre the day before, having spent two months behind bars for assaulting his mother.

He’d been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been ordered to undergo substance abuse treatment.

But this isn’t a story about celebrity; it’s a story about the devastating shortfall in crisis accommodation. And it’s also a story about the lack of support for people exiting prison, and with mental illness and substance abuse problems.

Today on Please Explain, social affairs editor Jewel Topsfield joins Bianca Hall to discuss the impossible choices faced by people needing crisis accommodation.

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This week the full government ministry was sworn in - totalling just over 40 cabinet ministers, outer ministers and assistant ministers who have already begun the work of running the country.

It’s still early days for the Labor government, but what we can expect is more diversity - with record numbers of women in the ministry and in parliament more generally, and more people from diverse backgrounds.

Katina Curtis is a political reporter in Canberra and has been keeping tabs on who got which jobs this week, and joins Please Explain host Rachel Clun today.

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Having been just days since Australia swore in its newest Prime Minister, this week the country will celebrate the reign of its other leader, sovereign Queen Elizabeth the second, who is celebrating 70 years on the throne.

Known as the Platinum Jubilee, the celebration will see widespread pomp and partying across the UK, with the country observing a four-day public holiday and numerous lavish events.

However, with the 94-year-old Queen in poor health, it's likely to be one of the monarch’s last public appearances, one which no doubt will be marked by royal family drama.

Today on Please Explain, Europe correspondent Rob Harris joins Dominic Powell to discuss the Jubilee and what sort of celebrations we can expect in Australia.

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The value of US shares has gone down around 14 per cent this year, amid concerns its central bank will have to effectively push the world’s largest economy into a recession to control surging prices and inflation.

Aussie shares have been somewhat protected, thanks to rising commodity prices and the heavy concentration of energy companies on our stock exchange.

But US shares continue to teeter on the edge of an official ‘bear market’ – defined as a 20 per cent or more fall in share values while our local S&P/ASX All Technology Index is down by about 30 per cent.

Younger investors who piled into the sharemarket during the pandemic are getting a bumpy ride indeed.

Today on Please Explain, personal finance editor John Collett joins Jess Irvine to discuss what's happening, how long it'll last and what approach younger investors should take to the current market turbulence.

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Australia’s biggest carbon emitter, energy company AGL, has walked back from controversial plans to split its business.

AGL’s plan to break up its retail and power generation operations into separate entities came under relentless pressure from tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brooks and others.

They argued splitting the business would leave it in a poorer position to accelerate the closure of coal-fired power stations in Victoria and NSW.

AGL’s chief executive, chairman, and two independent directors fell on their swords on Monday. The remaining board members announced they would undertake a strategic review into the future of the company.

Today on Please Explain business reporter Nick Toscano joins Bianca Hall to discuss the future of AGL, and how the market could drive Australia's transition to a clean-energy powerhouse.

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The new Labor government could cut or wind back billions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects promised by the Coalition, as it tries to bring the budget under control.

Labor has inherited a forecast deficit of $80 billion this financial year, while gross debt is on track to reach $1.2 trillion within three years.

In the frame are more than $20 billion in infrastructure projects promised by the Coalition during the election campaign, which haven’t been vetted by Infrastructure Australia.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Bianca Hall to discuss what could be on the chopping block.

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It’s been nearly a week since Labor was swept to power in the federal election, with new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promising an era of change.

The start of his term has already been a whirlwind. Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong boarded a plane to Toyko shortly after their swearing-in, to head to a Quad meeting with their counterparts from Japan, the US and India.

Chief Political Correspondent David Crowe and Canberra bureau photographer Alex Ellinghausen have spent the week up close and personal with Albanese and join host Rachel Clun on Please Explain.

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At least 19 children and two teachers are dead, after the worst school shooting in the United States since the Sandy Hook massacre.

Lone gunman Salvador Ramos, who was just 18, was also killed in the attack on primary-school aged children at Robb Elementary School in Texas.

It was the 27th school shooting in the US this year alone. Gun Violence Archive reports there have been 213 mass shootings in the United States this year, with 2,255 children aged 17 and under killed or injured by gun violence.

President Joe Biden has led the calls for change - but given the ubiquity of gun ownership and violence in America, is anything likely to change?

Today on Please Explain, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin joins Bianca Hall to discuss the latest gun violence atrocity in the US.

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Australia’s new Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, began his election night victory speech by acknowledging the land’s traditional owners.

In his very next breath, he committed the Australian Labor Party “in full” to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

So, what is the Uluru Statement from the Heart? What does it mean for Labor to commit to it "in full"? And what level of optimism is appropriate that a new era has begun which will improve the every day lives of Indigenous Australians?

Joining host Jessica Irvine on Please Explain today to discuss is indigenous affairs reporter and Gamilaroi man, Cameron Gooley.

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The Coalition is undergoing a reckoning in the wake of the federal election, which could sweep up to 20 seats away from the Liberal party.

The Liberals are set to elect a new leader, with Peter Dutton all but certain to be the next opposition leader.

While the party is undergoing an internal tussle over its post-election direction, the Nationals are also set to vote on a new leader as it undergoes a bitter public debate over its future and its support for net zero by 2050.

Today on Please Explain, national affairs editor James Massola joins Bianca Hall to discuss the fallout within the Coalition after Saturday's election.

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One of the big winners from the weekend's election is greater action on climate change.

Six independents and at least three Greens elected into the lower house have vowed to push the new Labor government to go further on climate action.

Does this parliament now have a mandate to go further on climate action?

Political reporter Katina Curtis joins today's Please Explain to delve into this question and more.

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Scott Morrison has lost the prime ministership after the coalition failed to secure enough seats to form a government.

Now Labor leader Anthony Albanese will become Australia’s thirty-first prime minister but what shape that will take remains unknown.

Whether he will be able to form a majority government in his own write or a minority government with the support of the greens and independents could take days to ascertain as postal votes and pre-polls are counted.

To look at what has happened and what will happen over the coming days, Nathanael Cooper is joined by National affairs editor James Massola, Chief Political Correspondent David Crowe and executive editor Tory Maguire.

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Today on Please Explain editor of The Age Gay Alcorn, and the editor of The Sydney Morning Herald Bevan Shields join Tory Maguire to round out a long election campaign.

In less than 24 hours Australian voters will go to the polls after a six week federal election campaign that has left many people underwhelmed and disillusioned with the major parties.

Today all the major newspapers, including ours, published their traditional pre-election editorials. Our own Resolve Political Monitor, published on Wednesday, shows at least a third of respondents plan on voting for a candidate who is not from the Coalition or the Labor Party.

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The grand finale of an election campaign that officially began six week ago, but informally has been dragging on for months is nearly upon us.

It’s a campaign that has been dominated by gaffes, gotcha moments, crash tackles and divisive and damaging debates on trans issues.

Today on Please Explain, national editor David King joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the biggest issues of this election as we prepare to make the decision about who will lead the country.

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Three more sleeps to go. As the election campaign enters its death rattle stage, exclusive polling for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has revealed the race is tight.

Labor’s primary vote has sunk dramatically from 34 to 31 per cent in the latest Resolve Strategic survey. Meanwhile, the Coalition’s primary vote – who voters would mark with a ‘1’ at the ballot box – rose slightly to 34 per cent.

The remainder of Australians intend to vote for an independent, the Greens or smaller parties.

The polling took place from last Thursday to this Tuesday, a period which spanned Morrison’s criticism of Albanese as a ‘loose unit’ on the economy and the Coalition’s Sunday announcement of a policy to allow younger Australians to withdraw up to $50,000 to help fund a home purchase.

Meanwhile, a costings brawl is brewing over the total cost of the parties’ election pledges.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Jess Irvine to discuss what it could mean on election day.

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Over the weekend, the Coalition unveiled its last major piece of election policy, promising a new housing scheme to allow first time home buyers to access up to $50,000 of their superannuation for a deposit.

The policy is in stark contrast to the Labor party’s shared equity housing scheme, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison touting it as a game-changer that would provide more choice for new homeowners.

However, the government’s proposition has already hit a snag, with Coalition minister Jane Hume admitting it would further drive up house prices, and super funds warning it could reduce investment returns.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Dominic Powell to discuss the policy and what impact it might have.

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It was a deal Australia had been trying to shore up for more than four decades, and this year, following a series of secret meetings, it finally became a reality, revealed by the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s international and political editor Peter Hartcher.

The deal, which was part of an enhanced trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, allows Australia to have conventionally armed, nuclear powered submarines for the first time.

The announcement in September saw the end of a $90 billion deal with the french to build submarines, causing major diplomatic fallout and prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to describe Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a liar.

Until now the full details of how the French deal unravelled and how the new arrangement with the US came about were shrouded in mystery.

Today on Please Explain, Peter Hartcher joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss how it all came to pass.

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Perhaps more than any election before the independent candidates are dominating nearly as much of the dialogue as the leaders of the two major parties.

The interest in the independent candidates lies in the position many of them take on the political spectrum with values that align with more moderate liberals with a stronger stance against issues like climate change.

These independents provide an option for voters frustrated with the state of both parties.

Should the independents prevail on election night, they could play a major role in who leads the country.

To look at the independents, journalist Latika Bourke and senior writer Jacqueline Maley join Please Explain.

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Libertarian think tank the Institute of Public Affairs, which is typically aligned with the coalition, has lashed the federal government over plans to create a misinformation code of practice.

The plan, unveiled by the government earlier this year, would give the Australian Communications and Media Authority power to create and enforce a misinformation codes of practice that could force social media giants to pull down posts deemed harmful or false.

The IPA sent a letter to MPs complaining the move would kickstart an era of unprecedented internet censorship.

Today on Please Explain, technology editor Nick Bonyhady joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss misinformation, particularly in relation to truth in political advertising and false claims being spread on social media.

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It’s shaping up as one of the most fascinating and important stories in Australian corporate history.

Australia’s third richest man, tech billionaire Mike Cannon Brookes, is trying to steer Australia’s biggest polluting company AGL toward a greener future.

In recent days, Cannon Brookes has amassed an 11 per cent shareholding in the energy company.

At a critical upcoming meeting, all AGL shareholders will have to decide whether to join Cannon Brookes in voting against an AGL plan to demerge its business and keep some of its coal-fired power stations open until 2045.

Their decision will shape not only the fate of one of Australia’s largest companies but the future of Australia’s transition to a lower carbon economy.

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Nick Toscano joins Jess Irvine to discuss the latest.

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Australia is in the grip of a major skilled worker shortage with 85% of business reporting the lack of workers is holding back their ability to operate at full capacity.

There are currently 425,000 job vacancies across the country and the National Skills Commission has projected that over the five years to 2026 the economy will require an additional 1.2 million jobs, with female-dominated industries experiencing the biggest increases – including healthcare and social assistance, education and training, and accommodation and food services.

Now, a study has found halving the wage gap between men and women could fix the current skills shortage and create the equivalent of 500,000 additional full-time jobs. Closing the wage gap entirely would create an additional one million jobs.

Today on Please Explain, economics correspondent Rachel Clun joins Nathanael Cooper from the campaign trail with Anthony Albanese

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Last night Prime Minister Scott Morrison and opposition leader Anthony Albanese clashed very energetically during the second leaders’ debate.

With just two weeks to go in the election campaign, it’s clear both men feel they are fighting for their political lives.

Today on Please Explain, Tory Maguire is joined by chief political correspondent David Crowe, who was on the panel of the great debate, as well as Sydney Morning Herald editor Bevan Shields and The Age editor Gay Alcorn to discuss the last two weeks of the campaign.

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It’s just over a fortnight until Australia goes to the polls and in 2022 the choice is between two men who grew up five years and ten kilometres apart. Scott Morrison from the affluent eastern suburbs of Sydney and Anthony Albanese in the Camperdown from the inner west.

Associate editor Deborah Snow recently spent four days with Anthony Albanese on the campaign trail while National correspondent Matthew Knott has just returned from following Scott Morrison on his campaign.

Today on Please Explain, Deborah and Matthew join Nathanael Cooper to discuss just how much the leaders are showing their true selves on the campaign.

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In 1973 the US supreme court made a landmark decision to protect the right of women to terminate a pregnancy through the first trimester.

The ruling in Roe v Wade, which was brought about when Norma McCorvey, who was known as Jane Roe in the case, successfully challenged the law in Texas that made it illegal for her to get an abortion.

But this week, a draft ruling leaked to US website Politico revealed Roe v Wade, and the rights of women to make their own decisions about their pregnancies is in the cross hairs, with the supreme court indicating they will overturn the 1973 decision.

Today on Please Explain, world editor Michelle Griffin joins Nathanael Cooper to explain Roe v Wade and what the new supreme court decision means.

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The Reserve Bank has fired the starting gun on what is expected to be series of multiple interest rate hikes.

On Tuesday this week, the bank announced a bigger than expected quarter of a percentage point hike to it official cash rate, taking it to 0.35 percent.

Banks have responded quickly, confirming they will pass on the increase in full to their customers with variable rate loans.

For someone with a $800,000 loan, they will be paying nearly $100 more per month.

And there are warnings the cash rate could be heading as high as 2.5 per cent – although there is disagreement over that number and the exact timing of future increases.

Today on Please Explain, economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Jess Irvine to discuss why rates have gone up and how high they might go.

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Qantas has announced an order for a dozen Airbus aircraft to operate between east-coast Australia and London and New York from late 2025.

They would offer the world’s longest flights, making the other side of the world just a single flight away.

Qantas believes passengers will pay extra to save time and avoid stopovers. But will they?

And what’s at stake with this gamble by Australia’s largest airline?

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Patrick Hatch joins Bianca Hall to discuss the longest of long-haul flights and how they could revolutionise travel.

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New polling has put Labor in an election-winning position, halfway through the campaign.

The Resolve Political Monitor results shows Labor holding a clear lead of 54 to 46 per cent over the Coalition in two-party terms.

It comes the day after the ALP’s official campaign launch in Perth on Sunday, with leader Anthony Albanese spruiking a positive vision for the future under a Labor government.

However his sharpest lines were reserved for attacking Scott Morrison’s government, highlighting the fact Labor sees the government as its best political asset.

Today on Please Explain, chief reporter Chip Le Grand joins Bianca Hall to discuss Labor's campaign launch and what the polls are telling us.

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In the days after the election was called, 21,000 people registered to vote who had turned 18 since the last federal election.

About 152,000 18-year-olds are registered to vote, but that only represents 55% of those who are eligible.

Billie Eder, a trainee journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald, and Lachlan Abbott, a trainee journalist at The Age, join Please Explain to discuss why some young people are disinterested in voting or if they are politically engaged, what they care about the most.

Young people and politics seems to be a very two-sided situation - you have those who are extremely politically engaged, and those who are either entirely disengaged.

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On the back of the biggest rise in inflation since the introduction of GST, the Labor party unveiled their economic plan should they win this year’s election.

With gross debt on track to reach $1.2 trillion by 2026, Labor plans to save money by taxing large multinational companies, raising $1.9 billion and saving $3 billion by cutting expenditure on consultants and labour hire companies.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss Labor's economic plan.

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No, you are not imagining it. Consumer prices are rising at their fastest pace in two decades.

Official inflation figures have just lobbed like a grenade into this federal election campaign, revealing prices in Australia are rising at an annual rate of 5.1 per cent, vastly exceeding expectations.

From fuel to food to housing, price hikes are widespread across the economy. And for mortgage holders, there is more hip pocket pain ahead.

Many economists are now tipping the Reserve Bank will have to act at its board meeting next Tuesday to lift interest rates to try to cool inflationary pressures.

Today on Please Explain economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Jess Irvine to go through the numbers.

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Elon Musk has bought Twitter for a staggering $US44 billion, in a move that will shift control of the social media platform to the world’s richest man.

Musk says his priority will be the promotion of free speech, which is being interpreted by some as signalling his intention to remove some of the curbs on hate speech and misinformation.

While solid details about his plans for the platform are scant, Musk’s influence on public debate could be vast, with more than 200 million daily users worldwide.

Today on Please Explain, technology editor Nick Bonyhady joins Bianca Hall to discuss how Musk's ownership could change the social media giant.

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The Coalition’s rhetoric on China has dramatically escalated on Anzac Day, with Defence Minister Peter Dutton saying Australia should "prepare for war" to preserve the peace.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the weekend said China building a military base in the Solomon Islands would be a "red line" for Australia, but did not say what Australia would do in the event a military base was built.

Labor’s defence spokesman Brendan O’Connor said the opposition would be seeking a briefing from the government given the shift in the government’s message and tone.

But he labelled the government’s "post-facto rhetoric" on the deal between the Solomons and China as too little too late, saying the Coalition should have done more to engage with the Solomons before its deal with China was signed.

Today on Please Explain, political and international editor Peter Hartcher joins Bianca Hall to discuss the increasing role China is playing in Australia’s domestic election campaign.

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The media is responsible for holding politicians to account and ensuring the public is fully informed about the decisions the government is making. In the lead up to May 21, when Australia heads to the polls, the role the media plays only becomes more important.

But how do journalists and editors decide what to cover and what to skip? How do we address bias? And are we looking for gotcha moments or are we looking to investigate the policies that each major party is bringing to the election?

This week we asked readers and our followers on social media what they wanted to ask the Gay Alcorn, the editor of The Age and Bevan Shields, the editor of the Herald.

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Australian retailers have been warned to expect significant and continuous price rises from their suppliers as the war in Ukraine and fresh lockdowns in China batter the world’s supply chains.

The price rises from suppliers comes on the back of inflationary pressures that have been mounting over the past 12 months driving up the cost of pretty much everything.

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Dominic Powell joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss price rises.

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Natural gas has been touted as the wonder solution to many of Australia’s most complex challenges, from climate change to job creation to drought-proofing regional areas.

Governments at the local and federal level have been championing the growth of Australia’s onshore natural gas industry, with the Prime Minister even pledging a ‘gas-led recovery’ out of the pandemic.

But what impact does drilling for gas really have on regional areas and can gas really deliver all the benefits promised?

Business reporter Charlotte Grieve and photographer Jason South travelled 4000 kilometres through rural Queensland talking to locals about the impact of natural gas and you can read the full story here: https://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2022/gaslighting-australia/index.html

Today on Please Explain, Charlotte joins Jess Irvine to discuss the pros and cons of natural gas.

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Last week, jet-setting Australians were greeted at the airport by long queues and longer delays, as a shortage of airline staff and an influx of travellers prompted chaos at the gates of major carrier Qantas.

The airline’s boss Alan Joyce, blamed the delays on a lack of workers but also on travellers themselves, who he said had become inexperienced after years of COVID hibernation.

However, industry veterans have questioned why the multi-billion dollar airline was not more prepared for the notoriously busy Easter period and if the crisis could have a long-term impact on the standing of the national carrier.

Today on Please Explain, aviation reporter Patrick Hatch joins Dominic Powell to discuss Australia’s airport chaos and what it could mean for our major airlines.

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We’re one week down in the six-week election campaign and already voters have been treated to a range of gaffes, gotchas, and broken promises, with both leaders stumbling in their efforts to convince voters to back them come May 21.

However, new polling completed for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday shows the first week has hurt Labor the most, with primary support for the opposition dropping from 38 per cent to 34.

Scott Morrison has also claimed the position of preferred Prime Minister, however, the portion of voters who consider themselves uncommitted has also drastically increased.

With Labor starting the race with a clear lead, it’s looking like the election is now too close to call, with a bevy of independents and minor parties appearing increasingly key to the outcome.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Dominic Powell to discuss Labor’s drop in support and what it could mean for the campaign.

The Please Explain team greatly value your feedback - you can email us here. We'd love to hear from you.

And if you value independent, quality journalism, please subscribe to The Age or The Sydney Morning Herald.

Thanks for listening and don't forget to check out more great podcasts from The Age & SMH.

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The intersection of religion and politics can be a perilious path for politicians. If you're perceived as too religious, you risk turning off voters who are not religious at all, if you aren't religious enough, you risk alienating a significant number of religious Australians.

In this year's election, the leaders of the two major parties present a very different religious picture.

Today is the first in a series of panel discussions on Please Explain. National correspondent Matthew Knott and senior writer Jacqueline Maley discuss how the leaders differ, whether their faith features in their politics and if religion will feature in the election campaign.

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After announcing his retirement and quitting the party, the National Party’s George Christensen has revealed he will instead contest the election as a senate candidate for One Nation.

Christensen has been a controversial figure in the government where he has been a vocal critic of COVID-19 restrictions and was reprimanded by Prime Minister Scott Morrison over dangerous anti vaccination remarks he made earlier this year.

Today on Please Explain, national correspondent Matthew Knott joins Nathanael Cooper to look at George Christensen’s colourful political career and his new alignment with One Nation

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Yesterday, unconfirmed reports emerged that Russia had used chemical weapons in the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol.

The alarm was raised by Ukrainian soldiers who claimed a Russian drone flew overhead releasing a cloud of smoke and that three soldiers were left with breathing difficulties.

Under the Geneva Protocol, the use of chemical and biological weapons is prohibited in international armed conflicts.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the west to impose even tougher sanctions that will deter the Kremlin from even talking about escalating the conflict to the use of chemical weapons.

Today on Please Explain, foreign affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway, who has recently reported from Ukraine, joins Nathanael Cooper.

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If you’ve ever been in a hospital, an ambulance or other life-threatening situation, having a supply of blood on hand for a transfusion is something many of us may take for granted, or not even think about in the first place.

But to get a transfusion, that blood needs to have been donated by someone else - a task that’s proving difficult as the high COVID case numbers force donors to cancel their appointments.

Now, the Red Cross has warned that the national blood supply has just days left until it runs out and has urged Australians to donate blood, especially those with rare O negative blood types.

Compounding the issue is the approaching Easter and Anzac Day long weekends, where an increase in road accidents prompts higher demand for blood.

Today on Please Explain, health reporter Mary Ward joins Dominic Powell to discuss the shortage and why it has happened.

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It’s been less than 24 hours since Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the election but already battle lines have been drawn and fierce campaigning is underway.

Both Morrison and his Labor counterpart Anthony Albanese are on the ground today in marginal seats, hoping to convince local voters they should be the one to lead the country for the next three years.

In question are a range of hot-button election issues, including the country’s massive national debt, support for aged care facilities and action on climate change.

However, new polls suggest the incumbent government has a lot of ground to make up if they want to lock in a fourth term, with voters in key Queensland and Western Australian seats deserting the Coalition.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Dominic Powell to discuss today’s polling and take us through what are likely to be the major issues for this campaign.

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After months of unofficial campaigning Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called the election and Australia will head to the polls on May 21.

The announcement gives the coalition six weeks to convince voters to return them for a fourth term, or the opposition to have their first shot at running the country in nearly a decade.

Last week polling by these mastheads showed opposition leader Anthony Albanese as the preferred Prime Minister for the first time, firmly placing Scott Morrison on the back foot going into this year’s election.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Nathanael Cooper to look at today’s announcement and what is sure to be a fascinating election campaign.

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The disappearance of Melissa Caddick, a seemingly successful businesswoman who built a Ponzi scheme that ripped off investors to the tune of 20 million dollars, is a missing persons case that has truly captivated the country.

But Caddick’s investors weren’t wealthy business people, it was her friends and her own family whose money she embezzled to fund her lavish lifestyle of designer dresses, expensive jewelery and luxury cars.

Australians have been captivated by the story from the bizarre press conference about her disappearance through to her foot washing up on a beach on the south coast of New South Wales.

Next week, we launch a new podcast that takes the investigation into Melissa Caddick’s dissapearance to the next level.

Hosted by 60 Minutes’ Tom Steinfort and The Sydney Morning Herald’s Kate McClymont, 'Liar, Liar: Melissa Caddick and the missing millions' is the definitive investigation into the disappearance of the eastern suburbs' most notorious scam artist.

This week, McClymont joins Please Explain to talk about the podcast and more on the investigation.

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Throughout the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been accused of directly targeting civilians like the bombing of hospitals, including the maternity hospital in Mariupol, and other places where civilians have sought shelter from air raids.

Reporters Anthony Galloway and Kate Geraghty travelled to Ukraine to cover the humanitarian crisis created by the invasion.

This trip was a return to Ukraine for Kate who was there to cover the referendum in 2014 and the downing of MH17.

Today on Please Explain, Kate Geraghty joins Nathanael Cooper to talk about her experience this time on the front line.

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Mortgage holders be warned. Financial markets are betting the Reserve Bank will lift interest rates in June.

A statement released this week by Reserve Bank governor Phil Lowe has caused a shift in expectations about future rate hikes. It noted Australia’s falling jobless rate, rising inflation pressures and large wage increases in some sectors of the economy.

Crucially, Lowe dropped a reference to the bank’s intention to be ‘patient’ when considering future rate increases.

Most analysts now think the board will lift rates at its first meeting after the May federal election on June 7th. But how high will rates go?

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Jess Irvine to discuss.

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Exclusive polling conducted for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald shows Labor is ahead on 38 per cent of the primary vote to the Coalition’s 34 per cent.

The poll also put Anthony Albanese narrowly ahead of Scott Morrison as preferred prime minister, for the first time since the Resolve Political Monitor began last April.

It comes as the NSW Court of Appeal made a landmark ruling on Tuesday.

The court confirmed the validity of the Liberal Party federal executive’s endorsement of candidates in that state, setting the stage for an election date announcement within days.

Today on Please Explain, national affairs editor James Massola joins Bianca Hall to discuss the latest Resolve poll, and why the government might not be entirely unhappy with it.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he’s prepared to sign a statutory declaration denying claims he racially vilified a Liberal Party competitor in a 2007 preselection battle.

The allegations surfaced after Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells described Mr Morrison as “ruthless” and a “bully” in a late-night parliamentary speech last week.

Michael Towke, who initially won preselection for Cook with 82 votes to Mr Morrison’s 8 votes, was dropped as candidate after a bruising internal battle.

Mr Towke, who has a Lebanese background, told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on the weekend that racial vilification had been “front and centre” of the campaign against him.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Bianca Hall to discuss the bruising preselection contest and its parallels to the current fight over Liberal Party preselections.

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A new security deal between Solomon Islands and China is causing consternation among neighbouring Pacific islands, including Australia and New Zealand.

The deal is expected to allow Chinese navy ships and defence forces to be based in the Solomons to protect billions of dollars in Chinese infrastructure investment in the developing country.

It will be signed after days of lobbying from Australia and New Zealand to reconsider and is seen as a failure of decades of engagement with the Pacific region.

The Solomon Islands is a key strategic point in the Pacific, providing access to shipping lanes from Australia and New Zealand up through Asia, and the presence of Chinese navy ships could potentially cut off supply lines in the event of conflict.

Today on Please Explain, North Asia correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald Eryk Bagshaw joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss what the deal means for Australia.

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As Josh Frydenberg unveiled his pre-election budget for 2022 in the house of representatives on Tuesday night, in the senate Concetta Fierravanti-Wells was unleashing something of her own.

The outgoing Liberal senator described Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a bully with no “moral compass” and someone who uses his faith for marketing purposes.

She also described him as an autocrat who is not fit to be Prime Minister.

Today on Please Explain, senior writer Jacqueline Maley joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the latest in the string of damaging attacks on Morrison from within his own party.

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On Tuesday night, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg handed down his fourth budget.

He promised $8.6 billion in fuel tax cuts and cost of living payments, pushing budget repair into the future as both major parties prepare for a federal election.

The fuel excise will be halved, to 22 cents a litre, for six months, and more than 10 million Australians will get an extra $420 on top of their existing tax cut of up to $1080.

Another 6 million people on income support, including pensioners and those on job keeper, will get a one-off payment of $250.

Economic experts say the measures will go some way to temporarily easing cost of living pressures, but say some of the measures risk adding to inflation.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe and senior economic correspondent Shane Wright join Rachel Clun to discuss it.

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It was the slap heard around the world, as Hollywood’s night of nights descended into farce.

Will Smith leapt to the stage during the Oscars and struck Chris Rock in the face after Rock mocked the appearance of Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, who has alopecia.

Smith went on to win an Oscar, receive a standing ovation, and celebrate his win at Vanity Fair’s after party. He issued a formal apology late the following day.

Even by Hollywood’s standards it was a bizarre night, and the assault on live TV overshadowed the recognition given to some of the world’s best filmmakers and actors.

Today on Please Explain Bianca Hall is joined by culture editor-at-large Michael Idato, who was at the Oscars.

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Mental Health Australia is calling on the federal government to set a national target to reduce the country’s suicide rate by 25 per cent in three years.

It’s the leading cause of death for young people aged between 15 and 24.

In 2020, there were 3,139 deaths by suicide in Australia, an average of 8.6 a day.

The reduction target was launched by Mental Health Australia chief Matt Berriman, who has also bravely shared his story of trying to take his own life two years ago.

He says attempting suicide was the worst decision of his life, and he wants others to have the hope for recovery that he found.

Today on Please Explain, Matt Berriman joins Bianca Hall for this special episode.

If you or anyone you know needs support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 or Beyond Blue, on 1300 22 4636

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Nine years after the offer was first made, Australia has announced it will take up New Zealand’s offer to take 450 refugees over three years.

Priority will be given to about 100 people still on Nauru.

Independent senator Jacqui Lambie says she secured the deal from Prime Minister Scott Morrison in return for her vote to end the medevac legislation for asylum seekers and refugees.

NZ’s offer had been repeatedly rebuffed by the Australian government since it was first made in 2013.

But the deal still leaves hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers with no clear path to resettlement.

Today on Please Explain, federal bureau chief Angus Livingston joins Bianca Hall to explain what's in the deal - and what's been left out.

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Earlier this month, thanks to the support of the Judith Neilson Institute, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald sent foreign affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway and award winning photographer Kate Geraghty to Ukraine as Russia staged its invasion.

The pair were sent to not only cover the war on the ground but also to look at the humanitarian impact of the invasion as millions of Ukrainians fled the country as the Russian army began its assault on cities across the region.

Today on Please Explain, Anthony Galloway joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss what it was like to witness first-hand the humanitarian cost of the war from some of the most affected cities.

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In December last year, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald broke a story revealing the secret Australian origins of the world’s biggest online crypto casino stake.com.

The journalist who broke this story after a 6 month long investigation was business reporter Sarah Danckert. This week Sarah won a prestigious Quill award for her story from the Melbourne Press Club.

So what is a crypto casino, is it legal and how do you go about breaking a story like this?

Today on Please Explain, Jess Irvine is joined by Sarah Danckert.

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The federal government has announced a $50 million boost to the gas industry, saying infrastructure and technology have to be boosted to stop power prices rising.

The government’s continuing to pursue its controversial plan for a “gas-fired recovery” from the COVID-19 crisis.

That’s despite warnings from the International Energy Agency that no new coal plants or oil and gas fields can be developed if the world is to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees.

Meanwhile, the government wants to attract private investment to help build massive offshore wind farms that could power a manufacturing resurgence, as well as lower-emission energy.

Today on Please Explain, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley joins Bianca Hall to discuss the government's commitments to gas and wind projects.

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The pandemic has been tough on us all, but it’s taken a particular toll on young people.

Exclusive polling for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has shown the depth of that toll, finding that one in four young Australians thought about suicide over the past two years and 15 per cent attempted self harm.

The polling was commissioned to coincide with a powerful new podcast about youth mental health, called Enough.

Today on Please Explain, co-host of Enough, Jewel Topsfield joins Bianca Hall to discuss the toll the pandemic has had on young people.

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A delegation from UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature will inspect the Great Barrier Reef on Monday to decide if its World Heritage status will be downgraded due to damage caused by global warming.

Now, as the delegation prepare to make their way here, reports have emerged of a significant coral bleaching event on the reef between Townsville and the Whitsundays.

Climate and Energy correspondent Mike Foley joins Nathanael Cooper with more.

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A defence force whistleblower who was a key SAS source in stories about Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has outed himself in court this week saying he needed to be a “voice from within”.

The soldier, known as Person 7 for national security reasons, revealed it was him who had provided key information to journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters during Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial against The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Across more than 10 weeks, the court has heard damning allegations that Roberts-Smith executed prisoners or instructed subordinates to execute them as well as detailed evidence about operations in Afghanistan Australian SAS soldiers were involved in.

Roberts-Smith denies all allegations that were published by The Herald and The Age.

Today on Please Explain, investigative journalist Nick McKenzie joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss Person 7 and the Ben Roberts-Smith case.

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Shoppers are being warned to brace for higher prices on supermarket shelves, from baked beans to bread to beer.

The head of the Australian Retailers Association Paul Zahra says a ‘perfect storm’ of supply chain pressures arising out of COVID has turned into a ‘tsunami’ of price pressures thanks to record petrol prices.

Truck operators are saying they will have to pass on higher fuel costs and supermarket bosses are saying that price rises for consumers are inevitable.

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Dominic Powell joins Jessica Irvine to find out if price hikes really justified, and which products will be most affected?

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Australia and the Netherlands have launched legal action against the Russian Federation over the downing of Malaysia flight MH17 in 2014, in a sharp escalation that confronts the Russian state rather than individuals for the deaths of 298 people on board the flight.

The move joins the countries in formal proceedings in the International Civil Aviation Organisation, in a bid to force negotiations over compensation payments to the families of the victims.

Russia withdrew from negotiations with Australia and the Netherlands in October 2020.

It’s hoped the legal action will lead to some justice for the families of those murdered on MH17, including 38 people who called Australia home.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Bianca Hall to discuss the legal action and what it might achieve.

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The soaring cost of petrol and diesel has sparked called for the government fo cut its $20 billion fuel excise amid a political row over the cost of living.

Prices have leapt to $2.20 a litre, with some remote communities paying an excess of $3 a litre.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison hasn’t ruled out a cut, but pointed out that the rise in prices in recent months was greater than the excise itself.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Bianca Hall to discuss what impact the rising cost of living will have on the March budget.

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The war in Ukraine that has seen towns and cities bombed has lead to a major humanitarian crisis with millions fleeing their homes.

At least two million civilians have already left the country, with that number expected to grow to up to four million. Countless others are displaced internally, no longer able to return to their homes.

But this is far from the first time Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country as a result of an invading foreign army.

Today on Please Explain national property editor Chris Harrison, who has written about his mother’s experience of fleeing the Nazis as a child, joins Nathanael Cooper to share her story and how she is seeing history repeat as another foreign dictator sends troops to capture the country.

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Cases of a rare tropical disease called Japanese encephalitis has been discovered along Australia’s east coast in recent weeks.

The disease is rarely fatal, however two people have died in Australia this week after contracting it.

There are a number of confirmed cases in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, with some of those cases in intensive care.

Today on Please Explain, Brisbane Times health and science reporter Stuart Layt joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the outbreak that the federal Health Department has declared an "incident of national significance."

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As flood waters begin to recede in some areas of the eastern seaboard, insurers are already beginning to calculate the damage bill from these devastating floods.

It’s already clear this will be the most costly flood event in Australian history.

There are warnings premiums on household insurance policies will rise for flood affect families areas and perhaps more broadly.

Amid an increasing frequency of storms and other adverse weather events, insurers are warning that parts of Australia are essentially becoming uninsurable.

Today on Please Explain, Jess Irvine is joined by business reporter Charlotte Grieve.

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The body of spin king Shane Warne will be flown home from Bangkok as early as tomorrow, after he suffered a heart attack in Koh Samui on Friday night.

Friends, family and Australians from all stripes have paid tribute to the beloved former cricketer.

His parents, Keith and Brigitte Warne, said their son’s death was a tragedy they would never come to terms with, while his three adult children told of their shock at his sudden loss.

But his legacy as a cricketer - one of Australia’s finest - will live on.

Today on Please Explain, Bianca Hall is joined by South East Asia correspondent, Chris Barrett, who is in Bangkok.

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A joint investigation between The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes has exposed what is alleged to be one of Australia’s biggest frauds.

Bill Papas, a former president of Sydney Olympic soccer club, is accused of orchestrating one of the largest frauds in Australian history — an alleged $500 million swindle of Westpac and two international lenders.

Mr Papas fled to Greece last June, weeks before Westpac lodged Federal Court proceedings against his company, Forum.

The Federal Court has since issued an arrest warrant for Papas, for allegedly breaching freezing orders.

After eight months, Bill Papas broke his silence on Sunday in response to the investigation by the Herald, the Age and 60 Minutes.

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Sarah Danckert joins Bianca Hall to discuss the investigation.

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In a special episode of Please Explain, Nathanael Cooper is joined by The Age and SMH's chief cricket writer Daniel Brettig to discuss the legacy of the great Australian leg-spinner.

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Human stories of hope and resilience are emerging amid the chaos wrought by Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.

One of them is the love story of Yaryna Arieva and Svyatoslav Fursin. The couple married last Thursday, hours after Russian forces began their assault on Ukraine.

Arieva told The Age and the Herald that it was only when air raid sirens began ringing out as she was kissing her new husband that the “new reality” of life dawned on her.

The day after their wedding, the young couple joined Ukraine’s territorial forces – the military reserve component of the Ukrainian army – and began their combat training.

Today on Please Explain, breaking news reporter Marta Pascual Juanola joins Bianca Hall to discuss this remarkable love story.

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A consumer-led spending surge after last year’s Delta-lockdowns has recouped all of the economy’s coronavirus losses, according to the latest national accounts figures.

The Australian economy expanded by 3.4 per cent through the final three months of 2021, while household spending increased by 6.3 per cent.

Australians are saving more than before the pandemic, putting aside more than 13 per cent of their pay packets.

But cost of living pressures are real - wages grew by 2.3 per cent in the year to December, while inflation’s up by 3.5 per cent in the same period.

Today on Please Explain, Bianca Hall is joined by senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.

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As Russian troops continue to attack the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed on Russia are coming into question.

In a joint statement over the weekend, the US, the European Union and other nations announced a suite of sanctions, including a measure which has been described as the “nuclear option” when it comes to economic sanctions; namely, booting Russian banks off a messaging system known as SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) which helps facilitate trillions of dollars in global banking transactions each year.

The move has brought this obscure part of the global banking system into the spotlight. So, what is SWIFT, and what impact will banning Russian banks from it have?

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Clancy Yeates joins Jess Irvine to discuss.

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The weather system that caused widespread flooding and destroyed thousands of homes in Queensland has now moved into New South Wales causing a natural disaster of unprecedented proportions.

Hundreds remain trapped or missing and almost 16 thousand people are subject to evacuation orders in areas across New South Wales.

Yesterday, the regional centre of Lismore was inundated with rain causing widespread flooding to a degree that had not been seen before.

The fast rising waters left many requiring rescue and a combined effort from emergency services and the community. People are still being rescued from flooded homes today.

Today on Please Explain, The Sydney Morning Herald’s deputy opinion editor Catherine Naylor joins Nathaneal Cooper. She was holidaying in nearby Ballina and travelled to Lismore to cover the unfolding crisis before joining the rescue effort.

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Queensland is in the midst of a major flood emergency as warnings are issued from Bundaberg to the border.

The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted major flood levels to rise in Brisbane as well as Ipswich and despite a break in the torrential rain, waters are expected to continue rising for a number of days.

Rainfall totals between 400 and 800 millimetres have been recorded across Brisbane and Ipswich over the past four days, causing widespread and significant flooding.

So far seven deaths have been recorded in Queensland during the flooding emergency, and in New South Wales, where the weather system has now moved, a man is missing in Lismore.

Today on Please Explain, Brisbane Times editor Sean Parnell joins Nathanael Cooper to tell us how locals are coping and when the water will subside.

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On Thursday afternoon Australian time Russian president Vladimir Putin announced his country would begin a “special military operation” in sovereign Ukrainian territory.

Almost immediately Russian troops began attacking various parts of the country. The move could become the most significant conflict in Europe since World War Two.

Today on Please Explain, international editor Peter Hartcher joins Nathanael Cooper to tell us how Russia and Ukraine reached this point and what the consequences are globally.

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This week, the heads of major supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths both issued dire warnings over the rising cost of groceries.

With COVID wreaking havoc on global supply chains and the Ukraine crisis driving oil prices back up, inflation is back on the menu, and wage growth is failing to keep pace.

Today on Please Explain, Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Dominic Powell to discuss the issue of rising inflation and its impact on our weekly shop.

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New polling from Resolve Strategic exclusively for our mastheads has revealed more than half of voters expect their income to fall in real terms this year.

The polling, which showed just 12 per cent of voters expect their personal income will increase above the rate of inflation, sets up an election fight over the cost of living.

Outside parliament, the government’s slow response to issues that impact women like equality and domestic violence has done little to change the perception.

Today on Please Explain, executive editor Tory Maguire joins Nathaneal Cooper to look at the latest Resolve Strategic polling and the disquiet around the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Also today, we launch a new segment for Please Explain. Europe faces its greatest geo-political crisis since the second world war as Russian president Vladimir Putin sends troops into parts of Eastern Ukraine. Each day we will speak to our experts around the globe about the crisis in Ukraine and bring it directly to our listeners on Please Explain.

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Australian tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and Canadian asset management company Brookfield have made an audacious takeover bid for AGL.

The $8 billion offer would come with a promise to spend up to $20 billion to convert Australia’s highest-emitting power company to a clean energy giant and it would speed up plans to close AGL’s coal plants by 2030.

AGL rejected the offer, but Mr Cannon-Brookes has indicated he’ll continue to pursue the bid.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison argues the plan to close power plants before their end time would drive up power prices, but Mr Cannon Brookes says delaying the transition to renewables would be much more costly.

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Nick Toscano joins Bianca Hall to discuss the AGL takeover bid, and what it tells us about the future of renewables in Australia.

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The government has spent the past week engaged in increasingly frenzied attacks on Labor’s supposed weakness on national security and China.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was forced to withdraw a charge in Parliament that Labor’s deputy leader Richard Marles was a "Manchurian candidate". He also claimed Anthony Albanese was the “Chinese government’s pick at this election”.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess has warned the escalating rhetoric, and politicisation of national security, was “not helpful” for the security agency.

As a May election looms, the Coalition has sought to highlight international uncertainties in an attempt to prove its stability credentials at home. But how is this tactic playing out in the suburbs and marginal electorates of Australia?

Today on Please Explain political and international editor Peter Hartcher joins Bianca Hall to discuss the effects the Coalition's verbal war on China is having at home.

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When coronavirus first breached our borders, one of the first people to be diagnosed with the virus was not an Australian but Hollywood star Tom Hanks.

Hanks was in Australia to film Baz Luhrmann’s biopic about Elvis Presley and his positive diagnosis shuttered the film set for weeks before the nationwide shutdown stopped filming entirely.

But today, the first trailer for the film dropped after Luhrman and his team powered through various lockdowns and restrictions to get the film completed.

Today on Please Explain, senior writer Garry Maddox joins Nathanael Cooper to talk about the struggles to get Elvis made, and the struggles of the industry more widely.

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Scott Morrison’s successful re-election in 2019 heralded an era of quiet on leadership ructions as the country managed to hold on to one prime minister for a comparatively long period of time.

But as the coalition careens from disaster to disaster and the Prime Minister’s personal approval rating plummets in various polls, the drums of disquiet have begun their familiar beat.

Today on Please Explain, award-winning political commentator and author Niki Savva joins Nathanael Cooper to look at why it is unlikely we will get a new Prime Minister before the election is called.

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After a disastrous start to the year for the Prime Minister that has involved leaked text messages, a failed religious discrimination bill and intense scrutiny over the way the government has treated women, Scott Morrison has found himself in hot water again this week.

In a speech delivered to mark 14 years since the Rudd government issued an apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples, Mr Morrison said, “sorry is not the hardest word to say, the hardest is I forgive you”.

The speech prompted fury from Indigenous leaders around the country, including a statement from the First People’s Assembly of Victoria which simply said, “Get in the bin”.

While the Prime Minister didn’t downplay the seriousness of the trauma inflicted upon the Stolen Generations, he has been criticised for the implication that survivors must give their forgiveness in order to heal.

Today on Please Explain, Indigenous affairs reporter and Gamilaroi man Cameron Gooley joins Nathanael Cooper to explore why the Prime Minister’s comments were so poorly received.

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One of the country’s most high-profile and high-stakes defamation hearings has heard damaging allegations about former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, whose estranged wife accused him of pressuring her to lie about his affair with another woman.

Emma Roberts resumed her evidence on Tuesday in defamation proceedings launched by Mr Roberts-Smith against The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times, denying she was seeking to “dump on” him by giving evidence against him in court.

The ongoing case pits the media organisations against the highly decorated former soldier, who was awarded a Victoria Cross in 2011.

A series of articles published in 2018 alleged Mr Roberts-Smith committed or was involved in six murders of Afghans under the control of Australian troops, when they cannot be killed under the rules of engagement, and of punching his former girlfriend in the face.

Mr Roberts-Smith denies the allegations and maintains any killings in Afghanistan were carried out lawfully in the heat of battle. He further denies he ever struck his former girlfriend.

The media outlets are seeking to rely on a defence of truth.

Today on Please Explain, senior writer Deborah Snow joins Bianca Hall to talk about this extraordinary defamation action.

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Today's Super Bowl was everything you'd hope for, with late drama, half-time spectacle, and of course those adverts.

And in case you missed it, the L.A. Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20.

For the Australian perspective on today's Please Explain, the SMH's Chief Sports Writer Andrew Webster joins Bianca Hall to talk us through it.

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Last weekend The Sun newspaper in the UK revealed Britain’s channel 5 television station was not renewing its relationship with the long-running Australian series Neighbours.

The relationship with the UK was something of a lifeline for the show – with the millions of pounds invested by Channel 5 shoring up the show’s budget after its Australian broadcaster, Network 10, moved it from its lucrative slot after the news to the multichannel.

Now, the show’s future is in doubt and if an alternative UK broadcaster isn’t found, visits to Ramsay Street may be no more.

Today on Please Explain, culture editor-at-large Michael Idato, who has been covering Neighbours for nearly as long as the show has existed, joins Nathanael Cooper to look at its history, impact, and its future.

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Following a marathon session of Parliament overnight, the federal government’s contentious Religious Discrimination Bill has passed through the House of Representatives.

The government’s proposal was that religious schools would be banned from expelling students based on their sexual orientation, but those same rights were not extended to transgender students.

In a blow to the government, an amendment to protect transgender students passed with five Liberal MPs crossing the floor to vote with Labor and the crossbench.

Today on Please Explain, columnist, author of The Game and former adviser to Labor PMs, Sean Kelly, joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the calamity these bills have created.

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It’s the latest craze sweeping the internet. NFTs, or “non-fungible tokens”, have been snapped up by celebrities from Jimmy Fallon to Justin Bieber.

They are most well known in the form of digital artworks, such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection, featuring a series of bored-looking apes. There are many others, of course, and last year the venerated auction house Sotheby’s sold an NFT for $US69 million.

So, it’s time to figure out, what is an NFT? How are they created? How do you buy one? And do they have potentially broader social applications than just cute pictures of primates?

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Dominic Powell joins Jess Irvine to unpack it all.

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Australia has won gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics, which kicked off on Friday with a dazzling opening ceremony and in freezing conditions.

The Games are being staged as the Omicron variant sweeps the globe, but officials are adamant their hardline zero-COVID approach will keep athletes and crews safe.

Authorities have intercepted hundreds of athletes who have tested positive for COVID-19 and sent them into isolation, but conditions are even stricter outside the bubble.

On Sunday Chinese authorities sent the city of Baise – home to more than 3.5 million people – into lockdown after 98 cases were recorded.

Today on Please Explain, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw joins Bianca Hall to talk about these unique Winter Olympics.

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An explosive text message from Barnaby Joyce to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins was made public on Friday night, capping off a dire week for the Morrison government.

The text, sent to a third party with the instruction to send it on to Ms Higgins, branded the Prime Minister a liar and a hypocrite.

It came after the leaking of earlier texts, purportedly between an un-named cabinet minister and former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian, referring to the Prime Minister as a “horrible, horrible person” and a “psycho”.

The leaked messages, and the days of blame and counter-blame that followed, have been a distraction for the government, and threaten to dominate this week too, with Parliament resuming on Tuesday.

Today on Please Explain, political correspondent James Massola joins Bianca Hall to talk about those text messages, and what we can expect this week.

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The relationship between the media and politicians has long been a complicated one.

On one hand is the role of the media to hold truth to power. On the other is that that truth can often be uncomfortable for politicians.

This complexity was on show this week when Network Ten political editor Peter Van Onselen exposed messages between former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and a federal cabinet minister describing the Prime Minister as a “horrible, horrible man” and a “psycho”.

Today on Please Explain, former press gallery journalist, now national correspondent, Matthew Knott, joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the relationship between journalists and politicians.

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Audio streaming service Spotify has been making headlines this week after folk rock legend Neil Young asked the service to remove his music.

The Canadian-American songwriter took umbrage to episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast Spotify reportedly paid around US$100 million to host exclusively on their platform.

Young said the podcast aired “dangerous life-threatening COVID-19 falsehoods”.

Today on Please Explain, senior culture writer Karl Quinn joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the controversy between Neil Young and Spotify.

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The median price of an Australian home increased 22.4 per cent over the past year – the biggest annual percentage gain in more than three decades. That’s a $131,000 jump in just 12 months, according to CoreLogic data.

A separate Domain survey of the value of free-standing houses (excluding apartments) shows the median house will now set you back $1.6 million in Sydney and $1.1 million in Melbourne.

Historically low-interest rates and COVID-19 disruptions have both played a role in pushing up home values last year. So, amid talk of interest rate rises, what does 2022 hold in store for home values?

Today on Please Explain, national property editor Chris Harrison joins Jess Irvine to discuss.

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Millions of school students have returned to classrooms this week after two years of interrupted learning thanks to COVID-19.

Students in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra will be provided with free rapid antigen tests, while in other states students will need to monitor for symptoms and test if symptoms appear.

There are hopes schools will, in the main, stay open, but there’s widespread acceptance that case numbers will rise, which is leaving some parents, educators and students nervous.

Today on Please Explain, education reporters Natassia Chrysanthos and Adam Carey join Bianca Hall to look at the return to school.

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Rafael Nadal served a thrilling final to the Australian Open on Sunday, beating Daniil Medvedev of Russia in five sets played over a gruelling five hours and 24 minutes.

The 35-year-old Spaniard becomes the first man to win 21 grand slam singles titles, and just a month after contracting Covid-19.

His epic victory caps off an action-packed Australian Open, with women’s singles winner Ash Barty capturing hearts and minds on Saturday and fellow Australians Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis winning the men’s doubles in a dynamic and high-energy match.

Today on Please Explain, sports reporter Scott Spits joins Bianca Hall to recap the tournament’s highlights.

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The Central Land Council, one of Australia’s most powerful Aboriginal land councils, has called for a lockdown in central Australia as coronavirus spreads through vulnerable Indigenous communities.

Just over half the Indigenous population in the Northern Territory has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, but growing case numbers in Aboriginal communities have prompted the Central Land Council to accuse the NT government of failing Central Australia.

Today on Please Explain, Indigenous affairs reporter Cameron Gooley joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the outbreak in central Australia.

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The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine is increasing, with more than 125,000 Russian troops gathering on the border.

Even as both sides agree to uphold a 2014 ceasefire agreement, tensions are spiralling and troops at the border appear to be readying for war.

Today on Please Explain, political and international editor Peter Hartcher joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the looming crisis.

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The history of Australia’s national flag – the blue one, with the stars and the Union Jack – is well known to most Australians. We’re taught it at school.

But do you know the full history of the iconic Aboriginal flag, which in 1995 was also recognised as an official flag of Australia?

Most of us don’t. But an announcement this week by the Prime Minister that taxpayers will pay $20 million to secure the original copyright of the image, and some licence rights, is a chance to change that.

Today on Please Explain, national affairs editor Rob Harris joins Jess Irvine to discuss it.

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It’s been two years since Australia first recorded a case of COVID-19, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about the virus itself.

On Christmas Day, Australia had recorded a cumulative total of 300,594 coronavirus cases. Last week, that number climbed to 1.95 million infections.

The scale of new infections has stretched graphs so far upward it looks like the first two years of the pandemic simply did not happen. Despite this, the number of people in hospital suffering from COVID-19 is relatively stable, and this morning we’ve woken to headlines declaring the worst is over.

Today on Please Explain, national science reporter Liam Mannix joins executive editor Tory Maguire to explain what the new phase of the coronavirus pandemic means, and if there’ll ever be an end to it.

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Novak Djokovic’s visa debacle may have dominated the headlines around the Australian Open, but after a week the grand slam has settled into what it is supposed to be: great games of tennis.

From shocking defeats like Anisimova’s come from behind win over Osaka, to sensational triumphs like Ash Barty’s sensational performance this year, the players themselves have proved the Australian Open is indeed bigger than one player.

Today on Please Explain,The Age’s sports reporter Sam McClure joins Nathanael Cooper on week two of the Open to discuss who could take home the Grand Slam title.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has taken a battering from voters over his handling of the pandemic during a time of heightened anxiety over the Omicron strain and fury over the home testing kit shortage.

Voters used to say Morrison and the Coalition were listening to them and focused on the right issues. He led on this measure by 13 percentage points last May when case numbers were down and budget spending was up.

Now Anthony Albanese and Labor hold the upper hand on the same question.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Tory Maguire to explain the political climate with data from the Resolve Political Monitor, a national sample collected monthly by Resolve Strategic on behalf of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

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For nearly two years, Australia and our health system weathered the pandemic with relatively low case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths compared to the rest of the world.

But when the easing of restrictions coincided with the Omicron variant, everything changed.

Now, the health system is inundated. Elective surgery has been postponed in many states, emergency departments are flooded with possible COVID-19 cases forcing them to triage patients separately and, in Victoria, a “code brown” has been declared with all health workers recalled from leave.

Today on Please Explain, emergency physician Dr Simon Judkins, who is on the board of the Australian Medical Association and works on the front line, joins Nathanael Cooper to take us inside Australia’s collapsing health system.

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The world’s biggest money manager, BlackRock, has issued a stern warning to companies that they must decarbonise or die.

Chairman Larry Fink has written to chief executives warning them not to dismiss environmentalism as simply a “woke” issue but instead a key consideration of “effective capitalism”.

Today on Please Explain, national climate and environment editor Nick O’Malley joins Jess Irvine to discuss what 2022 holds in store for climate action.

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Earlier this month the world’s oceans recorded their hottest temperatures in more than 60 years.

The temperature of the ocean impacts everything from marine life relied on by ocean communities for fishing; to the Great Barrier Reef’s ongoing crisis to the stability of fragile arctic and antarctic ecosystems; to more significant weather events like cyclones and floods.

Today on Please Explain, environment reporter Laura Chung joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the impact of the recent heating of the ocean.

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Sharks have been in our oceans for the past 450 million years. Their ancestors fought against the dinosaurs. But what do we really know about why these big fish bite? And what role might our changing climate be playing in the increase in shark bites?

Today on Please Explain, explainer reporter Sherryn Groch joins Bianca Hall to take a deep dive into the mindset of these fascinating and increasingly threatened apex predators.

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The Australian accent is a curious beast that is constantly evolving.

Depending on where you come from you might say “good day” rather than “g’day”, pronounce the Melbourne Bayside suburb of Brighton differently to your neighbour, or even argue over the pronunciation of words like “plant” and “dance”.

From the development of our accent, derived from the early settlers who arrived as convicts from all over the United Kingdom, to more recent influences from America, the Pacific Islands and even text messaging, you might not think you have an Australian accent, but you absolutely do.

Whether it’s Paul Hogan’s thick ’strayan or Cate Blanchett’s posh, refined dialect, the evolution of how we speak is fascinating.

Today on Please Explain, senior culture writer Karl Quinn joins Nathanael Cooper to discover more about the Aussie accent.

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This festive season, many of us will over-indulge in alcohol at some point.

Characterised by a churning stomach, nausea, headaches and, perhaps, morning-after anxiety, hangovers are an unpleasant consequence of over consumption.

The reasons we get hangovers are complex. Many people have their own tried and tested remedies, but is there any scientific basis to them?

Today on Please Explain, health reporter Melissa Cunningham joins Bianca Hall to talk about what, if anything, beats a hangover.

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For two decades the threat of terrorism has been present and we face ongoing threats of foreign interference, as well as serious and organised crime on our own shores.

Among the agencies responsible for keeping us safe from foreign and domestic threats is what is known as the “national security community”, or Australia’s spies.

But are there Australian James Bonds running operations around the world? Is there a Q-like character in a building in Canberra preventing cyber attacks? And what is the role of the growing intelligence community within state police forces?

Today on Please Explain, National Security and Foreign Affairs correspondent Anthony Galloway joins Nathanael Cooper to find out more about Aussie spooks.

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Love at first sight: poets, musicians and writers have been captivated by the phenomenon for centuries, trying to pin down its elusive nature.

But what is love at first sight? Is it lust that can transform into romantic love over time, or something more profound?

And what have scientists learned about why we are attracted to some people and not others?

Today on Please Explain, national lifestyle editor Julia Naughton joins Bianca Hall to talk about love at first sight and the chemical processes that underpin sexual attraction.

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Spiky critters that lay eggs. Warm-blooded creatures with duck-like bills. Kangaroos that live in trees. There’s no doubt that Australia has some strange animals.

When you scratch the surface, Australia’s wildlife is even stranger than it appears, with odd behaviours including drumming cockatoos.

There’s still much we don’t know about why our creatures are so unique. What we do know is that we’re losing species to extinction, at one of the highest rates in the world.

Today on Please Explain Journalist Mike Foley joins Rachel Clun to explain exactly how strange they are.

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Anxiety has been described as the defining mental health issue of our decade, even before the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns.

But it grew ever larger during the past two years, with record numbers of Australians reporting moderate to severe mental distress during COVID-19 restrictions.

In its most basic form, anxiety is a very normal human emotion and one which we all feel from time to time.

Today on Please Explain, senior writer Wendy Tuohy joins Bianca Hall to talk about anxiety and how to tell when the normal emotion tips over the edge into full-blown anxiety disorder.

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The will-he-wont-he play obsession around Novak Djokovic is over after the Serbian tennis star was told he would be deported after failing to meet Australia’s strict border security measures.

The revelation caused a stream of outrage on social media with calls to boycott the Australian Open, and criticism of both the Victorian and federal governments for allowing him to enter, despite his unclear vaccination status and the grounds under which he was granted an exemption.

Today on Please Explain, The Age’s Paul Sakkal joins Nathanael Cooper to look at what brought Djokovic to this point.

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Widely considered as one of the most athletic artistic pursuits, ballet requires dancers to execute complicated choreography.

Even a minor injury can end a career, and major injuries can be catastrophic.

But as ballet companies around the world continue their focus on dancer health and bring medical doctors and other allied health professionals on staff, a time when injuries are rare and recovery is easier could be around the corner.

Today on Please Explain, The Age’s arts editor Nick Miller, who has written an explainer on how to fix busted ballet dancers, joins Nathanael Cooper to look at how they do it.

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Each year on January 1, the National Archives release cabinet records that have been held in secret for two decades.

The release of the documents each year provides a fascinating insight into the behind-closed-doors thinking of the politicians in power at the time, but this year’s release is particularly significant.

Papers released on Saturday cover a momentous year in world and Australian politics.

From the Tampa Affair to September 11 and the subsequent war on terrorism, decisions made in 2001 still affect our lives.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Nathanael Cooper to look at some highlights of this year’s documents.

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2021 was a shocker for the Coalition as they careened from one disaster, barely stopping for air before crashing into the next. Morrison’s handling of multiple scandals involving women, the vaccine rollout and a spectacular budget deficit may all come back to bite him when Australia goes to the polls.

But a lacklustre opposition, falling unemployment rates and an economic bounce-back post pandemic could help Morrison get over the line.

Today on Please Explain, Executive Editor Tory Maguire joins Nathanael Cooper to look ahead at the year in politics.

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This year journalists at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age won 50 awards for their journalism, uncovered corruption, saw Crown unfit to hold a casino licence in NSW, exposed the rise of right-wing extremism in Australia and resulted in an investigation into cowboy cosmetic surgeon Daniel Lanzer.

Our journalism made The Sydney Morning Herald the most read masthead in the country and The Age the second most read. The Age is the most read publication in Melbourne.

And thanks to podcast listeners, our podcasts were downloaded more than 10 million times.

In a post-truth era, when Facebook and fake news dominate, respected, quality journalism is more important than ever.

Today on Please Explain, executive editor Tory Maguire joins Nathanael Cooper to talk about the impact of our journalism.

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2021 has been an amazing year for books – even with the complications of a pandemic – with strong debuts from Alice Pung and Diana Reid, another winner from Liane Moriarty and some blockbusters from international authors such as Lauren Groff and our own writers Sean Kelly and Annika Smethurst.

Today on Please Explain, deputy culture editor Melanie Kembrey joins Nathanael Cooper for a guide on what to read this summer.

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Sharemarkets certainly had a bumpy ride in 2022. A once in a century pandemic, of course. But also concern that an extraordinary period of easy money is about to come to an end, as policymakers start to wind back stimulus and normalise interest rates.

Shares delivered healthy returns last financial year, before hitting some turbulence late in the calendar year.

Today on Please Explain, senior business columnist, Stephen Bartholomeusz joins Jess Irvine to find out where are shares heading in 2022.

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The lead up to Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day sales period is the most important time of the year for retailers.

But 2021 has not been an easy year. There are now fresh warnings so-called ‘supply chain issues’ could drag out until 2024.

Today on Please Explain, retail reporter Dominic Powell joins Jess Irvine to discuss the outlook for shopping – and prices – in 2022.

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Since reality television star Donald Trump ascended to the presidency on January 20, 2017 the United States has undergone years of madness, sadness and, until his defeat at last year’s election, chaotic tweets.

The 45th President of the United States presided over one of the most bizarre terms in American politics and his demise, in November 2020, did not immediately restore calm.

North America correspondent Matthew Knott arrived in the United States in the midst of the chaos to cover the Trump administration and as his tenure winds up, and he returns to Australia, he joins Nathanael Cooper on Please Explain to look at what has been and what is to come.

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On Thursday the Federal Government released its mid-year economic and fiscal outlook, which, as the name suggests updates the economic and fiscal outlook since the last budget.

While the budget is forecast to stay in deficit at least until the end of this decade, there are promising signs on the horizon with further wage growth and declining unemployment rates.

But all predictions rely on Covid-led lockdowns being behind us, and as the two largest states struggle through an outbreak of the new Omicron strain, fears around the continued success of the rebound grow.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe, who described the MYEFO as a ‘hot mess’ budget joins Nathanael Cooper to explain what he means.

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The easing of restrictions in various parts of Australia and the opening of international borders coincided with the emergence of a new variant of COVID-19: Omicron.

The new strain of the virus that has caused havoc around the globe is still being studied by scientists, but early evidence from southern Africa – where Omicron emerged – has shown that while vaccines seem to be less effective against this strain it may also be less harmful than earlier variants.

Today on Please Explain,health reporters Lucy Carroll and Timna Jacks join Nathanael Cooper to help understand the variant and how it may impact our lives as we come closer to the festive season.

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Liberal-held electorates received three times more taxpayer money than Labor-held seats over a three year period spanning the last federal election. That’s the finding of an exclusive analysis by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age released today.

Two of our journalists examined an astounding 19,123 individual government grants to local communities totalling $2.8 billion in taxpayer money.

Their results reveal a highly politicised system rife with uneven spending, which experts have slammed as “soft bribery” and “a corruption of our democracy”.

Today on Please Explain, political reporter Katina Curtis and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright join Jess Irvine to discuss.

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Julian Assange is an Australian journalist, publisher and citizen, and he’s facing 175 years in a US prison if he is extradited there from Britain.

For such a high-profile Australian, our political leaders have been remarkably silent on his fate – save a few notable exceptions.

One of those exceptions is Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, who has today called for Assange to be tried in Britain or released to Australia.

Today on Please Explain, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Anthony Galloway joins Bianca Hall to discuss Assange’s case, and Mr Joyce’s intervention.

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Australians over the age of 18 are now eligible for booster doses five months after their second dose, after the federal government expanded the vaccine program on the weekend.

Moderna also joins Pfizer as a preferred vaccine for booster doses.

Today on Please Explain, explainer reporter Sherryn Groch joins Bianca Hall to discuss how boosters work, and why vaccinating developing countries will be crucial in countering new variants of coronavirus.

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Queensland’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk increased her popularity in last year’s state election, largely due to her handling of the first half of the pandemic which saw the state left relatively unscathed by the virus.

But as the border arrangements caused economic struggles throughout the state and left families unable to see each other, has that popularity remained intact?

Today on Please Explain, Brisbane Times editor Sean Parnell joins Nathanael Cooper to bring us up to speed from the other side of the border.

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This year, the Australian music industry has faced its reckoning over poor treatment of women inside record labels and more broadly.

A forensic focus on the culture in Australian music began in April when a senior executive at Sony Music was fired after an investigation into allegations of bullying and harassment against him – claims which he denies.

The culture within Sony Music was revealed in a series of stories by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, which lead to an internal review at the label.

Now, after months of pressure from the media and survivors, the industry is turning the spotlight on itself and has announced a wide-ranging review.

Please Explain host Nathanael Cooper has been covering this issue all year. He joins Rachel Clun to bring us the latest.

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’Tis the season to let loose the purse strings and spend up big – so can Aussie workers hope for a pay rise in 2022 to help pick up some of the festive tab??

In the United States, wages are already growing at their fastest pace in two decades. Consumer prices are also rising at above 6 per cent, prompting the US Federal Reserve Board chair Jerome Powell last week to ditch the term “transitory” to describe inflation.

Today on Please Explain, senior business columnist Stephen Bartholomeusz joins Jess Irvine to discuss whether higher US wages and interest rates could spill over here.

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Labor’s election campaign kicked off in earnest at the weekend, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison has barely drawn breath in recent days.

The election might be months away, but the unofficial campaign is well and truly underway.

Today on Please Explain, associate editor and special writer Tony Wright, who has been covering elections since 1983, joins Bianca Hall for a look back at the hits and misses of elections over the years.

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A surge in income and company tax collection, as well as lower-than-expected unemployment rates, are helping the federal budget recover from the COVID-19 recession.

New Finance Department data shows the budget deficit to the end of October was $7.9 billion better than forecast.

But the budget is still on track to show a deficit between $80 billion and $90 billion, meaning whoever wins the coming federal election will also inherit some tough budget repair decisions.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Bianca Hall to discuss how the budget bottom line could influence the looming election.

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The commission was set up in July to examine the higher rate of suicide and attempted suicide among serving and former members of the Australian Defence Force.

So far, the commission has received more than 800 submissions and according to the counsel assisting the commission a common thread has already appeared in those they have examined.

They included bullying, the treatment of women, sexual assaults, physical assaults, better protection for younger members, better support after deployment, and better support for members after they leave the service and adjust to civilian life.

The first days of the commission’s public hearings have heard harrowing testimony from the family of members of the Defence Force who have taken their lives.

Today on Please Explain, Brisbane Times reporter Toby Crockford joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the first week of the commission.

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On Tuesday, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins damning report into workplace culture at parliament house was handed down.

The report found one in three parliamentary staffers working in Commonwealth parliamentary offices have personally experienced sexual harassment.

More than half of the staff who responded to the survey said they have experienced at least one incident of bullying, sexual harassment or actual or attempted sexual assault.

Today on Please Explain, federal politics reporter Katina Curtis joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the review and the recommendations.

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From humble beginnings, Australia's startup setup scene has entered a new phase of maturity.

While still a long way from Silicone Valley, the success of Aussie startups-turned-global-giants such as Atlassian, Canva and Afterpay has blazed a trail on which there appears no shortage of young Aussies hoping to follow.

According to venture capitalist Nick Crocker, there's never been a better time to found a company in Australia. Nick is one of eight young business leaders featured on a new podcast series Futurepreneur.

Today on Please Explain, national business editor John McDuling joins Jess Irvine to discuss the new podcast series which delves behind the scenes of Australia's startup scene.

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The government has vowed to tackle online bullying through new laws that would compel social media giants to “unmask” anonymous trolls who make defamatory comments online.

It says the new laws would give victims the power to then sue those unmasked trolls for defamation.

The proposed laws also seek to circumvent a High Court ruling that found media companies are responsible as publishers for defamatory comments on their social media posts.

Under the new regime, a social media company would be legally responsible for the defamatory posts unless they revealed to the victim the identity of the trolls.

But critics say the laws would do little to tackle online bullying.

Today on Please Explain, legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn joins Bianca Hall to discuss the proposals and how they could work in practice.

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The World Health Organisation on Friday labelled the new coronavirus strain Omicron a “variant of concern”.

Australia’s national cabinet will meet this week to discuss our national response, which could include extending quarantine for incoming arrivals.

While the new variant has sparked concern among a world fatigued by COVID-19, scientists and leading medical officials are cautioning it’s too soon to know how dangerous this variant is.

Today on Please Explain, federal health reporter Rachel Clun joins Bianca Hall to discuss Australia’s response to the threat posed by Omicron, and how the new strain’s emergence highlights the urgency of vaccinating developing countries.

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It’s been a dramatic week in Parliament with seven Coalition MPs crossing the floor to vote against the government in protest against vaccination mandates and a lack of a federal corruption commission.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison stepped up his rhetoric against a federal corruption commission on Thursday after Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer backed an independent push to establish a national watchdog.

The Prime Minister also introduced the religious discrimination bill to Parliament on Thursday. That bill has highlighted divisions within the Coalition, with several moderate liberals urging the government to protect gay students and teachers.

Chief Political correspondent David Crowe joined Rachel Clun in Canberra to discuss what happened in the second last week of Parliament for the year.

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The government’s attempt to push through controversial voter ID laws before the next election now hangs on a handful of crossbenchers.

Labor and the Greens are strongly opposed to the laws, which have been described as racist and discriminatory.

The government now needs the support of One Nation, which has announced a boycott on government bills unless the government moves to block states imposing vaccine mandates.

It would also need the support of either Jacqui Lambie or Centre Alliance’s Stirling Griff.

Today on Please Explain, political reporter Katina Curtis joins Bianca Hall to discuss the controversial proposals, which must pass the Senate by next week if they’re to take effect at the next election.

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Australian taxpayers are on course to pay their highest average personal income tax rate since the turn of the century, according to a recent analysis.

In 1959, Aussie workers had, on average, just 12 per cent of their pay packets set aside as income tax.

That is set to rise to 25.5 per cent over the coming decade, according to the analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office. And that’s after factoring in massive tax cuts scheduled to kick in for higher income workers in 2024.

Today on Please Explain, economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Jess Irvine to discuss whether the looming federal election means more personal income tax cuts are on their way.

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Voters have given Prime Minister Scott Morrison a net performance rating of minus nine per cent, ahead of a difficult fortnight for the government.

Forty-nine per cent of voters surveyed in the Resolve poll, conducted for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, said Mr Morrison was doing a poor job as Prime Minister, while 40 per cent said he was doing a good job.

It comes as two government senators and one lower-house MP threaten to withhold support for bills before Parliament unless the government moves to end state vaccine mandates.

If maverick MP George Christensen makes good on his threat, the government could struggle to pass laws including its religious freedom bill.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Bianca Hall to discuss what’s ahead for the final two sitting weeks of Parliament for the year.

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Timber industry advocates have lodged several freedom of information requests for correspondence between Australian National University scientist David Lindenmayer and journalists, including from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

One forestry advocate said the FOI requests were made to better understand the connection between ANU’s Fenner School of Environment and Society and sections of the media.

But the ANU said it would be concerned if the move dissuaded academics from speaking freely to journalists.

Today on Please Explain, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley joins Bianca Hall to discuss the rocky relationship between one of Australia’s top climate scientists and sections of the timber industry.

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Seven years ago, William Tyrrell disappeared from a home in the town of Kendall on the mid-north coast of NSW.

The three-year-old’s disappearance sparked a massive search. That soon became a protracted police investigation, as bushland was scoured and hundreds of people were interviewed in the hopes of discovering what happened to the little boy.

This week, that investigation narrowed, focusing on a small patch of bush near the Kendall home, and homing in on one person of interest – his foster mother.

Crime reporter Sally Rawsthorne spent most of the week in Kendall as investigators sifted through dirt and looked for fresh evidence in the hopes of bringing closure to the case, and spoke to Rachel Clun about the investigation.

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Victoria is opening up, with a wide range of freedoms returning from midnight on Thursday.

The announcement comes ahead of state of emergency laws, which governed everything from mask wearing to density caps in venues, expiring on December 15.

The government’s plan to replace those laws with a controversial new pandemic legislation was thrown into chaos after former minister Adem Somyurek announced he’d vote against the bill.

Today on Please Explain, state political editor Annika Smethurst joins Bianca Hall to discuss Victoria’s new-found freedoms and the fractious debate around the state government’s new pandemic laws.

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So far around the country, more than 17 million people have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

That number doesn’t include young children, and while the medical regulator is considering vaccines for five to 11-year-olds, our youngest are unlikely to get vaccinated anytime soon.

While there are plans on managing COVID-19 in settings including aged care facilities, hospitals and schools, there’s no such national plan for dealing with the virus in childcare centres.

Today on Please Explain, political reporter Katina Curtis joins Rachel Clun to discuss what is and isn’t happening to keep COVID-19 out of childcare.

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The relationship between the national broadcaster and the government has fallen to its lowest ebb in years, with ABC chair Ita Buttrose describing the situation as “strained”.

Ms Buttrose launched a blistering attack on the government after Liberal senator Andrew Bragg instigated a Senate inquiry into the ABC and SBS’s complaints handling systems.

Today on Please Explain, political reporter Lisa Visentin joins Bianca Hall to discuss the Senate inquiry, and how it might play out amid the federal election campaign.

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The Glasgow climate summit ended on the weekend with a deal that targeted fossil fuels for the first time.

But many member states and observers were left disappointed, after a last-minute intervention from India meant a planned call for member states to “phase-out” coal use was diluted to read “phase down” coal.

Today on Please Explain, national environment and climate editor Nick O’Malley joins Bianca Hall to discuss the Glasgow Climate Pact, and what happened behind the scenes at the UN summit.

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In the far north-west of NSW sits the tiny town of Boggabilla. Home to about 500 residents, it is on the Queensland border and for most of the pandemic has formed a border bubble with the town of Goondiwindi.

Last week, following an outbreak of COVID-19 cases in nearby Moree, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk popped the bubble, instituting a hard border and depriving Boggabilla of many of the essential services and workers they need.

Boggabilla has one of the lowest vaccination rates in NSW and its predominantly Indigenous population are among the most vulnerable to the virus.

Journalist Jenny Noyes has just returned from Boggabilla and, today on Please Explain, she joins Nathanael Cooper to talk about the crisis the town faces.

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The much anticipated and long-delayed finale to Daniel Craig’s time as James Bond finally lands in Australian cinemas today.

No Time To Die has been thrice delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic after originally being slated for release April last year.

As scrutiny over the Bond franchise’s position in a modern world continues, this iteration of the world-famous spy also sees a new generation of Bond girls and a new kind of James Bond under the pen of Fleabag star Phoebe Waller Bridge.

Today on Please Explain, senior writer Garry Maddox joins Nathanael Cooper to look at where the film fits in the James Bond canon.

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In September, Gladys Berejiklian stood down as NSW premier as a corruption watchdog inquiry loomed. In Victoria, an ongoing branch stacking investigation has so far claimed four state ministers.

At a federal level, there’s currently no such watchdog.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison took the promise of a national integrity commission to the last election, and now, in the last sitting weeks of the year, his plan will be put before parliament.

Today on Please Explain Chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Rachel Clun to discuss whether a federal corruption commission will get off the ground.

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Intensive care wards in Melbourne and Sydney are caring for more than 130 critically ill COVID-19 patients in intensive care beds, with fears that figure is set to rise.

Health workers aren’t just fighting a war against the coronavirus; they are also battling a never-ending scourge of misinformation about the disease.

Today on Please Explain, health reporter Melissa Cunningham joins Bianca Hall to shed light on the intensive care wards caring for some of the country’s most critically ill COVID-19 patients.

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They’ve been described as a potential “game changer” in the fight against COVID-19 – antiviral drugs that could protect people from developing serious illness once they’ve caught the virus.

Today on Please Explain, national science reporter Liam Mannix joins Bianca Hall to discuss two new drugs that could dramatically reduce hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has returned to Australia after a dramatic week in Europe to attend the G20 conference in Rome and the COP26 climate change summit Glasgow.

Mr Morrison intended to use G20 to take aim at social media platforms, but a doorstop interview with French President Emmanuel Macron, where he accused the Australian Prime Minister of lying over the doomed submarine deal, quickly dominated headlines.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Nathanael Cooper to unpack a dramatic week in foreign relations.

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Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia after heart disease, and the leading cause of death among women.

Two per cent of Australians are living with the condition, which can have a devastating impact on quality of life. But where there’s life there’s hope.

Today on Please Explain, Bianca Hall is joined by social affairs editor Jewel Topsfield, who's exploration of what it’s like to live with dementia is one of a number of explainers that appear in a new book from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald called Explain That: 31 Intriguing Reasons Why.

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Just before 1 o’clock on Wednesday morning, West Australian police broke into a locked house in the coastal town of Carnarvon to find missing four-year-old Cleo Smith.

It was a remarkable, happy ending to the search for the young girl, after she disappeared from the family’s tent during a trip to the popular blowholes campsite north of Carnarvon more than two weeks ago.

Today on Please Explain, WAToday reporter Peter De Kruijff joins Rachel Clun to discuss the twists and turns of this case.

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The 11-day corruption inquiry into Gladys Berejiklian has come to an end after the former premier faced two days of grilling over her relationship with disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire.

Throughout the course of the hearings, intimate details of the pair’s relationship were exposed through questioning from the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s counsel assisting, Scott Robertson. The commission heard Berejiklian considered Maguire part of her “love circle” but didn’t consider the relationship significant enough to declare as a potential conflict of interest.

Today on Please Explain, state political editor Alexandra Smith joins Nathanael Cooper to look at what unfolded at the ICAC.

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Australia’s dispute with France escalated dramatically on the last day of the G20 in Rome, when French President Emmanuel Macron accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of having lied about the scrapped submarines deal between the two countries.

It follows US President Joe Biden days earlier describing Australia’s handling of the matter as “clumsy”.

Today on Please Explain, political and international editor Peter Hartcher joins Bianca Hall to discuss the outcomes of the G20 summit in Rome, and Australia’s diplomatic stumbles along the way.

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On Wednesday, Josh Cavallo made history when he became the only openly gay current top-tier professional footballer after he came out in an emotional video and open letter on social media.

Despite his fears around what coming out would mean for his career as a professional footballer, Cavallo was overwhelmed with support from around the world including from other professional footballers at some of the world’s biggest clubs.

Today on Please Explain, football reporter Dominic Bossi joins Nathanael Cooper to look at what this means in the broader context of the sporting world.

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The chances of a rate hike after next year’s federal election are growing after a surprise spike in inflation from record high petrol prices and surging home building costs.

The RBA says it expects to hold the official interest rates until at least 2024 but financial markets, which pushed the Australian dollar and bond rates up after the inflation figures, believe the RBA will push interest rates up.

Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Nathanael Cooper to make sense of the inflation conundrum.

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New polling has found the Nationals have lost 40 per cent of voter support.

The drop from 5 per cent to 3 per cent means weakened support for the government, cutting the Coalition’s primary support from 39 to 37 per cent.

The polling, conducted exclusively by Resolve Strategic for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, was conducted earlier this month while debate raged about climate policy as well as scrutiny on the vaccine rollout and a political storm over hidden donations to former attorney-general Christian Porter.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Nathanael Cooper to go deeper into the numbers and what they mean.

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Dr Daniel Lanzer is Australia’s most well-known cosmetic surgeon, boasting millions of followers on Tik Tok and Instagram.

He’s performed thousands of procedures over more than 30 years and owns facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

But a joint investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and Four Corners has uncovered disturbing allegations of unsafe medical procedures at his clinics.

There were allegations some patients had 10 litres of fat and fluid removed in one procedure, and staff had been asked to store human fat in their fridges at home.

Daniel Lanzer, meanwhile, denies any wrongdoing.

Today on Please Explain, investigative reporter Adele Ferguson joins Bianca Hall to discuss her months-long investigation.

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Australia will take a formal pledge to cut emissions to net-zero by 2050 to the UN climate conference in Glasgow, after the Nationals signed on to the policy at the weekend.

It’s hardly world-beating. Countries taking part in the conference are being urged to commit to drastic measures to cut emissions by half over the next decade, in an effort to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

The UK has committed to reducing emissions by 68 per cent of 1990 levels by 2030, while the United States has committed to a 52 per cent reduction on 2005 levels by 2030.

Australia’s targets of a 26-28 per cent reduction by 2030 have not changed.

Today on Please Explain, environment reporter Miki Perkins joins Bianca Hall to discuss a new project by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald showing the effects of climate change – from increased bushfires to Arctic heatwaves – that are with us already.

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He has been described as the last genuine number eight to wear the Wallabies jersey and until two months ago Toutai Kefu had nowhere near the profile of many of his more famous former team mates.

But Kefu’s quiet life was brutally interrupted recently when, in the pre-dawn hours of August 16, four teenagers broke into the Kefu family home and subjected him, his wife Rachel and their two eldest children to a terrifying home invasion.

Today on Please Explain, Toutai Kefu joins Georgina Robinson to talk about how they are piecing their lives back together.

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The ICAC inquiry into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has begun and, with the first week drawing to a close, several explosive claims have already been made.

From damning evidence about the speed at which funding proposals from disgraced former MP Daryl Maguire were pushed through the bureaucracy, to the shock within Berejiklian’s own office when their relationship was revealed, the first week of the inquiry has offered a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the NSW government.

Today on Please Explain, legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn joins Nathanael Cooper to bring us up to speed on what’s happened so far at the ICAC.

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Will the vaccine hurt? How does it work? How do they make the vaccine, and can I make it?

Children aged 12 and older already qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine, but it’s likely that in coming months kids aged five to 11 will be able to get it too.

In a special episode of Please Explain, we’ve thrown the hosting microphone over to Archie Miles, 10, who interviews co-host Bianca Hall about how COVID-19 vaccines work, and whether kids should get one.

If you have kids or know any kids, make sure you show them this episode or show them the explainer these questions are based on.

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After more than a decade of climate wars in this country, the Morrison government appears on the verge of locking in a target of net zero emissions by 2050 to take to the Glasgow climate summit.

But the Nationals haven’t made the process easy, with threats MPs could quit federal cabinet or even cross the floor.

Today on Please Explain, chief political correspondent David Crowe joins Bianca Hall to discuss the junior Coalition partner’s horse-trading over emissions reductions.

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The electric car revolution has swept through Norway, transforming the country’s car market.

Only 10 years ago diesel cars accounted for 75 per cent of new sales in Norway. Today they make up just 2.3 per cent.

Here in Australia, less than 1 per cent of car sales in 2020 were electric.

Today on Please Explain, Europe correspondent Bevan Shields joins Bianca Hall to discuss Norway’s transition to electric vehicles, and what 80s pop group A-ha had to do with it.

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Tax reform might not be the sexiest topic to discuss over drinks with friends, but the fact is, taxes impact just about every facet of our lives.

In a series of interviews with top economists and tax experts by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, we have found that Australia is in desperate need of an overhaul to its tax system.

Today on Please Explain, economics correspondent Jennifer Duke joins Nathanael Cooper to break down the push for tax reform.

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The NSW government announced a new strategy on Wednesday to develop hydrogen that will help the state cut its carbon footprint in half by 2030 and create new opportunities that could grow the economy by more than $600 million this decade.

But hydrogen as a form of energy has been around for decades and all meaningful attempts to use it as a cleaner form of energy have failed to reach their full potential.

The costs associated with so-called green hydrogen are prohibitive and critics say it will never be the path forward for cleaner energy.

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Nick Toscano joins Nathanael Cooper to talk through the complexities of green hydrogen.

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Australia’s JobKeeper program was designed by Treasury officials at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The aim was to keep workers connected to their jobs by handing employers a $1500 per fortnight subsidy to cover their wage bills.

Any firm which had reasonable grounds to suspect their turnover would fall by at least 30 per cent was eligible to get the money. For some, however, that did not happen. Figures released by Treasury this week have revealed the exact amount of money handed to businesses who did not suffer a decline in their turnover as large as 30 per cent, and indeed, to business who actually increased their turnover during that time.

Today on Please Explain, economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Jess Irvine to discuss whether JobKeeper money wasted.

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An investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes has uncovered shocking allegations of money laundering, fraud and the courting of organised crime figures, linked to Sydney’s Star casino.

It follows a long-running investigation into the behaviour of Crown Resorts, which sparked a Victorian royal commission that is due to report within days.

Today on Please Explain, investigative journalist Nick McKenzie joins Bianca Hall to discuss the allegations of money laundering, and links to organised crime and large-scale fraud, associated with the casino.

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As Australia reaches 62 per cent of eligible people being fully vaccinated, and Sydney opens up to newfound freedoms, there are fresh warnings of the dangers of leaving our neighbours behind.

New research warns that at current vaccination rates, the 70 per cent vaccination target won’t be met until at least 2030 in 20 low-income countries.

And there are growing concerns that deadlier mutations of the virus could evolve in the developing world within the next year.

Today on Please Explain, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Anthony Galloway joins Bianca Hall to discuss the growing inequality in vaccine access, and the threats it poses to us all.

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This weekend The Age will launch an important new series of stories about Truth Telling.

Our series seeks to understand the impact of colonisation on Indigenous Victorians, how Indigenous peoples survived to tell their own stories, and to forge their own future on a path towards the nation’s first Treaty.

With many Indigenous languages already lost or dormant as a result of colonisation, the importance of preserving language, and for all Australians to learn it, has come into sharp focus.

Today on Please Explain, Indigenous affairs journalist Jack Latimore joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the importance of language.

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New research conducted for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has revealed primary vote support for the federal government has fallen to 40 per cent in NSW, down from 43 per cent, and 37 per cent in Victoria down from 39 per cent.

Labor has also lost ground in the two states since the election, down from 35 to 32 per cent in NSW and 37 to 35 per cent in Victoria, in a sign that some voters may have shifted their allegiance to smaller parties and independents until closer to the election.

Today on Please Explain, federal bureau chief Angus Livingston joins Nathanael Cooper to make sense of the numbers.

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It’s been called the world’s biggest-ever data leak of the secretive financial affairs and offshore tax structures used by some of the world’s most rich and famous people, including celebrities like Elton John and Shakira and former British PM Tony Blair.

This week’s Pandora Papers eclipse in size the bombshell Panama Papers, which five years ago revealed the accounts of law firm Mossack Fonseca and led to the resignation of several world leaders and new laws designed to stamp out offshore tax evasion.

Today on Please Explain, business investigative reporter Sarah Danckert joins Jess Irvine to discuss how exactly did this information come to light, and will any heads roll as a result?

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Melbourne today claimed the title of world’s most locked-down city, passing Buenos Aires’ record of 245 days.

The fatigued city also marked another record: 1763 new cases and another four deaths, the highest daily number of cases in any state since the virus arrived in Australia last year.

Today on Please Explain, The Age’s state political reporter Sumeyya Ilanbey joins Bianca Hall to discuss the city’s lockdown – and the pathway out.

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NSW deputy premier John Barilaro announced his resignation from politics on Monday, forcing a by-election in his seat of Monaro and the third across the state.

It comes after former premier Gladys Berejiklian’s resignation on Friday amid an Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry.

Today on Please Explain, The Sydney Morning Herald’s state political editor Alexandra Smith joins Bianca Hall to discuss Ms Berejiklian’s downfall and what sort of premier her likely successor Dominic Perrottet might be.

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On Sunday, this year’s NRL season will come to a head when the Penrith Panthers face the South Sydney Rabbitohs in an epic grand final clash.

For the Panthers it’s a chance to better their runner-up performance in last year’s decider. The Bunnies are after their first trophy since 2014, the last time they made it this far in the competition.

Today on Please Explain, sports reporter Michael Chammas joins Nathanael Cooper to look at what to expect from the 2021 grand final.

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Twenty-five years ago, the worst massacre by a single person in modern Australia occurred when a lone gunman shot and killed 35 people and injured 23 others.

The shooting, in Port Arthur, Tasmania, so horrified people that prime minister John Howard was able to pass sweeping gun control legislation in a matter of days.

Now, that moment in history has been fictionalised on screen in a controversial new film called Nitram, directed by Justin Kurzel.

Today on Please Explain, senior culture writer Karl Quinn joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the film and whether it should have been made.

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A week ago global sharemarkets took a tumble on fears that an imminent collapse of Chinese property giant Evergrande could spark a global financial crisis in the same way as the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers did in 2008.

The Evergrande story is woven into a broader story in China about a massive boom in property prices and construction since the 1990s and recent attempts by the Chinese authorities to reign things in.

Today on Please Explain, North Asia correspondent Eryk Bagshaw joins Jess Irvine to discuss what exactly is Evergrande, how likely is it to collapse, and what would it mean for Australia if it did?

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Across the eastern seaboard, picnics are the new dinner parties as eased COVID-19 restrictions allow small groups of people to gather outside.

It’s been a long, tough winter for millions of Australians subjected to extended stay-at-home rules, so as the warmer months approach we are taking full advantage of our newfound freedoms.

Today on Please Explain, Good Food reporter Emma Breheny joins Bianca Hall to talk about picnic season, and some of the recipes that have been most popular with readers in the past few months.

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Australia is under growing international pressure to lock in greenhouse reduction targets ahead of the UN climate change conference in Glasgow, which kicks off next month.

Most wealthy countries are working to halve their emissions by 2030, while Australia has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26 per cent (from 2005 levels) by 2030.

But within government, there are some pushing for no further action at all.

Today on Please Explain, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Anthony Galloway joins Bianca Hall to talk about why we are increasingly isolated on climate and defence policy, and the challenges the Prime Minister faces in bringing his party room with him to commit to net zero by 2050.

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On Saturday, all eyes will be on Perth as the Melbourne Demons face the Western Bulldogs in the AFL grand final.

After a decades-long slump, the Demons are back in form after finishing the regular season at the top of the ladder and chasing their first premiership win since 1964. It’s the first time they’ve made the grand final since 2000.

For the Bulldogs, they will be looking to repeat their 2016 success when they last took home the premiership cup.

Today on Please Explain, sports reporter Sam McClure joins Nathanael Cooper from Perth to look at Saturday’s historic AFL grand final.

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Australia’s pathway out of lockdown was modelled on a report created for the federal government by a team of infectious disease experts led by Victoria’s highly respected Doherty Institute.

The report modelled scenarios on the number of infections, hospitalisations and deaths at various stages of vaccination and restrictions being eased, forming a pathway back to a relatively normal life for Australians.

In his popular weekly newsletter Examine, science reporter Liam Mannix has delved deep into the issues and the advice around the Doherty report.

He joins Nathanael Cooper on Please Explain to sort the facts from the spin and help us understand what life will be like when Australia reopens.

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Three weeks ago, the nation’s 13 worst performing super funds were revealed. On the list, was an industry fund most Australians would not have heard of called the “Energy Industries Superannuation Scheme”.

It currently holds $6 billion of retirement savings on behalf of about 20,000 largely blue-collar workers in the electrical industry.

It is also now the subject of serious allegations – revealed exclusively in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald– that member funds have been misspent on lavish Christmas parties, overseas junkets for senior management and a series of questionable sponsorship deals of local community and sporting clubs.

Today on Please Explain, business reporter Charlotte Grieve joins Jess Irvine to discuss.

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Anti-lockdown protests turned violent in Melbourne at the weekend when police clashes with more than 700 protesters on the streets of Richmond in the inner city.

More than 230 people were arrested and ten police officers injured as the initially peaceful march devolved into violent clashes, with projectiles thrown at officers and OC spray deployed.

The Age’s photographer Luis Ascui was sprayed directly in the eyes while photographing the rally on Saturday afternoon despite identifying himself as a member of the media.

Today on Please Explain, Ascui joins Nathanael Cooper to examine what happened during the incident.

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Community football is one of the mainstays of Australian life, but concerns are rising at the number of children getting seriously hurt while playing the sport.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data shows concussion has been the top cause of hospitalisations for community Australian rules footballers since 2013.

Today on Please Explain, sports reporter Peter Ryan joins Bianca Hall to talk about The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald’s groundbreaking investigation into concussions in junior football, and what can be done to minimise the risks to young players.

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On Wednesday, the eastern barred bandicoot’s threatened species status was downgraded to endangered.

The small rabbit-sized marsupials were considered extinct in the wild due to predation from introduced species like foxes as well as land clearing, but three decades of conservation efforts and captive breeding programs has seen the population swell.

Today onPlease Explain, environment writer Miki Perkins joins Nathanael Cooper to look at how Australian scientists have brought the bandicoot back from extinction.

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Australia will acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as part of a historic new pact between this country, the US and the UK.

The AUKUS alliance will see the US help Australia develop the capability to build nuclear submarines locally in Adelaide.

The new alliance was announced in a press conference on Thursday morning by US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison with the trio affirming a commitment to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Today on Please Explain, North America correspondent Matthew Knott joins Nathanael Cooper to look at the new alliance.

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