We want to hear from you; how can we make our podcast even better? Please take a few minutes to complete our listener survey. Find the link on the ABC News Daily website.  Thousands of us travel through South East Asia every year and it can, at times, be risky.  But the story out of Laos this week is devastating. Nineteen year old Melbourne woman Bianca Jones has died and her friend Holly Bowles is in intensive care after what appears to be methanol poisoning from drinks.  Three other...

We want to hear from you; how can we make our podcast even better? Please take a few minutes to complete our listener survey. Find the link on the ABC News Daily website.  On the one thousandth day of Russia’s war in Ukraine this week there was a major shift on the battleground.  Russia declared that Ukraine, with the backing of US President Joe Biden, had fired US-supplied missiles into its territory for the first time.  Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has also unveiled new rules for...

We want to hear from you; how can we make our podcast even better? Please take a few minutes to complete our listener survey. Find the link on the ABC News Daily website.  The former broadcaster Alan Jones is heading to court next month to defend charges including aggravated indecent assault, involving nine alleged victims. But why are the charges for alleged offences between 2001 and 2019, only being laid now? Today, former Media Watch host Jonathan Holmes on the power Alan Jones once...

We want to hear from you; how can we make our podcast even better? Please take a few minutes to complete our listener survey. Find the link on the ABC News Daily website.  Almost every day since his election, Donald Trump has been unveiling new members of his team.  The picks say a lot. He’s chosen a vaccine sceptic as Health Secretary, a TV host to take charge of defence and an accused drug and sex offender as Attorney General.    Today, National Political Reporter for The Hill, Julia...

We want to hear from you; how can we make our podcast even better? Please take a few minutes to complete our listener survey. Find the link on the ABC News Daily website.  About 15 years ago, the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was spruiking a ‘Big Australia’, where our population would hit 35 million by 2050.  But the idea went away, without a big plan to deal with the pressures that come with that level of growth being prepared or acted on.  Now, we’re still heading for that kind of...

Donald Trump has promised to end foreign wars, but on whose terms and how is unclear. When it comes to the Middle East, we can learn a lot from Trump’s approach to Israel during his first term as president.  Today, Hussein Ibish from the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington DC on what the president-elect’s return means for the prospects of peace and Israel’s ambitions.   He discusses the potential annexation of the West Bank and highlights the significant support Trump has shown for...

He writes pretty decent cookbooks, but Jamie Oliver’s sidestep into writing children’s novels hasn’t gone so well.  The celebrity chef has had to halt sales of his latest book ‘Billy and the Epic Escape’ around the world over its portrayal of first nations Australians.  One chapter features an Aboriginal girl with mystical powers living in foster care, who's abducted from her home in central Australia. Today, Wiradjuri writer, poet and academic, Jeanine Leane, on what Jamie Oliver got so...

With Donald Trump back in the White House early next year, there’s a real possibility he’ll ignite a trade war with Beijing.  Given Australia does so much trade with China, that could have big consequences for our economy. Today, we explore what could be in store for inflation, interest rates and our wider economy once Trump’s back in charge.  Economist Susan Stone explains that tariffs generally end up costing consumers and businesses more, and could lead to significant job losses.  She...

The government wants to ban under 16s from social media saying it’s harming children and parents need support.  It’s a move that has the support of the federal opposition and many parents, but does an outright ban risk cutting off important support and sources of information for young people?  Today, we explore some alternative ideas to help make social media safer with a cyber safety expert and an advocate for better mental health for young people.  Kriti Gupta emphasises the importance...

Elon Musk played a huge role in Donald Trump’s campaign, throwing at least $130 million at it.  But what role will the richest man in the world really play when Trump steps into the White House next year? Today, political scientist Geoff Kabaservice from the Niskanen Centre in Washington DC on the people Trump will need if he wants to rule like a dictator, even for one day.  Geoff Kabaservice discusses the unpredictability of Trump’s promises and the potential for significant disruptions...

Donald Trump won the election, so what should we expect once he’s in the oval office next year? Kim Hoggard, a former staffer during the Reagan and George H W Bush administrations, says presidents can feel ‘unleashed’ during their second term.  Today, she explains why voters chose to ignore all of Trump’s flaws and embrace his populist pitch.  She says Trump’s victory is a fundamental shift for America, driven by voters prioritising economic concerns.  Kim Hoggard also discusses Trump's...

In this update from Washington DC, Matt Bevan, host of If You’re Listening: America’s Last Election, brings you an update on all the events from overnight Australian time.  In a spectacular comeback, Donald Trump has won the US election to become the 47th President of the United States.  Matt is joined on the ground by Emma Shortis from The Australia Institute to explain where the Democrats went wrong and the Republicans went right - and what a more emboldened Trump with the support of the...

This is a Wednesday evening update on the US election.  Donald Trump is in a strong position as vote counting continues, he’s already won some swing states and is ahead in others.  ABC global affairs editor John Lyons joins Sam from Washington DC with the latest on the vote count. Featured:  John Lyons, ABC global affairs editor

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have made their final pitches to the American people and voting is finally underway in the United States after a tumultuous campaign.  So, when the polls close, how long will it take for the votes to be counted and a winner to be declared?  Today, the ABC’s US election analyst Casey Briggs explains how it could unfold, when to pay attention and what to watch out for.  Featured:  Casey Briggs, ABC US election analyst

With just hours until election day starts in America, we’ll just have to wait and see whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris will win the presidency.  The opinion polls have been inconclusive, with the Democratic and Republican candidates neck and neck in the US states expected to be key.  Today, the ABC’s North America correspondents Barbara Miller and Carrington Clarke join me from Pennsylvania.  They’ve been travelling across the United States throughout this brutal campaign, meeting...

Big interest rate rises since May 2022 have finally seen house prices begin to drop in our most populous cities.  In the latest Corelogic data for October, Sydney home prices fell 0.1% in a month, while Melbourne was 0.2% down.  It’s still a mixed picture across the country, with national home values up 6% for the year, 1.9% down in Melbourne, 3.7% up in Sydney and a massive 22.6% rise in Perth.  With home price rises slowing in some cities, how long will that slump continue and what...

Michigan is a key swing state in the US election and there’s a big divide in voting intentions between its biggest city, Detroit, and much of the rest of the state.  Detroit is set to strongly back Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump has compared the city to a developing nation.  With just days until the US election, host of America’s Last Election podcast series Matt Bevan is in Michigan where he’s been gauging the mood of voters.  Today, he discusses hot dogs, a close-ish encounter with...

We’d all like to fly business class, but most of us end up at the back.  So, no wonder claims that the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arranged personal flight upgrades directly with the boss of Qantas has caused a furore. Today, Sean Johnson, founder of the Open Politics website and former lobbyist and Liberal party staffer on political gift giving and why it needs to end.  He explains the exclusive nature of the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge and its implications for political...

Donald Trump says he’s the opposite of a Nazi and his opponent Kamala Harris is a fascist, not him. But what do his own words and actions show us?   Today, Jennfier Mercieca, historian of political rhetoric from Texas A&M University on how Trump’s language can be likened to Hitler’s and how he uses it to win over his supporters.  She says Trump’s campaign strategy involves terrorising voters into supporting him by exploiting their fears.  She highlights how Trump’s rhetoric includes...

More than two and a half years into the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone to an ally for help.  Several thousand North Korean troops have arrived in Russia and are expected to join the fight.  Today, Russia expert Matthew Sussex from the Centre for European Studies at the ANU on what it means for the war. He explains that the North Korean troops are likely to be used in rear-area roles initially, freeing up Russian soldiers for front-line combat.  He highlights...

Artificial Intelligence chatbots have come such a long way in a really short time. Each release of ChatGPT brings new features, like voice chat, along with updates to the training data fed into the systems, supposed to make them smarter.  But are more leaps forward a sure thing? Or could the tools actually get dumber? Today, Aaron Snoswell from the generative AI lab at the Queensland University of Technology discusses the limitations of large language models like ChatGPT.  He explains why...

With less than two weeks until Americans vote, Donald Trump’s campaign keeps getting stranger.  From playing music instead of taking questions from supporters, to commenting on the genitalia of a dead golfer, and suggesting he’d deploy the military against his ‘enemy within’ the United States.  But still the polls are neck and neck.  Today, we talk to Rina Shah, a former Republican strategist, about the race to the finish line. She speaks about the importance of Pennsylvania in the...

In 2018, Queensland decriminalised abortion up to 22 weeks’ gestation without a doctor's permission.  Now, the prospect of repealing those laws has become a major issue ahead of this weekend’s state election. In South Australia too, the legality of abortion has been contested in the parliament.  So, why is abortion up for debate?  Today, Prudence Flowers from Flinders University on why what’s happening here can be linked to the United States.   Dr Flowers explains that the overturning of...

With the polls in the US neck and neck just a few weeks out from the election, money talks.  Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is throwing it around for Donald Trump, even offering million-dollar cheques to voters who sign a petition set up by a Trump-friendly campaign group.  Today, Vittoria Elliot from WIRED on why Musk is so desperate for Trump to win.  Vittoria Elliot explains Musk’s shift from supporting Democrats to backing Trump, driven by business interests and regulatory...