Imagine opening your next electricity bill and it’s double what it usually is.   More Australians are finding themselves in a position where their power bills are rising, not because they’ve changed how much electricity they use, but because they’ve been unwittingly switched to a time of use tariff.  It means they pay more if they use power at peak times.  Today, energy reporter Dan Mercer explains the tariffs and how they’re leading to a greater energy divide.  Featured:  Dan Mercer,...

He’s on trial for falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal, but Donald Trump’s woes haven’t harmed him in the polls yet. Instead, it’s abortion that’s become one of his most problematic issues as the former president works to get back to the White House.  Some voters are turned off by his pro-life record and so he’s been trying to massage his message. But will it win him votes? Featured:  Prudence Flowers, senior lecturer in US history at Flinders University 

As the events unfolded at Bondi Junction last Saturday afternoon, an unsuspecting university student was falsely accused on social media of being the killer.  It spread on the X platform and by the morning Channel 7 was also wrongly telling its large audience that Benjamin Cohen was to blame. How did the lie take off, who was originally behind it and how can we hold social media giants to account for misinformed and dangerous content? Featured:  Cam Wilson, Crikey associate editor

It’s hard to understand how a man could walk into a shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon and start stabbing people.  It’s left so many people demanding answers.  Today, we look at the offender Joel Cauchi’s mental health history and ask whether anything could have been done to stop the attack and save lives.    Featured:  Professor Kimberlie Dean, Chair of Forensic Mental Health at UNSW

It’s been an unsettling few days with two major knife crimes in Sydney.  The Bondi Junction attack left six dead and just days later there was an alleged act of terrorism at a church in the city’s west.  The circumstances are very different, but leaders are calling for calm and for the community to come together.  Today, extremism expert Josh Roose on what we know about the latest attack and the threat of terrorism.  Correction: This episode included a misleading quote of NSW Police...

A defamation case brought by Bruce Lehrmann has ended with a dramatic finding against the former Liberal party staffer.  Justice Michael Lee is satisfied that on the balance of probabilities Mr Lehrmann did rape Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in Canberra in March 2019.  Court reporter Patrick Bell steps through the judgement that was watched on a live stream by tens of thousands of people.  Featured:  Patrick Bell, ABC court reporter

How did the attacker at a busy Westfield shopping centre select his victims?  Police are searching for answers after the Saturday afternoon rampage at Bondi Junction in Sydney’s east.  A 40-year-old Queensland man, armed with a knife, made his way through the centre stabbing innocent shoppers, killing six people.  Today, criminologist Xanthe Mallett reflects on the acts of heroism we saw and what may have driven the killer. Featured:  Dr Xanthe Mallett, criminologist and associate...

The appeal of music festivals seems to be dying away with a string of cancellations this year.  Is it all about rising costs and fears of bad weather? Or is there more to it? Today, Double Js National Music Correspondent Zan Rowe on whether the big music festival can be saved.  Featured:  Zan Rowe, Double J National Music Correspondent and host of Take 5 and Bang On podcasts

Australian Zomi Frankcom and six others died when their convoy of aid vehicles was struck by Israeli missiles in Gaza.  Israel says it was a mistake and a tragedy. But is its explanation good enough? Today, host of ABC’s 7.30 program, Sarah Ferguson, on what we learnt from her interview with an Israeli military spokesman and whether what unfolded was a war crime. Featured:  Sarah Ferguson, presenter of ABC 7.30

Drugs, sex and lavish dinners out.  It’s not new that news organisations sometimes pay for interviews, but the allegations about what Channel 7’s Spotlight program gave to Bruce Lehrmann for a sit-down interview are surprising.  Today, Media Watch presenter Paul Barry unpacks what’s unfolded in court and discusses whether the public can trust the press when the chequebook is out.  Featured:  Paul Barry, Media Watch presenter

We’re meant to be transitioning to a greener future and getting rid of gas for good. But now we’re talking about drilling for more of it, or importing supplies, because soon we might not have enough to keep the lights and heaters on.  How can that be when Australia is one of the world’s biggest gas exporters? Today, energy reporter Dan Mercer explains how we’ve ended up here.  Featured:  Daniel Mercer, ABC energy reporter

Tesla has dominated the electric vehicle market for years, but watch out Elon Musk, because a Chinese car maker is giving it a run for its money.  The good news is - it’s a lot cheaper. But is there a problem with a Chinese firm dominating the market? Today, EV expert Gail Broadbent on whether your next car might be a Chinese EV.  Featured:  Dr Gail Broadbent, adjunct fellow at the University of Technology Sydney

Ozempic, the wildly popular drug for weight loss, is in short supply.  It’s prompting some chemists to make replica products that are now under increased scrutiny from the drugs regulator.  It is legal to dispense the Ozempic copycat, but investigative reporter Elise Worthington reveals the risks and rogue chemists. Featured:  Elise Worthington, Four Corners reporter

Israel says it was a mistake and a misidentification.  But how does a powerful military manage to bomb a clearly marked aid convoy in Gaza, killing international aid workers including Australian woman Zomi Frankom?  Today, a long-time aid worker and former World Vision Australia CEO Tim Costello tells us why no one trying to distribute aid in Gaza is safe and what the world should do about it.  Featured:  Tim Costello, executive director of Micah Australia

In Alice Springs, it’s one week since a curfew was imposed on the town’s young residents following a riot and escalating violence.  But it’s a stop-gap measure, with the troubles in town much bigger and the solutions to rampant crime and intergenerational disadvantage far from clear.  Today, reporter Lee Robinson in the ABC’s Alice Springs bureau on the cycles of violence in the Northern Territory. Featured:  Lee Robinson, ABC Alice Springs reporter

What does the current state of the economy mean for the unemployment rate and your job? For decades we’ve turned to well-read textbooks to help us understand how our economy will behave. But right now something strange is happening and for some economists it’s a bit of a miracle.  They’re calling it ‘immaculate disinflation’, because when interest rates rise dramatically, as they have in Australia, you’d expect lots of people to lose their jobs.  But this time, the inflation rate is...

Today, we bring you the first episode of the ABC’s Looking for Modi podcast. Hosted by the ABC’s South Asia correspondent Avani Dias, it’s all about the myths and secrets of one of the most powerful world leaders - India’s Narendra Modi. 

Who’s to blame for harassing a princess when she’s seriously ill?  The frenzied search for information about the welfare of the Princess of Wales came to a sudden halt last weekend, when Kate revealed she is receiving treatment for cancer.  Leading up to the revelation, the conspiracy theories about her absence from public view were running wild on social media, between friends and family, and in the mainstream press.  ABC broadcaster and royal historian Julia Baird explores how we forgot...

Supporters of WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange have always warned he could be locked up for the rest of his life if he ends up in the United States to face charges which include espionage. But now judges in London, where the Australian is in jail, have asked for assurances that if they agree to extradite him, the death penalty is off the table. But could Assange actually face that fate in the US?  Today, international law expert Don Rothwell explains the latest court...

Should your taxpayer dollars be used to construct sports stadiums? Some politicians think bringing big sporting events to their voters is a core part of their job, with little regard for the cost.  But building the venues demanded by event organisers is becoming increasingly costly and controversial. A Tasmanian government plan to put hundreds of millions of dollars into a big ritzy new stadium in Hobart was one of the most contested issues of last weekend’s election.  Today, Kos Samaras...

Russians are mourning after the worst terrorist attack in the country in two decades.  More than 130 people died when gunmen opened fire at a concert hall on Moscow’s outskirts on Friday night.  It’s a major security lapse, but will it cause more Russians to doubt Vladimir Putin’s leadership? We’ll also explain why the Islamic State group that’s claimed responsibility for the attack would want to strike Russia.  Featured:  Rajan Menon, director of the grand strategy program at Defense...

When the tax office comes knocking, it’s not usually good news.  And right now the Australian Taxation Office is pursuing thousands of people over historical debts that it had previously put on hold.  Today, business reporter Nassim Khadem, on why the ATO is trying to recover the funds now and why some people are comparing it to Robodebt.  Featured: Nassim Khadem, ABC Business reporter

When one of China’s most senior figures came to Australia this week, it was one unofficial meeting that really stuck out.  Foreign Minister Wang Yi was very keen to meet former prime minister Paul Keating. It’s a move that would have frustrated Australian officials. Today, foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic on what China’s playing at.  Featured:  Stephen Dziedzic, ABC foreign affairs reporter

When former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd declared Donald Trump the most destructive US president in history, a lot of people agreed.  But his scathing assessments of the former president don’t sit so well now he’s working as Australia’s ambassador in Washington.  Donald Trump could be elected president again in November and he isn’t happy.  So, what happens to Kevin Rudd and our alliance with America if Trump returns? Featured:  Dr Emma Shortis, senior researcher in international and...