Australia’s neo-Nazis are forming secret mothers’ groups – and have plans for a network of homeschools for their children. And when a government minister expressed concern, she was threatened – the latest in a string of threats against female politicians by neo-Nazis. Now, the federal police have raised the alarm, raising questions about the risk of further political violence – and why neo-Nazis have been allowed to build their movement. Today, crime reporter at The Age, Sherryn Groch, on the Na...
Dec 08, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1749
In the waters off the Caribbean, the United States military has been blowing small boats out of the water – boats they say are carrying drugs. Now, the Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, is facing questions about whether his strike orders are illegal, and US President Donald Trump is doubling down, threatening strikes on Venezuelan soil. It’s the latest escalation in Donald Trump’s self-declared war on fentanyl – a campaign that casts foreign traffickers as the villains behind America’s overdos...
Dec 07, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1748
Adele Ferguson is an investigative journalist at the ABC. She’s spent more than a year reporting on the crisis unfolding in Australia’s childcare system. Last week, alongside her colleague Chris Gillett, she won the top honour in journalism – the Gold Walkley. Her work has inspired us at 7am and so today, we’re bringing you an episode we made back in July, where we spoke to Adele about the dangers in an industry driven by profit. If you enjoy 7am , the best way you can support us is by making a ...
Dec 06, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1747
When Labor came to power, it promised to clean up politics – to end the “jobs for mates” culture once and for all. But this week, the government quietly released the report it’s been sitting on for more than two years – and it’s not a great look. The ‘No Favourites’ review found an appointments system riddled with nepotism, where friends are given jobs as rewards for loyalty. And when it finally saw the light of day, it landed with all the energy of a Yes Minister episode — open government, in n...
Dec 05, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1746
The Australian Energy Market Operator says the electricity grid is unprepared to manage the planned closure of the Eraring power station in New South Wales – and eastern parts of Australia could be set for widespread blackouts. The Coalition and parts of the media have seized on the report saying it’s proof that the government has an “obsession” with renewables, over reliability and cost. So what needs to change to keep the lights on? Today, energy and climate change program director at The Grat...
Dec 04, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1745
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine almost four years ago, Australian leaders have repeatedly stated that Australia “stands with Ukraine”. But as the invasion has intensified – with nightly missile and drone attacks, rolling blackouts and water cuts across Ukrainian cities – Australia's support has slowed. The federal government hasn’t announced a fresh package of aid since December last year, making us one of the least generous donors to Kyiv. At the same time, Australia has become one of the bi...
Dec 03, 2025•17 min•Ep. 1744
Right now, Tiktok is awash with videos of how to get around the social media ban for under 16s, which is due to come into effect in a week. At the same time, fringe apps like Yope are rocketing up the Apple charts, as teenagers plan where they’ll go when the major platforms boot them off. There’s also a court case underway, challenging the government on whether the ban is even legal. Today, associate editor at Crikey , Cam Wilson, on who is behind the lawsuit, whether they’ll win, and how this b...
Dec 02, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1743
Limb lengthening surgery – where bones in your leg are broken, a rod inserted and extended – can be high risk, and is especially controversial when it's done for cosmetic reasons. The procedure is a speciality of the Florida based Paley Institute, which now plans on opening an Australian arm. The centre is no stranger to controversy – and neither is the man they’re partnering up with – the once celebrated surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis, who recently lost a defamation case against the Nine newspape...
Dec 01, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1742
At its height, in 2014, there were over a thousand people being held on Nauru, as part of Australia’s offshore detention system. But in the decade since, that figure has shrunk to less than 100. Yet the Department of Home Affairs continues to pay outsized and exorbitant fees on contracts no longer fit for purpose – all in the name of keeping Manus Island and Nauru off the front page and out of the minds of most Australians. Now, one of the men responsible for administering these deals, worth bil...
Nov 30, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1741
Australia’s plan to ban teenagers from social media has been called “world‑leading”. The law, which comes into effect December 10, threatens platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook with fines of up to $50 million if they let under-16s open or keep accounts. But as implementation draws closer, questions remain about how the ban will be enforced, what it means for online privacy, and whether it will reshape the way everyone uses the internet. Today, digital‑rights advocate Samantha Florea...
Nov 29, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1740
Environmental law reform has been sitting in the too-hard basket for years — under successive governments, the system stayed broken. Now, just days before the end of the parliamentary year, Labor has passed the first major changes in a generation. The government chose to work with the Greens, agreeing to scrap logging exemptions, close coal and gas loopholes, and hand real enforcement powers to a new EPA. Meanwhile, the Coalition fractured over the details — dealing themselves out of negotiation...
Nov 28, 2025•17 min•Ep. 1739
When we heard news that Barnaby Joyce was quitting The Nationals – we knew we’d cover it with our friend in Canberra, Amy Remeikis – but the more we talked about it, there was someone else we needed to hear from too. Barnaby’s old sparring partner and the former member for New England, Tony Windsor, was loading cattle when we called. And he said the expected move to One Nation makes perfect sense. Joyce’s decision to quit The Nationals comes after months of speculation – and very public declarat...
Nov 27, 2025•18 min•Ep. 1738
Companies are betting big on AI – and burning through cash to do it. They’re pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into building data centres and developing new models – such as ChatGPT. And so far, these projects are yet to see a financial return. There is one clear winner: Nvidia – the company that makes the chips that power this tech. But how long can its customers keep spending before they have to either turn a profit or scale back? Today, Reuters journalist Stephen Nellis on how long this...
Nov 26, 2025•14 min•Ep. 1737
The year is 1934, and the setting is Scotland. Startling photos have emerged, appearing to capture the Loch Ness monster. Fast-forward 90 years to 2024, to an election campaign in Australia, and a video is released of a prime minister promising to ban gambling ads. Both are fake – designed specifically to deceive. And while humans have always had a tendency to mislead each other, what’s new is the technology. It’s now easier than ever to create highly realistic fake content. And we’re only just ...
Nov 25, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1736
Negotiators at this year’s global climate summit in Brazil almost didn’t reach a deal – but when they did, the watered down pledge left many countries reeling. While the agreement boosts finance for poorer nations experiencing the worst of global warming – it fails to even mention the fossil fuels driving it. Outside the official COP process, dozens of countries signed a pledge to phase out fossil fuels. But while Australia signed - Anthony Albanese says his government will keep approving new co...
Nov 24, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1735
In Russia, the rules of power are being rewritten. For decades, Vladimir Putin governed through a network of loyal elites — oligarchs, bureaucrats, security chiefs — each rewarded for their obedience and connections. But since the invasion of Ukraine, that system has begun to fracture. The old elite are being sidelined, and a new cast is emerging: relatives, ideologues, and battlefield loyalists who tie their futures to the war. Moscow-based journalist Kate de Pury has covered Putin’s Russia for...
Nov 23, 2025•18 min•Ep. 1734
A sleek Chinese-made ute is suddenly one of the most popular vehicles on Australian roads. It’s cheap, fast and packed with tech. But behind its rise are questions security agencies are struggling to grapple with. Because the cars we drive today are no longer just cars; they’re also data collection tools. And in a tense geopolitical climate – the lines between convenience and surveillance are blurring. Today, senior fellow at the Lowy Institute and contributor to Australian Foreign Affairs, Rich...
Nov 22, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1733
This week, we had Sussan Ley on 7am. But we weren’t alone. Sussan Ley was everywhere , speaking with everyone – about scrapping net zero, and inevitably, about her leadership. So, did the media blitz work? And what has chaos in the Coalition meant for the government while the press gallery has been looking the other way? Today, Network Ten’s political editor Ashleigh Raper on the week in Canberra: Australia’s failed bid to host COP, the last ditch effort to pass new environment laws – and what 2...
Nov 21, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1732
This week, we saw something almost unprecedented in American politics: a unified Congress, as all but one person voted to have the Epstein files released. These documents have plagued Donald Trump since he campaigned to release them while running for his second term as president, then backtracked once he won – sparking a mass revolt from his otherwise loyal MAGA base. After months of trying to block their publication, and after increasing pressure from within his own party, Trump changed course,...
Nov 20, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1731
Sussan Ley describes herself as a moderate – a Liberal leader who wants to keep her party in the centre. But last week, after months of internal pressure, she led the Liberal Party to formally abandon its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, a target first adopted under Scott Morrison, arguing that dropping it is the only way to deliver cheaper power bills. The decision has pleased conservatives inside her party – but it’s also raised questions about what Ley herself really believes o...
Nov 19, 2025•18 min•Ep. 1730
For the first time in history, almost one in five Australians support One Nation. Their surge in popularity comes as the Liberal Party bleeds support from both ends of its base, as it tears itself apart over climate and immigration. So, is this just a protest – or the start of a permanent shift on the right of Australian politics? Today, Director of Strategy and Analytics at Redbridge, Kos Samaras, on why One Nation is soaring – and what it means for the country. If you enjoy 7am , the best way ...
Nov 18, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1729
Last week, the Victorian government stunned even its own MPs – announcing laws that will allow children as young as 14 to be tried in adult courts and face life sentences. The proposal was rushed into Cabinet with no warning – ministers were given just minutes to read it before the meeting began. Only a year ago, Labor promised to raise the age of criminal responsibility. Now, in response to tabloid outcry, it’s taken a sharp turn – following Queensland and adopting ‘adult time for adult crime’....
Nov 17, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1728
Anthony Albanese leads a party that no longer argues in public. Labor presents as unified, consistent, and on message. But behind that unity is another story. One where a party once defined by its dissent and debate has become scared of conflict, to the point where its identity is formed not by beliefs, but by a commitment to staying in power no matter what. Sean Kelly has worked up close with Anthony Albanese, and with Labor prime ministers before him. He’s been interrogating what this governme...
Nov 16, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1727
Last weekend, neo-Nazis gathered outside NSW parliament. Organisers had registered the protest with police – and nothing was done to stop it going ahead. When two female politicians spoke out against the fascists who gathered, they were targeted with threats of violence and death. The premier has said there will be an investigation into how this was allowed to happen. But this protest is not isolated. Neo-Nazis have been gathering in cities and towns in recent months, marching through the street...
Nov 15, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1726
This week, the Liberal party officially scrapped net zero – a move widely expected, but out of line with public opinion and science. It also raised questions about Sussan Ley’s handling of the policy debate, and ultimately about her leadership. As the right faction of the Liberal party celebrates its victory, speculation continues about when Sussan Ley will keep her job. There’s also the question of how the Liberal party can ever hope to win an election when key electorates and voting blocs have...
Nov 14, 2025•14 min•Ep. 1725
A year ago, the High Court handed down a decision that was a blow to survivors of child sexual abuse everywhere. In a case brought by a man who was abused as a little boy, the Catholic Church’s Diocese of Ballarat argued that they couldn’t be sued for the actions of one of their priests, because priests are employed by God – not by the Church. The ruling in the Church’s favour left thousands of survivors devastated – but the Court said it was now up to parliaments to act. Recently, the ACT gover...
Nov 13, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1724
A letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reopened the fight over gambling reform. Independent MP Andrew Wilkie is calling for a free vote in parliament on a ban on gambling advertising, saying it has significant support across the chamber. Inside Labor, many MPs say they want change – but are too afraid to speak publicly. It follows a Four Corners investigation that showed how online betting is harming Australians – and how the systems meant to protect them are failing. The government say...
Nov 12, 2025•17 min•Ep. 1723
As the year winds to an end, kids with autism and developmental delay face an uncertain future. Back in August, the government revealed plans to kick them off the NDIS – announcing a new scheme called Thriving Kids , set to kick off next year. The health minister, Mark Butler, said it would give kids better support – and go some way towards curbing the billions being spent on the NDIS. But months on, the government still hasn’t reached a deal with the states on how the scheme will be funded – de...
Nov 11, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1722
The world’s richest man just got the world’s biggest pay rise, with Tesla shareholders approving a $1 trillion package for Elon Musk over the next decade. As he accepted the deal, Musk danced on stage with Tesla’s humanoid robots – and thanked his supporters – saying he “super appreciated it”. But as the company’s stock is known to plummet when Musk intervenes in politics – questions remain about the damage his recent manoeuvrings will do to Tesla’s future. Today, power and tech reporter at The ...
Nov 10, 2025•16 min•Ep. 1721
Tomorrow marks fifty years since the infamous moment when a clearly nervous spokesperson for the Governor General stood on the steps of Parliament House and announced that Gough Whitlam had been dismissed. But what happened on Remembrance Day in 1975 wasn’t just an unprecedented political crisis — it was a warning. One that exposed the fragility of our constitution and the lingering power of a system designed to serve the monarchy, ahead of the people. Since then, nothing has changed to stop it ...
Nov 09, 2025•15 min•Ep. 1720
