The founder of WikiLeaks is a free man after five years of imprisonment in the UK. Julian Assange has made a plea-deal with the US Department of Justice, bringing to a close the long-running legal battle over charges of espionage and the leaking of top-secret documents. And the government has watered down its ban on vapes while restricting their purchase to pharmacies. Plus, Victoria is set to introduce pill testing at festivals and a fixed site in inner Melbourne. Also, WA Labor senator Fatima ...
Jun 25, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Housing isn't actually recognised as a human right by the law, but a few politicians like independent senator David Pocock want to change that. And could "foyers" fix the youth homelessness crisis? They're called ‘after crisis accommodation, and advocates say it’s the kind of housing Australia really needs. Also, the requirement for 88 days of regional work for backpackers from the UK is coming to an end. Here's what that means for backpackers and the farms they work on. Plus, are Parisians real...
Jun 24, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Robert Irwin is threatening to take Pauline Hanson to court for defamation over using his likeness in a One Nation ad. So does he have his khakis in a twist, or is he right to call out lazy satire? And another viral protest has put Just Stop Oil in the headlines. So is it okay to deface a World Heritage Site, or is it doing more harm than good for their cause? Plus, how do you recover from getting someone's name wrong? Probably don't ask Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Host Dave Marchese is joi...
Jun 21, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Driverless cars are set to be the next big shift in car development. But can they handle Australian roads? And in his first visit to the country in 24 years, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a defence pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The deal means both sides would provide assistance in the face of "aggression". So what does that mean, and should we be worried? Plus, a quarter of young people feel anxious or embarrassed about their labia. With labia-shaming on the rise, some of ...
Jun 20, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast After weeks of chatter, the Coalition has started pushing their election sales pitch. The big ticket item? Peter Dutton wants to put seven nuclear power plants across Australia. So where will the plants go? How much will they cost? What will the impact be? We unpack the Opposition's nuclear plan so far as well as the support and the pushback that's already coming from the community. Guest: Steve Fordham, business owner Johanna Bowyer, lead research analyst for Australian electricity, Institute f...
Jun 19, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Courtney's mum was murdered in a domestic violence homicide. She's one of at least 1,000 kids who've lost parents this way, according to research from Melbourne University. And we’ve just heard about the impacts of growing up in a violent home, but what services are out there to help young people? This school on the New South Wales Central Coast is doing things a bit differently... Plus visa-free travel, two giant pandas and Cheng Lei blocked: the first Australian visit by a Chinese Premier in 7...
Jun 18, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Should prison be more about punishment or rehabilitation? We speak with inmates involved in a wildlife program that's helping the community and potentially setting them up with new careers. Also, ABC Four Corners reporter Avani Dias joins us to talk about her investigation into Indian spying in Australia. And you'll meet the young Australian surfers trying to save their beaches before they disappear. Guests: Avani Dias, reporter, ABC Four Corners Dr Julie Toohey, criminology lecturer, University...
Jun 17, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast New data shows CEOs had an average salary increase of 14% in the last 12 months. We have to ask: are those kinds of increases fair? Plus a restaurant in the US has announced a ban on anyone under 35 years old from eating at their restaurant. And speaking of bans: Denmark has taken spicy ramen noodles off the menu, claiming there is a risk of poisoning due to the extreme spice. Host Dave Marchese is joined by actor Jessica Marchi and filmmaker and creator Jack Toohey....
Jun 14, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast With some of the biggest music festivals in the country taking a break this year, some Aussie acts are heading out on regional tours to play for as many punters as possible. And the Premier of South Australia wants to ban big lobbyists, big businesses, unions and you from donating to political campaigns. So, how would the plan work? Plus, should we be worried about an egg shortage? Australia's biggest outbreak of bird flu has hit five egg farms in Victoria with over 800,000 birds culled and a ch...
Jun 13, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Australians are the world's biggest fashion consumers and it's fuelling a waste crisis. In France, they're talking about a tax to try to fix the problem - so will it work? And about 50 schoolgirls in Victoria have had their faces used to create AI porn that was then shared online. Can governments legislate quick enough to stop crimes like this before they take off? Also, last year former NRL player Jarryd Hayne was found guilty of sexual assault and jailed, but now he's walking free after his co...
Jun 12, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ever thought about quitting your job? What about starting a whole new career? If so, you’re not alone: one study has estimated 700,000 young Aussies have considered switching jobs - and that’s just in the last three months. But is job hopping a bad look? Also on the show: the Australian government's official advice is "do not travel" to Afghanistan, but despite that, some young Australians are. But is that helping prop up the Taliban? And just when you thought the climate wars were over, here we...
Jun 11, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Whether it's the long hours, low rates of pay or dealing with annoying customers, working in retail can be tough, especially if it's your first job. But there's another side to the industry that rarely gets spoken about too: a culture of sexual harassment. So many of you messaged us on Instagram with your awful experiences from retail jobs, and a new study paints a very similar picture. It's found nearly half of women and a quarter of men have experienced sexual harassment while working retail. ...
Jun 09, 2024•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Porn is now officially allowed on X, even the AI stuff. But it'll be hidden for kids under 18 and anyone who doesn't opt-in. Also, some parents are offering to pay their kids to stay off social media entirely, will it work? And Tokyo’s local government wants to develop a dating app to try to boost the falling birth rate. Plus, manual smoking: why is it back? Host Dave Marchese is joined by content creator Tim Abbott and journalist Ange McCormack....
Jun 07, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast In some industries, for every dollar that a worker over 21 earns, their younger colleagues only get 40 cents. It's something the Australian Council of Trade Unions wants to change, but businesses are already gearing up to fight it. And skipping school, sleep, and work for the sake of gaming? That's the reality for some of the 100,000 Aussies who are "clinically addicted" to video games. And if that's you, psychiatrists have some tips about how to stop. Plus, is karma a relaxing thought? For half...
Jun 06, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Pick out the rings, choose a venue and sign the prenup. More couples are opting to secure their own money and enter Binding Financial Agreements – the Aussie version of a prenup – with their partners. And now that polls have closed, and after 43 days and with hundreds of millions of people having cast their votes, Narendra Modi has claimed a third term as India's prime minister. Plus WTF are the 'meat olympics'? Guests Marg Neal, principal lawyer, Marshalls Dent and Wilmoth Lawyers Meghna Bali, ...
Jun 05, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast What does complaining about being busy actually reflect about us? Everyone knows that stressing out doesn't really help anyone... but that doesn't stop us from doing it. And would you do 90-days of defence force service for Australian citizenship? It's a new policy being introduced to boost the number of recruits in Australia, but will it work? Plus, the average wait time for people trying to access the Disability Support Pension has blown out to 107 days. Now the government says it's working to...
Jun 04, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Experts say you should only be spending 30% of your income to avoid rental stress. That formula would limit under 24s to a total rent of $176 a week. So is a rental that cheap even possible to find? And we always hear how Australia's gun laws and restrictions are world-leading. But could we be doing more? Plus, what’s your idea of a good time, letting loose and having fun? For one community in Newcastle, it’s dressing up as mermaids. Guests: Dr Sophia Maalsen, senior lecturer in urbanism, Univer...
Jun 03, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast A guilty verdict, 34 felony charges and a former president. On Thursday local time, Donald Trump walked out of the NY courtroom as a convicted criminal, after the verdict in his hush money trial was handed down. And Pope Francis got in trouble (and then apologised) this week for using a homophobic slur in a meeting reaffirming the Vatican’s ban on gay priests. Plus what is your hotel from hell story? Host Dave Marchese is joined by model and presenter Christian Wilkins and journalist and podcast...
May 31, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast An AI-generated image has been shared MILLIONS of times as a show of solidarity with Palestinians, so where did it come from, what is it meant to achieve, and why has it swept around the world? And criminals, visas and deportations to New Zealand: this is why everyone in Parliament is talking about ministerial direction 99. Plus, hitchhiking feels like it only happens in movies, so why did the old tradition fade away? Guests: Kelly Lewis, digital media expert, Monash University Linda Mahood, his...
May 30, 2024•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Renee Gracie was the first woman in 17 years to take part in the Bathurst 1000 race, but it wasn’t an easy ride. After navigating blatant sexism in the industry, she left motorsport altogether and began a new career as an OnlyFans creator. Now a massively successful adult content creator, Renee is getting back into racing. Also, do you fall into the ‘missing middle’? It's the term experts are using to describe people who need mental health support that goes beyond the support of a GP or counsell...
May 29, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Witnesses described people burning alive and screaming into the night and now Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has called the airstrike that killed at least 45 Palestinians a "tragic mistake". So, where are Gazans supposed to go when designated safe zones are targeted? And what's going on with uni encampments around the country? Some have packed up, some have moved, and others are waiting it out. Plus, the struggle facing Afghan women and girls as devastating floods hit the country. And we know mic...
May 28, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Victorian emergency rooms, GHB is one of the most common substances found when treating drug-affected people, so is juice back? Or did it never go away to begin with? And a landslide in Papua New Guinea has claimed at least 675 lives, according to the UN. The PNG government is expecting that number to rise as rescue efforts continue with two medical facilities and hundreds of homes buried beneath dirt and rock. Also, a new consent campaign was just launched by the government and this time it'...
May 27, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Governments are exploring the concept of banning young people from social media, so could it actually work? And an Australian cryogenics company has frozen its first client in Australia in the hope of bringing him back to life in the future. Plus, the Vatican has announced it's cracking down on miracles. Host Dave Marchese is joined by artist and performer Etcetera Etcetera and editor of The Daily Aus Emma Gillespie.
May 24, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast With more young women getting into trades, what can the industry do to support them on the job site? And a young woman’s decision to die by euthanasia in the Netherlands sparked a massive worldwide reaction on how euthanasia is used. Plus, a group of new COVID subvariants has arrived in Australia.. and they're being nicknamed FLiRT. So how concerned should we be about it? Guests: Professor Gemma Carey, expert on the NDIS, UNSW Stuart Turville, virologist, Kirby Institute Mel Street, tradie and f...
May 23, 2024•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast "Extreme turbulence" on a London-Singapore flight has left one person dead and 71 injured. So, how likely are events like these and are planes going to be experiencing more turbulence in a warming world? And, deadly violence has erupted in New Caledonia after the French Government in Paris approved a constitutional amendment to allow more recent arrivals to the French territory to vote in provincial elections. Now after a week of violent protest, repatriation flights are bringing stranded Austra...
May 22, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Scarlett Johansson reckons her voice has been ripped off for a new AI chatbot from ChatGPT and she's not happy.Plus, the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders, alleging they've committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. As a member of the court, Australia's involvement has been questioned by the opposition for "tarnishing" our international reputation. And has the internet we know and love died? AI content farms are taking over social me...
May 21, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fear of death keeps a lot of us up at night: in fact, some experts say death anxiety peaks in your early 20s. We speak to people working with the dead and find out why you should stop freaking out and instead embrace the inevitable. And 'kidfluencers' might seem innocent, but who else is engaging with their content? On certain websites, images of young kids are marketed as exclusive content to adult subscribers, and according to a Four Corners investigation sometimes it's the kids' parents who'r...
May 20, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Okay, we promise this is the last time we’ll talk about the budget (jk, we can’t promise that). And King Charles' blood red portrait, the painting Gina Rinehart reportedly doesn’t want you to see and a digital installation closed after a week: what do you do when art goes wrong? Plus, a uni in America has apologised after the announcer at a graduation ceremony mispronounced students' names as they collected their diplomas. Host Dave Marchese is joined by comedian Billy D’Arcy and journalist and ...
May 17, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico had his hand outstretched, ready to greet the public, when five shots were fired by a man in the crowd trying to assassinate him. And pro-Palestinian encampments continue at universities across the country. Some students say they have been issued move-on orders by police, and others say they've been threatened with expulsion and arrest. Also, the federal court has ruled that Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek doesn't have to consider the environmental impac...
May 16, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast More rent assistance, $300 off your power bill and a change to HECS indexation: the Albanese government has delivered its third budget. The government is promising it's going to address the cost-of-living crisis and the deepening generational divide. So will it? We put your questions to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Guests: Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia Elizabeth Baldwin, economist, Grattan Institute...
May 15, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
