7am

Full of hubris and bravado, the State of the Union Address was classic Trump – the showman who knows how to work a crowd.  In the chamber there was plenty of love, but on the streets of America the President’s popularity has been falling. Today, US journalist Steve Clemons, editor at large of The National Interest- on the speech and the spectacle – how did Trump’s state of the union go down, and what does it all mean for the midterms.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Steve Clemons, Editor at Large of The National Interest Photo: Kenny Holston/Pool/Sipa USASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Russia struck Ukraine four years ago it kicked off the first full scale war in Europe since World War II. Now, as Russia knocks out Ukraine’s power grid, and people freeze at temperatures of below minus 20 – is it time for President Zelensky to cut a deal? Today, Kateryna Argyrou Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations on travelling through a war torn country and whether it is time for Ukraine to cut a deal.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Kateryna Argyrou, Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/Sipa USASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By the time a wide-eyed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was slumped in the back of a Range Rover on his way to the police station last week, the reality had hit home. The man who was once a prince, watching his life crumble before his eyes. Now, as the world reels from Andrew’s arrest, and the royals scramble to protect themselves from one of the biggest crises the palace has ever faced – a warning from a royal biographer: that Charles could go down too. Today, royal historian Andrew Lownie, who literally wrote the book on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on what’s next for the former prince – and whether the King could be forced to abdicate the throne.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Andrew Lownie, historian and royal biographer Photo: Richard Pohle/The Times Pool via APSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elon Musk and his SpaceX team want to launch up to one million satellites as part of a proposal to power massive data centres in space. They pitch it as a clean, green alternative to regular data centres. But as Earth’s orbit becomes increasingly crowded, what will Elon’s mega constellation do to our night sky? And could a crash between satellites set off a catastrophic chain reaction? Today, Associate Professor of Astronomy Sam Lawler on the potential for disaster, the need for new space laws, and the time a huge piece of space junk landed in her home town!   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Associate Professor of Astronomy, Samantha Lawler Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters Images Europe/Pool/dpaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coles and Woolworths are now in court. The case, brought by the consumer watchdog, came on the back of hundreds of angry posts on X, TikTok and Reddit from shoppers archiving the supermarkets giants’ prices – and accusing them of gaming their “Down Down” and “Prices Dropped” promotions. The ACCC alleges some of those promotions were misleading –  with the “discount” price the same as, or higher than, what had been charged just weeks earlier. Today, economist and journalist Peter Martin on the “illusory” discounts – and how a Cadbury Caramello Koala helped fuel the outrage.   This episode was first published in October, 2024.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Economist Peter Martin. Photo: The New DailySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Pauline Hanson declared there are “no good Muslims” and renewed her call for a ban on people from Gaza and other so-called “terror hotspots”. After a backlash from across the community she has since walked back her comments on Muslim Australians, but her track record for stoking racial division remains intact.  It’s language that was once politically toxic. Now it’s cutting through with a whole generation of voters who feel they’ve been dudded by the promise of prosperity through hard work alone.  Today, Director of Strategy and Analytics at RedBridge Group, Kos Samaras, on the voters once known as Howard’s battlers, why more of them are turning to One Nation, and the forces reshaping Australia’s political centre and the social fabric of its democracy.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Kos Samaras, Director of Strategy and Analytics at RedBridge Group Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sue-Anne Hunter has had a long career which started as a social worker and reached the heights of Commissioner for Victoria’s Truth Telling Commission - The Yoorook Justice Commission. Now she’s been appointed as Australia’s first National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, and the weight of the responsibility is very real. Her appointment comes at a time when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are being imprisoned at one of the highest rates in the world, incarceration rates are rising instead of falling, Indigenous people make-up nearly a third of all deaths in custody, and most Closing the Gap targets for children are not on track; with some going backwards. So the task to break the cycle that leads to these appalling stats is a huge one. Today, National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter on the task ahead and giving voice to children who have too often been spoken about, but rarely listened to.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children, Sue-Anne Hunter. Photo: AAP Image/James RossSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They’re known as the ISIS brides. 11 women and 23 kids who, for nearly a decade, have languished in a dusty desert detention camp in Northern Syria. Some of the children have known no other home.  But the PM insists the group, who are all Australian citizens, aren’t welcome here. Thwarted at the last minute, as they tried to make their way back home this week. The group is now in limbo once more.  Today, Greens Senator David Shoebridge and Syria expert Josh Landis on the threat of radicalisation, the hope of rehabilitation, and what happens next for these Australians as chaos takes hold in Syria.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Greens Senator David Shoebridge & Syria expert Dr. Joshua Landis Photo: AP Photo/Baderkhan AhmadSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was 2019 when journalist Emily Maitlis sat down for that car crash interview with then-Prince Andrew.  It was the beginning of the end for the prince. Now, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has again hit the headlines, this time for allegedly sharing secret trade documents with Jeffrey Epstein. And as the fallout from the Epstein files threatens to take down everyone from ambassadors to prime ministers - Emily Maitlis again has a front row seat as the saga unfolds. Today, Emily Maitlis from The News Agents podcast on Andrew, the Epstein files, and how Trump is reshaping Europe. Emily Maitlis appears at the MCEC presented by The Wheeler Centre on 5 March and at the All About Women festival in Sydney on 8 March.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Emily Maitlis, journalist & host of The News Agents Photo: BBCSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The CFMEU construction union has been under a cloud since investigative journalist Nick McKenzie started digging into allegations of corruption in 2024. Bikie figures, organised crime, intimidation. All taking place on major government-funded projects. Now, a report has laid out all those stories in one place. And even Nick says he was stunned by the scale of it. The report's author, barrister Geoffery Watson, not only tore the CFMEU to shreds - but also claimed the Victorian government knew about the problems, and failed to act. But that section of Watson's report, that questioned the Victorian Labor government, was deleted before the report was published. Today, Nine newspapers investigative reporter Nick McKenzie, on the incredible scale of the corruption at the CFMEU, and the serious questions the government has to answer.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Nick McKenzie, Nine newspapers investigative reporter Photo: AAP Image/Joel CarrettSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 30,000 people from Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste are on a working visa in Australia as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme – or PALM. The government sells it as a ‘triple win’: workers earn Australian wages, Australian employers fill jobs they say they can’t fill locally, and money flows back to families and economies across the region. But Morgan Harrington has been investigating the cases where workers say they were exploited and mistreated – including being overcharged by their employer for housing that’s overcrowded and even dangerous. And because a worker’s visa is tied to one employer, leaving can mean losing your legal status – but thousands have chosen to, now living in Australia with the risk of deportation. Today, Postdoctoral Research Manager at the Australia Institute, Dr Morgan Harrington, on why the PALM scheme is ripe for exploitation – and why some say it’s a modern slavery risk.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Postdoctoral Research Manager at the Australia Institute, Dr Morgan Harrington Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday, about 6,000 people attended a protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Sydney. The event began peacefully – but videos later emerged, showing protesters being pepper-sprayed, beaten, and arrested by police. Police say some demonstrators wanted to march to NSW Parliament despite a restriction making it unlawful – and that when orders to disperse were ignored, they had to move the crowd on. Twenty-seven protesters were arrested. There have been a number of incidents in recent years where police have been accused of using excessive force against protesters. It comes as officers increasingly use weapons like pepper spray and rubber bullets. Today, journalist and author Ariel Bogle on the use of these so-called “non-lethal” weapons, and how they’re changing protests in Australia. This episode was first published in October 2025.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Journalist and author Ariel Bogle Photo: AAP Image/Flavio BrancaleoneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It took just nine months for the Liberal Party to turn on its first female leader. After months of internal agitation and sliding polls, a spill motion was called and, by the end, Ley was out – replaced by a man many conservatives had wanted all along, Angus Taylor. Taylor, a former energy minister and standard-bearer for the party’s right, has promised discipline, economic clarity and a return to what he calls “core Liberal values”, where culture wars aren’t a distraction; they’re the strategy.  For some, it’s a reset. For others, it’s a signal that internal battles are far from over.  Today, Political Editor at news.com.au Samantha Maiden, on how the spill unfolded, who backed Taylor and why, and whether this puts the Coalition in a stronger position than it was at the start of the week.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Samantha Maiden, political editor news.com.au Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The knives are out. The spill is on! Liberal MP Angus Taylor is set to challenge Sussan Ley for the leadership in a party room showdown at 9am. Their colleagues are now scrambling to pick sides as the face off looms. So, who will emerge triumphant? And how will the chaos play with voters? Today, contributing editor at The New Daily, Amy Remeikis on Taylor’s chances, the gender question, and whether a leadership change can save the Liberal party.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Amy Remeikis, Contributing Editor at The New Daily Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s Australia’s loudest, proudest celebration. But two weeks out from Mardi Gras – there are claims a rebel group has hijacked the event from inside the community. We hear from the two groups at war over the future of the parade. Today, Peter Murphy from Protect Mardi Gras, and Charlie Murphy from Pride in Protest on the battle threatening to tear Mardi Gras apart.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Peter Murphy, Protect Mardi Gras and Charlie Murphy, Pride in Protest Photo: AAP Image/Rounak AminiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jimmy Lai is a media tycoon and hero of Hong Kong’s freedom movement.  A symbol of the city’s fight for democracy and a free press – he has been silenced, handcuffed, and now sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Hong Kong court. Seen as a traitor by Beijing, Lai has been jailed on charges of sedition and collusion with foreign forces – which he says are politically motivated. Today, Sebastien Lai on fighting for his father’s freedom and what this case says about China’s ongoing crackdown in Hong Kong.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Sebastien Lai, son of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai Photo: Kobe Li/Nexpher Images/Sipa USASee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has arrived in Sydney for a four-day visit to Australia, invited in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack in December. On Monday, Herzog visited Bondi and laid a wreath to honour the 15 people killed in the attack.  At the same time, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Sydney’s CBD to oppose the visit – after organisers launched a Supreme Court challenge to the NSW government’s decision to declare the visit a “major event”, a move that activates special police powers in the city.  It comes on top of the broader protest restrictions NSW introduced after Bondi – which the government says are about community safety in the wake of a terrorist incident – but which civil liberties groups argue tilt too much power toward police discretion and make political protest more difficult. Today, 7am chats with protestors at the Sydney march, and NSW Council for Civil Liberties president Timothy Roberts, on the new limits being placed on protest in NSW – and across the country.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: NSW Council for Civil Liberties president, Timothy Roberts Photo: AAP Image/Flavio BrancaleoneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been just over two weeks since the Liberal and National parties’ dramatic split and now the Coalition is back together. Sussan Ley and David Littleproud insist they’re now solid, guaranteeing that after two Coalition splits in the space of a year - this time, there’ll be no more break ups. Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton on how the Coalition got back together after their big blow up, and whether this time it’s for good.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Press gallery journalist, Karen Middleton Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TikTok is the most influential media platform for Australians under the age of 25. It’s where millions get their news – whether they realise it or not. But TikTok is no longer just a cultural force. A Trump-aligned group of investors has taken over its American operations, aimed at keeping China at arm’s length. Now, users are claiming that content about ICE and its operations in Minnesota, where two American citizens were killed by federal agents, has been difficult to post, has disappeared from the algorithm, or has reached far fewer people than expected. TikTok has denied political censorship, saying the platform was experiencing technical disruption at the time. But it’s raised the question: when it comes to TikTok, who gets to decide what Americans see – and what gets buried? Today, Associate Editor at Crikey, Cam Wilson, on the Trumpification of TikTok. You can read Cam’s reporting at Crikey. This episode was first published in October 2025.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Associate Editor at Crikey, Cam WilsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Australians were hit with another reminder that the cost-of-living crisis isn’t over, and that the government's room to move is narrowing fast.  An interest rate rise has sharpened the pressure on Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers, just as a federal budget looms. The government is now forced to weigh up expectations of economic reform vs political risk.  Meanwhile, the Opposition is unravelling in plain sight; the Coalition split, with the Nationals relegated to the crossbench. Today, press gallery veteran, Paul Bongiorno, on how exposed the government really is, how bold it can afford to be, and how the opposition’s collapse is reshaping the political contest.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Press gallery veteran, Paul Bongiorno Photo: AAP Image/Mick TsikasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.