7am

The Culture: Why Kanye West can't be cancelled

12 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was one of the most chaotic and controversial album rollouts in recent history but Kanye West’s 10th studio album, Donda, is finally here. It’...

Generation 9/11: A soldier, a refugee and a Muslim Australian

11 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty years ago the terrorist group Al-Qaeda hijacked four planes, flying them into New York City’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing ne...

Everybody Knows, episode three: A broken system

10 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Ruby Jones speaks to some of the best known lawyers on either side of the Me Too movement in order to help her investigation.Ruby loo...

Why your next car will be electric

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Governments and car manufacturers all over the world are preparing for a future where most vehicles will be powered by electricity - a future that is ...

Just how stretched are our hospitals?

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Australia grapples with its biggest outbreak yet of Covid-19, an outbreak that shows few signs of slowing, the focus is shifting to hospitalisation...

What we can learn from the world’s reopening

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As our political leaders fight over the proposed national plan to re-open the country, health experts are imploring state and federal governments to l...

The charity feeding Sydney during lockdown

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ongoing lockdowns have put many Australians under extreme financial pressure.Without adequate government support the responsibility is falling on comm...

The Culture: The dark side of the games industry

05 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The video games industry is worth over $180 billion a year, more than the US film and sports industries combined. For decades though, it’s been plag...

Everybody Knows, episode two: Five days in November

04 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In episode two of Everybody Knows, Ruby Jones goes back to the beginning of MeToo in Australia in 2017. Why did the movement seem to run out of moment...

Are we heading towards a pandemic election?

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The country might still be in the grip of a pandemic and ongoing lockdowns, but our major parties are already planning for a looming federal election....

What went wrong with Australia’s withdrawal from Afghanistan

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few weeks the world has witnessed scenes of chaos and desperation in Afghanistan as people scrambled to evacuate the country as it fell ...

Everybody Knows, episode one: The company

01 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Follow journalist Ruby Jones as she investigates an open secret in the Australian music industry -- stories of harassment, abuse and assault spanning ...

Can our hospitals cope with Covid-19?

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As hospitals in NSW and Victoria prepare to deal with an influx of Covid-19 patients, there are fresh concerns that our healthcare system might not be...

How Australia is holding back vaccine supply

29 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As wealthy countries like Australia race to vaccinate their population, many other nations in our region are falling behind due to the high cost of va...

The Culture: Why is Lorde’s new album so divisive?

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lorde released her first full-length album, Pure Heroine, back in 2013 and it struck a chord around the world, selling 5 million copies, picking up tw...

Scott Morrison’s coming out of his cave, and he’s doing just fine

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It was just a couple of weeks ago that the Prime Minister, along with state and territory leaders, signed off a plan to end lockdowns and border closu...

Angus Taylor's fossil fuel handouts

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As scientists, and the United Nations, continue to warn about the likely impacts of climate change, the federal government is spending big to help pro...

Introducing 'Everybody Knows': A new investigative series from 7am

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In November 2020, an Instagram account began to publish anonymous stories of harassment, abuse and assault in the Australian music industry. These wer...

“This is a wake-up call”: The pandemic hits regional Australia

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most concerning outbreaks of Covid-19 in the country right now is taking place in western NSW.Towns like Wilcannia and Walgett have high Ab...

The document predicting Covid-19 hospitalisations

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Covid-19 case numbers continue to reach record highs in NSW, so too do hospitalisations and intensive care admissions.Now, a leaked document from t...

What’s next for Afghanistan

22 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After twenty years of war, invasion and occupation, US-led forces in Afghanistan, including Australian defence personnel have finally withdrawn, endin...

The Culture: Tony Armstrong on the wholesome reprieve of Ted Lasso

20 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tony Armstrong, former AFL player and sports presenter on ABC News Breakfast, joins The Culture to talk about a show one of the most heartwarming TV s...

Scott Morrison is late to the rescue

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week the federal government was caught out without a clear plan on two of the biggest crises facing the world right now: the ongoing Covid-19 pan...

Curfews, police, more fines: Is there another way to fight lockdown fatigue?

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Outbreaks of Covid-19 are continuing to spread across the country, hitting largely unvaccinated and unprepared populations.Eighteen months into the pa...

Kevin Rudd on Murdoch’s plan for Sky News

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From its origins as a little watched cable news broadcaster, Sky News has grown into a media powerhouse reaching millions of people, primarily on YouT...

NSW abandons Covid Zero

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

NSW is currently experiencing its worst outbreak of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. With case numbers continuing to rise, the government has...

A climate scientist offers us hope

15 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australian scientist Joëlle Gergis was one of the lead authors on a landmark climate report by the IPCC, a United Nations body responsible for assess...

The Culture: The story behind The Kid LAROI's phenomenal rise

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week on The Culture, we’re talking about the young Kamilaroi kid from Waterloo, New South Wales, who this week topped the US Billboard charts. ...

The anti-lockdown movement reaches Parliament

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s anti-lockdown movement reached federal parliament this week, when a rogue Coalition MP took to the floor to blast public health measures...

The rise of Afterpay

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2014 two friends from Sydney created a company that transformed the way we buy and sell things online. That company, Afterpay, has become a bedrock...

The tax cuts that could bankrupt Australia

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

No matter which major party wins the next federal election, the top 5 percent of income earners in Australia will receive tax cuts worth 180 dollars a...

Does Australia have a pandemic ‘Freedom Day’?

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Eighteen months into the pandemic Scott Morrison has announced a plan for the way out, underpinned by modelling from one of our most respected scienti...

'Magic mushrooms treated my depression'

08 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For thousands of years naturally occurring psychedelics have been used medicinally. But for the past few decades, research into their potential has be...

The Culture: Is Billie Eilish the radical saviour pop needs?

07 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2018 singer Billie Eilish released her debut album ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’With it the teenager pretty much immediately chang...

Weekend Read: Scott Ludlam on Julian Assange

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Scott Ludlam, ICAN ambassador and former Australian Greens Senator, reads his cover essay from the latest issue of The Monthly.It’s called ‘...

Scott Morrison’s in the race of his political life

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After riding high in the opinion polls for the past 12 months, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is now facing the consequences of a slow and messy vaccin...

The frontline of Australia's strictest lockdown

04 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sydney has been in lockdown for six weeks now, but the number of Covid-19 infections is still continuing to rise.While most residents are able to stay...

The millions of Australians let down by our health system

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

More than three million Australians face a health crisis that can severely impact their quality of life: chronic pain.But many people experiencing chr...

Is hosting the Olympics worth it?

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hosting the Olympics is an honour that cities have competed for over a century. It’s seen as recognition of a nation’s economic superiority, and a...

War games and an espionage arms race

01 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Every two years the Australian and US defence forces engage in a massive military exercise called Talisman Sabre.It's about strategising for potential...

The Culture: Does the world really need a “woke” Gossip Girl reboot?

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The original Gossip Girl debuted 14 years ago and quickly became a cultural phenomenon.Now the show is back with a brand new cast and brand new storyl...

Labor’s great surrender

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While many Australians were focused on watching the Olympics this week, the federal Labor Opposition quietly made some significant policy changes.The ...

Who are Australia’s anti-lockdown protestors?

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last weekend thousands of people marched across Australia to protest against lockdowns.Officially the rallies were called “Marches for Freedom”......

Welcome to the heat dome

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few weeks a slow-moving weather event has led to record high temperatures across North America.This kind of event is known as a heat dom...

The Liberal factions pushing out Scott Morrison

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If there’s a state government the Prime Minister has spent the most time talking up over the past year it’s the one led by Gladys Berejiklian. Sc...

How one DNA test kept this family apart for a decade

25 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In Australia, DNA testing has been routinely used for decades in deciding who can and can’t enter the country.The tests can be used to unify familie...

The Culture: The Ballad of Britney Spears

23 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Britney Spears is one of the biggest music stories in the world right now, but it’s not because of her music.It's to do with the saga of her controv...

Front row seats to the world’s biggest experiment

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After being postponed last year, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games officially begin tonight in the middle of Japan’s third wave of Covid-19 and amidst a ...

The debate over vaccinating children

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout this pandemic one group in particular have been at the forefront of key policy debates: young people.From whether schools should close, to ...

How an unlikely trio stopped China funding Australia’s biggest coal mine

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Four years ago the mining giant Adani was struggling to fund its massive coal project in Queensland’s Galilee Basin.Public pressure and a political ...

Australia has vaccines. Why aren’t people taking them?

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The rapidly spreading Delta variant has forced nearly half of Australia’s population back into lockdown, and it’s not clear when the restrictions ...

Bob Brown on the fight to save Tasmania’s wilderness from a toxic waste dump

18 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Tarkine rainforest, in Tasmania's north west, is Australia's largest temperate rainforest and home to some of the country’s most endangered spec...

The Culture: How a four-year-old Australian song became the biggest hit in Europe

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 2017 Melbourne musicians Ed Service and Jack Madin recorded a song in their Brunswick studio. It was recorded with, and for, their friends.The trac...

I get locked down, and I'm locked down again... something, something, something whiskey drink

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a new COVID-19 financial support package for Sydneysiders currently in lockdown. The new measures w...

A psychologist's guide to surviving lockdown

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Cheers is a psychologist who spent the long lockdown in Melbourne last year supporting people struggling with their mental health. A few days a...

The case that could help close the gender pay gap

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's been over 50 years since equal pay for equal work became law in Australia, but right now women are still significantly underpaid.In recent years,...

Why Frydenberg lobbied to sack Australia’s biggest energy boss

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

According to most scientists, the world has until 2030 to transition away from coal-fired power in order to prevent runaway climate change.Six years a...

The growing Australian surveillance state

11 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past few years the federal government has passed more and more laws granting police and security agencies greater access to our private commu...

The Culture: Welcome to Deathmatch Downunder

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In basements and bars across the country crowds gather to cheer on people wearing tight, spandex outfits as they toss and pummel each other all over a...

The “menacing” and “controlling” Scott Morrison

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For most of the past year the Coalition government has faced sustained criticism over its treatment of women.Now a former Liberal MP has added fuel to...

As the world opens, Australia seals itself off

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For most of the past 18 months, Australia has been hailed as a world leader in terms of its handling of the pandemic.But now, some of our biggest citi...

The $660 million election slush fund

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A scathing new report has found that in the lead-up to the last election the federal government spent more than half a billion dollars on infrastructu...

The scientist who predicted the death of the reef

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, but now it’s on the cusp of being declared “in danger” by UNE...

The judgement that changed climate law in Australia

04 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent landmark judgement, the federal court has found that the government owes children a duty of care in preventing harm from the impacts of cl...

Weekend Read: Richard Flanagan on why he writes

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Richard Flanagan, Booker prize winner and author of The Living Sea of Waking Dreams, reads his essay from the latest issue of The Monthly. It’...

How a slip of the tongue changed the vaccine rollout

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Less than eight percent of Australians are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.This week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the Astra-Zeneca ...

The exploitation of Australia’s forgotten workers

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s meat processing industry is one of many that relies heavily on migrant workers, to do jobs that Australian residents often aren’t will...

10 million Australians back in lockdown

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the past few days over 10 million Australians have been plunged back into lockdowns, as fresh outbreaks of Covid-19 spread across major cities.The ...

Cancel culture hits the High Court

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A case currently before the High Court, involving one academic’s controversial views on climate, could have significant ramifications for freedom of...

The story behind the Wuhan lab-leak theory

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Australia grapples with new outbreaks of Covid-19, questions about the origins of the virus have been re-emerging.US President Joe Biden recently u...

Barnaby Joyce sinks to the top… again

24 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After two years on the backbench, Barnaby Joyce is back as leader of the Nationals and as Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister.His return to power caug...

Behrouz Boochani on the detainees we forgot

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Behrouz Boochani spent six years detained on Manus Island, a victim of Australia’s Pacific Solution.Last year he was granted refugee status in New Z...

The world’s first pandemic games

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tens of thousands of athletes and officials are about to descend on Tokyo as the city prepares to host the 32nd Olympic games. But with Covid-19 case...

The government vs Friendlyjordies

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

YouTuber Friendlyjordies has built up a significant audience in recent years through his pointed and acerbic political videos. But he’s also attrac...

Science is evolving, but are our ethics keeping up?

20 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Recent breakthroughs in science and medicine have demonstrated that we may be much closer to being able to artificially grow and replace human organs ...

The Culture: Barry Jenkins' new masterpiece, The Underground Railroad

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Underground Railroad, a new series on Amazon Prime, is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead. It's direc...

Australia backs coal as the G7 pledge climate action

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies gathered to discuss climate change, and pledged further action, the Australian government chose...

You and Q’s army?

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The QAnon conspiracy theory, focused on a belief in the existence of a Satanic child sexual abuse ring, has been collecting followers worldwide. Here...

The Americanisation of Australia’s health system

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s health care system is facing unprecedented amounts of pressure.Our public health systems have been cut back for decades, and now the pri...

The Biloela family speaks out

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Speaking from a hospital in Perth, Priya Murugappan details her daughter’s sickness and her family’s struggle in detention. More than three years ...

The Culture: How Western Sydney is redefining hip-hop

11 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hip-hop is the biggest musical genre in the world right now, and one of the fastest growing locally, but in Australia it still feels like it hasn’t ...

Australia’s biggest ever crime sting

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Scott Morrison announced Australia’s involvement in a massive organised crime sting coordinated by the FBI. He pushed for greater securit...

It’s textbook ‘how not to run a war’

09 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After 20 years of war, Australia gave three days’ notice before closing its embassy in Kabul. The dramatic end expresses how unsafe Afghanistan stil...

You had one job, Greg Hunt

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A further outbreak of Covid-19 in Victorian aged-care homes was not just a possibility: it was almost a given. Even before a vaccine was available, th...

What’s next for Christian Porter

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Christian Porter’s decision to settle his defamation suit against the ABC is the end of one battle. But the former attorney-general, accused of a hi...

The Australian spy novelist charged with espionage in China

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been detained by the Chinese government since 2019.He’s been charged with espionage offences, but the exact natur...

The Culture: Olivia Rodrigo takes over

05 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Olivia Rodrigo’s hit single ‘driver’s license’ is undeniably the biggest song of 2021 so far. Now the actor turned singer-songwriter has relea...

Weekend Read: Sarah Krasnostein on the most hated man

04 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Sarah Krasnostein, the best-selling author of ‘The Trauma Cleaner’, reads her essay from the latest issue of The Monthly. It’s called ‘...

Scott Morrison dodges responsibility

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For the past week the federal government has been locked in a tussle with Victoria over who is responsible for financially supporting those suffering ...

Why it keeps happening to Victoria

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, Victorians were told the state’s seven day ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown would be extended for another week, as health authorities race ...

Australia breaches international law, again

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Last month, under the cover of the federal budget, the Coalition government rushed through new laws legalising the indefinite detention of refugees.Au...

The vaccine race Australia is losing

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As Covid-19 case numbers in Victoria continue to rise, attention has turned to the slow pace of the vaccine rollout, and the question of whether or no...

How to make a law for consent

30 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For years, advocates against sexual assault have been pushing for law reform, particularly on the issue of consent. Now - they’ve had a win, with t...

The Culture: The problem with our true crime obsession

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Whether it’s podcasts like ‘Serial’ or ‘The Teacher’s Pet’, Netflix documentaries like ‘Making a Murderer’ or ‘Tiger King’, true c...

Who's to blame for Victoria's lockdown?

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Victoria has been plunged back into lockdown, the state’s fourth since the start of the pandemic.But this time there’s one big difference: vaccine...

The frontline women’s services at risk of collapse

26 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The federal budget promised $3.2 billion dollars to be spent on policies that improve the lives of Australian women. But, despite that pledge, a crit...

Why isn’t Labor cutting through?

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been two years since former Opposition Leader Bill Shorten lost the federal election, and then the Labor leadership.Now, as the major parties g...

The government's war on charities

24 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Morrison government is contemplating new laws which could see charities held responsible for minor legal breaches by their members and supporters....

Are Australians too complacent about Covid-19?

23 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine has been stymied by a combination of different factors including supply, distribution and vaccine hesita...

Introducing 'The Culture': a new weekly show

21 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Culture is a brand new weekly show from the team behind 7am. Every week join host Osman Faruqi and special guests as they go deep on film, music, ...