The Daily Aus

Good(ish) news for the economy

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The good(ish) news is that this week we had the strongest indicator yet that inflation is easing, while unemployment remains low. The bad news is that...

Why Israel is protesting

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Protests and strikes have continued in Israel this week in response to judicial reforms that will limit the powers of its Supreme Court. The reform pa...

Casual or permanent: which would you choose?

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Casual employees who work consistent hours could have the option to become permanent employees under a new Government proposal. Employment Minister To...

What the global heatwave means for Australia's summer

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The first week of this month was the hottest week on record according to the World Meteorological Organisation, but the Northern Hemisphere has contin...

A shakeup for Aussie unis

23 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Following a review into higher education, the Federal Government has shed light on planned reforms for the university sector, including scrapping a ru...

Will 'Barbenheimer' save Australian cinema?

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Barbie and Oppenheimer shouldn’t have anything in common. One is a nostalgic trip with Barbie into the ‘real’ world, the other is an epic thrill...

More than football

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s time! The FIFA Women’s World Cup starts today and we are super excited. This event is going to be the most attended women’s sporting event ...

Did Victoria just get the Commonwealth Games cancelled?

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Just last year, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was announcing the Commonwealth Games would be held in his state. He said while it would cost a subst...

30,000 COVID fines to be challenged in court

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Around 60,000 fines were issued in NSW for public health order breaches during the pandemic. Now, the Redfern Legal Centre is seeking for 29,000 fines...

Why actors walked out on their own premiere

16 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The union for Hollywood actors has gone on strike for the first time in 43 years after failing to agree a pay deal with media giants including Netflix...

Why do politicians want Prime Energy banned?

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Around the world, people have been going absolutely crazy for influencers Logan Paul and KSI’s drink brand ‘Prime’. But now a U.S. senator is ca...

Who is responsible when a volcano erupts?

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A trial has begun in a New Zealand Court over the Whakaari White Island Volcano eruption which saw 22 people, including many Australians, lose their l...

The call to address sexual violence at unis

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over 40 university groups and individuals have signed an open letter calling for an independent body to respond to sexual violence at universities. Th...

The Threads vs Twitter cage match

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over 70 million people have already joined Meta’s new social media app ‘Threads’, which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says is “way beyond” expect...

“Crude and cruel”: Findings from the Robodebt Royal Commission

09 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A landmark report has been handed down by the Royal Commission on Robodebt, a scheme which saw welfare recipients charged over $1.7 billion in unlawfu...

Could women be more susceptible to concussions than men?

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Former AFLW player Heather Anderson has become the first professional female athlete in the world to be diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopath...

An update on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney has outlined new details about how the Government’s proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament will wo...

What is happening in France?

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The shooting of Nahel Merzouk by French police sparked days of protests and riots across the country. According to the BBC, thousands have been arrest...

Would you donate your eggs or sperm to a stranger?

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia’s first free public egg and sperm bank has opened in Victoria. The goal is to help people who for whatever reason, are experiencing infert...

The U.S ban on race-based college admissions

02 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A U.S. Supreme Court decision means universities in the U.S. will no longer be able to consider race when selecting prospective students. This means m...

Should online gambling ads be banned?

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A parliamentary committee wants to ban all online gambling ads, which are common in the sports world. Two-thirds of those who gamble on sports are at ...

Berejiklian corruption findings will be released today

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ICAC, The NSW corruption watchdog, will today release its findings into its investigation of former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. This is the same ...

Bad blood over Taylor Swift tickets

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The second round of pre-sale tickets for Taylor Swift’s Australian shows will be released today. But after Monday’s release led to the ticket webs...

What happened in Russia?

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While an attempt to overthrow Russia’s leadership has been unsuccessful, it has still raised questions about Putin’s leadership and war effort. In...

One year on from Roe v. Wade

25 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a year since the U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion. The decision to qu...

Seven years on, is the UK feeling Regrexit?

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union seven years ago today. The referendum divided old from young, Scotland and Northern Ireland from ...

Should recreational cannabis be decriminalised?

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bills to legalise cannabis were introduced to parliaments in NSW, Victoria and WA in a coordinated push this week. The draft laws were tabled by membe...

How is AI changing the music industry?

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence and music has been in the headlines lately, from The Beatles using AI to release new music, to the Grammys announcing updates ...

Chatting to Akuch Kuol Anyieth on World Refugee Day

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and researcher Akuch Kuol Anyieth joins Sam and Zara on the podcast in honour of World Refugee Day. Akuch is currently researching family viole...

Does government inaction on climate change violate young peoples’ rights?

18 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A group of 16 young people have taken the government of the U.S. state of Montana to court, arguing its climate policies are jeopardising their rights...

Should Australia’s voting age be lowered to 16?

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A campaign launched this week by youth-led organisation Make It 16 is calling on the federal government to lower the legal voting age to 16. Supporter...

Explaining the criminal charges faced by Trump

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been indicted for the second time this year. The new criminal charges relate to his handling of secret governme...

Is Australia heading towards a self-inflicted recession?

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Figures released last week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics have ramped up fears that Australia may be heading toward a recession, with economic...

Is mixed reality our future or is Apple’s new headset all hype?

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The recently announced Apple Vision Pro has the tech world buzzing. Apple is claiming it marks a new era in tech, and is suggesting that these headset...

How you and your baby can grow in the same uterus

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The first uterine transplant has officially happened in Australia. We first spoke to Kirsty last year, when she was a hopeful candidate for a uterine ...

What the minimum wage increase means for you

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We often hear about wages in the context of the rising cost of living, wage theft or insecure work. You may have even recently heard about a rise to t...

ACT to make period products free

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A survey by period justice charity, Share the Dignity, found 15% of those who menstruate in the ACT have experienced period poverty at some point. Now...

How the Government’s tackling rising smoking rates

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Government has revealed draft legislation to reform smoking in Australia as part of its plan to reduce the proportion of daily smokers fro...

The Ben Roberts-Smith trial, explained

04 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Roberts-Smith has lost his defamation case against Nine newspapers. The judge found claims about Roberts-Smith committing war crimes were “subst...

Men who have sex with men could soon donate plasma

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you're a man who has sex with men, there are limits on whether you can donate blood or plasma in Australia. But things could be about to change. Th...

Why the AFL dropped an investigation into allegations of racism

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The AFL has dropped its investigation into allegations of racism towards First Nations players at the Hawthorn Football Club.AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan ...

Will Uganda’s harsh anti-homosexuality laws hold?

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some of the world's harshest legislation against homosexuality has passed into law in Uganda. The law introduces new penalties of up to 10 years for a...

Will new measures for eating disorders go far enough?

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Eating disorders are among the most deadly of mental health conditions, with teens at particularly high risk. Research shows however, that eating diso...

What you need to know about the PwC scandal

28 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) went from investigating multinational fraud for the Australian Government, to being investigated by the government for h...

Who is Ron DeSantis and will he be the next President of the U.S.?

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once upon a time, Donald Trump threw his support behind Ron DeSantis’ campaign to be Governor of Florida.Now, the two men are going head-to-head in ...

First home buyer help or heartbreak

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The NSW Government is changing the rules for first home buyers. The plan is to scrap an option to pay land tax and to increase the property price limi...

A landmark native title case in the NT

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Court has ruled in favour of Yunupingu and the Gumatj Clan in a landmark native title case in the Northern Territory. The Gumatj Clan is s...

Why the ‘buy now, pay later’ industry is going to be regulated

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Government has announced a crackdown on ‘buy now, pay later’ schemes. The charity Good Shepherd found in a survey last year that aroun...

One year with the Albanese government

21 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One year ago today you were waking up to a Labor Government for the first time in almost 9 years.In today’s deep dive we look back at some of the Go...

Can Singapore cancel ‘cancel culture’?

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Singapore is considering laws that would ban cancel culture in the country. It comes after religious groups said they fear being ‘cancelled’ for t...

Renting: “An absolute dumpster fire everywhere”

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve all heard that rental prices are up, and rental supply is down. At the time of recording this podcast, 95.7% of respondents to a TDA survey sa...

What is happening with the Australian music industry?

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you turn on the radio or look at what’s trending in the music world, you’re more likely than not going to find music by global superstars like ...

What you need to know about Title 42

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A Trump era border law called Title 42 has been lifted in the United States. Its expiration last week led to fears of a potential surge in migrants tr...

One coal mine approved, two cancelled

14 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Government is set to approve a new coal mine. Coal and gas projects are being assessed by the Environment Minister on a case by case basis...

Why is Australia in Eurovision?

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Watching Eurovision has been a much loved Australian pastime for decades. Our participation in the contest, however, is a much more recent development...

Who is Imran Khan and why was he arrested?

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been arrested, sparking violent clashes between his supporters and security forces. The reason for Kh...

The Budget and the surprise surplus

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s that time of year when we spend 6 hours locked in a room furiously reading budget papers so we can bring you a special Budget update. TDA Edito...

What you need to know about the writers’ strike

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

More than 11,000 Hollywood writers have walked off their jobs over demands for better wages and job security. The union representing the writers say t...

Is the U.S. about to run out of money?

07 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. could run out of money, and fail to pay its debts, as early as June 1. If this were to happen, a U.S. government official has said it would c...

Why your HECS debt is about to rise

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Australian Tax Office confirmed this week that student loans are set to increase by 7.1% due to indexation. We polled the TDA audience and found t...

Get ready to budget

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The countdown is on for the next federal budget to be handed down. This will be a particularly important one, with a relatively new government, and a ...

Will the vape crackdown work?

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Government is cracking down on the availability, flavours, colours and nicotine levels of vapes. Minister for Health Mark Butler says this means, ...

A “nightmare” in Sudan

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Conditions in Sudan are deteriorating rapidly as a violent clash between two armed groups threatens to spiral into a full-blown war. A former Sudanese...

What will cheaper medicine mean for your local pharmacy?

30 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From 1 September, the Federal Government will allow hundreds of common medicines to be prescribed two months at a time instead of one, at half price. ...

Could Kathleen Folbigg be innocent? How genetic evidence could overturn her murder conviction

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2003, Folbigg was found guilty of killing her four infant children, based largely on evidence from her diaries. However, recent advancements in gen...

Biden and Trump are in the presidential race. What happens next?

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s starting to feel a lot like 2020, with both the key players from the last election returning for a rematch. But just because Trump and Biden ha...

Mental health and cosmetic surgery: will the new rules work?

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australians seeking cosmetic surgery will soon need to pass a psychological assessment to qualify for treatment. Patients will be assessed for underly...

What the RBA shake up means for you

23 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is facing its biggest shake up in decades. A government-endorsed review has made 51 recommendations to change the ...

Will electric vehicles drive Australia to zero emissions?

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to sales of electric vehicles (EVs). Now the Government is trying to catch up, with a ...

Why experts say JobSeeker should be increased

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A panel of experts established by the Government has found that the current rate of the JobSeeker payment and related payments are “seriously inadeq...

"Complex and traumatising": Why the Government plans to reboot the NDIS

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bill Shorten, the Federal Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), has announced an overhaul of the system. It’s been described...

Religious schools and discrimination: what should be allowed?

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There’s renewed controversy over a proposal to restrict religious schools from discriminating against LGBTQI+ staff and students. Several religious ...

The return of El Niño

16 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says there’s about a 50% chance of an El Niño ‘event’ occurring this year. After years of dealing with La Niña...

The call to end the Julian Assange saga

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

48 Australian politicians are calling for the release of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. If you haven’t been following the case, he’s cu...

The Liberals and the Voice

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The shadow minister for Indigenous Australians Julian Leeser has resigned over the Liberal party’s position on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. H...

What you need to know about the TikTok ban

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Australian Federal Government is banning TikTok on all federal government devices. Canada, the U.S, UK and New Zealand all have these kinds of res...

“Shell of the person I used to be”

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

According to the World Health Organisation 10 to 20% of people infected with COVID-19 may go on to develop long COVID, and yet it’s a condition we s...

"Catch and kill”: The first U.S. president to face criminal charges

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has officially become the first current or former President to face criminal charges. He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records, ...

How Medicare could be losing up to $3 billion every year

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A new review commissioned by the Federal Government has found $3 billion could be lost from the medicare system every year through either mismanagemen...

Will Australia run out of housing?

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve been feeling the burn of rising rent or watching property prices pick up, we’ve got some bad news. Things could get even worse. Australi...

How the NT is trying to tackle crime

02 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Northern Territory Government is offering to buy back grocery store’s alcohol licences. It’s the latest in a series of new measures aimed at t...

Why is it so hard to get an ADHD diagnosis?

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

About one in 20 Australians are believed to have ADHD, but getting a diagnosis isn’t always easy. We’ve heard from the TDA community about the dif...

130 mass shootings in 87 days

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Three students and three staff were killed in a school shooting in Nashville this week, in the latest mass school shooting in the U.S. U.S. President ...

What you need to know about the Federal Government’s new climate policy

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Federal Government’s key climate policy is set to pass after Labor and the Greens reached a compromise in their negotiations this week. The Gove...

An anti-trans rally, neo-Nazis and a suspended MP

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Victorian MP Moira Deeming has been suspended from the Liberal Party after she took part in an anti-trans rally. The rally was attended by several neo...

Why politicians should go to space

26 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pam Melroy was just the second woman to command a space shuttle mission, and spent 38 days in space building the International Space Station. Now she ...

The referendum question reveal

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the question Australians will vote on at the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. So what i...

Will Trump be arrested?

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The former president had claimed he would be arrested on Tuesday. That didn’t happen, but there is still a chance he will face indictment over the a...

TDA chats to NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday, we brought you TDA’s interview with NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Today, we’re bringing you TDA Editor Billi FitzSimons’ interview t...

TDA chats to NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The next NSW election will be held this coming Saturday. When we asked you, the TDA audience, what issues you wanted us to ask the Premier about, you ...

The secret educators of Afghan girls

19 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week marks one year since girls in Afghanistan had their hopes of returning to school dashed by the Taliban. Girls are now banned from receiving ...

Does NAPLAN matter?

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

According to a 2021 Australian Education Union survey, 62% of teachers say NAPLAN - the national literacy and numeracy test for years 3-9 - is an inef...

The schoolgirls allegedly being poisoned in Iran

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s estimated over a thousand school girls in Iran have allegedly been poisoned since last November. It comes after months of protests in the count...

A “cruel” policy, freedom of speech, and a (not) suspended sports broadcaster

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The BBC has reinstated high-profile sports presenter Gary Lineker, after he was suspended for tweeting a political opinion. His tweet called the UK’...

Will the collapse of a U.S. bank impact us here in Australia?

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) over the weekend was the largest bank failure since the 2008 global financial crisis. The Biden administrati...

The future of Australia’s defence

12 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re expecting some big news overnight about the future of Australia’s nuclear submarines. As tensions in the pacific rise, the question is, will...

The new French law against ‘sharenting’

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We’re all familiar with the parent influencers filling our feeds with their aesthetic family lives, but what does it mean for their kids’ privacy?...

Are medically supervised injection rooms working?

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Melbourne’s first medically supervised injection room is set to become permanent after a five year trial. While advocates are calling for more super...

“A really hard thing to do over cupcakes”

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gunai Woman Kirli Saunders is a writer, educator, artist and so much more. In this special International Women’s Day episode, Kirli and TDA journali...

Dr Monique Ryan and Sally Rugg’s workplace dispute

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An Independent MP and her chief of staff are in a legal dispute over work hours. Ryan claims Rugg wasn’t meeting expectations, while Rugg claims her...