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In this episode of Guardian Australia’s US politics podcast, co-hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy look at what the reported food shortages and mental health crisis on the USS Lincoln say about whether the US military is stretched too thin as the war on Iran drags on. They also look at Donald Trump’s vaccine executive order and why experts are fearful it could spread vaccine hesitancy to Australia. Finally, what’s the update on Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s long-running bromance?

New South Wales will become the first state to undertake Australia’s biggest gun buyback in 30 years in a jointly funded scheme in response to the Bondi beach terror attack. The move has been welcomed by many, but has also been met with opposition from the Coalition and One Nation who say it unfairly targets law-abiding gun owners. Rafqa Touma speaks to reporter Penry Buckley about whether the buyback will work and why the scheme has angered so many

Christopher Berry-Dee has been a pioneer of the true crime genre for years. The UK’s all-time bestselling true crime author is a self-proclaimed expert in serial killers, persuading them to give interviews and laying out their crimes in extensive detail. ‘Persuasive,’ says Sirin Kale after speaking to many who know him, ‘that’s a word that comes up a lot.’ However, after an investigation with fellow investigations correspondent Lucy Osborne, Sirin tells Annie Kelly about a much darker side to Berry-Dee, who has been accused by multiple women of violence, rape and sexual assault. Berry-Dee denies the allegations

With just months to go before New Zealand voters head to the polls, the prime minister, Christopher Luxon, has survived his second leadership spill in just four months. As flagging poll numbers, a sluggish economy and high-profile gaffes build pressure on Luxon, can the embattled leader retain his grip on power through November? The Guardian’s New Zealand correspondent Eva Corlett joins Reged Ahmad to look inside NZ politics and whether the PM can make it to election day

From immigration to inflation, housing sits at the heart of most political debates. But political parties are struggling to come up with a coherent message – and no one has a clear plan to fix the crisis. The Liberal senator and shadow housing minister, Andrew Bragg, last week said his plan to cut immigration is the solution – but so far he’s fuzzy on the details. And the government wants house prices to fall but doesn’t seem to want to take credit for it when they do. Reged Ahmad speaks to economist Saul Eslake on what really works and why politicians can’t seem to fix one of the biggest problems facing us all

Federal parliament has returned from winter break with a frenetic start to the second half of the political year. There were days of commentary and squirming over ‘melon-gate’ and, with Labor planning to make a deal with the Coalition to pass gambling reforms, there are still doubts about the government’s ambition in its second term. In an ‘ask me anything’ edition of the Australian Politics podcast, Tom McIlroy, Krishani Dhanji, Josh Butler and Sarah Basford Canales from Guardian Australia’s Canberra bureau answer questions from listeners and readers

Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry look at Liberal senator Andrew Bragg’s speech this week in which he outlined his plan to solve the housing crisis – a plan that doesn’t have the support of his own party. The Barries also discuss the ‘melon-gate’ controversy, with Tony asking if a conservative politician would be subjected to more or less outrage if they had done the same thing. Also in this episode, the deal on gambling between Labor and the Coalition

As week two of the criminal trial against Alan Jones draws to a close, intense cross-examination of the first complainant, known as J, comes to an end. After testimony from J’s witnesses, inconsistencies in timelines about the alleged offending 20 years ago threatened to delay proceedings. Guardian Australia media correspondent Amanda Meade joins Nour Haydar to unpack the latest evidence and courtroom roadblocks

After allegations that some betting companies provided gamblers with drugs and sex workers as enticements to keep wagering, pressure to act on gambling reform has mounted from all sides. And this week it seems Anthony Albanese is edging closer to a deal with the Coalition to pass new restrictions on advertising and inducements. But with backbenchers and advocates calling for stronger measures than those now on the table, will the prime minister go harder? Rafqa Touma speaks to the political editor, Tom McIlroy, about the negotiations between Albanese and Angus Taylor on the issue and whether the deal they reach will do what is needed to help those struggling with gambling addiction

When the University of Cambridge appoints a new professor, it doesn’t usually make global headlines. But Jason Arday was different. He was just 37 in 2023 when he became Cambridge’s youngest black professor, specialising in the sociology of race and education. The achievement seemed all the more remarkable because of his incredible backstory. Yet almost as soon as he began his professorship at Cambridge’s Jesus College, the whispers began. Initially, the focus was on his academic scholarship. But, the Guardian’s arts and culture correspondent Lanre Bakare tells Helen Pidd, the allegations snowballed, and soon every aspect of his life story was put under the microscope. Last week, he resigned. But how did this happen? And what does this tell us about how black scholars are treated by academia and the media?

For the past three years, we’ve known him only as a ‘high-profile businessman’, accused and then convicted of raping a woman in his home. Until last week, when the court order suppressing his name was lifted and he was revealed to be Ralph Carr, one of Australian music’s heavyweights, a man who helped bring us the biggest pop stars of the 90s. Names like Kate Ceberano, Vanessa Amorosi and Tina Arena – his ex-wife. Guardian Australia can reveal that dozens of other women who worked for Ralph Carr Management accused him of verbally abusive and intimidating behaviour dating back to the 1990s. Some accuse him of sexual harassment. He denies the claims and maintains his innocence regarding his rape conviction. Reged Ahmad speaks to culture editor Steph Harmon about her exclusive report

Just a few weeks ago, the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, was riding high after a successful World Cup. Now, he’s on the brink of losing his job. Infantino has apologised for his controversial plan to sell off the World Cup, but it’s done nothing to dampen the calls for his resignation. So why was the plan so despised, and is it one controversy too far for the man who once awarded Donald Trump a peace prize? Host Reged Ahmad speaks to sport reporter Jack Snape on whether this is the final whistle for Infantino

It’s been a long time since a woman led the Labor party. This term, Tanya Plibersek will become the longest serving woman of the House of Representatives in Australia. Plibersek has held senior cabinet and shadow cabinet roles since 2004, was deputy leader to Bill Shorten between 2013 and 2019, and is one of the most recognisable politicians in the country. But in the conversation of who is in line to be Labor’s next leader after Albanese, Plibersek barely registers, nor do any other women. And this is despite the party achieving gender parity in its caucus. Political reporter Krishani Dhanji speaks to Rafqa Touma on why it’s been a long time since a woman led the Labor party

Barrie Cassidy is back, and kicks off the episode by analysing the conflict in the Labor party over migration that led to the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, pulling out of his scheduled press club speech this week. Tony Barry delves into new Redbridge polling suggesting small gains for One Nation and the Coalition at a federal level. And as the conversation turns to Victorian politics, he surprises everyone – including himself – by defending a trade union leader. They also answer some listener questions, and Tony has his say on Jetstar’s new cabin luggage charges.

The criminal trial of veteran broadcaster Alan Jones has begun almost two years after he was arrested over multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual touching – charges he strongly denies. What did week one reveal about the prosecution’s case, and the way Jones treated his alleged teenage victim? Nour Haydar speaks to Guardian Australia’s media correspondent, Amanda Meade, to unpack opening statements and key evidence from the first week of the trial

In this episode of Guardian Australia’s weekly US politics podcast, co-hosts Jonathan Yerushalmy and Reged Ahmad take a look at how the Michigan Senate primaries could decide the future of the Democrats. This is a race that has revealed the civil war raging inside the party, as some seek to take it further to the left, with candidates such as Abdul El-Sayed. But will this schism be the Democrats’ Maga moment, or will it leave the party open to a Republican communist ‘red scare’ campaign that could cost them the midterms? They also look at why the Senate unanimously passed a resolution declaring its opposition to any presidential pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, as well as the next chapter in the reflecting pool saga and why Donald Trump said US attorney and Maga faithful Jeanine Pirro had ‘folded like an umbrella’

Despite most Australians supporting clean technology, the campaign against wind and solar infrastructure has proven to be effective, striking a chord with many of those living in remote and rural areas. So how do we bring everyone along on the transition to a renewable energy-focused future? And who’s putting up roadblocks? The Guardian’s environment and climate correspondent Graham Readfearn joins Reged Ahmad to unpack Australia’s relationship with renewables

The One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has repeatedly declared that he doesn’t ‘believe in multiculturalism’. But the reality on the ground in his New South Wales electorate of New England suggests otherwise. Joyce supported a campaign for the town of Armidale to become a refugee resettlement centre but, as a member of One Nation, his party advocates for a ‘monocultural’ Australia and for restricting migration to those who can speak English. Nour Haydar speaks to the Guardian’s community affairs reporter, Adeshola Ore, about what she learned on the ground from Armidale’s growing refugee community – and from an interview with Joyce himself

Alan Jones will today front court on 22 indecent assault and sexual touching charges, spanning a nearly two-decade period. He denies all charges. But how did we get here? Once a media giant who enjoyed the height of influence and power, he is now the centre of one of Australia’s highest-profile criminal cases. The Guardian’s media correspondent, Amanda Meade, joins Nour Haydar to get us up to speed on the trial

Two years into her role representing King Charles, Australia’s head of state, the governor general, Sam Mostyn, says she has observed a “woeful lack of understanding” among the adult population about the civic underpinnings of Australia’s democracy – beginning with the constitution. Mostyn speaks to Guardian Australia political editor, Tom McIlroy, at Admiralty House in Sydney about her decision to focus on a wide-ranging civics education for modern Australia, to address the “growing catastrophe” that undermines democratic participation

Tony Barry and Jon Faine (sitting in for Barrie Cassidy this week) examine the ousting of Jacinta Allan and the anointing of Ben Carroll as the new premier of Victoria. They discuss what it could all mean for the upcoming election and while they say anything can happen, Tony’s tummy compass points to a win for Jess Wilson. And, weeks into the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, Faine gives his take on the hearings so far

It has been a messy week in Australian politics. In NSW, the Liberal party faced the corruption watchdog over allegations of branch stacking and illegal donations. In Victoria, the noise around the so-called Big Build brought down a premier and threatens to further alienate already aggrieved voters. Josephine Tovey is joined by Mike Ticher, Patrick Keneally and Anne Davies to talk about a bad week for trust in politics

Twenty-five years ago, on a desolate stretch of Australian highway, Bradley John Murdoch flagged down British backpackers Joanne Lees and Peter Falconio. Falconio was never seen again. Now, as police continue to try to bring closure for his family, one former British government expert says he knows the ‘most likely’ place where Falconio’s body was hidden Queensland correspondent Ben Smee joins Reged Ahmad as police try to finally close the case on the murder of Peter Falconio

In this episode of Guardian Australia’s weekly US politics podcast, co-hosts Jonathan Yerushalmy and Reged Ahmad discuss Donald Trump’s closed-door meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. They also examine the president’s escalating attacks on the Smithsonian National Museum of American History as well as his performance at the White House correspondent’s dinner

Victoria has a new premier after the education minister, Ben Carroll, was voted in by the Labor party during a chaotic caucus meeting on Tuesday morning. His predecessor, Jacinta Allan, stood down after a tumultuous few months at the helm of a government diving in the polls and struggling to fend off a rising One Nation ahead of November’s state election. Victorian state correspondent Benita Kolovos tells Reged Ahmad how the day unfolded and whether a change in leadership can improve Labor’s chances at the ballot box later this year

Taking place once every three years, the Labor party conference can be a chance to have open debates on vexed policy issues – but this one was different. Reged Ahmad speaks to the political editor, Tom McIlroy, about whether the prime minister is insisting on too much control and what his tight hold means for his party’s chances of taking on One Nation

This year the FBI issued urgent warnings to parents about 764, a global online community where children are manipulated into acts of violence. With hundreds of investigations under way worldwide, including in Australia, 764 and groups like it are accused of using coercion to turn vulnerable minors into victims and, in some cases, predators. Nour Haydar speaks to investigations reporter Ariel Bogle about the dangers to children these networks pose

Speaking with political editor Tom McIlroy and chief political correspondent Dan Jervis-Bardy at the 50th Labor conference in Adelaide, Peter Malinauskas talks about his own state contest with One Nation and why progressives should not speak down to Pauline Hanson’s supporters. And despite the US admitting this week that the production rate of Virginia-class submarines has not increased, the SA premier argues that abandoning Aukus would pose an even greater risk than the controversial agreement’s potential problems

Tony Barry and George Megalogenis (filling in for Barrie Cassidy) give their view on One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce’s viral moment this week and why they think it played well to his party’s base. George takes us back to past elections that produced favourable results for One Nation to remind us that we have been here before and that political predictions often don’t come true. And they sign off with a listener email asking if the rise in polling is damaging democracy

Political and media attention this week has once again been squarely focused on One Nation’s antics. But while Pauline Hanson had her Euro summer, many of that continent’s biggest cities were enduring their worst heat stress in recorded history. In Australia, an El Niño summer is not far away and we may be headed for our hottest winter on record. Jo Tovey speaks with Mike Ticher and assistant climate editor Donna Lu about whether Australia is being too complacent about the changing climate

Tens of thousands of young protesters poured on to the streets of India’s capital, New Delhi, this week amid an explosion of anger over the country’s education system and youth unemployment. The protesters are supporters of the Cockroach Janta party, which started as an online joke but has quickly become an unexpected challenge to the powerful rightwing government of Narendra Modi. Nour Haydar speaks to the Guardian’s south Asia correspondent, Hannah Ellis-Petersen, about what’s behind India’s growing protests

Co-hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy look at why Donald Trump chose to make a prime-time address about the US electoral system: was he trying to destabilise and undermine confidence before the midterms, and will it work? Also: why is the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ordering annual testosterone deficiency screening for soldiers in the military aged 30 and older?

There has been no end to the negative headlines generated in response to comments made by Pauline Hanson on her trip overseas – and it has forced members of One Nation, including Barnaby Joyce, to defend and explain her actions back home. Guardian Australia political reporter Josh Butler speaks to Reged Ahmad about how the trip’s many controversies could play with One Nation supporters in Australia

Senior political correspondent Peter Walker and former No 10 press secretary Paul Harrison analyse Andy Burnham’s first day as PM

We know that the online world is awash with angry commentary, but why are we so compelled to keep scrolling, despite our best intentions? And how is it shaping our politics? Ed Coper is political adviser and communications consultant who works to harness that social media outrage machine, which he calls ‘angertainment’. And while there is no doubt it is shaping political strategy now, especially on the right side of politics, Coper says there is an antidote to all that outrage – one that could bring us back to the days of constructive conversation. He speaks to Reged Ahmad about his new book, Angertainment: How Social Media Outrage Ruined Everything

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has opened in Australia to much hype and intense interest. The first film ever to be shot entirely on Imax film has prompted fans to go on their own epic journey – crossing oceans to see it at one of just 41 cinemas around the world equipped to screen it in its original 70mm format. But as Homer’s Odyssey plays out onscreen, a struggle is happening offscreen too, with some saying this film could help the prospects of an ailing cinema industry trying to stay alive in an age of streaming. Reged Ahmad speaks to the deputy culture editor, Sian Cain, on whether The Odyssey has the capacity to entice people away from their devices and back to the big screen.

Guardian Australia political editor Tom McIlroy talks to Paul Kelly about his new book on the turbulent era of the Liberal party under prime ministers Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison. In The Twilight of Exceptionalism, Kelly writes about how the Liberal leadership changed hands from a conservative to a progressive and then a transactional centrist. The Australian newpaper’s editor-at-large argues that this period demonstrated the party was fractured over its values and confused about its identity in a changing world

This week Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry examine the One Nation leader’s podcast interview with far-right British activist Tommy Robinson and ask: will this interview cause fractures within the party and weaken her leadership? They also look at the rightwing party’s position on international affairs and new polling in the lead-up to the Victorian election

After a record-breaking 102 matches, the 2026 World Cup is drawing to a close. As Spain prepares to face Argentina in the final on Monday morning AEST, we unpack the tournament’s defining moments, from presidential interference to controversial video assistant referee (VAR) interventions. Nour Haydar speaks to football writer Sam Lewis about her final predictions and how this World Cup has changed the tournament for ever

When senator Lindsey Graham unexpectedly died this week, he left behind a new uncertainty in US politics. Known as a critical deal-maker in Congress, Republicans have lost a key bridge between the Democrats – and Donald Trump. Graham was also one of the few remaining Reagan-style Republicans and his death leaves questions around the future of US foreign policy, particularly on Ukraine and Israel. Reged Ahmad speaks to the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief, David Smith, back from being on the ground in South Carolina, about whether Graham’s death marks a new moment in the future of the Republican party

Australia’s aged care regulator is investigating dozens of complaints that aged care providers are charging fees for services that older Australians can’t use or even understand. Meanwhile, a class action against one of Australia’s largest for-profit providers has also alleged it charged residents additional fees for basic services it is legally obliged to provide. Nour Haydar speaks to Guardian Australia medical editor, Melissa Davey, on the alleged illegal fees being charged to vulnerable Australians

The AI revolution is here, and with it a fear that soon it will replace many of us in the workplace. The Australian government is grappling with how to deal with the multi-layered disruption but so far reform has been slow as it weighs up regulation against the claims of investment opportunities an AI boom presents. Could that change on Wednesday when the prime minister delivers a landmark speech addressing the government’s approach to the technology? The chief political correspondent, Dan Jervis-Bardy, speaks to Reged Ahmad about the tightrope the PM needs to walk between embracing new technology and protecting workers

In the year since the federal election, Pauline Hanson with her brand of rightwing populism has successfully tapped into discontent, surging in the polls at the expense of the Coalition and Labor. Meanwhile, support for the other antiestablishment party – the Greens – has flatlined, if recent polling is anything to go by. So why is the progressive party failing to cut through to voters? And what strategies can the Greens employ to improve their chances at the next election? Nour Haydar speaks to political reporter Sarah Basford-Canales about why voters tired of the major parties are moving to the right rather than the left

Darcy Byrne is the Labor mayor of Sydney’s Inner West council and he’s helping lead a grassroots movement on curbing gambling harm in the community – including pushing for a reduction in the number of poker machines in licensed clubs in New South Wales. This momentum comes while the federal Labor party continues to face criticism about the scale of its commitment to online gambling reform. The rising Labor star speaks to Guardian Australia political editor Tom McIlroy about why he compares the poker machine lobby to the US National Rifle Association, and his successful motion at this month’s NSW Labor conference on gambling policy at the next state election

Barrie Cassidy and Tony Barry examine a long list of stumbles and missteps made by politicians this week. They also discuss the prime minister’s Pacific push as China tested a long-range missile – and Nigel Farage’s resignation from politics only to stand at an upcoming byelection

Anthony Albanese offered an unequivocal apology this week after making an off-colour comment about Kylie Minogue while playing a ‘shag, marry, date’ game on a podcast. Josephine Tovey speaks with Patrick Keneally, Gabrielle Jackson and Josh Butler about what the prime minister’s latest podcast appearance says about an increasingly fractured media landscape

Today, Telstra’s chief financial officer Michael Ackland fronted up to the nation’s media to apologise – and answer questions about a massive outage that plunged the country into chaos. It stopped trains, turned off traffic lights and forced shops to close after Eftpos systems failed. And some calls to triple zero didn’t go through. Technology reporter Josh Taylor speaks to Reged Ahmad about what happened, who will take the blame and what can be done to make sure crucial connectivity is not lost again

Since Donald Trump threatened to ‘take’ Cuba, the Caribbean island has been on edge. Escalating US sanctions and an oil blockade has crippled essential services, plunged the country into blackouts and ground life for its 10 million people to a near halt.Nour Haydar speaks with Ruaridh Nicoll about what life is like on the ground in Havana – and if US military intervention could be next

Co-hosts Reged Ahmad and Jonathan Yerushalmy look at the reported details emerging about Trump’s Fifa World Cup intervention and whether it will change the ‘beautiful game’. They also discuss the growing calls for Democratic Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner to drop out of the race

This week social media giants have faced questioning at the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion as it asks: what more needs to be done to combat online hate? Reged Ahmad speaks to senior reporter Tory Shepherd on what the platforms have to say about accusations they have fuelled antisemitic content online