ABC News Daily
ABC Australia
ABC News Daily is the podcast that helps you understand the issues affecting your world. Every episode, host Samantha Hawley walks through one story with the help of an ABC colleague or expert in under 15 minutes. When you want coverage you can trust, listen to ABC News Daily.
From interest rates, real estate and the housing crisis, to scams and US politics, ABC News Daily brings you facts and analysis you need to understand the biggest news stories.
The podcast covers news from America, with analysis of the Donald Trump administration in the White House. His actions, including threats of massive tariffs have big implications for global politics and the economy and US journalists and experts will explain what's at stake.
As Australians battle a cost-of-living crisis, ABC News Daily looks at the causes of inflation, rising rental costs, house prices, insurance costs and the price of groceries. Key experts in business and finance join Samantha Hawley, explaining the state of the economy, the unemployment rate and the jobs market.
Whether you rent, own an investment house or apartment, or are repaying a mortgage, ABC News Daily offers unique insights and analysis. When there are big moves from the Reserve Bank (RBA) on interest rates, or reactions in the ASX or the Australian dollar, guest experts, including economists, explain why.
Look into ABC News Daily's archive to find episodes on electric vehicles (EVs), artificial intelligence (AI), politics, the big banks, supermarkets, Tesla, Elon Musk, education, schools, teachers and crime.
Watch for episodes about federal politics and the leadership of Labor's Anthony Albanese. We look at policy areas that matter for voters, including education, health, housing and immigration and assess the proposals from the federal opposition.
ABC News Daily follows developments in the Middle East and the war between Israel and Hamas, with insights into the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu.
The podcast looks at the latest from Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky fights to repel the Russian invaders led by Russia's President Vladimir Putin. As China's Xi Jinping contemplates the future of Taiwan, ABC News Daily will sort fact from fiction.
As climate change fuelled by greenhouse gas emissions increases the risk of natural disasters, including fires and floods, ABC News Daily brings you fact-based analysis.
The podcast covers the future of renewable / green power generation, including the use of wind turbines, solar and hydro electric power.
ABC experts including Ian Verrender, Alan Kohler, Laura Tingle, David Speers, and Annabel Crabb join Samantha Hawley to step through big issues and current affairs.
From interest rates, real estate and the housing crisis, to scams and US politics, ABC News Daily brings you facts and analysis you need to understand the biggest news stories.
The podcast covers news from America, with analysis of the Donald Trump administration in the White House. His actions, including threats of massive tariffs have big implications for global politics and the economy and US journalists and experts will explain what's at stake.
As Australians battle a cost-of-living crisis, ABC News Daily looks at the causes of inflation, rising rental costs, house prices, insurance costs and the price of groceries. Key experts in business and finance join Samantha Hawley, explaining the state of the economy, the unemployment rate and the jobs market.
Whether you rent, own an investment house or apartment, or are repaying a mortgage, ABC News Daily offers unique insights and analysis. When there are big moves from the Reserve Bank (RBA) on interest rates, or reactions in the ASX or the Australian dollar, guest experts, including economists, explain why.
Look into ABC News Daily's archive to find episodes on electric vehicles (EVs), artificial intelligence (AI), politics, the big banks, supermarkets, Tesla, Elon Musk, education, schools, teachers and crime.
Watch for episodes about federal politics and the leadership of Labor's Anthony Albanese. We look at policy areas that matter for voters, including education, health, housing and immigration and assess the proposals from the federal opposition.
ABC News Daily follows developments in the Middle East and the war between Israel and Hamas, with insights into the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu.
The podcast looks at the latest from Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky fights to repel the Russian invaders led by Russia's President Vladimir Putin. As China's Xi Jinping contemplates the future of Taiwan, ABC News Daily will sort fact from fiction.
As climate change fuelled by greenhouse gas emissions increases the risk of natural disasters, including fires and floods, ABC News Daily brings you fact-based analysis.
The podcast covers the future of renewable / green power generation, including the use of wind turbines, solar and hydro electric power.
ABC experts including Ian Verrender, Alan Kohler, Laura Tingle, David Speers, and Annabel Crabb join Samantha Hawley to step through big issues and current affairs.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 25, 2026 • 15min
How Labor's losing the cost-of-living battle
Shane Wright, senior economic correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, examines Labor’s struggle to own the cost-of-living narrative. He discusses Jim Chalmers’s political predicament, tax reform tensions, rising populism and why voters blame those in power. He also considers whether cheaper fuel, lower inflation, rate cuts and tax relief could revive Labor’s fortunes.
7 snips
Oct 22, 2026 • 16min
Why Trump's siding with 'humanitarian' Putin
Jim Sciutto, an American journalist and CNN chief national security analyst, examines Donald Trump’s increasingly favorable stance toward Vladimir Putin. They discuss pressure on Ukraine, Steve Witkoff’s “humanitarian” praise of Putin, renewed intelligence sharing, Russian diesel sales, Trump’s tensions with Zelensky, and Ukraine’s fading trust in America. Peace talks look uncertain.
Oct 21, 2026 • 18sec
Will the Helen Haines attack stop hateful politics?
Niki Savva, an Australian political commentator, columnist and author, examines the attack on independent MP Helen Haines and its wider implications. She discusses rising threats against politicians, the special abuse faced by women, and how fear is reshaping public life. Savva also explores inflammatory rhetoric, political violence warning signs, and whether this tragedy can lower the temperature and keep good people engaged.
Oct 20, 2026 • 17min
Helen Haines loses leg in horror attack
Jacob Greber, Australian political journalist and ABC TV’s 7.30 political editor, examines the alleged vehicle attack that critically injured independent MP Helen Haines. He details how it unfolded and why it may mark a turning point for Australian politics. The discussion explores rising threats across the political spectrum, disproportionate abuse targeting women, international parallels, and the challenge of protecting public figures without silencing debate.
15 snips
Oct 19, 2026 • 14min
Why an 'October surprise' won't save Trump
David A. Graham, an Atlantic staff writer covering US politics, examines Donald Trump’s turbulent White House, from rapid personnel changes to a risky pivot toward Putin. They discuss the elusive “October surprise,” midterm turnout, unexpectedly competitive Texas races, record Republican spending, and whether voter exhaustion with chaos could trigger a historic defeat.
10 snips
Oct 18, 2026 • 15min
Why pregnancy is still costing women their jobs
Avani Dias, an investigative journalist with ABC Four Corners, examines how pregnancy discrimination is pushing Australian women out of work. She explores forced resignations, rejected flexible-work arrangements and disputed dismissals. The investigation also reveals rising complaints, legal loopholes, confidential settlements and outdated workplace rules affecting working mothers.
Oct 15, 2026 • 15min
The mathematician taking on AI
Tristan Buckmaster, a Melbourne-born mathematician and NYU professor specializing in fluid dynamics, was reportedly one month from cracking the million-dollar Navier-Stokes problem. He discusses OpenAI’s disputed mathematical breakthrough, concerns over leaked research and unclear data use, and whether AI’s impressive claims withstand scrutiny. He also explores how AI could reshape mathematical discovery and researchers’ careers.
24 snips
Oct 14, 2026 • 15min
The Firmus 'flop' warning for the AI bubble
Mark Di Stefano, an Australian Financial Review columnist covering business, technology and finance, examines Firmus’s spectacularly aborted IPO. He explores Oliver Curtis’s controversial past, the company’s shift from Bitcoin mining to AI data centres, and its water-saving cooling technology. The discussion also probes Australia’s cautious investors, Firmus’s huge valuation and whether the collapse signals trouble for the AI infrastructure boom.
9 snips
Oct 13, 2026 • 16min
Will Trump stream an execution to the world?
Austin Sarat, an Amherst College law and politics scholar who studies capital punishment, examines Trump’s possible livestream of Nidal Hasan’s firing-squad execution. They discuss America’s declining use of the death penalty, the return of federal executions, and why public executions became spectacles. Sarat also explores Christa Pike’s botched execution, racial bias, wrongful convictions, and the uneven path toward abolition.
18 snips
Oct 12, 2026 • 14min
Why Trump's selling out to Putin again
Matthew Sussex, a Deakin University expert on Russian foreign policy and international security, examines Donald Trump’s lucrative Russian diesel deal. They discuss why the economically tiny shipment matters symbolically, Trump’s pressure on Ukraine and alignment with Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, and the wider risks of renewed US-Russia business ties.
