ABC News Daily

It's being dubbed the 'Nvidia affair' and it could be the script for a Hollywood thriller.    The head of US AI chip maker Nvidia, Jensen Huang has admitted to having an affair with a woman who US intelligence determined was a Chinese spy. And President Donald Trump was told twice.    Today, New York Times journalist Julian E. Barnes, who helped break the story, on everything you need to know so f...

For years, his outrageous persona made him almost untouchable. But Russell Brand is now behind bars after being sentenced to 10 years and six months in jail for rape and multiple sexual assaults. He also remains under investigation over two further allegations of rape. Today, Jacqueline Maley, columnist at the Sydney Morning Herald on whether the disgraced actor will be the last celebrity predator...

Since the crushing defeat of the Republicans in the midterm elections, Donald Trump has been widely labelled as a lame duck.   But is he, or will he be more Trumpian than ever?   Today, Michael Green from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney on why Trump's elevation of Stephen Miller to his chief of staff should act as a warning sign of what's to come and what the midterm r...

Lately, we've heard a lot about the ways AI could destroy humanity.  But what if there's also a case for hope? Could AI usher in an age of abundance, making us richer, healthier and improving our quality of life?  Today, Andrew McAfee, MIT research scientist and technology optimist, on why he believes AI could make our lives better, without taking our jobs.  Featured:   Andrew McAfee, research sci...

What's Donald Trump going to do next?   After his crushing defeat in the midterms, the US President's attention turned almost immediately to the construction of his White House ballroom. But what about the Iran war or talk of an invasion of Cuba? And does he still have the power to veto Congress?   Today, Geoff Kaberservice, vice president for political studies at the Niskanen Center on how the De...

The grand old dame of department stores, David Jones has survived wars, depressions and recessions, but now it's collapsing.  It's been placed into voluntary administration amid continued losses putting its 38 stores and the jobs of around 6000 staff at risk.  Today, Dee Madigan creative director of Campaign Edge on the demise of the David Jones brand.  Featured: Dee Madigan, Campaign Edge creativ...

As the polls closed in the US midterm elections, the result became clear early on. It was a wipeout for the Republicans.  Voters across the country delivered a scathing assessment of Donald Trump's first two years of his second term, resulting in a blue tsunami, with the Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.  Today, the ABC's Americas editor John Lyons and staff...

Interest rates are up again, the fifth hike this year.  It was almost an inevitable Melbourne Cup Day decision by the Reserve Bank, but could the government have done more to stop the pain?  Today, chief economist at AMP Shane Oliver, on whether Labor needs to cut government spending as the risk of a recession mounts.  Featured: Shane Oliver, Chief Economist at AMP

They promise everything from anti-ageing to weight loss, or even a glowing tan.   But for a growing number of people, injectable peptides are delivering severe illnesses instead. Hospital presentations linked to their use are surging.   Today, Dr Norman Swan, co-host of Radio National's The Health Report, on the death of Australian actor Richard Norton, who had reportedly been taking unapproved pe...

Opinion polls suggest Republicans are heading for significant losses in this week's US midterm elections.  Democrats are heavily favoured to win back the House of Representatives, and the battle for the Senate is increasingly tighter.  But could Donald Trump defy the polls and pull off another upset?   Today, Matt Taglia, senior director at Emerson College Polling, on what the polls are telling us...

Michigan is shaping up as one of the biggest battlegrounds in the US midterm elections. So much so that both Donald Trump and Barack Obama have hit the campaign trail there.  The Senate race is a contest between progressive Abdul El-Sayed and conservative Republican Mike Rogers, with race and religion emerging as key fault lines.  Today, Margaret Talev, director of the Institute for Democracy, Jou...

Israelis came out in record numbers to vote but as the polls closed it was too close to call.   Although that didn't stop Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival Gadi Eisenkot both claiming success.   Today, Dov Waxman, presidential chair in modern Jewish studies at UCLA on what happens next, the surge in support for Arab parties and whether Netanyahu could still cling to power.     ...

Is Donald Trump about restart the fighting with Iran?   Ahead of the midterm elections next week, the US President has been raising the prospect of renewed attacks that could begin after Americans vote.   Today, Cole Bucy, former CIA analyst and former director for Iran at the US National Security Council on why Trump might have little option but to escalate the conflict. Featured:   Cole Bucy, fo...

Did you know we are in the midst of a new 'woke' era? It's being dubbed 'Woke 2.0' and unlike 'Woke 1', it's thought to be winning over voters for the Democrats ahead of next week's midterm election. Today, staff writer at the Atlantic magazine, Jonathan Chait on what he believes woke is and why campaigning against it won't win Trump any votes this time. Featured: Johnathan Chait, staff writer at...

Unemployment is on the rise, interest rates are up, the price of fuel is soaring and everything just costs more.   Recent polling shows voters are blaming the Prime Minister and his Treasurer for the tough times with their popularity rating taking a dive. Today, senior economic correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Shane Wright on how the governments losing control of the cost-o...

It’s been a fortnight of extraordinary setbacks for US relations with Ukraine.  Donald Trump has struck a deal to buy Russian diesel, delivering a financial boost to Vladimir Putin’s war effort, he briefly interrupted intelligence sharing with Ukraine, while his special envoy Steve Witkoff has praised Putin as a 'humanitarian.'  Today, CNN's chief national security analyst, Jim Sciutto on what Tru...

Brendan Nugent, the 43-year-old Victorian man accused of ramming his LandCruiser into Independent MP Helen Haines, has appeared in court today on five charges.  Authorities say they are still working to determine an alleged motive.   The incident has opened a fierce debate about the safety of politicians and worsening political discourse.  So, will the tragedy change anything?   Today political co...

On Monday afternoon, Victorian man Brendan Nugent, 43, allegedly used a white Toyota LandCruiser to strike independent MP Helen Haines twice.   The 65-year-old member for Indi in regional Victoria is in critical condition with devastating injuries. The Prime Minister says it was a deliberate act.   Today, 7.30 political editor Jacob Greber on what we know and why the alleged attack is a wake-up ca...

From a press secretary who lasted just five days to a dramatic pivot to Putin, Donald Trump has unleashed a fresh wave of chaos inside the White House.  So, with the US midterms looming, is he still holding out for a so-called 'October surprise' that could turn things around.  Today, staff writer at The Atlantic, David A. Graham on a woeful past week for the US President and whether voters are sim...

They've been fired, demoted, and even offered sham redundancies.  Decades after the Sex Discrimination Act was introduced, women across the country say they're being pushed out of the workforce for having kids under laws that haven't kept up with the demands of modern parenting.  Today, Avani Dias on her Four Corners investigation into the tactics being used by employers and the laws failing mothe...

It was meant to be the biggest ASX listing since the privatisation of Telstra, but last week the initial public offering for Firmus was dramatically pulled before a single share was traded.  The co-founder of the AI startup, Oliver Curtis has since lashed out - blaming Australians for failing to support people prepared to take a risk.     Today, columnist at the Australian Financial Review Mark Di...

The US president says he’s still deciding whether to livestream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 unarmed US soldiers in a 2009 shooting.   It comes as Tennessee officials grapple with the aftermath of the botched execution of death row inmate Christa Pike last month.   Today, law and capital punishment expert, Austin Sarat, on what these two cases say about the future of...

The US President has eased sanctions on the Kremlin, clearing the way for a lucrative deal to import Russian diesel. Trump says the move will help bring down fuel prices for Americans, as rising living costs weigh on his standing in the polls ahead of the midterm elections. But for Ukrainians, the deal is a bitter betrayal. Today, Russian foreign policy expert Matthew Sussex from Deakin University...

With the military campaign failing to force Iran to backdown, Donald Trump has been turning up the economic pressure, hoping to cripple the country’s economy and force an end to the war.   But despite Iran’s currency plunging to record lows, the regime is showing little sign of capitulating.   Today, an expert on Iran’s economy Djavad Salehi-Isfahani on how long the regime and the Iranian people c...

In the United States, they’re calling it the 'Mamdani effect' - a surge in support for democratic socialist candidates. And here, the Greens are hoping for their own Zohran Mamdani moment, with the party’s think tank pitching an Australian version of the New York mayor’s plan for publicly owned supermarkets.  Today columnist, author and academic Waleed Aly on whether the Greens have found a winnin...