Hack

If you could find out how you were going to die, would you want to? It's a question we might all have to grapple with, as genetic testing gets more popular.  And the Taliban is calling for help after Afghanistan was rocked by a huge earthquake that has left hundreds dead and thousands more homeless.  Plus, is it ever okay to cry at work? We ask an expert. Listen now: 00:59 - Learning what your gen...

Neo-Nazis, Australian flags and inflatable boxing kangaroos: they all made an appearance at yesterday's March for Australia protests. Today, the marches were condemned as racist. But was that the point?  Also, the protests turned violent in many places, leaving Australia's multicultural communities feeling unsafe.   Plus, South Australia's ban on soy sauce fish just started. Will it work?  Listen...

Whether it's obsessively tracking your location or isolating you from your other mates, sometimes friends aren't just toxic, they're abusive.  We're getting better at talking about coercive control in romantic relationships, but it happens among friends too.  In fact, it seems like it's on the rise. So how do you know if you're in an abusive friendship?  And once you realise you are, how do you le...

The culture of the AFL has been under intense scrutiny all season, and this week there were two big moments: Mitch Brown came out as bi, while Bailey Smith spoke about his time in a mental health facility.  So are these conversations the sign a new era is starting in the AFL?  Also this week, Bob Katter was caught re-reading his own book in an airport, days before threatening to punch a reporter i...

All United Nations Security Council members (except the US) have declared the famine in Gaza a man-made crisis. Plus, we unpack the trial of celebrity croc wrangler Matt Wright, as the jury in Darwin prepares to start deliberating on a verdict.  And news of Iran's alleged attacks in Melbourne and Sydney has left young people in Australia's Jewish, Iranian and Palestinian communities afraid of what...

Social cohesion impacts how connected and inclusive our society is.  But is it in trouble in Australia?  It's a question a lot of people are asking, especially after events this week: a sovereign citizen allegedly killing 2 police officers, ASIO declaring a foreign government is behind antisemitic attacks in Melbourne and Sydney, and plans for protests that the government says are targeting immigr...

From foreign interference by Iran to a plan for anti-immigrant rallies, a lot of people are seeing signs this week that Australia's social cohesion is fraying. So what's fuelling it?  And the manhunt for the gunman who allegedly killed 2 police officers in Victoria is in its second day. We have the latest. Also, 1 year on we check in on the students in Bangladesh who toppled their government.  Plu...

With 2 police officers killed and another injured, there's still a lot of questions about the shooting situation in Victoria. Here's what we know so far.  And for the first time in post-war Australia, we have expelled a foreign ambassador. Why? ASIO has accused the Iranian government of orchestrating at least 2 antisemitic attacks in Australia.  Plus, ever had a friendship that went a little too f...

With just a 5% deposit, the government wants thousands more young Aussies to be able to buy a place. But is it just going to make housing more expensive? And ever been asked to show your bags in a supermarket? Unions say the retail workers who are asking are copping way too much abuse.  Plus: why do smaller fashion labels need to be sustainable, but big fast fashion producers don't?  Listen now: ...

Izak Rankine has become the most recent AFL player to receive a multi-week ban for using a slur on the field and it's igniting a bigger conversation about the culture of the AFL. So is the punishment enough?  And can the AFL be doing more to stamp out its homophobia and harassment problem?  In this deep dive, hack unpacks what's been happening on the field, and how the AFL could tackle this issue...

Three days debating economic reform to land on some key priorities of 'broad agreement' - could the productivity roundtable have been an email?  And, the AFL has hit Izak Rankine with a 4-week ban over a homophobic slur.  Plus, is it okay to bring your parents to a job interview or have them negotiate your pay rise? Host Dave Marchese is joined by artist and performer Etcetera Etcetera and basketb...

Online medical companies offering sick certificates and prescriptions are everywhere. They're cheap and easy. But are they risky too? Plus, the government is planning to divert kids with mild to moderate developmental delay or autism away from the NDIS. And South Australia's algal bloom has killed marine life from hundreds of species. Will an extra $6 million in funding for support and research be...

Despite the physical dangers of the job, the leading cause of death among construction workers isn't job site accidents.  It's suicide.  So what's fuelling it? And what can you do if you or someone you know is struggling?  We've been unpacking the industry's hidden hazards with someone who's lived through them: Dr Simon Tyler, who now works as a psychologist helping to address the high rates of su...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reckons Anthony Albanese is a "weak politician" who has "abandoned" Jewish Australians. Some Australian government ministers are hitting back. So can Australia repair the relationship with Israel?  And another AFL player is facing a ban after using a homophobic slur against an opponent. Are things getting better for queer people in the AFL, or worse?  Plus...

Days after meeting Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump has emerged from peace talks with Volodymyr Zlenskyy and seven other European leaders. Next, the US president wants to set up a meeting between Ukraine and Russia. So can Ukraine trust Trump? And young tradies are two times more likely to die by suicide than other men their age. We chat to them about the pressures and culture of working in constructi...

Some women with low iron reckon they're being 'gaslit' by health care providers, and going years without proper care. Do guidelines need to change? And from home-made courts to armed stand-offs, Australia's anti-government movement is growing. So what's the deal with sovereign citizens? Also, meet the young First Nations woman who created an online dictionary to honour her grandmother. Listen now:...

Using a chatbot for companionship is super popular, but what happens when the AI starts dishing out the wrong kind of advice?  In a big investigation this week, we uncovered allegations of bots encouraging suicide, facilitating delusions and even perpetrating sexual harassment.  In this deep dive, we get into what can go wrong when turning to AI, and hear from an expert who's predicting it's only...

How much is your life worth? Kathleen Folbigg was wrongly convicted and spent 20 years in jail. The NSW government is offering compo - but is it enough?  And do we treat people who fit male stereotypes differently when they show their vulnerable side? Plus a campaign in the Northern Territory wants ringers to wrap their dingers.  Host Dave Marchese is joined by PEDESTRIAN.TV's Issy Phillips and Ol...

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are about to meet face-to-face in Alaska. They're talking about Ukraine, but Ukraine's not there. So what will this mean for peace?  And we hear from LGBTQ+ migrants seeking asylum in Australia, fearing persecution for their sexuality back home. Also, scientists have discovered sex reversal in some Aussie birds, but they're not really...

Better working conditions, shorter work weeks, bold housing policy: that's what experts want on the table at the government's big productivity summit in Canberra next week.  Ahead of the meeting, the government's been saying it doesn't want to rule anything in or out yet, although clearly some ideas are going to be politically impossible. But if we could dream big about what would make the Austral...

150,000 people dead, 12 million displaced, 30 million without enough to eat: a terrible tragedy is unfolding in Sudan. So how did it get to this? Hack speaks to the Head of UNICEF in Sudan about the world's worst humanitarian crisis.  And back home: why is everyone talking about productivity right now (and does it mean we all need to work harder)?  Plus 6% of Aussie truckies are women, and most of...

Researchers are sounding the alarm about AI chatbots in Australia. Today, hack investigates chatbots bullying and sexually harassing young Australians, and even one encouraging someone to take their own life. And Tasmania is phasing out greyhound racing. Will other parts of Australia follow?  Plus, we hear about the art of the courtroom sketcher tasked with capturing the mushroom murder trial for...

Australia will formally recognise Palestine next month, following similar commitments by Canada, the UK and France.  The Israeli prime minister says that's rewarding Hamas. We speak to the correspondent whose question prompted Benjamin Netanyahu to single out Australia.  Plus, the southern hemisphere's largest rodeo almost collapsed last year. Here's how a group of locals bought it back from the b...

Do you really need travel insurance?  Short answer: Yes.  Long answer: Yes, but you should be reading the fine print.  From small things like the airline losing your baggage to big things like a spinal injury while skiing overseas, travel insurance claims to cover you... but does it really?  In this deep dive, hack speaks to travellers who've had to make insurance claims and an insurance expert ab...

Australia's birth rate is down. Could the return of the baby bonus convince you to start a family?  Plus, Tourism Australia's new campaign is here, full of iconic landscapes, celebrity appearances and some cliches (yes, shrimp on the BBQ). Is it the best way to sell Australia?  And we're asking if AI should be used to reanimate dead people, after Rod Stewart's tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. Host Dave M...