ABC News Daily

In the past week Donald Trump’s obsession with building his grand ballroom has reared its head again. He was even talking about it after the suspected third attempt on his life.  The US president has torn down parts of the East Wing of the White House to make way for the huge structure that will dominate the White House.  Today, Dan Diamond, White House reporter at the Washington Post on legal eff...

The growth of the NDIS is about to be slashed, but what tool will the government use to determine who gets to stay and whose disability supports are cut? Today, we speak with Martin Laverty, an architect of the NDIS and now head of disability services provider, Aruma.  We also speak with Jess Howlett who has autism, about her fears she’ll be unfairly removed from the scheme. Featured:  Jess Howlet...

China buys lots of Iran’s oil, but it’s trying to avoid getting drawn into the war, instead calling for de-escalation and peace in the Middle East.  So, what role is Beijing actually playing, how is its economy affected and what is it learning about the United States’ military?  Today, Neil Thomas, an expert in China’s politics from the Asia Society Policy Institute on Xi Jinping’s strategy and st...

Donald Trump’s dislike of the press has seen him repeatedly refuse to attend the annual White House correspondent’s dinner in Washington DC. But this year he’d taken his seat not long before a 31 year old tried to burst into the function room armed with guns and knives.  The US president has described the suspect as ‘sick’. Today, we speak with Missy Ryan, staff writer at The Atlantic magazine, wh...

A video posted by Senator David Pocock has gone viral, leaving some viewers asking why the gas giants aren’t paying more for the resources they extract in Australia.   The video reveals the government receives more money from a tax on beer than from the tax on the profits of massive oil and gas projects. But is that the whole story? Today, the ABC’s chief digital political correspondent Clare Arms...

More than seven weeks since the start of the war in Iran, flight schedules through the Middle East are still disrupted, but slowly recovering.  Travellers are now more likely to get to their destinations on time, but the cost to airlines from the surging price of jet fuel is starting to bite.  Today, aviation industry expert Ian Douglas on where things currently stand and why airfares aren’t comin...

US President Donald Trump is all in on it, but could Australia 'drill baby drill' its way to fuel security and avoid oil shocks in the future?  Australia used to have a network of refineries and we were mostly self-sufficient in fuel production. Who let so many close and why?  Today, Alison Reeve, energy expert from the Grattan Institute on whether we really could build new refineries and successf...

Donald Trump went into the war with Iran thinking it would be over quickly. More than seven weeks later there’s still no obvious off ramp, with uncertainty surrounding a second round of peace talks in Pakistan.  Today, Nate Swanson, a former Iran negotiator in the Trump administration, on what the US president needs to do to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz  Featured:  Nate Swanson, for...

Shoppers have been dismayed by grocery price rises for years, now there are warnings that food will cost even more as the effects of the Iran war reach consumers.  Transporting produce around the country will cost more due to high diesel prices, but farmers don’t necessarily get to recoup the surging costs on the farm itself. So how are our farmers faring and when will another round of price hikes...

Over the past eight years ADHD diagnoses among Australian adults have surged, especially among women. You might be surprised to hear where the ADHD capitals are. Today, Dr Norman Swan on his Four Corners investigation into the exclusive prescribing data and whether it shows ADHD is being over-diagnosed.  Featured:  Dr Norman Swan, Four Corners reporter and co-host of ABC Radio National’s Health Re...

What does Russia’s Vladimir Putin make of the Iran war?  He’s one of the few beneficiaries, making vast sums of money as the oil price spiked and Donald Trump temporarily eased sanctions.  The world’s attention has been diverted from his war in Ukraine and the thorn in his side, the NATO alliance, is under more pressure than ever.  Today, international relations expert Rajan Menon on Trump’s growi...

What’s behind US President Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo? After the leader of the Catholic Church criticised Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian civilisation, the president unleashed.  Trump dismissed the Pope as ‘weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy’. Debate over the US leader's mental health has reignited since the fuel erupted and he posted an AI image depicting himself as Jesus.   T...

The US blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz could make the fuel crunch in Australia even worse.  The government’s urging Australians to do what they can to use less fuel, but when will more severe restrictions kick in? Today, Saul Kavonic, energy analyst at MST Financial on why we’re facing a ‘doomsday’ scenario that’s been war gamed for decades.  He’s warning that fuel prices will no...

The peace talks failed, so now US President Donald Trump wants to further disrupt the vital oil shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz.  A US blockade will stop ships entering or departing Iranian ports, but will it really work to bring an end to the conflict? Today, Hussein Ibish from the Arab Gulf States Institute on what happens next and why the Iran conflict is starting to look like a ‘forever w...

The ABC’s Alan Kohler thinks the treasurer should nationalise the childcare system and take centres out of the hands of for-profit businesses. With lingering concerns about the quality and safety of some centres and families struggling to afford the bills, is now the time for such a radical shake up? Today, Alan Kohler on the case for change and childcare policy expert Elizabeth Hill on whether it...

A fragile two week ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel has raised hopes ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz will soon be on the move.  Disruptions to the oil and gas supply have raised fears of a global economic slowdown as surging fuel prices punish households and businesses.  Today, Susan Stone, the Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, on whether a ceasefire changes expectations...

Donald Trump was threatening to wipe out ‘a whole civilisation’, then about an hour before his deadline the US president announced a ceasefire deal had been struck with Iran.  Iran and the United States will now spend two weeks negotiating a peace plan, but it seems there’s little they can agree on. Today, Barbara Slavin, distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center on why Trump ‘blinked’ and what c...

As a Victoria Cross recipient, Ben Roberts-Smith is one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers. Now, he’s been charged with five counts of the war crime of murder.  It comes after he lost a landmark defamation trial in which a judge found that on the balance of probabilities, allegations the former special forces soldier was responsible for, or complicit in the deaths of four detainees in Afghanis...

We know that US President Donald Trump is the ultimate decision maker when it comes to the war in Iran, but who’s in his ear? From Pete Hegseth to Marco Rubio and JD Vance, they’re each playing a role in executing or trying to explain the rationale for the controversial action in Iran.  If the war can’t be sold as a success in the end, who in Trump’s cabinet will end up paying the price? Today, Da...

Oil and financial markets have been swinging wildly with every social media post from Donald Trump.  But a pattern of large, well-timed trades placed on commodity and prediction markets just minutes before major Iran war announcements has emerged.  It’s raising concerns that some investors could be acting on inside information.  Today, Andrew Verstein an expert on insider trading and law professor...

He's sending more troops to the Middle East, while insisting the war in Iran is nearly over.  So is Donald Trump preparing to pull out or digging in?  If the US steps back, it's signalled other countries could be left to secure the Strait of Hormuz-- a vital global oil route-- on their own. Today, defence strategist Kelly A. Grieco on why whatever comes next, the chaos is far from over. Featured:...

With the Easter break approaching, many motorists are wondering if they’ll be able to fill up their tanks and whether it’s worth travelling far from home. The fuel crunch has been triggered by the ongoing war in Iran which is disrupting global oil supply, making availability in Australia increasingly uncertain. Today, energy expert Saul Kavonic on what to expect and why government fuel incentives...

Could the Iran war lead our economy into a recession? Past oil shocks have sparked economic downturns and as petrol and diesel prices climb now, it could happen again.  Today, the ABCs finance expert Alan Kohler on why he thinks this could be one of the great disasters of our lifetime.  Featured:  Alan Kohler, ABC finance expert and host of the “That's Business with Alan Kohler” podcast

With the Iran war sending the price of fuel skyrocketing, the trucking industry is amongst the hardest hit and the costs will be passed on to consumers. So, are the latest electric trucks up to the job of moving goods around such a large country and can the challenges around cost, infrastructure and range be overcome? Today, Scott Dwyer from the Institute of Sustainable Futures at UTS on the advan...

Donald Trump is in the midst of a messy war with Iran, but at the same time his sights are set on Cuba.  The US leader says he’ll be having the “honour of taking Cuba”, which has been crippled by an oil embargo president Trump imposed earlier this year.  Today, Lillian Guerra, professor of Cuban history at the University of Florida on Trump’s next move.  Featured:  Lillian Guerra, professor of Cub...