Background Briefing

There's growing pressure on the Victorian Government to dump religious instruction after more than 50 schools removed the controversial Christian religious organisation Access Ministries from their campuses.

In the last few years prescriptions of opioids for chronic pain have skyrocketed creating a new wave of drug addicts. Ann Arnold investigates Australia's new drug war.

The war in Gaza was triggered by tit for tat kidnaps and killings between Jews and Palestinians. Reporter Hagar Cohen tells a remarkable story about the lives of the Jews in the illegal outposts and their Palestinian village neighbours.

Forty years ago highly dangerous asbestos insulation fluff was pumped into Canberra and NSW homes by a contractor known as 'Mr Fluffy'. In Canberra there's talk of a demolition program and now cancers are being discovered. Di Martin investigates the Mr Fluffy fiasco.

Australians are about to face even bigger gas bills, and business is being driven offshore. So is the solution more coal seam gas fields, or should gas exporters be required to sell cheaper gas at home? Jess Hill investigates.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman is not afraid of a fight. His handpicked Chief Justice enraged the judiciary, but it was his action to dismantle key Fitzgerald reforms which really set the cats running. Cathy Van Extel investigates

How did clean coal technology make some coal barons unspeakably rich? In this special investigation guest reporter Paddy Manning tracks the quest for the holy grail of clean coal.

Away from the Canberra spotlight the Palmer United Party has made an audacious play for power in the NT, shaking up the status quo and a lot more. Ann Arnold investigates this new force in Territory politics.

The Abbott government plans to kill off Australia's first charities watchdog. Reporter Sarah Dingle investigates who's behind the push to nobble regulation of this $55 billion industry.

The Abbott government blames the carbon tax for the enormous rise in power prices. But what do we actually know about the price of power? Jess Hill investigates

With growing evidence that concussion is linked to long term brain injuries, collision sports are on notice. But the AFL's concussion experts have attacked the evidence. Reporter Wendy Carlisle investigates the AFL’s concussion games.

Economic modelling says inland towns are finished. But after travelling to the Tasmanian town of Scottsdale Di Martin finds a community defying the death knock

Following the death of a kickboxer in NSW a review of combat sports found an industry that resembled the Wild West, with a lack of regulation, unlicensed fights, poor safety and a high risk of corruption. Hagar Cohen investigates. 

As the former Bosnian Serb commander General Ratko Mladic starts his defence against genocide charges at the International Criminal Court, we go back to the scene of the worst atrocity in Bosnia—the siege and massacre at Srebrenica.

As it embarks on its annual fundraising weekend, one of the our oldest charities is facing claims of child sexual abuse. The Salvo's has at least one known paedophile in its ranks. Sarah Dingle investigates.

More than half the people in prison will re-offend and return, creating a huge burden for us all. So why is the NSW government dumping a service that helps released prisoners? Ann Arnold investigates.

Two weekends ago, as 4 people were killed and 35 wounded in shootings in one American city, a few hours away 70,000 people gathered to oppose gun controls, at a meeting of the National Rifle Association. It’s a contrast that typifies the divide over guns in the U.S. In this program two intimate stories explore the complicated relationship between Americans and guns.

A discredited story about fox cubs being released in Tasmania triggered a decade-long hunt for the predators but despite millions of public funds spent on an eradication program, an independent review says there’s been no evidence of foxes living in Tasmania. Ian Townsend investigates.

With Australian electricity prices amongst the highest in the world, more and more households are going solar. The big power companies say the Renewable Energy Target is pushing up prices and undermining their businesses and the federal government agrees. So who is to blame for the high price of power? Jess Hill investigates.

It’s a fundamental principle of our legal system that courts should be open and the media should be free to report on court proceedings. Yet the man known as Patient A has been held in the NSW Forensic Hospital for 12 years and cannot be identified. Tom Morton reports.

Hundreds of migrants die each year trying to enter the United States illegally from Mexico and those who don’t make it often aren’t found for years. Will Grant reports on the investigative work being done to find and identify the missing migrants.

Monika Chetty died from severe chemical burns three weeks after she was found in bushland. Police have not yet identified her attacker but there is mounting evidence that she was involved in a fraudulent marriage visa scheme. Hagar Cohen investigates.

The health star rating website was part of a federal government initiative to help consumers identify healthy foods. It was two years in the planning but one phone call was enough to pull it down after 'big food' complained. Ann Arnold investigates.

A fire in Hazelwood's giant open cut mine raged out of control for nearly a month. It dumped toxic smoke over the 12,000 residents of Morwell, forcing many to flee. The question now being asked is did the Victorian government do enough to protect the citizens of Morwell from this disaster? Wendy Carlisle investigates.