Hack

The death toll is continuing to rise in the war on Iran, as Israeli and American missile strikes continue to rain down. Iranian attacks on at least 10 Middle Eastern countries are also causing deaths and casualties. So what should Australia's position be? We talk to the leader of the Australian Greens, Larissa Waters. And one state is reviewing the residential care system. We hear what it's like g...

Uni used to be a place to make lifelong friends, party and (who knew!) study face-to-face. But have virtual learning and cost-of-living pressures killed campus culture? Two students who went to the same uni 30 years apart tell us about their radically different experiences. And as America's war with Iran keeps drawing in new countries, thousands of Aussies are stuck. It's the worst travel crisis s...

Iran is leaderless and tumbling into crisis, after surprise US and Israeli strikes on the weekend killed the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with more than 40 other top officials. In Iran, authorities say more than 165 people were killed in a strike on a school, while Iran's deadly strikes on airports, military bases and civilian targets in other countries are widening the conflict fu...

Have you clocked people talking about the capital gains tax discount this week? It's a tax break that basically lets property owners pay less tax when they sell their houses, and it tends to benefit older, richer Australians and investors. So when it comes to the generational wealth divide, is it part of the problem? A bunch of economists certainly think so, and this week there've been hints from...

A single word from Anthony Albanese this week got massive backlash, after he called child sexual abuse survivor and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame "difficult". So what's with that word? And does Anthony Albanese's explanation about why he used it stack up?  And the gold medal-winning US men's hockey team got into trouble for laughing when Donald Trump joked about not inviting the gold me...

For a long time people have been advocating for a change to the capital gains tax discount. The government is hinting change might be on the way, so what would capital gains reform mean for housing affordability?  And, tennis player Destanee Aiava made headlines around the world when she called the sport ‘racist, misogynistic, homophobic and hostile’ in a shock retirement post.  Destanee opens up...

When Destanee Aiava announced she was breaking up with her 'toxic boyfriend' on Valentine's Day this year, it wasn't your typical break-up post. Destanee wasn't leaving her partner, she was announcing her retirement from tennis. The professional player described a toxic culture in tennis which led her to start hating the sport. Destanee sits down with hack to open up about her experience, includin...

Gay and bisexual young people in Sydney are facing rising violence at the hands of a resurgent IS terrorist network — the same one that produced the Bondi gunmen. And an alternate writers festival is about to kick off after the chaotic cancellation and controversy of the Adelaide Writers' Week. We unpack what it's like to run an event like this, their role in promoting free speech and what it take...

Despite being the first member of the royal family to be taken into custody in 3 centuries, the former prince Andrew could still (technically) end up king one day. We get into why Australia is trying to change the line of succession.  And there's a lot of talk about Tourette's Syndrome after the BAFTAs last night. So what's it like to live with Tourette's, and what's the best way to react to a tic...

The ABC's Four Corners has done a big investigation hearing from young women who had aggressive surgery to treat endo when pathology tests showed little or no trace of the disease. We chat to reporter Louise Milligan about the story. And Donald Trump made a big deal about bringing in tariffs last year. After they were all ruled illegal by the US Supreme Court on the weekend, he's having another go...

When you think about your best friends, you're probably thinking of people around the same age. Maybe people you know from school, or at work, or who you grew up with. But have you ever built a friendship with someone who's a lot older — maybe 30, 40 or 50 years your senior? On the hack deep dive this week, we're hearing from people who reckon their intergenerational friendships give them access t...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor got arrested on his birthday overnight before being released, with the King's brother facing serious allegations as the fallout from the Epstein files continues. Who's next? And are aliens real? Barack Obama has had to explain himself, after a suspiciously confident answer on a podcast this week.  Plus, Channel Nine reporter Danika Mason said sorry and fessed up to havin...

Meta is on trial in a landmark case in the US and CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke in front of the jury today for the first time.   Plus Gary Stevenson (who you might know as @garyseconomics) grew up poor, became a millionaire trader, and now wants to tax the super rich.  In the big chat this week, he sits down with Dave to talk about poverty, extreme wealth, and why he reckons Australia has a unique win...

Growing up poor, Gary Stevenson always dreamed of being rich. At 21, he won a job at one of the world's biggest banks and was soon earning more money than he could have ever imagined. But instead of feeling satisfied, Gary was furious. He's become one of the world's loudest voices campaigning for higher taxes on billionaires, reaching millions of followers through his socials @garyseconomics. And...

Pauline Hanson kind of apologised today, after saying there were "no good Muslims" in a Sky News interview on Monday. So how is the Muslim community feeling? And everyone knows it's annoying flying with luggage. Turns out, it's even worse when that luggage is a mobility aid that you need to get around. Plus, six weeks into a ban on demersal fishing off parts of the WA coast, there've been death th...

A group of Australian women and children linked to Islamic State who've spent a decade in a Syrian refugee camp desperately want to come home. But with the government saying it's not its job to help them and One Nation calling for them to be banned, are they stuck? And one of Australia's biggest unions is facing wild allegations of corruption in Victoria. So how much are dodgy unions costing taxpa...

Are Australia's major supermarkets tricking customers with discounts that actually don't offer a saving? The ACCC thinks so, and its action against Coles officially kicked off today. And Bondi Beach gunman Naveed Akram appeared in court today, facing 15 murder charges and one charge of terrorism. We hear from a reporter who was there. Plus, have you got a friend from a different generation? How ab...

Juggling study and work can be a struggle at the best of times. But some uni students are also required to complete thousands of unpaid hours for placement, and many say 'placement poverty' is causing severe financial and psychological distress.  Now, a group of students and politicians are calling for the government to expand its paid placement scheme.  Last year, the government started paying st...

Angus Taylor has been voted in as the new leader of the Liberal party and Sussan Ley says she's quitting politics. We unpack the leadership showdown (and Taylor's infamous social media comment). And is a grand gesture romantic or manipulative? Olympain Sturla Holm Lægreid's public confession about cheating on his girlfriend has left the internet divided.  Plus, Wuthering Heights is out and people...

Australia may have a new opposition leader by tomorrow, with Angus Taylor officially challenging Sussan Ley today.  As of now, eight members of the shadow frontbench have quit ahead of the partyroom vote.  So how did we get here? We unpack the key players and dark horses vying for a new position.  Plus, from toothbrushes and food wrapping to your desk at work, the plastics we use contain thousands...

Have you ever thought about how much plastic might be in your body? We're in constant contact with plastics, even though we don't know much about many of the chemicals that are used to make them. It's something that was worrying Kal Glanznig, so he decided to have his urine tested. And the results left him speechless. In this week's long listen, Dave speaks with Kal about why he's hopeful Australi...

The injectables industry in Australia is booming, and practitioners say their clientele is getting younger. So what's driving young people towards cosmetic procedures? And as the Queensland government moves to introduce hate speech reforms, including bans on controversial slogans "globalise the intifada" and "from the river to the sea", we unpack what your rights are when it comes to free speech. ...

You've been seeing the videos: violent clashes in Sydney between police and people protesting the visit of the Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The protesters were breaking special restrictions in place during Isaac Herzog's trip, and police are defending how they handled it. So what happened? And how does the police response leave Australia's Palestinian community feeling?  Plus, people with disab...

Should more students be paid for their compulsory course placements? The government says "placement poverty" is a real issue. So why do a bunch of students in courses from medicine and pharmacy to psychology and occupational therapy miss out? And Israeli President Isaac Herzog spent his first full day in Australia, meeting with members of Sydney’s Jewish community in Bondi in the wake of the Decem...

It's hard enough already being a young person in Australia and trying to buy your first home. Saving for a deposit can take years, finding a place you're happy to live in can take months, and then after all of that, your dream might disappear in minutes when you rock up at an auction and get out-bid by a cashed up older buyer. But are real estate agents conspiring to make the experience worse? And...