On the Las Vegas strip, in a sea of casinos, sits an enormous dome that lights up the sky.
It’s called The Sphere and it’s a performance venue where punters are dazzled by 54 thousand metres of LED screens capable of showing 256 million colours, in a display so overwhelming that some concertgoers faint. 
Writer Elmo Keep travelled to Vegas to see her favourite band U2 play at The Sphere in their inaugurating residency. There she found in equal parts, a religious experience and a hyper capitalist nightmare.  

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Guest: Writer, Elmo Keep

The Weekend Read: Elmo Keep on the insane spectacle of U2 at the Las Vegas sphere

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This week, Jim Chalmers delivered what could be the most politically significant budget of his career – with the future of a Labor government and the country’s cost of living crisis on the line.
Today, he joins 7am to discuss his vision for Australia’s economy and whether the government has done enough to end the living crisis.

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Guest: Treasurer of Australia, Dr Jim Chalmers

The Jim Chalmers Interview

It’s a budget we’ll be talking about for a long time, as we head to the next election and try to escape the cost of living crisis. But even though the budget is only 36 hours old, we’re starting to see the early criticisms from rival politicians emerge.
So, has Labor spent enough to ease the cost of living? Or spent too much? And do the critics have plans of their own that would actually benefit Australians?
Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on where the battle lines are being drawn.

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.

The pitches from budget critics: How do they stack up?

Jim Chalmers delivered what could be the most important budget of his political career last night. But how much will it help with the cost of living and how will we feel the impact?
Today, chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Barlow on the budget that’s attempting to reshape Australia’s response to the living crisis.

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Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Karen Barlow

A budget built to fight an election

It’s budget week, which means crunch time for the leaders tasked with tackling how expensive Australia is right now.
And the thing we’re all talking about is our grocery bills, why food seems to cost more each time we visit the supermarket.
Today, national affairs correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe on what some call the great price gouge and whether the government is doing enough to address the rising cost of putting food on our plates.

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Guest: National affairs correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe

Skipping meals, dumpster diving and cereal for dinner

This week, as the federal budget is handed down, we’re bringing you The Cost: Inside the living crisis.
We’ll explore the impact this crisis is having on our country, why it just isn’t ending and whether our leaders are doing enough to protect our standard of living.
Today, executive director of the Australia Institute Richard Denniss on when prices will finally stop going up – and the kind of country we risk becoming once the crisis is finally over.

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Guest: Executive director of the Australia Institute, Richard Denniss

The Weekend Read: Elmo Keep on the insane spectacle of U2 at the Las Vegas sphere

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