7am

At the end of last year, the government rushed through new laws that have largely flown under the radar. 

The new citizenship act, which was passed following a High Court decision, allows judges to strip a dual citizen of their Australian citizenship if they repudiate ‘Australian values’. 

But, what are Australian values? And can they be defined, anyway?

Today, constitutional and citizenship expert and contributor to The Saturday Paper Professor Kim Rubenstein on why a new set of laws are forcing us to reckon with what it means to be Australian.

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Guest: Constitutional and citizenship expert and contributor to The Saturday Paper, Professor Kim Rubenstein

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Supermarket prices have finally caught the attention of our leaders.

While the cost of living crisis continues, customers and, now, politicians are becoming increasingly fed up with the price of groceries, while Woolworths and Coles rake in billions of dollars in profits.

So, what can be done about it? And will government scrutiny be enough to fix an industry dominated by two powerful players?

Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on how 2024 could be a year of reckoning for Coles and Woolies.

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Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton.

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Professional sport has grappled with how to address athletes’ domestic violence and sexual assault allegations for years.

It’s an issue that’s currently unfolding before viewers worldwide, who are tuning into the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Tennis star Alexander Zverev is playing at the tournament while facing domestic violence allegations and an impending trial in Germany.

Today, sports journalist and author of new biography Naomi Osaka, Ben Rothenberg, sheds light on the culture of silence around domestic violence in tennis.

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Guest: Sports journalist and author of new biography Naomi Osaka, Ben Rothenberg.

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Donald Trump has passed the first electoral test of his ambitious campaign to return to the White House.

The former president convincingly won the Republican caucus in Iowa, asserting his stronghold over the party, less than four years after losing the presidential election to Joe Biden.

Trump is now likely to become the Republican presidential nominee.

So, what does his victory say about America?

Today, senior researcher at the Australia Institute Dr Emma Shortis on the risks of Trump’s enduring popularity in the United States. 

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Guest: Senior researcher at the Australia Institute, Dr Emma Shortis

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The ABC is facing mounting scrutiny over the sacking of radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf, just days into a short-term contract.

In a Fair Work case against the ABC, Lattouf alleges she was dismissed over a pro-Palestine social media post, as well as claiming systemic racial discrimination within the organisation against people of Arab or Muslim backgrounds.

Meanwhile, the public broadcaster is dealing with the resignation of other high-profile presenters and scores of redundancies amid a restructure that is causing tension among staff over the ABC’s broader direction.

So, what’s going on at Aunty?

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper and editor of 7am Scott Mitchell explores the deeper problems and frustrations at the ABC.

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Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper and editor of 7am, Scott Mitchell.

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The catholic church is known for running schools and charity services in Australia, but it also operates more than 20 publicly funded hospitals. 

It’s an arrangement that helped bring healthcare to the public before Australia was even federated, but it often goes unnoticed by patients. 

So, what happens when a hospital run by a catholic body gets into major financial strife?

Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton, on how an iconic public hospital may soon run out of money. 

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Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton.

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Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza now seems like it will last even longer, with the Israeli military saying it is prepared for a long conflict – one that could last all year.

But the longer the war continues, the more devastating the humanitarian situation in Gaza becomes, and the higher the chance of more war breaking out across the region.

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper and Middle East correspondent for The Economist Gregg Carlstrom on the efforts to limit the conflict – and why so far it’s been failing.

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Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper and Middle East correspondent for The Economist, Gregg Carlstrom

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A clinic inside Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital is quietly changing lives through the power of tattoos. 

The Combined Breast Service offers breast reconstruction, including making nipples anew with tattoo ink. It’s an offering that empowers post-mastectomy patients and breast cancer survivors, who often grapple with accepting their new chests. 

Today, author Katherine Wilson will be reading her piece from the May issue of The Monthly.

(This episode first aired in August 2023)

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Guest: Author Katherine Wilson

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Today on the show, writer Richard King, with his piece ‘Machine Learning’ about the AI chatbot ChatGPT.

He begins his story with discourse sweeping a university campus as AI reaches the hands of ordinary students and teachers.

How will this technology – still only a few months old – change not only teaching and marking, but the very nature of the transfer of knowledge?

This is the question he sets out to answer, and it’s a compelling one as we stand on the precipice of a new age of technology.

Richard will read his story from the latest edition of The Monthly after a short conversation.

(This episode first aired in April 2023)

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Guest: Writer Richard King.

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Today on the show, author Christos Tsiolkas with a recent piece from The Monthly. “The Past is a foreign country: they do things differently there” – is the memorable opening line of L.P. Hartley’s 1953 novel, The Go-Between.

It’s a line that has stuck with Christos Tsiolkas since he read it in high school - and a sentiment that has made him reflect on his life, his migrant parents’ lives, and the value of creating foreign worlds through fiction.

Christos Tsiolkas will read his story, ‘The Past is a Foreign Country’, after a short conversation with 7am host Ange McCormack.  

(This episode first aired in August 2023.)

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Guest: Author, Christos Tsiolkas

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