ABC News Daily

Did you know we are in the midst of a new 'woke' era?

It's being dubbed 'Woke 2.0' and unlike 'Woke 1', it's thought to be winning over voters for the Democrats ahead of next week's midterm election.

Today, staff writer at the Atlantic magazine, Jonathan Chait on what he believes woke is and why campaigning against it won't win Trump any votes this time.

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Johnathan Chait, staff writer at The Atlantic magazine

Unemployment is on the rise, interest rates are up, the price of fuel is soaring and everything just costs more.  

Recent polling shows voters are blaming the Prime Minister and his Treasurer for the tough times with their popularity rating taking a dive.

Today, senior economic correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Shane Wright on how the governments losing control of the cost-of-living narrative. 

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Shane Wright, senior economic correspondent at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age 

It’s been a fortnight of extraordinary setbacks for US relations with Ukraine. 

Donald Trump has struck a deal to buy Russian diesel, delivering a financial boost to Vladimir Putin’s war effort, he briefly interrupted intelligence sharing with Ukraine, while his special envoy Steve Witkoff has praised Putin as a 'humanitarian.' 

Today, CNN's chief national security analyst, Jim Sciutto on what Trump is up to now and what it could mean for Ukraine's survival. 

Featured:Jim Sciutto, CNN chief national security analysts and host of The Brief

Brendan Nugent, the 43-year-old Victorian man accused of ramming his LandCruiser into Independent MP Helen Haines, has appeared in court today on five charges. 

Authorities say they are still working to determine an alleged motive.  

The incident has opened a fierce debate about the safety of politicians and worsening political discourse. 

So, will the tragedy change anything?  

Today political commentator and author Niki Savva on what needs to happen now. 

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Niki Savva, political commentator and author

On Monday afternoon, Victorian man Brendan Nugent, 43, allegedly used a white Toyota LandCruiser to strike independent MP Helen Haines twice.  

The 65-year-old member for Indi in regional Victoria is in critical condition with devastating injuries. The Prime Minister says it was a deliberate act.  

Today, 7.30 political editor Jacob Greber on what we know and why the alleged attack is a wake-up call as threats of political violence surge. 

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Jacob Greber, ABC TV's 7.30 political editor 

From a press secretary who lasted just five days to a dramatic pivot to Putin, Donald Trump has unleashed a fresh wave of chaos inside the White House. 

So, with the US midterms looming, is he still holding out for a so-called 'October surprise' that could turn things around. 

Today, staff writer at The Atlantic, David A. Graham on a woeful past week for the US President and whether voters are simply sick of the chaos.    

They've been fired, demoted, and even offered sham redundancies. 

Decades after the Sex Discrimination Act was introduced, women across the country say they're being pushed out of the workforce for having kids under laws that haven't kept up with the demands of modern parenting. 

Today, Avani Dias on her Four Corners investigation into the tactics being used by employers and the laws failing mothers.  

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Avani Dias, investigative reporter with ABC Four Corners

Melbourne-born academic Tristan Buckmaster says he was maybe just one month away from solving the Navier-Stokes equation, a maths problem so difficult there was a million-dollar prize on offer for anyone who could.  

But just as the New York University professor and his collaborator, a mathematician affiliated with AI company Anthropic, were closing in on a solution, OpenAI claimed a breakthrough of its own.  

Today we speak to Tristan about his dispute with Open AI and the future of mathematics.

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Dr Tristan Buckmaster, Professor of Mathematics at New York University   

It was meant to be the biggest ASX listing since the privatisation of Telstra, but last week the initial public offering for Firmus was dramatically pulled before a single share was traded. 

The co-founder of the AI startup, Oliver Curtis has since lashed out - blaming Australians for failing to support people prepared to take a risk.    

Today, columnist at the Australian Financial Review Mark Di Stefano on whether he could be right or if it's an early sign of a bursting AI bubble.   

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Mark Di Stefano, Australian Financial Review columnist

The US president says he’s still deciding whether to livestream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 unarmed US soldiers in a 2009 shooting.  

It comes as Tennessee officials grapple with the aftermath of the botched execution of death row inmate Christa Pike last month.  

Today, law and capital punishment expert, Austin Sarat, on what these two cases say about the future of capital punishment in the US. 

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Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science at Amherst College