ABC News Daily

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ABC News Daily episodes

January 24, 2019 Who's buying up your water?
The world's drinking water supply is shrinking.
A global survey of 50,000 rain gauges shows that despite heavier rainfalls, less water is making it into catchments because of drier conditions linked to climate change.
Access to water has never been more highly prized, and the dollar value of arable land is rising as a result.
Unsurprisingly, big investors have started to notice, and in one case one of the world's biggest private investors, the Harvard University Endowment Fund, has been quietly buying up vineyards in California that sit above groundwater supplies.
So is it an isolated case, or a sign of the times?
Today on The Signal, we look into the looming water resource grab, and ask whether private companies could buy up access to water here in Australia.
We also test whether Australia is ready for a world where water is increasingly valuable.
Featured:
Professor Ashish Sharma, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales
Russell Gold, Senior Energy Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
Professor Quentin Grafton, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
15 min
January 23, 2019 How insurers could use your mental health history against you
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Australians seek treatment for a mental health condition, but what if just asking for help could later be used against you?
Today on The Signal, we're diving into the life insurance industry, and drilling down into what exactly your insurance company wants to know about you, and why.
Our guide for the episode is the ABC's consumer affairs reporter Amy Bainbridge, who's been investigating why some people who have received mental health treatment in the past have had all sorts of exclusions added to their policies.
And we hear from the lawyers trying to put limits on just how far back into your medical history insurance companies can trawl.
Featured:
Amy Bainbridge, ABC Consumer Affairs Reporter
Julie Gilbert, life insurance customer
Nick Kerwin, Senior Policy Manager, Financial Services Council
Josh Mennen, Superannuation and Insurance Spokesperson, Australian Lawyers Alliance
13 min
January 22, 2019 Have we killed the Murray-Darling?
More than one million fish have died in the Murray-Darling river system over the past few weeks, and with the drought dragging on and more hot weather expected, scientists think more die-offs are likely.
In Canberra and Sydney, federal and state politicians are stressing the mass fish deaths have been caused by drought, and they argue there's not really too much they can do.
So is that really the case?
Or is the way we're managing the Murray-Darling basin making the problems worse?
Today on The Signal, we dig into the science of what's causing the mass fish die-offs.
We also try to work out whether the Murray-Darling Basin Plan actually functions in practice.
And we ask the experts what they think could improve.
Featured:
Adjunct Professor Darren Baldwin, School of Environmental Sciences, Charles Sturt University
Professor Lin Crase, Head of the School of Commerce, University of South Australia
14 min
January 21, 2019 Why big tech wants your face
The #10YearChallenge has become one of the big memes of the summer, with users on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram sharing photos of their faces from a decade ago, alongside snaps from more recent times.
But is the trend just a harmless humblebrag?
Or is something more sinister going on?
And who might benefit, if so?
Today on The Signal we speak with Kate O'Neil, whose piece on Wired last week prompted hundreds of thousands of internet users to question whether big tech companies honing facial recognition technology might profit from the seemingly wholesome trend.
We also hear how facial recognition software is evolving, and we get an update on how it's being applied in Australia.
Featured:
Kate O'Neil, freelance tech writer
Jake Laperruque, Senior Counsel, Project On Government Oversight
Professor Liz Campbell, Chair of Criminal Jurisprudence, Monash University
16 min
January 20, 2019 Everything you don't know about the US shutdown
Later today the US government shutdown will enter its 30th day, and while there was movement on a possible end to the stalemate over the weekend, a deal still looks pretty unlikely.
President Donald Trump is still insisting Congress fund his long-promised border wall, while Democrats are refusing to approve it, just months after they won back control of the House.
So what will happen if the shutdown drags on?
And is it about to take a nasty turn?
Today on The Signal, we try to get to the bottom of the longest government shutdown in US history, and we explore a new and frightening possibility for what might be around the corner.
To do that, we catch up with Chas Licciardello from ABC TV's Planet America to talk about how the deadlock started, and why Democrats are refusing to budge.
We also speak with policy and politics reporter at Vox.com Li Zhou about what living through a government shutdown is actually like.
15 min
December 06, 2018 2018: what just happened?
You made it! We made it! It's nearly the end of 2018!
Today is The Signal's last episode for the year, but fear not: we promise to be back in your podcast feed early next year, trying to make sense of the news each weekday.
In our last episode of 2018, we're doing something a little different: we're going to chat about the key turning points of the year, try to tease out what we learnt and what changed, and see if we can make any predictions about the new year ahead.
And just in case you're looking: here's a list of episodes we reference in today's show:
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-signal/the-climate-change-tipping-points/10502528
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-signal/quitting-coal/10357202
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-signal/are-scott-morrisons-videos-working/10475182
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-signal/inside-a-political-makeover/10157922
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-signal/a-leadership-spill-a-story-in-seven-parts/10153574
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-signal/can-you-smash-away-your-rage/9920648
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/the-signal/is-the-anthem-fair/10244206
If you've enjoyed The Signal this year, please get in touch: our email is [email protected]
And as we say all the time, please let your mates know we exist, and write us a quick review on iTunes to help other people find the show.
Enjoy the Christmas and summer break if you have time off, and stay tuned for our first ep of the new year, coming out on January 21.
18 min
December 05, 2018 He gene-edited babies. Now he's disappeared.
Last week, the scientific world was understandably rocked by news that genetically-edited twin girls had been born in China following a highly controversial experiment apparently carried out by a rogue researcher.
Now the story has become even stranger, with reports surfacing yesterday suggesting the geneticist in question, He Jiankui, is now missing and rumoured to be in custody.
So just what may have happened to He Jiankui?
And why has China's official reaction to the news of his research shifted dramatically in a week, from praise to condemnation?
Today on The Signal, we try to get to the bottom of one of the biggest scandals to shake science in decades.
We speak with Hong Kong-based science reporter at The South China Morning Post Alice Shen, and catch up with science reporter at ABC Radio National Belinda Smith.
15 min
December 04, 2018 Australia's going to get new encryption laws. Should you be worried?
The Government is desperately trying to change Australia's encryption laws, and it had been facing a lot of pushback.
But with just two days left of Parliament for the year, the Coalition struck a deal with Labor, making it all but certain the mammoth bill will now pass both houses before the summer break.
There are criticisms that the threshold for applying the new powers is too low, and that the tools that agencies would use to break encryption could easily be stolen by hackers and used to wage digital war on the public.
So should you be worried?
The Signal speaks to Lizzie O'Shea from Digital Rights watch and Hack's Canberra Correspondent, Shalailah Medhora, about one of the most controversial national security bills in a decade.
13 min
December 03, 2018 Can the Government survive until May? Or is it dreaming?
The Federal Government is having a moment.
Or several, to be precise.
More than three months after he was deposed, the former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull is continuing to offer his successor Scott Morrison forthright advice.
In his most recent foray, Malcolm Turnbull ventured into the controversial territory of Liberal Party preselection.
He also recommended the federal election day be brought forward to get a likely loss over and done with.
So what does it all mean for the Coalition?
And can the Government possibly survive until May?
Today on The Signal, we take stock of what's going wrong for the Morrison Government, from Julia Banks' defection to the crossbench, to ongoing concerns the Liberals' damaged brand could bring down the Berejiklian Government in New South Wales.
We speak with political reporter at The Guardian Australia Amy Remeikis about the latest from Canberra, and we catch up with ABC NSW state political reporter Brigid Glanville to hear how members of the party in NSW feel about their federal colleagues.
15 min
December 02, 2018 How China "disappeared" Interpol's chief and got away with it
It's been more than two months since the former president of Interpol Meng Hongwei was "disappeared" by China, with his last known message to the outside world a knife emoji sent on WhatsApp to his wife Grace Meng.
The global police organisation has quickly moved on from Meng's abrupt disappearance, and has already appointed former South Korean cop Kim Jong-Yang as his successor.
Meanwhile, experts say, Meng is being held and interrogated by Chinese authorities, and will in all likelihood resurface eventually at an anti-corruption show trial.
So what is Meng alleged to have done?
And why has Interpol moved on from his disappearance so quickly?
Today on The Signal, we catch up with the ABC's China correspondent Bill Birtles to hear about how Meng Hongwei's disappearance has been talked about in China, and why his support for one of President Xi Jinping's rivals landed Meng in trouble.
We also speak with Interpol expert and law lecturer at the University of Eastern Finland Giulio Calcara about how Interpol actually works, and how a Nazi infiltration before the outbreak of the Second World War helped shape its modern form.
14 min

About ABC News Daily

From the publisher's feed

ABC News Daily is the podcast that helps you understand the issues affecting your world. Every episode, host Samantha Hawley walks through one story with the help of an ABC colleague or expert in under 15 minutes. When you want coverage you can trust, listen to ABC News Daily.

From interest rates, real estate and the housing crisis, to scams and US politics, ABC News Daily brings you facts and analysis you need to understand the biggest news stories.

The podcast covers news from America, with analysis of the Donald Trump administration in the White House. His actions, including threats of massive tariffs have big implications for global politics and the economy and US journalists and experts will explain what's at stake.

As Australians battle a cost-of-living crisis, ABC News Daily looks at the causes of inflation, rising rental costs, house prices, insurance costs and the price of groceries. Key experts in business and finance join Samantha Hawley, explaining the state of the economy, the unemployment rate and the jobs market.

Whether you rent, own an investment house or apartment, or are repaying a mortgage, ABC News Daily offers unique insights and analysis. When there are big moves from the Reserve Bank (RBA) on interest rates, or reactions in the ASX or the Australian dollar, guest experts, including economists, explain why.

Look into ABC News Daily's archive to find episodes on electric vehicles (EVs), artificial intelligence (AI), politics, the big banks, supermarkets, Tesla, Elon Musk, education, schools, teachers and crime.

Watch for episodes about federal politics and the leadership of Labor's Anthony Albanese. We look at policy areas that matter for voters, including education, health, housing and immigration and assess the proposals from the federal opposition.

ABC News Daily follows developments in the Middle East and the war between Israel and Hamas, with insights into the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu.

The podcast looks at the latest from Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky fights to repel the Russian invaders led by Russia's President Vladimir Putin. As China's Xi Jinping contemplates the future of Taiwan, ABC News Daily will sort fact from fiction.

As climate change fuelled by greenhouse gas emissions increases the risk of natural disasters, including fires and floods, ABC News Daily brings you fact-based analysis.

The podcast covers the future of renewable / green power generation, including the use of wind turbines, solar and hydro electric power.

ABC experts including Ian Verrender, Alan Kohler, Laura Tingle, David Speers, and Annabel Crabb join Samantha Hawley to step through big issues and current affairs.