ABC News Daily

Donald Trump has spent another week fielding questions over the release of the so-called Epstein files. The saga even followed him to Scotland.

Now he has sent the US Deputy Attorney-General to interview Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell who is in prison for sex trafficking. 

Today, Jill Wine-Banks, one of the prosecutors during the Watergate scandal, on whether Trump could pardon Maxwell and whether it could help him.

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Jill Wine-Banks, Watergate prosecutor and legal analyst

Donald Trump’s latest trade deal with the European Union is said to be really bad for Europe. 

So, why did the EU agree to a 15 per cent tariff on almost all goods entering the United States and does it signal a troubled road ahead for us? 

Today, the ABC’s Chief Business Correspondent Ian Verrender on where all the Trump trade mess is up to.

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Ian Verrender, Chief Business Correspondent

Once a sceptic, now a convert, Donald Trump is embracing crypto currency and making a tidy profit on the side. 

The US president’s newfound love has seen crypto currencies like Bitcoin skyrocket in value and now he’s passing bills through US Congress to change the sector entirely. 

Today, Ross Buckley, Laureate Fellow and Scientia Professor at the University of New South Wales on whether it’s still just a bubble waiting to burst. 

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Ross Buckley, Laureate Fellow and a Scientia Professor at the University of New South Wales 

Israel says there’s no starvation in Gaza, but the pictures tell a very different story and there’s now growing condemnation from some of Israel’s supporters, including Australia.

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the images of suffering are ‘completely indefensible’. 

Today, Global Affairs Editor Laura Tingle on the mounting pressure and the one person who could force Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to change course. 

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Laura Tingle, ABC Global Affairs Editor

Fraudsters have found it surprisingly straightforward to get thousands of taxpayer dollars deposited in their accounts by just making a few false declarations to the Australian Taxation Office about the amount of GST they’re owed because of fake businesses. 

It adds up to billions of dollars that are unlikely to be recovered. 

Today, Angus Grigg on his Four Corners investigation into the biggest GST scam in history and how the ATO dropped the ball.

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Angus Grigg, Four Corners reporter

The tech bros of Silicon Valley are dominating the AI race, using the most advanced computer chips and US expertise. 

But there’s an artificial intelligence boom underway in China giving them a run for their money.

US President Donald Trump doesn’t like it; he’s vowing he won’t allow America’s adversaries to control the algorithms. 

Today, Kyle Chan from the global policy think tank the Rand Corporation on what’s at stake in the battle for global AI dominance. 

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Kyle Chan, post-doctoral researcher at Princeton University and an adjunct researcher at the Rand Corporation

Our hunger for electricity has never been so great. 

That’s hardly surprising given the growing desire to electrify our homes and transport. 

But it’s the massive computer data centres that could become a big problem. 

There are questions about whether the official forecasts underestimate how much power they’ll need over the next ten years.

Today, ABC energy reporter Dan Mercer on whether we have enough electricity to keep up with the huge demand. 

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Dan Mercer, ABC energy reporter

If you hadn’t realised that cameras are everywhere by now, the so-called Coldplay-gate is a great reminder.

The kiss cam vision of a canoodling couple at the concert, who were apparently having an affair, is proof again how quickly salacious news (and memes) can travel on social media. 

Today, political scientist from Loyola University in Chicago, Jennifer Forestal, on public shaming and when it can be a good thing. 

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Jennifer Forestal, associate professor of political science at Loyola University in Chicago

On the one side there’s a media tycoon, on the other the President of the United States. 

It has all the makings of a fascinating courtroom drama. 

Donald Trump is suing Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal over an article alleging the US President sent a lewd birthday message to Jefferey Epstein in 2003. 

Today,  media expert Rod Tiffen on the complex relationship between Trump and Murdoch and how the legal proceedings ahead.  

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Rodney Tiffen, emeritus professor in government and international relations at the University of Sydney

A decade ago, a Chinese company was given the green light to take control of the Darwin port, which is key Australian infrastructure. 

Now, the Albanese Government is scrambling to get it back in Australian hands, in a move that risks antagonising China, while being welcomed by the United States. 

Today, veteran defence analyst Alan Dupont, who until recently was the Defence and National Security Advocate for the Northern Territory Government, focused on defence investment in the NT. 

He explains why the deal was allowed in the first place and whether Chinese control really poses a risk to national security.

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Alan Dupont, chief executive of geopolitical risk consultancy The Cognoscenti Group