ABC News Daily

Donald Trump wants America to take over Gaza and for all Palestinians to leave so it can be turned into a “Riviera of the Middle East.” 

The idea, unleashed in a joint press conference with the Israeli Prime Minister at the White House, is a complete upending of decades of Middle Eastern policy that could involve American troops on the ground. 

Today, Hussein Ibish from the Arab Gulf States Institute on the implications of Trump’s words and what might come next.  

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Hussein Ibish, senior scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, Washington D.C.

Donald Trump says he loves tariffs but just hours after he slapped massive levies on Mexico and Canada he’s taken them away. 

The surprising U-turn has rattled financial markets and revived fears of a global trade war. 

So, what on earth is the US President up to and how will the global economy respond? 

Today ABC TV’s finance expert Alan Kohler on what Trump’s tariff moves mean for Australia. 

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Alan Kohler, ABC TV finance expert

The raids and deportations have begun and undocumented migrants in the United States are being rounded up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. 

President Donald Trump is making good on his threats to target those accused of crimes first, with plans to send tens of thousands of people to Guantanamo Bay detention centre. 

Today, an immigration attorney from Texas explains how the new policy is playing out on the ground.

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Ruby Powers, immigration attorney in Houston, Texas

From this week all Australian kids will be back at school for the year, but what can we do to improve their results? 

There has been a concerning decline in performance in numeracy and literacy tests over the past two decades. 

Today, education reporter Conor Duffy on why Australian students underperform and how one group is bucking the trend. 

Conor Duffy explains that the most recent NAPLAN tests show one third of students not meeting minimum benchmarks. 

He says students from language backgrounds other than English are consistently outperforming their peers. 

Conor Duffy emphasises the importance of parental engagement in improving student outcomes. 

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Conor Duffy, education reporter

Key Topics:

• Australian education 
• NAPLAN test results
• Literacy and numeracy performance
• Language backgrounds other than English (LBOTE)
• Parental engagement in education
• Inquiry-based learning vs. explicit teaching

The caravan was carrying enough explosives to cause mass casualties if detonated, so why did police keep its discovery secret for 10 days? 

A note found in the van indicated that Jewish sites were the targets. 

Today, terrorism expert Greg Barton on what we know about the case and if anything can be done now to stop the rise in anti-Semitism. 

Police say the explosives could have had a blast zone radius of 40 metres.

Professor Barton explains that the use of explosives usually used in mining suggests links to organised crime. 

He also highlights the chilling possibility of a mass casualty event targeting Jewish sites. 

The discussion delves into the complexities of labelling the incident as terrorism and the potential involvement of foreign actors. 

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Greg Barton, terrorism expert and Professor of Global Islamic Politics at Deakin University

Key Topics:

• Anti-Semitism in Australia
• Terrorism threats
• Explosives
• Jewish community 
• Counter-terrorism 
• Social cohesion

When Donald Trump returned to the US presidency, he unveiled DOGE, the Department Of Government Efficiency. 

It’s a cost cutting body for government spending run by the world’s richest man Elon Musk. 

Last weekend, the opposition leader Peter Dutton unveiled the Coalition’s brand-new spokeswoman for government efficiency, supposed to cut wasteful spending here in Australia.

Today, host of The Party Room podcast, Patricia Karvelas on why Mr Dutton will only go so far down the Trump path.  

She highlights eerie similarities between Dutton's new portfolio and Trump's DOGE.

She also explains how Dutton is selectively adopting parts of Trump's agenda that he believes will resonate with Australian voters. 

Patricia Karvelas says Dutton's approach is tailored to the unique political landscape of Australia, which differs from the US in key ways.

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Patricia Karvelas, host of The Party Room podcast

Key Topics:

• Donald Trump
• DOGE (Department Of Government Efficiency)
• Elon Musk
• Peter Dutton
• Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
• Australian politics
• Government efficiency
• Gina Reinhart
• Voice referendum
• Culture wars

It shocked Silicon Valley and set tech stocks tumbling on Wall Street.

When a little-known Chinese company DeepSeek launched its own surprisingly capable artificial intelligence chatbot, the sector panicked. 

DeepSeek claims to have developed its model despite spending far less money on expensive computer chips than its US-based competitors. 

Today, Professor Michael Blumenstein from the Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute at UTS on what DeepSeek has managed to pull off and how it could change the entire AI landscape. 

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Michael Blumenstein, University of Technology Sydney

We all find the cost of insurance too high, but have you ever thought to actually fight against big hikes to your premium? 

A growing number of Australians are trying just that, with limited success. 

Today, national consumer affairs reporter, Michael Atkin, on why insurance costs continue to surge and how Australians are trying to force the insurance giants to justify the hikes.  

Michael Atkin explains that insurance premiums have jumped 11% in the past year, following even higher increases in previous years. 

He shares stories from frustrated home owners like Mark Stacey and Warren Vant, who have seen their premiums skyrocket. 

The industry justifies these hikes, citing increased severe weather and inflation. 

Michael Atkin says while some consumers have had success challenging their insurers through the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, many others have not been as fortunate.

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Michael Atkin, national consumer affairs reporter

Key Topics:

• Insurance premium hikes
• Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)
• Natural disasters and insurance
• Inflation and building costs

Working from home was an experiment that really took off during the pandemic. 

It worked so well, many employers and employees continue to enjoy it. But what if that was to all end in an instant?

Some big companies like Amazon have had enough of WFH and have ordered their workers back to the office full time. 

It has implications for worker productivity and staff retention that any business considering a mandate will need to consider. 

Today, economist Leonora Risse explains the “return to office” trend.

Leonora Risse says some companies believe the benefits of being on-site outweigh the gains of working from home.

She notes that Amazon's decision is seen as a way to enhance teamwork, learning, and collaboration. 

Leonora Risse suggests that companies should carefully consider the potential costs of losing valuable employees before making drastic changes. 

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Leonora Risse, associate professor in economics at the University of Canberra

Key Topics:

• Working from home
• Return to office
• Amazon 
• Employee productivity
• Staff retention
• Team collaboration
• Hybrid work models
• Gender and work flexibility
• Labour market trends

Donald Trump has been back in the White House for less than a week, but already it’s been a wild ride. 

From immigration policy to pardons for the January 6 rioters, the president is quickly changing America. 

Today, senior political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Molly Ball, on the defining moments of Donald Trump’s first days as the 47th US President. 

Molly Ball says Trump’s second term feels more focused and self-assured, with less infighting and more decisive actions. 

She highlights the sweeping changes to immigration policy and the controversial pardons for January 6 rioters. 

Ball also notes the significant shift in Trump's approach, with a well-organised team executing his central promises. 

The episode delves into the potential long-term consequences of Trump's actions on American society and the political landscape.

Featured: 

Molly Ball, senior political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal

Key Topics:

• Donald Trump
• Immigration policy
• January 6 pardons
• Birthright citizenship
• Executive orders
• US politics
• Trump administration
• US Capitol riot
• Trump’s second term