ABC News Daily

Pop superstar Taylor Swift is in Melbourne on her wildly popular tour and for some her appearance at the American Super Bowl was more exciting than the football game itself. 

But perhaps more intriguing is her role in the upcoming US election. 

Today, we look at whether a Swift endorsement of Joe Biden would help him win and why Trump supporters are so willing to believe conspiracy theories that she’s in cahoots with the White House.

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Dr Matt Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science at Park University in Missouri

Four months into the war, a large portion of Gaza has been levelled, with civilians fleeing to the south of the strip to seek shelter.

For a while Israel declared the city of Rafah a “safe zone” and more than one million people flocked there. 

But it’s now under attack and there are fears a ground offensive could soon begin.

Today, reporter Nicole Johnston on the growing international calls for Israel to pull back and what she saw during a rare trip inside Gaza. 

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Nicole Johnston, ABC reporter and Sky News correspondent

Since footage emerged of Barnaby Joyce lying flat on his back, swearing into his phone on a Canberra street, there’s been fierce debate over whether it matters or not that an elected politician could be caught out in such a manner. 

Questions over whether there’s a bigger problem at play or whether it’s simply just a matter of Barnaby, the larrikin, being in the spotlight once again. 

Today, Radio National Breakfast and the Party Room podcast host, Patricia Karvelas, unpacks the culture of booze at Parliament House and the double standards that come with it. 

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Patricia Karvelas, host of RN Breakfast and the Party Room podcast

Since the government broke an election promise and changed the stage three tax cuts, the Coalition has been warning there could be many more broken promises to come.  

Specifically, it says the tax incentive known as negative gearing is the next thing on the chopping block, although the government denies that. 

Today, Peter Martin, economics editor at The Conversation, explains what it is, whether we really need it and what a change could mean for the housing market. 

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Peter Martin, The Conversation economics editor

What happens when Vladimir Putin gives an incredibly rare interview to a conservative American media commentator at the height of a war and it lasts for more than two hours? 

Well, the answer is: Putin wins. 

So, what was the real reason behind Tucker Carlson’s interview with the Russian leader? 

Today, how it all plays into Donald Trump’s push for the White House. 

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Professor Gordon Flake, CEO of the Perth USAsia Centre at the University of Western Australia

When three American soldiers were killed in a drone attack on a US base in Jordan there was a flurry of talk of World War Three.

It may have been over the top, but the stakes in the conflict in the Middle East have risen dramatically, with the US blaming Iran and its proxies for the strike. 

It’s since retaliated by bombing dozens of targets in Iraq and Syria. 

Today, host of The Iran Podcast, Negar Mortazavi explores what could come next. 

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Negar Mortazavi, host of The Iran Podcast

We know there’s a lack of competition in the Australian marketplace. Two big supermarkets, two big airlines and just a few more banks and electricity generators. 

It’s leading to prices that are “too high”, according to the former head of the competition watchdog Alan Fels. 

He’s finished a report into price gouging, and he has some ideas on how we can stop Australians from being ripped off. 

Today, investigative journalist Adele Ferguson explains how big companies trick us into paying more. 

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Adele Ferguson, investigative journalist

For hundreds of years, the health of members of the British royal family have been tightly guarded secrets.

From the secret euthanasia of a King, to a hidden case of lung cancer. 

But under King Charles things are changing. He’s announced to the world he has cancer. 

So now he’s gone public, does it change how we perceive the monarchy? 

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Cindy McCreery, royal historian at the University of Sydney

When the Reserve Bank board members meet for the first time this year, they might be patting each other on the back.

Inflation has come down to a two year low, meaning they won’t need to raise interest rates again.

The ABC’s finance expert Alan Kohler explains what needs to change before rates start falling and he gives us his prediction on when that might happen. 

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Alan Kohler, ABC finance presenter

By the end of this year, Donald Trump could be elected President of the United States again.

Despite being implicated in the January 6th attack on the US Capitol and vowing to be a dictator for “one day”, he’s the frontrunner to be the Republican nominee for the 2024 poll. 

What’s unfolding in the US will get a lot of attention, but 2024 is the year of elections globally. 

From Indonesia, to the UK, Russia and India, around half of the global population will be eligible to vote. 

So democracy must be thriving, right? It’s not that simple. 

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Yana Gorokhovskaia, research director for strategy and design at Freedom House