Hack

Daniel Jackson says he's the youngest head of state in the world.

There's just one problem: no other nation recognises his country.

What started out as joke when he was 14 has developed into the Free Republic of Verdis.

The micronation which Daniel is working to set up is between Croatia and Serbia, on a marshy piece of land in the Danube river.

It has a flag, a government, and hundreds of "citizens" with IDs that some are even using to get into bars.

But does it have a legal right to exist?

In this chat, Daniel puts forward his case for Verdis, why he believes so many gen z are getting behind his idea, and talks through life as a world leader.

Plus, you'll hear from an expert who breaks down whether or not you can actually just start your own country.

Guests: 

• Daniel Jackson, President of Verdis
• Dr Harry Hobbs, Associate Professor in Law, University of New South Wales

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From recreational shooters to contract hunters, gun-owners are still working out how Australia's new firearms laws will impact them. So what's changing?

And does Australia need to do more to monitor radical preachers? Former prime minister Scott Morrison thinks so. 

Plus boomers love to slam young people for the amount of time they spend on their phones. But is it boomers that actually have the bigger screen time problem? 

Listen now: 

01:08 - What's in the new gun laws

13:36 - Tracking radical preachers

18:01 - Boomers and screens

Guests:

• Stephen Bendle, senior advocacy advisor, Alannah & Madeline Foundation
• Dr Michoel Moshel, clinical neuropsychologist

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• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

ICE officers in the US city of Minneapolis have killed a second protester, as locals fight against the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration. We get the latest from the ground with journalist Laura Jedeed. 

Plus as part of her reporting, Laura was researching what it takes to sign up for ICE. So why did the agency end up hiring her?

And back home: there were 4 shark attacks in 48 hours last week, including one which claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy in NSW. Is it time for a cull? 

Guests: 

• Laura Jedeed, freelance journalist
• Dr Vanessa Pirotta, wildlife scientist

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• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

It's Hottest 100 day today, and all over Australia, people are getting around their favourite music discoveries.

But one of the main platforms that helps people find new tracks is having a bumpy ride, with users boycotting Spotify because of AI, algorithms and the investments of the company's CEO.

So what is the boycott Spotify movement about?

And what does it tell us about the state of music in general?

In the deep dive today, we look at the global music streaming sector's big whale, and ask why some artists and fans are seeking out alternatives.

Guests: 

• Dr Sophie Freeman, researcher of music streaming and algorithmic recommendation, the University of Melbourne

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• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Is parliament's response to the Bondi terrorist attack about to destroy the coalition?

It's the question everyone in Canberra is asking, after politicians returned for the year for an emergency sitting.

The to-do list this week was short: tougher gun restrictions and new laws governing hate speech.

So what did the parliament achieve, and how are laws about to change?

In this ep of the hack summer podcast, hack political reporter Shalailah Medhora gets you up to speed.

Guest: 

• Shalailah Medhora, hack political reporter

Get the whole story from Hack:

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• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

When Luke Bateman was at the peak of his NRL career, his seemed to be living the dream of many young Aussie men. 

At 24, he was earning hundreds of thousands of dollars to play the sport he loved. But the reality of what was happening in Luke's life was much darker. 

He was struggling with a gambling addiction and depression. 

In this extended interview Luke opens up, revealing details of how he rebuilt his life and overcame addiction. We also get into the backlash he faced after announcing a book deal, and why he wants more guys to read. 

Remember, the National Gambling Helpline is available on 1800 858 858.

Guest: 

• Luke Bateman, former NRL player and #BookTok creator

Get the whole story from Hack:

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• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Have you heard of Grok? It’s an AI bot that lives inside X, which you might still know as Twitter.

Grok has come under fire in the last few days for 'undressing' women against their consent in response to prompts from X users. 

On Friday Grok started to limit the ability of users to generate AI images, due to concerns about non consensual sexual imagery.

So, why was the bot able to make those images to begin with?

And what's being done to prevent future harm? 

On the deep dive today, we speak to one of the young Aussies caught up in the Grok 'nudify' controversy, and we hear from an expert about the lack of safeguards in Grok allowing this to happen. 

Get the whole story from Hack:

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• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live at 5:30pm

It's been a crazy few days in Venezuela.

On Saturday, the US dropped bombs on the country's capital Caracas while US special forces descended on a compound where the president Nicolás Maduro was staying, capturing him and his wife and flying them both to the US.

Then a few days later, Maduro appeared in court in New York, charged with drug trafficking and terrorism crimes.

The reaction has been a mixed bag: from widespread concern the US is breaking international law, to many labelling president Donald Trump a hero.

But many Venezuelans feel their voices have not been getting enough attention.

In this ep, Dave catches up with two Venezuelans living in Australia.

They talk about why they left Venezuela, what it feels like to see Maduro stand trial, and what they hope happens next.Guests: 

• Lamira, Venezuelan musician living in Australia
• Samantha Oviedo, Venezuelan living in Australia

Get the whole story from Hack:

• Follow us on Instagram
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

According to Uber drivers, it's the "oldest trick in the book": gaming the system to charge you more.

In some cases, it could mean you end up paying 2 or 3 times the normal cost of a trip.

So how does the trick work?

Well, triple j hack has been speaking to drivers about how they create artificial surge prices, leaving passengers out of pocket.

And even more remarkably, the union representing them reckons the consequences for passengers are entirely on Uber itself, because drivers aren't being paid enough for their work.

So is any of this fair?

We chatted to a few drivers to get an inside look at the industry, as well as a CHOICE spokesperson to find out what this could mean for your next Uber ride.

A version of this episode was first published in August 2025.

Guest: 

• Jarni Blakkarly, investigative journalist, CHOICE

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It's the social season in Australia — barbecues, festivals, long nights out.

And with it often comes alcohol and drugs, which are woven into how we celebrate and connect.

But what about the costs to your health, your bank account, and your headspace?

And while more people are cutting back, others are realising they can't have a healthy relationship with booze, opting for sobriety instead.

So how do you stop?

Dave Marchese sits down with Julia Rangiheuea from the Soberly Speaking podcast to unpack Australia's drinking culture, the real costs of partying, and her journey from self-described "party girl" to being 3 years sober this month.

And if this chat brought up anything for you, there is help available: the National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is on 1800 250 015

A version of this episode was first published in October 2025.

Guest: 

• Julia Rangiheuea, host of Soberly Speaking

Get the whole story from Hack:

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• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm