Hack

Warning: This story contains images and descriptions of an Indigenous person who has died.

How do we stop women and children being murdered? It's a question politicians, communities and families have been grappling with for decades.

And, it seems we're still looking for the answer. 

Last month, across 10 hours, three women were allegedly killed by men they knew in separate attacks.

Politicians have called the deaths 'profoundly distressing' but said more funding alone won’t solve this problem.

So what will? 

Alison Scott has been working in this space for nearly three decades. She is a victim-survivor and her sister was murdered by her partner in 2019.

In this week's long listen Alison tells Gabby Katanasho about the moment she learnt her sister had been murdered, the continued pain of losing someone to domestic violence, and how she thinks the system needs to change.

Editor’s note: During this discussion, it is stated that Jessica Bairnsfather-Scott died at 22, however she was 32. 

We asked the WA government what it is doing to improve outcomes for First Nations people impacted by family violence.

In response a spokesperson said the government is committed to reducing incidents of family and domestic violence, and has committed $817.5 million to fund preventative measures since 2017. 

The spokesperson said the government is implementing a system reform plan that was informed by extensive consultation with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, people with lived experience and the domestic violence sector.

They said the reforms are complex and that the government remains committed to ongoing engagement with the community."Our focus remains on achieving a family and domestic violence system that is safer, more culturally responsive and better equipped to meet the needs of Aboriginal victim-survivors, children and families."

Guests:

• Alison Scott, victim-survivor, advocate and Noongar woman

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A recent study found a majority of popular TikToks about birth control weren't posted by medical professionals. So, how do you sift through this so-called 'expert' advice online?

And one of the biggest football teams in the world, Manchester City, is currently wrapped up in one of sports' biggest scandals... and they've been found guilty. So how serious is this, and what will happen to the club that has dominated the English Premier League for the last decade?

Plus, what happens when 31 tonnes of whale washes up on an Aussie beach? The local council hauls it to the tip... but how do they get it there? Why the tip? Tell me more! 

Finally, is AI getting in the way of uni students developing the skills they'll need when they graduate?

Listen now: 

01:21 - AI in uni

13:30 - Manchester City found guilty

19:30 - Contraception misconception

23:47 - Whale carcass

Guests:

• Joel Pearson, professor of psychology and neuroscience at UNSW
• Dane Heverin, digital reporter at Fox Sports
• Vanessa Pirotta, marine scientist at Macquarie University

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

Internationally the reptile trade is big business – and Aussie reptiles are being pulled into it. We learn how criminal syndicates are smuggling Australian animals out of the country.

Also, the Reserve Bank has lifted interest rates to the highest level since 2011. But how does that actually impact young Aussies?

Plus, the Beau Lamarre-Condon trial has started. He's accused of the double murder of his former lover, Jesse Baird, and Jesse's new boyfriend, Luke Davies. We bring you up to speed on what happened in the first week of the trial.

Listen now: 

01:12 - Interest rates rise

11:32 - Beau Lamarre-Condon trial

18:12 - Illegal reptile trade

Guests:

• Evan Lucas, economic futurist
• Sarah Gerathy, ABC News Reporter
• Sebastian Chekunov, Wildlife Crime Research Hub

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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 a typical weeknight at home: you’re sitting at the dinner table, arguing with your parents about politics. Sound familiar? Some research suggests Gen Z is the least likely generation to support One Nation, while support among Gen X and Boomers is strongest. So what’s it like when you and your parents can’t see eye to eye on politics?  And we get into Iran’s offer to open the Strait of Hormuz – a global shipping route that’s key to rising fuel prices around the world – and just how quickly the US Government rejected their proposal.

Plus, have you heard about the ‘snack exchange’? Part food adventure, part cultural exchange, all happening through the mail.

Finally, we get into the huge weekend of footy we’ve just had – all about the underdogs, and all about the heartbreak.

Listen now: 

01:22 - Iran’s latest proposal

05:54 - Intergenerational political divide

18:57 - The ‘snack exchange’

23:20 - Footy’s heartbreaking weekend

Guests:

• Professor Pip Collin, Professorial Research Fellow, Western Sydney University
• Bridget Murphy, ABC Sports Reporter

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

Have you ever been unsure if something in your feed was real or AI? Well, you’re not alone – it’s even getting hard for the social media platforms to spot them. We looked into one FIFO influencer, Bindi Raye, who has 85k followers across Instagram and TikTok. She looks like a regular woman sharing her life online – posting pictures of her life at the mine site, at the beach, or at the footy – but she’s actually one of several generative AI accounts pushing their followers to pay-walled AI adult content. In the deep dive this week, host Ali Angeloni is joined by Dan Miller, senior lecturer in psychology at James Cook University, to unpack what these AI influencers are doing to our brains, what they mean for real sex workers, and how we feel about paying someone who isn’t real.

Guest:

• Dan Miller, senior lecturer in psychology, James Cook University

Get the whole story from hack:

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

How would you feel if your favourite artist didn’t play their biggest hit? Tones and I has pulled out of her headline performance at the upcoming NRL Grand Final, and apparently, it’s because she didn’t want to perform her most popular song. We get into this, plus, if we should even have pre-game entertainment. And, the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey is out, revealing that half of young Aussies are living at home with their parents. We unpack why this might have gone up, and chat about why it’s mostly men who still live at home. Also, Channing Tatum is in the headlines this week because some internet sleuths reckon they’ve found his burner account – otherwise known as a ‘finsta’. Finally, we want to know if bringing an iced coffee to a job interview is unprofessional, and if so, why? Host Ali Angeloni is joined by ABC journalist and creator Issy Phillips and Seven News journalist Sam Payne.

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

So, an OpenAI agent went rogue and infiltrated Australian Government websites a few months ago – and we only found out today. We unpack what went wrong, why the government didn’t know and what happens next.  And, we’re joined by Gumbaynggirr artist and activist Aretha Brown to chat about why she is leaning into joy, why she describes the relationship between artists and some galleries as 'parasitic' and how it feels to be a real romantic in 2026. 

Listen now: 

01:16 - OpenAI Medicare hack

14:15 - “The most romantic job in the world”

Guests:

• John Lyons, Americas editor, ABC News
• Aretha Brown, artist and activist

Get the whole story from hack:

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

Aretha Brown has been in the public eye since she was 16 years old when a speech she gave at an Invasion Day rally made national headlines.

Last year, she became one of the youngest artists ever selected for the National Indigenous Triennial at the National Gallery and her art collective, Kiss My Art, has painted more than 65 murals around the world.

Now Aretha is preparing for her first solo show, Born Romantic.

In this week's long listen, Aretha tells Ali why she is leaning into joy, why she describes the relationship between artists and some galleries as 'parasitic' and how it feels to be a romantic in 2026.

Born Romantic is on at the Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne from September 26 - October 4.

Guests:

• Aretha Brown, Gumbaynggirr artist

Get the whole story from hack:

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

Have you ever been unsure if something in your feed was real or AI? Well, you’re not alone. We look into a FIFO influencer who has almost 85,000 followers, but she’s actually one of several generative AI accounts pushing their followers to pay-walled AI adult content. And, we hear about US president Donald Trump’s threat towards Iran in his address at the United Nations General Assembly, and the reasons behind the high fuel prices we’re seeing around Australia.

Plus, the AFL Grand Final is this weekend at the MCG, featuring two non-Victorian teams. We find out the lengths some fans are going to get around the sky-rocketing prices for flights, and whether all states should have the day off on Friday.

Listen now: 

01:15 - Fuel prices and Trump’s address

06:22 - AI FIFO ‘influencer’

20:41 - AFL Grand Final creative fans

Guests:

• Dan Miller, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, James Cook University
• Poppy Penny, ABC Sport reporter
• Oli, Seb and Ronan, Fremantle Dockers fans

Get the whole story from hack:

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

The federal government has looked ahead – 40 years ahead, in fact – as they predict what the future of Australia will look like. We unpack the government's latest Intergenerational Report to find out exactly what young people can expect in 2065.

And, US President Donald Trump has banned three media outlets from the White House. He has called the outlets "fake news" and now, other TV networks in the US are boycotting out of support.

Plus, a new Australian study has highlighted the dangers women are facing on dating apps. What are they being subjected to? And should the government's Digital Duty of Care legislation extend to online dating?

Listen now: 

01:10 - Trump bans three US media outlets

09:15 - Prediction 2065

22:23 - Dating app dangers

Guests:

• Andrea Carson, director of the University of Melbourne's Centre for Advancing Journalism
• Simon Kuestenmacher, co-founder of The Demographics Group
• Claudia Long, ABC political reporter

Get the whole story from hack:

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