Radio National Breakfast

Agenda-setting news coverage, breaking news and stories impacting the lives of all Australians.

The Hills Hoist, stump-cam, goon bag and the dual-flush toilet, do they fill you with pride?

They're just some of the products dreamed up by home-grown inventors over the past 150 years.

And they're being celebrated at a new National Archives of Australia exhibition in Canberra which explores the inventors whose ideas have shaped the nation.

Some are household names others you may not have heard of but perhaps this one will stick in your mind a woman who had so many ideas she'd write them down in her sleep.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has described flood damage in the central Queensland town of Clermont as "heart-breaking."

About 40 to 60 properties have been impacted, after the region was hit with more than 200 millimetres of rain over 24 hours as ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji moved west.

Meanwhile, in the north-west Queensland shire of McKinlay, farmers are slowly regaining access to their paddocks as lingering floodwaters finally recede.

Sammy J - Australian musical comedian, satirist, writer and radio presenter - shares his Summer reading list with Jade MacMillan.

Childhood favourites:

• Tomorrow When the War Began - John Marsden

Currently reading:

• Boogie Wonderland - Kate Halfpenny

Summer list:

• Earthquake - Nikki Sava

Adelaide Writers' Week has been cancelled and the Adelaide Festival board has departed following the resignation yesterday of Writers' Week director Louise Adler. 

The decision to dis-invite Palestinian-Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah and the subsequent boycott of dozens of other writers - is now threatening the future of one of the country's most important artistic events.

Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock has thrown her support behind her U-S counterpart Jerome Powell — who faces the prospect of criminal prosecution by the Trump administration.

A statement from 12 central bank chiefs says they "stand in full solidarity" with the Federal Reserve chairman, adding "the independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability".

Former Federal Reserve chiefs — and even some senior Republicans — have also condemned the legal action … which follows persistent criticism of Mr Powell by President Donald Trump.

Guest: Warwick McKibbin, Emeritus Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the ANU and former member of the Reserve Bank Board

Producer: Anne Barker

Link: Peterson Institute report on the "Erosion of Fed independence" published ahead of Donald Trump's re-election:  https://www.piie.com/research/piie-charts/2025/erosion-fed-independence-would-slow-us-economic-growth-and-boost

The federal government's proposed hate speech laws appear to have already had an impact before they've even passed parliament.

With neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network announcing it will disband by the end of the week, abandoning apparent plans to form a political party.

Debate on the omnibus bill to strengthen gun controls and hate speech restrictions will begin in parliament next week — with some in the Coalition signalling opposition to parts of the legislation.

• Guest: Josh Burns, Labor MP for McNamara
• Producer: Isadora Bogle, Joe Sullivan

The government has recalled parliament so it can consider reforms to hate speech and gun laws after the Bondi terror attack.

All of the changes are contained in one bill — something the Opposition has criticised.

• Guest: Bridget McKenzie, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development
• Producer: Isadora Bogle

Kevin Rudd announced yesterday he's stepping down from his role as ambassador to the United States — a year earlier than planned.

Appointed to the position almost three years ago, the former prime minister navigated a big change in U-S leadership and scrutiny about his suitability for the role.

Despite a famous spray from US President Donald Trump — who told Mr Rudd "I don't like you and I probably never will" — relations between the countries have remained close with the AUKUS agreement surviving a Pentagon review and a major bilateral critical minerals deal signed in October.

• Guest: Arthur Sinodinos, former Australian ambassador to the US
• Producer: Eddy Diamond

US President Donald Trump has told Iranians that "help is on its way" amid reports the death toll from nation-wide protests could have passed 2,000.

The president's post on his Truth Social platform overnight was the latest warning from the White House that the US could intervene militarily in response to Iran's deadly crackdown on protesters.

Earlier, Iran reportedly proposed negotiating with the US warning against the use of force and threatening America and Israel with retaliatory action.

Guest: Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute

Producer: Anne Barker