The Paris Olympics begin this Friday, and France is contending with what security experts have described as the most volatile geopolitical environment in decades.

Among the worries keeping the French government up at night are the looming threats of nuclear conflict with Russia, potential sabotage by foreign agents, the war in the Middle East, widespread protests and terrorism plots.

Meanwhile, blocking cyber attacks on the Games has almost become an Olympic sport in itself. 

Today, crime reporter Marta Pascual Juanola on what security measures are in place, to keep civilians and athletes alike, safe. And whether tension at the games could spill over into a wider European conflict.

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Unions and Labor are intertwined. The oldest Labor Party in the world traces its roots to the shearers strike of the 1890s. 

At that time, powerless workers decided to band together to create a political party and take on big business.

The aims of unions underpins a lot of what Labor does when it holds power. Many of its MPs worked for unions. But what happens when one misbehaves? Misbehaves badly.

There have long been suggestions and reports of bully-boy tactics in the rough world that is the building industry. But reports in The Age and SMH revealed so much more than the odd bad apple.

Labor is already sagging in the polls. A new union scandal now threatens to derail the government’s winter agenda and opens it up to the long-standing charge of being too close to trade unions.

Today, chief political correspondent David Crowe and political reporter Angus Thompson join Paul Sakkal to discuss the CFMEU scandal and what it means for the government.

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Who is JD Vance? And why has Donald Trump chosen him as his preferred vice president?

Vance is, famously, a former 'Never-Trumper'. The junior senator from Ohio was once so violently opposed to Trump, that he likened him to Hitler.

Today, political and international editor, Peter Hartcher, reporting from Washington DC, on the wider message Trump is sending to the world, with his choice of running mate. And why the United States has a long history of presidential assassinations and assassination attempts (hint: it’s not just about the guns).

Audio credits:

• Rachel Maddow on MSNBC

Further reading:

• Assassination in the USA: Why does America take aim at its leaders?
• Trump anoints his heir in a bid to extend his influence for decades to come

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Opposition leader Peter Dutton says nuclear energy is the cheapest, most consistent and cleanest energy around. 

But if that’s the case, then what to make of the dirty history of 'Nukey Poo', a little-known nuclear reactor that was built in our region in the 1960s? 

Today, climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley fact checks the Opposition’s claims about nuclear energy, and delves into the latest poll about what voters want and how this might impact the Coalition's desire to usher in nuclear energy,

And later, national environment and climate editor Nick O’Malley on what happened at ‘Nukey Poo’, and the cancer cases linked to it.

Credits:

• The Federal File and U.S Navy/Atomic Energy Commission on the installation of 'Nukey Poo'.
• PeriScope Film and the Antartic nuclear reactor at McMurdo Station.

Further reading:

• Mike Foley's 'Nuclear debate is getting heated, but whose energy plan stacks up?'
• Nick O'Malley and 'The dirty history of Nukey Poo, the reactor that soiled the Antartic.'

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It is one of the most powerful unions in the country. And has long barracked for rights that are at the core of the Australian Labor Party: decent pay and working conditions.But now, an investigation by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes has revealed that underworld figures and bikies have infiltrated the union, and major building projects in Victoria and NSW.

Today, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie on the sudden resignation of controversial CFMEU boss John Setka, in the wake of these allegations. And whether it’s possible to rid the union of corruption, and a culture of standover tactics and bullying.

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On Sunday morning, Australian time, we woke to the news that Donald Trump was shot at a rally in Pennsylvania. 

We saw the images of him with blood streaming down his face, and shortly after, his fist raised in a seeming show of triumph. 

It’s the first time an American president, or presidential candidate, has been shot at in 43 years.

That was then-American president Ronald Reagan. He nearly died. Afterwards, commentators speculated that his grace under fire helped him solidify the support and affection of the American people. 

Today, in a special episode, North American correspondent Farrah Tomazin, on what happened in Pennsylvania. And how this might impact the presidential election.

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They’re worn by the hundreds of lobbyists who are granted access to the building and the politicians who work inside it.It’s a lucrative business - lobbyists charge handsomely to help big firms get access to large federal deals.

And with billions of dollars of government contracts up for grabs - including $22.7 billion for Labor’s made in Australia plan - a new class of Labor-allied lobbyists has emerged.

This has heightened concerns about the power of top lobbyists and renewed calls for more transparency about the access they get to the country’s decision makers.

Today, Chief political correspondent David Crowe talks to Paul Sakkal to discuss this lobbyland and the rise of Labor insiders becoming guns for hire, as well as the emergence of a new group called The Muslim Vote that is also trying to influence politics.

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Should Donald Trump win the presidential election in November, what might he do? Will he halve the US defence budget, thereby threatening allies, like Australia, that rely on the United States for protection? Or perhaps, as Trump once asked his most senior defence staff, he should “bomb the hell out of Iran?”

This last anecdote is one that Chris Miller, the one-time defence secretary during the Trump administration, relayed to international and political editor Peter Hartcher, in an interview earlier this week.

Today, Peter Hartcher, currently on the ground in Washington DC, on what insights Chris Miller gave him about how Donald Trump might go about trying to achieve his goals, during a second term as president.

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When four people were found dead last week in one home in outer Melbourne, there was one common link. The same synthetic opioid was detected in all four bodies. Since then, government authorities, and various experts have sounded the alarm. A new synthetic drug is on our streets. It’s contaminating other recreational drugs. And it’s hundreds of times stronger than heroin. Today, general practitioner and addictive medicine specialist, Dr Paul MacCartney, on the growing risk of an opioid crisis in Australia.

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More Australians than ever are now holding down more than one job. It’s just one example that illustrates the perfect economic storm that surrounds us. A toxic mix of growing mortgage repayments and rents, plus broad inflation.

So, what’s the way out for those in financial distress? 

Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright on when we might next see an interest rate cut, or rise. And what it means that the Reserve Bank governor has gone a particularly long time, without giving a speech.

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