Many know it as the platform of choice for people who love to share videos of themselves dancing, or, say, combing the fur of their toy poodles. But, to hear politicians and late night talk show hosts discuss TikTok, lately, you’d think the app was a one-way ticket to political and social chaos.

It all kicked off, last week, when the American House of Representatives passed a bill that - should it become law - would require the Chinese company that owns TikTok to sell it to an American interest. Otherwise, the app would face being banned in the United States.

Today, Bruce Wolpe, a former American congressional staffer, and now a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre, on what lit the fuse on this geopolitical explosion. And whether Australia is likely to follow suit, with its own TikTok ban

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It was just 45 minutes. But what happened in that short space of time has set-off a frenzy of news stories, an aborted criminal trial, and a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

In that time, a young Liberal Party staffer says she was raped by her colleague. He says he is innocent.

A court decision on whose truth, is the truth, is expected to be handed down soon. 

But amid the layer upon layer of conjecture, is a trail of evidence. 

Today, legal affairs reporter Michaela Whitbourn what happened between Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins. The full interactive piece on the 45 minutes at the centre of the defamation trial can be read here.

And just a heads-up for our listeners, this episode contains references to allegations of sexual assault. 

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A new poll suggests that Australians no longer fear nuclear power the way they once did.

Is this actually the case, and if so, how come?

And are more young people open to nuclear power as a clean energy solution because they didn’t live through disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima?

Today, environment reporter Caitlin Fitzsimmons on why we’re talking nuclear and just how realistic it is that nuclear power will be a part of our transition to a cleaner, greener Australia.

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Wealthy Australians should pay more for aged care, and use their superannuation to do so. That’s one of 23 findings from a government-appointed taskforce that has examined how the country covers its rapidly growing aged care costs.

Meanwhile, the Albanese government is also mulling an overhaul of a different kind. It’s planning to restrict the amount that can be donated to political parties and candidates, in a bid to limit big-money donations and restrict the influence of billionaires.

The changes would be the biggest shake-up to Australian election rules in a generation.

Joining Jacqueline Maley to discuss is chief political correspondent David Crowe, federal health reporter Natassia Chrysanthos and political correspondent Paul Sakkal.

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Now that Donald Trump has secured his position as the Republican candidate for the American presidency, leaders around the globe have begun to worry. Can they Trump-proof their countries? In Australia, concerned government officials are turning to one man for advice.

Mike Green is an expert on American policy in Asia, who worked in the George W Bush administration. So, what challenges could Trump pose for us? And how could we best combat them?

Today, international and political editor, Peter Hartcher, on what Mike Green says we should, and shouldn’t, be worried about. And what the silver lining of a Donald Trump presidency might be.

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It is the oldest fraternal organisation in the world; and began with a group of builders who first gathered in the Middle Ages in Europe to build cathedrals and, later, some of the world’s great architectural structures.

But at the heart of the Freemasons, is secrecy, too. It’s against the rules to speak, publicly, about what happens in this order, which has chapters around the world.

Today, investigative journalist Charlotte Grieve, about the 31 current and former freemasons who spoke to her to expose what they say is a crisis of bullying, nepotism and financial mismanagement, within the Victorian Freemasons chapter. And why some allege that the organisation’s focus has shifted from charity, to property development.

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In the early hours of Sunday, February 4, Samantha Murphy left her home in Ballarat for her usual morning run. It’s what so many of us do, every day.

But when Samantha failed to show up later, as planned, for brunch, her family raised the alarm.

Police soon appealed to the public for help with finding the mother of three, and began searching hundreds of hectares near where Samantha regularly ran.

Volunteers later joined in the effort, gathering from around the country to comb the dense bushland near Samantha’s home.

Today, law and justice editor Chris Vedelago on the woman who vanished without a trace. And the man who’s been charged with her murder.

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She is probably the most famous female athlete in Australia. A beloved - and extremely bankable - role model, who helped unite Australia last year, when she led the Matildas into the World Cup semi-finals.

So when news surfaced, last week, that Matilda’s captain Sam Kerr had been charged with using a racist slur in England, the fallout was swift. There were questions about her future in the sport and her leadership of the Australian team.

But people also questioned the likelihood of Kerr, who is not only of Indian heritage, but is also gay, harassing someone. Let alone a white police officer.

Today, Europe Correspondent, Rob Harris, on how this story broke, and University of Sydney professor of social work and policy studies, Jioji Ravulo, on whether it’s possible to racially abuse someone for being white.

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Last weekend the people of Dunkley, in south-east Melbourne, voted in a byelection, and delivered a respectable victory to the Labor candidate Jody Beylea. 

Before the vote, Liberal Senator Jane Hume said that “what we’re hearing from voters on the ground is there is this white-hot anger, there is this fury”.

But that turned out to be a massive overreach. There was only an average swing against Labor.

Today on Inside Politics, chief political correspondent David Crowe and political correspondent Paul Sakkal join Jacqueline Maley to discuss what the Dunkley by-election tells us about the fate of the Opposition.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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For years now, global leaders have become somewhat accustomed to Russian president Vladimir Putin threatening nuclear attack on his enemies. He’s only picked up on those threats, since launching his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, just over two years ago. 

To many, these were simply sabre rattling; a show of strength. And a bluff.

But then came the leak, about a week ago, of Russian military documents that give new insights into Putin’s nuclear strategies. 

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on just how low Putin’s threshold might be, for launching nuclear weapons. And what global leaders may be thinking now.

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