ABC News Daily
News & Politics Podcasts
ABC News Daily is the podcast that helps you understand the issues affecting your world. Every episode, host Samantha Hawley walks through one story with the help of an ABC colleague or expert in under 15 minutes. When you want coverage you can trust,...
Location:
Australia
Genres:
News & Politics Podcasts
Description:
ABC News Daily is the podcast that helps you understand the issues affecting your world. Every episode, host Samantha Hawley walks through one story with the help of an ABC colleague or expert in under 15 minutes. When you want coverage you can trust, listen to ABC News Daily. From interest rates, real estate and the housing crisis, to scams and US politics, ABC News Daily brings you facts and analysis you need to understand the biggest news stories. The podcast covers news from America, with analysis of the Donald Trump administration in the White House. His actions, including threats of massive tariffs have big implications for global politics and the economy and US journalists and experts will explain what's at stake. As Australians battle a cost-of-living crisis, ABC News Daily looks at the causes of inflation, rising rental costs, house prices, insurance costs and the price of groceries. Key experts in business and finance join Samantha Hawley, explaining the state of the economy, the unemployment rate and the jobs market. Whether you rent, own an investment house or apartment, or are repaying a mortgage, ABC News Daily offers unique insights and analysis. When there are big moves from the Reserve Bank (RBA) on interest rates, or reactions in the ASX or the Australian dollar, guest experts, including economists, explain why. Look into ABC News Daily's archive to find episodes on electric vehicles (EVs), artificial intelligence (AI), politics, the big banks, supermarkets, Tesla, Elon Musk, education, schools, teachers and crime. Watch for episodes about federal politics and the leadership of Labor's Anthony Albanese. We look at policy areas that matter for voters, including education, health, housing and immigration and assess the proposals from the federal opposition. ABC News Daily follows developments in the Middle East and the war between Israel and Hamas, with insights into the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu. The podcast looks at the latest from Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky fights to repel the Russian invaders led by Russia's President Vladimir Putin. As China's Xi Jinping contemplates the future of Taiwan, ABC News Daily will sort fact from fiction. As climate change fuelled by greenhouse gas emissions increases the risk of natural disasters, including fires and floods, ABC News Daily brings you fact-based analysis. The podcast covers the future of renewable / green power generation, including the use of wind turbines, solar and hydro electric power. ABC experts including Ian Verrender, Alan Kohler, Laura Tingle, David Speers, and Annabel Crabb join Samantha Hawley to step through big issues and current affairs.
Language:
English
Episodes
What happens next with airfares and flights
4/23/2026
More than seven weeks since the start of the war in Iran, flight schedules through the Middle East are still disrupted, but slowly recovering.
Travellers are now more likely to get to their destinations on time, but the cost to airlines from the surging price of jet fuel is starting to bite.
Today, aviation industry expert Ian Douglas on where things currently stand and why airfares aren’t coming down in price anytime soon.
Featured:
Ian Douglas, honorary senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales School of Aviation
Duración:00:15:31
Is 'drill baby drill' the answer to our fuel crisis?
4/22/2026
US President Donald Trump is all in on it, but could Australia 'drill baby drill' its way to fuel security and avoid oil shocks in the future?
Australia used to have a network of refineries and we were mostly self-sufficient in fuel production. Who let so many close and why?
Today, Alison Reeve, energy expert from the Grattan Institute on whether we really could build new refineries and successfully exploit new oil fields.
Featured:
Alison Reeve, Energy and Climate Change Program Director at the Grattan Institute
Duración:00:16:06
Will Trump 'blink first' in Iran peace talks?
4/21/2026
Donald Trump went into the war with Iran thinking it would be over quickly.
More than seven weeks later, with a ceasefire about to end, there’s still no obvious off ramp, with uncertainty surrounding a second round of peace talks in Pakistan.
Today, Nate Swanson, a former Iran negotiator in the Trump administration, on what the US president needs to do to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz
Featured:
Nate Swanson, former Iran negotiator in the Trump administration and former director for Iran at the National Security Council during the Biden presidency. Resident senior fellow and director of the Iran Strategy Project at the Atlantic Council.
Duración:00:15:03
What’s driving soaring rates of adult ADHD?
4/19/2026
Over the past eight years ADHD diagnoses among Australian adults have surged, especially among women.
You might be surprised to hear where the ADHD capitals are.
Today, Dr Norman Swan on his Four Corners investigation into the exclusive prescribing data and whether it shows ADHD is being over-diagnosed.
Featured:
Dr Norman Swan, Four Corners reporter and co-host of ABC Radio National’s Health Report and What's That Rash
Duración:00:16:04
What Putin gains from the Iran war
4/16/2026
What does Russia’s Vladimir Putin make of the Iran war?
He’s one of the few beneficiaries, making vast sums of money as the oil price spiked and Donald Trump temporarily eased sanctions.
The world’s attention has been diverted from his war in Ukraine and the thorn in his side, the NATO alliance, is under more pressure than ever.
Today, international relations expert Rajan Menon on Trump’s growing anger about NATO’s refusal to help the US in the Strait of Hormuz and whether Europe will soon be ready to ward off its hostile neighbour on its own.
Featured:
Rajan Menon, professor emeritus of international relations at the City College of New York and a senior research fellow at the Saltzman Institute at Columbia University
Duración:00:15:22
The President vs the Pope
4/15/2026
What’s behind US President Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo?
After the leader of the Catholic Church criticised Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian civilisation, the president unleashed.
Trump dismissed the Pope as ‘weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy’.
Debate over the US leader's mental health has reignited since the fuel erupted and he posted an AI image depicting himself as Jesus.
Today, David A. Graham from The Atlantic magazine on what Trump’s behaviour says about his ability to govern.
Featured:
David A. Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic
Duración:00:16:04
The 'doomsday' scenario for fuel supply
4/14/2026
The US blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz could make the fuel crunch in Australia even worse.
The government’s urging Australians to do what they can to use less fuel, but when will more severe restrictions kick in?
Today, Saul Kavonic, energy analyst at MST Financial on why we’re facing a ‘doomsday’ scenario that’s been war gamed for decades.
He’s warning that fuel prices will not return to pre-war levels for at least a year.
Featured:
Saul Kavonic, energy analyst at MST Financial
Duración:00:16:07
How Iran is becoming Trump’s forever war
4/13/2026
The peace talks failed, so now US President Donald Trump wants to further disrupt the vital oil shipping route, the Strait of Hormuz.
A US blockade will stop ships entering or departing Iranian ports, but will it really work to bring an end to the conflict?
Today, Hussein Ibish from the Arab Gulf States Institute on what happens next and why the Iran conflict is starting to look like a ‘forever war’ for Trump.
Featured:
Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute
Duración:00:16:00
Alan Kohler’s case to nationalise childcare
4/12/2026
The ABC’s Alan Kohler thinks the treasurer should nationalise the childcare system and take centres out of the hands of for-profit businesses.
With lingering concerns about the quality and safety of some centres and families struggling to afford the bills, is now the time for such a radical shake up?
Today, Alan Kohler on the case for change and childcare policy expert Elizabeth Hill on whether it could really work.
Featured:
Alan Kohler, ABC finance expert and host of “That's Business with Alan Kohler” podcast
Elizabeth Hill, Professor in the Department of Political Economy and Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion at Work at the University of Sydney
Duración:00:16:20
What the shaky Iran ceasefire means for fuel prices
4/9/2026
A fragile two week ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel has raised hopes ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz will soon be on the move.
Disruptions to the oil and gas supply have raised fears of a global economic slowdown as surging fuel prices punish households and businesses.
Today, Susan Stone, the Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, on whether a ceasefire changes expectations about the economic fallout and whether petrol and diesel prices are set to fall.
Featured:
Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics at Adelaide University
Duración:00:15:30
Can Iran and Trump really agree on a peace plan?
4/8/2026
Donald Trump was threatening to wipe out ‘a whole civilisation’, then about an hour before his deadline the US president announced a ceasefire deal had been struck with Iran.
Iran and the United States will now spend two weeks negotiating a peace plan, but it seems there’s little they can agree on.
Today, Barbara Slavin, distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center on why Trump ‘blinked’ and what comes next.
Featured:
Barbara Slavin, distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and a lecturer in international affairs at George Washington University
Duración:00:15:27
Ben Roberts-Smith and the war crime of murder
4/7/2026
As a Victoria Cross recipient, Ben Roberts-Smith is one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers.
Now, he’s been charged with five counts of the war crime of murder.
It comes after he lost a landmark defamation trial in which a judge found that on the balance of probabilities, allegations the former special forces soldier was responsible for, or complicit in the deaths of four detainees in Afghanistan were substantially true.
Today, international law expert Don Rothwell on the charges, which if proven, could see Ben Roberts-Smith jailed for life.
Featured:
Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law at the Australian National University’s College of Law
Duración:00:15:23
Will Pete Hegseth take the fall for the Iran war?
4/6/2026
We know that US President Donald Trump is the ultimate decision maker when it comes to the war in Iran, but who’s in his ear?
From Pete Hegseth to Marco Rubio and JD Vance, they’re each playing a role in executing or trying to explain the rationale for the controversial action in Iran.
If the war can’t be sold as a success in the end, who in Trump’s cabinet will end up paying the price?
Today, David Smith from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney on Trump’s team and whether any of them know what they’re doing.
Featured:
David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney
Duración:00:15:27
Are insiders profiting from the Iran war?
4/2/2026
Oil and financial markets have been swinging wildly with every social media post from Donald Trump.
But a pattern of large, well-timed trades placed on commodity and prediction markets just minutes before major Iran war announcements has emerged.
It’s raising concerns that some investors could be acting on inside information.
Today, Andrew Verstein an expert on insider trading and law professor at UCLA on the money changing hands.
Featured:
Andrew Verstein, Professor of Law, and Faculty Co-Director of the Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law and Policy at UCLA.
Duración:00:15:35
Will Trump escalate or end the war?
4/1/2026
He's sending more troops to the Middle East, while insisting the war in Iran is nearly over.
So is Donald Trump preparing to pull out or digging in?
If the US steps back, it's signalled other countries could be left to secure the Strait of Hormuz-- a vital global oil route-- on their own.
Today, defence strategist Kelly A. Grieco on why whatever comes next, the chaos is far from over.
Featured:
Kelly A. Grieco, Senior Fellow with the Reimagining US Grand Strategy Program at the Stimson Center
Duración:00:15:09
Will there be enough fuel for Easter travel?
3/31/2026
With the Easter break approaching, many motorists are wondering if they’ll be able to fill up their tanks and whether it’s worth travelling far from home. The fuel crunch has been triggered by the ongoing war in Iran which is disrupting global oil supply, making availability in Australia increasingly uncertain. Today, energy expert Saul Kavonic on what to expect and why government fuel incentives could make the situation worse.Featured: Saul Kavonic, energy analyst, MST Financial
Duración:00:15:25
Why Alan Kohler is worried about a recession
3/30/2026
Could the Iran war lead our economy into a recession?
Past oil shocks have sparked economic downturns and as petrol and diesel prices climb now, it could happen again.
Today, the ABCs finance expert Alan Kohler on why he thinks this could be one of the great disasters of our lifetime.
Featured:
Alan Kohler, ABC finance expert and host of the “That's Business with Alan Kohler” podcast
Duración:00:14:24
Will the fuel crisis spark a switch to electric trucks?
3/29/2026
With the Iran war sending the price of fuel skyrocketing, the trucking industry is amongst the hardest hit and the costs will be passed on to consumers.
So, are the latest electric trucks up to the job of moving goods around such a large country and can the challenges around cost, infrastructure and range be overcome?
Today, Scott Dwyer from the Institute of Sustainable Futures at UTS on the advances in technology that could help us avoid the worst impacts of the next fuel crisis.
Featured:
Scott Dwyer, Research Director at the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney
Duración:00:15:28
After Iran and Venezuela, is Cuba next for Trump?
3/26/2026
Donald Trump is in the midst of a messy war with Iran, but at the same time his sights are set on Cuba.
The US leader says he’ll be having the “honour of taking Cuba”, which has been crippled by an oil embargo president Trump imposed earlier this year.
Today, Lillian Guerra, professor of Cuban history at the University of Florida on Trump’s next move.
Featured:
Lillian Guerra, professor of Cuban and Caribbean history at the University of Florida
Duración:00:16:22
Why Iran thinks it’s winning the war
3/24/2026
Donald Trump says Iran is negotiating with the US to end the war, but Iran says that’s ‘fake news’.
So, are there efforts underway to bring the conflict to a close or not? And who’s winning the war?
Today, Jonathan Panikoff from the Atlantic Council’s Middle East program on Iran’s stronghold on the Strait of Hormuz and why it will only stop the fighting on its terms.
Featured:
Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council
Duración:00:16:19