7am

Kieran Pender, a lawyer who set up Australia’s first specialist whistleblower legal service, talks about why people who speak up face prosecution, retaliation and career ruin. He discusses gaps and fragmentation in federal and state protections. He also covers secrecy and national security laws that make meaningful disclosure almost impossible.

Steve Clemons, editor at large of The National Interest and US political analyst. He dissects Trump’s State of the Union bravado and performative tone. He examines the law-and-order and migration focus. He weighs foreign-policy restraint versus risks around Iran and discusses tariffs, economic claims and what themes Republicans will push into the midterms.

Kateryna Argyrou, chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations and advocate with close ties to Ukraine, shares first-hand reporting from the war zone. She recalls personal loss, describes winter power-grid attacks and life without heat, outlines why Odessa matters, and discusses drone warfare, battlefield shifts and the debate over whether Ukraine should pursue a deal.

Andrew Lownie, royal historian and biographer of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He breaks down the fallout from Andrew’s arrest. He explores how Charles could be drawn into the crisis. He outlines links between Andrew and Epstein and the wider reputational damage to the monarchy.

Samantha Lawler, Associate Professor of Astronomy who studies orbital dynamics and space debris. She discusses SpaceX’s plan for up to a million satellites and whether orbiting data centres are viable. She talks about falling debris hitting her hometown, the visual impact on night skies, collision cascade risks like Kessler syndrome, and gaps in current space regulation.

Peter Martin, economist and journalist known for clear analysis of public policy and the economy, breaks down the court case against Coles and Woolworths. He discusses how social media tipped off regulators. He highlights viral examples like the Cadbury Caramello Koala and explains the scope of alleged misleading discounts. He also covers legal strategies, potential penalties, and wider competition fixes.

Kos Samaras, Director of Strategy and Analytics at RedBridge Group and political analyst, outlines who today’s Howard-era battlers are and why they feel politically abandoned. He discusses why some are shifting to One Nation. He explores the Coalition’s regional versus urban dilemma, identity rhetoric’s impact on younger and diaspora voters, and the democratic risks if Hanson-style politics persists.

Sue-Anne Hunter, experienced social worker and former Victorian truth-telling commissioner, is now Australia’s first National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. She discusses building national data systems, legal powers to hold governments to account, centering family-led alternatives to removal, and listening directly to young people to shape policy.

Dr. Joshua Landis, Syria analyst who runs Syria Comment, and David Shoebridge, Greens senator active on human rights, discuss Australians held in northeast Syria. They cover the failed journey home, comparisons with other countries, risks and uncertainty around radicalisation, prospects for rehabilitation, and how regional chaos and camp releases shape what comes next.

Emily Maitlis, investigative journalist and host of The News Agents, reflects on her landmark interview with Prince Andrew and her continuing coverage of the Epstein files. She discusses why probes stalled, how revelations are unsettling politicians and royals, and what shifting US-Europe dynamics mean for the future world order.