The Government is cracking down on the availability, flavours, colours and nicotine levels of vapes. Minister for Health Mark Butler says this means, “no more bubblegum flavours. No more pink unicorns, no more vapes, deliberately disguised as highlighter pens for kids to be able to hide them in their pencil cases.” Nicotine vapes are already illegal without a prescription in Australia, and yet they’re everywhere. So what exactly is the Government planning and is it actually going to work? We’ll let you know in the deep dive.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Conditions in Sudan are deteriorating rapidly as a violent clash between two armed groups threatens to spiral into a full-blown war. A former Sudanese leader has called the situation a “nightmare”,  with the conflict already resulting in hundreds of deaths. We’ll let you know what’s led to this point, and what else you need to know in the deep dive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

It’s starting to feel a lot like 2020, with both the key players from the last election returning for a rematch. But just because Trump and Biden have put their hats in the ring, doesn’t mean they will automatically qualify as presidential candidates. We’ll let you know what happens next in the deep dive. Listen to ‘“Catch and kill”: The first U.S. president to face criminal charges’ here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Australians seeking cosmetic surgery will soon need to pass a psychological assessment to qualify for treatment. Patients will be assessed for underlying psychological conditions like body dysmorphic disorder and could potentially be refused by some surgeons. We’ll discuss whether these new guidelines will make cosmetic surgery safer in the deep dive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is facing its biggest shake up in decades. A government-endorsed review has made 51 recommendations to change the way the RBA operates, from who’s on its board, to how transparent it has to be, and even how its staff are treated. So what could these changes mean for you? We’ll let you know in the deep dive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world when it comes to sales of electric vehicles (EVs). Now the Government is trying to catch up, with a strategy to boost EV use to help meet Australia’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. So will the government’s strategy overcome issues with practicality and price? And how sustainable are EVs anyway? We’ll let you know in the deep dive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

A panel of experts established by the Government has found that the current rate of the JobSeeker payment and related payments are “seriously inadequate”. Their report has recommended a “substantial increase” to JobSeeker, taking it from just over $690 to about $870 for a single person per fortnight. The Government is set to reject this recommendation, saying they “can’t fund every good idea”. TDA journalist Tom Crowley will explain what you need to know in the deep dive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Bill Shorten, the Federal Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), has announced an overhaul of the system. It’s been described as failing to meet people’s needs and has reportedly been subject to price gouging and fraud. In today’s deep dive, we’ll look at what’s gone wrong and what the Government plans to do about it. If you want more information about the resignation of Julian Leeser from the shadow Cabinet, you can listen to ‘The Liberals and the Voice’ here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

There’s renewed controversy over a proposal to restrict religious schools from discriminating against LGBTQI+ staff and students. Several religious groups have expressed concern about the proposal, while LGBTQI+ advocacy organisations have broadly been in support. We’ll let you know what’s being proposed and what’s likely to happen next in the deep dive. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says there’s about a 50% chance of an El Niño ‘event’ occurring this year. After years of dealing with La Niña and floods, It’s only natural to wonder what El Niño will bring. In today’s deep dive we’ll tell you what you need to know about these weather events, and how they’re being impacted by climate change. To listen to our chat with climate researcher David Karoly, click here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more