It’s been one year since Kumanjayi Walker’s family gathered in the Central Australian community of Yuendumu, to hear the findings of a coronial inquest into his death. Kumanjayi Walker, a 19 year old Warlpiri-Luritja man, when he was shot and killed by former constable Zachary Rolfe in 2019. In 2022, Zachary Rolfe was found not guilty of Kumanjayi Walker’s murder, but his family has always maintained that Rolfe’s racism played a role in Walker’s death – something the coroner said couldn’t be ruled out.Today, we’re bringing you an episode recorded just after the inquest, with investigative journalist Kate Wild – whose book, The Red House, examines Kumanjayi Walker’s death and how the racist culture of the Northern Territory Police enabled Zachary Rolfe to act with impunity. This episode was originally published in July 2025.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Investigative journalist and author of The Red House, Kate Wild Photo: AAP Image/Aaron BunchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pauline Hanson went to the National Press Club with a party polling like a threat to the old order. Then she had to explain what that party was actually for. Since her appearance, One Nation’s federal support has slipped. The speech, with its talk of monoculture and its familiar targets – migration, the ABC and renewables – gave voters a clearer look at the movement behind the momentum.  But the story doesn’t end there.  In Victoria, where the state election is now months away, One Nation is polling better than the Labor government. And now, Hanson’s message is being carried by a loud cast of celebrity sympathisers.  Today, founder and CEO of Cheek Media Hannah Ferguson on what happens when One Nation is no longer just a protest vote, and how the Liberals and the Greens have struggled to take advantage of an electorate clearly in the mood for change.    If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Cheek Media founder Hannah Ferguson Photo: Instagram @karlstefanovic_See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donald Trump returned to the White House promising to make America the crypto capital of the world, despite having once dismissed Bitcoin as “not money” and warned it was “based on thin air” in a 2019 tweet. In his first year back in office, Trump has set that scepticism aside as it has become clear crypto presents an extraordinary business opportunity. A new financial disclosure hints at just how lucrative those ventures have become, with Trump disclosing more than $1.4 billion USD in income from family crypto ventures last year, raising questions about how far a president can go in turning public office into a money-making machine. Today, journalist and research director for Public Citizen’s Trump Accountability Project, Zach Everson, on Donald Trump’s crypto empire and the new frontier of political corruption in America.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest:  Journalist and research director for Public Citizen’s Trump Accountability Project, Zach Everson Photo: AP Photo/Mark HumphreySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The temperatures were so high that roads melted and tram tracks buckled. Some locals even resorted to sleeping in parks and caves to escape the heat. And at the epicentre of the European heatwave? Paris – which recorded its hottest day in history.  It’s where Australian author and climate activist Sarah Wilson has called home for the past few years. Today, Sarah speaks with 7am from Paris, on the heatwave that’s ravaged Europe and what it tells us about how humanity will need to adapt to the extreme conditions to come.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Author and journalist Sarah Wilson Photo: EPA/ANTONIO BATSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They were some of the biggest stage productions in the country, starring some of the biggest names in the biz. But in the space of just two weeks, Beetlejuice and Waitress: The Musical have had their tours cut short, leaving the cast and crew devastated.  Now, stars like Nat Bass are sounding the alarm as the industry struggles to stay afloat amid rising costs and slumping ticket sales. Today, arts executive John Glenn on the crisis threatening the future of theatre and live shows, and what can be done to save the industry.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: CEO of AANT Centre, John Glenn Photo: waitressthemusical.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, the Dollarmites program turned schoolchildren into customers.  The controversial scheme, now axed, gave Australia’s biggest bank access to kids, classrooms and their cash under the guise of teaching financial literacy. Now it’s happening again.  A new report has found the country’s biggest fossil fuel companies are using the same strategy – with multimillion-dollar programs and sponsorships targeting millions of Australian children. Today, Comms Declare founder Belinda Noble on how the tentacles of big coal, oil, and gas are reaching into Australian classrooms and manipulating students.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Comms Declare founder, Belinda Noble Photo: Comms DeclareSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KPMG is one of the biggest, wealthiest and most powerful consulting firms in the country – auditing and advising everything from major companies to governments. It is trusted with some of the most sensitive information in Australia. Now that trust is at the centre of a major scandal.  A whistleblower raised concerns that confidential client information was being used to chase new work. What followed has forced out senior leaders, exposed the treatment of the person who spoke up, and raised bigger questions about the firms governments have come to rely on to do the work once done inside the public service.Today, ABC business reporter Daniel Ziffer on KPMG, the scandal inside one of the Big Four consulting firms, and why the fallout reaches far beyond one company. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: ABC business reporter Daniel Ziffer Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When the teal independents swept through Liberal heartland, their pitch was simple: they were not like the major parties. They were community-backed, locally accountable, and free to vote how they wanted. Now, two of the best-known teals – Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender – are forming a political party. They say Community Strong Australia is a home for the politically homeless: people who want climate action, integrity, sensible economic management and a pro-business agenda. But can you build a party out of independents without sacrificing what voters liked about them in the first place? Today, independent MP Zali Steggall, on why the teals are becoming a party – and whether they can hold the centre as Australian politics becomes more divided.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Community Strong Australia MP Zali Steggall Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia – like many countries – saw protesters take the streets. They weren’t just protesting lockdowns, they were rallying around a tangle of fears and conspiracies. Those threads fused into a broader worldview that pulled people down a pipeline and built a small industry of influencers. Today, Conspiracy Nation authors Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson on the conspiracy pipeline: how it works, who benefits, and where it’s heading now. This is part one of a two-part series that was originally published in August 2025.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Authors of Conspiracy Nation, Cam Wilson and Ariel BogleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s easy to dismiss conspiracy theories as fringe or imported. But conspiratorial ideas are gaining traction with everyday Australians – about one in three endorse at least one conspiracy belief. They’re also being echoed by people in power, and have spilled into real-world violence. Today, Conspiracy Nation authors Cam Wilson and Ariel Bogle on how conspiracies leap from the fringe to the mainstream – including all the way to Parliament house. This is part two of a two-part series that was originally published in August 2025.   If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.   Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Authors of Conspiracy Nation, Cam Wilson and Ariel BogleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.