Madeleine Grummet

Menopause and abortion access on NSW Health agenda

The infamous Robodebt scheme was rolled out by the Liberal-National Coalition government back in 2015 as a cost-saving measure. But what transpired was an automated debt recovery system that saw half a million Australian welfare recipients illegally pursued over false debts and some take their lives, in what was later described by the Royal Commission's report as a 'massive failure of public administration' caused by 'venality, incompetence and cowardice'. Guest: Rick Morton, award-winning journalist and author of 'Mean Streak' examining the Robodebt scheme Producer: Madeleine Hanger  

With the global space race heating up and becoming an increasingly contested and competitive frontier, Australia's first female astronaut says it's time Australia steps up in the global space renaissance. GUEST: Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Australian Astronaut and Space Systems Engineer

A growing phenomenon known as “Dark Tourism” is seeing thousands of people travel to the sites of atrocities, massacres, war zones and disasters for guided tours. GUEST: Juliet Rogers, Associate Professor Criminology, The University of Melbourne

A new report from Climate Energy Finance finds that while private Chinese investment in Australia's cleantech sector is at a multi-decade low, there are big opportunities for Australia-China collaboration with the right policy settings. Guest: Tim Buckley, Director, Climate Energy Finance

More than two million Australians delay or avoid dental care because of high costs. The Grattan Institute says patients pay much more of the cost of dental care than they do for other kinds of health care and are calling for urgent Medicare policy reforms and government-funded universal dental coverage. Guest: Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute Producer: Madeleine Hanger

Emerging from the gritty streets of Bristol in the early '90s, Banksy made his mark - quite literally - with his simple yet provocative images of rats, policemen and other symbols of rebellion, sprayed on walls in cities across the planet. Yet despite his fame, Banksy's true identity continues to be one of the art world's best-kept secrets. Guest: Kemal Gurkaynak, Curator, Banksy 'Without Limits' exhibition which is currently showing in Melbourne, Victoria

Rob Waters, Gomeroi poet and storyteller told RN Breakfast poetry is "one of the essences of history". The Australian Poetry Slam Champion shared a special live performance of his poem 'Writers Block.' August is Poetry Month with celebrations and workshops happening right across Australia, including the 'Contains Strong Language' performance festival, and National Poetry Gala showcase, so to shine a light on verse in all its forms, RN Breakfast brings you a brand new poem every Friday, commissioned by Red Room Poetry. Guest: Rob Waters, Gomeroi poet and storyteller, 2023 Australian Poetry Slam Champion Producer: Madeleine Hanger 

A new world-first study finds that making consistent healthy and conscious choices of food can markedly improve mood disorders.  Guest: Tara Diversi, President, Dietitians Australia

Last week the Albanese Government released draft legislation to reform Australia's merger rules and grant new powers to the ACCC. The government says the new reforms will make the merger approval system "faster, stronger, simpler, more targeted and more transparent". But multiple leading Australian venture capitalists alongside competition lawyers, corporate investors and local startups have criticised the bill, saying the government did not consult widely enough, and they will stifle innovation and competition in Australia. Guest: Paul Naphtali, Co-founder and CEO, Australian venture capital firm Rampersand

Numerous studies show that a cluttered environment contributes to stress, anxiety and reduced productivity, and that when we're surrounded by chaos and disarray, it becomes harder to focus, and we can feel overwhelmed. GUEST: Dr Libby Sander, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Bond University, and an expert in the benefits of decluttering. 

Western dairy consumption has plummeted 15% in the last 10 years, and there are growing concerns about the environmental impact of both cow and plant-based milks. Guest: Matthew Evans, food activist, regenerative farmer and author of 'MILK: The truth, the lies and the story of the superfood'.

In new research out today, Human Rights Watch has revealed that personal photos of Australian children are being used to create powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tools without the knowledge or consent of the children or their families. One hundred and ninety photos of Australian children scraped from the internet have been included in the datasets used by several AI image-generating tools including Stable Diffusion creator Stability AI and Midjourney, which in turn can be used to create mal…

Her Excellency Zin Mar Aung has spent her life campaigning for justice for the people of Myanmar, and at times paid a high price for her political pursuits. Guest: Her Excellency Zin Mar Aung, Union Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Unity Government, Myanmar

Online so-called ‘Skinfluencers’ are fuelling huge demands for luxury products with hype skincare routines on TikTok and Instagram, Mecca hooks in tweens and teens with loyalty and rewards programs, and international brands such as Dior now offer expensive skincare packages for newborn babies.

Formation Bio, a startup with backing from Open AI CEO Sam Altman, has announced a raise of $372 million to boost drug development using artificial intelligence. But what are the potential ethical and legal risks associated with this? GUEST: Emily Casey, self-described Medicine Defector, Head of Community at Tenmile and Founder of ‘What the Health’

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has just announced $3.2 million dollars in funding to Amber Electric in an Australia-first trial of car-powered homes. If proved successful at scale, it it may have the potential to be one of the most groundbreaking technologies to enter the Australian energy sector. GUEST: Chris Thompson, Co-CEO, Amber Electric

What actually shapes young men's ideas of masculinity in the current world and the so-called 'status bro', and how can we bring them to the table? Dr Zac Seidler told RN Breakfast we need to move away from "the alarmist language of a crisis of masculinity" which isn't helping.  He says young men are struggling and we need to find a way forward and a way to connect with them - and is calling on men to step up to "do the work"  and provide healthy role models. Guest: Dr Zac Seidler, Global Director, Men's Health Research, Movember

This week a teenager was arrested and released pending further inquiries for allegedly circulating explicit deepfake nude images of more than 50 students from Bacchus Marsh Grammar in Melbourne. While the eSafety Commissioner is calling for better digital safeguards in AI technology design and deployment to prevent misuse, questions are also being asked about the legal rights of deepfake victims in Australia. Guest: Melissa Wingard, Special Counsel, FAL Lawyers

In November 2023 the Senate referred an inquiry into issues related to menopause with a report due to be tabled later this year. Recent figures estimate menopause costs women $17 billion in lost earnings and superannuation a year, and adversely affects their employment, job security, career progression and retirement decisions. Guest: Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Monash University Professor of Psychiatry, and Director HER Centre Australia