Author Liam Pieper on his new book 'Appreciation'

You might know Gina Chick as the winner of the first season of Alone Australia, or perhaps you saw her co-hosting Great Australian Walks last year. She's also an author, and her latest book We Are the Stars is a memoir about a wild childhood, heartbreak, healing, grief, and finding her way through it all with a deeper reverence for the raw, extraordinary magic of being alive.

Gina Chick on her new memoir 'We Are The Stars'

We've all heard it a hundred times - 'If it's flooded, forget it.'

Let's go beyond the slogan. What actually happens to your car when it hits floodwater? Why isn't being in a ute or a 4WD enough to keep you safe?

ABC NSW Drive's Jess McGuire spoke to motoring expert Peter Anderson to get a better understanding about what can actually happen when a car enters floodwater...

Driving In Floodwater explainer: the hidden dangers, the potential vehicle damage, and why that snorkel on your 4WD doesn't mean you're invincible

Last week’s floods across the mid north coast led to dozens of rescues - but one in particular stood out. Two people and their six working dogs were stranded on an isolated property near Kempsey, and it took quick thinking, teamwork, and a bamboo raft to bring them to safety. I spoke with Leading Firefighter Scott O’Shea and Senior Firefighter Gavin Smith from Fire and Rescue NSW's Strike Team Charlie who took part in the rescue and recounted a cracking tale of bravery and ingenuity live on air. 


Fire and Rescue NSW rescue trapped couple and their working dogs from flood on makeshift raft

Over the weekend, the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian nuclear and military sites prompting mass evacuations from Tehran and skyrocketing regional tensions.
 
Australia has now stepped in to publicly support the US, with Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Wong backing the action, even as calls for de-escalation mount.
 
So, what's the strategy here? And what comes next? Can you bomb a nuclear program out of existence?

To help us make sense of what's unfolding, we're joined by Dr Matthew Sussex from ANU's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre

The US strikes against Iran

Prime Minister Albanese is in China talking green steel, trade, and stability -  but security tensions are never far from the surface. So what's really at stake on this visit, and how is it being read in Beijing and Washington? Professor James Laurenceson, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, joined us to discuss.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to China

Australia has joined 27 nations in its strongest criticism yet of Israel’s actions in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and condemning the deaths of civilians at aid sites. So why now? Allan Behm from the Australia Institute joins ABC NSW Drive to unpack the significance of the joint statement, what it signals about Australia’s diplomacy, and how the response is being received both internationally and at home.


Australia issues its strongest statement on Gaza yet: what it means, and what comes next

Independent Senator David Pocock says the Job-Ready Graduates scheme has left thousands of students worse off — and now even some Labor MPs are pushing for it to be scrapped. He joins Jess McGuire on ABC NSW Drive to explain what the modelling he commissioned shows about the scheme’s impact on student debt, why he thinks the scheme isn't fit for purpose, and he also gives us some insight into how the 48th Parliament is feeling so far...

Senator David Pocock on the Job Ready Graduates scheme and university reforms

Since Australia announced its intention to recognise a Palestinian state, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been hitting back publicly - calling Anthony Albanese ‘a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.’ Allan Behm from the Australia Institute joins me to unpack what’s driving Netanyahu’s strong and combative response, and what the future may hold. 

Allan Behm from the Australia Institute on Albo versus Netanyahu

The Nationals have officially torn up their commitment to net zero by 2050, putting new pressure on the Coalition and on Sussan Ley’s leadership. Political analyst Amy Remekis from the Australia Institute joins Jess McGuire to unpack what’s behind the Nationals’ decision, what it means for the Liberals, and whether the Coalition can head into the next election still divided on climate.

The Nationals have dumped Net Zero... can Sussan Ley still hold the Coalition together? - with Amy Remeikis

Political scientist Andy Marks  joins us on ABC NSW for a wrap-up of a busy week in federal politics.
He unpacks the government’s new environment deal with the Greens (and how the Greens have adapted after their devastating election result), Barnaby Joyce’s resignation from the Nationals, Pauline Hanson’s Senate suspension, and... Malcolm Turnbull's portrait unveiling? Yes indeed.

Plus, we examine how this parliament has taken shape since the May election and what it all means heading into next year!

The week that was in Canberra PLUS a 2025 federal politics wrap up with Professor Andy Marks

What happens when a government’s big moment gets swallowed by a $100k flight bill? We dive into the Wells drama, the mood inside Labor, and Barnaby Joyce’s leap to One Nation with Amy Remeikis. 

Jess McGuire

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