7am

Treason, coup plots and corruption: Behind Xi’s military purge

Xi Jinping has just sacked his top military general – putting him under investigation and accusing him of “grave violations of discipline and the law”. It’s the latest, and most stunning sacking in a massive purge of the country’s military and political elite. With China’s People's Liberation Army in crisis – there are now questions about what it will mean for China’s plans to take over Taiwan. Today, expert in US-Asia Relations at Harvard Kennedy School and author of several books on China, Rana Mitter on what the sackings say about Xi’s grip on power. 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: Expert in US-Asia Relations at Harvard Kennedy School, Rana Mitter Photo: AP Photo/Andy WongSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump's ICE crackdown in Minneapolis

Minneapolis has become the focal point of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, as he tries to round up and deport 10 million people from the country. As the city’s residents have fought back against ICE’s often violent arrests, protests have intensified. In just three weeks, two American citizens have been killed in Minneapolis by ICE agents, with many more injured. So why is Trump targeting Minneapolis? And what comes next for this small city under siege? Today, journalist and radio host Jason DeRusha on the real reason for Trump’s retribution. 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 WCCO radio host, Jason DeRusha Photo: Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How AI is draining Australia’s green power

In 2019, a new venture in the Australian outback looked set to export our solar power to the world – upending our neighbours’ reliance on fossil fuels. Backed by the billionaires Mike Cannon-Brookes and Andrew Forrest – Sun Cable was supposed to be Australia’s largest ever renewable energy project, transporting electricity to Singapore via 4,300 kilometres of sea cable. It was meant to show what a different future could look like – one where Australia could export massive amounts of renewable power. But now, that future is being overtaken by something else entirely. As big tech converges on Australia to build data centres for AI, there’s a fight over how to use our renewable energy – and big tech is winning. Today, writer and senior research associate with the Australia Institute, Ketan Joshi, on how Australia’s AI push is colliding with the energy transition — and what it means for our emissions, our power grid, and the dream of becoming a clean energy exporter. 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: Senior Research Associate with the Australia Institute, Ketan Joshi Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The frontline of Australia’s family violence crisis

Family violence in Aboriginal communities is a national crisis – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 33 times more likely to be victims of domestic violence, and eight times more likely to be killed by their partner. The trauma First Nations women experience is often made worse by the systems they seek help from and people within those systems that often misidentify the victim as the perpetrator. But alongside these fraught systems are people doing relentless and unheralded work, to make things better for women and families fleeing domestic violence. Kalina Morgan-Whyman is one of those people – and she follows in the footsteps of her nan, Aunty Elizabeth Morgan, who founded a refuge for Indigenous women fleeing violence. Today, CEO of Elizabeth Morgan House, Kalina Morgan-Whyman on the issues confronting our most vulnerable, the tenuous funding environment for services like hers, and whether governments of all persuasions are serious about addressing the family violence epidemic. 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 Elizabeth Morgan House, Kalina Morgan-Whyman Photo: SuppliedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The outdated trans study still doing damage

In the 1970s, eight children in Perth were sent to a psychiatric hospital to be ‘treated’ for being transgender. Their experiences became the basis of a medical study that claimed kids could be cured of their identity. Now, nearly forty years after it was released, that same study is being cited in arguments against trans healthcare and being used to shape policy and law. Today, Walkley Award-winning journalist and founding editor of ABC Queer, Mon Schafter, on how a forgotten experiment from another era is still influencing the culture war over trans healthcare. This episode was originally published in October 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: Walkley Award-winning journalist and founding editor of ABC Queer, Mon Schafter Photo: Supplied: Jayne McFadyenSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.