7am

It’s been a war of shifting deadlines for President Trump. And now, his latest one expires this morning.
Trump is threatening that if Iran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the US will strike the country’s bridges and power plants in what he’s calling "Energy Plants Day and Bridges Day” – stating 'a whole civilisation will die tonight' if Tehran ignores his ultimatum.
But indiscriminately targeting infrastructure that civilians rely on to survive could amount to war crimes.
Today, Rachel VanLandingham – a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and former military lawyer – on whether the US can lawfully target civilian infrastructure, and what it would mean for international law if it did.

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: National security law expert and former active duty judge advocate in the US Air Force, Rachel VanLandingham
Photo: EPA/JIM LO SCALZO
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first official report from eSafety on how the government’s under-16 social media ban is going has been released. And the early picture is grim.
Kids are getting around the ban, and eSafety says it has seen no drop in cyberbullying or abuse reports involving children on those platforms.
So is this just a messy start, with the government right to ask for more patience? Or is it proving that you can’t fix platforms built to hook young people simply by trying to lock them out?
Today, associate editor for Crikey, Cam Wilson, on why the ban isn’t working – and whether Australia is focusing on the wrong solutions.

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: Associate editor of Crikey, Cam Wilson
Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under one of the most remarkable landscapes in Australia is one of the world’s largest undeveloped reservoirs of onshore gas – and a Texas oil man wants to get it out.
Project Valhalla would drill an initial 20 fracking wells across an area twice the size of Victoria in the Kimberley. And after the WA EPA recommended it for approval, the proposal is now one step closer to going ahead.
The Kimberley is also the largest and most intact tropical savanna in the world – a place of living songlines, deep cultural significance and extraordinary biodiversity, where campaigners say no local species has ever been recorded as extinct. And communities are divided. More than a record 8000 appeals have been lodged with the state government in an effort to stop the project.
Today, journalist Katherine Wilson on the fight over fracking in the Kimberly – and how Project Valhalla made it this far.

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 Katherine Wilson
Photo: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2007, future United States president Donald Trump stepped into the wrestling ring for a showdown with Vince McMahon, then head of World Wrestling Entertainment and Trump’s close friend.
Trump played the villain perfectly.
For decades now, Trump has been shaped by a love affair with professional wrestling. It taught him how to control and manipulate a crowd, how to speak, and how to respond to criticism.
It also shaped his cabinet, with Trump appointing Linda McMahon, Vince’s ex-wife, to the position of secretary of education.
Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Joseph Earp on how Donald Trump brought the art of pro-wrestling to politics.

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 author, Joseph Earp.
Photo: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For months, Jim Chalmers has been trying to write a budget about the future – productivity, reform, repair.
But events have a way of dragging budgets back into the present. And right now, the present looks expensive.
People are still under pressure. The economy’s been hit by another oil shock. And the Treasurer is trying to make the case for restraint without looking like he’s asking Australians to wear even more pain.
So will Jim Chalmer's upcoming budget be one of reform - or crisis management?
Today, senior economics correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Shane Wright, on what kind of budget this moment demands.

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 economics correspondent for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, Shane Wright.
Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.