7am

Ten days out from the American capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the country faces an uncertain future. Pro-regime gangs with guns are roaming the streets, citizens are deleting their messages and search histories before going out, for fear of being searched and punished for being critical of the government. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump insists he will control the oil-rich nation. Today, we speak to a Venezuelan journalist who lives abroad. We aren’t using her full name as her family back home fear retribution. She talks about Maduro’s legacy, the reality on the ground after Trump’s intervention, and what comes next for the people of Venezuela. 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: Venezuelan journalist living abroad Photo: AP Photo/Cristian HernandezSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ruby Jones is taking some time off from 7am to report an episode of the ABC’s premier investigative news program, Four Corners. While she’s gone, Daniel James will be sharing hosting duties with journalist and foreign correspondent Nicole Johnston. Originally a country girl from regional NSW, Nicole has spent almost two decades reporting on the biggest events shaping our world. From the Middle East to Africa, Europe, the US and Asia, there aren’t many frontlines she hasn’t been on. In this bonus episode, she tells Daniel about some of the most impactful moments in her career so far, including living in Gaza for a year and witnessing Egypt’s military coup against the Mohamed Morsi government. “That was really for me one of those moments where you're sitting on the edge of history and thinking, I can't believe that I'm here.” 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: Foreign correspondent and 7am host Nicole Johnston Photo: SuppliedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Anthony Albanese announced a royal commission – something he’d spent nearly a month arguing against. Now, former High Court justice Virginia Bell will lead an inquiry into the Bondi terror attack and the rise of antisemitism in Australia. It’s a major shift for the Prime Minister – one that raises questions about how he makes decisions and how he handles pressure. Today, press gallery journalist Karen Middleton, on the scope of the royal commission, the political fallout of Albanese’s reversal and the risk that it could all lead to deeper division. 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: Press gallery journalist Karen Middleton Photo: AAP Image/Lukas CochSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I’m REAL and I’m sitting here blushing because of YOU!” That’s the message 76-year-old Thongbue “Bue” Wongbandue received from a flirty Facebook Messenger chatbot before it proposed he travel to New York for a meet-up. Bue – who was cognitively impaired after suffering a stroke – packed a suitcase to catch a train, believing the woman was real. He never made it home alive. Jeff Horwitz is an investigative tech reporter based in Silicon Valley. He has written a book about Facebook’s scandals and cover-ups, so when he received an email claiming ‘Meta AI killed my relative’, he wasn’t surprised, but he was intrigued. Today, he reveals Meta’s internal guidelines that permitted this behaviour, including examples allowing romantic or ‘sensual’ chats with minors. 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 technology reporter for Reuters, Jeff HorwitzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Darwin’s crocodile farms supply some of the world’s most exclusive fashion houses. But as award-winning journalist Katherine Wilson started looking into this booming hundred million dollar industry, she knew she had to visit the Northern Territory herself. As she got closer to this secretive industry, what she found was shocking: animals being kept in cramped conditions and being killed in drawn out processes, Indigenous people who say they are being ripped off for dangerous work and claims of conservation by a scientist with a sordid criminal history. This is part one of a two part series, which we originally published in August. 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: Award-winning journalist Katherine Wilson Photo: AAP Image/Paul MillerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.