7am

Late yesterday, four women and nine children arrived in Australia from Syria.
The women, who originally left the country to be part of the Islamic State caliphate, have spent the years since its collapse in Syrian refugee camps.
Many of their children, who are Australian citizens too, have never been here before.
But they aren’t the first to come back – since 2019, women and children like them have been returning.
What they’re returning to has become more and more hostile, with politicians maintaining they aren’t welcome, and police threatening arrest.
Today, Professor Michele Grossman, expert on violent extremism from Deakin University, on our responsibility to these citizens and the danger of politicising their position.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.
And special credit for the audio of Australian children inside al-Roj refugee camp goes to William Christou and the Guardian.

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Guest: Expert on violent extremism from Deakin University, Professor Michele Grossman
Photo: AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad
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A flotilla of boats carrying aid towards Gaza was still hundreds of kilometres from the coast when the Israeli navy moved in.
Australian activist Zack Schofield was on one of the 50 boats. He says the first sign something was coming was the sound of drones overhead; then radio warnings, military vessels, and soldiers boarding the ship.
What happened next is now the subject of serious allegations and competing accounts.
Today, Zack Schofield on the interception at sea, what he says happened in Israeli custody, and why the flotilla may still try to reach Gaza.

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Guest: Australian activist, Zach Schofield
Photo: Supplied
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The Reserve Bank has raised interest rates again. The cash rate is now 4.35%, after the third rate hike in a row.
For Australians already stretched by the cost of living, it means another hit to mortgage repayments, rents and household budgets.
And while the decision was widely expected, the reason behind it is more complicated. Some economists are calling it the “Hormuz hike”, a response to global oil prices, the war in Iran and fears inflation could skyrocket.
Today, economist and co-CEO of the Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss, on why the Reserve Bank is making Australians pay more to contain inflation, and the risk that it goes too far.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

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Guest: Economist and Co-CEO of the Australia Institute, Dr Richard Denniss
Photo: AAP Image/Dean Lewin
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On April 25, Kumanjayi Little Baby was reported missing from her bed at the Old Timers town camp, just south of Alice Springs. Five days later, after a community-unifying effort, her body was found. She was five years old.
Soon after, community members found the man accused of killing her. They called police and now a 47-year-old man has been charged with murder, and other charges we can’t mention for legal reasons.
For the past week, as her family and community have mourned, Alice Springs/Mparntwe has once again been placed under the intensity of the national gaze; its grief, anger and calls for justice broadcast across the country.
Today, the Chief Executive of SNAICC, the national peak body advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, Catherine Liddle, on Kumanjayi Little Baby, the grief in Mparntwe, and the questions that need to be asked without turning her death into another political fight.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

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Guest: SNAICC CEO, Catherine Liddle
Photo: Matt Garrick ABC News
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In 2023, Antionette Lattouf was sacked by the ABC after sharing a Human Rights Watch post about Gaza.
What followed became one of the most closely watched employment cases in the country, raising questions about political pressure, media independence and whose voices are allowed to be heard.
Now, after winning her case, Lattouf has written a book about her fight, and the women who’ve taken on powerful institutions and won. She’s also become part of a new independent media movement, as audiences look beyond legacy institutions for voices they feel they can trust.
Today, Antoinette Lattouf, on the cost of challenging the system, and what comes after winning.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.
And you can check out Antoinette’s book ‘Women Who Win’ here

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Guest: Journalist and co-founder of Ette Media, Antoinette Lattouf
Photo: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi
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