Navigating difficult conversations and managing ex-in-laws
Are there conversations in your life that you try to avoid? And how might that be holding you back from getting what you actually want? Clinical psychologist Elisabeth Shaw says that, with the right tools, we can learn to communicate our needs and actually feel heard. Also, what do you do when your ex-mother-in-law gets in touch with some not-so-helpful life advice?
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Why are banks bailing on the regions and is gun control still under control?
There's a small town on the west coast of Tasmania locked in a David and Goliath battle to save their last bank. Janet Lay has lived in Queenstown on Tasmania's west coast and has started a petition to keep their local bank in town. Since 2017, 36 per cent of brick and mortar bank branches have closed around regional Australia. Simon Lyons from the Regional Banking Investment Alliance asks how can we stop the flow of banks bailing on the regions? Since strict gun control measures were introduced following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, the number of firearms in Australia has increased by 25 per cent according to figures from The Australia Institute. In light of this week's fatal shooting of two Victorian police officers, we asked violence prevention specialist Dr Samara McPhedran what's behind the rise in gun ownership - and whether Australia's gun laws are still keeping people safe.Australia's newest Miss Universe has just been crowned, so we ask sociologist Dan Woodman if beauty pageants are still relevant in a body positive world?Australia is building more data centres to keep pace with our increasing participation in the digital world, but what do these resource-hungry facilities mean for communities nearby? Councillor Naim Kurt is the Deputy Mayor of a region soon to be home to these centres and Bronwyn Cumbo discusses the rise in these centres in Australian communities. EDITOR'S NOTE: August 28, 2025: An earlier version of this segment stated Bendigo Bank would charge fees to business customers using Bank@Post services. Bendigo Bank has since clarified its retail and business customers will be able to use Bank@Post services fee-free for the next 12 months. Statement from Bendigo Bank spokesperson:Following a review of evolving customer preferences, a reduction in business activity and an increase in costs, the Bank has made the difficult decision to close the Queenstown branch located at 33 Orr St, Queenstown. The Bank apologises for any inconvenience.Bendigo Bank is proud of its regional heritage and operates Australia’s second largest regional branch network. To preserve our ability to continue delivering for our customers and communities, we must ensure our branches are adequately supported and resourced. From Tuesday, 1 July 2025, operating hours will reduce to Tuesday and Thursday from 10.00am to 1.00pm and 1:30pm to 4:00pm before our Queenstown branch and ATM close permanently from Friday, 26 September 2025. The Bank is in the process of communicating these changes to customers. For more information, click here. A range of banking options are available to customers impacted by this change. There is no action for customers to take as there will be no impact to how their accounts operate. Customers can continue to transact as normal at any Bendigo Bank branch, ATM or at any time via internet banking, our mobile app or by phone on 1300 236 344. Customers can also choose to bank in-person using Bank@Post at any of the 3,500 Australia Post outlets across Australia. The nearest Australia Post LPO where customers can transact fee free for at least the next 12 months is located next door to the branch at 32 Orr Street, Queenstown. Bendigo Bank maintains more branches per customer than any other Australian Bank. The Bank is committed to its branch network and the personalised interactions that occur in branch every day. For more branch closure information, click here.
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The mixed emotions of empty nesting and what is a sovereign citizen?
There's no shortage of advice for the early years of parenting, but what about the other end of the journey, when your kids leave home? For some, like senior writer at Good Weekend Tim Elliott, it brings a deep sense of loss. For others, like Kate Christie, author and empty nester, it's a time to celebrate new freedoms. Where do you stand on the empty nest spectrum?The term sovereign citizen is in the news again following the fatal shooting of two police officers in Victoria this week. But what does it actually mean, and is this ideology becoming a more serious threat to public safety and the rule of law? Legal researcher Dr Harry Hobbs explains. Running a marathon, a half-marathon, even a 5K, is no small thing, but for blind and vision-impaired runners, it's a whole different level of difficult. A Sydney running club is making it possible by pairing vision-impaired runners like Nicole Tillotson with specially trained guides Caroline Wong.
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New frontier for gambling advertising and the cult of Swifties, Beliebers and Bey-hive
Since online gambling became widely accessible it's never been easier to spend big - and lose even bigger. It's opened up a new frontier for gambling advertising with companies offering huge sums to creators like Konrad Benjamin of Punters Politics to promote online casinos to their social media followers. Konrad and online gambling researcher Dr Mark Johnson dive into what can be done to control this nascent issue.Early findings from the Class Inclusion at Work report reveal that only 44% of class-marginalised workers were offered career development opportunities in the past year, compared with 76% of their more privileged peers. You'll hear about the impact this has from Catherine Hunter the CEO of Diversity Council Australia and Dr Angelo Capuano, law lecturer at Central Queensland University who faced social class barriers early in his career.Are you a Swiftie? Maybe a part of the Bey-hive? If you're a serious fan of any artist, you understand the hype when they announce a new album or tour. When Taylor Swift announced her new album last week, it sent fans into overdrive, many of whom have already had an almost a religious experience at her shows. You'll hear from consumer behaviour expert Paul Harrison about why a select few celebrities inspire such fanaticism.Jordan Fyfe is a disabled artist, researcher and advocate who is currently finishing her PhD, and an ABC Top 5 Arts Resident for 2025. Her research focuses on the many barriers that face people with disabilities to attend or work in the arts - and what needs to change to improve access.
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The upsides to downsizing and Osher Günsberg on how to ask for help
The downsides to downsizing from the family home might include leaving your friends, your GP and the neighbourhood you love. So we asked someone who has made the move, a buyers agent and the CEO of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute whether making it easier for Australians to downsize would really move the needle on the housing crisis.What would have helped you come to terms with your own mental health challenges earlier? Osher Günsberg is one of the best-known names in Australian entertainment and mental health advocacy. His latest book tackles what to do when it feels like you've tried everything to feel better, and are asking the question "now what?" - and it's something he wished he had earlier in his journey. If you met your life partner online, you might want to keep scrolling past this one. A cross-cultural study compared relationship satisfaction, intimacy, passion, and commitment and on all four measures, people who met online scored lower than people who met in real life. Love researcher Adam Bode and Simone Springer who runs a singles meet up group discuss the merits of how you meet your lover.
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