Life Matters - ABC RN

Australians aged 30 and older are now eligible for a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, amid concerns around new COVID-19 sub-variants and a rise in Omicron infections. Life Matters takes your questions on reinfection rates, boosters and what you want to know about COVID-19 now.

You might love your partner, and still not love the way they think about and handle money. So how can you figure that out? Plus how to move on when your best friend is not giving you what you need.

When it comes to reconciliation with First Nations people, what's the best form of truth-telling? Plus journalist and author Michael Pollan on his new TV series 'How to Change Your Mind' about psychedelic drugs and their potential as treatments for some psychological disorders. And for Life in 500 Words, Andrew describes a family breakup, and a Christmas gift he was given by his dad.

Clothing made from recycled materials sounds great for the environment, but experts say the trend isn't as green as it sounds. We look at how to make the most sustainable choice for your wardrobe. Plus, we meet First Nations authors teaching about culture through children's books. And, is it cruel to keep a dog in an apartment? We look at pooch options for flat-dwellers.

For two years, many people accessed medical appointments through video and telephone consults, but longer telephone consultations will no longer be funded, concerning patients. Plus, visit childcare centres implementing bilingual programs. And Sober in the Country's Shanna Whan shares the joys and trials of lowering your alcohol intake.

This year's NAIDOC Week theme of Get Up! Stand up! Show up! calls for change and support for First Nations peoples and communities. So, what does enduring, meaningful allyship look like?

To mark the ABC's 90th birthday, Life Matters takes the Too Hard Basket to a live audience in Melbourne. The popular Friday segment is part of the ABC's long and proud history of tackling tricky interpersonal situations that many of us grapple with in our daily lives.

An increase in image-based abuse during the pandemic is one of the reasons behind the creation of a resource for young people called 'Scroll'. Plus how a nurse with burnout learned to help herself and other health workers with art therapy, and Pat finds a book owned by his dad, which raises questions. And how second hand shopping is more difficult when you're plus-size.

Is there a risk that Australia's High Court appointments could be ideologically appointed like in the US? And what impact would that really have on our lives? We investigate why we seem to know more about SCOTUS than our own apex court. Plus, do you have a preference for brands that have a "stance" on social issues? We take a look at brand activism and whether you should trust it.

In the shadow of this week's overturning of the Roe vs Wade ruling, new Australian research finds that access, stigma and affordability are still the biggest barriers women face when it comes to seeking an abortion. Also, is it better to be a generalist or a specialist in the current job market, and why many of us are awkward around other people's grief. 

Several large retailers, including Kmart and Bunnings, already use facial recognition technology in their stores – collecting biometric data that is as unique as a fingerprint – but are customers aware of how their facial data is being captured and used?

Conflict with close friends can be a significant event in adult life. We take your calls on how you've navigated the ups and downs of these relationships. And in the Too Hard Basket, your brother and sister-in-law tell you that their kids don't respond well to discipline, so do you step in when your young niece and nephew behave badly, or do you tell their parents to step it up?

Former Dolly Magazine cover girl Alison Daddo reveals what she learned about menopause, and how it changed her life. Plus a farmer from Queensland who is helping to protect the Great Barrier Reef, and Monique's story for Life in 500 Words about her father and a fire horse doll.

Victoria and NSW are bringing in big changes to support a year of pre-school for all children, double what's offered now. We look at how play based learning became the hot topic in education and what play can do for kids' development. Plus, if you binged on processed comfort food in lockdowns, we learn how those eating habits might still be affecting your mental health.

Next month the "Job active" program is being replaced by the "Workforce Australia" scheme. How will this change the way jobseekers interact with the services that help them into work? Also, how does musician Murray Cook use music in prison to help build confidence and connectedness? And, we hear from TV quiz master Braydon Coverdale on the role of quizzing in his life and in contemporary Australia.

The NSW government has announced it wants to scrap stamp duty in favour of an annual land tax. While it's been supported by economists, it is uncertain what impact the move could have on the housing crisis. So, what will it mean for you?

We hear your stories of coming out later in life, and how to date, explore sex, talk about it with friends and family and embrace your authentic self. And in the Too Hard Basket, how far should you go when it comes to catering to the dieting needs of your house guests? If your visitors are vegan, should the household only eat vegan food while they're staying?

For medical issues that affect both sexes, more men than women will die, that's a fact. So what can be done to address the gender gap in life expectancy for men? Plus we explore the phenomenon of the midlife crisis in women, and in our Life in 500 Words segment, Jennifer tells us about a little embroidered harp which is precious to her.

Domestic violence is a pressing issue in Australia's growing South Asian migrant community. We look at how traditions of dowry, patriarchy and caste play a role and how we can intervene in culturally sensitive ways. Plus, Alice Zaslavsky has an ode to the humble pie. And we meet the team behind Shadow, the dystopian debut feature of acclaimed Australian neurodiverse theatre company Back to Back Theatre.

In the past, we've been told gas was clean, cheap, and efficient. But, with prices on the rise, more and more people are disconnecting from the gas grid now. Why are they making this choice and how are they doing it?

Why Jenny Valentish and others push their bodies to extremes. Plus a look back at the Queen's 1954 visit, and what she didn't see, and how to rid your life of annoying and interrupting emails that prevent you from getting on with your work.

What's the best advice you've received about fatherhood? We explore the bonds between a father and their child and how to keep that relationship strong. And in the Too Hard Basket, how do you manage being a boss and a friend of a work colleague, who seems to struggle with respecting your authority?

While controlling energy supply and prices is difficult right now, experts say there is a lot that can be done on the demand side of the energy equation. Plus two men who left evangelical churches after spending their teenage years as pastors, explain how they are building community. Plus Alison Bechdel on exercise and super strength.

The new federal government has IR reforms in its sights, but what if anything can be done about insecure work, and how did things get to this point? Forming bonds through a love of art. And comfort dogs hard at work in some unlikely workplaces, including courtrooms and funeral homes.

Bans on single-use and thin plastics are now in place right around Australia, but how much of a difference do they really make? There's growing interesting in tapping, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, as a drug-free strategy for stress relief. What is it and how does it help? And climate fiction is having it's moment in the sun. What can this genre of fiction tell us that science can't?

What responsibility does the government have when Australians are detained overseas? Peter Greste and Kylie Moore-Gilbert share their experiences alongside film producer Gabriel Shipton, Julian Assange's brother.

There are many cultural myths surrounding women's sexuality as they age, and most are negative. We take your calls on how this culture has held back older women's sexual agency and how to get the pleasure you want as you age. And in the Too Hard Basket, how to deal with a friend you feel you've outgrown.

Doctors say more people have been presenting with gut problems in the past twelve months. We find out why that is and what can be done to address any related food intolerances. Plus celebrity photographer Helmut Newton's connection with Melbourne is explored in an exhibition at the city's Jewish Museum, and Mez Lanigan's Life in 500 words story about a cameo necklace that's precious to her.

Higher education is in crisis, and the Albanese government wants to reform it with a Universities Accord. We look at what needs to change at Australian universities. Plus, meet the retirees taking up opal mining in Lightning Ridge, and we look at whether chivalry in dating is actually a kind of sexism.

As updates of the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard defamation trial hit our news feeds daily, what effects are they having on us and what we believe? Also, two years into the pandemic, six per cent of Australians remain un-vaxxed, so what's behind their decisions? And, is there such thing as the science of skin care?

All Australian states have voluntary assisted dying legislation, leaving the ACT and Northern Territory as the only places without access. So how is it working in practice?

What's driving the growth in cosmetic dentistry in Australia? Where do you draw the line between dentistry for cosmetic purposes and health purposes? And in the Too Hard Basket, what do you do when your child is given a birthday gift that's completely over the top, costing way more than the average present?

How far have we progressed towards healing for Indigenous families impacted by forcible removal? Plus what we can learn from singletons about how to live alone well, and how to stop being a people-pleaser.

Labor campaigned strongly on aged care reform in the lead up to the election. We take the magnifying glass to the new government's policies and whether they go far enough to futureproof a struggling sector. Plus, Emily Stewart explains how to negotiate your wages. And as grey nomads return to the roads, we look at how to stay safe driving RVs.

Covid and other infectious diseases are running rife in schools right now. Are the measures in place to prevent spread going far enough and what are the risks for students and teachers? Also, with more of our lives being lived online, some innovators are thinking about how technology can also aid preparation for death. And, are there ways to approach moving house that take into account the emotional strain as well as the logistics?

Election night saw a victory for teal independents, who campaigned on greater climate change action and a federal integrity commission, and minor parties. What will their presence mean for passing legislation in the lower house? And how effective is a hung parliament?

Dating apps and online dating sites have totally transformed the way we search for love and relationships. Author Jennifer Pinkerton spent six years researching how this shift had changed Australia's dating culture, for better or worse. And in the Too Hard Basket, what do you do when you lend your expensive drill to a good friend, only to have a different, and inferior quality, one returned to you?

Why do people with disability still experience discrimination in their every day lives when there are already policies and programs in place to prevent it? Plus how to slow down and take care of yourself to improve your mental and physical health. And students at Western Sydney University get involved in a citizen jury process to have their voices heard.

COVID isn't over, and the 'let it rip' approach has left us with some the highest daily case numbers in the world. How did we get from fortress Australia to throwing in the towel, and do we need to go back to restrictions? Plus, Alice Zaslavsky dishes on the ultimate dinner party etiquette. And this National Volunteer Week, we spotlight volunteers working in natural disaster zones.

The rental crisis is at a peak in Australia right now, and it's being argued that regulation of short term accommodation could help. What would have to happen to make this work? Also, as musician Nick Cave grieves his 31-year-old son, we ponder the particular pain of losing a child. And, Bastian Fox Phelan talks about finding their body to be an 'unwelcome place'.

With less than a week to go until the federal election, Life Matters asks how lowering the voting age could alter Australia's political landscape and the future of civic engagement.

Psychotherapist and journalist Moya Sarner explores why do so many of us struggle with feeling like a grown up, despite hitting many ‘adult' milestones. The Too Hard Basket considers later life dating and whether it's ok to not to continue seeing someone who has a health condition. And we head deep into remote Southwest Tasmania.