The Morning Edition

Did the nation’s biggest taxi company fail to stem the rampant rorting of passengers?

Leaked documents to investigative journalist Nick McKenzie allege Australians are being ripped off by drivers at a massive scale, from everyday passengers going to and from work, to vulnerable people travelling from disability services and aged care homes. 

In one of the most shocking cases, a cabcharge account belonging to an elderly person who had died was charged dozens and dozens of times over just a few days. 

Today, McKenzie on his joint investigation with The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes, and what happened when they sent someone undercover to expose the scam. 

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"I call it the madman theory, Bob”

These words, supposedly uttered by Richard Nixon, and recounted by his chief-of-staff Bob Haldeman, have perhaps never been as relevant as they are today. 

And they go to the question: Can a powerful leader who we think is a bit crazy, actually make the world a better place? As Nixon thought he might be able to achieve?

Enter Donald Trump. 

The current president of the United States is set to put to the test what’s dubbed the ‘madman theory’ like never before.

Today, foreign affairs correspondent Matthew Knott on whether Trump’s volatile approach to geopolitics will produce vital victories, or whether his perceived crazy is just a little too…mad.

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We bring you this episode of Inside Politics on Valentines Day, but right now the trade relationship between Australia and our closest ally is at a delicate juncture.

This week President Donald Trump declared his intention to impose tariffs on aluminium and steel imports from all countries, no exceptions. And the pressure was on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to negotiate a way out.

Albanese had a long, and reportedly warm conversation with Trump about the tariff issue, with Trump saying he would consider an exemption for Australian steel and aluminium.

But no promises were made, and in the volatile landscape of Trump 2.0, nothing is certain except we will have more uncertainty.

This week, Inside Politics host Jacqueline Maley is joined by chief political correspondent David Crowe, and senior economics correspondent Shane Wright.

Gone are the days of the simple sunscreen where the choices were between, say, SPF 15, or 30 or 50. Now, at least according to the marketing, you protect your skin from the sun, and also moisturise it, hydrate it, illuminate it and anti-age-it.

The Australian Tax Office now has all these fancy sunscreens in its sights, looking at whether the companies that are pumping out these products need to pay more tax.

Today, consumer affairs reporter Madeleine Heffernan on what happened to the humble sunscreen and whether luxury creams protect your skin just as well.

Camping, fishing, hunting and four-wheel driving are just some of the ways Aussies experience the bush everyday - but they’re activities that are now, according to some, under threat. 

New land management proposals by state governments to protect the environment have been met with fierce backlash from bush-users, who claim the government is ‘locking up the bush’.

Today, environment and climate reporter Bianca Hall on whether a balance of both environmental protection and our recreation is achievable.