Human Interest Videos

Australia has had its fair share of pivotal political moments over the years. Moments that have engaged the interest and opinions of its people, and yet, through them all our democracy and our institutions have stayed strong and we have remained peaceful. Find a transcript of this lecture after the broadcast on the Boyer Lectures website Also today Edward Dyson's short story 'After the Accident' read by Gabriel Andrews.

The northern Missouri woman charged with defrauding farmers out of at least 27-million dollars has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Cathy Gieseker, who ran a grain trucking and marketing company from her home in Martinsburg, pleaded guilty to mail fraud in federal court on Tuesday. Missouri Agriculture Department Director Jon Hagler says it’s appropriate that Geiseker will receive punishment, but it won’t help the 180 farmers affected by her actions, “They’re gonna get very little return on the dollar. She’s gonna go to jail and she’s gonna pay the price but they’re still gonna be hurt.” Hagler expects stiff penalties against her, “The level of fraud in this case, which she’s now admitted to – it’s a Ponzi scheme. A person in our department actually said it was “the Madoff of the Midwest” and unfortunately, that’s turned out to be true, in that – that fraud has cost many, many farmers their livelihood. In some cases, it’s altered their lives in ways they won’t be able to recover from.” State charges against Cathy Geiseker are pending. Hagler_MoNet_Geiseker U.S. Attorney s Office Eastern District of Missouri

After 15 months Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan has been released by his Somali captors. Stephen Smith's office is not confirming the release and is not making any public comment until the family has spoken with him, and that is expected to happen later today. Nigel Brennan is now in a hotel in the capital Mogadishu, along with his colleague Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout, who was also freed overnight. The pair were captured last year in August. One of the kidnappers has told the news agency AFP that a ransom of one million dollars was paid.

Renew Energy says it does not have any plans to shut-down their ethanol plant in Jefferson, Wisconsin. Recently the company filed notice of potential layoffs with the state as part of its bankruptcy proceedings but it was mainly a formality. CEO Jeff White says the plant is running, it is profitable, they are talking with several potential buyers and they expect to come out of bankruptcy sometime in January “We’re making money so why would you close the plant down?” As part of the bankruptcy process they have appointed a Stalking Horse Bid under which a buyer creates a market by agreeing to buy the company at a certain price, “Which is $55 million plus receivables and inventory. That will be subject to an auction on December 11th” White expects any buyer to retain most if not all of the employees. “A couple of senior managers might be exposed including myself but other than that I expect to see all of the employees employed.” The plant is running at about two-thirds capacity but he says that is due mainly to the economics in the industry right now and tight corn supplies. In fact, they have just fired-up their 10,000 bushel-per-hour grain dryer so the company can accept corn straight from the field. Jeff White talks about the situation: Jeff White

Northern Territory consultation process 'flawed' The Australian Government has recently consulted with Aboriginal communities about the Northern Territory Emergency Response, known as 'the Intervention', launched by the previous Government. Tamil asylum seekers The Australian Tamil community wants the Australian government to lead an international campaign against the treatment of Tamils in Sri Lanka. New York schools performance questioned There´s been a lot of educational reform and experimentation going on in schools in New York city. Meet the listener: An ode to the amah Cathy Netherwood lived and worked in Hong Kong for fifteen years, it was there she gave birth to her son.

A trip to the brickworks and you´d be amazed at the variety. Plus, digging in the mud to try and grasp the shifting terrain that we sometimes call history and later, a classic building re-discovered through a study of the Australian dunny. For music details please 'show transcript'.

Peter Cosgrove has led the army and then the entire defence force, so he is eminently well placed to talk about leadership. So for him, what makes a good leader? Does it matter if that leader is running a business, a country, or the school tuckshop? Find a transcript of this lecture after the broadcast on the Boyer Lectures website Also today Judith Wright's short story 'The Weeping Fig' read by Jane Harders.

Paul Ehrlich Paul Ehrlich's book, The Population Bomb (1968), caused great controversy with its predictions of mass starvation in the 70s and 80s due to over-population. Forty years later, with the world's population almost doubled in that time, Ehrlich's main message is increasingly relevant - that the earth has a finite carrying capacity and it cannot sustain the current rate of human population growth and resource depletion. In this conversation, Paul Ehrlich talks about the escalating environment pressures and some potential solutions.

Used to be somebody Gaby Hinsliff was until very recently the political editor of The Observer in the U.K, where she admits she was a a relatively `big fish in a small pond´. Living with the 'Man Drought' part 3 In this episode Suzanne Hill explains the 'hot delation index', and how it comes into play when dealing with the tricky world of online dating. Meet the listener: Eva Breckon's creative life Meet the listener guest, Eva Breckon knew she wanted to play jazz at the age of three. Bryce Courtenay: the story of Danny Dunn Bryce Courtenay is the master of the saga, and his new book is no exception.

If you´re going to collect anything you can be sure it´ll collect dust. In our show dedicated to the humble mote we get down the back of a sofa, sing along with Dustys – Slim and Springfield – dish the dirt on ochre and asbestos and take a trip with John Steinbeck. For music details please 'show transcript'

As far as racehorse trainers go, the legendary Bart Cumming, just like Don Bradman, is in a league of his own. Known widely as the "Cups King", or as he was described by a punter in yesterdays Sydney Morning Herald, the "legend's legend". After twelve Melbourne Cup wins, he has won more than twice as many as anyone else, that's one every four years on average. And what's the chance of this happening again?