Lara Sonnenschein

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Adele Ferguson |Chris Gillett |Lara Sonnenschein

Insiders say parents are being lied to about the quality of food served at childcare centres, with some spending as little as 33 cents per meal on children. Families and staff said the standard of food at some for-profit childcare centres was "substandard" and "heartbreaking". Jenny Shih said the Genius childcare centre at Reservoir in Melbourne deteriorated before her eyes after she enrolled her child in 2023. Ms Shih was paying $140 a day, or $700 a week per child, at the Genius centre.

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Angus Grigg |Lara Sonnenschein

The 20 marginal seats Labor is fighting to hold are among the most financially stressed in the country, heaping more pressure on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ahead of a cost-of-living election. New data compiled for Four Corners shows Labor's marginal seats have been disproportionately hit by high interest rates and rising rents over the past three years.

Oct 15, 2024 | abc.net.au | Avani Dias |Amy Donaldson |Mayeta Clark |Lara Sonnenschein

The federal government has announced it will ban dynamic pricing, a controversial tactic which drives prices up when demand increases, following a Four Corners' investigation. It's also committed to outlawing hidden fees in concert tickets and drip pricing where extra costs are "added throughout the stages of a purchase".

Oct 14, 2024 | abc.net.au | Avani Dias |Amy Donaldson |Lara Sonnenschein

Music behemoth Live Nation has received tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded government grants in Australia, some of which were for festivals that never went ahead. Live Nation — which also owns ticketing giant Ticketmaster — insists the money was used on other events, helped it pay staff during COVID-19, or was repaid.

Sep 30, 2024 | abc.net.au | Emily Katherine Baker |Elise Potaka |Lara Sonnenschein

The cash poured into failed Australian airline Bonza is being examined as part of a US investigation into money laundering. The US Department of Justice is investigating whether private investment firm 777 Partners and its primary source of funding, insurer A-CAP, have violated US money-laundering laws. Investigators are examining whether policyholders' money was invested where it was supposed to be, including why some funds meant for 777's football teams instead went to Bonza.