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Kate Ashton
Kate Ashton is a journalist currently working in the Melbourne newsroom. She started with the ABC as a cadet in Darwin 2019 and worked as a journalist in Northern Territory until 2022. She was awarded the Walkley Foundation's 2022 Young Australian Journalist of the Year Award for coverage of community and regional affairs. You can follow her on Twitter at @ktshtn.
Latest by Kate Ashton
When Bridget went missing, hundreds rushed to find her. She won't be forgotten
A Victorian coroner will soon examine the deaths of five young transgender women who took their own lives in Melbourne during the pandemic, but Melbourne's queer community is already working hard to support those in need.
Victorian family calls for answers over Aboriginal man's death days after police arrest
The family of Jeffrey Winmar have remembered the Indigenous father of one as "bright, happy and respectable". They want more answer on why he died days after he was arrested by police.
Clare used to worry she was 'too much'. When school went online, things got better
Clare is autistic and was struggling to fit in at school, but when life went online in the pandemic, things improved. Experts say she's not alone.
From Malvern to Mildura, here is how Victorians gave their verdict on the Voice
Now that Victorians have voted No to establish an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, we take a look at four electorates to help us understand how the vote went across the state and ask — what’s next?
Nobody had noticed when the ABC asked why the Flinders Street Station clock was running slow
Recently found yourself five minutes late? Consider blaming it on a historic clock at Flinders Street Station.
Could the No campaign be winning over Australia’s 'most-progressive' state?
Victoria may not be considered a "battleground" state in the Voice to Parliament referendum, but that doesn't mean the state isn't divided over the upcoming vote.
Powerful Aboriginal truth-telling body lays down 46 recommendations for change in Victoria
In its most significant proposal yet, Victoria’s Indigenous truth-telling commission takes aim at the child protection and criminal justice systems it says are failing First Peoples.
What does your Victorian local council think about a Voice to Parliament?
We asked every Victorian council where they sit ahead of the national vote on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament and most of them are on the fence.
Rules around psychedelics are about to change, and an unsurprising player is entering the market
While very few patients are expected to access new psychedelic therapies when regulatory changes take effect next month, medicinal cannabis companies, drug developers and health insurers are keeping watch on the emerging industry.
Many Australians use period-tracker apps for convenience, but experts warn they could come at a cost
Many Australians use phone apps to help track their periods, for convenience, contraception or to better understand fertility and reproductive health, but privacy experts warn they're not without risk.
Police baffled after Melbourne woman found naked and injured on street with no memory of what happened
Police launch an appeal for witnesses and anyone with dashcam footage after a woman is found injured in Melbourne's north-east, with no recollection of how she came to leave her home.
Victorian coroner finds Mayumi Spencer, 29, died of a cocaine overdose, but also can't rule out manslaughter
Mayumi Spencer's husband wanted the coronial findings about his wife's death suppressed, but media outlets successfully fought to make them public.
Reforms needed to address expensive prison phone call costs, advocates say
While some US states are making prison phone calls free, a 12-minute phone call from a Victorian prison can cost more than a prisoner's wages for the day.
Analysis
analysis:'You just don't listen': In Victoria's Yoorrook inquiry, a colonial institution is being called to account
Senior public servants were prepared to accept the reality of racism in Victoria's criminal justice and child protection systems during this week's hearings at the Yoorrook Justice Commission. But reporter Kate Ashton asks whether that's all Victoria's truth-telling inquiry is looking for.
Is this packaging made from plastic from the ocean? A complaint to the watchdog says probably not
More consumer products are claiming to be made from recycled ocean or ocean-bound plastics, but green groups say the claims are difficult to prove and may be misleading consumers.
Some Australians can't stand jury duty. Brent's spent a decade fighting for the right to do it
While many Australians go to great lengths to avoid serving on a jury, Brent Phillips has been fighting for the right of deaf people to take part for almost a decade.
'Extremely disappointed': Victorian government fails to provide thousands of documents to Indigenous inquiry
Internal police reports on systemic racism and confidential ministerial briefings on bail reform are among the thousands of documents the state government is withholding from Victoria's Indigenous truth-telling inquiry.
Aretha was excited to move into their first share house, but it only lasted a couple of weeks
Younger people looking for share housing are struggling to compete against rising rents and record-low vacancy rates in a heated rental market.
'Mum deserves better': Truth-telling inquiry hears from Stolen Generations family denied compensation
The family of Aunty Eunice Wright, a Stolen Generations survivor who died days before Victoria's reparations program was announced, tell the Yoorrrook Justice Commission her exclusion from the scheme is an injustice.
Every kilometre David drives his plug-in hybrid in Tasmania, he's paying tax in Victoria
Victoria's electric vehicle tax is being challenged at Australia's highest court, but experts say it raises bigger questions about how the country could make transport taxes fairer in the future.
Labor backs 'suburban mum' in Aston by-election as female candidates line up for Liberal ticket
At least three highly-qualified women are vying for Liberal pre-selection to contest the marginal Victorian seat of Aston as the by-election race heats up in the wake of the resignation of former cabinet minister Alan Tudge.
Star rapper Ye goes quiet on lawsuit against Melbourne burger shop, court hears
The superstar rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, appears not to be pursuing his lawsuit against a family burger business which shares the name of his debut album.
TGA psychedelics decision met with relief, cautious optimism and 'serious reservations'
Advocates welcome a surprise decision from Australia's drug regulator to approve two psychedelic drugs for mental health treatment, but some clinicians are concerned the decision may be premature.
Long COVID put Julia's life on hold. When reinfected, she chose to pay $1,100 for antiviral medication
Some long COVID sufferers are paying thousands of dollars for COVID-19 antivirals, hoping they will lessen their symptoms during reinfections. While some experts say it's time to allow more Australia access to subsidised medications, others say more research is needed.
Sue was preparing for a routine flight, but a run-in with airport security left her deeply distressed
For many Australians, airport security is a minor inconvenience. But for cancer survivors like Sue Watkins, it has become a deeply personal ordeal.