Late Night Live - Full program podcast

Nelson Mandela's African National Congress has held power for more than thirty years, but that could soon change. And saffron is the world's most expensive spice, revered as sacred in many cultures. But climate change is making the delicate flower that produces it harder than ever to harvest.

Bruce Shapiro takes us inside Donald Trump's first day in court as a criminal defendant. In China, the Communist Party keeps tight control of the narrative of the history of China. Ian Johnson introduces us to the artists and film makers who are challenging that narrative - at their own peril.

7:30's chief political correspondent Laura Tingle unpacks the Lehrmann defamation verdict dominating news headlines, and we speak to neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky who makes the provocative argument that we have no free will, at all.

Sir John Franklin is honoured in Hobart as the discoverer of the infamous North-West passage through the Arctic, but a closer look at the story examines how much he relied on women's help and Indigenous knowledge. Also, in the age of scrolling, is it history for the chapter?

Aussie Ark's Tim Faulkner explains why he believes the imminent rewilding of the eastern quoll will be successful this time, after 50 years of extinction on the Australian mainland. Social philosopher Anne Manne tells the harrowing story of the Anglican paedophile ring in Newcastle and the brave group of people who brought it down.

In the UK, Ian Dunt reports on the pressure building over the sale of arms to Israel, Stephen Long questions the carbon credits NSW is hoping for in order to save the state's koalas and Judith Keene details the legacies of the Spanish Civil War in both Spain and across the globe.

Crikey's Bernard Keane on how the government has responded to the IDF review into Zomi Frankcom's death. Plus, playwright David Williamson tells Phillip why he has come out of retirement to write a play about the housing crisis and the increasing divide between Australia's haves and have-nots.

Ecofeminist Vandana Shiva explains the significance of adding ecocide to the list of crimes that the ICC can prosecute. And Henry Grabar makes his case for reducing the number of car parks on our planet.

Professor Viet Thanh Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American professor and Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. Viet's memoir, A Man Of Two Faces, is published by Black Inc. and Viet will be a guest at the Sydney Writer's Festival later this month. What makes humans so unique? Our ability to learn. So says computer scientist and Harvard Professor Leslie Valiant. His new book is called “The Importance of Being Educable”  published by Princeton University Press.

Bruce Shapiro digs into the history of the 1871 Comstock Act being used to argue against the sale of abortion drugs online. Anna Funder reveals the many ways that George Orwell's wife Eileen contributed to his work during their life together.

Phillip Adams and Jack Thompson sit down to chat about Jack's career,  how he is living with dialysis, his love of Dylan Thomas and his determination to tell the truth about the frontier wars in this country.

Rupert Read helped found the radical climate protest movement, Extinction Rebellion. Now he says a climate movement is needed that the broader public can feel comfortable with.  And Max Leonard explains how ice has changed the world from ice-cubes to ice-bergs.

Years of neglect on immigration policy in the US means that it will be a big issue in the Presidential election later this year. Surrealism was born out of the horrors of World War One and Mark Polizzotti explains why it was so much more than an artistic or literary phenomenon.

What might a Keir Starmer Labor government might look like in the UK. Ian Dunt reveals all. Dick Tamimi had a wild life as a pilot, gold smuggler and record producer. Julien Poulsen has decided to turn his life into a musical.

Laura Tingle is back with the latest news on Australian politics and Phillip speaks to former First Lady of Timor-Leste Kirsty Sword Gusmao about her decades-long fight to improve life for Timorese women.

Journalist Lech Blaine unpacks Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's 'battle for the burbs' strategy, and whether his strongman persona will see the Liberals win back enough territory to claim a future victory. Plus how Vesuvius became a magnet for early adventure tourists.

Bruce Shapiro dives into the latest fault lines in American politics and Dr Shannon Smith recounts the previously untold story of Clive Williams; the Australian preacher, teacher and chiropractor who became one of President Soeharto's closest advisors.

Rachel Withers dishes the latest in Australian politics, and Dr David Lee reveals whether newly released records shed light on how the decision to send Australian troops to Iraq in 2003 came about. Plus, could Joseph Conrad's writing have been heavily influenced by his travels Down Under?

Historians Tony Moore and Hamish Maxwell-Stewart guide us  through Unshackled: a multi media touring exhibition that tells a new and different story about convicts, transportation and colonial Australia. Helen Thomas, in her true crime podcast,  reviews the evidence in the Easey street murders in Melbourne in the late 1970's

Liam Pieper recounts how he was forced into ghost writing and then found his way out again to write books in his own name and Boyd Cothran studied an unremarkable cargo ship, the Edwin Fox, through the lens of microhistory to tell a wider story.

Ian Dunt on the mass exodus of Conservative politicians from Westminster under way and Gideon Levy on the challenges of reporting on the war in Gaza as an Israeli journalist who has been unable to enter Gaza for 16 years.

Amy Remeikis brings all the recycled news from Canberra, including utes and nukes, and Yanis Varoufakis shares his ideas on the economies of Australia and Greece and how Australia should be positioning ourselves in a world of shifting alliances.

This International Women's Day while debate rages about the latest gender pay gap figures, LNL looks back at the women of Australia's history who led the fight for better wages and conditions, writing letters, leading protests and strikes, taking on male-dominated jobs and challenging our governments and our biggest employers to do better.

Bruce Shapiro on US politics, Super Tuesday primaries and Supreme Court deliberations. Also, Peter Goldsworthy's reflections on being told he has cancer.

Former Greens Leader Bob Brown on a life of environmental activism, the role independents might have in the upcoming Tasmanian election, his work in East Timor and Tibet, and why he wants a statue of forgotten Tasmanian opera singer, Amy Sherwin.

Laura Tingle looks at the by-election results in the Victorian seat of Dunkley and how the campaign got so nasty. Plus Phillip chats to the man he calls the son he never had - Matt Noffs - and what can be done to break the cycles of youth crime.

Historian and author of 'The Silk Roads' and 'The Earth Transformed' Peter Frankopan sits down in the studio with Phillip for their fourth and final chat. Plus, we hear about the extraordinary rabble-rousing characters of journalist Polly Toynbee's life.

Jewish-American journalist Nathan Thrall investigates a tragic bus crash in the West Bank, and finds that it reveals much about the restrictions on everyday life for Palestinians living there. Plus Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti is hailed as the West Bank's Nelson Mandela, and the only politician who could bring about democracy and negotiate peace. But he has been imprisoned in Israel for more than twenty years - for murder.

Naomi Smith on the latest headaches for Rishi Sunak after by-election loses and a motion on Gaza causes havoc in the House of Commons. Plus Amitav Ghosh on how the East India company turbo-charged the opium industry and found an infinitely expanding market for opium in China.

Laura Tingle unpacks the big new changes to higher education and Late Night Live alumni Margo Kingston talks about how independents became a force to be reckoned with in Australian politics. Plus, a history of male belly dancing. Yes, you read that right.

Science writer Rebecca Boyle explains why she loves the moon and how it has contributed to humanity's physical and cultural evolution. Guido Alfani looks back on the super wealthy of history and how their responsibilities to society have changed over time.

Radoslaw Markowski explains the many measures being taken in Poland to restore democracy since the election. Ali Al Jenabi and Madeleine Blackwell discuss their new film Damage which explores themes of refuge and refugees.

Joey Watson on his investigation into the ASIO nest of cold war moles. And Caitlin Davies on the real life female super- sleuths of the 19th century.

Laura Tingle on the back-to-the-future border wars, and SMH chief investigative reporter Kate McClymont reflects on on a life investigating crime and corruption.

Lorin Clarke and Phillip Adams share their memories of the brilliant comedian and Lorin's father, John Clarke.

Jennifer Robinson on the latest appeal from Julian Assange against his extradition to the USA, and historian Andrew Pettegree looks back on the long and complicated connections between books and war.

Ian Dunt dissects the latest in UK politics. What's on the agenda for Northern Ireland's new government? And the long history of hitchhiking - from wholesome adventure to real-life horror.

Laura Tingle on the shocking revelations about Home Affairs awarding contracts to companies with suspected links to drugs, firearms and bribery. Plus  professor Caleb Everett on what linguistic diversity can tell us about human culture - as thousands of languages are disappearing.

Christopher Pollon looks back on the dirty history of mining for metals and asks can we do better in the future, as our transition to green energy is dependent on mining metals. And Sugandha Srivastav tells the surprising story of a pioneering solar inventor and his apparent kidnapping that stopped his research in its tracks.

Regina Weiss and Ben Saul explain the finding of the International Court of Justice that there was a plausible risk that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. And we meet Sister Brigid Arthur, a nun who has been supporting refugees and children facing court her whole life.

Bruce Shapiro examines the chance of Donald Trump being disqualified from running for President by the Supreme Court and Peter Greste, Jodie Ginsberg and Jason Rezaian bring their personal experiences to a discussion on the deteriorating state of press freedom and safety for journalists around the globe.

Laura Tingle looks at Nemesis - the Turnbull years, what Yang Hengjun's death sentence could mean for our relationship with China, and whether the Liberals will support the stage three tax cuts. Plus Professor Marcia Langton pays tribute to Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue and reflects on the future for reconciliation.

As prominent Australians call for a détente with China, Satyajit Das looks at whether the so-called BRICS countries could create their own trade network - excluding the US and us. Plus how a Russian migrant became a Cold War ASIO spy.

The revelations about the plans of the far right in Germany and their deep networks prompted more than a million people to take to the streets across the country. A panel discusses  why magazines are enjoying a resurgence in popularity - is it just about digital fatigue or is it more than that?

Ian Dunt on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's battle with Tory rebels, an adventure in stationery and the first treatments psychedelic drugs begin in Australia.

Crikey's political editor Bernard Keane gives us his frank assessment on the Albanese government's changes to the Stage 3 tax cuts. Plus, we hunt for answers to the decades-old mystery of medieval African coins found in Arnhem land.

In his lifetime, ground-breaking historian Henry Reynolds has seen a 360 degree change in the telling of Australian history. Some of the  most important truths about what really happened on the frontier were first focused on by him.  Recorded at the Byron Writers Festival, with additional archival audio later added.

Witold Szabłowski tells the history of Russia through the lens of food and Kassia St Clair recounts the infamous Peking to Paris car race in 1907 and its influence on the fledgling automobile industry.

Bruce Shapiro and James Fallows join Phillip for a discussion about the increasingly lopsided race for the Republican nomination. Plus, respected Russia observers Anatol Lieven and Michael Kimmage have a healthy debate about whether now is the time to start talking about a negotiated agreement to end the war in Ukraine.

Laura Tingle and Sean Kelly discuss the multiple crises facing the federal government and ask whether changes to stage three tax cuts will be pacify a public under stress. Plus the history of politics in the pub in Australia - it's not just about the booze.

Award-winning historian Tom Holland recounts one of the most dazzling chapters in Roman history - the Pax Romana - when the Empire reached the heights of its predatory glory.  Guest: Tom Holland, author of 'Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age'. Co-host of The Rest is History podcast.   This program was originally broadcast in August 10th 2023.

Wendy Harmer has lived a life full of 'firsts' - she was the first female news cadet in an all-male newsroom in Geelong, the first Australian female stand-up comedian and the first female co-host on a commercial radio breakfast program. How did she go from a little girl with a cleft palate growing up in rural Victoria to a household name? She reveals all in this broad-ranging interview with Phillip Adams.  First broadcast 1 November 2023

Simon Winchester takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of how we have shared information: from the book to the library, the encyclopaedia, the internet and now to artificial intelligence.  Originally broadcast on 24 August 2023.

Sarah Ogilvie found a notebook containing the names of all the earliest contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary and so she spent the next 8 years finding all she could about these varied and fascinating characters. Florence Hazrat provides the history of the exclamation mark and why it should be preserved.

America was a land born in paranoia, and that has coloured people's thinking ever since, Colin Dickey argues. And what would Charles Dickens make of the literary tourism trend he has inspired? Lee Jackson joined the Dickens trail.

As well earning him multiple Walkley and Logie awards, the work done by investigative journalist Chris Masters PSM has arguably changed Australia, for the better. He speaks to Phillip Adams about his distinguished career, which culminated in his latest book Flawed Hero: Truth, lies and war crimes.  First broadcast 13 July 2023

In the final episode of our 'Histories of Everything' series, Phillip Adams explores our obsession with words, and how it led to the invention of the index, the encyclopedia and crossword puzzles.

The ability to swim, or not, has always been a social divider and often an indicator of cultural power. But there have been periods and places where those who considered themselves superior chose not to swim. And why it wasn't until the mid-20th century that body hair came to be viewed as unhealthy, even filthy. Guests:  Karen Eva Carr,  Associate Professor (Emerita) in History, Portland State University, Oregon and author of ‘Shifting currents: a world history of swimming’.  (Reaktion Books)  Rebecca Herzig, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and Chair of the Program in Women and Gender Studies at Bates College, Maine.

Wearing it – the stories and meaning of trench coats, pockets, textiles and fabrics

Have you ever wondered about the human need to count, measure and quantify?

When did humanity start drawing borders? Why have nomadic cultures been so maligned? And how do states wield "soft power" through diplomatic gifts?  Guests:  James Crawford, author, The Edge of the Plain Anthony Sattin, author, Nomads: The wanderers who shaped our world Paul Brummell, author, Diplomatic gifts: a history in 50 presents

What are the origins of the handshake? When did smiling become fashionable? And are we hard-wired to laugh? In the first episode of this six part series we look at how social norms evolved through history. Guests:  Ella Al-Shamahi, author of The Handshake: a gripping history (2021) Colin Jones, author of The Smile Revolution In Eighteenth Century Paris (2014) Jonathan Silvertown, author of The Comedy of Error (2020)

In a special summer episode hosted by Sarah Dingle, we examine how we're flushing away one of the earth's most precious resources, and talk to forester Peter Wohlleben about the secret lives and superpowers of trees.

When does a local plate of food become a national dish? Food writer Anya von Bremzen dissects the myths and legends behind the world's most famous dishes. Plus, historian John Simons on the origins of the modern aquarium.

Oxford historian and bestselling author Peter Frankopan joins Phillip Adams for an in-depth discussion about his new book The Earth Transformed: An Untold History, a revelatory look at world history through the lens of climate change.  First broadcast 9 March 2023

Political scientist Sally Young discusses how media power in Australia came to be concentrated in the hands of a few men, and how this influenced politics during the period 1941-1972. First broadcast 13 June 2023.

Andrey Kurkov reflects on the invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing days and weeks. Plus, we meet the 19th century scientists whose experiments with mind-altering drugs gave us modern medicine, psychology and philosophy.  Originally broadcast in May 2023.

In this episode we take a fresh look at Germany's formidable former leader Angela Merkel, and award-winning British author Angela Saini hunts down the roots of male domination and makes some surprising discoveries.  This program was originally broadcast in April 2023.

Meet the colourful collectors whose singular obsession is illuminated manuscripts, and hear the incredible story of the rebels who recorded forbidden music on x-rays in the USSR during the Cold War.    This program was originally broadcast in April 2023.

The Whitlam era saw a great leap forward for women's rights in Australia, driven by Women’s Adviser Elizabeth Reid and a host of female activists, backed by a grass roots movement across the country. Their work is being recognised in a book released to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Reid’s appointment. This episode was originally broadcast on 13 April, 2023.

The 19th of March 2003 marked the beginning of the invasion of Iraq by the United States and the 'Coalition of the Willing'. 20 years on, award-winning Iraqi journalist Ghaith Abdul-Ahad reflects on how the invasion transformed his country; and former Australian diplomat to the Middle East Robert Bowker shares his own memories, and considers Australia's legacy in the Arab world.  This episode was originally broadcast on 03 March 2023.

The Murdoch media mogul that we've come to know is almost unrecognisable from Rupert Murdoch, the youth. Author Walter Marsh discusses the era that shaped young Rupert, the radical who espoused socialism, kept a bust of Lenin in his uni accommodation and then went on to build his empire from 1950s Adelaide. This episode was originally broadcast on 03 August 2023.

Former speechwriter James Fallows pays tribute to the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. Plus, writer Xochitl Gonzalez on New York's unstoppable rats. This program was originally broadcast in March 2023.

Political historian and journalist Chris Wallace investigates how prime ministerial biographies have impacted our leaders throughout Australia's history — for good and ill. This episode was originally broadcast on 09 February 2023.

In a year when wars and the referendum on the voice all worked towards dividing us, there were moments of joy and unity that brought us together as a nation. Our end of year panel digs deep to find them. AJ Lamarque, comedian, writer, producer and host of the Kweens of Comedy Alice Fraser, writer and podcast host of Tea with Alice and The Gargle. Carly Williams, national indigenous correspondent with the ABC and a Quandamooka woman from SE Queensland Jonathan Biggins, writer and performer in The Wharf Review currently showing at the Seymour Centre

To mark International Day Of People With Disability, December 3rd, the ABC is showcasing content featuring people with lived experience of disability. On Late Night Live, we revisit the conversations we had with legally blind writers from either side of the Atlantic, Andrew Leland and Selina Mills.

Trump and war - Bruce Shapiro looks back on the year in US politics. And the woman was not anti-social, but anti the social order: the life of Sydney 'originalist' Bee Miles.

Laura Tingle and Nikki Savva look back on 2023 and give a report card for Canberra Politicians. Jock Given and Virginia Madsen help us celebrate 100 years of Radio National and its transformation from ABC Radio 2 to the present day.

Journalist Adam Welz shares his plea to save what's left of the Earth's magnificent biodiversity, before its too late. And documentarian Mary Haverstick on the mysterious life of Jerrie Cobb - the would-be astronaut who became a spy.

A UNESCO award for the Gunditjmara people of Western Victoria but the campaign for Indigenous people to care for their own country carries on, plus how true are the legends about Roman Emperors?

Ian Dunt reflects on an eventful year in UK politics and looks ahead to the 2024 election. Joseph Sikulu and Wesley Morgan preview COP28 from a Pacific perspective and Zahra Hankir explains why kohl eyeliner has long been a marker for the intersection between beauty and power.

Laura Tingle on the sacking of Mike Pezzullo, and Tanya Plibersek's win on the Murray Darling Basin Plan. And what a close study of oil paintings from the past couple of centuries tells us about colonial, and later, times.

Why focusing on identity groups is the wrong prescription to overcome injustice and build a fairer society. Also, moral philosophy and how love can lead to hope.

Phillip spends an hour revisiting the life of Charlie Chaplin with biographer Scott Eyman, author of Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex and Politics Collided.

Bruce Shapiro asks whether Joe Biden's influence on the Prime Minster of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is waning while Dahlia Scheindlin discusses the political ramifications of the war in Gaza on Netanyahu's future. Historian Jim Haynes recounts the stories of some of the more notorious convicts that were transported to Australia.

Laura Tingle discusses the political fallout from the sonar incident in the South China Sea. Could China help to negotiate a Palestinian peace deal? Plus, what role did the CIA play in the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo.

Richard Flanagan talks with Phillip Adams about his latest book Question Seven which addresses the questions we should be asking as both writers and readers in the nuclear era.

What the huge advances in facial recognition technology mean for privacy. How the ancient city of Alexandria  shaped modern philosophy, science and religion.

'I' news columnist Ian Dunt unpacks the explosive UK cabinet reshuffle, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese talks about the human rights violations occurring on both sides of the Israel-Gaza war and author Yepoka Yeebo reveals the story of one of the 20th century's most unbelievable financial scams.

Laura Tingle on Penny Wong's fine line on Israel-Gaza. And Australian economist Sean Turnell in a long chat about his 650 days of imprisonment in Gaza, and what Myanmar could be like under a democracy.

A century after the British Empire's zenith, historian Matthew Parker discovers a ruling power be-set by debt and doubt, and on the ground, the sounds of shackles being shrugged off.

Scott Simon recounts the chilling story of how Joseph Goebbels used his own swing and jazz band to create musical propaganda during WW2 and Tess Newton-Cain explains why there are so many observers at this years Pacific Islands Forum in Rarotonga.

Bruce Shapiro on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's desperate diplomatic mission to the Middle East. Journalist Vincent Bevins explains why the mass protest movements of the 2010s have largely failed to achieve their ends. And Brett Mason shares the riveting story of when John F. Kennedy was rescued in the Solomon Islands during WWII, with the help of Australian Reg Evans.

Laura Tingle reports on the PM's trip to China, Nic Maclellan reports on the ongoing impacts of 50 years of nuclear testing in the Pacific and Sandy Winterbottom tells the sad history of whaling in the Antarctic, for both the whales and the young whalers.

Analysis of current events to the hottest debates in politics, science, philosophy and culture.

Wendy Harmer has lived a life full of 'firsts' - she was the first female news cadet in an all-male newsroom in Geelong, the first Australian female stand-up comedian and the first female co-host on a commercial radio breakfast program. How did she go from a little girl with a cleft palate growing up in rural Victoria to a household name? She reveals all in this broad-ranging interview with Phillip Adams.

Naomi Smith on the tensions rising in the UK over the war in Gaza, Scott Bennet talks about the threats to the Great Southern Reef by an approaching marine heatwave and Emma O'Kelly tells the steamy history of the sauna.

Laura Tingle analyses PM Albanese's visit to the US, and how Australia is navigating its Israel/Gaza war response. The low profile Atlas Network  has 500 neo-liberal think tanks in its orbit. And the wild story of the anti-avocado militia in provincial Mexico.

American essayist Phil Klay reflects on the realities of the Israel-Gaza conflict, and the broader ethics of US involvements in wars in the past 20 years. And Brisbane-based historical novelist Melissa Ashley, on the ground-breaking German/Dutch artist and insect aficianado, Maria Merian