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Tens of thousands of athletes and officials are about to descend on Tokyo as the city prepares to host the 32nd Olympic games.  But with Covid-19 cases surging in Japan, health experts and the majority of the Japanese public are opposed to the event being held at all.  So, why are the Olympic Games going ahead?  Today, sports writer Kieran Pender on the institution, and the vested interests, behin...

YouTuber Friendlyjordies has built up a significant audience in recent years through his pointed and acerbic political videos.  But he’s also attracted controversy, with the deputy Premier of NSW suing him for defamation.  Now, one of the comedian’s producers has been arrested by a controversial police unit established to explicitly focus on ideological extremists.  Today, senior reporter for The...

Recent breakthroughs in science and medicine have demonstrated that we may be much closer to being able to artificially grow and replace human organs than ever before.  But, those developments are also challenging long established ethical guidelines around the use of embryos, or embryo-like cells. Today, science writer and contributor to The Monthly Elizabeth Finkel on the latest scientific breakt...

The Underground Railroad, a new series on Amazon Prime, is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead.  It's directed by Barry Jenkins, who also directed the 2016 Best Picture winner Moonlight and the follow up, If Beale Street Could Talk.  The show is one of the most gripping, powerful and visceral series out this year, and it’s an opportunity to explore what p...

As the leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies gathered to discuss climate change, and pledged further action, the Australian government chose to reiterate its commitment to fossil fuels. With Prime Minister Scott Morrison out of the country the Nationals leader Michael McCormack used the spotlight to take a swipe at renewable energy advocates and talk up coal. Today, contributing editor to...

The QAnon conspiracy theory, focused on a belief in the existence of a Satanic child sexual abuse ring, has been collecting followers worldwide.  Here in Australia one of its adherents is a man called Tim Stewart, who also happens to be a long-time friend of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.  Now, questions are being asked about Tim Stewart’s influence on the Prime Minister.  Today, contributor to Th...

Australia’s health care system is facing unprecedented amounts of pressure. Our public health systems have been cut back for decades, and now the private system is facing a death spiral… with younger Australians opting out of increasingly pricey insurance options. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on why some health experts are worried that Australia’s health care system is...

Speaking from a hospital in Perth, Priya Murugappan details her daughter’s sickness and her family’s struggle in detention. More than three years after they were taken from their home in Biloela, the Tamil family just want to be settled. Medical records show their children are deficient in Vitamin D and have psychological issues related to being locked up.   Guest: Writer for The Saturday Paper Re...

Hip-hop is the biggest musical genre in the world right now, and one of the fastest growing locally, but in Australia it still feels like it hasn’t quite broken through and dominated the mainstream yet, in the way it has overseas - especially in the US and UK.  Acts like the Hilltop Hoods and Bliss n Eso helped popularise Australian hip-hop in the mid-2000s, but while they were achieving commercia...

This week, Scott Morrison announced Australia’s involvement in a massive organised crime sting coordinated by the FBI. He pushed for greater security powers, but some observers believe what he really wants is a distraction from bad news and poor polling.   Guest: Contributing editor for The Monthly Rachel Withers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. See omnystudio.com/listen...

After 20 years of war, Australia gave three days’ notice before closing its embassy in Kabul. The dramatic end expresses how unsafe Afghanistan still is and how little the conflict achieved. But the decision also leaves hundreds of local staff vulnerable to retaliation by the Taliban.    Guest: Chief political correspondent for The Saturday Paper Karen Middleton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy...

A further outbreak of Covid-19 in Victorian aged-care homes was not just a possibility: it was almost a given. Even before a vaccine was available, the federal government ended the support payment intended to stop casual staff working across multiple sites. That is exactly how the virus spread.   Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-o...

Christian Porter’s decision to settle his defamation suit against the ABC is the end of one battle. But the former attorney-general, accused of a historic rape he strenuously denies, is still fighting on at least two other fronts. Mike Seccombe on how the so-called ‘Defamation trial of the century’ ended - and what happens next.   Guest: National correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe....

Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been detained by the Chinese government since 2019. He’s been charged with espionage offences, but the exact nature of what he’s accused of has never been revealed. He’s now awaiting the verdict of a secret trial held a few weeks ago, with the death penalty one possibility.  Linda Jaivin is a former China correspondent and the author of ‘The Shortest History of C...

Olivia Rodrigo’s hit single ‘driver’s license’ is undeniably the biggest song of 2021 so far. Now the actor turned singer-songwriter has released her debut album ‘Sour’, which has broken streaming and chart records. But who is Olivia Rodrigo and why has a teenage girl’s break-up album resonated with so many people of all ages? This week on The Culture we explore what her enormous success says abou...

Today, Sarah Krasnostein, the best-selling author of ‘The Trauma Cleaner’, reads her essay from the latest issue of The Monthly .  It’s called ‘The most hated man’ and it explores the sentencing of Richard Pusey, who was convicted of outraging public decency after he filmed the horrific aftermath of a car crash that killed four police officers.   Guest: Writer for The Saturday Paper Sarah Krasnost...

For the past week the federal government has been locked in a tussle with Victoria over who is responsible for financially supporting those suffering the economic consequences of another lockdown. Scott Morrison and his ministers have tried to shift the responsibility onto their state counterparts, but grudgingly gave ground on Thursday, acknowledging they did have a role to play. Today, columnist...

Yesterday, Victorians were told the state’s seven day ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown would be extended for another week, as health authorities race to contain the latest Covid-19 outbreak.  It’s the fourth lockdown in the state since the start of the pandemic, and now questions are being asked about why Victoria in particular seems so susceptible to the spread of the virus.  Today, health columnist at...

Last month, under the cover of the federal budget, the Coalition government rushed through new laws legalising the indefinite detention of refugees. Australia’s embrace of indefinite detention puts us at odds with international law, and it’s led to condemnation from human rights groups. Today, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper Mike Seccombe on how Australia got to this point, and what...

As Covid-19 case numbers in Victoria continue to rise, attention has turned to the slow pace of the vaccine rollout, and the question of whether or not more vaccinations could have stopped this outbreak. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton on where the rollout went wrong and what the consequences have been. Guest: Senior reporter for The Saturday Paper Rick Morton. See acast....

For years, advocates against sexual assault have been pushing for law reform, particularly on the issue of consent.  Now - they’ve had a win, with the NSW Attorney General announcing sweeping changes, which go even further than what was recommended by an independent inquiry. Today, writer for The Saturday Paper Bri Lee on what the changes mean, and the politician leading the charge.  Guest: Writer...

Whether it’s podcasts like ‘Serial’ or ‘The Teacher’s Pet’, Netflix documentaries like ‘Making a Murderer’ or ‘Tiger King’, true crime is absolutely dominant.  But what does our obsession with these stories say about us, and our perception of the world we live in? And with institutions like the police and the media under increasing scrutiny from the public, is it time for a genre like true crime t...

Victoria has been plunged back into lockdown, the state’s fourth since the start of the pandemic. But this time there’s one big difference: vaccines that were supposed to help keep us safe and avoid outbreaks like this are now available, but in Australia take up has been slow. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on how Victoria entered lockdown and who shoulders the blame. Guest...

The federal budget promised $3.2 billion dollars to be spent on policies that improve the lives of Australian women.  But, despite that pledge, a critical front line service that supports women being discriminated against at work has lost much of its funding, and now faces closure.  Today, Royce Kurmelovs on the future of the Working Women’s Centres.    Guest: Writer for The Saturday Paper Royce K...

It’s been two years since former Opposition Leader Bill Shorten lost the federal election, and then the Labor leadership. Now, as the major parties gear up for an impending federal election, which could be held this year, questions are being asked about whether Shorten’s replacement Anthony Albanese is capable of securing Labor victory. Today, writer for The Saturday Paper Chris Wallace on Labor’s...