Published by ABC Australia
Incisive analysis, fearless debates and nightly surprises. Explore the serious, the strange and the profound with David Marr. This LNL podcast contains the stories in separate episodes. Subscribe to the full podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Listen on Apple Podcasts14 min
Butterfly populations have been declining since the 1960s. Butterfly collectors are also declining in number, because the practice is discouraged and in some countries illegal. Guest: Emil Leth Beiter, Danish writer and critic. Author of an essay about butterfly collecting for the Los Angeles Review of Books. Forthcoming book about collectors of various things Producer: Ann Arnold
24 min
Nearly ten years after they last collapsed, UN Secretary António Guterres has been in Cyprus, pressing for reunification talks to recommence. Cyprus has been divided between Turkish and Greek Cypriots for over fifty years, with both sides unable to agree on terms for reunification. But the pressure is on to resolve the so-called 'Cypress problem' because the island is becoming an increasingly important strategic location for both NATO and Israel, and resolving how British military bases are to be used is a key sticking point. Guest: Dr. Erol Kaymak, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Eastern Mediterranean University Producer: Catherine Zengerer
15 min
Three years since the defeat of the Voice referendum, Noel Pearson returned to the Garma festival to deliver a blistering speech, which included a proposal to dismantle state Aboriginal affairs departments in favour of Commonwealth oversight. Garma also saw the surprise announcement of a breakaway Land Council, to represent northeast Arnhem Land. Guest: Anna Henderson, chief political correspondent, SBS
54 min
The famous writer Oscar Wilde died alone in a French hotel in 1900. Since that time, so much has been written about the man - much of it rumour and speculation. In his new book, 'After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal', Oscar Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland sets the record straight. The book is thirty years in the making and is an exploration of Wilde’s posthumous reputation and how his imprisonment for homosexuality affected Wilde's family, friends and literary legacy. Guest: Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde's grandson and author, Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal Producer: Ali Benton Originally broadcast in January 2026.
25 min
Sarah Baartman’s body was used by European scientists to promote racist ideas that endured for generations. A new essay in Griffith Review revisits her extraordinary and tragic story — from her exploitation as a colonial spectacle in Europe, to the continuing debates over how she should be remembered today. Guest: Writer, Sisonke Msimang, author, Griffith Review Essay , Defending the dead: The many afterlives of Sarah Baartman Producer: Ali Benton and Ann Arnold
26 min
The Night Wolves are a Kremlin-linked, far-right Russian motorcycle club that has served as a paramilitary proxy and propaganda tool for the Russian state in Europe where they have been sanctioned. They are also operating in Australia, though they have not been outlawed here. But a disinformation expert says they are only one aspect of Russia’s propaganda campaign and their determination to sew discontent in the West. Olga Boichak is a media sociologist who explores how communities can build resilience when digital technologies are weaponised. And she's been tracking Russia's activities in Australia. Guest: Dr Olga Boichak, Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures, University of Sydney. Producer: Catherine Zengerer
18 min
Census night is just two weeks away, and this year, Australians will have the opportunity to answer new questions on sexual orientation and gender. The Census will also allow for further detail on the cultural heritage of survey participants. Demographer Liz Allen explains why these small changes will make a big difference. Guest: Dr Liz Allen, demographer at ANU
17 min
Last month, after a nearly 30-year review, Australia's chemical regulator finally decided that the herbicide paraquat can continue to be used on Australian farms, with new precautions.That's despite bans on the chemical spreading around the world, amid concerns about the health impacts of repeated exposure. Why is Australia so dependent on the controversial weedkiller, and what are the supply chains for pesticides globally? Guest: Sarah Rogers, Associate Professor at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne Producer: Jack Schmidt
15 min
LNL's US correspondent Bruce Shapiro looks at whether the latest pause in hostilities with Iran will lead to any outcome as the mid-terms approach and pressure on President Trump to end the war increases. But with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to arrive in the States for talks, pressure will be coming from Israel to keep pressure on Iran. Plus how will the Democrats recover from the scandal which saw progressive populist Graham Platner step down from the race in Maine? And will Trump's attempts to change the rules around voter registration work? Guest: Bruce Shapiro, contributing editor with The Nation magazine and Director of the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma. Producer: Catherine Zengerer
23 min
It's 100 years since America's fabled highway 'Route 66' was commissioned - the road from Chicago to L.A celebrated in literature and song. But behind the neon-lit diners and sunny road trips, lies a grittier history of danger, death and racism. Guest: Dr Daniel Milowski, historian at Arizona State University, author of 'Route 66 and the Formation of a National Cultural Icon: Mother Road to Mythic American Byway' Producer: Jack Schmidt
21 min
The next great power struggle may not be won on the battlefield, but in semiconductor factories, AI labs and satellite networks. In Bytes and Bullets, Steve Feldstein explores how technology is transforming modern warfare and creating a new global arms race. Guest: Steve Feldstein, Senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program. Author of, Bytes and Bullets: Global Rivalries, Private Tech, and the New Shape of Modern Warfare Producer: Ali Benton
13 min
One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has lost her appeal against a court ruling which found she racially discriminated against Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi. Plus, how did Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emerge from the recent national Labor conference? The conference avoided a debate on Israel-Gaza , after Ed Husic MP failed to secure support to debate an amendment to the Labor platform - to acknowledge a United Nations inquiry that determined Israeli authorities had 'deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide'. Guest: Anna Henderson, SBS World News Chief Political Correspondent | National Press Club Director
22 min
From tearing into the White House to make way for a 650-seat ballroom, to declaring war on modern architecture, Donald Trump is remaking America’s symbols of power, prestige and taste. Architecture critic Paul Goldberger has followed Trump’s rise for more than 40 years. The author of Why Architecture Matters explores what Trump’s buildings reveal about his ambitions, and his vision for America. Guest Paul Goldberger, former architecture critic for The New York Times and The New Yorker, and the author of 'Why Architecture Matters.' Producer Ali Benton
28 min
In 1833, slavery in the British Empire was abolished, but not without a massive compensation scheme paid out to slave owners. Some of that money flowed to colonial Australia. Two-thirds of Australia's colonial governors had links to slavery. That money helped fuel vast pastoral enterprises and build prestigious institutions. A new book examines how our supposedly 'slavery-free' nation was shaped by this money. You can search the UCL Legacies of British Slavery Database here Guest: Zoe Laidlaw, Professor of History at the University of Melbourne, co-editor, with Jane Lydon, of Legacies of British Slavery in Australia and New Zealand (Manchester University Press, 2026) Producer: Ann Arnold
27 min
Until the early 1900s men did their best to keep women out of parliaments around the world. But the social disruptions of the twentieth century, like war, revolutions and the de-colonisation movement, created the opening women needed – and they grasped it with both hands. The trailblazing, and sometimes gun-blazing, women who built democracy around the world were all fierce, all feminists, but not all of them were progressives. Guest: Paula Bartley, historian and author of ' Trailblazers, the first women elected to government ’, published by Polity. Producer: Catherine Zengerer
24 min
One Nation is having the most success it's ever had, but to build on that, it is having to do some rapid re-organising and skill development behind the scenes. Guest: Jordan McSwiney, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy at the University of Canberra. Currently a Top 5 Humanities program participant at the ABC. Author of 'Far Right political parties in Australia: disorganisation and electoral failure' (Routledge, 2024) Producer: Ann Arnold
16 min
Why has means-testing fallen out of favour in Australian public policymaking? The idea of means-testing is to direct government support to those who need it most. Increasingly however, governments are opting for universal spending programs - from energy rebates and EV concessions, to subsidies in childcare and aged care. Professor Robert Breunig asks why, and makes the case for tighter means-testing. Guest: Professor Robert Bruenig, director of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute at the Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU Producer: Jack Schmidt Related reading: Home Truths: The case for rebalancing toward better means testing , Policy Institute Australia (June 2026)
19 min
Journalist Abby Martin and her husband Mike Prysner – a US war veteran - have spent years drawing attention to the wrongdoings of the US military. But when they had kids they turned their attention towards climate change, and just how much pollution the Pentagon is pumping into the planet. The result is their latest film “ Earth’s Greatest Enemy ” and Abby Martin is in Australia for screenings around the country , and to take part in the national IPAN conference happening in Adelaide. The theme of the conference is Time to Break Free From the USA - Cancel AUKUS and the Force Posture Agreement. Guest: Abby Martin, journalist and Director Earth's Greatest Enemy Producer: Catherine Zengerer
14 min
Andy Burnham has become the UK's fifth Prime Minister in five years, promising to reset Labour and end the cycle of political turmoil. His first messages focused on the cost-of-living crisis, homelessness and giving more power to regions. Can his popularity deliver real change? Guest: Naomi Smith, CEO, Best for Britain Producer: Ali Benton
16 min
Today, the site of Hitler's bunker is little more than a car park. But nearby, another former Nazi bunker is facing demolition, reigniting debate over whether places linked to the Third Reich should be preserved as historical warnings or cleared for redevelopment. Guest: Dr Caroline Sharples, Senior Lecturer in history at the University of Roehampton. Author: The Long Death of Adolf Hitler: An Investigative History Producer: Ali Benton