The Sydney funnel web spider is the deadliest spider on earth. Actually, let me correct that. It was, until a new species of the Sydney funnel web was recently discovered.The original wasn’t exactly a species to be toyed with. Just last month, a so-called miracle baby - born from a transplanted uterus - was left in critical condition after being bitten by one. But the new species is - and here I’ll quote our science reporter, Angus Dalton -  “a certified monster.”Today, Angus joins me to discuss how deadly this new funnel web is. And why we don’t know exactly where it is.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exhausted firefighters are making slow progress against three fires raging in Los Angeles. The fires have claimed at least 24 lives and displaced over 100,000 residents.  The world watched on in horror as the elderly were evacuated in wheelchairs against a fiery backdrop, Hollywood’s biggest stars’ mourned their scorched homes on social media, and abandoned cars were bulldozed in a heap to clear roads. But the worst may not be over, with extreme wind conditions forecast over coming days and no sign of significant rainfall.  Today, national environment and climate editor Nick O’Malley on the unique and frightening weather patterns caused by a warming climate, and whether or not Australia is prepared.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, Donald Trump wants to expand the United States - in a big way. But why is he considering seizing Greenland, of all places - and by military force, no less? And why does he want to reclaim the Panama Canal, and absorb Canada?Trump’s comments aren’t just, as one commentator put it, “untethered from international law”. They’ve also angered many world leaders. And made others laugh. One president responded with a troll of her own.Today, North America correspondent Farrah Tomazin, on what this all means, for the next four years. And what the history of American domination over other parts of the globe can teach us.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When opposition leader Peter Dutton proposed nuclear energy reactors on almost every mainland state in June last year, he reignited divisive public debate.  It’s a debate Indigenous Australians are unwillingly at the heart of. A story that starts in the 1950s, when radioactive fallout from bomb tests caused illness among Aboriginal communities that were not adequately protected by the government of the day.  Today, audio producer Julia Carr-Catzel brings us a special edition of The Morning Edition on the resistance in Aboriginal communities to a potential nuclear energy industry in Australia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that this podcast contains names of people who have died.Read the full story on our website: https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/there-s-a-gaping-hole-in-dutton-s-nuclear-plan-he-says-it-s-albanese-s-problem-to-solve-20241113-p5kqe4.html Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Massola, National affairs editor, and Paul Sakkal, federal political correspondent, dive into the evolving landscape of the Greens party in Australia. They discuss the party's hardline stance on international issues and their focus on affordable housing. The pair explore internal controversies and leadership challenges, revealing tensions between radical ideas and mainstream appeal. They also analyze how the Greens are redefining their identity amid scrutiny and potential leadership changes, all while navigating a tricky media narrative.

They’re on opposite sides of one of the world’s most violent political conflicts, representing groups who often express extreme animosity towards each other.  One refers to them as the occupied and the occupier. But what do the Israeli and Palestinian representatives in Australia make of each other? Especially now, when relations between Israel and Australia are if not at an all-time low, then pretty close to it? Today, foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott, on why both men - famously reluctant interviewees - granted him an interview at the same time. And what, 15 months into the war in Gaza, they wish Australians knew.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Zappone, a digital foreign editor, dives into the dramatic political downfall of Justin Trudeau, once hailed as the 'good cop' of North American politics. Zappone examines Trudeau's journey from a champion of progressive values to facing public disapproval amid rising anti-incumbent sentiments. He discusses the potential implications for Canada’s future leaders and how this shift in political values reflects a global trend towards authoritarianism, raising questions about the future of democracy.

If you’ve been reading recent headlines about coffee prices you might be thinking: what fresh hell is this? We’re being told that, by year’s end, a cup of coffee could cost as much as - wait for it - twelve dollars. Today, business reporter Jessica Yun, on why the beverage so many of us rely on to cope with each day could soon become a luxury item.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been living through a housing crisis for so long, that sometimes it feels as though it’s been with us forever. But when did it actually start? And what would it take to make the dream to own your own home once again within reach? For the first time, thanks to newly unlocked cabinet papers from 2004, we now know more about what role former Prime Minister John Howard and his treasurer, Peter Costello, played, in arguably contributing to house prices that have, well, gone insane. Today, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright, on the warning that Howard and Costello were given, but decided not to present to their own cabinet. And what voters should know, ahead of the next federal election.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this insightful discussion, foreign affairs correspondent Matthew Knott, who analyzes Australia's geopolitical strategies, examines the country's recent shift on Palestinian statehood following the Israel-Hamas conflict. Chief political correspondent David Crowe unveils the political ramifications of this change, intertwined with the government's economic agenda. Political commentator Shane Wright also highlights the Australian government's 'Made in Australia' initiative, aiming to bolster local manufacturing and reduce foreign reliance, paving the way for a competitive economic future.