Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

The last letters of WWII French resistance fighters, before their executions, became important for French morale-boosting and Allied propaganda. The letters themselves show us people reckoning with what’s important. Guest: Daniel Brunstetter, Professor of political science at the University of California, Irvine, working on a book called ‘The Last Letter: Intimate Farewell, Weapon of the French Resistance, Memorial Battleground’ Producer: Ann Arnold

A new Netflix documentary investigates the evangelical forces behind Jair Bolsanaro in Brazil, and how the seeds of the movement were planted in the 1970s by American televangelist Billy Graham. The film traces the extraordinary political power of the preacher Silas Malafaia, his deep relationship with Bolsanaro, and the havoc they created during the Covid-19 pandemic, when 700,000 people died. Guest: Petra Costa, Director Apocalypse in the TropicsProducer: Catherine Zengerer

Acclaimed US journalists and podcast collaborators with The Atlantic Hanna Rosin and Lauren Ober join David Marr in-studio to discuss the MAGA women who love Trump, the state of the media in post-insurrection America, and the importance of complex human storytelling in journalism. Guests: Hanna Rosin and Lauren Ober, co-hosts of the podcast We Live Here Now. Hanna is also Senior Editor at the Atlantic and host of Radio Atlantic Producer: Catherine Zengerer

Australia's wild deer population is on the rise, but the management of this introduced species remains a vexed issue. In Tasmania and Victoria, deer continues to be classified as a game resource for hunting, rather than a feral pest. An estimated 1-2 million deer now inhabit Australia - and reducing those numbers is both a practical, and political challenge. Guest: Professor Mike Letnic, applied ecologist and conservation biologist, UNSWProducer: Jack Schmidt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is coming under increasing pressure to take a stronger stance on the atrocities unfolding in Gaza. It has take the Egyptian leader months to condemn Israel's actions and he has held firm to the view that Egypt “will not be a gateway for the displacement of the Palestinian people”.  A $USD35 billion gas deal with Israel may hold some clues to the complicated relationship between the two countries. GUEST: Farid Y. Farid, AAP journalist formerly based in Egypt with AFP. PRODUCER: Catherine Zengerer

Trump is taking over the police force of Washington, DC — why?  Plus, the battle over electoral distributions in Texas.Guest: Bruce Shapiro, Contributing Editor for The Nation, and Executive Director of the Global Center for Journalism and TraumaProducer: Jack Schmidt

Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, joining the UK, France and Canada. The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says a two-state solution is ‘humanity’s best hope’ to end suffering in Gaza. GUEST: Irris Makler, journalist, author, Jerusalem correspondent.

A groundbreaking book collates all that is known about Tasmania's first inhabitants, back to 40,000 years ago, by surveying contemporary scientific evidence, and re-interpreting colonial records.  It also offers insights into ancient peoples on the mainland and elsewhere. Guest: Shayne Breen, historian who has worked with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community for over 30 years. Author of ‘First Tasmanians: a deep history’ (Miegunyah Press/MUP) Producer: Ann Arnold

100 years ago Adolf Hitler wrote Mein Kampf in prison. It would become compulsory reading in Germany, and millions of copies sold around the world. On its centenary, the acclaimed journalist and author John Kampfner re-examines the book, its years of suppression in Germany, and its ongoing survival in the worst corners of the internet in a new documentary for the BBC. GUEST: John Kampfner, award-winning author, columnist and foreign affairs specialist. His article for The Independent is herePRODUCERS: Ali Benton and Jack Schmidt 

Satyajit Das, a former banker and author, dives deep into the U.S. national debt crisis exceeding $36 trillion. He discusses the ramifications of President Trump's proposed tariffs and questions their effectiveness in reducing debt. Historical perspectives on borrowing highlight the urgency of economic restructuring. Das critiques the U.S.'s aggressive international negotiation tactics, drawing parallels to historical tribute demands. He also explores the complexities of new tax strategies and their potential impact on economic stability amidst rising inflation.