Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast

After a stunning ascent, Zohran Mamdani is the youngest mayor of New York in more than a century. Mamdani is a fierce critic of Donald Trump, and Trump had endorsed an alternative candidate. But New York wasn't the only anti-Trump election result; Democratic governors were elected in New Jersey and Virginia, and Californian voters approved a measure designed to bolster the number of Democrats in the House. What do all of these results mean for Donald Trump's second presidency?Guest: Bruce Shapiro, Contributing Editor at The Nation and Executive Director of the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma

Elisa de Corsi, a historian and curator specializing in 19th-century colonial Australian photography, discusses the fascinating arrival of the first camera in Australia and the initial public reaction. She highlights the 1845 William Bland daguerreotype as the earliest surviving photograph and shares intriguing details about the lost portraits and their global journey. The conversation also touches on photography's role in documenting Indigenous people and the colonial landscape, and how it served both as a celebration of empire and a tool for surveillance.

Thant Myint U, historian and grandson of U Thant, discusses his grandfather's pivotal role as UN Secretary-General amid Cold War crises. He explores U Thant's transformation from a Burmese teacher to a global diplomat, emphasizing his Buddhist principles that shaped his calm mediation style. Myint U highlights U Thant's critical interventions during the Cuban Missile Crisis and his advocacy for nuclear disarmament. Despite facing challenges, including strained relations over Vietnam, U Thant's vision for a just world remains a legacy worth remembering.

When the CIA was building its new headquarters, they commissioned a statue designed to pay homage to the spy agency. 'Krytpos' was both a sculpture and a mystery: the artwork contains encrypted messages, one of which — known as K4 — has never been decrypted. But just this year, as the artist was preparing to auction the solution, two journalists found K4's answer written in plain English in the Smithsonian archives. But have they really solved the K4 mystery?Guest: Dr Sam Blake, the Australian mathematician and cryptographer who solved the Zodiac Killer cipher Z340Producer: Alex Tighe, Catherine Zengerer

On 10 December, the government's new law banning under-16s from having social media accounts will be enforced. It's a world-first attempt to rein in the power of Big Tech, free kids from their phones, and prevent the harms of social media — but will the law actually achieve its aims?Guest: Cam Wilson is the associate editor of Crikey, where he writes about internet culture and techProducer: Alex Tighe

Pressure is building inside the Liberal party to follow the Nationals' decision to abandon its commitment to net zero carbon emissions. Anna Henderson looks at the political implications for both parties. Guest: Anna Henderson, SBS World News Chief Political Correspondent | National Press Club Director

Aussies love to gamble, whether it’s on the horses, down the pokies, at a fancy casino, or, increasingly, betting on their favourite sports team from the ease of our mobile phones. We love gambling so much we lose around $32 billion every year – more than any other country in the world. There’s long been support for putting the brakes on, but it seems our politicians are more addicted to the money than we are. Guest: Quentin Beresford, Adjunct Professor at Sunshine Coast University and author of 'Hooked - inside the murky world of Australia’s gambling industry', published by NewSouthProducer: Catherine Zengerer

'The genocide in Gaza was not committed in isolation, but as part of a system of global complicity.' That's the conclusion of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese. Her most recent report, “Gaza Genocide: a collective crime”  says that rather than ensuring that Israel respects the basic human rights and self-determination of the Palestinian people, Western states - including Australia - have provided, Israel with military, diplomatic, economic and ideological support, even as it weaponised famine and humanitarian aid. And this means we could be at risk of prosecution. Guest: Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967Producer: Catherine Zengerer

The Pope forgave the man who shot him in the stomach. Erika Kirk forgave the assassin who killed her husband, Charlie. But what, exactly, is forgiveness? When we forgive someone, what exactly are we doing?Guest: Professor Lucy Allais, a philosopher at both the University of the Witwatersrand and Johns Hopkins UniversityProducer: Alex Tighe

Patrick White was Australia's only Nobel Prize-winning author, renowned for novels like Voss, The Tree of Man, and The Vivisector. His work explored spiritual isolation, human cruelty, and the Australian landscape, often drawing from his own privileged but tormented life as a gay, asthmatic outsider. Now a new work has been written reflecting on White's startling use of language and his mythic depiction of the Australian landscape and the people who inhabit it. Guest: Professor Vrasidas Karalis, Sir Nicholas Laurantus Professor of Modern Greek, University of Sydney, author of "On Patrick White's Dilemmas", published by New South Books. Guest: Professor Vrasidas Karalis, Sir Nicholas Laurantus Professor of Modern Greek, University of Sydney