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New details have emerged in the divorce of Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall.

After speculation their marriage ended over everything from smoking and drinking to Hall controlling how much Murdoch could see of his adult children, it is now clear that the real disagreement was over the division of the $71 billion deal to sell his film and television interest to Disney.

Today, Paddy Manning, contributor to The Saturday Paper and author of a forthcoming biography on Lachlan Murdoch, on the true story of the Murdoch divorce.

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Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper and Lachlan Murdoch biographer Paddy Manning.

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The rise of Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison was seen as a triumph for a special kind of opportunistic populism. Much was written about what their success meant for democracy. So what does their decline mean?

Was the repudiation about their politics - or about a world in crisis? Today, social researcher and contributor to The Saturday Paper Rebecca Huntley on the fall of the so-called strongman and what’s next for right-wing populism.

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Guest: Social researcher and contributor to The Saturday Paper Rebecca Huntley.

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Today, author Don Watson will be reading his cover piece from the latest issue of The Monthly.

It's called 'How to be a prime minister', and in it he discusses the task ahead for Anthony Albanese. How will the new leader restore the idea that governments should seek to make the country better?

Guest: Contributor to The Monthly Don Watson

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This week, Tony Abbott re-emerged in a string of radio and television interviews. Some Liberals speculate it is part of a push he is making to become president of the NSW Liberal Party. 

In the course of this, Abbott has also become a surprise backer of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s foreign policy. Another big week of international meetings was met with applause by a former prime minister better known for tearing down Labor leaders.  

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on what Tony Abbott did next.

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Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper, Paul Bongiorno.

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At its worst, long Covid can lead to complete debilitation. It can cause fatigue and an inability to complete basic tasks.

But understanding the cause and the cure for the illness has been a challenge for scientists. 

This challenge becomes more urgent as case numbers rise. 

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Bianca Nogrady on the people living with long Covid.

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Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper Bianca Nogrady

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Hillsong is in crisis. More and more people are leaving. But what happens after someone leaves the church? And what does it tell us about how the church operates?

Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Tanya Levin on why former Hillsong members are increasingly reporting that they suffer PTSD and what’s known as religious trauma syndrome.

Guest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper Tanya Levin

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Late last week, the attorney-general dropped charges against whistleblower Bernard Collaery. It was a sensational development in a case that has outraged many.

But Collaery is not the only whistleblower on trial for revealing shocking misconduct by the government, the public service, or the army. What’s next for those cases?

Today, lawyer and contributor to The Saturday Paper Kieran Pender on the people still facing prison for telling the truth.

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Guest: Lawyer and contributor to The Saturday Paper Kieran Pender

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Boris Johnson has announced he will resign as Prime Minister of the UK.

He once delivered his party historic victories, but now he is being called a risk to the United Kingdom and an existential threat to the existence of the Conservative party — by some of his own colleagues.

So how did one man do so much political damage?

Today, World Editor of The Saturday Paper, Jonathan Pearlman on Boris Johnson’s incredibly predictable downfall.

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Anthony Albanese returned from Europe this week to several crises sweeping the country.

Floods have devastated communities on the east coast, and now two new subvariants of Omicron have health authorities warning another wave of Covid-19 infections is only ramping up.

Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Chris Wallace on the end of Anthony Albanese’s honeymoon and the urgent work ahead for the new government.

Guest: Columnist for The Saturday Paper Chris Wallace.

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NASA’s latest mission to Mars has the explicit aim of discovering whether or not there has been life on the red planet.

It’s led by the first Australian and the first woman to lead such a major mission for NASA, astrobiologist Abigail Allwood. 

So what are scientists uncovering and are we closer than ever before to discovering evidence of life on Mars?

Today, contributor to The Monthly Will Higginbotham on the Australian leading NASA’s search for life on Mars, and what she is discovering. 

Guest: Journalist Will Higginbotham.

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