As Trump and his officials look at invoking the Insurrection Act, the administration is using the ongoing government shutdown to lay off workers and consolidate power.

On this episode of After America, Elizabeth Pancotti, economic policy specialist and former advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss the US government shutdown and how the Trump administration is using it to further consolidate power.

This discussion was recorded on Friday 10 October 2025.

Tickets for America Unravelling, featuring Emma Shortis and Don Watson, on Sunday 19 October at the Queenscliffe Literary Festival are available online.

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via Australia Institute Press.

Guest: Elizabeth Pancotti, Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy, Groundwork Collaborative // @ENPancotti

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis

Show notes:

Trump administration officials seriously discussing invoking Insurrection Act, sources say, NBC News (October 2025)

Our PBS is a national treasure, not an international trade barrier, the Australia Institute (April 2025)

American Consumers Sour on Trump’s Economy as Health Care Costs Climb, Groundwork Collaborative (October 2025)

An Economy on Ice as Americans Prepare for a Health Care Price Fright, Groundwork Collaborative (October 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After several failed attempts at brokering a ceasefire, President Donald Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced a 20-point peace plan for Gaza.

On this episode of After America, Antoun Issa joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss the prospects for a deal that did not include Palestinians in the negotiating process. They also discuss the role of the United States in the Middle East, how power works in foreign policy, and opening up space for a bigger discussion about foreign policy here in Australia.

This episode was recorded on Friday 3 October.

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via Australia Institute Press.

Guest: Antoun Issa, Founder, DeepCut // @antounissa

Host: Emma Shortis, Director of International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis

Show notes:

Beyond the Two-State Solution: Policy responses to the Destruction of Palestine and the Insecurity of Israel, the Australia Institute (February 2025)

Australians overwhelmingly back sanctions on Israel, new poll finds by Alex McKinnon, DeepCut (October 2025)

Tony Blair Should Be on Trial for War Crimes, Not Running Gaza by Mehdi Hasan, Zeteo (October 2025)

Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission finds, United Nations Commission for Human Rights (September 2025)

Skewering History: the odious politics of counting Gaza’s dead by Richard Hil and Gideon Polya, Arena (July 2025)

The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama’s Foreign-Policy Guru: How Ben Rhodes rewrote the rules of diplomacy for the digital age by David Samuels, New York Times Magazine (May 2016)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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As Trump takes a sledgehammer to American democracy, Australia’s leader snagged a selfie – and a one-on-one meeting in October. How that will go is anyone’s guess. 

On this episode of After America, Charlie Lewis joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss the apparent obsession of Anthony Albanese’s opponents with that bilateral meeting, the transformation of the Republican Party under Trump, and how Australia’s political landscape is being influenced by MAGA.  

This episode was recorded on Thursday 25 September. 

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via the Australia Institute website. 

Guest: Charlie Lewis, reporter-at-large, Crikey // @theshufflediary 

Host: Emma Shortis, Director of International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis 

Show notes: 

Welcome to the new McCarthyism by Charlie Lewis, Crikey (September 2025) 

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions 

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. 

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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After a rocky week for Australian diplomacy, Prime Minister Albanese is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly...and maybe, just maybe, a meeting with President Trump.

On this episode of After America, Allan Behm joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss the MAGA movement’s weaponisation of Charlie Kirk’s murder, why no Trump meeting might be the best outcome for Anthony Albanese, formal recognition of Palestine, and Australia’s disastrous fortnight of Pacific diplomacy.

This episode was recorded on Monday 22 September.

‘Save Tuvalu, Save the World’ is our September Politics in the Pub – join us at 6.30pm on Wednesday 24 September live in Canberra or via the livestream.

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via the Australia Institute website.

Guest: Allan Behm, Special Advisor in International Affairs, the Australia Institute

Host: Emma Shortis, Director of International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis

Show notes:

Jimmy Kimmel’s cancellation is the latest sign we’re witnessing the end of US democracy by Emma Shortis, The Conversation (September 2025)

Australia’s failure of diplomacy in PNG shows we can’t – and won’t – understand our Pacific neighbours by Allan Behm, Guardian Australia (September 2025)

Anote Tong & Dr Monique Ryan MP | Melbourne, the Australia Institute on YouTube (March 2024)

Rt Hon Enele Sopoaga PC - Keynote | Climate Integrity Summit 2024, The Australia Institute on YouTube (March 2024)

Is Australia REALLY choosing to help our Pacific neighbours? The Australia Institute on YouTube (August 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Instead of trying bring Americans together after the latest act of political violence, the Trump administration is fanning the flames of division.

On this episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis and Angus Blackman discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Elon Musk’s latest foray into global far-right politics, and the devastating impact of Robert F Kennedy Jr’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda.

This episode was recorded on Monday 15 September.

After America: Australia and the new world order by Emma Shortis and Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss are available now via the Australia Institute website.

Host: Emma Shortis, Director of International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis

Host: Angus Blackman, Producer, the Australia Institute // @AngusRB

Show notes:

Charlie Kirk Didn’t Shy Away From Who He Was. We Shouldn’t Either by Jamelle Bouie, The New York Times (September 2025)

On the Mindless Menace of Violence, Robert F. Kennedy (1968)

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s impact on Americans' health, Fresh Air, NPR (September 2025)

RFK Jr. says COVID may have been ‘ethnically targeted’ to spare Jews by Jon Levine, New York Post (July 2023)

RFK Jr. says he's "not familiar" with all health program cuts in exclusive interview, CBS News (April 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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Senior leaders from the Ukrainian Red Cross join us to discuss how international standards in armed conflict are being “compromised”.

On this episode of After America, Maskym Dotsenko and Illya Kletskovskyy, the Director General and Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Red Cross, join Allan Behm to discuss the impact of the Russian invasion on Ukrainians, the role of Red Cross in armed conflict, and the importance of international humanitarian law in saving lives and reducing suffering.

This episode was recorded on Thursday 4 September.

After America: Australia and the new world order by Emma Shortis and Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss are available now via the Australia Institute website.

Guest: Maskym Dotsenko, Director General, Ukrainian Red Cross Society // @MaksymDotsenko

Guest: Illya Kletskovskyy, Deputy Director General, Ukrainian Red Cross Society

Host: Allan Behm, Special Advisor, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute

Host: Angus Blackman, Producer, the Australia Institute // @AngusRB

Show notes:

War Crimes: Where do Responsibility and Accountability Start and End? by Allan Behm, the Australia Institute (May 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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Trump is behaving like “an emperor”, enabled by insufficient checks and balances on the power of the Oval Office.

On this episode of After America, Professor Elizabeth Saunders from Columbia University joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss the extreme volatility of this administration’s foreign policy and how Trump is breaking down the guardrails of American democracy.

This episode was recorded on Thursday 28 August.

You can sign our petition calling on the Australian Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS.

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via the Australia Institute website.

Guest: Elizabeth N Saunders, Professor of Political Science, Columbia University // @profsaunders

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis

Show notes:

‘Imperial President at Home, Emperor Abroad’ by Elizabeth Saunders, Foreign Affairs (June 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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An imperial revival is occurring under the second Trump presidency.

On this episode of After America, Allan Behm joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss Trump’s deployment of federal authorities to Democrat-voting jurisdictions, land grabs by the Russian and Israeli governments, and what a collapse of American democracy might mean for Australia.

This episode was recorded on Friday 22 August.

You can sign our petition calling on the Australian Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS.

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via the Australia Institute website.

Guest: Allan Behm, Special Advisor, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis

Show notes:

Beyond the Two-State Solution: Policy responses to the Destruction of Palestine and the Insecurity of Israel by Emma Shortis, Allan Behm and Bob Bowker, The Australia Institute (February 2025)

Australia must resist US bullying to increase military spending by Allan Behm, Guardian Australia (June 2025)

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected].

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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US President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. But did he get played again? 

On this episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis joins Angus Blackman to discuss the fallout from Trump’s meeting with Putin, the Australian government’s commitment to recognising Palestinian statehood, and the not-super-encouraging prospects for American democracy as Trump sics the National Guard on Washington, D.C. 

This episode was recorded on Monday 18 August.  

You can sign our petition calling on the Australian Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS. 

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via the Australia Institute website. 

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis 

Host: Angus Blackman, Producer, the Australia Institute // @angusrb 

Show notes: 

Beyond the Two-State Solution: Policy responses to the Destruction of Palestine and the Insecurity of Israel by Emma Shortis, Allan Behm and Bob Bowker, The Australia Institute (February 2025) 

Australia to recognise Palestinian state, Prime Minister of Australia (August 2025) 

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions 

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. 

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

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“Probably not...” 

On this episode of After America, Dr Emma Shortis and Angus Blackman discuss how Trump is normalising the idea that he might not leave the White House once his second term is up. Then, Helen Haines MP, independent member for Indi, joins Emma to discuss her community’s concerns about Israel’s actions in Gaza and the growing push for more transparency and accountability in Australian foreign policy. 

Emma's discussion with Helen was recorded on Tuesday 29 July. Her discussion with Angus was recorded on Thursday 7 August. 

After America will be back on Tuesday 19 August. 

You can sign our petition calling on the Australian Government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS. 

Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available for pre-order now via the Australia Institute website. 

Guest: Helen Haines MP, Independent Member for Indi // @‪helenhainesindi 

Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis 

Host: Angus Blackman, Producer, the Australia Institute // @angusrb 

Show notes: 

Watch CNBC's full interview with President Donald Trump, CNBC on YouTube (August 2025) 

What does Texas redrawing its voting maps mean and why have Democrats left the state? Explained, The Guardian (August 2025) 

RFK Jr. is incredibly dangerous, Jamelle Bouie on YouTube (May 2025) 

Polling – AUKUS, the Australia Institute (June 2025) 

Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions 

We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to [email protected]. 

Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.