Long Distance Call

The impeachment hearings against President Trump have begun in Washington.

Geraldine appeared on the ABC's Drum program on Thursday alongside Australia's former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. Mr Downer - who played a small but important role in the scandal surrounding Mr Trump - believes the Republican party will stand by their embattled President even if they don't like him.

Eliza thinks the surging US economy will make people inclined to vote for the incumbent.

The conversation then shifted to Australia's opposition leader Anthony Albanese, podcasting and the deteriorating situation in Lebanon.

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Alexander Downer and George Papadopoulos

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/us/politics/how-fbi-russia-investigation-began-george-papadopoulos.html

Nikki Haley on the impeachment process

The NYT Daily podcast on polling in America

Lech Blaine in the Monthly

James Button on Anthony Albanese

7AM podcast

The latest from Lebanon

How long can the protest movement hold on in Lebanon?

The short answer is no-one knows.

The appetite for political change remains strong. But Eliza also detects a lethargy amongst ordinary Beirutis whose lives have been thrown into chaos.

Small businesses are starting to haemorrhage money and people are worried about losing their jobs.

At the same time, nornality is returning. Some schools are opening and most of the city's roads are accesible.

Also this week, Geraldine speaks about Royal Commission fatigue.

And both women celebrate the "Buy From the Bush" online initiative connecting rural retailers with city buyers. This terrific project was founded by Eliza's school friend Grace Brennan who lives with her family on a property in western New South Wales.

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Jacarandas in full bloom in Kirribilli

Barak Obama takes on "woke" call-out culture

Buy From The Bush - founded by Grace Brennan

Fleishman's in Trouble

Eliza speaks to Sarah Macdonald on the ABC's Nightlife program with the latest from Lebanon.

Eliza goes back to the streets to hear from protesters in Beirut.

Protests roll on in Lebanon against a Government seen as corrupt and out of touch.

On Monday the Prime Minister agreed to a series of concessions including withdrawing new taxes and halving politician's salaries.

But will it be enough to take the people off the streets?

It's too early to tell. Eliza thinks the Government will probably hold on but the political class has been shocked by the spontaneous protests.

Also on this episode, Geraldine renovates her kitchen.

And the best books of the 21st century.

Join the conversation at the "Long Distance Callers" Facebook page or email us at [email protected]

Ross Douthat on Trump in NYT

The Eulogy Documentary

20 Best Australian Books of the 21st Century

"She Said" Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey

Geraldine interviews Jodi Kantor about "She Said"

"Catch & Kill" Ronan Farrow

Yalla!

Huge numbers of Beirutis joined protests on Sunday night calling for the resignation of the Government.

Thousands more gathered in regional capitals around Lebanon.

For this special episode of LDC, Eliza joined the protests and asked people why they were rallying for change.

It's been a bloody & upsetting week in the Middle East.

Just over a week ago President Trump allowed Turkish President Erdogan to invade north-eastern Turkey, abandoning their protection of the Kurds. Scores of Kurds have been killed, as well as some Turks and as many as one hundred thousand people are displaced.

The Syrian Kurds have now signed a deal with President Assad in Damascus. It marks a historic moment in the Syrian civil war.

Geraldine and Eliza discuss the events of the week and what it means for the future. They also unpick Russia's role in the crisis and the new power bloc in the region.

Also, Geraldine is feeling overwhelmed by her various devices and Eliza is trying to find time in the day for homework.

Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at [email protected]

Apologies about Eliza's poor audio this week, it seems the microphone wasn't working and sound recorded through her phone.

Eliza has been so busy preparing for her daughter's 3rd birthday that she's stopped reading fiction books.

But she's determined to pick it up again as a way to stop the endless checking of her phone.

It turns out she's not alone. A recent article in the Guardian Newspaper sparked a conversation about how our phones are stopping our reflexive instinct to read books.

The former ABC Managing Director, Mark Scott, told Geraldine years ago that he read fiction to "slow the frantic pace". It's a sentiment many of us can relate to.

This week, Eliza and Geraldine also discuss American politics and the consequence of the Obama presidency.

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The Lebanese PM & a Sth African bikini model

The Loudest Voice

Gabriel Sherman: The Loudest Voice in the Room

Primary Colours movie

Becoming: Michelle Obama

The Internet Broke My Attention Span - Josephine Tovey

Karl Ove Knausgaard

Eliza’s back from England where she watched Boris Johnson stagger from one crisis to another.

She says the new British prime minister is quickly losing his authority within his own party.

But as Eliza lands back in Beirut, there’s a bigger crisis erupting on the other side of the Atlantic. A complaint by a whistleblower has revealed that US president Donald Trump urged Ukraine’s president to investigate his political rival, Joe Biden. Trump’s in trouble: It’s illegal in the US to solicit a foreign nation to interfere in an election and unlike the Russia investigation, Trump’s not denying that he did so. He could eventually face impeachment hearings.

Geraldine says the Democrats must work hard to explain to Americans why Trump’s behaviour is wrong and why it’s important that he be held to account.

The impeachment inquiry is being driven by Nancy Pelosi, who is hard to like but who cares? She’s powerful and effective and is taking on the most powerful man in the world.

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Sir Lynton Crosby moves to Hong Kong

Nancy Pelosi profile

Tony Shepherd on GWS in the Grand Final

This is a special edition of LDC. Join us for the first episode of Long Distance Bookclub.

"Live a Little" is a sharp, funny and sometimes bleak novel about looking back at life as death nears.

Geraldine loves Jacobson's writing and is giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Eliza enjoyed the book without loving it and is giving it three and a half out of 5.

Let us know what you think at the Facebook page "Long Distance Callers" or email us at [email protected]

Live a Little - Howard Jacobson

Guardian review

The Independent