We’re bringing you the best episodes of 2025 before your Morning Edition team returns mid-January.

It was another big year for the human headline that was U.S President Donald Trump, and political and international editor Peter Hartcher was an essential listen each week on our podcast as we tried to make sense of it all.

This episode was recorded in May, just as Trump was poised to introduce what he called his ‘big beautiful bill’, which was predicted to tip government debt over the one trillion mark.

What did it matter? Because, Hartcher argues, these figures point to an empire in decline. 

Hartcher explores what it would mean if the United States ceased to be a great power, and what it would take to bring America back from the brink. 

We&rsquo;re bringing you the best episodes of 2025 before your Morning Edition team returns mid-January.
It was another big year for the human headline that was U.S President Donald Trump, and political and international editor Peter Hartcher was an essential listen each week on our podcast as we tried to make sense of it all.
This episode was recorded in May, just as Trump was poised to introduce what he called his &lsquo;big beautiful bill&rsquo;, which was predicted to tip government debt over the one trillion mark.
What did it matter? Because, Hartcher argues, these figures point to an empire in decline.&nbsp;
Hartcher explores what it would mean if the United States ceased to be a great power, and what it would take to bring America back from the brink.&nbsp;

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

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New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series. 

New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series.&nbsp;

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The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

Best of 2025: Is this the beginning of the end of the American empire?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/c19937ac-278c-4536-9253-b3b7009a4b53/transcript

The Coalition is in disarray after the resignation of three Nationals frontbenchers on Wednesday. The senators, including Bridget McKenzie, breached shadow cabinet solidarity when they voted against Labor’s hate-crime laws.

By Wednesday night, after we recorded this episode, Nationals leader David Littleproud and all the party's frontbenchers joined the three rebel MPs and quit their positions.

Now, the spotlight is back on Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s authority as the Coalition is again split on a key policy issue, having already briefly broken up earlier this term. That is no doubt much to the relief of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has faced a backlash for rushing the bills through parliament without enough time for proper scrutiny. 

Today, federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos speaks on the rocky first few parliamentary days of the year.

The Coalition is in disarray after the resignation of three Nationals frontbenchers on Wednesday. The senators, including Bridget McKenzie, breached shadow cabinet solidarity when they voted against Labor&rsquo;s hate-crime laws.
By Wednesday night, after we recorded this episode, Nationals leader David Littleproud and all the party's frontbenchers joined the three rebel MPs and quit their positions.
Now, the spotlight is back on Opposition Leader Sussan Ley&rsquo;s authority as the Coalition is again split on a key policy issue, having already briefly broken up earlier this term. That is no doubt much to the relief of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has faced a backlash for rushing the bills through parliament without enough time for proper scrutiny.&nbsp; Today, federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos speaks on the rocky first few parliamentary days of the year.

Coalition splits – again – over hate speech laws

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/09004398-3698-44d5-8138-b3d9004db3bb/transcript

Ronald Reagan’s presidency of the 1980s is known as the ‘Reagan Revolution’, while Franklin D Roosevelt - the only president who has served for more than two terms -  is known for his reformist agenda.

So, now that it’s officially a year on from Donald Trump’s inauguration, for a second time, how does the scale of what he has upended and changed compare?

Today North American correspondent Michael Koziol on the deliberate chaos of the Trump presidency, and whether he is likely to toss aside legalities and run for a third term.

Ronald Reagan&rsquo;s presidency of the 1980s is known as the &lsquo;Reagan Revolution&rsquo;, while Franklin D Roosevelt - the only president who has served for more than two terms -&nbsp; is known for his reformist agenda. So, now that it&rsquo;s officially a year on from Donald Trump&rsquo;s inauguration, for a second time, how does the scale of what he has upended and changed compare? Today North American correspondent Michael Koziol on the deliberate chaos of the Trump presidency, and whether he is likely to toss aside legalities and run for a third term.

'So much change, so much chaos': One year of Trump 2.0

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/4bac4040-66bd-4fdc-8b7d-b3d80091fb53/transcript

Kazem Hamad rose rapidly to become one of the nation’s most powerful organised crime players. The syndicate he is accused of heading waged a relentless turf war for control of Australia’s multibillion-dollar illicit tobacco trade, which has seen firebombings around the country. But Hamad’s arrest last week was unexpected, because it happened not in Australia, but thousands of kilometres away in Iraq. Today, senior reporter Chris Vedelago on the capture of one of Australia’s most wanted accused criminals.

Kazem Hamad rose rapidly to become one of the nation&rsquo;s most powerful organised crime players. The syndicate he is accused of heading waged a relentless turf war for control of Australia&rsquo;s multibillion-dollar illicit tobacco trade, which has seen firebombings around the country. But Hamad&rsquo;s arrest last week was unexpected, because it happened not in Australia, but thousands of kilometres away in Iraq. Today, senior reporter Chris Vedelago on the capture of one of Australia&rsquo;s most wanted accused criminals.

The rise and fall of one of Australia’s most powerful criminals

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/b6d1ed05-97ce-49ce-b822-b3d70056bbfb/transcript

Best of 2025: Is this the beginning of the end of the American empire?

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