- 16
- Episodes
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2026
- First episode
About Worth Knowing
A weekly podcast about the forces shaping politics, power and technology, and how they affect you.
- Publisher
- Elliot Costello and Matt Kendall
- Category
- news · news
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 9 Aug 2026
- Latest episode
- 9 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
16 episodes in the feed.
9 Nov 2026
What Comes After the Midterms Bluenami? | 15
The Midterms Bluenami swept Democrats into control of the House and Senate. But what happens once the wave subsides? Matt and Elliot unpack the cost-of-living backlash that sank Republicans, how grassroots candidates beat billionaire money, the warning Democrats must heed and why Stephen Miller's appointment signals that Trump intends to go down fighting. The Democrats can celebrate for one night. But what will happen when the real fight begins? Find out in this week's episode of Worth Knowing. Chapters ➡ 00:00 The Bluenami nobody expected 00:37 Gas prices and the cost-of-living backlash 02:36 Trump’s red riptide 05:10 How Republicans lost and Democrats won 07:16 James Talarico flips Texas 11:05 Musk tried to buy his own senator 12:05 A politics of conviction 16:57 Democrats must heed the message 18:23 Accountability and the fight ahead 22:54 Messaging that finally landed 23:48 The centre versus the progressive arm 24:26 What the result means for Australia 27:00 A new generation of representation 28:42 The White House doubles down 30:13 Why Congress is only one check 32:54 The fight has only just begun Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack and your favourite podcasting channels, at: https://worthknowingpod.com For show notes and a deep dive on each episode, visit the Substack via the link above.
2 Nov 2026
Grief and Learning to Face Our Last Taboo | 14
Why are we so bad at grief? We talk openly about almost everything, yet death remains one of the last taboos in contemporary Western culture. When somebody is hit by sudden loss, friends often have no words. Some say the wrong thing. Some disappear. And others expect the grief and pain to pass after just a month or two. Less than an hour after last week's recording, Elliot learned that his sister's partner had died suddenly while swimming. So this week is a break from normal programming. Elliot shares the shock and trauma of those first days. Matt shares the story of losing his firstborn daughter, Wren, who was stillborn 12 years ago. Together, they talk about loss, ritual, symbols, community and what it means to sit with grief when you can't fix it. Vale Ross Cottee. Content note: This episode contains open discussion of sudden death, drowning, the recovery of a body, traumatic grief and stillbirth. Chapters ➡ 00:00 Content note 00:25 A break from normal programming 01:44 The sudden loss of Ross 12:24 Trauma, tragedy and grief 13:42 Remembering Ross 18:06 Ritual, symbols and collective healing 23:35 Losing Wren 29:22 Grief as our last taboo 32:16 When people don't know what to say 33:55 Sitting with what can't be fixed 35:40 The shape of grief 40:14 Finding a language for grief 44:21 When friends don't know what to say 46:41 The people who stay 48:38 Learning to grieve together 51:04 A long, bumpy road Watch and subscribe to the channel, as well as our Substack and your favourite podcasting channels, at: https://worthknowingpod.com For show notes and a deep dive on each episode, visit the Substack via the link above.
26 Oct 2026
Are Tech CEOs Trying to Tilt the Midterms for Trump? | 13
Are tech CEOs using their money, platforms, media empires and strategic infrastructure to protect Trump and the Republicans in the midterms? Matt and Elliot follow the money and ownership through Musk, Zuckerberg and the Ellisons, from TikTok, CBS and CNN to Starlink and the Pentagon to find a pattern of concentrated, unaccountable power. With the midterms approaching, is Democratic control of the House and Senate the circuit breaker America needs, or merely the beginning of the real fight for democracy? Find out in this week's episode of Worth Knowing. Chapters ➡ 00:00 Why this episode might disappear 00:17 The midterms and a fork in the road 01:58 America’s permanent election campaign 03:00 Musk’s record political spending 06:24 Platform errors and unaccountable power 13:54 From Cambridge Analytica to capture 18:18 When Big Tech chose a side 23:57 Mapping the oligarchic network 25:39 The generals are tech CEOs 28:58 What a Democratic win would change 33:13 Election safeguards under pressure 37:34 Can a new politics emerge? Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack and your favourite podcasting channels, at: https://worthknowingpod.com For show notes and a deep dive on each episode, visit the Substack via the link above.
19 Oct 2026
Putin’s War on Reality | 12
Putin couldn’t destabilise the West through military force, so he launched an invasion of our reality. The methods he pioneered now work far beyond the Kremlin. Matt and Elliot trace how Putin found the cracks in Western democracies and threw fuel on the fire. Elliot even casually drops in a story about when his Dad stayed at one of Putin's summer palaces. From Dresden to the Internet Research Agency, Brexit, Trump and AI-driven bots, this is the story of the playbook Putin created and the agitators who followed him through. He was the icebreaker. He poisoned our information well. Now reality is becoming untethered. Chapters ➡ 00:00 If Russia leaves Ukraine 00:17 Russia, Trump and the diesel deal 05:06 How Putin acquired power 08:14 The invasion of reality 09:42 Late Soviet propaganda comes west 14:38 Brexit and plausible deniability 18:52 Trump, Putin and kompromat 21:01 Elliot's dad's encounter with Putin 24:34 Putin the icebreaker 27:53 Arguing with bots 29:36 Big Tech and democratic failure 31:01 Starlink, Ukraine and a free Europe 33:32 The poisoned information well Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack and your favourite podcasting channels, at: https://worthknowingpod.com For show notes and a deep dive on each episode, visit the Substack via the link above.
12 Oct 2026
Wealth Inequality is Out of Control | 11
The middle class is being hollowed out while a tiny owning class accumulates fortunes, assets and political power at a scale that rivals nation-states. The money keeps flowing up. Governments get poorer. Public services deteriorate. Then the anger is redirected towards people with even less power. In this episode, Matt and Elliot follow the divide between owners and earners, expose how extreme wealth escapes taxation and ask what it would take to start punching up again. Can democracy rebuild the broad Australian middle before private fortunes become private fiefdoms? Find out in this week's episode of Worth Knowing. Chapters ➡ 00:00 Taking on the big kahuna 01:34 The middle we have lost 03:57 Childhood Australia and the precariat 05:57 What the numbers show 08:29 From the Gilded Age to trickle-up economics 10:59 Three failures of capitalism 15:39 When markets stop being free 19:32 Inequality and the loss of sovereignty 23:27 Cost of living and who profits 25:17 Stop punching down 27:46 Taxing extreme wealth 30:57 Democracy, coalitions and political courage 34:03 Is Britain still a middle power? 35:01 Final thoughts Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack and your favourite podcasting channels, at: https://worthknowingpod.com For show notes and a deep dive on each episode, visit the Substack via the link above.
5 Oct 2026
America: The Friend You Can't Trust Anymore | 10
The old US-led order has ruptured... but Australia is still behaving as though it’s 2012. In this episode, Matt and Elliot ask what happens when your closest ally can no longer be trusted. From Trump’s America and the Pentagon’s growing alliance with Silicon Valley oligarchs to Albanese’s AI bargains and the A$368 billion AUKUS bet, Australia keeps exporting abundance, importing vulnerability and calling it stability. Canada and Europe recognise that compliance no longer buys safety and are widening their choices. So why is Australia still rolling over for belly rubs? Find out in this week's episode of Worth Knowing. Chapters ➡ 00:00 Ten episodes of weekly sense-making 01:30 The bigger bubble that has already burst 03:40 Why Carney’s rupture speech matters 10:15 Albanese and Australia’s leadership vacuum 14:00 Exporting abundance, importing vulnerability 16:45 The AI copyright and data-centre bargain 21:20 Middle powers and tech companies with state-like power 27:05 Why America can no longer be trusted 30:45 The A$368 billion AUKUS question 34:00 Allies, protectorates and sovereign defence 36:30 Albanese, Carney and the schoolyard bully 40:35 Final thoughts and where Australia goes next Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack and your favourite podcasting channels, at: https://worthknowingpod.com For show notes and a deep dive on each episode, visit the Substack via the link above.
28 Sept 2026
AI rocks Climate Week NYC | 09
AI was the elephant in every room at Climate Week NYC. Behind the promises of green innovation looms a ‘brown boost’ in data centres, gas and power. This week, Elliot reports from New York as he and Matt unpack the real, immediate and enormous energy demand behind the race towards AGI, and the religious promise that once we reach the Promised Land, AI will save us. Where are the examples? What are the strategies? And can AI companies become good corporate citizens without locking in another generation of gas and coal? And what hope do we have when even the climate tech VCs are all in on AI and fresh out of decarb? Find out in this week's episode of Worth Knowing. Chapters ➡ 00:00 AI is the elephant in every room 00:15 A typhoon rolls through New York 02:32 Climate Week becomes AI and Data Centre Week 06:35 The missing global guardrails 07:55 AI’s brown boost 09:09 Nvidia says: trust us, we're surgeons 12:20 Racing towards the Promised Land 16:48 Decentralised energy and good corporate citizens 20:47 Renewables are on a tear 22:26 Patagonia, Twiggy Forrest and Sylvia Earle 27:02 Active hope and Gross Domestic Regeneration 29:41 Why COP31 will not save us 31:58 The war is not yet over Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack and your favourite podcasting channels, at: https://worthknowingpod.com For show notes and a deep dive on each episode, visit the Substack via the link above.
21 Sept 2026
The AI bubble has already burst | 08
The AI bubble is looking very, very frothy. But after the OpenAI–Hugging Face incident and Andrew Yang’s extraordinary claim, Matt thinks a bubble may already have burst... and something strange, dangerous and potentially extraordinary is emerging underneath. This week, Matt and Elliot unpack the circular economy of IOUs between AI labs, cloud providers and chipmakers, and what happened when AI agents moved beyond the boundaries of a controlled cybersecurity evaluation. Why are rival AI leaders suddenly sounding the alarm? And is a choice between human extinction and incredible shareholder value really all that's on offer? This isn’t another doomer episode. It’s a conversation about what the hell comes next... and who gets to imagine it. Chapters ➡ 00:29 Introduction to the AI bubble and market context 01:58 Lessons from the dot-com bubble and early internet optimism 03:10 The parallels between past crashes and current AI valuations 04:55 The circular economy of AI companies and market interdependence 07:01 Potential for a market crash driven by overvaluation and speculation 12:37 Regulatory challenges and the risk of monopolistic control 15:50 Narrative-driven markets 19:43 The importance of balanced narratives and realistic expectations 21:21 The potential for AI to create a better future if managed wisely 23:14 Call for imagination, regulation, and societal engagement 25:10 Something has happenned 28:17 The Hugging Face Incident and Its Implications 30:28 The bubble that has already burst 35:25 Closing thoughts and upcoming Climate Week event Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack, and on your favourite podcasting channels at: https://worthknowingpod.com For show notes and a deep dive on each episode, visit the Substack via the link above.
14 Sept 2026
We've Crossed the Climate Threshold. Now What? | 07
The world is set to blow past 1.5°C, Europe has endured four brutal heatwaves, Nepal has been devastated and a monster El Niño is gathering strength. Our political leaders and mainstream media have already moved on. Online, the response has split between “we’re doomed” and “we already have all the solutions”. Matt and Elliot ask what both narratives leave out: the scale, speed and systems change required to actually turn this around. From hopium and copium to care, simplification and defiance, this is an emergency broadcast about the climate threshold we have crossed and what the hell we do now. Chapters ➡ 00:44 Introduction to Climate Crisis 02:15 The Impact of Recent Climate Events 07:06 Political Responses to Climate Change 13:26 The Role of Community in Climate Action 22:12 Framework for Climate Response 30:00 Hope and the Path Forward Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack, and on your favourite podcasting channels at: https://worthknowingpod.com For show notes and a deep dive on each episode, visit the Substack via the link above.
7 Sept 2026
Australia Is Throwing Away Its Shot at Fixing Our Plastic Crisis | 06
Australia’s packaging waste is out of control. Industry, recyclers, environmental groups, state governments, councils and consumers agree on what needs to change. So why has the Albanese government walked away from a political open goal? Matt and Elliot unpack the reform that could transform Australia’s waste economy, the political calculation that killed it, and why the cost-of-living excuse falls apart as soon as you look at the numbers. Chapters ➡ 00:33 Introduction: Australia's Packaging Waste Crisis 02:19 History of Waste Policy in Australia 04:11 Failure of Voluntary Targets and the 2018 Framework 06:28 Political and Industry Resistance to Reform 08:12 The Role of Regulation and EPR Explained 10:03 Economic and Environmental Benefits of EPR 11:48 Case Studies: Successful EPR Schemes 13:30 The Impact of Inaction and Future Risks 15:45 Call to Action: How Citizens Can Influence Policy 17:43 Conclusion: The Path Forward for Australia Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack, and on your favourite podcasting channels at: https://worthknowingpod.com
31 Aug 2026
Why the Australian Left Is Losing the Politics of Discontent | 05
One Nation is rising because it understands something the Australian left seems unwilling to admit: the anger is real. But if migrants, refugees and culture-war targets aren’t the cause of that anger, who benefits from pointing it at them? Matt and Elliot follow the grievance from Australia’s hollowed-out political centre to two unlikely movements overseas, asking whether the left still remembers how to turn discontent into people power. Because the system does feel rigged. The real question is who rigged it... and what it would take to build something else? 00:00 Introduction to the Politics of Discontent 02:33 The Global Context of Discontent 05:32 The Role of Major Parties in Australia 06:57 Lobbying and Public Interest 09:57 The Rise of Right-Wing Populism 12:44 Left-Wing Populism: A Missed Opportunity 15:41 The Need for a New Political Movement 18:26 Emerging Movements: DSA and Cockroach Movement 21:28 The Importance of Organising for Change 24:10 The Role of Joy in Political Movements 27:01 Conclusion: The Future of Politics in Australia Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack, and on your favourite podcasting channels at: https://worthknowingpod.com
24 Aug 2026
Big Tech’s Private State | 04
Tech billionaires increasingly have access to the levers of power inside government, while they tighten their control over the channels we rely on to push back against that power and hold it to account. This week, Elliot and Matt explore how Silicon Valley’s self-styled disruptors became part of the governing class - from Peter Thiel’s network inside the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE, to the unnamed algorithms who are the new editors-in-chief of our politics and culture. What happens when the people inside government also control the public square? And if politicians can be voted out but platform owners cannot, who will push back against Big Tech's big build of their very own private state? Chapters ➡ 00:00 Introduction to the influence of big tech on society 02:29 Historical parallels: religion and power in governance 04:09 Private Wealth and Political Power 06:08 Peter Thiel's Political Network 09:39 DOGE and the Conflict of Interest 11:43 Silicon Valley's Broken Promise 17:52 Algorithms Replace Editors 21:55 How Algorithms Shape the Information Diet 23:28 Profit, Monopoly and Democratic Power 26:43 Why Platform Power Can't Be Voted Out 28:05 Media Literacy and Alternatives Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack, and on your favourite podcasting channels at: https://worthknowingpod.com
17 Aug 2026
Who owns Australia’s AI future? | 03
Australia has spent decades digging things up, selling them overseas and buying the finished product back. Are we about to do the same with AI? Supplying the minerals, land, energy, water and hosting servers while foreign companies own the intelligence? Without a vision, and unless we start building, Australia risks becoming a subservient vassal state in the new AI economy. In this episode, Elliot and Matt ask who really owns Australia’s AI future. And one recent 76-hour glimpse of what happens when access is switched off shows just how much might be at stake. Chapters ➡ 00:00 Introduction to Australia's AI and Innovation Identity 02:02 The 'Lazy Nation' Economy: Land, Property, and Mining 03:55 Data Centers and the Future of Australia's Economy 06:01 Sovereign Risk and Dependency on Foreign AI Models 07:30 Ownership of AI Data and Infrastructure Challenges 09:40 Historical Patterns of Tech Industry Domination 11:13 Policy and Strategy Gaps in Australia's AI Future 13:14 The Role of Government and Sovereign Capability 15:07 Building Local Capability and Sovereign Ownership 16:51 Taxation, Revenue, and Economic Impact 18:56 The AI Bubble and Investment Opportunities 20:41 Hosting AI on Local Servers vs Cloud Solutions 21:12 Security, Privacy, and Open Source AI Models 21:56 The Potential for an AI Economic Reckoning 22:47 Historical Tech Bubbles and Future Opportunities 23:48 The Need for Strategic Investment and Capability Building 24:53 Australia's Industrial Age Mindset and Future Vision 25:36 Building a Community and National AI Strategy 26:33 The Urgency of Innovation and Sovereign Capability 27:39 Conclusion and Call to Action for Australia's AI Future Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack, and on your favourite podcasting channels at: https://worthknowingpod.com
10 Aug 2026
Let them eat UBI | 02
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is often served up as the neat solution to AI job disruption. Lose work, receive a payment, and everything will be OK. In this episode, Elliot and Matt come at that promise from different positions. Elliot makes the optimistic case for the freedom UBI could unlock. Whereas Matt is more sceptical... especially of those who treat it as a silver bullet. They explore the targeting problem and what a flat payment means for workers facing vastly different income losses. Then there is the big question: who pays, and how do we ensure the companies capturing the productivity gains contribute? Chapters ➡ 00:17 Introduction to Universal Basic Income 03:04 Historical Context and Examples of UBI 05:43 Concerns and Critiques of UBI 08:12 The Role of Technology and AI in UBI 10:49 Funding UBI and Economic Implications 13:40 The Future of Work and UBI 14:29 Conclusion and Final Thoughts on UBI Watch and subscribe to the channel now as well as our substack and on your favourite podcasting channels at: https://worthknowingpod.com (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUM4Zm9rUlRBNEhWRXh1b29zOVBQUnFndExTTXxBR3JiS2Fsd25fTlFmenVwcXZwcTUyY25fV3dhVklEZUc1VEF3UVhiSmhaeDNNUno0Zk0ya1JpdllaM3pWd0V6ZHpINk5OeXp0YmtOOE9pTWFvOWlia0FxWnNaWUNpNm9DLS0z&q=https%3A%2F%2Fworthknowingpod.com%2F&v=wPA9KwsnDww)
9 Aug 2026
Is Australia hurtling towards an AI jobs cliff? | 01
What happens if AI transforms work faster than Australia can adapt? In the first episode of Worth Knowing, Matt and Elliot explore what AI job disruption could mean for Australian workers, and why the unemployment rate may not tell us the full story. The Caldera Institute’s AI Work Cliff modelling stress-tests a scenario in which 20 per cent of Australia’s AI-exposed workforce experiences job loss, reduced hours or income downgrading. The result: 1.08 million workers affected and $48.9 billion in household income at risk each year. Most may remain “technically employed”, even as their incomes fall. Australia could enter a hollow boom: productivity, investment and GDP keep rising while the wage base supporting households quietly erodes underneath them. AI will create opportunities as well as disruption, but the warning signals are lighting up the board. What should workers do now? And how do we make the transition planned and intentional? Chapters ➡ 00:00 Highlight Teaser 00:30 Introduction 00:45 The Impact of AI on Jobs 11:21 Understanding AI Job Disruption 17:22 Industry's Role in AI Transition 19:57 Navigating the Future of Work 23:14 The Upside of Disruption 24:37 Wrap Up Watch and subscribe to the channel now as well as our substack and on your favourite podcasting channels at worthknowingpod.com (https://worthknowingpod.com)
9 Aug 2026
Worth Knowing Teaser
Coming soon: Worth Knowing is a weekly podcast about the forces shaping politics, power and technology, and how they affect you. Created by co-hosts Matt Kendall and Elliot Costello, Worth Knowing is an antidote to the polarised media landscape of grifters, bots, sock-puppets, rage baiters and a never-ending firehose of rapid-fire disinformation, hot takes and angertainment. Each episode slows down and calms your info metabolism by taking one complex issue, looking at it from different angles and asking what is really happening, who is shaping the story, how it could affect your life and where it may be heading. We take the big abstract issues that are having an impact and make them real and meaningful for you. Watch and subscribe to the channel now, as well as our Substack, and on your favourite podcasting channels at worthknowingpod.com
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