Worth Knowing

Elliot Costello and Matt Kendall
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A weekly podcast about the forces shaping politics, power and technology, and how they affect you.

  1. 3d ago

    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 expected00:37 Gas prices and the cost-of-living backlash02:36 Trump’s red riptide05:10 How Republicans lost and Democrats won07:16 James Talarico flips Texas11:05 Musk tried to buy his own senator12:05 A politics of conviction16:57 Democrats must heed the message18:23 Accountability and the fight ahead22:54 Messaging that finally landed23:48 The centre versus the progressive arm24:26 What the result means for Australia27:00 A new generation of representation28:42 The White House doubles down30:13 Why Congress is only one check32:54 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.

    What Comes After the Midterms Bluenami? | 15

  2. Nov 2

    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 note00:25 A break from normal programming01:44 The sudden loss of Ross12:24 Trauma, tragedy and grief13:42 Remembering Ross18:06 Ritual, symbols and collective healing23:35 Losing Wren29:22 Grief as our last taboo32:16 When people don't know what to say33:55 Sitting with what can't be fixed35:40 The shape of grief40:14 Finding a language for grief44:21 When friends don't know what to say46:41 The people who stay48:38 Learning to grieve together51:04 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.

    Grief and Learning to Face Our Last Taboo | 14

  3. Oct 26

    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 disappear00:17 The midterms and a fork in the road01:58 America’s permanent election campaign03:00 Musk’s record political spending06:24 Platform errors and unaccountable power13:54 From Cambridge Analytica to capture18:18 When Big Tech chose a side23:57 Mapping the oligarchic network25:39 The generals are tech CEOs28:58 What a Democratic win would change33:13 Election safeguards under pressure37:34 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.

    Are Tech CEOs Trying to Tilt the Midterms for Trump? | 13

  4. Oct 19

    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 Ukraine00:17 Russia, Trump and the diesel deal05:06 How Putin acquired power08:14 The invasion of reality09:42 Late Soviet propaganda comes west14:38 Brexit and plausible deniability18:52 Trump, Putin and kompromat21:01 Elliot's dad's encounter with Putin24:34 Putin the icebreaker27:53 Arguing with bots29:36 Big Tech and democratic failure31:01 Starlink, Ukraine and a free Europe33:32 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.

    Putin’s War on Reality | 12

  5. Oct 12

    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 kahuna01:34 The middle we have lost03:57 Childhood Australia and the precariat05:57 What the numbers show08:29 From the Gilded Age to trickle-up economics10:59 Three failures of capitalism15:39 When markets stop being free19:32 Inequality and the loss of sovereignty23:27 Cost of living and who profits25:17 Stop punching down27:46 Taxing extreme wealth30:57 Democracy, coalitions and political courage34:03 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.

    Wealth Inequality is Out of Control | 11

  6. Oct 5

    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-making01:30 The bigger bubble that has already burst03:40 Why Carney’s rupture speech matters10:15 Albanese and Australia’s leadership vacuum14:00 Exporting abundance, importing vulnerability16:45 The AI copyright and data-centre bargain21:20 Middle powers and tech companies with state-like power27:05 Why America can no longer be trusted30:45 The A$368 billion AUKUS question34:00 Allies, protectorates and sovereign defence36:30 Albanese, Carney and the schoolyard bully40:35 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.

    America: The Friend You Can't Trust Anymore | 10

  7. Sep 28

    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 room00:15 A typhoon rolls through New York02:32 Climate Week becomes AI and Data Centre Week06:35 The missing global guardrails07:55 AI’s brown boost09:09 Nvidia says: trust us, we're surgeons12:20 Racing towards the Promised Land16:48 Decentralised energy and good corporate citizens20:47 Renewables are on a tear22:26 Patagonia, Twiggy Forrest and Sylvia Earle27:02 Active hope and Gross Domestic Regeneration29:41 Why COP31 will not save us31:58 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.

    AI rocks Climate Week NYC | 09

  8. Sep 21

    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 context01:58 Lessons from the dot-com bubble and early internet optimism03:10 The parallels between past crashes and current AI valuations04:55 The circular economy of AI companies and market interdependence07:01 Potential for a market crash driven by overvaluation and speculation12:37 Regulatory challenges and the risk of monopolistic control15:50 Narrative-driven markets19:43 The importance of balanced narratives and realistic expectations21:21 The potential for AI to create a better future if managed wisely23:14 Call for imagination, regulation, and societal engagement25:10 Something has happenned28:17 The Hugging Face Incident and Its Implications30:28 The bubble that has already burst35:25 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.

    The AI bubble has already burst | 08
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About

A weekly podcast about the forces shaping politics, power and technology, and how they affect you.

Information

  • Creator
    Elliot Costello and Matt Kendall
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Elliot Costello and Matt Kendall
  • Show Website
    Worth Knowing