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Emma Shortis

Research Fellow, RMIT University
I’m a historian and writer focused on the history and politics of the United States. I use my expertise in history to interpret and explain what is happening in America today, and what it means for Australia, in a compassionate and accessible way. In a conversation dominated by the same voices, I offer a fresh perspective on the United States grounded in moral questions about how we might imagine a post-American future.

My first book, Our Exceptional Friend: Australia’s Fatal Alliance with the United States, was published by Hardie Grant in August 2021. I also co-host RMIT’s popular history podcast, Barely Gettin’ By, with my friend Dr Chloe Ward.

I’m a regular guest on ABC radio and television and programs like Triple RRR’s Uncommon Sense. I’ve appeared on ABC’s The Drum, Channel 9’s Today Show, and ABC podcasts like Russia, If You’re Listening and The Signal. I write regularly for popular outlets including ABC News Online and the Sydney Morning Herald. In 2020, I was named RMIT’s Media Commentator of the year.

I’m currently a Research Fellow at RMIT. Before that, I spent a year in the United States as the Fox-Zucker International Fellow at Yale University, where I finished writing my PhD in History. My academic research focuses on the history of global climate policy and global environmental governance, and the role of the United States in the world.

In a largely uneventful and inconsequential US vice presidential debate, no one can claim victory

Oct 03, 2024 00:04 am UTC| Politics

Just like vice presidents themselves, in US politics, debates dont really matter until they do. The most recent debate (and likely the last of the 2024 election cycle) between aspiring vice presidents Senator JD Vance and...

Are you ready for it? What a Taylor Swift endorsement means for Kamala Harris

Sep 16, 2024 06:04 am UTC| Insights & Views Entertainment

As the US Presidential debate wrapped up on Wednesday, commentators and journalists regrouped and drew breath. But then, enter Taylor Swift. The pop superstar posted her endorsement of the Kamala Harris and Tim Walz...

Is America ready to elect a Black woman president?

Sep 09, 2024 08:16 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Its the big question that has loomed over Kamala Harris presidential campaign from the start: is the United States ready for a Black woman president? I get asked this almost every time I speak about American politics....

Global Geopolitics Series

How will US foreign policy affect Joe Biden’s chances of re-election in November?

Apr 22, 2024 03:28 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

When big questions about American foreign policy collide with an election, its rarely good news for a sitting president. Like many leaders before him, US President Joe Biden has had some of these questions thrust on...

US Election Series

Who will Trump pick as his running mate?

Apr 01, 2024 03:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Being second in line for leadership of the most powerful country in the world is not an easy job. But for Mike Pence, vice president under Donald Trump, things were even harder than usual. As insurrectionists descended...

Some truths are self-evident: Joe Biden is too old. But who could possibly replace him?

Feb 21, 2024 10:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

It is possible, in politics as in life, for several things to be true at once. It is true that Donald Trump and his plans for a second presidential administration represent an existential threat to American...

US under Trump Series

Donald Trump faces half a billion dollars of debt and several court cases. But that may not stop him from becoming president again

Feb 20, 2024 11:13 am UTC| Politics

The verdicts keep coming. On Friday US time, the three-month hearing focused on Donald Trumps business dealings in New York came to an end. Trump was ordered to pay back more than $US350 million (A$537 million), plus...

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Economy

Asian Markets Slide as Silver Volatility, Earnings Season, and Central Bank Meetings Rattle Investors

Asian share markets opened the week on a cautious note, largely tracking weaker Wall Street futures, as extreme volatility in silver prices and a packed global economic calendar unsettled investors. The sharp moves in...

India Budget 2025 Highlights Manufacturing Push but Falls Short of Market Expectations

Indias latest Union Budget placed manufacturing firmly at the center of its economic strategy, prioritizing key sectors such as semiconductors, biopharma, electronics, renewables, and capital goods. While the government...

Starmer’s China Visit Highlights Western Balancing Act Amid U.S.-China Rivalry

British Prime Minister Keir Starmers recent visit to China underscores the complex balancing act Western middle powers are attempting as rivalry between Beijing and Washington intensifies. While the trip allowed China to...

U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Markets Brace for Big Tech Earnings and Key Data

U.S. stock futures edged lower on Sunday evening as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of a busy week filled with major corporate earnings and crucial economic data. The pullback follows weakness in technology...

South Korea Factory Activity Hits 18-Month High as Export Demand Surges

South Koreas manufacturing sector showed its strongest momentum in nearly a year and a half in January, driven by a sharp rebound in export demand and improving business confidence, according to a private sector survey...

Politics

Peter Mandelson Resigns from Labour Party Amid Renewed Jeffrey Epstein Links

Former British government minister Peter Mandelson has resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmers Labour Party following renewed media scrutiny over his past connections to disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein. The...

Japan Election Poll Signals Landslide Win for Sanae Takaichi, Raising Fiscal Policy Concerns

Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is poised for a decisive victory in the upcoming lower house election, according to a new opinion poll released by the Asahi newspaper....

U.S. Accuses Cuba of Harassing Top Diplomat Amid Rising Tensions

The United States has accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its senior diplomat in Havana after videos emerged showing small groups of Cubans verbally harassing him during visits outside the capital. The incident...

Democrats Score Surprise Texas State Senate Win, Fueling Momentum Ahead of 2026 Midterms

A Democratic candidate has won a closely watched Texas state senate special election by a double-digit margin, flipping a Republican-held seat for the first time in decades and adding to growing Democratic momentum ahead...

Trump Proposes Two-Year Shutdown of Kennedy Center Amid Ongoing Turmoil

President Donald Trump has proposed that the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts suspend all events for approximately two years, beginning July 4, as part of what he described as a major transformation...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Jensen Huang Urges Taiwan Suppliers to Boost AI Chip Production Amid Surging Demand

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised and gently pushed Taiwans leading technology suppliers to ramp up production, highlighting the intense global demand for artificial intelligence hardware during a high-profile visit to the...

Oracle Plans $45–$50 Billion Funding Push in 2026 to Expand Cloud and AI Infrastructure

Oracle has announced plans to raise between $45 billion and $50 billion in 2026 as it accelerates the expansion of its cloud infrastructure to meet surging demand from major technology and artificial intelligence clients....

Elon Musk’s Empire: SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI Merger Talks Spark Investor Debate

Speculation around a potential Musk Inc has resurfaced as Elon Musks companiesSpaceX, Tesla, and xAIexplore closer ties amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence and automation. With SpaceX expected to go public later...

SpaceX Reports $8 Billion Profit as IPO Plans and Starlink Growth Fuel Valuation Buzz

SpaceX delivered a strong financial performance last year, generating an estimated $8 billion in profit on revenues between $15 billion and $16 billion, according to people familiar with the companys results. The figures,...

SpaceX Updates Starlink Privacy Policy to Allow AI Training as xAI Merger Talks and IPO Loom

SpaceX has revised its Starlink privacy policy to allow customer data to be used for artificial intelligence training, a move that could significantly support Elon Musks broader AI ambitions. The policy change comes as...