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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

BCA Research Warns U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Could Collapse, Maintains Cautious Equity Outlook

BCA Research is cautiously optimistic about the recently announced U.S.-Iran ceasefire but is warning investors that the truce remains highly unstable. The firms chief geopolitical strategist, Matt Gertken, puts the odds...

U.S. Natural Gas Market Faces Short-Term Pressure but Long-Term Demand Surge

Wall Street analysts remain divided on the U.S. natural gas outlook, citing near-term price weakness alongside robust long-term demand fundamentals driven by LNG exports and growing global power consumption. Benchmark...

Chinese Brands Are Taking Over Brazil — And It's Just Getting Started

Chinese businesses are making bold moves into Brazil, marking a significant shift in how China is expanding its global footprint. Leading the charge is Mixue, the ice cream and beverage giant that already operates more...

Bank of America Maintains Forecast for Two Fed Rate Cuts in 2026 Despite Inflation Risks

Bank of America is holding firm on its prediction that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates twice in 2026, even as inflation concerns linger. In a note to clients, U.S. economist Aditya Bhave outlined why the bank...

Trump Claims Oil Tankers Heading to U.S. Amid Iran War and Strait of Hormuz Crisis

President Donald Trump announced Saturday that a large number of empty oil tankers are currently sailing toward the United States, intending to load American crude oil and natural gas. Trump made the claim via Truth...

Politics

U.S.-Iran Peace Talks in Islamabad Pause With Key Differences Unresolved

High-stakes diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran wrapped up in Islamabad, Pakistan on Sunday after roughly 14 hours of intense discussion, marking the first direct engagement between the two nations...

Islamabad at a Standstill as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Take Center Stage

Islamabad has been transformed into a virtual ghost town as high-stakes direct negotiations between the United States and Iran got underway for the first time in years. Pakistani authorities imposed a citywide lockdown,...

Costa Rica Receives First Wave of U.S.-Deported Migrants Under New Bilateral Agreement

Costa Rica officially welcomed its first group of U.S.-deported migrants on Saturday, marking a significant milestone in a bilateral deportation agreement signed between the two nations in March. The group comprised 25...

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Resume in Islamabad Amid Strait of Hormuz Standoff

High-stakes diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran entered their second day in Islamabad on Sunday, with both sides still far apart on key issues particularly American demands over the Strait of...

Trump Warns China Over Iran Arms as Diplomatic Talks Intensify

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to China on Sunday, cautioning that Beijing would face serious consequences if it were to supply weapons to Iran. The statement, delivered to reporters outside the White...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

OpenAI Addresses Security Vulnerability in macOS App Certification Process

OpenAI disclosed a security concern on Friday involving a third-party developer tool known as Axios, which is connected to the process used to verify the authenticity of its macOS applications. The company confirmed it has...

San Francisco Suspect Arrested After Molotov Cocktail Attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Home

San Francisco police arrested a 20-year-old suspect Friday following a pre-dawn attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altmans residence in the citys North Beach neighborhood. According to the San Francisco Police Department, an...

SanDisk Joins Nasdaq-100, Replacing Atlassian on April 20

Nasdaq Inc. confirmed late Friday that SanDisk Corporation will enter the Nasdaq-100 Index, taking the spot previously held by Atlassian Corp Plc when markets open on Monday, April 20, 2026. The change signals a broader...

TSMC Posts Strong Q1 2025 Revenue, Riding AI Chip Demand Wave

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, has reported first-quarter revenue of T$1.134 trillion (approximately $35.71 billion USD), surpassing analyst expectations and...

Lumentum Holdings Rides AI Wave With Order Book Filled Through 2028

Lumentum Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LITE) is experiencing a surge in demand from the artificial intelligence sector, with its order pipeline now fully booked through 2028, according to a Bloomberg report published Thursday. The...