The trio dive into Emily's in-depth report in Delayed Gratification issue 62 about the fallout from the US exfiltration of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, which dominated headlines in early January and then slipped from the news agenda. How much has changed in the country since, and why were so many Venezuelans so pleased to see their leader kidnapped by a foreign power? They then discuss James's interview with a Nasa scientist who has got his hands on billion-year-old space dust delivered from the far reaches of the solar system, and who believes it may help us understand how life began on Earth. They also take an entertaining detour into Crustafarianism, the new AI-generated religion.

To read the stories being discussed in this episode, pick up a copy of Delayed Gratification issue 62 or subscribe with a 15 percent discount using code Pod15. 

The trio return to Harriet's story about hybrid warfare in Europe, in which she reported from the Lithuania-Belarus border about the drone incursions that have been throwing the continent into disarray. They delve into a story that James reported for the magazine from Nagorno Karabakh, about the 'first drone war' between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and discuss what the changing face of drone warfare might mean for the future. They also talk about the extreme lengths some Australian kids have been going to in order to circumvent the social media ban.

To read the stories being discussed in this episode, pick up copies of Delayed Gratification issue 61 and Delayed Gratification issue 60 or subscribe with a 15 percent discount using code Pod15. 

The trio return to Marcus’s story about the rapid growth of megacities, which saw Jakarta crowned the biggest metropolis in the world in November. They delve into his report on the UN groups attempting to provide early warnings about climate hazards to every person on the planet and deploying everything ‘from satellites to sandbags’ to prevent disasters. They also look at the stratospheric ascent of Zohran Mamdani from little-known local politician to mayor of New York – and what he has faced since his election.

To read the stories being discussed in this episode, pick up a copy of Delayed Gratification issue 61 or subscribe with a 15 percent discount using code Pod15.