Please Explain podcast
Expert daily insight into the stories that drive the nation.
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Morning Edition
Our guide to the most important stories, analysis and insights.
‘Why would we celebrate our destruction?’: Invasion Day rally floods Perth
Thousands of protesters filled Forrest Chase in the Perth CBD to attend an Invasion Day rally in protest of Australia Day and the poor conditions facing many Aboriginal people.
Perth’s Australia Day fireworks cancelled, but light show, free family events still to go ahead
An Invasion Day rally to fight for the date of Australia Day to be changed will also go ahead in the CBD just after midday.
Body-in-bin victim’s identity yet to be confirmed as police search Perth dam
Homicide detectives have made a public plea for information as they continue to try and identify the man whose body was found in a bin floating on a dam.
Perth nursing home accused of abusing elderly residents sanctioned
After conducting a surprise visit to the Nedlands nursing home, the Commission decided there was an immediate and severe risk to residents.
‘This was for my tennis’: Court says she won’t hand back Australia Day honours
Margaret Court believes her Companion to the Order of Australia nod in the Australia Day awards this year was for her tennis career and says “it was a long time coming”.
Australians have ‘risen above our brutal beginnings’, PM says
Scott Morrison says there is no escaping or cancelling Australia’s history and January 26 represents the day the land “changed forever”.
COVID restrictions see more WA mothers turn to home births
Saskia Longuet-Higgins never considered giving birth to her second child Serayah anywhere but at hospital. But then the coronavirus pandemic hit.
COVID vaccines not yet recommended for pregnant women
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has concluded most pregnant women only experience mild COVID-19 symptoms and want more data before recommending they receive vaccines.
Hopes for Myer turnaround after David Jones posts sales recovery
The fortunes of Australia’s struggling department store duo Myer and David Jones may be set to rebound in the new year after an apparent recovery in sales over Christmas.
‘Unjustly enriched’: Mounting calls for corporate Australia to repay JobKeeper as profits recover
Corporate governance experts are urging more big companies to repay funds received through JobKeeper, warning taxpayers will bear the cost for decades.
How the right foods may lead to a healthier gut, and better health
Nutrition scientist Dr Sarah Berry says research shows for the first time the link between the quality of the food we’re eating, the quality of our microbiomes and ultimately our health outcomes.
10 creative takes on parmigiana from classic to this sausage sizzle mash-up
Whether you call it parma or parmy, it’s vegetarian or meaty, with ham or without, here are 10 riffs on the golden trifecta of breadcrumbs, tomato sugo and cheese.
★★★½
Review
INXS, Jimmy Barnes, The Divinyls: music doco captures a moment in time
First released in 1987, Australian Made depicts the series of outdoor gigs that played the country’s six state capitals between December 26, 1986 (Hobart) and January 26, 1987 (Sydney).
Western Australia
Perth ‘baby shaker dad’ to be charged with murdering daughter
Juan Visagie is accused of killing his four-week old daughter, Aleaha, after the infant died on December 27.
RAC sounds alarm as WA road toll marks horror start to year
Twenty-three people have already died on WA roads, the highest number of deaths by January 25 in a decade.
Liberals tout plan to develop over West Perth track, but Labor says cost would be off the rails
The Liberals want to create a new West Perth precinct with a rail-sinking project that Labor says could cost up to $1 billion.
Perth school lunch supplier fined $30,000 after gluten lands young girl in hospital
Instead of students taking spare change for Vegemite scrolls, many Perth families now order direct from the lunch supplier.
Surge in demand sets up Perth housing market ‘perfect storm’
“It’s a bit like having a hardware store and you’ve got 10 people who walk in and say, ‘I want a hammer’, and you’ve only got one hammer,” one Perth real estate agent said.
Politics
Use Biden agenda to commit to net zero, Malcolm Turnbull says
The former PM has urged the Morrison government to seize on a new climate change agenda from US President Joe Biden to commit to net zero emissions by 2050.
Business
Hopes for Myer turnaround after David Jones posts sales recovery
The fortunes of Australia’s struggling department store duo may be set to rebound in the new year after an apparent recovery in sales over Christmas.
World
‘Traitors get shot’: Son told FBI of father’s part in Capitol riots
A Texan teenager who tipped off the FBI about his father’s alleged involvement in the Capitol riots said he would “do it again”.
Opinion
I asked would the US defend Australia if we were attacked? The answer is sobering
Peter Hartcher
Political and international editor
Australian MPs should serve the people, not the Queen
Matt Thistlethwaite
Explore
Property bydomain
'Never been busier': The skyrocketing number of Australians installing a pool
Aussies holidaying at home are adding pools and spas at such a pace that some popular brands now have a 12-month wait for installation.
'It's perfect': Why so many people are making the move to Tasmania
With its cooler climes, local produce and natural beauty, it’s no wonder the Apple Isle is a hot spot for those wanting to relocate.
Life & Culture
An ‘embarrassing dirge’: Australian musicians on why we need a new anthem
“Tired and old” only begins to describe the shortcomings of Peter Dodds McCormick’s dreary, stiff-legged Anglo-Scottish march of 1878.
Food bygoodfood
Travel bytraveller
Cars bydrive
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Sport
‘I feel abandoned’: Badosa slams quarantine conditions before Australian Open
Paula Badosa tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Australia for the grand slam and describes hotel quarantine as “the worst experience of my career”.
AFLW tickets sell in their thousands
AFLW fans have snapped up thousands of seats to round one of the competition on the first day that all women’s matches charged spectators an entry fee, with Richmond’s Punt Road Oval clash a sellout.
Knocked out, sit out: AFL to enforce mandatory break after concussion
The new guidelines, which follow the revelation that the late Richmond footballer Shane Tuck had severe brain disease, will introduce a mandatory post-concussion rest and non-playing period, even if it means missing a grand final.
Back in the game: How Steve Waugh lured Todd Greenberg to cricket
The former NRL and Canterbury Bulldogs chief executive was courted by the stars of the game to become the new CEO of the Australian Cricketers’ Association.
Exclusive
NRL 2021
NRL to request COVID-19 vaccine priority for players
ARL Commissioner Peter V’landys confirmed the NRL would be putting a case to the government for players to be vaccinated after health workers and at-risk individuals.
Pucovski visits surgeon but Starc, Pattinson given all clear
Will Pucovski has turned to cortisone injections in a bid to be fit for tour of South Africa while Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson have been cleared to resume bowling.
Brady’s Bucs to face defending Super Bowl champs
Tom Brady is headed back to the Super Bowl in his first season with the Bucs, facing the Kansas City Chiefs. He’s taking another page from the NFL history book with him.
Have Your Say
Top 20 most wanted: the NRL’s biggest off-contract stars
With the NRL looking at introducing a transfer window, the Herald unveils the game’s most sought after talent.
