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Please Explain

The Age and Sydney Morning Herald

Please Explain - from The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, a weekly podcast that cuts through the noise to give you insight into the stories that drive the nation. Subscribe to The Age: or...

Episodes

20 of 239 episodes

A broken body clock has been linked to a new type of depression

In a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry of over 11,000 Australians who'd been diagnosed with depression, researchers from...

12:38Nov 3, 2026

An expected rate rise, and risk of recession

The Reserve Bank governor is expected to announce, today, the 17th rate rise under the Albanese government, in a bid to lower inflation. Tod...

18:45Nov 2, 2026

US midterm elections: Trump faces his toughest test yet

Americans head to the polls tomorrow to vote in the pivotal mid-term elections, which many view largely as a referendum on President Donald...

21:00Nov 1, 2026

Is the PM at risk of "Albo derangement syndrome"?

This week, we take a look at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's incorrect claim about a $6 million grant to his local golf club – which...

24:20Oct 29, 2026

Is the tide turning on strongman politics?

Strong man populism has grown so much over the years that analysts have expressed despair about whether democracy could have a future. Even...

20:49Oct 28, 2026

‘Cracking the facade’: The unravelling of the Sam Wood empire

For more than a decade, Sam Wood was one of the greatest success stories to come out of the reality TV series, The Bachelor . He met the lov...

19:26Oct 27, 2026

Inside Politics bonus: ‘I should make more time for my colleagues’: Chalmers on party tensions

The treasurer's position is known to be one of, if not the, most difficult spots in any Australian cabinet in modern history, and the curren...

42:48Oct 27, 2026

Israel votes: Is Netanyahu's leadership over?

After the October 7 attacks, Benjamin Netanyahu's prime ministership seemed in ruins. His government repeatedly looked on the verge of colla...

24:15Oct 26, 2026

A 'moon landing moment': The new cancer drug therapy that could change medical thinking

It's being hailed as a cancer breakthrough so monumental, the lead scientist is describing it as a "moon landing moment". And it's not just...

22:42Oct 25, 2026

Morality first, politics second – Waleed Aly on political violence

After the attack on Independent MP Helen Haines, it's been a real horror week in Australian politics. Last week SMH and The Age columnist Wa...

31:41Oct 22, 2026

Donald Trump is becoming Vladimir Putin: Hartcher

An increasing number of commentators and American politicians - including Republicans - are becoming vocal in their opposition to Donald Tru...

21:05Oct 21, 2026

The attack on Helen Haines and what we know

It was only last week that independent MP Helen Haines spoke about why Australians were so angry – citing the cost of living, insuranc...

14:18Oct 20, 2026

On the ground in France after widespread riots

Riots broke out across France on the weekend, said to be the worst in decades. The violence began on Saturday after more than half a million...

15:42Oct 19, 2026

The Exclusive Brethren and the rare public grilling of its ‘Man of God’

On Friday, Exclusive Brethren world leader Bruce Hales gave evidence before a federal parliamentary inquiry. This was a significant moment i...

20:57Oct 18, 2026

Jim Chalmers’ facts, an ordinary voter’s feelings and the political reality

This week – again – is all about the economy, which includes a visit from a ghost of the past in the form of former treasurer Jo...

27:36Oct 15, 2026

A public execution and a Russian deal – will Trump’s midterm distractions work?

The Pentagon's plans to livestream the execution of a former US army psychiatrist who murdered 13 soldiers at an army base has been met with...

22:41Oct 14, 2026

The ‘glass cliff’ and why the McKinsey saga shows it still exists

A senior Australian partner at global consultancy firm McKinsey made global headlines this week when he was stripped of a key leadership pos...

23:15Oct 13, 2026

Australia is incubating a dementia time bomb

Dementia is the No.1 cause of death here. And it's a uniquely terrifying one, given it can often lead to an eroded sense of self, and lost m...

22:36Oct 12, 2026

How a remote Ecuadorian village took on Gina Rinehart

Lucia Chicaiza lives in northern Ecuador, in a sleepy farming town of just over 2000 people, at the foot of the Andes. She also happens to l...

21:30Oct 11, 2026

Coalition’s 'race to the bottom on migration' and former immigration official answers your questions

It's been a year since Liberal MP Andrew Hastie quit Sussan Ley's frontbench to speak his mind on migration. His decision fractured the Coal...

37:51Oct 8, 2026