Our hospitals and GPs are struggling. Are Albanese’s fixes working?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese swept back into power in part on the back of an $8.5 billion investment in Medicare, what he described as the “single largest investment in Medicare since its creation” more than 40 years ago. Who could forget him waving his Medicare card at every opportunity on the campaign trail?Today, health reporter Angus Thomson on whether Albanese is delivering on two of his biggest initiatives: free GP visits and urgent care clinics designed to care for you when your GP and the hospital aren’t an option.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A series of tragic deaths of Australian mothers and babies, as a result of so-called “freebirthing” has put this practice into the spotlight.What is “freebirthing”, you ask? Call it birth without a safety net, that is: without any doctor, trained clinician or registered midwife present. Some women are alone. Some are just with their partner.Today, senior writer Wendy Tuohy on why women are arguably risking their lives - and that of their baby - to engage in this increasingly popular practice, and the “birth influencers” encouraging them, some of whom have reportedly claimed to have more clinical skills than they do.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is "Spermagedon" coming? Well, the results of a new study on men's fertility and testosterone levels has left experts concerned as male sperm counts plunge. Many experts suspect the drop is driven by a cocktail of air pollution, microplastics and other hormone-disrupting toxins, including PFAS or “forever chemicals” in the environment. Today, science writer Angus Dalton on this new study and whether male fertility is at serious risk.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High-profile politician Alex Greenwich is used to the robust world of public office, but he says he had never experienced such an intense attack on his sexuality after his public stoush with Mark Latham. Latham, the former Labor leader turned political pariah, was ordered to pay Greenwich $140,000 for a vile social media post the Federal Court found defamed the gay Sydney independent MP. It’s a judgment Latham, who is also an independent MP in the NSW parliament, is appealing. All of this is not new, but Greenwich is now speaking out about the extent the saga has affected him in the latest episode of The Morning Edition with Samantha Selinger-MorrisSubscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we're going to talk about the government's weaknesses, which might seem a little bit counter-intuitive, because Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been flying so high on the international stage, where he dined with US President Donald Trump at a dinner at ASEAN. But back on the domestic front, there are a few weaknesses, particularly in the economy. Chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, joins host and senior columnist Jacqueline Maley for this week's Inside Politics.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, King Charles was doing something the British royal family are accustomed to - shaking the hands of royal fans who had lined up for a chance to greet him outside a Cathedral in the UK. But then there was a shout from the crowd - loud and clear over the hum of voices and clicking of cameras: “How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?” Today, senior columnist Jacqueline Maley on the problem of Prince Andrew and why the scandal is being called the “stuff of which revolutions are made”.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2005, Rupert Murdoch famously sided with his right-hand man, former Fox News chairman and now disgraced businessman, Roger Ailes, over his son, Lachlan, in a television dispute.He chose proven loyalty over blood ties. Perhaps it’s a lesson Lachlan never forgot. Because after a decades-long succession battle over his family’s media empire, he came out as the victor in September, over three of his siblings. And with the help of a little known power-broker who has become the closest thing to being an honorary Murdoch.Today, media writer Calum Jaspan on Siobhan McKenna, the unlikely ally from a humble background in Canberra who manages Lachlan’s conflicts, in order to help him retain power. And the impact this has on his professional - and familial - relationships.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You sure can tell a lot about a person by what they eat. Actor Marilyn Monroe once said that she was told her eating habits were “absolutely bizarre”, to which she replied, “I don’t think so.” (Her daily breakfast was a cup of hot milk with two raw eggs whisked in.) Well, today, you can now judge the tastes of those across the nation. Because the results from the 2025 Good Food Guide Awards are in. Today, Good Food head Sarah Norris, national restaurant editor Callan Boys and Melbourne restaurant editor Emma Breheny, on the restaurants you can’t miss. What this year’s dominant food trends say about what we value - and no longer care for. And the affordable must-order dish that our team says is the “undersell of the year”.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You couldn’t escape last week without hearing the ad for Kim Kardashian's latest rage-bait release: a so-called micro thong with faux pubic hair.Of course, Kardashian has called her thong - a pair of tiny underwear that comes in 12 shades - “the ultimate bush”. She’s capitalising on the latest trend.Today, lifestyle writer Lauren Ironmonger on the shame women are feeling now, as a result of being convinced to treat their bodies as trends. And whether anyone is actually buying their pubic hair back, after being told, since puberty, that they must get rid of it.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The week in federal politics could not have been more fun. We had Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travel to Washington, finally, for his meeting with US President Donald Trump. The meeting was a total hit, and Albanese came home with a deal on critical mineral supply and reassurances on the AUKUS submarine pact.Jacqueline Maley is joined by chief political correspondent, Paul Sakkal and special guest Bill Shorten, former opposition leader and a cabinet minister. Bill Shorten is now Vice Chancellor at the University of Canberra.Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.