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Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie thankfully survived a horrific stabbing attack in New York last weekend, although with permanent damage to his sight and body, and surely his sense of security. It is hard to imagine what life has been life for the Indian born British-American in the 34 years that have passed since his novel The Satanic Verses was banned in many Muslim countries and the Supreme Leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa ordering Rushdie’s execution. In the days since the attack by a 24-year-old New York local, the Iranian government has denied any connection to the stabbing. Today on Please Explain, Tory Maguire is joined by The Age columnist Julie Szego to discuss how Salman Rushdie has evolved from standing up to Islamic fundamentalism to resisting a brand new threat: cancel culture.  Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison – who also secretly held the portfolios of health, finance, home affairs, treasury, industry, science, energy and resources during his time in office – defended his actions on Wednesday, staring down calls for him to leave Parliament. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed on Tuesday that Morrison had secretly taken on ministerial responsibilities for five departments. Then-treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who was also deputy Liberal leader and spent months living at the Lodge with Morrison during the pandemic, only discovered the subterfuge this week. Morrison had secretly taken on responsibilities for the treasury portfolio less than a week before the May 2021 budget. Former Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, who also discovered the news this week, was among those who called for Morrison to resign. But in a highly charged press conference, Morrison defended his actions, saying he acted with the interests of Australians front of mind at all times. Today on Please Explain, columnist and senior reporter Jacqueline Maley joins Bianca Hall to discuss what could have motivated Morrison, the former "minister for everything". Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is now three days since we learned that Scott Morrison had himself sworn as health minister in 2020 as the government geared up to tackle the covid pandemic. Since then we have also learned that he had himself sworn in as resources minister too, and as finance minister. Today, Anthony Albanese revealed that Mr Morrison might have been secretly sworn into five portfolios. Today on Please Explain, Nick O'Malley is joined by national affairs editor James Massola to discuss Morrison's secret ministries. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A rogue art gallery owner, missing paintings, a billionaire - it’s a story that feels like it belongs in the Thomas Crown Affair. But the case of Tristian Koenig isn’t a movie plot line, it’s very real. Late last year, The Age published an investigation looking into allegations that Koenig had sold the work of artists that he represented without telling them and pocketed the money himself. Now some of those artists and the collectors who bought their work are trying to get to the bottom of what went on, while Koenig himself seems to have gone missing. Today on Please Explain, Osman Faruqi is joined by The Age chief reporter Chip Le Grand to discuss the power imbalance between artist and art gallery owner. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After hosting 185 episodes of Please Explain and 20 years as a journalist, Nathanael Cooper bids farewell to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. In this special episode, Tory Maguire joins Nathanael to chat about his favourite episodes and looks at how Please Explain has unpacked the biggest stories over the last few years, from the war in Ukraine, to the federal election, and the pandemic. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the economy slips and slides through pandemics, wars, inflation, wage stagnation and other calamities, a certain word keeps popping up: productivity. If you look it up in the dictionary, the definition is, “the state or quality of being productive,” which isn’t especially helpful to understanding what it means when you’re talking about the economy. Does it mean working harder to get more stuff done? Does it mean cramming more work into your day so you are seen as being more productive so your boss gives you more money? Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Nathanael Cooper to get to the bottom of what productivity is, and what it’s important. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She may be the reigning queen of pop but that hasn’t stopped Beyonce from becoming a target of activists over offensive language in her latest release Renaissance. The chart-topping album includes the track Heated where Beyonce uses the ableist slur spaz. She has since changed the lyrics. But it comes weeks after Lizzo was also slammed online for using the word in her track Grrls, leading her to change the lyrics. The brouhaha has also started conversations around the fact that both artists who have been attacked for the language have been women of colour despite the fact men have used ableist language in their lyrics for decades. But now rapper Eminem has also been called out. Today on Please Explain, culture news editor, and host of our sister podcast The Drop, Osman Faruqi joins Nathanael Cooper to talk us through the controversy. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fans across the world are reeling at the news Dame Olivia Newton-John has died, aged 73. Her legacy is enormous. Across music, culture, fashion and medicine, Newton-John is being remembered as a style icon, a musical trailblazer, and a fearless advocate for cancer treatment and research. And she is being remembered as a friend. Today on a special episode of Please Explain, writer Neil McMahon and culture editor-at-large Michael Idato join Bianca Hall to talk about the woman they knew. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As COVID-19 sweeps through the community, some people are avoiding it altogether, and some of us are unlucky enough to be getting it twice or more. So do we build up immunities over time, or does contracting the virus more than once raise the risk of making us more sick? The scientific jury, it seems, is still out. A controversial study released in June suggests reinfections could increase people’s risk of bad outcomes. Extracting healthcare data, it concluded US veterans who had been reinfected were three times more likely to be hospitalised and twice as likely to be dead. But other experts have their doubts. Today on Please Explain, national science reporter Liam Mannix joins Bianca Hall to discuss the latest evidence about COVD-19 reinfections. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The jobs scandal engulfing the New South Wales state government that saw deputy premier Stuart Ayres resign from cabinet this week is not going anywhere fast. The crisis began when former Nationals MP John Barilaro was appointed to a $500,000 a year New York trade role nearly seven weeks ago and continues today, amid further revelations this week about how involved Ayres was in the controversial appointment. The belated dumping of Ayres, after he insisted for weeks that he played no role in the recruitment process, is just the start of problems the besieged coalition faces. Premier Dominic Perrottet’s standing and authority has been weakened, and with further damaging revelations being made daily in the parliamentary enquiry into Barilaro’s appointment, questions are being asked about the future of his leadership. NSW state political reporter Lucy Cormack joins host Nathanael Cooper on today's Please Explain to bring us up to speed on the evolving scandal. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parliament descended into momentary chaos yesterday when Nationals MP Pat Conaghan called a point of order objecting to the state of undress of the member for Griffith, Greens MP Mex Chandler-Mather - because he was not wearing a tie. Speaker Milton Dick dismissed Conaghan’s concerns and allowed the young Greens MP to proceed with his question to the Prime Minister on public housing. But the fracas has raised a question about what counts as proper work attire post pandemic, after we all worked in our pyjamas for two years. Is the noose that has hung around the necks of men for centuries an antiquated relic of times yore? Will judges don jeans and public servants get about in Reebok pumps? and does this all mean that society is disintegrating even further than it already has? Or is it that men and women’s formal fashion has evolved beyond what has passed down from Croatian mercenaries who wore traditional knotted neckerchiefs to hold the top of their jackets together? Today on Please Explain, national fashion editor Damien Woolnough joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the history and the future of men’s formal fashion. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was dubbed the Member for Manila, after spending almost 300 days in the Philippines between April 2014 and June 2018. Now, a letter detailing an assessment by Australian Federal Police into the activities of former Nationals MP George Christensen in the Philippines has been made public. Christensen and the AFP fought for three years to keep the letter secret, with federal police arguing the letter's release could jeopardise national security. Christensen has denied any wrongdoing, but the AFP warned the former government Christensen had engaged in “activities” that could put him in danger of being targeted for compromise by foreign interests. The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and Nine News were finally granted access to the document on Tuesday, after the information commissioner found its disclosure was in the public interest. Today on Please Explain, political correspondent Anthony Galloway joins Bianca Hall to discuss the long fight to tell this story. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As COVID-19 case numbers fall around the country, epidemiologists are cautiously optimistic we might have passed the peak of the winter surge. The national seven-day average number of cases is down 10 per cent compared to a week ago, with cases falling since July 24. The fall in COVID cases follows a collapse in the number of influenza cases since May, suggesting the worst of winter’s wave of illnesses could be behind us. But experts continue to warn against complacency, with new Burnet Institute modelling showing near universal mask wearing inside could decrease the number of COVID cases by up to 23 per cent, and the number of COVID deaths by 14 per cent. Today on Please Explain, national science reporter Liam Mannix joins Bianca Hall to discuss the latest on COVID-19, and a new theory about where it came from. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The passing of acclaimed singer songwriter Archie Roach on the weekend has prompted a national outpouring of grief and tributes. Archie Roach, a Gunditjamarra and Bundjalung elder hailing from Mooroopna in Victoria’s north, was just 66.His musical legacy is vast: from his debut studio album Charcoal Lane, which included the heartbreaking track “Took the Children Away”, to his career-spanning anthology My Songs, released in March this year.As Australians reflect on the life of an extraordinary elder and songman, the country is being asked to support a new path forward that would bring Aboriginal Australians into the Constitution.Roach passed away on Saturday, the same day Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke at the Garma cultural festival in Arnhem Land.Albanese called on Australians to unite behind his proposed wording to enshrine an Aboriginal Voice to Parliament within the Constitution. Today on Please Explain, Indigenous affairs journalist and Birpai man, Jack Latimore joins Bianca Hall to discuss Archie Roach’s legacy, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the focus remains on the Covid-19 pandemic, another disease has scientists on high alert. Monkeypox, a virus that has rarely been seen outside Africa, has been spreading rapidly in recent months leading the World Health Organisation to declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. On Thursday, Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly designated the outbreak here a communicable disease incident of national significance.  So far, 44 Australians have been diagnosed with the disease as part of an outbreak that now spans more than 20,000 people across 71 countries. To tell us more, science reporter Liam Mannix joins Nathanael Cooper on Please Explain. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 37 years, 63 weddings, 20 births, 68 deaths, nearly 9000 episodes and one very bizarre dog dream sequence, iconic Australian soap opera Neighbours comes to an end tonight. It made stars of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Margot Robbie, Daniel MacPherson and Toadie Rebecchi’s mullet. And it launched the pop careers of Delta Goodrem, Natalie Imbruglia, and at for at least one magnificent single, Holly Valance. But more importantly it turned the camera back on ourselves and made Australian suburban life fascinating in a way shows like EastEnders and Coronation Street had in the UK. It also did more for Australian tourism and immigration than Lara Bingle could ever have dreamed of. And now the show and its stars take their final bows, as Neighbours enters the history books. Today on Please Explain, senior culture writer Karl Quinn joins Nathanael Cooper to discuss the final episode and what the show’s legacy will be. Correction: An earlier version of this episode credited Guy Ritchie as having started his career on Neighbours rather than Guy Pearce. This was incorrect. We apologise for the error, which has now been removed. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Consumer Price Index has risen by 6.1% over the past 12 months, pushing inflation to its highest level in more than 20 years. In news Treasurer Jim Chalmers described as unsurprising, but still confronting, CPI rose by 1.8 per cent in the June quarter. The biggest increases were in the cost of transport, which rose by 13.1 in the 12 months to June, and housing, up 9 per cent in the year to June. The figures show the pressures on household budgets are real: in the June quarter, the cost of vegetables rose by 7.3 per cent, while fuel costs were up by 4.2 per cent. Now all eyes turn to the Reserve Bank, which is due to meet on Tuesday. Today on Please Explain, senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins Bianca Hall to discuss the latest inflation figures and why inflation is likely to get worse before it gets better. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perhaps you’ve described your boss as being a "psychopath", or your cousin who picked on you as a kid as a "sociopath". But what do these terms really mean? And how does it feel to learn you have psychopathic traits and are, in effect, a high-functioning psychopath? Are psychopaths more intelligent than other people, and are they more likely to harm those around them? And how do you tell if you know one - or are one? Today on Please Explain, explainer reporter Sherryn Groch joins Bianca Hall to discuss this much maligned but little understood condition. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 47th Parliament opens on Tuesday, and MPs, senators, staffers, the media and lobbyists are already descending on Canberra for the Albanese government’s first sitting. The new government has a big agenda. It will take legislation to enshrine its 43 per cent emissions reduction target before Parliament; it is staring down a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Indonesia amid calls to shut the border; and ahead of legislation to disband the Australian Building and Construction Commission, the government will reduce its remit to a “bare legal minimum”. Today on Please Explain, national affairs editor James Massola joins Bianca Hall to discuss the fortnight ahead in parliament. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia might have the strongest jobs market in years, but young people will struggle with the side-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research. The research, compiled by the e61 Institute with the Paul Ramsay Foundation, says young workers are less likely to transition to employment during the pandemic, partly due to the closures of sectors such as hospitality. Despite the recovery in the jobs market over recent months, the number of young people out of work for more than two years hasn't changed. The pandemic also caused an increase in the number of students who have not completed their studies. Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright joins host Nathanael Cooper for a special Please Explain, which includes news from culture news editor Osman Faruqi from the very wet grounds of the Splendour in the Grass festival. Day one of the music festival in North Byron has been cancelled following heavy rain, following two years of total cancellations due to the health crisis. People who began arriving at the site on Thursday faced delays of up to 12 hours to get into the campsite, and early acts on Friday were postponed before headliners for the first night including Gorillaz, The Avalanches, DMA’s and Kacey Musgraves, were notified the first day of the festival would not be going ahead. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.