The Morning Edition

Who is Isaac Herzog and why there are protests everywhere he goes

The violence that unfolded outside Sydney Town Hall on Monday night was ugly. Protesters were punched, kicked and trampled as they tried to breach a police line. Thousands of demonstrators were crushed together as capsicum spray was deployed indiscriminately at close range. Dozens were arrested, and several police officers were allegedly assaulted. People were there to protest a visit to Australia by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who is in the country following the Bondi terror attack. More protests are expected in Canberra and Melbourne. Today, chief reporter Chip Le Grand on whether Isaac Herzog’s visit will further divide the country. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The politics of Bad Bunny and the Super Bowl’s half-time show

If you’ve taken a passing glimpse at news over the past week, you would have come across the name Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican musician recently won three Grammy awards and just performed on the biggest stage in the world as headline act for the NFL Super Bowl’s half-time show, which usually attracts more than 100 million viewers every year. The 29-year-old’s selection and performance have not been without controversy. Today, culture editor-at-large Michael Idato examines why Bad Bunny has become a focal point for the Trump administration and the anti-ICE immigration movement, and how he might impact US politics. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Gina Rinehart, the disability pensioner and a fight over 12km of fencing

We all know how a neighbour with irksome habits can drive us to distraction. Maybe their leafblower is their best friend. Or they blast their music at all hours. But what if your neighbour is Gina Rinehart, Australia’s richest person? And you’re on a disability pension? Today, investigative reporter Lucy Macken on why the NSW Supreme Court is hearing a case involving feral goats, a 12-kilometre fence and why both women won’t call off the fight. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Bill Shorten on his random, oblique reference in the Epstein files

Today on Inside Politics, we welcome back former opposition leader Bill Shorten, who is now the Vice Chancellor of the University of Canberra. It's a timely moment to have Shorten on the podcast as he obliquely (very obliquely, we stress) came up in the Epstein files this week. Strangely, in the massive dump of new documents from the files, there is a text message exchange between Steve Bannon, the former strategist for Donald Trump, and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In the messages, Bannon boasts that he spoke to Australian billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer on his disruptive $80 million advertising campaign during the 2019 federal election. This was the election contested by Shorten, and we asked him what he thought. Joining host Jacqueline Maley for this discussion is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Epstein files troubling Trump and who he’ll threaten next

Another tranche - amounting more than 3 million pages - of the Epstein files has been published. The US Department of Justice says this is the final drop, but there are reportedly millions of more pages being kept from view. So is there anything in them that hurts President Donald Trump? Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher on how the Epstein files are driving Trump's "war pageant".  Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ [https://subscribe.smh.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.