If you heard the news that Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday and responded with a shrug, you probably weren’t alone. How do or die are monthly jobs statistics? And wasn’t this just another instance of Trump attacking someone whose findings he didn’t like?

Not according to experts from across the political aisle, who have raised the alarm that this move represents a different threat, altogether. Even for Donald Trump.

Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on what history tells us happens once a country’s leader starts controlling facts.

If you heard the news that Donald Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday and responded with a shrug, you probably weren&rsquo;t alone. How do or die are monthly jobs statistics? And wasn&rsquo;t this just another instance of Trump attacking someone whose findings he didn&rsquo;t like?
Not according to experts from across the political aisle, who have raised the alarm that this move represents a different threat, altogether. Even for Donald Trump.
Today, international and political editor Peter Hartcher, on what history tells us happens once a country&rsquo;s leader starts controlling facts.

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition (formerly Please Explain) brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition

New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series. 

New episodes from ongoing Metro podcast series.&nbsp;

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The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

The Morning Edition brings you the story behind the story with the best journalists in Australia. Join host Samantha Selinger-Morris from the newsrooms of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, weekdays from 5am.

How Trump’s sacking of stats chief is another 'slide into autocracy'

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/4a131673-5009-4d42-a0f3-b33100691281/transcript

Today, we're delving into the expenses scandal, if indeed we are calling it a scandal, that has engulfed the Communications Minister Anika Wells. A $100,000 taxpayer funded flight to New York snow-balled into a drip-feed of information about flights to the Formula 1 grand prix, the Boxing Day tests and even a family reunion at Thredbo. All of this dropping at precisely the moment the minister wanted to be talking about the social media ban that was instituted this week.

So, what are the rules around taxpayer-funded travel for MPs? And do the pass the 'pub test'?

Joining host Jacqueline Maley is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and chief political commentator James Massola.

Today, we're delving into the expenses scandal, if indeed we are calling it a scandal, that has engulfed the Communications Minister Anika Wells. A $100,000 taxpayer funded flight to New York snow-balled into a drip-feed of information about flights to the Formula 1 grand prix, the Boxing Day tests and even a family reunion at Thredbo.&nbsp;All of this dropping at&nbsp;precisely the moment the minister wanted to be talking about the social media ban that was instituted this week. So, what are the rules around taxpayer-funded travel for MPs? And do the pass the 'pub test'?
Joining host Jacqueline Maley is chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, and chief political commentator James Massola.

Inside Politics: The ‘dirty business’ of MP expenses

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/33264e4f-3fc6-449a-9ef1-b3b00058478e/transcript

The video is, according to those who have seen it, horrific to watch. Two sailors cling to the debris of a blown-up boat in the Caribbean, when they’re killed by a US military strike. 

This occurred after the first strike on their boat failed to kill everybody on board.

It has sparked outrage, and led to accusations – by Democrat and Republican lawmakers alike – that the US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has presided over a military mission that may have been marked by war crimes.

Today, Andrew Bell, an expert on law and ethics in military operations, and a senior research scholar at the Center for International Security and Conflict at Stanford University, on why Donald Trump has ordered multiple boat strikes in the Caribbean, which have killed at least 80 people. And whether this could splinter the MAGA movement.

The video is, according to those who have seen it, horrific to watch. Two sailors cling to the debris of a blown-up boat in the Caribbean, when they&rsquo;re killed by a US military strike.&nbsp;
This occurred after the first strike on their boat failed to kill everybody on board.
It has sparked outrage, and led to accusations &ndash; by Democrat and Republican lawmakers alike &ndash; that the US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has presided over a military mission that may have been marked by war crimes.
Today, Andrew Bell, an expert on law and ethics in military operations, and a senior research scholar at the Center for International Security and Conflict at Stanford University, on why Donald Trump has ordered multiple boat strikes in the Caribbean, which have killed at least 80 people. And whether this could splinter the MAGA movement.

Trump and the Caribbean boat strikes: Did a war crime occur?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/0468a70a-69ee-45dd-a484-b3af009224de/transcript

Our mastheads have discovered that a number of sex offenders have committed crimes - in our communities - after serving their time in prison.

And here’s the thing. They committed these crimes while under a “supervision order”. This little known order, issued by a court, is meant to keep a “ring fence” around these known offenders, to keep tabs on them and monitor their movement. But it has also served to keep crimes by these violent predators largely hidden, due to a veil of secrecy created by legislation that protects them.

Today, senior reporter Chris Vedelago, on the failure of these secrecy laws. And the vexed issue of whether the anonymity protection of known sex offenders should be removed.

Our mastheads have discovered that a number of sex offenders have committed crimes - in our communities - after serving their time in prison.
And here&rsquo;s the thing. They committed these crimes while under a &ldquo;supervision order&rdquo;. This little known order, issued by a court, is meant to keep a &ldquo;ring fence&rdquo; around these known offenders, to keep tabs on them and monitor their movement. But it has also served to keep crimes by these violent predators largely hidden, due to a veil of secrecy created by legislation that protects them.
Today, senior reporter Chris Vedelago, on the failure of these secrecy laws. And the vexed issue of whether the anonymity protection of known sex offenders should be removed.

The sex offenders being protected under secretive orders

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/88b564ea-a9a6-4751-910a-a5d800019396/clips/2d1854eb-298a-4ffd-a646-b3ae00966c95/transcript

How Trump’s sacking of stats chief is another 'slide into autocracy'

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