Fury in Cornwall over herbicide plan to tackle weeds 22. April 2026 (11:00) Council proposal to use glyphosate to tidy up pavements criticised over potential harm to humans and wildlifeCornwall is famed for its glorious gardens and verdant landscapes but a bitter row has broken out over a plan to tackle a less glamorous type of vegetation – roadside weeds.The unitary authority has announced plans to use the controversial herbicide glyphosate to tidy up pavements and kerbsides, after largely phasing out its use over the last decade amid concerns about potential harm to humans and the peninsula’s rich ecosystems. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Why Trump’s pick for Fed chair will not bring home the bank for the president 22. April 2026 (11:00) Kevin Warsh, Trump’s ‘central casting’, has a long road ahead of convincing board members to lower interest ratesDonald Trump’s fate is to be frustrated by monetary policy.Even assuming he gets his way and Kevin Warsh succeeds Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve next month, it is unlikely that the president will finally gain control of the Fed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Tucker and Trump’s marriage of convenience heads for divorce court 22. April 2026 (11:00) Conservative host says he’s ‘tormented’ by previous support for Trump – could this presage his own run for president?He can’t live with him and can’t live without him. But, finally, the conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson seems to have made up his mind about Donald Trump. Their up-and-down marriage of political convenience is heading for the divorce court.On Tuesday Carlson admitted that he will be “tormented” for a long time by his support for Trump in the 2024 US presidential election “and I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people”. What he did not say is whether this presages his own run for president in 2028. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Aging in Place: How Technology Might Help You Grow Old at Home 22. April 2026 (11:00) The budding field is turning dreams into reality for older adults who are eager to age in place, filling caregiving gaps and easing minds as America ages rapidly.(New York Times)
Gas companies spending millions on Australian advertising blitz to fight export tax, inquiry told 22. April 2026 (10:48) Shell Australia says campaign needed to ‘counterbalance’ claims by levy advocates – but Ed Husic urges industry ‘do not spend millions defending the indefensible’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGas companies are mounting a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to fight against a new export tax, prompting the Labor MP Ed Husic to accuse the industry of “defending the indefensible”.Shell Australia is among half a dozen oil and gas companies contributing around $1m to an Australian Energy Producers (AEP) campaign that attempts to justify the amount of tax the industry pays, a parliamentary inquiry heard on Wednesday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Mouse plague hits WA grain farmers as numbers surge in SA: ‘You literally can’t get away from them’ 22. April 2026 (10:42) CSIRO researcher says there are reports of up to 4,000 mouse burrows per hectare in parts of Western AustraliaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGrain growers are on high alert as mouse numbers in Western Australia reach plague proportions and numbers surge in South Australia.Steve Henry, who researches mice and their impact on the grain industry at CSIRO, says more than 800 mice per hectare is considered a plague. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Kevin Rudd adds to his staggering fortune by parachuting into $700,000 job after leaving his ambassador role early