NewsBite

Health & Education

Yesterday

Do viruses trigger Alzheimer’s?

A growing group of scientists think so, and are asking whether antivirals could treat the disease

This Month

The NDIS’s cost troubles trace back to 2013, when Labor debated the NDIS Bill in Parliament amid leadership turmoil, and provided inaccurate figures for the costs.

I’m an NDIS participant. Here’s what I’ve uncovered about this chaotic system

Missteps, miscalculations, lies and missed opportunities on the NDIS should alarm anyone who values sound economic governance.

Trump has unleashed a barrage of tariffs already and plans more on April 2.

Read the questionnaire Trump has sent to Australian unis

A questionnaire sent to Australian universities by the Trump administration has sparked alarm among academics. You can read it here.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton:  the Victorian experience where curfews and distance limits were imposed without clear medical advice has done deep damage to public trust.

How to undo the damage Victoria’s COVID response did to public trust

Federal and state governments should adopt a uniform code for pandemic management mandating medical advice be signed and published for any restrictive measures.

Mark Butler announced the 3.73 per cent increase in February.

Health insurance fees to rise more than Labor says

Health Minister Mark Butler has been called out for understating the size of the increase in health insurance premiums this year.

Advertisement

Do we age steadily or in bursts?

New technologies are giving scientists a better understanding of how the process of ageing actually works.

February

Randa Abdel-Fattah at the Adelaide Writers’ Week in 2023.

Research funding body suspends grant to pro-Palestinian academic

Controversial academic Randa Abdel-Fattah, who has said Zionists “have no claim or right to cultural safety”, has had her $870,000 research grant suspended.

Former Labor leader and new University of Canberra vice chancellor Bill Shorten has urged his new peers to do a better job of being relevant to everyday Australians.

People are not stupid or bogans ... it’s us, Shorten tells unis

Bill Shorten and Catherine Livingstone have come to similar conclusions as to why universities are out of favour with the community.

Dr James Dunn’s research is using the human experience of remembering faces to train AI.

Australia should punt on bold, unproven ideas: Shergold

The Australian Research Council chairman says this country needs to get behind young researchers whose work takes greater risks but offers larger rewards.

In the medical business the unfair term ‘frequent flyers’ is used to describe patients who through no fault of their own can only find the care they need in public hospitals

My patient Shirley would benefit from more bulk billing. Here’s why she won’t

Labor is shining an 8.5 billion-watt spotlight on general practices to divert attention from the elephant in the room that everyone in Australia has seen.

University of Canberra VC Bill Shorten and chancellor Lisa Paul at his installation last week.

Shorten blames federal policies for his uni’s financial woes, job cuts

The University of Canberra’s new vice chancellor says 191 jobs will be cut this year after student numbers fell.

Tom Snow, Kelly Blanch and Jonathan Crowston in the University of Sydney’s ophthalmology lab.

$50m donation aims to foil ‘sneak thief of sight’

The University of Sydney has received its second major donation in just two weeks – this time to change the trajectory of 80 million glaucoma sufferers.

Single this Valentine’s Day? You’re not alone

The central demographic story of modern times is rising rates of singledom; the data suggests there’s a global relationship recession among young adults.

Self care Barbie, playing the wellness game.

Do we really need ‘teenage wellness’?

Is the profusion of adolescent spa packages and mindfulness apps simply contributing to the pressures that young people face?

Year 12 retention rates and attendance are spiralling down.

School retention, attendance rates continue to trend downwards

Fewer students are staying at school until the end and too many don’t turn up for class. Mental health is part of the problem.

Advertisement
The Smith Family supports more than 67,000 students but has bold expansion plans over the coming years amid critical need across Australia.

In wealthy Australia, child poverty wreaks havoc

Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, so it’s almost unfathomable to think that one in six children are growing up in poverty.

Sponsored 

by The Smith Family

Finding a cure for Alzheimer's Disease has never been more urgent. In Australia, it is the second leading cause of death.

Why is there no Alzheimer’s cure? Lies, greed says a new book

In ‘Doctored’, Charles Piller, a science journalist, details how groupthink and dishonesty steered Alzheimer’s research off course.

Ross Gittins and Richard Holden.

Richard Holden is wrong. Ross Gittins is right about the economics rot

Economists desperately want to convince themselves the world is as simple as C + I + G + (X - M). That’s what generations of students have been taught to believe.

Australia’s healthiest places to live (How does your suburb compare?)

A new study looking at the nation’s healthiest cities has turned up some surprising results. Use our interactive map to discover where your suburb is ranked.

I saw firsthand the frustration of experienced economists—many former Treasury officials—who opposed Future Made in Australia, the Albanese government’s flagship policy in the 2024–25 Budget.

Trump’s tariffs show why economics should be compulsory at school

If we want smarter economic policies, we need to invest in economic education first.

Ozempic may protect against Alzheimer’s

A recent analysis found that people taking semaglutide were about 40 per cent to 70 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Sharon Pickering, Ian Narev, Bran Black and Guy Chalkley ahead of the roundtable discussion in Sydney on Friday.

How careers counsellors could help plug the skills gap

Encouraging teenagers to complete high school and giving them access to careers counselling are key to plugging the yawning skills gap.

January

Hannah Forsyth, is an historian who has written a book on the history of the modern australian university.

Is a university degree still worth it?

The pay premium for graduates is on the decline, while the sector is a mess and academics are asking whether we have reached “peak university”.

Outgoing NDIS Minister Bill Shorten will start a new role as the vice chancellor of Canberra University in February.

Bill Shorten was a last-minute applicant to lead Canberra Uni

Bill Shorten applied for the job as vice chancellor of the University of Canberra just two days before he and five others were interviewed for the role.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education