John Holmes

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The Conversation

Australia’s aged care algorithm is under fire. At last, someone’s listening

The number of complaints about assessments for home-based aged care are rising. Now, the ombudsman is getting involved. Here’s what needs to happen next.

The Conversation

The secret sensory life of plants: researchers are discovering how they see, hear, feel – and even r

Plants can tune into the sound of water to direct their roots towards it, or release toxins to make themselves less palatable to browsing animals.

www.theage.com.au

Mount Macedon Memorial Cross: Snow gum forest to be bulldozed for view lines ahead of Anzac Day

Pearls and Irritations

Defund, don’t debate – the playbook for silencing dissent

The closure of the Grace Tame Foundation exposes a troubling pattern – dissent isn’t debated, it is defunded through pressure applied behind the scenes.

www.abc.net.au

Strait of Hormuz blockade could turn into global agrifood crisis

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says ships in the Strait of Hormuz need to start moving again to avoid a global agrifood crisis. Here's why.

the Guardian

‘Everything is gone’: Israel destroys entire villages in Lebanon

Rights groups fear tactic of ‘domicide’ trialled in Gaza, where entire areas are made uninhabitable, is being used again

www.abc.net.au

The 'enshitification' of the system has left Australia's unis at a crossroad

A generation ago, studying in Australia opened doors. Today rising costs and falling satisfaction are making international students think twice, and locals feel sidelined.

Pearls and Irritations

Allies are learning the cost of relying on the US

US alliances are exposing partner nations to conflict without giving them control over decisions. From the Gulf to Australia, the risks of strategic dependence are becoming clearer.

Pearls and Irritations

National Press Club under fire for ‘disgraceful’ invitation to Israeli envoy

The National Press Club is under fire for hosting Israel’s ambassador after cancelling other speakers and remaining largely silent on the killing of journalists in Gaza.

The Conversation

Our interest in electric vehicles has grown due to oil price spikes. And it’s likely to remain

The clear signal this trend data sends is Australians are a pragmatic lot. If using an EV might save them money, they are interested.

The Conversation

Australia has set new expectations for AI data centres – they should serve the public

Essential infrastructure should serve local communities, not just the market.

World Meteorological Organization

State of the Global Climate 2025

WMO’s State of the Global Climate report 2025 confirms that 2015-2025 are the hottest 11-years on record, and that 2025 was the second or third hottest year on record, at about 1.43 °C above the 1850-

ScienceAlert

The Comb Jelly 'Brain' Is Far More Complex Than We Ever Realized

Comb jellies – very simple, gelatinous creatures best-known for their hypnotic underwater light shows – first appeared in Earth's oceans around 550 million years ago.

ScienceAlert

World Meteorological Day: Ocean Heat Breaks Record, Scientists Warn

Earth's climate is more imbalanced than at any other time on record, with 2015-2025 confirmed as the hottest 11 years on record, as highlighted by the World Meteorological Organization's annual State

The Conversation

Australia has dedicated more than 20% of its land to conservation but not where it matters most

We’ve committed to protect 30% of our lands and waters by 2030. But our endangered species are still struggling, according to four environmental scientists.

www.abc.net.au

BOM website creator's new $16m contract has climate scientists worried

The company responsible for the highly criticised BOM website wins a $16 million tender to build a new climate data website for the government.

www.abc.net.au

Trump Organization paid for Tom Tate's meals and more during visit

The Gold Coast mayor visited the luxurious estate days before an Australian developer signed a deal to build a Trump-branded tower at Surfers Paradise.

www.abc.net.au

Former defence leaders say Australia is already in a fight with its biggest threats

Australians are already deeply emersed in a global disinformation war about fossil fuels and climate change, former defence leaders say in an extensive new review.

thepoint.com.au

What the South Australian result shows about how elections are really won

The easiest way to understand the structural shift taking place in Australian politics is to understand that you can now win a landslide majority of seats in parliament even when your primary vote dec

thepoint.com.au

Soaring petrol prices have exposed a ‘rotten core’ in Australia

So much of what passes for Australian political discourse relies on existential threats. It’s easy to make grandiose statements and take positions when the threat is some amorphous vague maybe that co

thepoint.com.au

Climate disasters are becoming more frequent and costly, a climate disaster levy offers a fairer way

Right now, right across the country, communities are being forced to come to terms with the rapidly escalating frequency, intensity and cost of climate disasters.

thepoint.com.au

If the NDIS is ‘runaway spending’, what do we call $16 billion in fossil fuel subsidies?

New research shows fossil fuel subsidies will reach $16.3 billion in 2025–26, rising faster than the NDIS. Handouts to mining giants are growing faster than support for Australians with disability.

www.abc.net.au

He risked his life at Bondi. But this Iranian refugee failed our character test

AB ran into danger during Bondi's terrorist attacks to save lives. Four months on, he faces deportation after failing Australia's refugee character test. His family is urging the Albanese government t

the Guardian

Reaching net zero by 2050 ‘cheaper for UK than one fossil fuel crisis’

Climate change committee finds move to renewable energy would also bring health, economic and security benefits

www.abc.net.au

Bird deaths linked to loss of food source in algal bloom, authority says

Birds are starving and dying along metropolitan Adelaide beaches, caused by a lack of fish as a result of the algal bloom, the South Australian government says.

The Conversation

It’s tempting to offload your thinking to AI. Cognitive science shows why that’s a bad idea

The faster and easier option isn’t always the best.

www.theage.com.au

Krill fishing in Antarctica: Humans are taking food from mouths of whales

www.theage.com.au

Australia weather: Extreme summer of fires and floods followed by autumn bushfire risk

www.abc.net.au

Algorithm denies high level care for Melbourne man with advanced MND

Graham Crossan cannot eat, talk or breathe unassisted but he's been denied funding for high-level care due to a new way of assessing aged care funding.

Pearls and Irritations

How John Howard reshaped Australia – and not for the better

Many of Australia’s most pressing social and economic problems can be traced to policy choices made during the Howard years, from housing and inequality to wages, tax and public services.

The Conversation

Gaza’s cultural sites have been decimated. UNESCO’s muted response sets a dangerous precedent

UNESCO has been far too cautious over Gaza. This allows the destruction of historical sites to be treated as regrettable collateral damage, instead of a crime.

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