A Two Edged Sword: Hit Them Where It Hurts
On the shore of the lake
The old man sat and watched a woman bathing
With its golden touch, the light was such
That the moment was worth saving
And he sang the song of the lake
The song of the lake
And all the king's horses and
Oh, never mind, never mind
And he knew that he would dissolve
If he followed her into the lake
But he also knew that if he remained upon the shore
He would in time, evaporate
He sang the song of the lake
The song of the lake
And all the king's horses
Oh, never mind, never mind
NIck Cave. Song of the Lake.
Like so much of the animal kingdom, he had preferred to hide from predators rather than face them full on. Dangerous. Unformed. Did they know what happened when they crossed him. Just ask.
When malignancy and senescence settled into the bones of their lives like old habits, and nothing was ever good again. Joy evaporated. Fun evaporated. A grimace, almost a death grimace, became their most common facial expression.
And they never joined the dots.
Never mind. Never mind.
Three new polls showed a surge for Albanese in the opening rounds of the election. A man who had lied his way into office, gaslit everybody, a stinking, pale, sad excuse of a man, and yet there it was. The man who had destroyed the country was applauded.
It was true, surely, that human societies had ingrained within their psyche a death wish, the capacity, the will, to destroy themselves.
We are bonded for ever, just the two of us, the two of us. For every light a dark, for every twist a turn. Bound in opposites. We salute you from the other side of the canal. And while many of the thoughts in his head made little sense, they did make sense. Humanity on the turn. Not a crossroads, a turn onto a different highway. And it wasn't always pretty.
THE MAINSTREAM
YOUTUBE
The vicious and hypocritical immorality of the Houthi Strikes.
Washington DC remains in hyper-buzz mode over the recent security breach effected by top members of Trump’s national security team as they discussed upcoming Yemen attacks over the messaging app Signal, and mistakenly included journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in the group chat. And while most of the media is focusing on the security breach aspect of the story, Jimmy and Mother of all Talk Shows host George Galloway discuss what they feel is a much more important aspect to this story.
SKY NEWS
Labor vote surges in three major polls
Support for the Albanese government has surged despite last week’s budget falling flat, with three major opinion polls released on Sunday showing a jump in Labor’s primary vote.
Kamala Harris to bring ‘some humour’ to Australia with upcoming visit
10 hours ago
Sky News host Rowan Dean says Kamala Harris will be providing “some humour” when she visits Australia to speak at a real estate event in May.
GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA
Dutton flip-flops on proposals for three separate referendums if Coalition wins election
Opposition leader floats – then walks back – polls on Indigenous recognition, four-year parliamentary terms and stripping citizenship of dual nationals
ABC
The offshore wind debate could influence this federal election and it's already an 'absolute blood-fest' The Illawarra, on the NSW south coast, can be hostile territory for Australian politicians.In 1939, Robert Menzies was booed by thousands of placard-waving locals as police escorted him down the Bulli Pass to meet striking waterside workers in Wollongong.It was here that the man who became Australia's longest-serving prime minister acquired the nickname "Pig Iron Bob" after he opposed the wharfies who refused to load pig iron on a ship bound for Japan for fear it would be used for military purposes.Fast forward to 2025 and it was Anthony Albanese's turn to feel the heat down near the steelworks.During a February press conference announcing his new candidate for Whitlam, he copped a gobful from a man dressed in a tan shirt and black shorts."Get out of our town, Albo!" the man yelled. "We don't want your wind farms!"Young men made a 'historic shift' to Trump and the right in the US election. Will it happen in Australia?"Among the younger generations, the [gender] gap is increasing, but both men and women are moving to the left," Dr Chowdhury said of the data from the Australian Election Study compiled after each poll by leading universities."The gender gap is kind of widening, but still in the left — not necessarily men and women going in different directions like we see in the US."This election will see hundreds of thousands of young Australians cast their ballot for the first time, and experts say it's difficult to predict which party they'll back.
SBS
Cost of living takes centre stage on campaign day two — as it happened
Supermarket prices, defence spending, Donald Trump and referendums dominated the second day of the federal election campaign.
NEWS
Top US vaccine official Dr Peter Marks issues chilling warning in letter as he quits
In a swipe at the Trump administration, a top health expert has issued a warning about vaccine safety in his resignation letter.
The top US vaccine official has issued a warning about growing “misinformation” in a resignation letter on Friday.
Dr Peter Marks, who has worked at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 2012, cited the “concerning” vaccine efforts of the Trump administration in the letter, published by The Washington Post.
He was reportedly forced out of the FDA’s vaccine division as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. takes charge.
Dr Marks, who was part of the effort to roll out vaccinations during the Covid pandemic, said he had been “willing to work” with Mr Kennedy on vaccine safety.
THE NEW DAILY
Labor pledges ban on supermarkets price-gouging
MACRO BUSINESS
Canada serves economic warning for Australia
Geoff Russ from Canada’s National Post penned a cautionary tale on how out-of-control immigration has degraded Canada’s economy and living standards.
The immigration influx, which drove a record 1.2 million increase in Canada’s population in 2023-04, “rocked Canada”, according to Russ:
Immigration-driven demand for housing and services vastly outstripped the supply of both, resulting in a palpable decline in affordability and access to health care, schooling and social services.
Between 2015 and 2024, Canada’s ranking in the Human Development Index plummeted from 9th to 18th, while the country fell behind Italy in the average growth of real GDP per capita…
Increasing their {immigrant’s] numbers in such a deliberate fashion failed to make Canada more competitive or improve the lives of its citizens…
SPECTATOR AUSTRALIA
On 27 March, the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles at Israel. It also reportedly launched ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and long-range one-way attack drones at US Navy warships in the region, including the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier.
The attack likely came in response to a series of US air and naval strikes against Houthi forces and military infrastructure in Yemen. These US strikes are part of a broader effort to degrade the Houthis’ ability to threaten international shipping in the Red Sea.
What is notable about the Houthi attack is that it occurred in broad daylight. While the exact motivation is unclear, the timing may have been intended to signal that the Houthis remain undeterred and capable of operating openly, without having to rely on the cover of night. That said, the relatively small number of missile projectiles launched – especially in comparison to earlier Houthi missile strikes against Israel and Western forces operating in the region – suggests that Houthi commanders were aware of the heightened risks and opted for a quick strike requiring minimal preparation and launch time.
CRIKEY
Climate determined the date of the election, yet remains utterly absent from it
More than 1,000 media pieces from major outlets mentioned climate change during the peak of the Black Summer bushfires. In February this year, there were just 250.
Australia’s election date was decided by climate change. Like every other major weather event of the past decade, Cyclone Alfred emerged in an atmosphere sweltering due to the heat-trapping effect of greenhouse gases. That made it hit harder and more unpredictably. Alfred tracked much farther south than cyclones normally do, so homes in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales were battered.
Albanese was forced to shift his election announcement, with both major parties having to deal with a surprise budget.
THE NIGHTLY
Albanese says crackdown on supermarkets will stop them from ‘taking the piss’
Budget helps Labor turn poll figures around
Anthony Albanese has jetted into Perth ahead of his first campaign appearance in WA on the back of a wave of improved polls, showing Labor improving its chances of a second term.