Good morning. The latest Guardian Essential poll suggests that Australian voters support more radical solutions to address the country’s failing housing system, in a warning to federal and state governments to do more to combat falling home ownership and higher rents.
Documents revealed after a three-year freedom-of-information fight show that Bridget McKenzie’s office wanted to triple funding in the controversial “sports rorts” grants – and prepared “talking points” for the senator to pitch Scott Morrison on expanding the program from $30m to $100m.
And millions of people have gathered across the US, Mexico and Canada to watch a spectacular total solar eclipse.
Australia
Guardian Essential poll | Voters support a range of more radical solutions for the “failing” housing system, a new poll shows – including the Coalition’s push to use super for housing and the Greens’ public sector property developer.
Exclusive | Bridget McKenzie’s office proposed tripling funding for the “sports rorts” program to deliver “priorities for target and marginal” seats after consultation with MPs and senators, documents have revealed.
‘I wasn’t appointed by Tony’ | The former deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop – the only woman in Tony Abbott’s 2013 federal cabinet – says she believes he hadn’t wanted any women in his senior ministry.
Pollution | A study has found that Australia is a global hotspot for “forever chemicals” – with limits on acceptable levels of toxic PFAS in Australia’s drinking water “orders of magnitude” higher than in US.
Housing stoush | Victorian Labor party members are pushing for a doubling of social housing at the sites of 44 public housing towers slated for redevelopment – and a guarantee the land will stay in public hands.
World
Total solar eclipse | Millions of people across parts of Mexico, the US and Canada peered upwards through safety glasses and cameras with solar filters to catch a glimpse of the rare spectacle.
Gaza crisis | Palestinians returning to Khan Younis after the withdrawal of Israeli troops have found the southern Gaza city marked by shattered buildings and the stench of death.
Donald Trump | With his trial over payments to the adult film star Stormy Daniels due to begin next week, the former US president may sue the judge overseeing the criminal case to delay proceedings.
Russia-Ukraine war | Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of launching kamikaze drones at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a development condemned as “reckless” by the international nuclear watchdog.
Youth offending | Three boys are facing trial in China for allegedly murdering another child, in a case that has shocked the country and sparked public debate about the treatment of juvenile offenders.
Full Story
Navigating the science of treating menopause
While conversations about menopause have changed and matured, the question of when and how to treat perimenopausal symptoms remains confusing. Science journalist Bianca Nogrady talks with Jane Lee about why there are still so many unknowns about when, and how, to treat them.
In-depth
Almost half the population in Australia’s regions live in “childcare deserts”, a frustrating barrier for women wanting to return to work. Childcare – or the absence of it – is as important, and connected, to all the other big issues in regional Australia such as worker shortages and the lack of services. With employers in country towns crying out for staff, Gabrielle Chan argues that it’s time to join the dots.
Not the news
Most of us are familiar with the pesky little flies that hover around fruit bowls and food scraps or get tipsy floating in a glass of beer or wine. What is less commonly known is that these little bugs are NOT fruit flies: they’re vinegar flies, which can quickly get out of hand. From ditching your fruit bowl to using apple cider vinegar, try these simple hacks to rid your kitchen of the pinhead-sized pests.
The world of sport
Rugby union | The code’s first Club World Cup is set to be staged in 2028 after the major men’s leagues in both hemispheres, including Super Rugby, signed a memorandum of understanding on the project.
Football | Carlo Ancelotti is nervous as Real Madrid and Manchester City get ready to cross swords again in the Champions League; Thomas Tuchel backs Harry Kane to fire as Bayern Munich eye Arsenal test.
Basketball | It’s taken him a decade but Dante Exum has finally made it in the NBA – and at the perfect time for Australia’s Boomers.
Media roundup
A group of prominent Australians are pushing for billions of dollars of Russian assets frozen by Australian authorities to be put towards financial support for war-torn Ukraine, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Clinical experts and justice officials fear the NDIS is ill-equipped to deal with sex offenders, putting the safety of the public and support workers at risk, reports the Age. Energy companies are under fire after moving customers to “punishing” time-of-use tariffs – which charge people more at peak times – with little or no notice, reports ABC News.
What’s happening today
NSW | The inaugural Goodes O’Loughlin Foundation Oration is to be delivered by Adam Goodes at the Sydney Opera House.
Sydney | Hearings are due in a case involving a transgender woman suing the social media site Giggle for Girls for alleged discrimination.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And finish your day with a three-minute snapshot of the day’s main news. Sign up for our Afternoon Update newsletter here.
Prefer notifications? If you’re reading this in our app, just click here and tap “Get notifications” on the next screen for an instant alert when we publish every morning.
Brain teaser
And finally, here are the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
