Making news: Stifler's Mom had 200 'friends', Clive Palmer was not one
All the news that's fit to mint.
All the news that's fit to mint.
What's happening in (The) Oz:
😢 A horrible night for Queensland
🧑🏻⚕️ Call your GP, bulk billing on the brink
🇨🇳 China flexes like an attention-starved gym bro
💰 Clive Palmer's second dose of bad news this week
💊 There's no ADHD meds left
💉Moderna for kids
🐮 A new cow taskforce
👧🏻 Government pledges to save "at risk kids"
👶🏻 Chrissy Teigen is getting the best kind of fat
👩🏻⚖️ Alex Jones got owned by people he pays
🧀 Cheese is practically a vegetable now
🍆 Jennifer Coolidge's most rewarding role
Good morning!
The devil works hard but the royal family PR machine works harder.
The absolute chaotic vibes emanating from the House of Windsor continue as the official social media accounts of Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge have wished Meghan Markle happy birthday overnight.
Bold considering they all reportedly hate each other.
Wishing a happy birthday to The Duchess of Sussex! pic.twitter.com/HrYdCbe6N1
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) August 4, 2022
GPs on life support?
Infectious disease expert Dr Nick Coatsworth reckons Covid has exposed problems within the healthcare system as GPs warn today the bulk-billing system is on the brink of collapse.
“...These are problems that have been exposed by COVID-19 rather than caused by Covid-19… if we had another significant outbreak of an infectious disease or other strains on our healthcare system we will find ourselves in the same sort of situation,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“It is hard for bulk-billing GPs. The rebate hasn't moved in years,” he said.
Dr Coatsworth’s comments come as The Australian revealed some GPs had no choice but to charge patients gap fees.
“It’s now got to a point where practices can no longer sustain bulk billing,” Royal Australian College of General Practitioners vice-president Bruce Willett said.
Nancy Pelosi proves to be more provocative than Madonna
The US Speaker jetted in and our of Taiwan this week to tell the democratic nation America will stand firm in the face of China's crankiness.
Coincidentally, at least 11 Chinese missiles struck seas north, south and east of Taiwan as she headed back home and helicopters flew in and around its airspace for some "military drills".
The CCP said the bombs "all precisely hit their targets" and five landed in Japanese waters.
Pelosi was only there for 24-hours and while offical communiques say it was for her safety (and the sake of peace in the region), it may have had something to do with her hotel choice.
Nance was hauled up at the Hyatt Taipai - which is not only 5-stars - but considered to be one of the most haunted hotels in the world.
Clive wants more coal...
and so too does the rest of the world apparently.
In an ironic twist, the day after the government's climate change bill passed its first hurdle, the ABS released data showing coal - the dirtiest form of energy according to the Greens - is practically Australia's sugar daddy and paying our way.
Coal exports in June were a little above $14.4bn, up 270% on a year earlier, according to the ABS.
CBA senior economist Belinda Allen told The Australian the trade figures were "truly extraordinary".
“Australia exports what the world wants, and that’s true in markets disrupted by the Ukraine war, such as grain, coal and gas," Allen said.
At this rate, she added, the national books may not be as bad as the Treasurer Jim Chalmers keeps predicting when he hands down his Budget in October.
"Department of Finance figures show the federal budget deficit over the financial year to May running $27bn smaller than Treasury anticipated as recently as April’s pre-election update," The Australian reports.
Allen said it was possible our debt could be much less than expected too, “reflecting not just the trade side, but a better performing economy as well”.
Which may explain why mining magnate Clive Palmer, fresh from his court stoush with WA Premier Mark McGowan, wants to dig into coal mining some more.
The new Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek may have other ideas.
She has proposed the rejection of his Central Queensland project on the grounds it's likely to damage the Great Barrier Reef. That's despite a new study finding coral cover in the some parts of the Reef had increased despite another episode of bleaching this year.
This looks likely to be the first time in Australian history that a federal environment minister looks set to reject a coal mine.
Gun tragedy
Four family members have been shot on a sprawling cattle farm in remote, far north Queensland.
Three people have died and another is fighting for their life while the gunman, according to police, is still on the run but couldn't confirm if he was still armed.
Short attention span drugs in short supply
First it was diabetics unable to get their meds due to TikTok stars bragging about how good it is for weight loss, which exacerbated the shortage. Now ADHD meds for kids are disappearing.
Ritalin is now running out according to pharmacists around the country.
Got you covered for Covid though, junior
Moderna has been given its first Aussie all clear for kids.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration approved a paediatric dose of the Covid vaccine with the view kids aged six months up to six years will soon be eligible for vaccination.
“As we have seen with children in older age groups, the TGA expects that vaccines for younger children will provide protection from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19, such as hospitalisation and death,” the TGA said in a statement.
“The vaccine in children from six months will be administered in two doses at least 28 days apart just as with other age groups” the statement said.
“The paediatric vaccine is made in the same way as the vaccines for older people, but contains a lower concentration of the active ingredient.”
The vaccine was given “provisional approval”, meaning Moderna must continue providing information to the TGA on longer term efficacy and safety from ongoing clinical trials.
Putting the "f" into FMD
The federal government are establishing a new taskforce.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt announced a new commonwealth squat team will monitor Australia’s preparedness for foot and mouth disease. This is in addition to a raft of other biosecurity measures already in place including sanitation foot mats in international airports and tracking returning travellers, especially those from Indonesia, who may or may not be carrying bags full of Maccas.
The new taskforce will include officials from the Australian Defence Force, Australian Border Force and Animal Health Australia.
Watt said the risk of the disease coming into Australia was low at about 11%.
For now.
Save the 'at-risk' children
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth will convene with her state and territory counterparts today to get to the bottom of why so many little kids are falling through the cracks and, worse, dying in care or due to unsafe environments at home.
The talk fest is also expected to focus on how to better care for First Nations kids at every stage of life too.
Speaking of kids
Wonderful news for model Chrissy Teigen and her husband, singer John Legend, as they are expecting a baby.
The news comes two years after the couple lost their son, who was stillborn.
Since then she has actively campaigned for more awareness around miscarriage after she penned a blog about her experiences having to deliver baby Jack knowing he wouldn't survive.
Why do they even bother with Law & Order in the US...
as their real life court drama is way more bonkers than anything a writer could conjure.
The latest high profile case being streamed by millions stars InfoWars host Alex Jones - a conspiracy theorist - who is facing potentially millions of dollars in damages for spreading lies about the Sandy Hook massacre which was the deadliest elementary school shooting in American history.
Jones repeatedly claimed that the killing of 20 children and six staff at the school in December 2020, didn't happen.
He has since acknowledged the mass shooting did occur, and described the attack as "100% real" while testifying as his own legal team leaked his incriminating text messages to the opposing side to be used again him.
Alex Jones in “Curb Your Defamation†pic.twitter.com/zHNlZW5Yqr
— Gabe Sanchez  (@iamgabesanchez) August 4, 2022
At least those of us dreaming of "quietly quitting" can rest easy today knowing we're not that bad at our jobs.
No matter how badly you fuck up at work this week, at least you didn’t send the opposing counsel the incriminating contents of your client’s phone during a multi-million dollar legal case.
— Anna Peele (@bananapeele) August 3, 2022
Stifler's Mom can get it...
and she did according to the woman who was cast in the iconic role from the iconic coming of age movie, American Pie.
Jennifer Coolidge told Variety in a new interview the job worked better than Tinder.
"I was so happy for American Pie and the MILF thing. I got a lot out of being a MILF and I got a lot of sexual action from American Pie," Coolidge said. "There were so many benefits to doing that movie. There would be like 200 people that I would never have slept with (had I not done it!)".
Just further proof the White Lotus star must be protected and respected at all times.
jennifer coolidge is so powerful that she briefly convinced me that i want to be ugly pic.twitter.com/8DTxILICx0
— alex (@alex_abads) April 29, 2022
Time to move to Norway
Meghan Markle’s favourite face gym is opening in Australia, Greta Thunberg publishes Andrew Tate’s contact details
All the news that's fit to mint.
Emily Ratajkowski joins the competitive world of online dating, Nick Kyrgios quits at the last minute
All the news that's fit to mint.