I will die and be reborn into undeath on this hill to say that, it is far less risky and more effective to literally BUY A FUCKING HOUSE for a homeless woman and her baby, than it is to take a baby into care. #qldpol www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

Homeless mother's baby taken away while waiting for social housing

Hannah* says she wept for days after child safety officers turned up at the hospital to take her two-day-old baby away.

abc.net.au

Axios writer: I melted my brain with AI. Not only can I no longer read, but I don't even understand the purpose of reading anymore. Here's how you can also do this. www.axios.com/2026/08/11/r...

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you induced illness by-proxy, a definitive form of physical child abuse.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2d ago

Trump: "Very importantly, vaccinations for hepatitis B, covid-19, and influenza, among others, are no longer recommended for all children"

This is an excellent article, just as relevant to #auspol as it is #ukpol. Some of the responses are borderline unhinged though. There’s a lot to get angry about with MPs for sure, but not on my worst day would that turn into abuse, & not on my dumbest would I think abuse gets positive results.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · yesterday

MPs shouldn’t face abuse. Neither should their staff – but here’s what we deal with every day | Estelle Warhurst

In regards to properties putting up threatening signs about gun use & trespassers, one question that probably needs to be asked in #politas is what advice is given to Child Safety Officers undertaking unannounced home visits to one of these houses, especially if a sign not immediately apparent.

“Are to blame”? What? Why is worded like that?

ABC News Australia@news.abc.net.au · 2d ago

Tiny single-celled organisms are to blame for spectacular marine lightshows

I hear the DoJ has seen proof of all sorts of things in the #Epstein files but won’t share either. Ironically, kids are involved with that as well.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2d ago

Trump: "At one year, you should have 5 separate visits for vaccines rather than getting them all in the same day. I've seen proof of where they have a vaccination thing that looks like the size of a bottle of soda and pour it into a little child's body."

When ‘MMR causes autism’ first broke 20+ years ago in the UK, there was an immediate suggestion from some that it be broken up into three injections. Then commentary that there should be choice. All despite medical opinion. It wasn’t an accident then, & it’s not one now. Decades in the making.

Dan Diamond@ddiamond.bsky.social · 2d ago

BREAKING — Trump is planning to sign an executive order today that calls for spacing out childhood vaccines, breaking the MMR into three separate shots and making other key vaccine changes. @lenasun.bsky.social @rachelroubein.bsky.social

There’s two ways to look at this, in the context of past highly questionable actions & comments about women: 1) Albanese is a rampant misogynist who needs to fuck off 2) he has employed rampant misogynists as advisors, in which case he needs to fuck off. #auspol www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

Coalition calls on Albanese to apologise to Japan's PM over melon gesture

The Australian prime minister has landed in hot water over a gesture involving two melons, which his office insists was not referring to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's body.

abc.net.au

Centrism also carries the can here. ON are not a localised phenomenon. There is a global far-right extremist trend, part deliberate malevolence, part acquiescence. Even the Left has failed to comprehend the nature of what it’s dealing with. Awareness is growing, but we’re still too passive #auspol

The Saturday Paper@thesaturdaypaper.com.au · 4d ago

"The Coalition is largely to blame for the rise of One Nation," writes John Hewson. "Leader Angus Taylor, like his two predecessors, has failed to provide an effective and constructive opposition, let alone an agenda for reform." trib.al/zlRchm4

Oh, guess the word! Erm…shite? 🤷🏻‍♂️ #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Amid a week of sex and drug allegations, Pocock summed up Albanese’s gambling plan with one word

Independent senator says it is a ‘tragedy’ that PM is standing in the way of strong public and bipartisan support for tougher laws

theguardian.com

“The US Department of Agriculture listed Wakanda as a free-trade partner - despite it being a fictional country.” Honestly, I would give the BBC all the points if instead of writing “despite…etc.’ they wrote “and if you don’t know why that’s stupid we can’t help you.” www.bbc.com/news/world-u...

US government lists fictional nation Wakanda as trade partner

Officials say it was an error to add the fictional nation from Black Panther to the list.

bbc.com

The funniest thing about this is the Liberals taking the moral high ground over flash spending by ON. Talk about the snake eating it’s own tail. #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Pauline Hanson echoes Trump as she lashes out about ‘fake news’ reporting on lavish London hotel

One Nation leader says party covered ‘all travel costs’ for her European trip – aside from those paid by billionaire Gina Rinehart

theguardian.com

OMG no way! #auspol www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

Facebook pays controversial creators to produce rage-bait content

An ABC NEWS Verify investigation reveals Facebook is directly funding some controversial Australian content creators including a white nationalist and an anti-vaxxer influencer.

abc.net.au

Whatever you do, whatever you say, however clear it is to ordinary people, billionaires will never ever tolerate dissent or free speech, & they will ruthlessly exploit the power of their undeserved wealth. This is why we must tax them into oblivion. #eattherich www.theguardian.com/media/2026/a...

ABC apologises to Gina Rinehart over controversial Race Around the World episode

Hugh Marks says broadcaster will change its policies after Rinehart’s company said crude joke posed ‘serious risks’

theguardian.com

“AISI says it is unclear whether the agents “realised” they were targeting real humans.” 🤔 Excuses for AI programming flaws are getting strangely similar to child sexual abusers’ excuses (e.g. “I thought she was over 18”). www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

AI models have been going rogue in tests – how worried should we be?

The UK’s AI Security Institute test revealed AI models indulging in unprecedented hacking attempts

theguardian.com

Just listened to ABC radio interview w/ Dan Tehan about AI factories & energy re. @chrisbowenmp.bsky.social standoff with NT/QLD. Going in circles on renewables distraction (transparent greenwashing by AI industry). Not one mention of how AI factories will raise energy prices for households. #auspol

"It might learn that a good way to pursue a goal is to get rid of whatever constraints you put on it." So basically, AI = billionaire 🤷🏻‍♂️ www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08...

AI model used fake identities to deceive humans in a safety test 'unprompted'

The British government's AI Security Institute has released a report showing AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic had, in test conditions, engaged in "harmful activity directed at real people and organ...

abc.net.au

A vote to confirm Todd Blanche is a vote against justice for Epstein survivors.

The problem here is facility availability, purchasing equipment, or safe access. E.g. the nearest swimming pool is 25km away, & it’s the only one in town. I much prefer swimming to running, but it’s impractical. Lack of #politas leisure services is appalling. www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...

Skip the run: here are six joint-friendly cardio alternatives suggested by experts

Whether you’re nursing a joint, have an existing condition or just don’t feel like running, these exercises help get your cardio in

theguardian.com

I realise that journalism has a “let’s start with the basic question of ‘why did so-and-so do such-and-such…’etc.” approach to explainer news pieces like this, but increasingly often these days I feel like a generic “what the fuck are we even doing here people?” headline would suffice.

Al Jazeera English@aljazeera.com · last wk.

US president's hand-picked DC attorney in firing line after dropping charges for vandalism of Washington landmark.

I’m not sure this messaging will land well. AI has huge implications for local environment, energy prices & water, amongst other things. Most people don’t see the mining boom as having a direct, tangible effect on their everyday lives (even if sceptical of benefits) in the same way. #auspol

There is nothing stopping people coming on here. The main benefit of Bluesky is that it is not inhibited by an invasive algorithm pushing 🦇💩. BSky has flaws, but offers opportunity for more genuine conversation than Fascist Twitter. It says a lot that far-right & centrists find it so alienating.

The Verge@theverge.com · last wk.

Bluesky's new CEO Toni Schneider on the platform's reputation for being a liberal bubble: "Yes, we definitely want that to change. It is already changing. It certainly wasn’t designed to attract one specific group of people."

What’s to stop him bringing it back after his confirmation? www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Blanche formally rescinds Trump’s $1.8bn ‘anti-weaponization fund’ ahead of nomination hearing

Todd Blanche issues formal order terminating measure widely derided as a ‘slush fund’, in move that could clear path for his nomination as attorney general

theguardian.com

Every student I speak to is either openly using social media, or drops statements that only make sense if they are using social media (they don’t want to admit they are still accessing it, obvs). The ban has not had a material impact on stopping use, & is making it harder to track usage. #auspol

Ben Schwarz@benschwarz.bsky.social · last wk.

Australia’s eSafety commissioner buried a report (released Friday afternoon) that shows the under 16 social media ban didn’t tangibly reduce teen social media use, and also resulted in parents tuning out of kids usage. We traded our privacy for no reason. theconversation.com/more-than-80...

If I was a Democrat in elected office or campaigning for election, I’d be sweeping my office for bugs & breaking out some burner phones right now.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo ago

JD Vance: "I think Nixon's historical legacy is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, and deservedly so. I joked that if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12 hours news story. The idea that it took down a presidency is crazy."

An illustrative example of how AI seeks to control knowledge, and can only do this by destroying our access to alternatives. Whether you burn a book or pulp it, it has the same effect. Of all the malevolent dangers of AI, this is one of the biggest. #auspol www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

‘More than just objects’: Australian book sellers raise alarm over ‘horrific’ destruction of rare titles to feed AI

Secondhand booksellers believe they may have been caught up in the AI supply chain that sees old books scanned then destroyed

theguardian.com

And weren’t trying to interconnect them. Barely weeks after an AI site was given approval in Launceston, Tasmania, and another large site proposed for Bell Bay, a data company brushed off delayed plans for cables linking to the US and the Middle East from the same location. #auspol #politas

Cascaolas@cascaolas.eurosky.social · 2w ago

I've seen a few people say that the massive upsurge in data centres is needed for digital sovereignty, which would be more plausible if they weren't trying to build them absolutely everywhere.

JFC there is zero regulation on this shit. Even schools just have a bland ban like they do with mobile phones, even though the implications are very different. #auspol

Tim Lyons@picketer.bsky.social · 2w ago

Kmart is selling home-brand pervert goggles for $89. (Pretty urgent we do something about all this eh?)

I managed to lay waste to half of Tasmania using that tool. It’s not violating Google’s policies if the tool allows users to generate the kind of things that AI has been repeatedly criticised for allowing. Google has been in control of the app’s functions the whole time. #politas #auspol

Geoff Brumfiel@gbrumfiel.bsky.social · 2w ago

BREAKING: Google has rolled back its tool less than a day after it launched. Updated story coming soon.