It will be historically significant that the Albanese government decided to spend its enormous political capital not on addressing systemic inequality but on mindless fealty to the demands of the United States and Israel. That is how it'll be remembered.
Australia.
“Mr President, the bombings have begun in Tehran and also customers are complaining we have run out of shrimp at the pool buffet.”
The world is so much poorer for not having Jon Kudelka in it
Jon Kudelka, much-loved Australian political cartoonist, dies aged 53
...an area of Australia bigger than all of France is forecast to hit temperatures above 45C today...
A new ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’ sketch imagines a toy commercial for ‘ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER’ action figures.
#SNL #OneBattleAfterAnother
Like anyone else of conscience I’m watching in horror as government street gangs in the US murder, kidnap & terrorise civilians with not just impunity but full federal backing & as an Australian I’d like to ask my government: is this our ally? Is this our good friend? Is this the standard we accept?
I literally never thought I'd see the day where the NRA criticized this regime
1. 1 am a 29-year-old resident of the lin Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have lived in Minneapolis since 2024, when I moved to the city to begin my medical residency. I am a licensed pediatrician, and I have been practicing pediatric medicine in the city since I moved here. 2. On January 24, 2026, at approximately 9:00 am CST, I was awoken by the sound of cars honking and whistles blowing. Shortly after I awoke, I heard screaming from outside my window. I saw several ICE agents and civilians yelling at each other. 3. One civilian was standing in front of a parked car on the side of the road. I saw him yelling at the ICE agents, but I did not see him attack the agents or brandish a weapon of any kind 4. Suddenly, an ICE agent shoved him to the ground. My view of the altercation was partially obstructed, but after a few seconds, I saw at least four ICE agents point guns at the man. I then saw the agents shoot the man at least six or seven times. 5. Initially, I was stunned. From what I could see from my apartment, there was absolutely no need for any violence, let alone lethal force by multiple officers. I immediately put on my boots and coat, ran outside, and approached ICE agents who were near the victim.
6. The scene was chaotic. Many civilians were screaming and honking. Over the noise, I informed the ICE agents that I am a physician, and I asked to assess the victim. 7. At first, the ICE agents wouldn't let me through. They repeatedly asked me for my physician's license, which I obviously didn't have. But none of the ICE agents who were near the victim were performing CPR, and I could tell that the victim was in critical condition. I insisted that the agents let me assess him. Normally, I would not have been so persistent, but as a physician, I felt a professional and moral obligation to help this man, especially since none of the agents were helping him. 8. Finally, one agent agreed to let me assess the victim. He patted me down to "make sure I didn't have a weapon" and then let me approach the victim. 9. As I approached, I saw that the victim was lying on his side and was surrounded by several ICE agents. I was confused as to why the victim was on his side, because that is not standard practice when a victim has been shot. Checking for a pulse and administering CPR is standard practice. Instead of doing either of those things, the ICE agents appeared to be counting his bullet wounds. 10.1 asked the ICE agents if the victim had a pulse, and they said they did not know. I then asked the agents to make space so I could assess the victim.
11. The victim had at least three bullet wounds in his back. I asked the ICE agents to turn the victim from his side to his back. From that position, I saw an additional gunshot wound on the victim's upper left chest and another possible gunshot wound on his neck. 12. I checked for a pulse, but I did not feel one. I immediately began CPR. Shortly after I started compressions, EMS personnel arrived and took over. 13.1 remained at the scene for about five more minutes, but protesters began to gather and the situation seemed to be escalating, so I left and returned to my apartment. 14. When I returned to my apartment, I was extremely distraught. I was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably. Eventually, I called my sister, who lives in a nearby suburb. I called her for comfort and because I did not feel safe in my apartment; I wanted to see if I could stay with her for the day and maybe even a few days. 15.1 also sought advice from a friend who works for the City of Minneapolis. He recommended that I shelter in place because the situation outside my apartment was so dangerous. I was going to follow his advice, but then ICE agents deployed tear gas on the crowd that had gathered below, and the tear gas began seeping into my apartment.
BREAKING: A young doctor who lives near where Alex Pretti, a nurse, was killed by ICE says in a declaration he saw the shooting, went out to help, was not let through at first then patted down before being let by, and was apparently the first to try and provide any medical assistance to Pretti.
Statement from Michael and Susan Pretti Parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti “We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.
Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.
"Please get the truth out about our son."
You have to read this. Firsthand affidavit from one of the women who was there and recording the video. She talks about how Alex Pretti was directing traffic when she arrived. She watched him be killed in front of her. She's afraid to go home, worried she'll be arrested.
Board of Peace - Season 1
Australia: We must end hate and prejudice, just not THAT hate and prejudice.
This is the reporting from @apmreports.org the doctor is citing.
Renee Good had a pulse for at least 8 minutes and 34 seconds.
www.apmreports.org/story/2026/0...
I'm so sorry. It sounds like that beautiful girl had a great life with you. I hope everyone is ok.
Over the last months and particularly one week Paula deteriorated very quickly. Talking became harder ...and Paula loved to talk.Feeding more difficult. Eating tiring needing longer breaks between each teaspoon. It took 3 hours to finish a small bowel of puree. We stopped watching short funny shows together. Forced into a bent over position, no longer getting to a window. She had loved standing with support briefly at the window, smelling fresh air, watching Hurley play in the garden.
Learned of another death of a friend with ME/CFS, this time someone I’d known for six years.
Very grateful to all of you who support work to relieve this terrible suffering.
If you are in Seattle, please go patronize this store because this is amazing content/promo 😂 (laughing to keep from crying, and I do kind of low-key want that orange spider plant I have never seen that before)
Source: www.instagram.com/reel/DTQrTqZ...
We all know that January is a tough month, so here's a big old Cow having a big old hug.
Let this radicalize you.
This is fucking insane.
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
And despite it all, this is Tehran 🇮🇷
Today's shift on the Fogarty's Gap fire was emotionally hard. We spent time going down streets to assess houses for damage. Walking around the ruins of someone's home, their loved gardens, their fruit trees, now all a tangled heap of metal & beams, is heartbreaking. Feeling sad for so much loss.
Corrupt Executives and the Urgent Need for Arts Governance Reform It bears mentioning that Antoinette Lattouf famously won her case against the ABC, who spent $2m of public money trying to defend their racist actions, Khaled Sabsabi's appointment was reinstated after months of concerted pressure from artists, and Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah's ARC funding was restored after 9 months of suspension when an independent review cleared her of any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Jayson Gillham's case is still in court, and so is my own against the State Library of Victoria. The Bendigo Writers Festival collapsed and is not returning this year. By and large, these racist decisions have backfired in spectacular and costly fashion for every institution - they do not impact the detached and deranged board members, and what's more, the institution, and the public, invariably pay the cost for these gross interventions from middle-manager clowns who know nothing about the arts and care even less.
In the almost 20 high profile cases of racist interference cited here, many have backfired spectacularly, and many are in court (me included) fighting this blatant discrimination and political censorship. We need urgent reform in arts governance—this model is completely broken.
Authors Who Have Withdrawn From the Apartheid Adelaide Writers Festival Percival Everett, M. Gessen, Zadie Smith, Michelle de Kretser, Yanis Varoufakis, Helen Garner, Hannah Kent, Melissa Lucashenko, Evelyn Araluen, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Larissa Behrendt, Laila Lalami, Trent Dalton, Kathy Lette, Robbie Arnott, Amy McQuire, Walter Marsh, Bernadette Brennan, David Marr, Angie Faye Martin, Jane Caro, Jennifer Mills, Paul Daley, James Bradley, Nikos Papastergiadis, Amy Remeikis, Hannah Ferguson, Laura Tingle, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, Peter Greste, Mike Ladd, Alisa Ahmed, Tasma Walton, Bri Lee, Chelsea Watego, Emily Lighezzolo, Clare Wright, Chris Hammer, Kenneth Roth, Micaela Sahhar, Emma Shortis, Madeleine Gray, Peter FitzSimons, Chloe Hooper, Sarah Krasnostein, Kate Mildenhall, Drusilla Modjeska, Ren Wyld, Dominic Guerrera, Marieke Hardy, Jonathan Green, Vincenzo Latronico, Francesca Wade, Molly Murn, Susie Anderson, Eoin McNamee, Danny Nour, Emilie Zoey Baker, Grace Yee, Richard King, Sam Guthrie, Cam Wilson, Jacinta Parsons, Jacqueline Maley, Andy Jackson, Sue Turnbull, Lyn Dickens, Courtney Jaye, Ariel Bogel, Natasha Lester, Sonia Orchard, Louise Milligan, Mathew Hooten, Tim Ayliffe, Lucy Nelson, Lainie Anderson, Roisin O'Donnell, Michael Veitch, Lance Richardson. sakr.substack.com
79 authors have withdrawn from Adelaide Writers Week now, that we know of - others are rumoured to have done so without declaring so publicly, if you’re wondering why different numbers are floating around. More than half of the festival gone. sakr.substack.com/p/the-road-t...
No Adelaide Writers Week for me. I can’t in any good conscience now appear at a festival seeking to mute a very necessary public conversation … Randa Abdel-Fattah is an important voice. Here’s something I published from her on, guess what, Palestinian marginalisation. meanjin.com.au/latest/the-g...
Randa Abdel-Fattah’s response:
As a former Director of Adelaide Writers' Week I am appalled that the Adelaide Festival Board has rescinded Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah's invitation to the 2026 AWW, explicitly linking its decision to the shattering crimes in Bondi.
A shocking decision that will and should have far-reaching consequences.
It’s incredibly disturbing that so many Australian institutions and leaders can reproduce vicious assertions without evidence about the link between Palestinian rights campaigns and the Bondi killings, then use these assertions to ban people from public discourse.
