☕️ Is the Coalition getting back together?

You didn’t think I’d forget a riddle for the week, did you?

Here is this week’s riddle: The day before two days after the day before tomorrow is Saturday. What day is it today?

Answer is in the titbit!

“We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves. This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction.”
A statement from Irish rap group Kneecap after one of their members was charged with a terrorism offence over allegedly waving the flag of Hezbollah at a concert. Australia lists Hezbollah, which receives funding and training from Iran, as a terrorist organisation.

€70 ($AU123)
The amount of cash Dutch citizens have been told to keep on hand amid rising threats of cyber attacks. The Netherlands Central Bank advised €30 ($AU53) should be available for each child in the case of disaster or emergency.

“Propaganda I’m not falling for” — “People are taking to social media to list phenomena they refuse to participate in (which they’re calling propaganda). Examples include Pilates, running, and working 9-5. Propaganda The Daily Aus team isn’t falling for? Font changes.

NSW’s Mid North Coast is in the middle of a flood crisis. Three people have been killed, and at least one more is missing, as extreme rainfall continues.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the weather emergency has caused “one of the largest deployments” of emergency services personnel in the state’s history.

The flooding event has been declared a natural disaster.

The death toll from this flood event sits at three. Authorities found the body of a 63-year-old man in Taree and the body of a man in his 30s in Rosewood, just west of Port Macquarie. The third person was a woman aged 60 found near Coffs Harbour.

Authorities fear the death toll could rise as multiple searches for missing people remain underway.

Severe flooding has forced the suspension of some search operations. Authorities are urging residents to remain cautious and follow safety advice.

Around 50,000 people and 9,500 properties remain in the disaster zone.

Thousands of emergency workers and volunteers have also been deployed across the state, supported by more than 500 trucks, boats, and helicopters.

Nearly 600 people have been rescued so far by emergency services.

Authorities are urging residents to evacuate while it’s still safe, warning that worsening conditions could hinder rescue efforts.

Reporting by Achol Arok.

The Liberal and National parties are reconsidering their breakup and have held off on announcing senior positions within their parties, opening up a possibility of repairing the alliance.

In recent days, accounts of the demands that led to the split between the two parties have differed.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley met her Nationals counterpart David Littleproud yesterday, with the future of the Coalition still hanging in the balance.

Here’s the latest.

The Coalition is a formal, long-standing alliance between the Liberal and National parties. It’s a long-held convention at a federal level.

The last time the Coalition broke up was in 1987, after the leader of the Country Party in Queensland (now the Nationals), sought to become Coalition leader instead of a Liberal.

The separation lasted five months.

Earlier this week, the National Party announced it wouldn’t enter a formal coalition agreement with the Liberals following the election defeat on 3 May.

Nationals leader David Littleproud identified four policy areas the party wanted to be included in the Coalition’s platform.

These included lifting the national ban on nuclear power and keeping a $20 billion regional fund pledge announced during the election campaign.

Liberal leader Sussan Ley had said every policy was up for review, and wouldn’t commit to specific proposals.

A Cabinet is a small group of senior ministers who have responsibility over certain areas of government.

The Opposition has a Shadow Cabinet, with shadow ministers for each government portfolio.

Members of the Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet are bound by ‘solidarity’: they must not publicly disagree with party decisions.

Ley said the Nationals had pushed to dump cabinet solidarity as part of the coalition agreement talks.

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie disputed this claim.

Ley and Littleproud held talks this morning at Parliament House where they pledged to reconsider the split.

After the meeting, Ley released a statement saying: “The Nationals are willing to accept Shadow Cabinet solidarity as part of a Coalition Agreement”.

“This is the first time this commitment has been made,” she added.

Speaking to reporters, Littleproud said cabinet solidarity wasn’t discussed with Nationals MPs and Senators ahead of the breakup announcement.

Both parties agreed to hold off on announcing which MPs would oversee which portfolios.

If the Coalition remains split, the Liberal Party would become the official Opposition party because it has more MPs and Senators (52 in total, based on the latest election count). Liberals would then fill all the official “shadow ministry” positions.

The Nationals would have spokespeople for different policy areas, but would not be recognised as the official opposition.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

It’s Australian Made Week (May 19–25), so here’s your friendly reminder to back the green and gold next time you shop.

When you choose products with the Aussie Made kangaroo logo, you’re supporting local makers, creating jobs, boosting the economy, and backing our communities.

How to spot an Aussie made product: Look for the iconic kangaroo logo - it’s the only registered country of origin mark in Australia, so it’s your best bet for buying local that’s actually local.

No matter what you’re buying, when you buy Australian Made we all win! 

🍊 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the newest NBA MVP.
🍊 Ange Postecoglou’s called shot pays off for the Spurs.
🍊 The Enhanced Games are set for next year. What are they?
🗞️ Also in today’s Sport Newsletter: tennis, pole vault, and more…

Donanemab has been proven to slow cognitive decline in some patients with Alzheimer's by around 30%. It’s now been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) as a treatment for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s. Donanemab is a more targeted medication than other popular Alzheimer’s treatments, which mainly address symptoms. The drug is administered as a fluid via IV every four weeks for up to 18 months. Experts say while it’s not a cure, Donanemab is a significant step forward in improving the quality of life of Alzheimer’s patients during the early stages of the disease.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

Some lucky students at the University of Maryland are about to have a special guest address them as they celebrate their graduation: Kermit the Frog.

This is actually Kermit’s second “Kermencement” speech, having first imparted his wisdom on the class of 1996 at Southampton College.

The speech is happening just two hours after this newsletter goes out (at 9am AEST), so keep an eye out! You can watch the felted frog’s address here.

Reporting by Rosa Bowden.

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Riddle answer: Today is Friday! (Makes sense, right?!)

Endometriosis has been in the headlines this week, with the announcement of a new specialised clinic, and a data drop from Australia’s health institute. The chronic pelvic condition affects at least a million Aussies, and diagnosis rates are increasing.

In today’s episode, we’ll explain the latest developments in endometriosis research, and what they might mean for people with the condition.