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Good morning!
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly set to tie the knot on Friday (local time) at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
I say reportedly because despite the seemingly ubiquitous headlines, neither Swift nor Kelce has actually confirmed the news.
Here at TDA we don’t publish opinions, so I’ll leave this image of the proposed venue with no further comment.
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “Don’t you care about the suicide victims of gambling?”
Liberal MP Simon Kennedy calling out to the Prime Minister during Question Time on Thursday. The Coalition, Greens, and independents have all criticised the Government’s gambling advertising reforms as being too limited in recent days.
Lifeline: 13 11 14. Gambling Helpline: 1800 858 858.
The stat: 13. The number of people killed by a Russian strike in Kyiv overnight.
The big question:
When looking for new furniture, what is most important to you?
Yesterday’s results: 57% of you feel pessimistic about the housing market. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [1,823 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
The death toll from two back to back earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 2,295, as the Australian Government pledges $2 million in aid. More than 4,000 emergency workers have rescued over 6,400 people since the quakes struck west of the capital Caracas last week. More than 11,200 people were injured, with nearly 13,000 still unaccounted for. There are fears the death toll could surge to five figures, with a United Nations envoy this week confirming it’s preparing 10,000 body bags for Venezuela. The country's Parliamentary President Jorge Rodríguez said 782 aftershocks have been recorded since the double earthquake, though their frequency and intensity have decreased in recent days.
Australian shoe retailer Betts will close most of its stores, as it enters voluntary administration after 134 years in business. Betts operated nearly 220 shops at its peak, but will close 20 of its 35 remaining stores across the country – including all South Australian Betts stores. The remaining 15 retailers expected to keep operating include flagship shops in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Administrators said the retailer was forced to accelerate several planned closures following a recent slump in consumer spending, coupled with higher fuel prices and rising business costs.
Together with AAP.
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I’ve got 1 minute
The Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard evidence on the online environment for Jewish people this week from Federal MP Josh Burns, Bondi Beach terror attack survivor Arsen Ostrovsky and the eSafety Commissioner.
Burns told the Commission he has been subject to “relentless online abuse,” which he described as “a message saying to the Jewish people that you don’t belong in this Australia.”
The hearings will continue next week, with witnesses to reflect on their experiences with traditional media.
Background
On 14 December, two gunmen opened fire at a Jewish community event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 and injuring dozens who had gathered to celebrate the start of the Jewish festival of Chanukah.
The mass shooting was declared a terrorist attack, triggering calls for a Royal Commission into antisemitism in Australia. The NSW Government set up a Commission, while the Federal Government initially rejected the calls.
Albanese then announced a Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion on 8 January.
Hearings
During this block of hearings, witnesses reflected on their online experiences of antisemitism.
Arsen Ostrovsky
Ostrovsky was injured in the terror attack. A photo of his bloodied head circulated online. He said he was called a fake and labelled a “crisis actor” (a term used by conspiracy theorists to suggest an attack was faked).
Steven Lowy
Lowy is a businessman and the son of Westfield founder Frank Lowy. He said his family has experienced 15,000 online attacks in the past year, including threats on their lives.
Josh Burns
The Federal MP said his office windows were smashed, and horns were painted onto his photo outside. He said his non-Jewish partner, Victorian Upper House member Georgie Purcell, receives “hate and misogyny and antisemitism”.
Sarah Schwartz
Schwartz, co-founder of the Jewish Council of Australia, said she has received “pro-Israel” messages calling her “not really Jewish,” as well as calls from neo-Nazis. She said people “conflate... Jewish identity and Israel”.
Block three of hearings will continue until next Friday 10 July.
The next block will be held in Melbourne from 13 to 17 July, and will focus on the experience of antisemitism in universities.
Commissioner Virginia Bell must deliver the final report by 14 December, one year after the terror attack.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, multimedia journo Elliot and co-founder Zara talk about the Australian man accused of murdering a Thai teenage girl. Listen or watch on Apple here, Spotify here, or YouTube here.
🌞 Craving some feel good news? You can sign up to TDA Good News here to make sure the explainer is in your inbox every Sunday morning.
I’ve got 2 minutes
The brothers of former NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet are among state Liberal Party members under investigation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
The Commission has alleged that party members, including Jean-Claude and Charles Perrottet, accepted prohibited political donations, partly to remove specific people from public office.
A spokesperson for the NSW Liberal Party said it expects members “to meet the high standards demanded by this organisation, our membership and the public.”
Background
ICAC is a NSW body established to investigate allegations of corrupt conduct in the public sector. It defines corruption as “deliberate or intentional wrongdoing”.
Dominic Perrottet was the Premier of NSW from October 2021 to March 2023, representing the Liberal Party.
He is one of 12 siblings, including brothers Jean-Claude and Charles, who have both been active in the Liberal Party.
Investigation
This week, ICAC announced an investigation involving three allegations:
Liberal Party members, including Jean-Claude Perrottet, accepted donations from “prohibited donors”. These were allegedly undeclared and/or exceeded donation caps. Catholic Schools NSW and Paslibdan, linked to hotelier Michael O’Hara, are listed as donors.
(The NSW Electoral Commission lists property developers, the liquor and gaming, and tobacco industries, and close associates to the recipient as prohibited political donors.)
Liberal members, including Charles Perrottet, allegedly accepted donations from property developer Jean Nassif. The donations were allegedly part of a scheme involving recruitment, in an effort to “damage” former MP David Elliott and remove former NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler from office.
Strathfield Labor Councillors Sharangan Maheswaran and Karen Pensabene allegedly engaged in dishonest conduct including possible blackmail.
In 2023, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Nassif fled to Lebanon during a police investigation into bank fraud. Maheswaran used to be Nassif’s lawyer.
Response
In a statement to TDA, a spokesperson for the NSW Liberal Party said: “It would not be appropriate to comment on a current active ICAC inquiry.”
They added that the Party “expects its members to meet the high standards demanded by this organisation, our membership and the public.”
Strathfield Mayor Benjamin Cai said the Council “values responsible, ethical leadership.”
“As elected representatives we are individually accountable for our behaviour whilst we are in office and the community should hold us to the highest standards of behaviour,” Cai added.
ICAC will hold an inquiry into the allegations. Public hearings will be held in Sydney over eight weeks from 27 July.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
A message from The University of Canberra
Some achievements are worth waiting for
Whether you're looking to take the next step in your career, change direction, or finally pursue a qualification you've been thinking about for years, the University of Canberra makes it possible to study around your life.
With flexible online learning, practical courses designed for working professionals, and Commonwealth Supported Places (a government subsidy that reduces your course fees) available for many postgraduate degrees, you can keep moving forward without putting everything else on hold.
Give me some good news
Millions of Socceroos fans will be able to watch Saturday’s make-or-break World Cup clash with Egypt at the pub, with both the NSW and Victorian state governments relaxing licensing laws for the game.
In NSW, all broadcasting venues will be allowed to open from 3am for the 4am game. Those that would otherwise close at 1am or 2am can stay open all night. Additional public transport services will also run through the night and early morning. Meanwhile, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has announced all venues that broadcast the game will be allowed to stay open all night. Pubs and clubs across Queensland will also be allowed to trade from 3-7am on game day, so long as they're open for the primary purpose of broadcasting the game and have approval from the state’s liquor and gaming regulator.
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
Eminem, aka Slim Shady, has lost a trademark battle with an Aussie beach goods company called Swim Shady.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, it was determined the rapper didn’t sell beach-related items in Australia, and had also only sold three items saying “Slim Shady” to Australians recently.
Will the real Swim Shady please stand up (under a beach umbrella)?
Reporting by Lucy Tassell.
TDA asks
